Mom's Group Adventure

Last week a bunch of girls from my "Mom's Group" decided to take the opportunity to go to the Zoo before the weather gets too hot! And since a bunch of mom's have the Season Passes, Porter and I were able to spend the day with great friends for free. There were seriously SOO many of us there, but it was so fun and made me really grateful for all the great friends that I have made, and continue to make here in Maricopa.

Meagan & Hudson, Me & Porter, Corynn & Jake, and Tenille & Tate & Cody....just 4 of the 10 or so moms that went....

Porter's favorite part of the Zoo...where he gets to torture poor innocent goats!!

This was the best I could get of his face...the kid would not stay in one place more than .2 seconds, he was just WAY too excited.

Giving the goat a sweet hairstyle!

Porter & Hudson waiting to find their next victim...

Farmer Porter driving his tractor....

Porter and sweet little Indiana

Porter, Hudson, and Tate loving the "Little People" farm play yard!

And Porter enjoying his grapes during the "picnic" portion of the trip.

We saw lots of other animals, however I didnt manage to take any pictures. Thanks to Corynn for letting me in on her Guest Pass, and for all the ladies that went and made the day so fun! I am glad we went, because we definately wont be going back til it cools down at the end of the year! Its not even March, and it was still over 80 degrees...gotta love the Valley!!

Little Houdini...

So a few months ago, some of you may remember a problem I was having with Porter keeping his diaper on at night. Well, he got better and I didnt have any problems with it for a while...that is until recently. Twice within a few days span, I go to check on Porter before I head off to bed, and this is what I find!!

Out like a light, and no diaper. He was completely wet along with every single one of his blakets...and Elmo doll! I was not to happy about doing a load of laundry at midnight both nights, and needed to find a way to keep his diaper on!!!

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Attempt #1 - Backwards Diaper! This attempt came out with the same result that you see above...wet sheets and blankets! On to plan B...

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Attempt #2 - Scotch Tape! I did not have duct tape, and so I went with the only thing I had...scotch tape. I went around the waist of his diaper a million times to ensure a stable belt. Here is the result....Porter's latest fashion statement! The Scotch Tape belt! He managed to get the diaper off, but keep his stylish new belt on! .....On to plan C...

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Attempt #3 - Duct Tape! I made a special trip to CVS the next day to get some more sturdy tape. I was determined to NOT have to resort to a forth attempt, so I came up with the best way to put the tape on without him wiggling out of it. I did a strip from the belly button (on top of the diaper of course) through the legs and up the back, and then a couple rounds around the top of the diaper to ensure stability! This HAD to work, because if it didnt, lets just say that the last resort involved a small t-shirt tucked into the diaper and some duct tape suspenders! haha. Lucky for Porter this seemed to do the trick! So for now, thank goodness no more messy nights or mornings! I just hope that he doesnt figure out a way out of this because I would really hate to resort to the suspenders! This kid is such a hand full, but we sure love him!

I know I am not the only mother out there to resort to duct tape, and Porter seems to think its funny. So I guess its ok for now...but this phase better end soon.

Steal of a Deal!!!

Today a friend of mine found a girl out here in Maricopa selling a bunch of baby girl clothes off Craigslist. So I called and went to check it out. I got 8 dresses, 8 outfits, 5 onsies, pair of leggings, and two pairs of shoes for....are you ready?? 10 dollars! I finally feel like I am somewhere prepared. I had nothing before, but I am even more excited to dress her up in all these cute dresses! She had TONS of clothes, so if anyone is interested in baby girl clothes from .50 cents to 1 dollar for baby girl sizes 0-12 months, let me know and I can give you her number!! She lives in Tortosa. I am always one for a bargain, so just wanted to share the bargain with anyone else interested! Thanks Bory for this great lead!!

Back to the Chopping Block..

...I am officially 28 weeks pregnant. Kameron is working nights, and when I decided to do this post it was night...so I had to take it myself. I dont know how so many of you have taken good pictures of yourself in the mirror, I am not so talented. I have been putting off posting because I have had a rough couple weeks with some hard decisions. But I am okay finally, so I thought it was about time. Anyways, I had a check up last week where I found out that I will most likely have to have another C-section. My doctor said she would let me try VBAC (Vaginal Birth After C-section), but that she is leaving for Rome on the 15th of May. WHAT!!! Exactly ONE week before my due date, and the other doctors in the office will not accept my case for VBAC. So my only shred of hope pretty much went down the drain. Seriously, it was like taking candy from a baby...it was heartbreaking. I had one of two decisions to make. One: find another doctor who would accept my case this late in my pregnancy (not real likely) or TWO: schedule a C-section and hope to go into labor early. After a week of tears, a lot of confusion, and a much needed trip to the temple, I am finally feeling a little bit of peace over this situation. I am scheduling a C-section for the 14th of May and hoping that I can go into labor on my own before that...if so, she will let my try to deliver vaginally. We also feel its too late in my pregnancy and I LOVE LOVE LOVE Dr. Stephens, that I dont want to find a different doctor to deliver me. If I dont go early, atleast we know when our little Girl will join our family, and set up arrangements for Porter to spend some time with lots of friends while mom and baby recover from surgery! I am feeling great, and dont have much to complain about. Not an ounce of swelling yet, which is a HUGE improvement from my pregnany with Porter. I still have a good amount of energy, but definately feel the exhaustion hit me at the end of the day. But with Porter, I felt that even when I wasnt pregnant. So anyways, the countdown is on...11 weeks from today (at the longest) we will have a beautiful baby girl to love. We can't wait!! Now if I could only make up my mind on a name!!!!

Little Fitzgerald....

Porter and Kameron playing catch! Porter is seriously a natural athlete. He LOVES football more than anything and can catch and throw really well. He also loves playing basketball with daddy, and can make baskets as well. He is 150% boy, and we get a kick out of him always wanting to play any sport. I cant wait to sign him up for some sort of Little League or Pop Warner.

Sorry the video is kind of dark, it was in the office one night..not the best lighting. And can I just make a plug?....There is less than 100 days on my baby counter...YEAH!! I hated that I did days, but I am glad I am seeing progress. WOOHOO!!!

Valentine's Weekend!

This past weekend, Porter and I went down to Sierra Vista to visit my parents. Yes, I left and didnt even spend Valentines Day with Kameron. He was working the whole weekend, and wouldnt have been able to do anything anyway. We left Friday and came home yesterday. It was a long, but fun weekend. These are just a few of the highlights...


Porter kept playing with this beanie that was supposed to be on my Nana's doll...but he kept stealing it and wearing it around the house. It was too small, thats why his ears look so funny. But Porter being Porter...he will do anything for a laugh!

He loved Nana. And he loved to steal her chair. Anytime she would walk over towards it, he would run and jump on it before she could sit down. It was hilarious. So he would climb up with her and make her play "Voom Voom's" with him. (thats the sound dirt bikes and motorcycles make...thats why he calls them that!)

Then the main reason I went down was to help my mom with the bedding she is making for our little girl. Okay so I didnt actually help...I have no talent in the sewing area, but I helped put the pieces where I want them and design where everything went. I did iron though. haha. I wish I had a fraction of my mother's talent. She is amazing and can seriously make ANYTHING! Here is what the bumpers will look like...isnt it adorable?!! I'm even that much more excited for a girl!!

Porter loved to look out the back windows and see the deer every morning. Here are 3 that are constant visitors to my parents backyard. This picture was taken from their balcony...seriously, I cant wait to move to Sierra Vista.

Porter loved playing under my parents high barstool table. We have one too, but its gated off in the front room where he isnt allowed, so he took advantage of having a little "fort" for the weekend!

Porter catching some movie time with Tata! They were watching King Kong...haha. No wonder he has that look on his face. I thought it would scare him, but he did laugh at the big gorilla, so I guess it didnt. He was my dad's little shadow this weekend, it was hilarious! Every morning he wanted "TATA" and would seriously look for him all over the house. It was so cute, I love how much he loves my dad!

Porter was so good for me the whole 2 1/2 hours home. He is such a great traveler, and I am sure the DVD player the car has doesnt hurt! I laughed so hard when I looked in my little "baby peeker" mirror that Honda's have and saw this. I wish I could travel like that.

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Since I wasnt able to spend Valentines with Kameron, my parents made sure they took me to dinner...and yep, we enjoyed Outback!! And my dad even got me a card...how sweet is he?! Then we did some shopping, ate La Casita another day...YUMM! I was able to visit with my good friend Marlee for a couple hours, and Porter absolutely loved her and Spencer. It made me laugh that he took to them so fast since he is going through the weird phase right now. He did great in Nursery, he actually walked right in without a peep! He did bust his lip open about 5 minutes after we dropped him off, and he sat with me for a few minutes, and I thought he would scream when we took him back...but he didnt. Actually it was the opposite. He turned around waved bye and shut the door. haha. He probably loved having a lot of kids to play with since at home in the branch he is the only kid some sundays! And my brother came down, and Porter loved playing football with Uncle Jared! He loves my brother, and had fun since Daddy wasnt there to wrestle!

It was a great weekend, but I am so glad to be home. We missed Kameron so much, and Porter was so cute when he saw Kameron after FOUR whole days. I think thats the longest they have been apart. Kameron was so sweet too, when I got home there were flowers, a bottle of Sparkling Cider, a card, and best of all some great smelling bubble bath. He didnt forget Valentines Day, even though I wasnt there. Thanks babe, it was a sweet surprise.

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Thanks Mom and Dad for having us for so long, and for putting up with Porter. He is a disaster, and even though there were the funny moments like him climbing out of the crib and running into the living room BUTT naked laughing and dancing when he was supposed to be napping, I am sure you are enjoying the peaceful house now. haha. Thanks for everything, we sure love you guys.

Guess who's bloggin now?!

Well for some reason Gina thinks that I need to do a blog post, so here I am. Yesterday Gina and I celebrated the big 4. We are veterans now, I mean shoot, we have been through it all. J/K. Gina was so kind and allowed us to go eat at Fogo e Brasa. It is a brazilian steak house. As most of you know I served my mission in Sao Paulo and my brother is there now. It brought back a lot of memories. Thanks babe for sucking it up and trying something new, I know you like your bubble. Gina will admit she liked most of what she ate anyway even though I think she is still feeling the aftermath. After we ate we went to the Chandler Mall. We walked around and then spent about 45 min in Brookstone. For those of you who don't know, it is a store with a lot of gadgets, in particular, massagers. We sat in massage chairs for a good while, they were very nice and I think we both walked away feeling relaxed. Best of all it was free.

Gina is so sweet. She told me last week that all she wanted was a pedicure for our anniversary. Because of my crazy work schedule I wasn't able to plan a big extravaganza. Today, I sent her off to ger her pedicure. What Gina likes most is the massage part. She can do the toes herself, she is very talented as most of you know. I hope she enjoyed it. I will be working on Valentines Day but I want Gina to know how much I love her. She is a wonderful wife and mother. Porter and I are very lucky and blessed. I do credit myself though for the selection I made marrying her. Well this is about as cheesy as I get and it will be a long while before I blog again guaranteed. Thanks for the great day babe, I enjoyed spending the entire day with you. Oh yeah, we went and saw Paul Blart mall cop, it was FUNNY! There it is folks, Kameron's blog of the year.

4 Big Ones...

Tomorrow hits 4 years since Kameron and I have taken the plunge, February 10th 2005!! I cant believe how fast time has gone, and how much we have packed into these 4 short years. Here is just a glimpse of what we have accomplished as a couple...
(Warning: There are a lot of pictures, but I want it for my book!)

Got engaged..... Bought a little Condo....

Tied the Knot.....

Went to Rocky Pointe..........

Ventured to Vegas for our One Year.... Vacationed to San Diego.......

Got Pregnant.......
Bought a house, and moved to Maricopa.

Welcomed Porter Grant into the World...

Porter Turned 1.....

Porter just kept growing into the goofy kid he is.....

He made an announcement.....We're having a GIRL...

Kameron got hired and graduated from training with DPS....

Which puts us in the present. We are only a few months away from welcoming baby #2 into the world, and its still a little sureal to think that we will have TWO kids. But we are so excited. Its been an amazing 4 years, and I can't believe that its flown by so fast. A little shout out for Kameron:

Love ~ I am so grateful to have such a wonderful husband such as yourself that does so much for our little family. You are always willing to help, and usually with a good attitude! =) You are the best dad and Porter just LOVES you. I cant wait to see your heart soften to a baby girl in a few months and see how great it will be to have our family one step closer to being complete. Thanks babe for the great 4 years, and for all the great memories. I look forward to an eternity of more memories, laughs, cries, and arguements. haha. I dont know how you do it, but you just get better looking and better looking every year! Major plus for the kids, they are obviously getting good genes from Daddy!=) I dont know why you chose me, but for that I am grateful. You keep my feet on the ground, and help me always keep a good perspective on life. All I ask of you is to keep loving me unconditionally and to come home safe every night! I love you babe, Happy Anniversary!

Daddy Time...

This week Kameron had Tuesday and Wednesday off. I have been preparing for a shower I am throwing my sister this weekend, so I didnt get to spend much time with Kameron and Porter on his days off. Wednesday, Kameron was pretty much Mr. Mom while I ran around like a crazy person. As I was in my own world doing stuff for Saturday, I hear Kameron changing Porter so he could go out in the backyard to play. When I take a second to look at my child this is what I see....
Lets review this outfit shall we?? The shirt, is a jammie shirt he wore to bed the night before that who knows where the pants that matched went...not to mention its completely covered in syrup from breakfast and mustard and ketsup from lunch!!! The shorts were the first thing in the first drawer that Kameron found. And tall socks and tennies, holding a BBQ chip to top it off! haha. I laughed so hard when I saw him. Please keep in mind it is well past noon at this point and the poor kid hasnt even had a fresh shirt. And it looks to be that he hasnt had his face wiped all day either. When I laughed and took a picture Kameron said "I think he looks good!" He does look adorable whatever he wears, but Kameron and I did laugh and call him an orphan child for the rest of the day!!! And yes...he stayed in this outfit for the rest of the day because WHO CARES!! Atleast the kid had clothes on, and I didnt have to watch him! I got all the things done that I needed to, so thanks Daddy for making your day with Porter memorable enough to make the blog!!

This is also something Porter did a lot of that day too. But whatever kept him happy is what Daddy did! No wonder he get 10 times more excited to see Kameron then he is to see me! One of us needs to be the tough one right?? And its definately NOT daddy!!!

HELP!!!!!

Okay, so Kameron and I can NOT agree on a name. He is a great husband however and pretty much tells me I can name her whatever I want, but I do want him to like it. We have narrowed it down to 3 names that we can agree on...but we like them in opposite orders. A lot of people tell me they LOOK at my blog, but never comment...so please leave me a comment even if I dont know you so I can maybe be a little bit closer to giving this little girl a name!! And this way you dont have to hide your facial expressions if you dont like them. haha. In no particular order:

Harper Lynn - Lynn is my mother's middle name.

Adalynn Marie - Again Lynn for my mom, and Marie for Kameron's mom.

Ayden Jewel - Jewel is my grandmother's middle name.

And last night we heard this name on TV and thought it was cute, but its not in the top 3 YET!!

Jersey - No middle name yet...but probably either Lynn or Jewel.

I want her to have a name that means something to the family, like I did with Porter's middle name Grant (for Kameron). But its so hard because in the back of my mind having a girl is not something I really expected to have, so I am thinking this is my ONE chance to name a girl, and I want to be 100% sure when I sign that Birth Certificate. So give me some feedback on which name you all like best....

Superbowl 2009!!

Although the Cardinals didnt come out on top, we still had a great time watching the game. Our friends the Phipps had a great party, and Kameron and I enjoyed hanging out with all our friends that we no longer get to see every Sunday! Sarah seriously throws the BEST parties, and is literally super woman. I dont know how she does it, and with three young kids, it just amazes me. The food was FABULOUS!!! Here is the spead she had prepared....

Sliders, BBQ ribs, wings, smokies wrapped in bacon (my fave!), tons of chips and dip, meatballs, potatoe skins, deviled eggs and more!!

The desert counter...seriously, I circled this like a vulcher!! Chocolate covered starwberries, cookies, brownies, lemon bars, cup cakes...the list goes on and on!!

Then at half time they had gotten a Pinata for the kids and here is Porter taking his swing!! The kids had way too much fun running around, and they had the perfect backyard for it. They also played with silly string and had face painting. I'm telling you, SUPER WOMAN!! haha. We had so much fun, and it was so nice to be able to spend time with such great friends. I seriously love Maricopa and all the friends that we have met here.

Thanks again Sarah and Paul for accomidating over 60 people and their screaming children. We had tons of fun, and are so grateful for your hospitality and all the hard work you put in to make it happen! You guys rock! (and thanks for the pictures, I totally stole them off your blog!!)