Big Laughs!

It's been about two weeks now since I last posted, but I think I have quite a bit to write (I always seem to have more in me than I think I do). First thing to report . . . Abbigaile laughed for the first time last Tuesday (July 7)! (Don't make fun of me for putting the date in Gary, it's for my own benefit.) It's not that she hasn't ever laughed, but this time she did it without anyone poking or tickling her. We were sitting on the couch and Jack was bouncing around on the couch, as usual, and Abbigaile was watching him. All of a sudden she just starts cracking up; it was so cute. She tends to smile and laugh more when Jack is around than any other person. She definitely loves her big brother and he loves her too.

Another really exciting thing in our house is our newly working garage door opener! We are so excited!!! We purchased it a little while ago and we just now had the time to put it up. I'm so grateful that Justin is handy and able to complete projects around our home. It was definitely an all-day project, but I think Justin will agree that the time was well worth the end result . . . so now we don't have to get out on the steep driveway and yank open our heavy old-school garage door. Justin said he never knew how nice it was to have an automatic garage door opener because he never lived in a house with a garage. The day after we got it all working, I pushed the button to open the door and Jack freaked out and clung to my leg. I told him it was a "cool button" and now whenever we open the garage he says "cool!"

We took our first trip to the zoo as a family, last Saturday (July 11). Justin's brother and his family are visiting from Utah right now, so it was fun to go and spend a little bit of time with them and some of the other Lowell's. We took the Zoo Bus tour, but Jack was a little bit feisty and we had to bribe him with "gummies" (fruit snacks) so that he'd sit. We tried to show him the animals while on the bus, but he was much more interested in the Skyfari buckets overhead. We did take a ride in that and it was his favorite part of the whole trip. Abbigaile fell asleep while at the zoo and Jack fell asleep shortly after we left (with his sandwich in hand).

Currently, our little Abbigaile is suffering from a cold. She's improving, but getting her to sleep has been a nightmare. Her nose started to run on Tuesday and that night she screamed for over an hour before finally rocking off to sleep. Even after all the screaming and crying, she still didn't sleep well that night, and neither did Justin. Wednesday night was a similar story . . . she'd sleep anywhere from 30 minutes to an hour and then be up for another half-hour at the minimum. I took her to the doctor on Thursday to make sure she didn't have an ear infection or fluid in her lungs and she was all clear in those areas—it's just a cold. Thursday evening was better than the previous nights, but Friday and Saturday didn't go quite as smoothly. The problem, especially on Saturday night, was being able to lay her down after rocking her to sleep; it's just so hot right now (especially in our house) that she sticks to your arms and you almost have to peel her off before laying her down. Luckily she slept well after getting her in her bed and now Justin is currently, at 9:45 PM, driving her around to get her back to sleep. Just as Justin was about to lay Abbi down, Jack started throwing a fit and woke her. We think it's because its hot in his room so he ate a peach, we put a fan in his window, and I haven't heard him since we put him back down. Oh yeah, as of Thursday, Abbigaile is now 14 lbs. 8 oz.

One small item—Justin went in to get Jack on Saturday morning when he woke up. Jack was yelling "Mom, where are you? Dad, where are you?" When Justin walked in, he found that Jack had his diaper off, was standing in his bed with his little hips pushed forward, and a puddle of pee in the center of his bed. We're so grateful to have our own washer and dryer here at home.

And one not so small one—our car's check engine light went on the other day and I called to let Justin know. Apparently, the light is programmed to come on at certain mileage points so that your sure things are in good working order; that's what we thought it was. Then, the car started acting funny—when you'd start out in first gear (we drive stick) the car would really start to jump and the problem seemed to be getting worse. Our mechanic came out (if you need a great mechanic who's honest and will come here's his website www.fixmycarfast.com) and ran a diagnostic to find that one of the valves in the manifold is stuck shut. We're taking it into his physical shop tomorrow and I'm so grateful because now we get stuck on hills (even our driveway) and it's jumping in second gear now. We'll keep you all posted on the car situation.

My mom and Mackenzie came over on Thursday and we finished decorating Abbigaile's nursery; it is sooo cute. It's such a sweet little princess room. There are still a few little details that we'll add here and there, but it really feels like her space now.

I guess those are the biggest things happening in our house right now. However, we just found out today that they've redone the ward boundaries for church. We'll no longer be going to church with Justin's parents and some of our other friends, but we're excited to have new people in the ward and maybe we'll make some new friends. Well that's it for now, I may try to post later this week—and I'll post pictures in a day or so.

Saturday 7/11 is Free Slurpee Day!

In honor of their 82nd birthday . . . Saturday, July 11th, is free Slurpee Day at 7-eleven! They are even saying that the cups will have a surprise on them. I can't wait to find out!

Free Chocolate Friday

It's that time again Free Chocolate Friday courtesy of Mars Chocolate Relief Act. Each week 250,000 free coupons will be awarded and mailed to your home. Limit 1 per e-mail per day and 4 per household during the offer period.

Disturbance of the Peace

Holy cow! I just looked at our family blog and realized it's been a whole month since I last posted! I know a lot has gone on since then, but I may have to start from the most recent occurrences and work my way back since it'll be easier for me. I'll give you a little story behind the title of this post . . . Jack's been going to be a little late for about the past week or so (we were trying to see if he'd sleep a little later, but he just gets cranky so he's back to an 8:00 bedtime). As a result of the bedtime time change, he'll sometimes say he's hungry when we're trying to put him down for bed (it may also be a ploy to get out of bed). We'd already tried to give him a snack before we put him down and he wasn't really interested, so when he started fussing and complaining that he was hungry after we put him down for bed, we decided he just needed to fuss a little bit and he'd fall asleep. So, he was throwing a fit but Justin and I were finally eating dinner so we were letting him cry for about 10 minutes to see if he'd just go down without any intervention on our part—this wasn't the case so we did end up getting him out and giving him a small snack. when justin went into the office (while Jack was snacking) he noticed there were not one, but four sheriff cruisers parked out in front of our house; we thought they had to be there for our neighbor's. Justin called the sheriff station the next morning to find out what had happened and found that there was a "disturbance of the peace "at our address. We figure someone called the sheriff after hearing Jack cry (his window was open). We were so surprised, especially because no one came and talked to us. Luckily, we haven't had any more difficult bedtimes since we moved him back to an earlier bedtime.

Abbigaile seems to be growing like a little weed! At her last appointment, on the 24^th, she was a whole 13 lbs. 5 oz. and 25 inches long; this puts her in the 30% for weight and 65% for length. She's smiling a whole lot more and likes spending more time on her stomach than in the past. Just recently, I went and got all of Jack's baby toys out of storage for Abbigaile (and sanitized them all ). She really likes a neon stuffed dinosaur named "Spike" and a little ring that's hollow and has balls inside of it. Abbi has really started to reach for the items around her and loves to scrunch paper . . . just like Jack did when he was little. Just a few more little developmental things—Abbi's rolled over a few times, but I don't know if it really counts because it's few and far between and only happens when she gets here arms just right. She really loves to watch Jack when he's in the room especially when he's jumping around and she's talking a lot more than she was. Abbigaile's still a bit clingy, but I just put her in the Jumperoo for the first time a few days ago and she loves it. Once she actually starts jumping I think she'll like it even more.

Jack's also doing quite well, although he does have trouble listening sometimes. I know he's only two, but we've really got to keep working on that. Jack has been able to open some of the toys we've had in storage for a while and he's had a lot of fun with the "new to him" toys. However, there's a little one-button remote-control car and it kind of freaks him out. I thought he'd love it right away, but it looks as though he'll have to get used to it. I'm not sure what else I can tell you about Jack right now, but he's doing great and he seems to be talking a little more each day . . . it's so fun!

I took the kiddos to music class several times over the past two weeks, and it's been great to go back and have a bit more routine. Jack loves to sing and dance, and because we've been going to the 0-3 class Abbigaile's able to participate, as well. I've just really got to be good about taking them each week so we have more of an actual routine; it'll help me to get Abbigaile to take more scheduled predictable naps each day. Plus, it's nice to be around other mommies and kids.

It's been several weeks now, since we purchased San Diego Zoo/Wild Animal Park passes so that we can spend more time as a family. We took Jack and Abbigaile to the Wild Animal Park and both kids did really well. It seemed like we did a lot of walking, but didn't see as many animals as we would've liked to. We're excited to go to the zoo and see all of the animals there, especially the Polar Bears! Oh, and I'm excited for the new Elephant Odyssey exhibit. I think we may go within the next few weeks so I'll keep you posted.

We had Father's Day this past month and we gave Justin something I think he really likes. We redecorated our home office! My mom came over and help (thank goodness—because I'm not so great on my own) and it turned out beautifully; especially for our budget! We also made some great meals for Justin, as well. I ended up making homemade Challah bread just so I could make some really great French Toast (which we had for lunch because church starts at 8:30 AM) and some thick-cut maple-Dijon glazed bacon . . . so yummy! Then we had some yummy tortellini and Sausage for dinner (Justin's choice); I'd say that we had a great day spending time as a family.

I've started taking a couple of fitness classes through the community college and love them. I'm currently taking a Walk-fit class and aerobics. Before this class I never realized that walking could be such great exercise! Then again, it's not just walking—it's power-walking and we go up and down hills and over all sorts of terrain . . . we also do a bit of abs and toning with bands/weights. I've met quite a few nice people, am having some conversations with adults, and am getting some great exercise. I'm thinking I may take this class again next summer, too.

Yesterday, as you all know, was the 4^th of July. We went to our ward's breakfast and Jack got to have some super-strong Tang and absolutely loved it—he kept asking for more. We then went over to Justin's parents house for a barbeque and some swimming. Jack played most of the time in the kiddie pool and got quite a bit of sun; luckily he's just very slightly pink on his little nose and cheeks so I don't think he's going to peel. My mom and Mackenzie came to the barbeque, as well and came over to our house afterward. Mom, Kenzie, Jack, Abbigaile and I all went to the Grand Tradition for the fireworks (thanks Des for letting us park at your house). Jack was so into the display this year; he kept yelling "whooo," "yay," and shouting out the colors he saw. Luckily, Abbigaile didn't cry and Jack crashed before we even got home.

We had church this morning and Abbigaile had one of the biggest blowout diapers I've ever seen. We were sitting and Relief Society and I knew she was pooping, but I checked and there was only a tiny bit and I wanted to make sure she was done before I went to change her. Apparently she finished going (silently) because when I lifted her up of my lap her back was completely soaked and so were her little bloomers; it was so bad I had to get Justin to help me clean her up. So, both Abbi and I had a wardrobe change before church was even halfway over. So that was the big event for today.

I can't think of anything else I should update you all on, but I'm sure I'll remember something else I've missed soon after I finish posting this. I hope all of you are well and I'll update everything again soon. We love you all!

Lots to Write!

It feels like forever since I last posted . . . or maybe we've just had a lot going on! I know I've had longer periods of time between posts, but I'm really trying to be better about updating more often. Abbi finally fell asleep in the baby carrier (because every time I try to put her down, in the swing or elsewhere, she screams) and Jack's been down since about 1:00.

A few Saturday's ago the kids and I got to hang out with a few of my girlfriends, Jessica and Stephanie, from school. Jack hammed it up, as usual, and Abbigaile was a bit cranky. She'd been doing this thing where she'd sleep for 10-15 minutes then wake up . . . because she was over-tired she was just irritable and clingy. Luckily, she's been better with her naps as of late. We all ate dinner together and just caught up with life in general. Jack went down to sleep after Steph read him some books; I loved watching him being read to and seeing his little facial expressions. I'm usually reading to him (especially on the weekends) and so I don't usually get to just watch him, it was really sweet. It was also nice just to hang out with some friends I hadn't seen in quite a while (thanks ladies for coming over)!

Sunday, my mom and Mackenzie came over to hang out and we made Abbigaile some more hair bows (I know . . . don't say anything) and they spent the night so we could spend time together the next day. Monday was Memorial Day and we went over to the Lowell's house for a barbecue and swimming. Jack had fun with the cousins in the little pool and I even took Abbigaile in, as well. My mom was the official pedicurist and painted all the girls' toenails. Oh yeah, Abbi even had her little toes painted, too (I'll try to post a picture, but the pictures didn't turn out that well). Jason and Sierra (our niece and nephew) were baptized that afternoon and we are so excited for the decision they've made!

Abbigaile had another doctor's appointment for her head circumference last Tuesday and all is well. Abbigaile now weighs 12 lbs. 1 oz. and her head has grown; she's remaining on the 10% curve (for head circumference), which is great! Apparently, if the plates in her head seal prematurely the growth might spike and that wouldn't be good either. Jack and I had a dentist appointment that afternoon, but only I ended up being seen. Jack was exhausted and they said he can wait at least another year before being seen. I was excited, and surprised, that I had no cavities despite the fact that my last dental visit was over five years ago! However, I will have to go have all four of my wisdom teeth extracted (that'll be a fun visit).

Last week, Abbigaile and I went to watch Mackenzie's dance concert at school and Mackenzie was absolutely wonderful in all of her pieces. Abbigaile was awake for all but five or ten minutes of the whole event, and I wound up either feeding or bouncing her for the remainder of the time. I've noticed that although Abbigaile is a good baby, Jack was definitely more easygoing and relaxed than she is. She seems to be a little fussier and clingier than he was as a baby, but we'll just have to wait and see how she is as time goes on.

Friday, we had a wedding rehearsal for our friends Jeremiah and Jessi. Justin was a groomsman and Jack was the ring bearer for their wedding. Jack acted like he was going to walk down the aisle then, about halfway down, he decided to sidestep like a football player and roll in the grass. Jack was well behaved during the dinner that followed (he had a quesadilla, potato chips, and fruit and loved it) and received a red Lightning McQueen and Doc car (from the Cars movie) as a gift. He played with those for the remainder of the time we were at the restaurant, allowing Justin and me to eat, and slept with them for several nights. Sunday was the actual wedding and it went relatively well for Jack; he ran almost all the way down the aisle and then Justin took him from there. I tried sitting with him during the ceremony, but because he wanted to run he wasn't having it. I ended up chasing him around and trying to keep him out of trouble for the remainder of the ceremony (he knocked over one of the hanging flower-balls that lined the aisle). Luckily, he didn't stay for the reception or we may have had more trouble :D (Thanks Mark and Jody for watching the kiddos). Everything was absolutely gorgeous, the bride was stunning, and Justin and I danced! This was especially big because, as most of you know, Justin doesn't dance.

Tuesday, I got up and cleaned our bathroom and the shower (woo hoo!). Later, Abbigaile and I went shopping and ran errands with Desoree and her little girl Emma (who's a week younger than Abbi). It was nice to have some girl time and not be rushed through the stores (by the guys) as we browsed.

Last night, we went to the Padre game with my Poppa Tony, dad, Kenzie and other family members as part of Poppa Tony's college. We had all-you-can-eat seats and Jack filled up on chips, popcorn, ice cream, and lemonade. Even though the Padres lost, we had a lot of fun spending the evening as a family; thanks again Poppa Tony!

Oh, we got a new computer, because our other one kind of died, and we're so excited! Now I can start editing our home movies! Another thing, for those of you who have a Costco membership: about a week ago we got a whole bunch of the can-light size energy-efficient bulbs for less than $4 a pack after the instant savings (I love a great deal!).

I think that's it for now. I've been typing with one hand for a while now, and I've got to get things ready for our walk with Desoree and Emma. I'll write again soon, and I promise I'll post lots of pictures by tomorrow. Until next time!