Olson Family

Winter

2012-01-21T10:52:00.004-07:00

I don't think it would be possible for me to live without these winter items in Chicago.

1. The Bob Revolution- this thing takes me anywhere in this city, in any condition-- snow, rain, poorly constructed/ falling apart streets. Tate wouldn't let me take him for jogs in it over the summer (b/c of his HATRED for strollers, but it's much better now and I'm glad this huge stroller is coming in handy in the winter! Maybe this coming summer he'll go for jogs!).

2. The Bob Weather Shield- take is snug as a bug with this thing. No snow, wind, or rain gets in the stroller at all!

3. Bundle Me- with the weather shield and bundle me, Tate wouldn't need any clothes. He stays so nice and cozy, even when there's a blizzard falling on us!

4. Hunter rain boots/ socks- LOVE these guys. I've been wearing them everywhere and my toesies stay OH SO WARM. I haven't slipped ONCE!

5. Lands End long puffer jacket- I now wish I had bought the North Face jacket when I moved to Chicago a few years ago, but this one works perfectly! My jacket is actually longer than the one in the picture!

9 Months

2012-01-21T10:29:00.006-07:00

I'm so late getting this post up, but here goes...

The weeks leading up to month 9 were difficult! Tate was sick for most of it! It started with a bad cold, then he recovered from that. After that, he got croup. Then he got the stomach flu (AWFUL!). During the stomach flu, he got an ear infection. During the ear infection and the stomach flu, he started teething and two new pearly whites poked their way through. It has been a ROUGH month!
He'll cruise around furniture and pull himself up on everything. He'll also stand on his own for a few seconds at a time and he's loving his walking toy.
His friends Lincoln Donavon taught him how fun it is to be chased around. Now when I chase him he runs away from me instead of toward me.
He mimics our laughs and noises and thinks he's pretty funny.
He loves other children and is getting more shy around adults.
He opens drawers and cabinents now.
He is very picky about food and it changes all the time. He doesn't like mashed food much anymore.
He screams and squeals and is so loud!
He loves animals and spent half of his time in Texas chasing the cat (let's hope this love of cats fades b/c I will never let him have one! YUCK! No offense, Mom!)
He loves balls and cars and will push them around and chase them everywhere, along with any other object he can find.
He figured out how to climb the stairs and hasn't stopped ever since.
When he gets excited or angry he crawls backwards
He dances to music by head bopping and bouncing up and down

Thanks for being the cutest, most lovable baby Tate Man!

8 Months

2011-12-15T10:03:00.004-07:00

Man-- this little guy is turning in to a WILD little kid. He has always been a crazy, but the older he gets the more he is capable of manifesting it--verbally and physically. People associate happy babies with easy babies and sad/mad babies with difficult babies, or at least I always have. This kid is a MAJOR handful-- MAJOR handful, but he is a happy baby. I know he's going to be keeping us on our toes for quite some time. =) He gets better and better all the time!

In the past week or two he has turned in to a TOTAL mamma's boy. Some times I love it and some times I don't. It depends on the moment more than anything.
Still a total people person!
He is FINALLY doing better in his car seat and stroller. It's still not ideal, though.
He is starting to climb on everything. He pulls himself up on anything and everything he can.
He will ram his head in to just about anything and it rarely phases him. He head buts daddy over and over again until both of them have red marks on their foreheads.
He claps his hands together and high fives
Sleeping is a constant battle. Some times it requires a lot of crying, but he is always a happier baby at the end of it.
His favorite babbling phrase is "ba ba ba ba ba" and recently "da da da" over and over again
It is getting harder and harder to entertain him
He crawls everywhere
He does "the worm." I'll post a video sometime soon
Even though he is wild he loves to cuddle and always nuzzles against my shoulder
He's crazier and more fun than ever
He's recently started running away from us and the game of "chase Tate" is his fav

Here are a few pics-- I haven't taken enough in the past month!

Olson Visit!

2011-11-25T14:55:00.005-07:00

Ken and Kathy came out to Chicago for a quick visit. Chance was at school literally all day AND night so we barely saw him. I LOVED the company and Tate sure LOVED his grandma and grandpa. He loved all the attention (as if we don't give him enough already!).

Tate, Chance, and I can't wait till they come visit again!

7 Monther

2011-11-10T19:30:00.007-07:00

This man is 7 months old today- GEEZ!

He is growing, growing. He demands to be held 75% of the day and in the past few days my back and my arm have been killing me. I swear he weighs more than he did a week ago.
He is CRAZY happy when he wakes up in the morning and CRAZY happy right before he goes to bed. I'm pretty sure he knows we are about to put him down for bed so he HAMS it up for us because he thinks we'll let him play for longer (a lot of times we do).
He claps his hands together and hits things when he's excited
He LOVES other kids. Anytime he hears a kid's or baby's voice he turns and smiles and stares.
When both mom and dad are home he likes us both being where he can see us
He's still army crawling everywhere and is actually really good at it. He'll for real crawl on the tile when he's only in a diaper because he can't scoot as easily
He still hates his car seat and stroller (it drives me NUTS!). We've started "stroller training" and he is getting a little better.
He pulls himself up to the standing position, but only when he can lean on something that is shorter than his shoulder height
He's not loving veggies any more, but I'm working on it. He eats puffs, rice crackers, gnaws on apples, and takes sips of my drinks every so often.
He's finally down to 2 naps a day, which is HEAVEN for me. He's adjusting really easily actually.
He babbles and squeals all day long. He is loud!
He is SOO smiley and he loves the attention he gets from people when he smiles. He's learned that if he smiles at people that they will smile back and usually give him a lot of attention. He plays this up.
He is seriously so fun and wild. I mean WILD.
He sleeps about 10 hours at night, but sometimes still wakes up before then. I just let him cry (horrible I know). He usually doesn't cry for long. I feed him after 10 hours and he'll sleep for 2 more hours.
I've started doing signs with him- just eat, more, and sleep, but he smiles every time I do them. I'm pretty sure he has NO clue what they mean, but he does think they are pretty funny.
Chance and I seriously can't get enough of Tate. He has so much personality and can get us to do anything and everything.
I love watching Chance and Tate play and laugh at each other. It melts my mommy heart. He lights up every time Chance walks in the door and squeals and yells.
He still loves kisses and I can't get enough of his lips. Lately he laughs at Chance every time he kisses him.

..and this sweet picture is one I just found from when he was 4.5 months old. LOVE it, but it makes me so sad to see how much he's grown.

Fall Day

2011-11-06T12:54:00.006-07:00

It was beautiful outside yesterday so last minute we decided to take some pictures in the park by our apartment. I've never been a fan of fall--it always makes me mourn the passing of summer--but I love these pictures and fall in Chicago is really beautiful. It makes me a bigger fan! Yes, I know they all look almost exactly the same-- I just can't choose which ones I like best. Did I mention that I seriously have the best baby boy I could ever ask for? Because I do.

PuMpKiN pAtCh

2011-11-02T16:33:00.004-06:00

We went to the pumpkin patch a while back with some friends. Here are a few of Tate and I (sadly, Chance had to miss out because of school).

HaLlOwEeN!

2011-11-01T09:15:00.006-06:00

Saturday started off with a half marathon for Chance and our friends. Chance ran it at a pace faster than I can run two miles-- makes me sick! =)

We all went to lunch afterwards

Carol made everyone gnome hats and beards-- seriously awesome!

...and here is a re-enactment of an awkward photo from the past-- creepy, right? it makes me laugh out loud every time I see it.

Next, we went to a ward Halloween party. Tate was the cutest monkey we've ever seen!

I love my child like crazy! Smiliest baby ever!

In Love

2011-10-26T13:02:00.004-06:00

1/2 a Year!

2011-10-10T08:58:00.008-06:00

I can't believe he's reached the 6 month mark. Chance and I watched a lot of videos of him as a newborn last night and seeing how much he has grown makes me sick. He's such a big boy! Right now, he has been asleep on me for the past 1.5 hours and I can't bring myself to take him to his crib. I never get to snuggle him any more. Here are a few things about my little guy:

If I had to use two words to describe his personality, they would be crazy and happy. He is non-stop action and non-stop smiles. He loves being thrown around and smiles and laughs through every bit of it.
He cut his first tooth about 2 weeks ago. It made for a rough night-- poor guy. He cut his second tooth on his 6 month b-day. I'm hoping that's the last one for a while. =)
He sucks on his bottom and top lip non-stop. Sometimes he'll smack his lips over and over again.
He still loves kisses. He opens his mouth and I go in for them over and over again.
He's using his tongue like crazy. He feels his tooth, sticks it out, blows raspberries, and drools everywhere.
He army crawls EVERYWHERE. He can get across the room quickly and is always proud of himself.
He's up on his hands and knees rocking back and forth, but hasn't shown much interest in actually crawling. When he wants to move in that position he'll lunge forward and land on his chest and then drag himself where he wants to go.
He can sit-- kind of. He'll still fall backwards. He actually doesn't have much interest in sitting. He wants to be moving all the time so he doesn't get much practice.
His laugh is coming out more and more. STILL loving it to pieces.
He LOVES other little babies/ kids. I hope he's a social little guy.
This month he decided that he loves peas, carrots, sweet potatoes, and pears. Pretty much anything we give him, he eats. He LOVES to eat and still has not mastered the concept of "I'm full, so I should stop eating." He'll eat and eat and then spit it up everywhere.
Rice cereal is so boring now. He'd rather have the good stuff.
It's fun to know that he REALLY knows Chance and I now. He smiles and smiles when his dad gets home.
He loves rolling around and banging himself all over the bed.
He's starting to look to us for what seems like approval now. We'll sit and watch baby einstein with him and he'll look up at us at the "funny" parts like, "yeah, that's funny, right dad?" or when he does a 'cool' trick it's "yeah, dad-- I'm good at that, huh?"
He is self-entertaining a little better now that that tooth has come through. Right before that tooth came through I felt like I was at his side or holding him every second.
When he gets stick of playing by himself he start to whine and look at me and crawl to me till I pick him up. Then, he just wants me to sit with him and play with toys. Melts my heart (I'm such a sucker).
He still does not like the car seat or the stroller-- AHH! Drives me crazy!
Even though he's wild and crazy (I prefer to say fun), I honestly think I have an easy baby now. He is happy as can be and LOVES to get out and about-- whether that's getting outside or going to the grocery store.
He will scream and screech and talk all day long. He loves to growl and loves to be growled at. He thinks it's hilarious.
He rolls and rolls and rolls, every which way.
He likes to be thrown up in the air and will laugh hysterically when we do it over and over again.
He thinks I'm funny (at least somebody does!)
He is very intrigued with a certain older woman-- Greta Bryan. =) They share kisses all the time.
Sleep is getting better and better. He usually goes down around 7:30 each night. I still let him get up once each night (usually around 5AM). I feed him and then he falls asleep again and is always up around 7:30 AM. We will have to eliminate that feeding some time soon!
He is moving to 2 naps a day, but sometimes still takes 3. When he does take 2, he is usually a little more fussy. We are in that awful in-between stage where 2 is not enough and 3 is too much.
His hair is coming in white-blonde. He looks like he's bald, but he actually has a decent amount of hair (sort of).

I have really grown to love motherhood in that past month. The adjustment of becoming a stay at home mom was really hard for me. It's not that I didn't love my little boy like crazy, but finding my 'groove' and feeling productive and challenged was difficult. It's definitely a much different type of challenge and a much different type of productive. I'm sure it's been a combination of me getting used to the new pace my life runs at and Tate getting older (thus him being a little easier), but man, do I LOVE being at home with him. He brings me so much joy and has taught me so much about the most important things in life. I can't imagine going a day without him. I'm so lucky to be this little man's mom!

Grandy Visit

2011-10-06T16:50:00.006-06:00

My grandma came in to town to visit last week and we had so much fun. She's such an easy house guest and I thoroughly enjoyed her company! Tate and I both adore her! We'll have to get her out here again soon.

Dad is really good at getting Tate to smile..

2011-09-20T20:10:00.003-06:00

because he did NOT like carrots. His reaction was much more like this..

...and this!

So far he's his momma's child. Carrots and potatoes are my least favorite. We'll have to see if he decides to change his mind. Aren't you supposed to expose them something like 7 times???

It's only a matter of time..

2011-09-16T14:42:00.006-06:00

before he's crawling and climbing all over everything. Okay...so we still have a while till that happens, but I keep telling myself I should baby proof at least a little bit soon. I swear, every day he's farther and farther away from where I left him the last time I was in the room.

and a picture of his cute bum... can't get enough!

Missing my little man's hair!!

2011-09-16T08:47:00.005-06:00

These were taken the day we took him home from the hospital

These were taken today

In the past few weeks it has fallen out SO much! I know this happens a lot, but not until 5 months?? I thought that it would have happened before now.

Montana

2011-09-15T12:30:00.011-06:00

We were able to go to Montana with some friends recently, thanks to the LOVELY Tanners. My husband was in HEAVEN doing all sorts of crazy stuff with his high school buds. Tate and I also had a blast. My sister was able to come as well! I was so happy to have her there! Pictures take FOREVER to upload so I'll post a few of my favorites.

Montana is seriously one of the most beautiful places. We stayed on Flathead Lake, which is a glacier lake, saw a mama bear and her cubs (she made the property we were on home-kinda freaky!), and boated and jet skied all day. It was fun to get to know Chance's high school buddies and their wives & kids a little better. I loved them all!

Such beautiful property! They had orchards on the other side of the house with every type of fruit you can imagine!

Playing ladder ball

Tate loving the boat!

The lovely and amazing Tanners!

The brick oven made the most INCREDIBLE pizzas!

More boat time!

Adorable Bryton kept Tate entertained the entire time. She's a mama in the making!

Loving these boys!

2011-09-14T19:03:00.003-06:00

Tate can't get enough of his dad.

Labor Day in the Burbs!

2011-09-10T21:00:00.001-06:00

A Walk Around Town

2011-09-10T20:49:00.005-06:00

We just moved to a new location in Chicago and are loving it!

...and sick of all the picture taking!

Swinging Away

2011-09-10T20:40:00.005-06:00

He literally either smiles and laughs the whole time on the swing or stares at the other kids playing around him.

Aren't we lucky we have two playgrounds just steps away from us?

Yummy

2011-09-10T20:27:00.006-06:00

Don't you love the faces we make when feeding a baby?? Tate LOVES rice cereal. LOVES it.

Tate- 5 Months

2011-09-10T20:00:00.003-06:00

I can't believe I have a 5 month old. I know I said this last month, but life just gets more and more fun with him all the time. Here are a few things I don't want to forget (I say that all the time):

Has been army crawling in the past 2 weeks. He scoots everywhere. He'll also get up on his hands and knees, but hasn't mastered that yet and isn't crawling on his hands and knees.
Is a TOTAL daddy's boy. He prefers him for EVERYTHING--playing, for comfort, to look at, and EVERYTHING else you can think of! I'm feeling a little jipped as I am the one up with him and feeding him all the time. =) Really though, I love how much he loves his dad.
We were on vacation for almost a full month and his sleeping habits got OUT OF CONTROL. He was up 5+ times almost every night and I was literally LOSING my mind. We sleep trained him the night we got back. It took 2 or 3 days, but he sleeps 9 or 10 hours now before he wakes up (knock on wood). I feed him and he usually goes down until he's been in bed for about 12 hours.
He will smile and smile all day long at anyone and everyone. I LOVE this.
He chuckles all the time, but his full on belly laugh doesn't come as often. When it does, though it makes me laugh like crazy.
He is rolling in every which direction over and over. He is recently doing a lunge roll where he's up on his knees or gets up on his toes in a push-up like position and propels himself over on to his back. It's pretty funny.
The car seat is still a challenge, but is getting a little better. Someone has to be in back with him to keep him entertained. I'm a little nervous to venture out alone with him now that Chance is in school-- but he'll have to learn some way, right?
He's kind of sitting. He doesn't face plant anymore, but will fall on either side all the time. It doesn't seem to bother him, though.
Rolls his head back and looks at me when I'm holding him and stay there until I plant kisses all over his mouth
Blows spit bubbles when he gets tired/ mad
LOVES to eat and can never get enough to eat. We started on rice cereal a little over a week ago and he's a champ. He loves it and dive bombs in to the spoon every time.
Is grabbing very well. He can grab on to anything and loves shaking rattles or anything that makes noise.
He loves his play mat
He is still crazy about the puppets on Baby Einstein and would laugh and smile all day at them if I let him
He grabs his feet non-stop
He is losing his hair like crazy. Is it ridiculous that I am devastated? He's had it for almost 5 months and NOW it decides to fall out? So sad!
He LOVES going for stroller rides downtown. He loves the commotion and action
Loves to be around people
Talks to us ALL day long. His squeaks are the sweetest sound
LOVES bath time. He We still bathe him in the sink most of the time. He loves playing with the water coming out of the faucet.
He is still non-stop action. He has so much will power and tries to do ANYTHING and EVERYTHING he can possibly think of
LOVES swings and playgrounds. He'll sit in the swing and smile and watch the kids play all day long. Good thing we have two parks literally steps away from where we live!
He's starting to recognize his name
Nicknames are: Tater-bug, Tate Man, Tater Tot, and Tater

I seriously can't get enough of him (especially now that both he and mama are sleeping). He is my favorite little man. We love him more than words can express and even though life is now 10x more complicated than it ever was before, we love our lives with little man 100x more than we did before. I love that he knows us and responds to us all the time.

Utah- Olson Family Vacation

2011-09-08T09:48:00.010-06:00

In August, Chance, Tate and I headed to Utah with the Nelson family. My parents rented a cabin in Utah. It was a total blast. We had our own private lake and I think Chance fished more hours than I slept the entire time. There was tons to do, but most of all it was just nice being able to spend time with the family. It takes FOREVER to upload pictures with our new internet. These are the ones I had the patience to do! They're are all out of order, but here they are:

July- Huntington Beach

2011-09-04T21:00:00.005-06:00

We've been MIA for a bit. Mostly because we've been on vacation for the past month. Chance is in between a job and school and we figured we won't have the opportunity to play all day this much for a long time. We definitely took advantage of it and loved every moment (minus Tate sleeping TERRIBLY!!).

The day after Chance finished work, we headed to Huntington Beach, California with the Olson family. It was BEAUTIFUL and tons of fun to be with the fam. They are all so great. Tate met his cousins and LOVED them. He was in heaven watching them play all day.

Tate- 4 Months

2011-08-10T15:36:00.005-06:00

I can't believe he's 4 months. This month he became way easier, way more fun, and we love him even more and more. He makes us laugh and laugh and he sweet little personality is becoming more apparent each day. Here are a few things I don't want to forget (I know this list is obnoxiously long):

He opens his mouth wide and smiles every time we go in for kisses. It makes his lips 100x more kissable. I can't get enough!
We have come to the realization that he would have made the PERFECT third child. He LOVES action and loves watching commotion around him. He was in heaven while around his cousins in California. He is 10x easier when there are a lot of people around.
He has been rolling from his back to his stomach since he was 3 months. It was rough at first b/c he started doing it first while he was swaddled at night which meant that the swaddle had to go. We had few hard, long nights/ days without the swaddle, but he is now completely weaned (even though we swaddle him loosely for naps).
He knows how to roll from his stomach to back, but rarely does it. The second we put him on his back, he rolls right to his stomach and he gets upset when he's there for too long b/c he wants to be on his back.
He stopped talking to us for almost 2 weeks! I couldn't figure it out, but then started back up talking with even more and more noises 2 weeks later. When I told the doctor, she said that lots of times when babies begin to do something else (i.e. roll) they stop working on other things.
He is a little raptor. He squeals and squeals and even startles himself sometimes.
He doesn't like it when we walk down the stairs. It must scare him. He tightens his whole body and raises his arms and grunts.
He started laughing a little, but hadn't done a full on laugh untill about two weeks ago. We still don't hear it too often, but when we do it melts our hearts. It's adorable!
He is such a smiler-- I love it! He smiles over and over again all day. He even smiles when he's mad (like his mom).
This past month, he met his cousins, Stetson, Reddek, Emery, and Emmet. He also met his aunts and uncle, Kira, Chris, and Jenny.
He flew to California with the Olson family flawlessly! We still haven't had a bad plane trip (cross your fingers for us this month-- we are going on 5 flights in the next 2.5 weeks).
He is not a big fan of the wind-- though he is getting used to it. He grunts when it blows in his face.
He said goodbye to his girlfriend, Sage, who left for Singapore along with her parents, Nate and Jess (so sad!).
He is grasping objects better and better all the time. They always go straight to his mouth and he gets frustrated when he can't fit them all the way in.
When he is laying/ in his bouncer, he kicks his legs and moves his arms NON-stop.
Tummy time is more fun now
He will stay entertained in his carseat for about 45 min if the I-Pad is playing baby Einstein. If not, he'll work himself up in to hysterics and scream and scream. He doesn't sleep in his carseat.
He loves sucking on his fingers.
His hair is rubbing off of one side of his head. It is also growing in very blond and since his hair was a reddish blond when he was born he looks bald in some places (awkward/ adorable)
He fake coughs and it cracks us up
Let's not talk about sleep this month. It makes me tired even thinking about it!
He is a daddy's boy. He could stare and smile at his daddy all day. As for mom, I think he gets sick of looking at me!

He is growing so fast. We took him in to his 4 month appointment at 3.5 months and he was:

23 3/4" (70%)
12 lbs 10 oz (25%)

Yesterday, we weighed him and he was already 14.2 lbs. He is growing, growing! It's exciting and sad all at once! I'll post some picture soon (we just got a new computer and it's taking forever to organize them so I've been postponing blogging for while). He is adorable and has his mom and dad wrapped completely around his finger.

Fourth of July

2011-07-05T13:44:00.007-06:00

We went up to Libertyville, IL and stayed with a friend's family. It was so much fun and her family is incredible. They gave Tate so much attention and loved holding him and playing with him. I think he got so many smiles and so much attention while he was there that now he smiles 5x more than he did before. Kylee's mom even offered to watch Tate for us while we went golfing. I wish I got more pictures, but here are a few:

By the end of the day we were too exhausted to stick around to see the fireworks, but probably got just as big of a show on the drive home (who knew fireworks aren't illegal in Chicago??).

3 Months

2011-06-27T11:45:00.008-06:00

At 3 Months Tate:

Doesn't hate tummy time nearly as much as he used to hate it. He rolls over almost every tummy time, but I'm not sure it is intentional-- I think he's just really figity. Maybe he'll figure out what he's doing and start doing it on purpose.
Gives us big jumbo smiles almost non stop. He smiles with his whole body-- mouth wide open and arms and legs moving in every direction.
Is so much more interactive. When we smile at him, he smiles back
Is starting to swat at objects we hang in front of him
Loves music--any music
He kicks and moves non stop. The only time we can get him to sit still in when he's on the verge of falling asleep and not grumpy.
Likes his play mat when he's in the right mood. He'll pick a toy and smile and smile at it
Still travels well, but randomly decides that he hates being in his car seat and will scream and scream. A trip home from a friend's place was a traumatizing experience for Chance and I! In the moment we vowed to never drive again!
Is starting to grab objects and bring them towards his mouth (not sure if this is intentional)
Sucks on his hands/ wrists like crazy!
Will talk and talk with me and Chance. I LOVE this. He is so expressive and excited to coo and make noises
Loves his mom. I can always calm him down if he gets upset.
LOVES his dad. He is much more expressive with Chance.
Has such a sweet personality.
Naps go back and forth, but are always a challenge. He goes to sleep instantly, but won't stay asleep and is then grumpy.
Is very grumpy after he wakes up (like his daddy!). He takes some calming.
LOVES watching TV still. He just loves the color and the movement and can't get enough. He also loves baby Einstein. I limit TV time to just a little bit of time in the evening when it's hardest to entertain him. He smiles and smiles every time a puppet comes up on the TV.
Is a social kid (at least we think). Every time we take him somewhere he is so well behaved and loves the chaos. I think he gets bored of looking at my face all day because he does so much better when he's passed around and there's a lot going on around him.
Likes to have his diaper changed. I love changing him because he will just stare up and me and talk and smile the whole time.
Baths are getting much better. I jump in with him and he'll give us a smile every once in a while. Mostly he just looks very hesitant and unsure the whole time.
Loves to Stand, Stand, Stand. Sometimes we try to sit him down and he protests by pushing up on to his feet. If we're holding him and sitting, he's probably on his feet 80% of the time.
We think he's going to be a wild one. He is just non stop movement and he's always looking around. I was a pretty crazy toddler so I guess what goes around comes around.
He's finally starting to get a little chunk on his legs. I know he's still a skinny guy, but I love pinching his cute thighs.

Mom and Dad are IN LOVE with this little boy. He melts our hearts. We can't get enough of him-- really. I love watching Chance play with him and laugh at him. I'm so lucky to have a husband who loves his little boy as much as Chance does. He is so involved in everything and loves every part of spending time with him (plus, he's always willing to give mom a break when needed =) }.

(love his profile!)

Two Month Stats

2011-06-21T10:30:00.005-06:00

Just wanted to document this so that I remember. At a little over 2 months Tate:

weighs 10 lbs 14oz (20th percentile)
is 23 1/4 in long (60th percentile)

Poor boy got his first round of the "bad" shots today. It broke my heart. I haven't heard a scream so terrible since his colic stage. I don't know how I handled it before. Even I broke in to tears.
Friday night actually went well and then Saturday was rough. Poor thing had a temperature. He was fussy the rest of the weekend, but I have my baby back now, though I've noticed that he is still more clingy than he was before.

My Little Tate

2011-06-19T17:23:00.008-06:00

Oh how I love my little guy. How could I not love him?? Look at this cute smile.

Unfortunately, the first 2 months did not leave mom and dad with too many smiles. How horrible is that? I was supposed to be enjoying my sweet little baby and it was impossible. He was super colic. His second week was one of the hardest of my life-- seriously! It was filled with terrorizing screams, my post par-tum emotions were crazy, and I was dealing with post baby recovery (which was actually relatively hard for me).

After that, my life consisted of trying to calm my baby down 24-7. I had a baby that would not sleep at all during the day and a baby that would scream and scream for hours regardless of what I did. At night, he would not sleep in his crib. I had to hold him all night long and hope that I could get in some sleep while he slept. It was completely emotionally and physically exhausting. I felt like I had to emotionally shut myself off just to be able to bear the crying and then I felt guilty about that! I don't have nearly enough pictures of his first 2 months of life b/c I was just too exhausted or couldn't take pictures b/c he wouldn't let me put him down.

Chance worked all day and then needed to study for the CFA when he got home. I must say that Chance was a huge help, though. I don't know how he did it. He usually took a shift at night with him so i could get a few hours of sleep and he would help me when he got home instead of studying. We were both finally so completely exhausted that we decided to ship me and the baby off to Texas for a week so that Chance could study for the CFA without distraction.

I think I was in denial about how hard it was on me until I got there. A day short of a week turned in to 2 weeks and 2 days in Texas! At a little over 7 weeks old I literally all the sudden had a new baby on my hands. He started smiling a lot more and crying a whole lot less. He also started sleeping in his bassinet and even started taking naps a little better.

A huge shout out to these lovely ladies (mom and g-ma). They were with me the whole time and loved Tate and I through all the tears (his and mine! ha). I honestly don't know what I would have done without the help. I was at my wits end.

This little guy is so worth any amount of exhaustion. He's our biggest joy and we just can't get enough! I'm so glad he's feeling better and just know if you have a colic baby and I'm nearby, I'll go to great lengths to help!

Tate's Blessing

2011-06-17T07:40:00.007-06:00

We were able to bless Tate on Sunday. Poor guy was sick, but behaved so well all day. I, of course, was terrified he would cry during the whole blessing, but aside from a few whimpers in the beginning, he was perfect. Chance also gave the most amazing blessing. I'm so lucky to have these two boys!

Thanks to the all the friends who were able to make it and the support from AZ and CA!

Two Months

2011-06-09T14:24:00.005-06:00

These past few months have been a whirl wind. My baby was not an easy baby at all, but has turned a new leaf just recently. Here are a few things I don't want to forget:

You LOVE being outside
You love facing outward
Love being in a sitting up position
You smile like crazy
You've started to laugh, but it's only the beginning of a laugh, not the whole thing
Went to Texas for two weeks while daddy studied for a test and became a much better sleeper!
At 6ish weeks you started sleeping in the bassinet. At the end of two months your record night time stretch is 6 hours
Your favorite toy is a butterfly. You smile and smile at it
You love your play time mat (but only for short periods of time)
You love music and especially like to be sung to (even though mommy has a terrible voice)
You will only go in the stroller if you are strapped in and sitting up!
You only recently bumped up to size one diapers ( I have skinny guy on my hands)
You still fit in most of your newborn outfits and only fit in a few of your 0-3 month clothes
You coos and talks to us like crazy
You recently decided you like your swing, but you always fall asleep in it even if you're not tired
Your colic improved significantly at 7.5 weeks (thank heavens!!)
You like watching TV-- I think it's the constant change in colors and pictures
You still does not like baths
You had your first round trip plane ride and behaved like a champ (besides the fact that you caused me to flash everyone in a close proximity to us)

I know I'm missing so many things and I'm sure I'll think of more and add them soon enough! I'll upload some new pics soon.

One Month!

2011-05-06T10:46:00.010-06:00

I can't believe my little man is already one month! Here are some things I don't want to forget about him:

He loves getting his bare feet tickled. It's the only way I've been able to keep him calm for longer than 15 minutes.
He loves CONSTANT motion. In fact, he protests EVERY. SINGLE. TIME he is put down. We joke that our baby has baby shaking syndrome (okay, maybe that's not actually funny), but we jiggle him like crazy, dance around like crazy, and do anything to keep him from getting upset.
He loves his pacifier, but if he's too worked up he'll shake his head like crazy in protest.
We are becoming better at nursing. It's still a work in progress! That was an emotional thing for me!
His eyes are always wide open and have been since he was little. He's such an alert little guy!
He will not get in his bouncer. He hates it! We're making progress with his swing. Every once in a while he'll go in it for 15 minutes or so and dad is a champ at getting him in the swing for longer.
A friend lent us the Bjorn and it has helped. He'll go in it every once in a while, but usually doesn't like facing me.
He sleeps on us (yes, I know---I'm that parent). If we put him in his bassinet and if he actually stays asleep for longer than 3 minutes he wakes himself up and goes ballistic and it takes us quite a while to get him back to sleep. It's the only way we can get sleep at night.
This little guy does not sleep! Thankfully, he'll sleep at night in between feeds, but it's rare that I get him to sleep during the day. He's usually good for one hour long nap and yes, he sleeps on me! Other than that, he takes 10 or 15 min cat naps here and there.
So now that I just talked about how horrible of a sleeper he is, in the past few days he has been better. I've been working really hard at it and I've been figuring out how to get him to sleep a little better (knock on wood!).
He actually travels well and likes getting fresh air. I've been going on walks with him during the nice days (there have been maybe a total of 4 since he was born) and he usually falls asleep. He's only hated his car seat once and he usually sleeps when we take him anywhere (there have only been 4 or 5 outings so we're keeping our fingers crossed!).
He has crazy flailing arms that somehow always end up cozy next to his face.
We have to put mittens on his hands or he scratches everything.
He HATES diaper changes
He HATES baths! He'll scream the whole time and for a whole 5 minutes after he's out.
He is the LOUDEST sleeper. It always makes Chance and I laugh. We swear he has nightmares because he lets out the sweetest little cry all the time, but he is completely asleep. He'll also whimper like a dog and laugh and smile.
He has VERY long hair for a newborn and loves to have it played with. His hair gets greasy so fast!
He usually feeds every 2-3 hours during the day, but will go a little longer at night. Though, lately he's been feeding every 1.5 to 2 hrs. I think he's going through a growth spurt.
He does not like tummy time, but is a champ at using his neck to pick his head up!
He loves to sleep with his neck hanging low. It literally looks like his neck is completely unsupported.
He loves the windows in the hallway and will stare out them for hours. They actually are what puts him to sleep at night most of the time.
He's an opinionated, intense kid. He'll let us know right away if we're doing something he doesn't like and he makes the saddest frowny face.
I may be crazy, but I think he's starting to smile or at least trying to smile. I can't wait till the real debut.
He still fits in newborn clothing, but has definitely grown. I can't wait till his appointment on Friday so that we can see how much he has actually grown!
He needs constant attention and is a 24 hour job-- literally! By constant attention I mean that he needs to be held 24 hours a day. Every once in a while I can brush my teeth, use the restroom, or take a shower!
We love our little man like CRAZY!

I wanted to write these things down more for my sake than anything else. He's growing so much and I know I've already forgotten so many things.

Two Years!

2011-05-04T08:27:00.003-06:00

Chance and I have been married for two years yesterday! Last year I think I said something like, "I can't believe it's already been a year," but this year I feel the exact opposite. I feel like it's been forever and I mean that in a good way! I think of my life before Chance and it feels like it was so long ago. I can't imagine life without him. I'm not going to go on and on about him and say, "I have the best husband EVER" and then try to one up everyone else's husbands, but I will say I think that I have the best husband ever FOR ME! How did I get so lucky!?

Ken and Kathy watched Tate for us on Saturday night so that Chance and I could grab some food at a place I have been wanting to try. Here are some picks of our first big night out without our little man! =)

Tate's Birth Story!

2011-05-01T17:54:00.009-06:00

So... I was supposed to be induced on April 7th ( a day before Tate's due date). My doctor suggested it because I was already dilated to a 3 and was 90% effaced. After throwing in the towel at work, scrubbing my apartment clean, and making everything perfect for his arrival, the hospital had a very busy day so my doctor decided to cancel my induction and reschedule it for 5 days later without even telling me. I was sooo upset!

I had an appointment the next day and another one of the OBGYNs stripped my membranes. I started feeling contractions soon after, but they weren't consistent. Saturday night we had a date night and i started feeling contractions every 5-7 minutes apart. They went away soon after we went to bed.

I woke up at 2am because the contractions came back. They were a little more intense and were 5 -7 minutes apart again. I stayed awake for a few more hours and went to bed again at 4am because they started to space out much farther again. The second I got in bed I got the strongest contraction and they started coming 1-3 minutes apart. After half an hour we called the doctor and he told us to go to the hospital.

Once we checked in at the hospital they checked me and I was dilated to a 5 and 100% effaced. They wheeled me up to labor and delivery about 45 minutes later and I got an epidural. The resident checked me right after and I was dilated to a 7. They started me on pitocin, broke my water, and soon after my doctor came in and I was dilated to 8.5cm. (side note: there are 3 doctors in my practice and the doctor who is on call is the doctor who delivers you. I TOTALLY lucked out--the doctor I got was my absolute FAVORITE and I am crazy about him. He made the whole experience as AMAZING as it could have been!).

45 minutes later he came back in to check me and I was dilated to a 10 and it was ready to push! About half way through the pushing, Tate's heart rate was dropping so they gave me oxygen and had me rest through a few contractions. Turns out the umbilical cord was wrapped around his neck, but everything was fine. About 30 min after beginning to push I heard his sweet cry. It was the most emotional experience when they put him on my chest and I was able to hold him for the first time.

So that's that. A pretty boring birth story! I must also say that Chance was incredible throughout the whole process. He took quite a few punches from me (seriously-- contractions are painful!). He was amazing throughout the whole delivery and I have seen more patience from him in these last few weeks than I ever have. He's incredible and it's been so fun to watch him as a dad!

A few things they don't tell you:

Myth: real contractions start from your back.

Truth: mine just felt like very strong menstrual cramps. I never felt any pain in my back!

Myth: You are in so much pain by the time you get your epidural that it doesn't hurt at all.
Truth: I was dilated to a 7 when I got my epidural and it HURT SOOOO bad!! I'm so nervous about getting an epidural my next time around (wow-- I can't believe I'm even talking about a next time). It was a different pain than I've felt and it was awful. The right side of my body went COMPLETELY numb and tingly and the left was just normal numb. The left began to wear off and I started to feel contractions again and it was PAINFUL. The extra doses I was giving myself for my left side didn't seem to work at all as I felt like I could feel contractions on my left side almost as strongly as before the epidural right before I started pushing.

Pushing is so much harder than I thought it would be! It was completely INTENSE.

Breastfeeding is HARD. Why didn't anyone tell me that? It is not natural and it is not easy for the baby or mom. We had a lactation consultant come out to the house and it was worth EVERY penny. Today it's been more than 3 weeks since he was born and I still feel like we're both learning!

Post-par tum recovery is HARD. i just assumed I'd be one of those moms that was up and at it the next day. That was NOT my experience at all. 3+ weeks later and I'm still feeling it. All that tearing (just being honest) and trauma takes a while to heal.

Overall, I don't know what I would have done without the help of my wonderful husband, mother, and mother-in-law. The past 3 weeks have been very emotional, but some of the most amazing weeks. Out little man is a tough one, but we love him like crazy and I'm enjoying every moment the best I can. I already think he's growing. I can't believe we're a week away from a month old!

First family photo before we left the hospital. Yes I know I still look 7 months pregnant! =)

I still have not uploaded pictures from him past his first week. I'll try to do that soon and post them. (This mom thing is pretty time consuming!) =)

Tate Samuel Olson (4-10-2011)

2011-04-21T16:27:00.005-06:00

Our little Tate was born Sunday morning on April 10th at 11:54 am. He weighed in at 7lbs 2oz and was 20 inches long. He's healthy as can be and we think he's the most precious little guy we've ever seen. I can't believe I'm a momma and Chance is a dad. Now that he's here we can't imagine life without him.

Fresh from the womb! =)

He has so much blond hair!

He has been SO alert since the moment he was born!

Thank you for all of the phone calls and texts. It's been a whirlwind since the day he was born and I haven't had a moment to return most of anyone's calls. I promise I'll get to you soon!

Tomorrow is the big day!

2011-04-06T19:50:00.004-06:00

We got a call from the doctor today saying that they have an opening for me to be induced tomorrow at 10:30 am! I can't believe it's already here. Chance and I will be parents tomorrow. It still feels unreal--completely unreal. Today I wrapped up all of my duties at work, put an out of office message up, and closed my computer. Boy-- did that feel good!

We had a wonderful conference weekend and spent some time with friends. It was an enjoyable, uplifting, and relaxing weekend. Here's a 39 week picture.

At Crepe Bistro with friends

Chance planned a date night for our last night without the baby and we headed out to the most tasty Mexican restaurant.

40 weeks- almost!

Chance and I at the restaurant.

Beginning tomorrow Chance and I will be parents every day for the rest of our lives. It's so exciting. I'm terrified and excited all at once. I feel overwhelmed in a good way with the responsibilities I will have. Most of all, I'm so grateful to be trusted with this sweet little spirit. I can't wait to get to know him and for him and I and Chance to grow and learn together. Wish us luck- the closer it gets the more scared I get about this whole labor experience. I guess it's a very small price to pay for the sweet little babe we get to meet.

38 Weeks

2011-03-31T10:19:00.004-06:00

Lots of posts today! I'm catching up on all of my baby book stuff and picture albums for 2010 & am finding so many pictures on my camera.

Here's a picture of me at a little above 38 weeks right before the baby shower. I can honestly say that I'm beginning to feel really uncomfortable. My sister in law had twins and I am in AWE of what she had to have gone through. I have so much respect for her! I feel like I can't breathe, eat, or function normally. It sounds pathetic, I know. I'm achy and can't sleep at all. I don't mean to complain, but it has definitely been harder than I expected! I am also beginning to swell up in my hands and feet- I thought I had passed that point. I'm even swelling in my face now--total bummer! You may see some double chins in the pics from here on out- ha! I'm sure you can even see a difference in the pic below!

At my 38 week appt. we had an ultrasound and found that everything is okay with our sweet baby boy. He has just dropped so much and that is the reason why he is measuring small now. Also, my urine test came back okay this week, which is a relief! I'm currently 80% effaced and dilated to a 1. Doc said he'd be surprised if he saw me at the next appt (which is tomorrow--bummer!). He wants to talk about inducing me tomorrow. I'll be 39+ weeks by then and since the ultrasound shows that everything looks great and the babe's already almost 7 lbs, everything should be fine! I'm so excited and humbled at the thought of becoming a mom. It still feels so unreal. If I have my choice, I'll get induced on Monday. Monday means that Chance can miss the most amount of work and the hubs and I can spend one last weekend together. Also, it's conference weekend and it would be nice to get that in before the baby comes!

Baby Shower

2011-03-31T10:07:00.007-06:00

I had some great friends throw a baby shower for me this past week. It was beautiful! I wish I took a picture of the invitations, but the whole party was circus themed. Jess made the most tasty chocolate mustache party favors and they prepared the most amazing brunch--complete with my FAVORITE- white chocolate pretzel pancakes-- it was AMAZING. So lucky to have Hannah and Jessica as friends and then so many other amazing Chicago friends (wish I had taken a picture of the other girls).

Adorable, huh?

Here are the lovely ladies who threw the shower for me-- thanks guys!

Also, the greatest person at work threw me a baby shower. I can't believe I didn't even get a picture with her. I think I was stupidly too busy feeling awkward about being the center of attention! I'm grateful to have worked with such great people. Annique coordinated the most amazing basket of gifts and so many good work friends came to celebrate. Once again, I am so grateful to everyone who came and especially Annique, who coordinated everything. She is the most AMAZING person.

It probably isn't smart that I'm waiting to write all of my thank you notes till after the baby comes... I'm sure I'll be kicking myself for this later!

Chance's Bday & Others

2011-03-31T09:57:00.004-06:00

Found these pics from Christmas on my other camera..

I know this was a long time ago, but I just found these pics. For Chance's b-day this year, I threw him a gingerbread house party. Most people were already out of town for Christmas, but here are some pictures of everything. I love this man and am so lucky to have a hub so great!

Missing this...

2011-03-24T15:43:00.005-06:00

I just found these pictures from Aruba on our other camera...boy do I miss it--the warmth, the relaxation, the me and hub time... I know it'll be a while before I have that again!

This is a 33+ week belly. It's a good thing you can't see it from the side or you wouldn't be thinking it looked so small!

Two weeks tomorrow till my delivery date. We didn't have the best news at our docs appt last week so we'll find out more tomorrow. I've been trying not to worry and I've been feeling this little guy kick me around all day (like he'll be doing for the next 18+ years)! Work has been a tough one to swallow. My energy level is next to nothing and it's hard to stay motivated..I'm doing it, though and proud of myself for not letting the ball drop on anything as of yet!This is what is keeping me going lately... HOLY HEARTBURN. I've never experience heartburn AT ALL and now I am convinced it's impossible to get any worse! Maybe I should stop eating so much...hmmm... By the way-- to anyone who suffers from heartburn..the smoothie kind tastes like CANDY and the orange colored smoothie kind taste like PEZ. You don't have to twist my arm to shove them down my throat!

Mari- Michelle and Devon Visit

2011-03-07T07:45:00.004-07:00

A good friend of mine and her new husband took advantage of some training for their job and came in town early to spend time with Chance and I. It was so fun getting to know Devin better and seeing her settled in to married life.

Sadly, the weather was awful ALL weekend, but we managed to get a few pictures. Miss ya M!

Babymoon (Aruba!)

2011-03-04T09:21:00.009-07:00

BABYMOON= one last getaway with just you and the hubs before the life changes forever!

We had been talking about going on a babymoon since we got pregnant and finally pushed the button and ordered our tickets to Aruba in November. It took us so long to decide because there was no convenient time to go. Between Christmas, Thanksgiving, and no new vacation days till February for me, February was our only option!

I came home at 33.5 weeks. We were a little nervous, but felt good about it. I'm so glad we went! I'd recommend a babymoon to ANYONE who can do it! It was worth every penny!

The pics are out of order, but here they are:

Almost every morning, Chance and I got up early and enjoyed the sun-rise. We went on walks, sat in chairs, and just enjoyed how PEACEFUL it is in the morning without anyone on the beach!

Chance and I messing around with our new camera

How handsome is my man?

my 33 week + belly

A beautiful sunset-- I feel like the pictures don't quite do it justice!

Chance and I

32 + weeks

Flying fishbone-- the most fun restaraunt right on the beach. We were there at sunset and it was AMAZING! (by the way, after seeing this pictures I realized this shirt wasn't the most flattering for a prego lady!)

Sunset at Fly

Chance has been wanting to try kite-boarding for the longest time. I got him 4 lessons for his b-day and I spent a lot of my time lounging on a chair, reading, and watching him. He was a natural-- it's not as easy as it looks! (You do kite training on land first)

Then they take you out to the beach to learn how to body drag with the kite.

and in no time he was up!

One of the only active things I could do was snorkel. We went on a catamaran to a few different snorkel sites. It was beautiful! (this is us waiting to be picked up!)

Me in front of our resort

Aruba was seriously amazing! I was able to relax all day and yes, I wore a bikini, and no I will never post those pictures-- don't worry! It was so nice getting to spend some much time with just Chance. We needed it! We've been so busy and haven't had time together like this since our honeymoon!

Now I am in official nesting mode and working like crazy to get ready for our sweet little guy. All appointments look great, yes I am a fatty, and as of today we are 5 weeks away from my due date!

Nelson Family Vegas Vacation (Feb 11-13)

2011-02-28T09:03:00.015-07:00

My parents have been doing a Vegas Family Vaca for some time now. It started with my dad attending some work obligations and us joining him for the weekend since we were so close to him (4 hrs away driving from BYU). It's turned in to more of a yearly vaca with the family and for the past two years my parents have flown Chance & I out to enjoy the fun.

Here are the Nelson siblings

The lovely Nelson Ladies

Chance & I (I'm 32 weeks here)

Chance and I again

The fam at dinner

So everyone went ziplining at a place in Vegas. While they did that, the pregnant lady, mom and little Dex stayed and chased around birds at the hotel for an hour. He loved it!

The group of zipliners

I got this photo from Sabrina-- I'm not sure what her and Chance are doing here, but it made me laugh!

Shawn ziplining (so serious!)

Here's a photo of Shawn that I love. I have such a handsome brother! =)

We went to the Price is Right gameshow. I LOVE gameshows. Sadly, none of us were called up, but it was so fuN!

Dex turned two the next week so we had a mini party for him.

Chance woke me up to a surprise baby shower from the fam. So nice of them!

Am I looking chubby in the face or what? Thanks guys-- I was TOTALLY surprised!

Preparing for the Stratosphere 855 ft (105 story) free fall! So scary!

They don't actually slow you down till you are right at the bottom and I was suprised at how fast they're going when they land!

Chance busting some moves on his way down!

Dad on his free fall

Brett & Dex

Chance and I again

Vegas was so nice. It's fun to do fun things, but most of all it's nice to spend time with the family. I feel like I should cherish these moments more and more as they are probably going to happen less and less frequently in the future. Plus, we'll have a baby so things will be more exciting, but the family visit/ vacation dynamic will definitely be different! Love you guys and can't wait to see you at Xmas.

Brrrrr It's Cold!

2011-02-02T13:35:00.004-07:00

I'm happy to report that our power/ heat is back on! It was kind of fun at first when it went off, but then they told is it could take DAYS to turn back on and I semi freaked!! Chicago's weather has been crazzzy! We've been in the worst snow storm/ blizzard since 1967 (i'm not 100% that's legitimate, but that's what I've been told by a few ppl!). I was supposed to work from home all day, but since our internet was out I got a late start. Our car is COMPLETELY snowed in and our whole back alleyway is covered in 5+ feet of snow all the way down. It's cleared up for now, but supposedly it's going to show itself again tonight!

Chance and I tracked in the crazy snow to get to the train and then I worked from a Mikki D's with wireless downtown and Chance went in to work. As soon as I heard the power was back on I headed back to our place.

Blizzard blizzard blizzard! I wish Chance and I could have truly taken the day off and sat by the fire sipping hot cocoa (I don't even like hot cocoa, but that sounds fun, right?).

This is outside our front porch. We wish we would have parked the car in front since a plow actually came by. We'd at least be able to attempt to dig ourselves out!

Here's our back alley. Can you even see our car in this mess???!

Anyway, overall I think it's kind of fun! I just wish Chance and I could have made it a total snow day and done fun old things without having to worry about work. Sadly, I have so much I still need to do for work so I should probably get back to it! Hope everyone is staying safe and warm!

2011-01-30T15:44:00.004-07:00

Here I am at a very RIPE 30 weeks. I think I have myself convinced that I'm not as big as I really am. Sure I check out my profile probably almost every day, but seeing myself in a picture seems so different. I am definitely bigger than I realize.

Be jealous of my pasty white skin, because in less than 2 weeks hubs and I will be here...

with these people....

and a few days after that the hubs and I are taking a baby-moon here (to Aruba!!)...

and hopefully this dramatic pasty white skin won't be AS pasty anymore!

These two trips is what has kept us pushing through this tough Chicago winter! It has been so cold, icy, and snowy. Winter here is just so much different than in Utah. A month and a half or so after the vacation milestone the we'll have a precious baby boy in our arms and then after that winter will almost be over!

I love feeling my little boy kick me all day long. Is it normal to worry that I'm not being a good mom right now? I indulge in so many sugary treats it can't be healthy. My sweet tooth has doubled or tripled and my self control has been cut in half (anyone who knows me well enough knows that I'm doomed!). I always worry that I could be doing more or less to help him grow into the most healthy baby possible. I just hope that he's doing alright in there--all doctors appointments scream yes so I cling on to that. Can't wait for our lives to change forever!

Christmas in Arizona

2011-01-28T13:43:00.009-07:00

This is a SUPER late post, but I wanted to make sure I got it up. Christmas this year was a blast. I spent it away from Texas for the first time ever. The Olsons made it WONDERFUL. Now for pic overload-- sorry they are all out of order..

Next year there will be so many additions to the family...!

2011-01-10T12:25:00.001-07:00

Love this pic of Chicago! This will be right close to the area we are most likely moving in a few months!

2011-01-03T09:21:00.008-07:00

So you'll have to excuse me while I brag for a minute about my husband. I KNOW-- I KNOW--I seriously KNOW--I can't stand braggers. It actually drives me NUTS, especially on blogs. But I really want to brag for HIM, not ME. So here it is...(and I apologize AGAIN)

On top of a CRAZY work schedule, this dude spent lots of early mornings, late nights, and weekends studying for tests, putting together applications, and networking like crazy. His hard work has paid off and we are soooo excited to get to stay in Chicago for 2 more years!!

He'll be starting business school at the University of Chicago Booth in September of 2011.

We couldn't be more excited and I couldn't be more happy for him. He has been a great example of perseverance & hard work. He's so disciplined and some days makes me feel completely lazy.

Selfishly, I'm so happy we get to stay in Chicago for longer. I can't bear the thought of leaving all of the AMAZING friends that we have made and venturing off to a new place with a brand new baby. Although Chicago is likely not a long-term place for us, we both are so happy we get to stay for now!!

2010-12-20T14:41:00.004-07:00

Wow-- this is my IDEAL Christmas decor. If only I had the space/ money to do this to our place! Isn't it beautiful!?

Now that we know where we're going to school (YES!! I'll post more on that later), I have been thinking about anything and everything baby. I feel like I can finally begin to PLAN. You can go SO expensive with baby and I keep having to remind myself-- we're going to lose two incomes and that Chance will be going to be at an AMAZING business school that costs BAZOOKOO bucks. I can't indulge as much as I would like.

That being said, I still lust after this-- and I must say, it's a good compromise to some of the other ones I was looking at. =) Also, my taste in diaper bags has changed a lot in the past 6 1/2 months. At first I was more in to the Timi & Leslie look, but now I'm leaning in a completely different direction. Maybe the hubs will let me splurge. I always hear that baby diaper bags that can also be a backpack are the most reasonable and I guess that makes sense. I can't handle keep my purse over my shoulder right now as is!

As for our Xmas plans, we are heading off to Arizona and are both so excited. It's been dealthy cold here and we haven't seen the Olson fam (most of them) since the cruise. I can't wait to spend my first holidays in Arizona.

Wish you all the best & safe travels!!

Blizzard Walk

2010-12-12T20:35:00.002-07:00

Chance and I decided to take a walk tonight during our first Chicago blizzard of the season!I think it took us longer to gear up than to actually walk around the neighborhood!

Mari-Michelle's Wedding

2010-12-12T20:25:00.005-07:00

I was able to go to Utah for a good friend's wedding. It was incredible, she was beautiful and of course, as always I wish I got more pictures. I didn't even get one of M & I. I couldn't be more happy for them. They are a beautiful, amazing couple and I'm so happy I was invited to be there for their special day. Here are some photos (they are soo out of order!)

Sabrina & Matt

23 Week Belly Shot

Jackie and I

The Nelson Sisters

21 Weeks

2010-11-29T09:40:00.004-07:00

Here are some 20/21 week shots. Sometimes I forget I'm showing as much as I am and then I see shots like these and realize that I don't often look at myself from the side! Hope everyone had a great T-day. We sure did and I know I put on some lbs!

Exercise??

2010-11-17T10:07:00.003-07:00

I'm finally feeling much, much better and trying as best as I can to stay healthy and excercise. The only problem is... how can I possibly exercise when I have to get off the treadmill to use the restroom three times in one mile and my belly makes lifting anything uncomfortable and impossible? I thought that having to use the restroom so often went away in the second trimester--it has gotten so much worse for me!

My regular exercise routine just isn't working anymore. My doctor highly recommended keeping up with an ab workout specifically because he said it would make labor much easier. The only problem is I can't lay on my back and my belly is making crunching uncomfortable! What's a girl to do? Any recommendations?? My usual run, lift, ab routine just isn't possible anymore!

By the way- I've read on a few friends blogs lately that they're well into their 7th month and have gained less than 15 lbs. Ha! I am already at 10 + and am only 20 weeks! On a happier note, I am LOVING feeling this little guy kick. It is just the BEST feeling!

Here's a lot of Lately..

2010-10-31T16:37:00.007-06:00

Here's a 15 Week Belly Photo (I'm 17 now and I think I've really popped!)

A night out with the ladies for Jess and Kylee's bday!

Pumpkin Patch

Church Halloween Party

Halloween Party At Our Place

It's a boy!

2010-10-20T21:13:00.003-06:00

16 weeks along and it's a boy! I thought for sure it was a girl so I was pleasantly surprised! This wee one wouldn't show us his face, but was not shy about flaunting his man parts.
(I know the picture is SO hard to see--it's as if he's sitting in a straddle on glass and we're looking right up). We are both very excited! =)

South Haven

2010-09-14T15:52:00.008-06:00

We went to South Haven, MI (the cutest town) with our friends for Labor Day weekend. Here are some pictures--thanks to Andy and Jessica! A lot of them are out of order..

Poor Chance broke his foot--you'll probably notice his crutches!

Morning before the roadtrip back picture!

We LOVE LOVE LOVE our Chicago friends. I'm so sad thinking about leaving all of them for B-school (wherever that may be). Thanks for the best weekend Chicagoins..!

Some Oldies

2010-09-08T06:50:00.005-06:00

Taste downtown with friends (except for we have no pictures of the friends)

B-day cake and sushi night in July

More to come soon on the trip to SA and Labor Day Weekend.

Counting Crows at Ravinia!

2010-09-07T08:22:00.004-06:00

Poor Chance ended up not being able to go because he had to work late. This concert was totally worth losing out on the zz's. Ravinia is the most beautiful park where people sit on the lawn and listen to bands. You can bring food and drinks into the park and it is just the best setting.

Love these people

Thanks Adam and Hannah for organizing!

A Picture Post

2010-08-15T06:43:00.009-06:00

I've been pretty tied up lately and haven't had much time to post, but here are a few pictures!

We frequent the most ghetto bowling alley ever and are usually the only customers. We love it!

The best is Kylee's mean face in the picture below! ha =)

I have so much fun with these girls. Chicago wouldn't be the same without them!

Utah Trip for Greg's farewell! A little bowling action!

Sweet move, Greg!

Happy 4th of July! We celebrated the weekend with our friends in Lake Forest.

J'Nette, Brett and Dex came to Chicago and we had so much fun!

Poor guy missed out on a lot of sleep!

2010-07-23T12:51:00.005-06:00

I see it. It's still a decent ways away--but it's there. Thanks to a great program manager, I'll be out of the woods sooner than later. AHHH--I have had NO life for the past month and a half, have been non-stop grumpy, tired & have encountered some VERY interesting situations with some very interesting people.

As tough as my job has been on me, I have learned a lot & I can truley say that I am grateful for it. but...that doesn't mean I'm not excited to be able to get into the light! =)

Harvard Sailing Team - Boys Will Be Girls

2010-06-25T14:43:00.001-06:00

My friend Tawni posted this on her blog and I thought it was hilarious and maybe a little bit true. =)

Surgery

2010-06-19T17:16:00.003-06:00

Poor Chance---I left him all alone the day after this surgery (more on my trip to Utah later). It was actually a pretty rough surgery (the doctor didn't prepare us for this AT ALL!!). Here are some long requested pictures. This is all I have--sorry!

2010-05-28T16:07:00.006-06:00

Last weekend was a total blast. We went out to dinner with some friends on Friday, Chance serenaded Landon for his birthday very loudly (it wasn't his birthday), and we finally made it out to Arlington Heights Race Track. It was a last minute decision and so much fun!

By the way--Hannah and I are AMAZING. We bet on a trifecta (picking 1st ,2nd, and 3rd place horses) and totally won!! 22:1 payout!! =) Call us sinners for "gambling" if you'd like, but it sure made the races much more interesting! The horses were beautiful and it was so much fun to watch them race.

Love this girlI love him more, though

Big winners!
As for this weekend--we are headed up to the beautiful Lake Forest to enjoy great weather, great beaches, and great company! Can't wait!!!

Wrigley Field Cubs Game

2010-05-21T17:52:00.004-06:00

My boss had some tickets he wasn't going to be able to use and he let me take them. We had a great time (I mostly liked socializing--baseball isn't really my thing) and we had two other friends there.

Weekend!

2010-05-15T15:23:00.003-06:00

Chance is out of town this weekend so I flew solo to Hannah's bday celebration. Happy b-day Hannah! I actually remembered to bring the camera and take pictures!

That was last night. Today has been one of the laziest Saturday's I've had since I got married. I slept in till 10 (which I didn't even think I could do!), was in the g's until 11, watched 6 or 7 different TV shows and then went out shopping...

It wasn't a very productive day, but I've enjoyed it. I'm missin my hubby though and can't wait till he gets back!

Cruise 2010

2010-05-14T12:40:00.009-06:00

There's so much to say--but I think the picture overload probably says it all. Thank you Ken and Kathy for an INCREDIBLE vacation. We LOOOVED IT!

We went on a Western Caribbean Cruise with Royal Caribbean from Miami. We stopped at Costa Maya, Belize, Cozumel, and Grand Cayman. It was amazing!!!!!

Life In the Fast Lane

2010-04-16T06:13:00.011-06:00

We had a semi-suprise "drizzle" for Danica's second baby and it was a blast. I LOVE all of these girls. Anytime we get together we get way TOO loud, have way TOO much fun, laugh constantly, and probably talk about way too much, but I love it and am so lucky to have such great friends here in Chicago.

Bobby threw her own suprise birthday party. Here's us on the way up---camera died before we got to her!

We did a race!!! Unfortunately we don't have any pictures from the actual race (still need to get those from you, Bobby!) Hannah, Bobby, and I ran the 5k and Chance and Adam ran the 10k. There was little training from both sides and lots of sore legs the following week. It was fun, though and I'm glad we did it!

and as for next week, we will be on a CRUISE with 7 of my favorite people. I'm SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO excited! Goodbye crazy work, goodbye demanding life, HELLO relaxation, HELLO fun, HELLO adventure, and HELLO not pasty skin!

For Real Guys??

2010-04-12T13:53:00.002-06:00

Somtimes I just roll my eyes after a sit-down, blog-reading marathon. To be honest, it makes me laugh.

Some people write the most elaborate posts about how perfect and wonderful their lives are as a mother, wife, sister, brother, daughter, etc. Seriously guys?? I'm not one to complain, but life is not perfect. You get in fights, you have your ugly days, you say things you wish you hadn't said--life is not perect--and it's okay---you're not alone!!

Don't get me wrong--I understand that it's not appropriate to share every intimate detail of your life (there's a happy medium), but why is it that some people DO share every intimate detail about the happy times on their blog , but never say a word about their struggles?

My personal favorite blogs are the ones that say it like it is, post the fat/ swollen feet pregnancy pics, talk about the struggles as a new mom, etc. I just love it--not that I bask in others pain, but simply because I have had similar feelings in my life and it's refreshing to know that I'm not alone.

So here is to an imperfect, but still very HAPPY life! =)

**I hope this wasn't too harsh--I do still loving reading blogs! =)

Root Canal

2010-04-09T09:16:00.002-06:00

I took the morning off of work to get a root canal yesterday. I was downtown and after it was all over, I picked Chance up to get lunch. He would randomly bursts into fits of laughter and made fun of me the whole time. I must admit, it was pretty funny--I couldn't stop laughing myself! My face was completely numb on one side--my eye wouldn't even shut the whole way (hence why my eye is watering in one of the pictures). The pictures below are pictures of me smiling (you would have never guessed).

It's not so funny now that all the numbness has worn off and it actually hurts! =)

Picture Updates

2010-04-03T08:04:00.007-06:00

I never blog and I never take pictures. Here are all of the pictures I have taken since my family's Vegas trip in February--it's pathetic!

St. Patty's Day--they dye the river green

It was cold

Our favorite Robot Mop at work!

Blizzard days were like this for me--you can't tell but I was snowed in

and had to work from home in this room all day!

Here are some shots from Vegas--still need those photos from you, Jnette!!

and that's all!

From here on out I promise to be a better picture taker!

Confession: I have an ugly blog

2010-03-31T12:21:00.002-06:00

How do you pick new templates for your blog?
How do you make it pretty by bringing in side pictures, designs, etc.

My blog is ugly-- I admit it.

I can't contain my excitement!

2010-03-10T12:27:00.007-07:00

I am gettin so ANTSY in this Chicago weather. I think about this upcoming trip way too much because I am very, very excited about it. Working full-time is much different than being a full-time student. You never get a break and the breaks you do get, you have to take wisely (2 weeks in one year is just NOT ENOUGH!). This one will be well worth it!

I can't wait to be on this thing..

Doing this thing..and much more...

with these people

and these too!

I am just too excited. It's unhealthy and at times I can't focus. It's so nice to have something to look forward to besides work, work, work! I can't wait till the---warmth, sun, good company, activities, color on my skin...it's been so long!

A little more than 5 weeks away---that seems so far away! Maybe time will speed up if I stop counting the days.

Hardworking Hubs

2010-03-10T12:16:00.004-07:00

I'm so grateful for this man's hard work! He's studied and studied and studied AND studied for the GMAT. All of his his work and sacrifice have paid off! He's the best example of hard work and determintation and I'm lucky to call myself his wife! Congrats, hun!

58 Degrees!

2010-03-09T16:13:00.002-07:00

Is it really supposed to be 58 degrees tomorrow?! I think I'm in heaven--too bad I'll be sitting inside at a desk all day and won't get to enjoy a second of it!

Catching up...

2010-01-29T09:50:00.012-07:00

New, fun things are coming our way so I wanted to catch up a little before I passed the point of no return!

A few weeks ago, I had to go to LA to pilot a test I've been working on for my job. LA happens to be where my brother and sister-in-law live and also is also near several business school we're interested in. Since I already had a free trip, we decided to make a weekend out of it! Chance flew in Thursday night and once I finished work on Friday, we were free for the weekend. Here are some pictures of what we did!

Friday--we went on a business school visit, the boys surfed, got some yummy Mexican food, and hung out with Chris and Jenny

Remember, we left a Chicago winter for this! We were EXCITED!

They were not very happy/ embarrassed about me taking this picture--can you tell?

Saturday--we got up SUPER early and drove to San Francisco, looked at two business schools, and toured the city--it was tons of fun! As always, I wish I got more pictures!

Stanford has a beautiful campus, but UCLA was my personal fav

Golden Gate Bridge pictures!

Jenny!!

California was great and it was so fun to spend time with Chris and Jenny!! I have the best in-laws!

On another note, we had a fun get together with our Chicago friends [minus Landon, Molly and Griff =( ] Here are some pictures from the night!

This little boy (and my nephew) is the reason why I can't get babies off the mind! I adore him! He is the CUTEST little thing!!!

Half the group!

The girls and CUTE Jude!

Danica and Jess!

It was so fun to meet Carol, Tyler, and Van! I hope to see more of these guys!

We leave for Vegas with my family on Thursday and can't wait!! I'm working on some really great things at work, but MAN am I in need of a few days off. Work has really been draining everything from me these past couple of weeks. As much as I love getting away, it always means there's a lot of extra things to do when I get back in even less time than before.

It's a COLD winter!

2010-01-10T16:55:00.003-07:00

Here are some pictures of icicles out back! Excuse the look--we had just gotten back from the gym! They were well over 7 ft long. Crazy!!

Our new table!! We're excited to have a place to eat now! Thanks to Mom and Dad Nelson for their generosity! Both my parents and my in-laws have been so generous!!

The instructions weren't in the box, but luckly it was an easy assemble!

Ta-dah!

We'll be in LA/ Palo Alto this weekend for my job and to visit schools! We're excited to be able to spend the weekend with Chris and Jenny! We're also excited to be back in the warmth! This Chicago winter weather is dreadful!

Christmas

2010-01-07T12:47:00.009-07:00

I don't have much time to post, but I DO want to say that it was amazing! It was so much fun and it was a perfect way for Chance and I to share our first Christmas as a married couple! Thanks to Mom, Dad, and Grandy for making every bit of the vacation extra special! ...and of course, thanks to the rest of the fam as well!

Also, the Olson family was so kind to us this year for Christmas. We missed them very much, but are excited to be in Arizona for Christmas next year! Here are a few..starting with Christmas in Chicago...

Our first Christmas tree ever! This is at our apartment in Chicago

Chance's bday! I wish we had gotten more pictures! Happy 27th love!!

ALL THE PICTURES BELOW ARE IN TEXAS!

Pappasitos is our favorite Mexican restraunt--Chance LOVED it!!

My cute little nephew!!

Christmas Eve Dinner--Don't worry it was a Christmas Eve SWEATER party--we don't actually dress like this! =)

Grandy made the BEST fudge, just looking at this picture makes me crave it!

Adorable little boy

With grandma!

My dad disappeared and next thing we know, Santa showed up! Too bad Dad missed seeing Santa!

Gingerbread house contest, I don't know how we didn't get a picture of us making the houses

Santa and the boys--wow, that looks like fun!! =)

Christmas Day after math!

We were watching Harry Potter on the new blu-ray and new think we knew, Dad came out in his new "snuggie". We have no idea where the witch hat came from

Chance and I at UTs campus in Austin

At Tru Lucks-- an incredible sea food restraunt!

Out on the balcony at my Dad's building in Austin.

Merry late Christmas, y'all!

Family in Chicago!

2009-12-08T16:16:00.008-07:00

It takes forever for me to post anything--buttt I wanted to make sure that I blogged about my family coming to Chicago! It was greaaaat! I enjoyed every second of having them here. The weather was surprisingly wonderful (for Chicago standards) and it was fun to lug them around and show them the sites/sights of Chicago.

All of these pictures are completely out of order, but here goes:

Chance and I at the Science Museum, which was so fun and interesting, by the way!!

Astronaut Angela--Chance refused, anyone surprised? =)

Chance and I in front of the museum of science

I took my parents to the Bongo Room-they agreed, it's amazing!!! Anytime you're in Chicago stop for a bite of their white chocolate pretzel pancakes--yum yum!

Mom and Shawn on Lake Michigan!

You can't see our toesies, BUT we waded in the water, which was freezing!!

Fam in front of the museum of science (totally out of order, sorry!)

Shawn went for a swim in Lake Michigan, at night, in the winter!! CRAZY kid...

but major PROPS!

Shawn and Dad earlier that week.

It was an incredible trip and I'm so glad that they came. I've really missed having my parents around and hadn't seen them since the wedding. I can't wait until Christmas.

Thanks Mom and Dad for making the effort to come to Chicago. It meant a lot! Love you guys--and thanks for tugging along, Shawn. I hope we weren't "too uncool" for you.

Bull Game!

2009-11-15T19:47:00.007-07:00

Our friends Adam and Hannah invited us to the Bull's Game Tuesday night. My work schedule this week was pretty hectic and I was exhausted, but I'm so happy we went. It was against the Denver Nuggets and it game down to the buzzer. Brad Miller made a shot with .2 seconds to go and it went it to put the Bulls ahead at 91-90. Unfortunately, after a long review from the refs they said that it didn't count and the Bulls lost. =( It was a fun game nonetheless!! Thanks for a fun night Adam and Hannah!

InflataBULL!

2009-10-28T11:35:00.006-06:00

Chance and a few friends at work had the opportunity to dress up for a little race at the Chicago Bull's game. Here are some pictures... "Go # 2!!!"

Here is his commentary for the night:

Although I came in second, this was one of the happier times in mylife (not to mention, a resume builder).
A little more color to the night of wonder:
-I actually got kind of nervous when I put the suit on. You can't seewhatsoever and you're wearing a giant blower with a car-size battery.-I didn't know the race was down and back and then down and back. Iwas winning by a good 10 yards after the first lap. I startedcelebrating and dancing until the people started yelling at me to keepgoing.-Even after my celebration, I was still in the lead until I decided totry and take out one of the other inflatabulls. Bull #3 dove at thefinish line to beat me by inches.

He makes me laugh! I wish I could have been there, but I had to work late. Maybe next time I can race along side him! =)

I LOVE the smell of pumpkin!

2009-10-15T09:47:00.003-06:00

This is what it smells of in my apartment and I love it so much:
While I was at my in-laws for dinner on Sunday, I noticed a Yankee candle my mother-in-law got and mentioned that I wanted the spiced pumpkin candle. Last night, before I got home, she brought by the candle I mentioned along with my skirt, 2 of chances shirts, and a curtain she hemmed for us as well. It brightened my day--I'm so blessed to have such a thoughtful mother-in-law!

California--Here We Come!

2009-10-14T09:05:00.002-06:00

It might be wrong of me to post while at work, but I figure everyone's entitled to a 15 min break here and there. We're going to California this weekend to visit Chris and Jenny. Kira, Emmet, and Emery will be there. We had talked about going for a while, but ticket prices jumped, which left our trip plans hopeless.

We were able to find two remaning tickets with another airline for a decent price and jumped to buy them. We are VERY excited!! After a sweater suggestion scare, I jumped online to see the weather stats--82 and sunny almost all weekend. We'll probably need a light sweater for at night, but we needed this break from the already cold Chicago weather! Chance is excited to surf and we're both excited to hang out with the Olson family.

THANK YOU Chris and Jenny!

I'll just picture it all

2009-09-18T15:34:00.014-06:00

Like always--it has been way too long since I've posted. Here is what we've been up to for the past couple of months. The first few are out of order.

BYU v Oklahoma over at Hannah and Adams--notice I'm the only one posing!

The girls +Trevor while the boys were at a fireside

BBQ at our place after an intense day of beach volleyball

Mary Martha came in town for work and we went to the ESPN zone for dinner--it was SO wonderful to see her and Andew--they're a great couple!!

The Air Show in Chicago

This is right by our place--it was pretty crazy (too bad I only got a picture of a helicopter). Planes were doing tricks all day and millions of people were watching. The noise echoed through downtown Chicago--it was unbelievably loud and would have been terrifying had I not known what was going on!

I asked these girls if I could take a picture--they made me wait till their other signs were ready. They were hysterical--when a plane flew by they would scream as loud as they could, "AHHHHHHH--that's the sound of mother earth in pain." Good for them, right?

Bears Game

We went to the pre-season Bears Game. We scalped tickets together and got ripped off. We were told that all three seats were next to each other. Turns out Ken's seat was on the other side of the stadium. Next time we won't be so trusting--ha!

Some long requested pictures of our old place-a highrise in downtown Chicago

As you can tell from these pictures, we outgrew this place quickly---there was no room for anything!

The New Place

Moving--the most stressful day of our young marriage. We hired movers to make it easy (so much for being an easy day). Everything that could have gone wrong did, but we're finally settled in!

As for everything else--work has kept us both very busy. I'm enjoying my job, but it makes for very long days. We are excited to have made wonderful friends out here in Chicago and are enjoying married life very much! More pictures to come..

The Working Life

2009-07-31T14:59:00.004-06:00

After today I have been officially working for two weeks!! I work at Sears Holdings, but I work in the corporate offices! It's funny b/c when I tell people where I work they imagine me sitting in a backroom somewhere inside a Sears or Kmart store.

The first week was just onboarding--a little get to know different business units and people working at the company. This past week I felt like I was thrown in a pool without knowing how to swim. Boy was it tough!! It's humbling to be put in a job when you don't have a clue about what's going on. I feel like a sponge and just try to soak up every piece of information I can get. The people here are great, though. They care and they take the time to teach you. It's a very steep learning curve, but I'm learning a lot.

It's such a dynamic organization and such a fun time to work at a company of this sort. There are so many brilliant people that are driving so much change. My recruiting class alone is strictly from Harvard, Yale, University of Chicago, and BYU. Talk about intimidating! It's fascinating to learn about all the different initiatives and even more exciting to be a part of them.

I have to admit, there were times this week when thoughts like, "I can't do this", "I'm not smart enough," or "I'm just not cut out for this," went through my head. At the end of the day things came together, I found the right people to help me, and I learned so much. I'm in an organization when the measly business analyst can really drive change and they want to hear about all my ideas. Don't worry, I'm not getting a big head--I'm very humbled by it all and grateful for this wonderful opportunity. It's very rewarding and so exciting!

Sidenote: they even have summer hours!! work a little later Monday-Thursday and leave early on Friday! =)

It's a great organization and a blessing to be a part of it. You just watch--Sears and Kmart will make it big! =)

Sagutuck, Michigan!!!

2009-07-23T17:28:00.008-06:00

For my birthday Chance surprised me(well sort-of--he wanted it to be a surprise, but we're both not good at those) with a weekend in Sagutuck, Michigan. Before we left we went to Orange--one of my favorite brunch places and then headed out to Michigan. It is amazing there. We stayed at a bed and breakfast and played on the beach, hiked, biked, played board games, watched sunsets, ate amazing food, and AMAZING chocolate. It was such a blast. The only word I could think of to describe it is JOYFUL. It was the best get away weekend and it made it so that I didn't stress about my new job which started on Monday (I'll blog more about that later). Here are some pictures of the fun we had!

In front of our bed and breakfast

On the beach playing yahtzee and waiting for the sunset

We hiked a LONG ways to this beach and left our shoes at the top of the hill--bad idea

The top of our hike

Tandem bike early morning ride!

Pretty scenery!

At Orange, my fav brunch spot!!

It was the BEST...you should go to Sagutuck!

I know he'll be embarrassed....

2009-07-16T08:32:00.002-06:00

So..I know he'll be embarrassed when he checks the blog next and sees a lone picture of himself, but I just wanted to say how grateful I am for this man! He does so much and works so hard. He gets up at 5 am in the mornings to work out, then goes to work and doesn't get home till late. When he gets home he studies for the GMAT and then he spends time with me till we go to bed. I'm so blessed to have such a wonderful, hardworking hubby who is so good to me and always thinks of me before himself! lucky, lucky, lucky...=)

The Taste of Chicago

2009-07-15T13:50:00.009-06:00

The taste of Chicago is a yearly event out here. Different restraunts set up booths and you buy tickets that you can use to have a taste of something from any restraunt you want. they close down a whole street and have tons and tons of entertainment. AMAZING!!

Kira, Emmet, and Emery came out to Chicago and it was a BLAST!! Chance and I really missed them so much when they left. They are such cute kids and I'm so lucky to have such a wonderful sister-in-law (two of them actually--shout out to Jenny! =] ).

I was able to run around with them in Chicago during the day when Ken and Chance were working. It was a lot of fun. Chance kept saying "You don't have to hang out with them ALL the time if you don't want." As if it was a chore to do...NOT AT ALL! I adore them and wish I could have spent more time with them. Sadly, it was cold and rainy most of their trip--OHHHH CHICAGO STOP WITH THIS NONSENSE WEATHER!! Here are some pics from the trip. (I stole some from your blog, Kira!).

Kathy, Emmet, and Emery in Grant Park

Budweiser horse march in Millenium Park!

Umbrellas and sweathshirts

Taking the train!

Walking to the beach!

Making cookies! YUM YUM!

Building Sand castles!

Watching Fireworks!

All in all in was a blast and we miss them a lot and wish Chris and Jenny could have been there!!

Vitamins

2009-07-08T20:25:00.005-06:00

So...anyone who knows me knows that I have an extreme gummy obsession. Gummy bears, gummy worms, ANY type of fruit snacks (preferably Stackers). Kira, Emmet and Emery have been in Chicago (I'll blog more about that later) and Saturday night we babysat for them. Guess what I discovered??? Gummy vitamins for kids!!

Chance and I stole a vitamin (sorry Kira!) and I was upset by the fact that they don't make them for adults! A couple days later at Costco, guess what I found??? I'm in HEAVEN and you better believe I won't forget to take my vitamins anymore!

Sad!

2009-06-25T09:20:00.002-06:00

So my whole family is in Utah without me right now! Bummer! I wish I could see them, go backpacking, and just hang out! Miss you guys! Have fun without me!

Chii Town

2009-06-24T13:30:00.002-06:00

I start my job in exactly one month since Monday of this week and I must say that I'm looking forward to it! Window shopping has been losing its luster! I am happy, though that I have had this time to be in Chicago without a job. It's been nice to get to know the city and make some friends. I start on July 20th and I'm not too sure yet, but I think I'll have three weeks of training with all the other analysts and then we're put in to our roles with our individual teams. I'm pretty excited about mine. It sounds like I'll be working 10 to 11 hour days Monday to Thursday and then Fridays I'll be done by 1 pm and have the rest of the day.

Things I still need to do:

Thank you notes! I have a little over half done, but I keep dragging my feet. It's a must before I start working!

Volunteer! There's so much to do in Chicago--I just need to find out what I CAN do!

Why is it so easy to do nothing when you have the time? I find myself wondering where the time went almost every day! I used to be so organized and scheduled out. I'm hoping the job will bring me back in to the swing of things!

Kira, Emmet, and Emery (my sister-in-law, neice and nephew) come in town on Monday and I'm SUPER excited to see them! I'm just so glad it's finally warm!!