Growing Up

Nathan is seriously growing up right before our eyes.  I think being pregnant this summer and preparing for a new baby has made me think back a lot more to when Nathan was a baby and how much he has grown and changed.  So I wanted to write down some of the cute and funny things Nathan is doing now so that I don't forget.

•  Nathan calls me Aubrey.  Probably more than he calls me mom.  When he gets excited or frustrated or mad or wants my attention he yells Aubrey at the top of his lungs.  And when I tell him to call me mommy he will start chanting Aubrey Aubrey Aubrey with a huge smile on his face.  And Matt has always been Daddy.

• If we put Nathan to bed and he isn't tired yet he will lay in his bed and sing himself to sleep.  Matt and I love to turn on the baby monitor and just listen to him sing and sing.  He will throw in a few words he knows well like car, ball, mom, dad, grandma, but most of it is just gibberish. And he will sing to himself for anywhere from 30 seconds to 10 minutes.

• Nathan thinks my pregnant stomach is hilarious.  He loves to poke my stomach, say "aww cute!" or bust up laughing.  He doesn't get that I'm pregnant with his brother but he definitely gets that I look different.

• Nathan considers anything containing one wheel to be a car.  Bikes, motorcycles, shopping carts, they are all cars to him.  The best is when he walked up to a lady in a wheel chair at the grocery store, pointed to her chair and yelled "Car!"

 

• If Nathan could he would have a pop tart for every meal every single day.  If you ask him what he would like to eat he will always say "A Pop A Pop!"  If you leave the pantry door open and he can see the box he will point and ask for "a pop" until you shut the door.  And if he is feeling really determined he will take you to the pantry and beg you for "a pop".  He doesn't care which flavor or if it is toasted or cold he will take a pop tart any way you will give it to him.

• Nathan recently started giving hugs and kisses.  Every night before he goes to bed we sing a song and rock in the rocker.  Once the song is over he turns to face me, puts his hangs on my cheeks and gives me a huge kiss.  Then he will always ask me, "more?" And I say yes more please and he will give me another kiss!

These are just a few of my favorite things he has been doing lately.  I swear he is getting cuter and cuter by the day!

The Past Month

Sometimes I do really well at keeping my blog updated and other times I fail miserably.  This is one of those times.  So here is a brief update on what we have been doing the past month.

On Father's day Nathan climbed out of his crib for the first time.  Man oh man was that kid proud of himself.  As soon as we stuck him back in the crib he started climbing right back out again so we knew we were done.  That night Matt took the side off of Nathan's crib and we introduced Nathan to his big boy bed.  Surprisingly it only took two days for Nathan to stay in his bed when we put him to bed and by the fifth day Nathan was climbing into his bed once we got tired.  He was definitely old enough to make the transition and I'm so glad I don't have to deal with the transition at the end of the summer when I'm seven months pregnant! Oh and we did celebrate Father's day too!

At the end of June we had our 20 week ultrasound and got the first good picture of our new baby!  The doctor said he is developing perfectly and measuring three days ahead (fingers crossed!)  The baby was in a wiggly mood and it was so fun to feel him move around and see it on the screen at the same time. And the baby looked so much like Nathan we couldn't believe it.  Matt says he has my chin and pointed nose which Nathan doesn't have but other than that I think they will look really similar.  We will see!

We went to Ephraim for the Fourth of July with Matt's family for our annual family camp-out and unfortunately it pretty much rained the entire time.  We ended up coming home a day early but we all still had a ton of fun and the boys sure loved playing in the mud!

 The beautiful drive up the canyon on the first day before it started raining.

 I told Nathan to say cheese for a picture and this is what he did.  Ya he is my kid, there is no doubt!

 Passed out from a long day of playing in the dirt and mud

 

Other than that we have just been busy working, going to the pool, and trying to stay alive in this crazy heat!  Oh ya and Nathan and I have been eating Hostess cupcakes.  Longest year of my life without them let me tell ya!

And Nathan loves them almost as much as I do!  I am one proud mama!

Matching Outfits

Okay I'm horrible and my kiddos are going to be so so mad at me when they are older and looking back through photo albums but I love the idea of dressing my boys to match!  The new baby isn't even here and doesn't have a name but you better believe that he has matching outfits with Nathan.  Here is my latest purchase!

Isn't this the cutest outfit you have ever seen?  I couldn't resist and bought this outfit in a 2T and a 3 month size!  Of course I bought each boy different clothes as well and won't make them match every day but won't it be stinking cute to have them matching?  This is definitely on my top 10 list of why I'm so excited to have two little boys!

Working Mom Woes

I ran into my old young women leader yesterday at church and she was shocked to hear that I was pregnant again.  So then she asked me the question that always comes next, am I going to quit my job and stay home now?  I told her that no, I would be taking maternity leave and then going back to work full time and she was the very first person who was actually pleased with  my response.  She told me that I could do it and good for me for not giving up on my career.

Wow I was so surprised and taken back.  And it felt so good to not have to defend my decisions to anyone.  To have someone feel proud of me instead of sorry for me. She went on to tell me how she had left work after she had babies but was unhappy staying at home full time and went back to work a few years later.  And she told me that it was okay to feel that way. 

I know that I wouldn't be happy staying at home full time. I love Nathan to death and will love the new baby but I need more than just staying at home.  I love my job, I love getting out of the house and interacting with my coworkers and I love feeling like I am accomplishing something.  I do have every intention of cutting my hours back in a few years when money isn't so tight but I never actually plan on leaving work for good. 

But what I struggle with is people telling me what would make me happy and feeling sorry for me because I am not home with Nathan all day every day.  When men in my office approach me and tell me what a horrible mother I am for not being home with my kid.  Or when friends and family say that I am "taking the easy way out" and letting other people raise my children.  What gives someone else the right to decide what is best for my family?  Don't they understand that I miss my kid every second that I am away from him but that I am doing what is best for him?  I may not have an immaculate house, I may not make homemade dinners every night and always have the laundry done and folded.  But I love my kid to death and I try to make the most of the time that I can spend with him, so isn't that enough?

Nathan's New Bike

When it comes to buying Nathan toys Matt is a total softy.  I'm the one saying he has too many toys, he doesn't need that, hes too young and Matt is the one going on and on about how much Nathan will love it and how much he needs it.  So all Spring Matt has been insisting that we need to get Nathan one of those new kind of bikes that don't have the pedals or training wheels but I kept telling Matt that Nathan was too young and didn't need it.  So imagine my surprise when I came home from work to this.

Nathan bought Matt a Yamaha bike and a Fox motorcycle jersey!  He would have gotten a Honda bike but Nathan really wanted the blue one.  Nathan rode (scooted) that bike around for the longest time and cried when we made him come in and eat dinner.  He also insisted that he had to wear his jersey the rest of the night and kept clapping his hands and cheering.  Matt sure loves his kid and loves spoiling him rotten!
 

Nursery

Nathan went to his first day of Nursery yesterday.  Nathan has been ready to go since he turned a year old but I sure wasn't.  I took him to the nursery room and he saw the toys and was gone.  I tried to get a hug and kiss from him but he wasn't having it, he was way too busy.  The two hours that I was in Sunday School and Relief Society seemed to last for six And while I did get more out of church than I have in about two years I definitely counted down the time until I could go get my baby!

 

When I walked in the room and called Nathan he dropped his toys and ran to me and gave me a huge hug.  That boy sure can melt my heart.  He colored a picture and got to eat snacks and the nursery leader said he was so good and played great with the other kids.  Nathan waved goodbye to the other kids and jabbered and jabbered all the way home.  He had such a great time and I'm sure we will all enjoy church much more now!

 

So I guess its official, my baby is officially a nursery kid!

 

Nathan on his first day of Nursery!

Mother's Day Weekend

I had the best Mother's Day weekend this year.  It really truly was an entire weekend of being spoiled rotten and having so much fun.  It started with Matt and I both getting off early Friday afternoon to take Nathan in for his 18 month checkup which went so well.  He is developing right on track and they are not concerned about his development anymore!  Woohoo!  Matt and I then dropped Nathan off with my mom and headed to Texas Roadhouse for dinner (my favorite) and then to Joann's where I was able to pick out whatever I wanted for Mother's day.  I got new Gingham sewing scissors and a bunch of odds and ends for my toolbox.  Best gift ever!

Then we headed to our ultrasound appointment and found out that we are having another boy!  Matt was a little shocked and even though I had been thinking it was a boy it always throws you a bit knowing for sure.  But we are so glad to finally know that its a boy and getting really excited to meet our new little monkey.  My mom said she would keep Nathan for the evening and so we drove around running errands and of course hitting up Sonic for beverages and just enjoying the time alone.  It was a perfect date night!

Saturday morning my mom and I took a sewing class at Gardner Village and Matt watched Nathan for me.  I haven't taken a sewing class in three years and it was so fun to learn new techniques.  My mom and I always have so much fun doing these together too.  It was a blast.

We then picked up Nathan for the afternoon and played like crazy and then my mom watched Nathan again bless her heart while I went to the Piano Guys concert with Bree!  The concert was at Abravanel Hall and was absolutely amazing!  We had such a great time and after the concert we decided that we were both pretty much in love with Steve.  Ya the whole thing was awesome and we loved every minute of it!

Sunday was spent going to church and visiting with both families.  Nathan was thrilled to get to play with all of his cousins and it was great to see all of our siblings.  We had a yummy dinner at my parents house and Nathan got an entire fudgesicle at Matt's parents house.  That's right, he ate the whole thing!

Matt later surprised me with a Mother's Day card from him and Nathan.  He wrote me a sweet message and then traced Nathan's hand and helped Nathan write me a note as well.  It was the best gift I could have asked for.  I felt so loved  and appreciated all weekend and am so grateful to get to be a wife and a mommy to my two almost three boys!  Thanks again for everything Matt I love you!