The Venetian

Okay, so better late than never, but we had the GREATEST time at the Venetian Hotel, here in Vegas. I have never stayed in a five-star hotel, and I have to say, A-MAZ-ING. The rooms (their "basic" rooms) were bigger than our apartment in Hawaii. They had a separate living room area, three flat screen TV's (one in the bathroom) and gold trim on everything. And one of my favorite things- Curtains that open and close with a remote!



Living room:


The bed was heavenly-soft...
The marble bathroom with a TV. Loved the bubble baths. And the robes and slippers. I liked how they separated the living area from the sleeping area with the 2 stairs.

The view was Kalia's favorite. And the actual swimming too.

Belly... Big.
And the customer service was incredible, I couldn't believe how accomodating they were. They brought extra pillows, blankets, a humidifier, cleaned the room whenever I wanted it done, and needless to say, it was the best hotel experience of my life. Hope to go back soon.

11 Months

11 months old today! The last month has been so fun. Here's a few new things that Kalia's into:

Bananas (causing some constipation problems) and Mac and Cheese-- she loves them both so much, she literally shovels them into her mouth. I'm giving her high fiber yogurt to counteract the banana problem.

She puts everything over her head or around her neck- leis, necklaces, strings (makes me nervous!) and clothes. She found one of the tops to my G's and managed to wear it like a toga for 15 minutes, I had to laugh.
Signing: I was so surprised when out of the blue she started signing-- I did signs here and there, but didn't think she was paying attention. Now she is signing eat, drink, more, doggy, all done (sometimes) and help (a barely-there version of help, but whatever). It's so nice to know what she wants. She has also started pointing at things to show us what she wants, or where she wants to go (um, outside. Always.) Also helpful.

Dogs: I have no idea where this new fascination with dogs has come with, but HOLY COW, she's obsessed. She says doggy ("doddy") about 100 times a day, pats her little leg, and starts laughing and breathing hard whenever she hears one or sees one. I bought her some books with puppies, because I'm not about to buy her a dog. (yet)

She's started crying every time Samuel leaves the house. She already squeals and runs to him when he comes home, but now she's noticing him leaving. He loves it.

She's increasingly restless at church. Case in point: Last Sunday I caught 20 minutes of Sacrament and 15 minutes of Sunday school. None of relief society. She won't stay on my lap, and she loves to escape into the aisles (or halls) and then she boldly walks onto the stand or into Bishop's offices. Oh well, at least we're there right? (I try to tell myself). Only 8 more months til nursery.

She's in love with the computer, especially the little red light underneath the mouse. She climbs up on the chair in front of the computer and starts banging away on the keyboard, playing with the mouse, or crawling up on the desk, or under it. I pull her off about 10 times a day.

She is getting the "let me do it" attititude and wants to feed herself with a spoon. I caught a funny moment on camera, at about the 30 second mark:

And...she's getting really bored staying indoors all day (but seriously, it is SO hot outside.) If you have any ideas on how to entertain an 11-month old, let me know.

Vaccines and Autism

Disclaimer: NOW--I am not writing this to start an argument. I believe that every person is 100% entitled to their own opinion and to do whatEVER they feel is best for their child.I do NOT like confrontation or arguments at all. I am not trying to open a can of worms (which I sort of did with my post on universal health care)--SO, I just want to say that for awhile I was very stubborn and refused to really look into this whole "is there a connection between vaccines and Autism" thing.

I have a cousin who is autistic, and a roommate from college who has an autistic son, and so it's something I think about a lot, especially lately with Kalia being at that age to get "shots."

I try not to be extreme about anything, but my husband, a real conspiracy theorist, does ask me questions that make me think. Finally, as we mildly battled out our opinions on the subject, I told him that there was just no PROOF that vaccines caused Autism. In fact, to back myself up, I told him I would find a study where UN-VACCINATED children still had Autism.

Well guess what. I couldn't find any study of the kind. I searched all over the web. I kept finding other people asking the same questions I had: WHERE ARE THE STUDIES ON UN-VACCINATED CHILDREN WHO HAVE AUTISM? I couldn't find them!! (If you can find them, LET ME KNOW!) I'm not sure if they are out there, and the government is covering them up (I wouldn't put it past them) or is it really just that there are not very many un-vaccinated kids with autism to study? I did learn of a study of some Amish people, who aren't very big on vaccines, and interestingly enough, their Autism rates are low to non-existent. This is when I started to see a "correlation" that I couldn't deny.

So, currently, I am very leery of vaccines, and while I certainly want my children to be vaccinated, I want to go about it in a different way. When I say that, I mean I would prefer the vaccines to be given one at a time, and not so many at once, and I don't think every single one of those 30 something vaccines is necessary. The following interview makes it pretty clear why.

I just wanted to share this awesome interview from Jenny McCarthy, it's one of the best I've heard from her, and if you don't know, her son was diagnosed as Autistic at age 2 1/2. If any of you are interested in this topic, or this particular opinion about vaccines/autism, I highly encourage that you watch it.

Lake Powell

We had a great time at Lake Powell! We went with about 15 members of my mom's family and stayed on a houseboat. The weather was wonderful, the water perfect, and the food pretty good too. Kalia liked climbing the spiral staircase quite a bit, and also the pancakes. Samuel was in heaven wakeboarding, and we were happy that Kalia loved boating so much. She would wave at other boats as we passed.She and I even had a chance to get out on the taco tube... And as the boat was stopping, the water flooded in on top of us and we toppled in.

My mom was able to make it. She's the one on the left, and that's her only sister on the right. My mom has had 6 (of 8) chemo treatments and she's hanging in there...these last few have really been hard on her, and at this point she's just trying to endure the rest. We were so glad she could join us and have a good time.
Samuel caught some good air on the wakeboard...
And on the tube...(with my little sis Kimberlee)

And on the way down from this cliff. (Not to be outdone, all the younger cousins followed suit, including Kimberlee, who's 14. So my dad jumped off too, because he couldn't let his youngest daughter outdo him either.) I'm just glad they all survived. And here's a little clip of Kalia loving the wind on her face.

Most the family is still out there, and I wish we were too, but I guess we'll just have to wait until next year. Then I won't be pregnant, and I can join in on the ACTION!

It's a......

So sorry to keep you all in suspense! We didn't have a computer at the hotel.

We are super excited to tell you now, though, that we're having a.... Can you tell??

ANOTHER GIRL!!! I was secretly hoping for it, but trying not to want it too much. Sisters! Close in age. We are thrilled. (Okay, Samuel might be a tad disappointed, but trying not to show it. Maybe next time!!)

Tag You're It

It's been a crazy two weeks. Happy 4th of July everyone. Ashely tagged me, and here I go:

20 Years ago...I was 8 years old, recently baptized, and pretty bratty. Growing up in St. George was awesome though.

10 Years ago...I had just finished my junior year of high school, my life revolved around volleyball, basketball, and track, and I was pumped to be a big Senior!

5 Years ago...Serving my mission and sweating in the humidity of Alabama. Loving those Mexicans and their hot spicy food. Trying to lose missionary weight.

3 Years ago...I was doing a summer internship in Honolulu, and falling madly in love with Samuel. We got engaged on August 18th.

1 Year ago...I was 8 months pregnant, hot, uncomfortable, and just quitting my job. Living in Hawaii and loving it, but missing my family.

So far this year I...made my first major move, loving having my family, but missing Hawaii like crazy. The grass is always greener, eh?

Yesterday I.... Witnessed my first live birth, Tara's beautiful baby girl was born (she did a VBAC! She did so awesome!) 13lbs and 8 oz. It was the coolest thing ever.
**CORRECTION** THAT'S 8LBS 13 OZ, NOT THE OTHER WAY AROUND.**

Today I... just got back from church, now we're going to the Venetian for 2 nights to celebrate our anniversary (6 months late). We got a killer rate! $100 a night! I love hotels sooo much.

Tomorrow I... am finding out if we're having a boy or girl!!!

In the next year I...will have two children and hope it's as fun as it sounds (haha)

I tag: Crystal M., Brandi S., Amy J. and Angie S.

19 Weeks

Here's my belly-- it popped out WAY sooner this time, just like they say it does. (Will I be bigger at the end too, or does it slow down somewhere?)
Laurie (Abby's mom) gave Kalia this outfit and I'm so excited that she can finally wear it, it's one of her cutest ones for sure. THANKS LAURIE!
Family Father's Day party for Grandpa Don Esplin, Sat. June 14th. She laughed outloud on the swings, I loved it. And here Kalia gets some one-on-one time with her Great Grandma Ruth, the one she gets her middle name from. (With 35 grandkids, and 35+ great-grandkids, I think it's amazing that she still finds time for her.)
And here's me and Tara, showing a little of our pregnant bellies, and a little hint of cleavage too. Last time I was pregnant at the same time as Krystal, and it's fun to be pregnant at the same time as Tara. Family is great!

I want to read!!

I am officially sick of TV and just dying to read some awesome books. My sister Krystal just recommended Austenland (if you're a Jane Austen fan, READ IT!!) I couldn't put it down. Now I'm ready for some new recommendations. What are your favorite can't-put-them-down books? I'm hitting the library this summer, starting tomorrow. Thanks!

Father's Day Video

I made Samuel a little video for his first Father's Day...(thanks Kim, for telling me how you did yours!!) I hope he likes it on Sunday.

It's only one song long, but it was fun to make. The song is just so sweet! If you want to watch it, here ya go. Yay for all the great dads out there! Happy Father's Day!

You can find it here:
Happy Father's Day 2008

It's So Easy

So, I got wind of this monster sale at the Children's Place...and so I got online, filled my cart, and started searching the web for discount codes. I found this coupon everywhere, but apparently the codes had been used too many times. You COULD, however, print it off and use it at the store.

I decided it was worth the effort, since Kalia has outgrown most of her clothes and needs some summer stuff. She can't run around in only a diaper like she did last summer. That was a newborn-only thing.

Anyway, we have these awesome outlet stores, and I ended up spending $15 on me (two stretchy t-shirts for my very-protruding belly) and $130 on Kalia. (That was AFTER the 20% off!)

Oops! I'll probably take some back. But everything was $5 or less! I couldn't resist. Here's about 1/3 of the things I bought... aren't these little pink and khaki tie shorts just the cutest?? (sorry, pictures aren't enlarging)I'd always heard about how you spend your money on kids shopping instead of self-shopping, once you have kids. I didn't think I'd be that way, I love to buy myself clothes WAY too much. But today I realized I'm just like all the rest. It was an easy transition. And shopping is just as fun as ever (more fun really, cause you don't have to try stuff on.)

Now...how to break the news to the Banker. Heh heh.

Latest Favorites

Okay, I have to share these wonderful things, they have just brought too much happiness into my life. Let me know if you have more suggestions and alternatives!!

1. SCENTSY
Have you guys heard of this? People have parties and sell it, I read about it on a friend's blog. It's like wax cubes that you warm, and it never gets hot, only warm, and it's safe enough that if a kid ate it, they'd be fine, and THE SMELLS ARE UNBELIEVEABLE!! There are SO many to choose from, and they are WONDERFULLY STRONG. (My favorite so far is Fresh Cut Canteloupe). You can reheat the wax several times too. I ordered from someone named Misty, and my order shipped to Las Vegas for $2.50!! Try it out!! (Also, I did NOT purchase an expensive warmer. I use my old electric candle warmer and a glass jar and it works perfectly.) Here's her website.
http://www.scentsy.com/mistybarry
2. This frozen pizza is as close to restaurant pizza I've ever had. The crust is AMAZING! I love the pepperoni and cheese ones, haven't tried anything else, but I WILL! Not very expensive either.
3. Okay, I really am on a scent kick, but my second favorite smells are Bath and Body Works big summer candles in yummy scents like Clean Linen, Fresh Lemonade, Strawberry Patch, Melon Sorbet...you get the idea. Last forever, smell up the whole house. Love em. (Half off on the website right now.)

4. Xlear (Pronounced "Clear")
EAR INFECTION ALERT!! You mom's that have kids that get ear infections, or if you yourself get sinus infections, you gotta try this. This miracle stuff is WONDROUS! It was created right in Utah, and it's a simple sugar-water substance (xylitol) that prevents bacteria from multiplying and spreading. It's non-habit forming and you can get it at health food stores. I used to be the sinus infection queen, but this stuff has almost elimated them from my life. I use it as often as I can at the FIRST SIGN OF FEELING SICK. I JUST learned (3 ear infections too late) that you can also give it to your babies when they start getting yucky green noses, and it can help stop ear infections as well. GO BUY IT and try it, and let me know, I'm experimenting with it on Kalia.

6. Huggies Wipes

I read this on a blog somewhere, about these wipes being the best, and it's for sure the truth. They are so thick and the texture is quilted, so they grab everything off the little behind so efficiently! I've tried the other kinds like Kirkland, Pampers, Lansinoh...they're pretty good, but I have to use more to get the job done. I think they are almost the same price as Kirkland wipes at Costco. If you've never tried them, I recommend you do. Get unscented if your little one has sensitive skin.

Keeping Busy

While Samuel was in Phoenix, I was in St. George for my little bro Jonny's graduation. It was like a high school reunion for ME though, I couldn't believe how many people I saw from PV, there to support their younger siblings. It was way fun. My sister, Krystal, has moved back to Springville, and will be in St. George for a month. We had a blast with us three girls and our kids. Here's Kyla, Krystal's baby who is 3 months older than Kalia.And here's all six grandkids, L-R, Maddux and Malakai (Tara's) Kyla, Allie, Damon (Krystal's) and Kalia. My mom loves having her grandkids around, and she thinks it makes chemotherapy easier. (She is half done with chemo by the way. Yay! What a trooper!)
We three sisters took our kids to the Splash Park on Main Street in St. George. What an awesome place! It was PACKED with kids and young moms and dads, and it's pretty safe.

Kalia was so funny- she loved splashing around, but every 10 seconds she'd stop and take a sip of the water. Luckily she survived without any sickness. Here's a little video.

Heart Attack

So, crazy happenings, Samuel's parents didn't end up coming last week, his mom had a heart attack...it was small, she had some pain, and didn't know she'd had a heart attack until the doctor told her, but then they went to put a stent in (they do it with a scope through your leg, crazy, huh) and then they found that her heart had all KINDS of blockage and they scheduled her for a triple bypass the next day, a Sunday morning! This is one of the few pictures I have of her, but anyway, Samuel was able to fly down to be with her for two days, and after a really intense week in the ICU she is home and doing well. We are so relieved and grateful that it went well.

It's the Best Job

Ahh, a sleeping baby is one of my favorite sights.

You all know I have a very active and wiggly baby. She never sits still. So it's at midnight that I have some of my most treasured moments of the day. I got into the habit when I started losing my milk, and I was worried she wasn't getting enough to eat. So I'd go in at midnight, pick her up and try not to wake her too much, and then feed her. She'd always fall right back to sleep, and then I could just stare at her...and play with her little hands, kiss her little cheeks, and just love her from head to toe.

I love the little moments like that!

I'm all out of milk now, and she's getting plenty of formula, but I still do the midnight 'dream feeds', and I think it's purely for selfish reasons. (Samuel has even caught on, and sometimes we have to paper-rock-scissors for who gets to do it.)

They grow up too fast, don't they? Lately several of you have been writing about treasuring the NOW and not trying to move to the future too fast. I've really been feeling that way. Then Elder Ballard shared this quote in his talk:

Author Anna Quindlen reminds us not to rush past the fleeting moments. She said: “........And I wish I could remember what we ate, and what we talked about, and how they sounded, and how they looked when they slept that night. I wish I had not been in such a hurry to get on to the next thing: dinner, bath, book, bed. I wish I had treasured the doing a little more and the getting it done a little less”(Loud and Clear [2004], 10–11).

and even though she's just a baby, I had to agree. Then, I found this country song by Trace Adkins, called "You're Gonna Miss This", and I loved it. You can read the song Lyrics Here.

As hard as motherhood can be sometimes, I still feel so lucky to be able to be one, and I sure hope I can treasure it all the way through.

Thanks Honey

I have about 10 blog posts in my head, I just haven't gotten around to them!! So I thought I'd just start with the present. I know Samuel will probably never read this unless I tell him to check my blog, but I just wanted to give him a big THANK YOU!! I'm just so dang grateful for him being a wonderful husband, and frankly, lately I haven't really deserved it.

He has been working 12 hour days, 6 days a week, and he comes home every night just exhausted. He came home "early" tonight (6:15) and stretched out on the floor, and fell asleep in the middle of a conversation with me. (I'm sure he'll be thrilled to have this picture there, but look at his flat stomach! All this manual labor has caused him to shed some pounds.)

I am just so grateful for his hard work. He's moved in about 10 new tenants, and fixed a million leaks, breaks, and everything else that goes wrong in an old building.

No wonder he's so tired.

I was supposed to be more of a help, but "first trimester" does not create "good helper." In fact, all I really do to help the apartments is post an occasional craigslist ad. I've been feeling kind of guilty about it. He hasn't even complained (yet) about my wifely shortcomings, and I am wondering what's going on in his head.

Let me confess a few more things.

I haven't cooked a meal in 6 weeks.

I haven't scrubbed a toilet or mopped a floor for 8 weeks, and I've only managed to vacuum a handful of times. (Oh, and believe me, my apartment SHOWS IT!)

Oh, and lets not forget that I've sent him out for take-out at LEAST 15 times, usually at late hours of the night.

And I've spent almost every other week in St. George.

I really just can't believe he's still not complaining.

Now I'm into the 2nd trime, I'm getting my energy back, but I am so overwhelmed with the task at hand...I just don't know where to start.

But my in-laws are coming this weekend and staying with us, so I might try to make it look presentable.

So wish me luck. I really need it.

TEETH

She FINALLY cut some teeth...not her top, but both her bottom (barely). They've been a long time coming. I've blamed everything on teething, and then...no teeth. Now they're arriving, and I barely noticed. I tried to get them in this picture (above), but you have to look REALLY close to see them! Oh well, I'll capture them later.

Thanks everyone for the well-wishes. I can already tell this pregnancy is going to go by MUCH faster than the first, THANK GOODNESS. I had a dr. appt last week, and he is going to try to help me have a VBAC, and he mentioned it might be a good idea for me to be induced 2 weeks early, since Kalia was over 9 lbs. That will put them closer to 14 months, but oh well, I'm just excitedthat I might be able to bypass those miserable last weeks of pregnancy.

Anyway, that's forever away, so here's a little more Kalia fun.

She's getting very attached to her binkies, (when should I wean?) and here she is trying to get them out of the dishwasher. (She was successful, about 3 seconds after I took this pic).

She is loving her new-found skill (walking), and she has figured out how to turn and also how to squat down, pick something up, and keep walking. Unfortunately, she is no longer showing signs of that separation anxiety I mentioned last month, and the messes are EVERYWHERE! (I can't get my lazy self off the couch, but everything's cleanable, right?) Here she is practicing her little walk.

Finally one more video, if you're still with me here, she is having fun making sounds...I've been working on "mama" and as you can see...she hasn't caught on yet. This movie makes her dad VERY proud. Turn up your volume a little, parts of it are quiet. (and sorry, I was holding her and videoing, so it's not very steady).

Good thing I love babies

Shortly after Kalia was born, I started thinking about how far apart I wanted my kids. Most of you know that my older sister Krystal is only 13 months older than I am. I have absolutely LOVED having a sister so close in age, and it was a blessing in every aspect in my life, from starting kindergarten, to entering Young Women's, to trying out for a sport. I had a best friend and support system every where I went.

I decided to ask my aunt Kim what she thought. She has 13 children, including two sets of twins, so I knew she'd have lots of good advice about spacing children out.

I couldn't believe it when she told me, "Twins are the easiest!" But she expounded to say, "Well, not at first, but once they can interact, they are easier from then on, because they entertain each other."

Well, that sounds nice...but I don't know what my odds are for having twins...so I asked her what her next best "space apart" age was.

18 months, she said! Again, I was a little surprised. She explained that an 18 month old seemed to handle a new sibling easier than any other age, and they could grow up with a good relationship and share lots of life experiences.

Well, it sounded pretty good to me. I didn't have Kalia until I was almost 27 years old, and if I want to have a big family, I couldn't space the babies out too far, or I'd get too old, too fast, and have to quit.

Samuel and I decided we would try to give Kalia a sibling around the time she was 18 months old. (And just to clarify, I don't intend to have a baby every 18 months, but at least for my first two, I wanted them close together.)

So, be careful what you wish for, right?? Instead of 18 months, how about 15 months apart?

I am due Novemeber 15th--ironically, that is Krystal's birthday! I think it's fitting, since this baby already is partly because of her. We are just so dang excited.

I've been incredibly tired, but thankfully not anywhere NEAR as sick as I was with Kalia (of course Samuel thinks it must be a boy). I am still nursing Kalia, but my milk supply is waning, so we'll see how long it lasts. That girl will NOT take formula so we may have a small problem on our hands.

So yes, I know it will be a challenge, but I think two children (or more for that matter) will be a challenge no matter what. I am so excited to have another little person to love, because it's the greatest joy I've ever known in my life.

P.S. "Exclusive Breastfeeding" was not an effective contraceptive for us, haha, so watch out.

St. George Fun

So, we're back in Las Vegas but we miss St. George. It was so wonderful to be with family and to wake up every morning to a cloudless sky and a beautiful park in the backyard.

Why was it so much easier to clean my mom's house than to clean my own apartment? Ughh.

Kalia had the BEST time with her cousins, and they were so sweet to her! I can tell she's kind of lonely for them. So here's a few pictures:

Just can't satisfy that need to climb...but at least she found a good quote.

Here's Malakai introducing her to his favorite pastime: Digging with his "shubble"Don't worry. She likes wrestling.

These boys are just so dang fun.

Anyway, it's almost 3 a.m. and I wish I could sleep. I took a nap from 7 p.m. til 10 p.m. (oops) and now I'm paying for it. Oh well. Thank goodness for blogging. I have lots of catching up to do.