Bigger and Better Things

Lately we've made a few purchases that have made our lives feel a little more complete. One being a new camera!  It's nothing special, very basic (so I can use it) but I'm hoping it'll get the job done better than my poor iPod, which has been overloaded with pics since my old camera broke. As time keeps going by, we feel like we have a lot of great things to look forward to and plan.

I feel like being without a camera has made me miss so much, especially since Grant (and all of us really) are changing so much right now!

Grant is talking like CRAZY!! Mike and I were talking today about how we feel like we can just talk to him like an adult now and he gets it (for the most part).

I'm actually posting this from my iPod and having some trouble uploading the pictures so here's the stories first, then the pictures.

Some of my favorite current quotes/stories from Grant:

*When he's working with Mike, he calls him "Mighty", which is either a cross between "Mike" and "Daddy" or he's heard someone call Mike "Mikey" and he's trying to repeat it. Either way, it's super cute to hear him call his dad "Mighty".

*Whenever we go somewhere, he wants the whole family involved. Yesterday he and Mike set out for a walk and he stalled to tell me "Tome on Ash!". Then, "Tome on Tat (cat)!".

*He calls us "Mike" and "Ash". I'm still trying to figure out why. And why sometimes he'll call us "Mom" and "Dad".

*He refers to my stomach as "Baby" and "Sitter (sister)". He also knows that the picture of the ultrasound is a baby and that an actual baby is a baby. I wonder how much he's actually put that all together!

*If he finds something he's looking for he exclaims "Oh! Dere it is!"

*After the "Circle of Life" on the Lion King, when the title flashes and the big bass drum hits, Grant always shouts "BOOM!" along with it.

*He LOVES apples! And recently "chitten (chicken)". 

*A few weeks ago, he was very frustratingly telling me he wanted "chotat". I had NO IDEA what he was trying to say! I finally asked him if he could show me what he wanted and he pointed to a tiny something on the ground and yelled "CHOTAT!". It was that little paper strip that comes out of the top of a Hershey Kiss...he wanted chocolate.

*I know most kids do this at some point but when he wants to be picked up or hugged, he reaches out and says "Hold ya? Hold ya?". I LOVE it!

*He knows "Wed, dween, bwue and oranche colors".

*He says "elephant" as "elphadent" and exclaims it everytime he sees something that resembles a trunk.

*He loves to talk on the phone. One of the first people he actually called was Mike's sister Emily. Now everytime he picks up the phone he says very official-like "Hallo Emaly, Halo". Like he's saying "Yes, I've been waiting for your call".

*He LOVES his daddy. He always wants to be involved in whatever Mike's doing and always asks for him when Mike's at work. The other day, I hugged him goodbye and told him I had to go to work and he followed me to the car and said "I doe to wert too!". It breaks my heart to leave him!!

*We heard "Wild Thing" on the radio the other night and were all jammin' out to it. My sister Celina (he calls her "Souw" for Sal) was in the back with Grant and he kept telling her "Stop Souw!" while she was dancing. Finally she asked him "Well what do you want me to do?". Without hesitating, he pointed his finger at her and yelled "DANCE!".

There are SO many more but I've already probably bored everyone to death. I just don't want to forget this stuff!  It's going by too fast!

Getting wood.

Getting dirty.

Getting clean.
What, you don't eat apples in the tub?

First puddle experience.

Success!

Crawdad fishing.

The Lion King!

Grant showin' some swag...while watching The Lion King.

A gift for our little girl!! Thank you Tracy!!

If you're still reading this, you may care enough to know what Mike and I have been up to. Mike just started a new job at Little Colorado Behavioral Health and is working full-time. He's working in the field he got his Bachelor's Degree in and it's making him seriously consider getting his Master's in Marriage and Family Therapy. He'll be applying to a select programs at the end of this year and we'll see how life changes from there! :)

I'm still working full-time, at least until the baby's born. We already pretty much paid the whole deductible on my insurance with a few initial tests right when I got pregnant so it seems like the most sensible thing to do for now. My sister Celina has been helping out A TON and made it so I can still get some sleep without having to worry about running Grant back and forth to a babysitter. I'm getting fatter and more tired by the day and hoping/keep telling myself I can make it another month and a half!

We're both excited/nervous/scared/clueless about what to do to get ready for this little girl!  We still haven't decided on a name yet (Ah!) and have a few big house projects to do before she gets here! My mom, sister and I have been working on some projects for her room and I've already received a few gifts for her and with D-Day getting closer and closer, they all combine to remind us this is real and make us SO excited and grateful!!

What's in a Name?

I am going crazy because there is SO much to do before this little girl gets here and we seem to keep getting distracted with other things that demand attention.  One thing that would make us both feel a lot better about our lack of preparation would be having a NAME!

Grant was practically named the day we found out he was a boy.  We were watching a Suns game, talking about how Grant Hill always seems to display such good character. One of us said we liked the name Grant, the other immediately agreed and we decided that would be it!

We feel like we struck gold with Grant's name because everything that's come up since then has only made us like the name more! Everyone we talked to seemed to have a different and positive association with it: 

Grant Hill...and Steve Nash-so sad! :(

Ulysses S. Grant (My brother Tanner's association)

Dr. Alan Grant from Jurassic Park
(Mike's brother Ryan's association)

Grant Allred (apparently one of Mike's ancestors we didn't know about), Grant Merrill (my Grandad's cousin and best friend), and of course,

Heber J. Grant

We're still discovering respectable Grants! We think it's a nice sounding name and love that's it's classic and not frequently used, and it means "great", which really couldn't be more fitting for our little Mr. Grant Man.

So Mike and I thought we were always going to be on the same page with names...not so!  Here's our list of potentials-let us know what you think! WE NEED HELP!

*Ellie-the only one we both seem to agree on. We like it because it means radiant or shining light. Plus...Up!

However, lately it seems like every time I mention it to someone they say they know someone who just named their little girl Ellie. As a girl born in the 80's named Ashley, I don't want to give her a name that 6 other girls in her class will have!

*Cecily-my Great-Grandpa's name is Cecil and he was the cutest, most humble man and an amazing example of the way to live life!  I've always wanted to name a girl after him BUT, Mike hates it.

I realize this picture is SUPER blurry
but it's perfect for how I remember him.
Always with a fedora and a vest.

He says I have final say and can override it but I'd like to have a name we can both be excited about.

*Sawyer-this one we both love but we're thinking maybe we should save it for our next boy.

*Audrey-I like, but not enough to be adamant about. I like Audrey Hepburn (I read her life story  the other day-it's pretty incredible!).

Plus it means noble and strong. Mike says it sounds like Aubrey, which makes him think of a fat girl for whatever reason. I kinda agree with that but...Audrey Hepburn!

*Brooklyn-One of the only suggestions Mike brought to the table...for some reason it's not sitting well with me, and Mike has already started to change his mind about it.

*Sarah-Really, Mike's only other suggestion. I feel like it's a little too plain (you know, Sarah Plain and Tall?). I do know some really awesome Sarah's though.

*Remington-we both LOVED this name before we had Grant and if he would've been a girl, we'd probably be calling her Remi. 

Now we are both picturing our youngest girl being named Remi, although there's no way to know when the youngest girl will be here...it's a predicament.

*Lilly, Adele, Paisley, Emily, Rowan, Lucy-all other options that haven't really stuck.

So the saga continues and we may be one of those couples who has their kid home for several days being called "the Baby". Wait, NO, I refuse!  We need to find a name!!  Give us your suggestions if you have them!

Once it's decided, we'll let everyone know. Then you all can help us find a middle name! ;)

Our Babies Are Growing Up!

This week marked Grant turning 18 months and our baby on the way entering the 24th week!  Someday I'm sure we'll have a bigger variety of pictures for the blog but for now, it's another Grant overload.  

I'm sure almost everyone who reads our blog already knows but now you can say you heard it from Grant...is he going to get a brother or sister???

We're really excited!  To be honest, I was a little worried at first.  Having a boy has been so low maintenance, I'm worried about what to do with a girl!  I told Mike in order to be a good example to her, I feel like I need to step up my style/homemaking skills/girly stuff...it made me stressed!  However, very quickly my worry has turned to humility and excitement!  So far, everything looks good and she looks healthy.  That alone makes me so excited and grateful!

Here she is at 20 weeks!

This poor little lady has already been overlooked so much with everything that's been going on with life there were times when we and even everyone around us have forgotten I'm even pregnant!  I thought this pregnancy has been worse than with Grant (mostly because the emotional symptoms have been so strong) but if I was forgetting I was even pregnant, wouldn't that mean it's actually been really easy?? I've heard some Old Wive's Tale that says you just feel all around worse (cranky, ugly, fat, etc.) when you're carrying a girl. Can anyone else attest to that?

It's fun trying to picture what she's going to be like and what her little personality's like even though we haven't seen/met her yet.  I feel like knowing she's a girl and then especially once we name her, it makes her feel like more of a real person!

THIS and THIS also make me giddy with excitement!  I guess part of the fun of having a girl is getting to do the "high-maintainance" stuff!

I'm so behind on posting!  We found out she's a girl at 20 weeks. I'm 23, almost 24 in this pic. I know it's hard to see 'cause I'm covering it but I'm getting a belly for sure!  It's a little easier to remember I'm pregnant now that she's moving like CRAZY and I have the appetite of two grown men!  Luckily, there's not an In-N-Out, Chipotle or QT next door so hopefully I can still ward off gaining as much as I did with Grant!

Speaking of Grant, look who turned 18 months this week!  I can't believe that now he's closer to 2 than 1! He's still getting more fun every day!  He's doing so much and talking like crazy.  He seems like he really understands what's going on and he always has such a good attitude about it. He loves to be a helper, play with Uncle Chase, read books, play with the kitty (which he calls puppy), talk on the phone and visit his family. He is always living up to his name which means 'great'.  Summed up in one word, life with him running down the hall is awesome!

My camera and cell phone both broke this month. Hopefully our technology future will be a little more bright next month. Until then, I just have pics from my iPod. Mike also busted out the big camera to get some shots of Grant's 18 month glory.

We brought the hat for a prop for some pictures we wanted to take if we had time but Grant was super upset when he found out he wasn't going to get to wear it for everything.

We were finally able to convince him to take a normal picture...as long as he held this rotten apple.

"Uh apple"-who knows the movie reference?

Chase, being jealous of all Grant's wardrobe changes, 
wanted a turn with the vest.  

These two are messes! Life is so fun and stressful and exciting right now and we're loving it!  Just trying to savor the good times!

Better Late Than Never

So I'm late as usual, but I wanted to write a quick post to tell Mike Happy Father's Day!  He is the best dad in the world!  I knew he was going to make a great dad but I never imagined he would be so good as to make me enjoy parenting so much as well!  Seeing him with Grant always makes me want to be a better mom!  I love how much he loves Grant and takes the time to figure him out, have fun with him, teach him, discipline with love, etc...the list goes on and on.  I think anyone who's seen them together would agree!  I love being in another room and hearing he and Grant playing and talking. The conversations are usually still pretty one-sided and almost always consist of Mike calling Grant his buddy and encouraging him to try something then telling him good job and that he's proud of him.  I love how Grant's little face lights up whenever he sees Mike or even just hears his voice and excitedly starts to yell "Doddy, Doddy, Doddyyyyyyyy!!" They are best buddies, it makes family life and parenting so easy and fun!

Seems like at this point in our lives, the question everyone can't help but ask is how many kids we plan on having.  I can honestly say that with a husband as involved as Mike, I'm willing to have as many kids as we're blessed with!  Mike has never put anything else above being a dad and I respect and appreciate that so much because it gives me so much support as a mom.  I'm so happy/excited/ grateful that we've already been blessed enough to have another one coming our way!

Happy Father's Day Mike!!  Sorry it was another lame day for ya but I hope you know how much Grant and I love you and appreciate everything you do for us!

Timber!! Tristan's Brush With Death

If I was ever asked, 'what is the scariest thing that has ever happened to you?', I would have to answer when I woke up from camping to a full size tree landing on my little brother.

Before we left to set up our site Ashley felt inclined to tell me she didn't have a good feeling about us going camping, and when I told my brother Ryan about her concerns, he echoed her concerns instead of writing them off like I was wanting to do. While setting up our tents I kept looking around for possible dangers and never considered what eventually happened.
Ryan and Guillermo (my parents foreign exchange student) were going to sleep in the tent with Tristan, but both ended up finding reasons to stay in town for just the night. I decided that Grant and I would share the tent with Tristan. We rearranged the tent for Grant and I to join him and Tristan was trying to sleep on a cot that was lifted off the ground but couldn't get it to work, so he switched to a pad.
Later in the night I woke up around 2 in the morning and the wind was blowing pretty hard. Because our tent was missing a cover I noticed all the trees blowing in the wind. I even looked at the tree that would later fall on our tent and wondered if it was something I should actually be concerned about. I told myself the tree wasn't a dead tree and I was crazy to be worried about it. Instead I decided to say a prayer to get us through the night safely and went back to sleep. I woke up again around 4 in the morning and I looked at the tree again. I kept thinking about whether I should just get everyone up and head home when I started to doze off again.
While dozing off I heard a cracking of the roots of the tree and turned to see it falling straight for us! I grabbed Grant while yelling at Tristan. Tristan rolled off his stomach and onto his back toward the roots of the tree while I rolled out of the way with Grant. The tree landed right on Tristan's waist and he just started screaming! I frantically tried to get out of the tent while my mom and dad rushed to see what was happening. My mom said that because of the screams she thought she was going to see Tristan and me standing over Grant who had died somehow, and my dad was sure it was a bear.  My mom ran to Tristan while my dad and I tried anything we could to lift the tree, but it wouldn't budge. My dad without explanation jumped in the truck and drove off to a neighboring camp in hopes to find a chainsaw. When I looked at Tristan again he was still screaming and I honestly thought he wasn't going to make it. Just after that Tristan murmured he might have gotten loose. I jumped down and pulled the blankets off and my mom and I helped him get the rest of the way out from under the tree. Then I grabbed the cot out of my mom's tent and by the time I got it ready to put Tristan on my dad was back. The three of us set him on the cot and into the back of the truck. My mom rode in back with Tristan asking him questions to keep him calm while we headed to the hospital. About an hour after the tree landed on Tristan, he was being medevaced to Scottsdale urgent care.
I cannot express how much it scared me to see what I thought was my brother dying. I still have trouble believing he is alright and in recovery. He ended up breaking his pelvis, fracturing his tail bone and suffered some other internal injuries. I still feel this whole thing should have been avoided, and I needed to listen to the warnings to get us out of that tent. On the other hand if Ashley and Ryan hadn't made me overly cautious, if I hadn't uttered a final prayer, if we both slept through the whole thing then the tree would have landed on Tristan's back and my head and shoulders, if our tent had a top cover blocking our view, if Tristan had slept on the cot raising him up off the ground, if Tristan had rolled the other direction where the tree would have landed lower to the ground and close to his neck and chest, if the tree was just an inch lower to the ground, if he hadn't had just enough space to get himself out, if the doctors didn't get to him in time... In spite of how bad the situation was, we were extremely lucky. I'm so thankful that my little brother is still with us, and expecting a full recovery. I'm sooooo thankful nothing happened to little Grant. You can take what you want from this story, but I am completely awakened to the fragility of life. There's nothing we can do to always stay out of harms way, but we should do our best to make the best use of the time we have.

This is Grant next to a cut out portion of the tree. The tree was around 82 feet tall and about a foot and half wide at the portion that landed on Tristan. My brother googled it to find it probably weighed roughly 10,500 lbs. If the roots hadn't propped the tree up just enough it would have definitely crushed Tristan.

We all visited Tristan and sort of lived at the hospital over the past couple weeks. This is my mom and Grandma trying to celebrate their birthday while he was there.

Here is Tristan with Guillermo. Guillermo even surprised himself with how much he cared and wanted to stay and support Tristan. He left to go back home to Spain shortly after this picture. We are all going to miss him around here, especially Grant who formed a great friendship with him.

Tristan is hoping to be home soon, and planning on playing a lot of Modern Warfare 3 on xbox while getting better, which means he will be basically going back to his normal routine for now.