The Gardner Family

20 Questions with E

2012-01-08T19:18:00.000-08:00

For Easton's birthday each year, I intend to ask him the same 20 questions and see how his answers change. When I'm really ambitious, I'll print them up and put them in a book with a birthday photo. Since his birthday is Thursday and I have a tiny moment of spare time, I'm doing it a little early.
1. What is your favorite color? --White (I think it's really orange, but whatever :))
2. What is your favorite food? --Ice Cream (He happens to be eating ice cream at the moment)
3.What is your favorite toy?-- Airplane Trios (blocks)
4. What is your favorite fruit?--Strawberry
5. What is your favorite TV show?--Little Einsteins
6. What is your favorite movie?--"Bout the dogs" He means Lady and the Tramp which he hasn't even really seen, but we got it from the library this week. His real favorites are Lion King, Madagascar, Alvin and the Chipmunks, and Kung Fu Panda.
7. What is your favorite song?--Itsy Bitsy
8. Who is your best friend?--Oakley (our neighbor)
9. What is your favorite drink?--He pointed to my water, but really he drinks 90 cups of chocolate milk every day.
10. What is your favorite thing to do outside??-- "My bike"
11. What is your favorite animal? --A zebra
12. What is your favorite book? "One with the dinosaurs!" He means the Dinosaur ABC book we got at the library this week.
13. What is your favorite holiday? --Halloween
14. What do you want to be when you grow up? --"Jesus!"....Priceless...
15. What is your favorite cereal?--"Chocoooolate"
16. What is your favorite breakfast?--Pancakes and bacon
17. What do you want to have for dinner on your birthday?--hot dogs
18. What is your favorite snack?-- Cake
19. What is your favorite game? --Memory
20. What is your favorite sport?--baseball (making his daddy SO proud)

Lou's Birth Story

2012-01-02T21:29:00.000-08:00

My Livvy Lou will be 4 weeks old tomorrow and I figure it's about time I wrote down the story of her birth.

I suppose the story starts on Dec. 1, 2011. It was supposed to be my last dr. appt. All I had to do was be dilated to 2 cm so I could be induced on that Sunday (the 4th). It had been the plan from the beginnning...(You see, I don't exactly LOVE being pregnant). Sadly for me, my body didn't seem up to the task yet and it hadn't budged from 1 cm. I'll admit it. I cried. Right there in front of the doctor. I'm sure it was really mature. Anyhow, she stripped my membranes and sent me home. We rescheduled for Monday and held our hopes high that my body would get on board. The weekend passed slowly. Kade made me exercise and do everything I could to get our little babe OUT. Finally, Monday came and so did our good news! I had made it to 2+ cm over the weekend and could finally be scheduled for induction the next day.

December 6th, 2011:
The day started very early at 530 am. We had to call the hospital at 6 am to see when I could come up to be started. We got up and ate some breakfast before we called. When I called the nurse told me to be ready to go by 7 am, but she doubted I would get a call before 9 or 10 am. We woke up Easton and drove him to stay with Grandma Stock while we were in the hospital. And then we waited...and waited....and waited. Finally, 5 minutes to 10 am they called and said it was time for me to come up. It was really hard for me to leave Easton knowing that the next time I saw him, he wouldn't be my baby anymore. Not much happened for a while after that. We got to the hospital, checked in, and got set up in our room. They hooked up my IV, antibiotics, and pitocin. I spent the next few hours breathing through contractions and eating popsicles- hoping I was making progress. My body was still being stubborn and after hours of contractions 2 minutes apart, I was still sitting at a 2+. They broke my water (ouch) and I tried to brave the pain for as long as I possibly could. I decided after a couple more hours to get my epidural while the anethesiolgist was on the floor. After that, my body jumped to 4 cm and a few hours later to 6 cm. That's about when things started to get interesting. I started to have a very strange sensation in my right hip. I can't explain it other than my leg felt restless. I wanted to move it so bad, but of course, couldn't. I started to feel panicky and claustrophobic and my heart rate was going up. After tossing and turning (with Kade's help) with no relief, the finally turned me on my side and elevated my leg with a stirrup. She massaged my back through contractions which seemed to help. Luckily, I was the only woman in L&D at the time, so I got all the attention I needed. The nurse thought that the sensation I was feeling meant that my body was transitioning and that things would move quickly. She was right. Soon I was at 8 cm, and then about 10 minutes later, I was complete and ready to push. My doctor came quickly (even though it was about 9 pm when they called her). The room was set in motion preparing for our daughter to arrive. I started to push at about 9:25 pm. I couldn't feel the urge to push as strongly as I could with I was in labor with Easton, so I wasn't sure if I was pushing the right way. I must have been doing fine, because on the second set of pushing, the doctor said she thought it would be over after the next push. That's about the time that reality set it. I was so ready for my girl to be born, but suddenly I was terrified of her! It was too late to go back. She was coming NOW. One more push and my baby girl was there. They laid her on my chest and she was the most absolutely gorgeous thing I had ever seen. Alivia was born at 9:33 pm. She weighed in at 6 lbs 9 oz of beauty and 20 inches of sweetness. It was a lot of work to get her here and she's been a lot of work since, but she's worth every moment and I am so happy to have my sweet Lou.

Just for comparisons....

2011-12-12T08:08:00.001-08:00

Since so many people have noticed the similarities between Easton and Alivia, here's a comparison photo. They are both 1 day old in their photos.

Kinda scary, isn't it?

Introducing....

2011-12-12T08:03:00.000-08:00

Alivia Rose Gardner
Born December 6, 2011 at 9:33 pm
6 lbs 9 oz and 20 inches
We are SO in love.

A peek inside our lives

2011-10-23T19:54:00.000-07:00

Here's a little peek at what we've been up to since the weather turned cool....

Carving "punkins". Easton was very good at scooping out the guts. Except, he kept trying to eat them. I don't understand why he'll eat slimy pumpkin goo, but he won't eat the delicious meals I cook....

Dressing up for the annual family Halloween party. E was very excited to look "spooky" and scare everyone. He also thought it was his job to entertain everyone and used the microphone every chance he got.

Baking cookies. This is what happens when E sneaks too many of the caramels while we bake...

Playing in the leaves...

Checking out the Pumpkin Walk. *My camera died after one photo so this adventure was very undocumented...

Dragging Kade to Thriller....

Picking pumpkins from the patch...

Going for lots of pretty drives and walks in the fall scenery

In other news, Livvy is *scheduled* to arrive on December 4. That means we have 6 more weeks or less until our little sweetie comes. E is very excited to meet "Baby Livia". I hope everyone else is enjoying fall as much as we are. I hope it sticks around for a few more weeks, at least.

Downward slope!

2011-08-14T20:35:00.000-07:00

So here we are! 23 weeks down and 17 to go until we meet our precious baby girl. Easton has finally decided that it's his sister in my belly and not a baby giraffe like he thought for most of the pregnancy. I'm very proud of my special little guy and I have no doubt that he is going to be the best big brother. He's developed a little bit of a soft spot for the girl next door. Last week in nursery, she was upset and he tried everything he could to try to make her happy again (Later in the day he even told me that he wanted to kiss her! Uh-oh!). If he's that sweet to his friends, he'll be over the moon for his little sis. We're very happy to have a few weeks of summer still left to enjoy. I'm finally finished with summer classes and couldn't be more relieved. I even managed to get fairly good grades (2 B+'s) in my classes despite my lack of motivation to work.

In other news around the house, we've finally settled on a name for Baby Girl. And you'll probably all be surprised to hear that it's not Kadynce OR Charlotte. Her name is...*drumroll*...Olivia! We LOVE it. I hadn't ever given the name a second thought or loved it until I was reading names outloud to Kade and Olivia was one of them. He said "Livvy Lou!" and that was it. We were sold. So, Little Miss Livvy she is. The bad news for Miss Livvy is that I apparently stink at growing umbilical cords. At our 20 week ultrasound, they learned that Liv's cord only has one artery and one vein instead of the usual 2 arteries and one vein. This can lead to problems with kidneys and such for her, but she appears to have a clean bill of health and looks very good. So, worst case scenario for her, she may not grow as much as we would hope for. If that's the case, I'll be induced at 37 weeks. However, my doctor has assured me that many people with single artery cords are able to carry full term without any problems. We're hoping that's the case for us as well. As miserable as the end of pregnancy can be, I would hate for Livvy to have to come early and be at risk for any complications.
As for our sweet Easton, he's growing before my eyes. If it's possible to fall in love with him any more than I have, he makes sure I do everyday. He talks my ear off all day and is always coming up with the silliest things. I love his energy and I live to hear him tell me how much he loves me. I can't even begin to count all of the new things he learns everyday. His vocabulary blows me away sometimes. He counts to 14, knows so many songs I can't keep up, and is really starting to develop an imagination. His favorite thing to do is ride his bike outside and play Angry Birds (don't judge me). We're working really hard on learning colors. He knows all the color names, but can't quite grasp which is which yet.
That's about all that's been happening around the Gardner home lately. We'll be sure to keep you posted on Livvys' progress :)

Baby Girl Gardner

2011-07-21T18:06:00.000-07:00

Here it is! The first look at our beautiful little princess. Now we just have to decide...is she my Charlotte or Daddy's Kadynce? (Go team Charlee!)

Top 10 Reasons Why I Have the GREATEST Sisters Ever

2011-06-30T18:55:00.001-07:00

1. Tiffany loves Harry Potter just as much as I do and is sometimes even MORE nerdy about it so that I don't feel so embarrassed :)
2. They make the cutest babies in the world. What more can you ask for in a sister? My 3 nieces and 1 nephew are so sweet they give me cavities.
3. Gaucamole night. Enough said.
4. They let me vent without judging me for my craziness.
5. Because they know what a sissafend is. (Don't ask...)
6. Because Tiffany practically had a panic attack when I was going out of town for a week. It's nice to know people like having you around.
7. They inspire me to be a better mother. I could only hope to be *half* as great at motherhood as they are.
8. Lindsay lets me vent about work AND she gets it.
9. They wore my parents down well enough so I could slide right through my adolescence. (HA!)
10. Because I can ALWAYS 100% count on them--no matter what :)

The Gardner Family Expansion

2011-05-14T20:44:00.001-07:00

Okay, admittedly, I am the worst blogger in history. I'm trying to accept it. But, I've been waiting for a couple months to write this post, so I'm taking the time to do it. Kade and I are finally so excited to announce: Baby #2 is on his/her way to our home. It took lots of months and lots of...work? Yeah. It was lots of work. But FINALLY! Baby is coming. We had our first ultrasound this week and got to see our little tadpole swimming around in his pond. (I say "his" I think because I don't know what it's like to say "hers".) Anyhow, so far this pregnancy is going well. I'm anxiously awaiting the arrival of my 2nd trimester (aren't all pregnant women?). We'll keep everyone posted and share all of the details of this very exciting family expansion!

To Easton

2011-01-12T13:35:00.000-08:00

To my sweet baby boy:

Today you turn 2! It is pretty shocking, I know.

We've had a lot of fun together this year. We've had a lot of firsts:

First time at the zoo

First haircut

First time coloring

Right now, you really love to color and read stories

And you love to be with Mommy and Daddy.

You're growing right before our eyes. If only I knew how to stop you!

You learn something new everyday, and I am constantly amazed at how smart you have grown (Even though you are VERY silly sometimes).

You're a very special boy, and Mommy and Daddy love you more than life.

Happy Birthday to the greatest boy this world has ever known.

Love,

Mommy and Daddy

Kade Shakes It

2011-01-05T21:27:00.001-08:00

The Pokey

2011-01-05T21:26:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year!

2011-01-05T12:43:00.000-08:00

Sooner or later I'll remember that I need to upload photos first, and blog second....Oh well..Here are the pics.

Easton's favorite Christmas present were his Bathtub crayons, I think. He gets SO excited to shower now, and draws all sorts of things for me in the tub.

He wasn't so sure about Santa, but he didn't cry. He's just really shy these days.

So, I haven't posted in months. But, because I'm a full-time wife/mommy/employee/student, you have to forgive me. Kade and I both did pretty well in our classes this semester. We're not very excited about school starting again next week, but we'll hang in there, I'm sure. We all had such a very fun, very busy Christmas. Easton still doesn't quite understand the concept of Santa and holidays, but he sure knew just what to do on Christmas morning with his presents. Our little bug is going to turn 2 next week, and I can't believe he's growing up so fast. I could swear I just brought him home from the hospital. He's learning and growing so much lately.

Here are a few of the new things he does now:

-He sings his ABCs AND does a pretty good job of it. I'm pretty sure he sticks a 9 in there somewhere and a "Gobble gobble" instead of a W, but hey...it's still pretty great.

-He counts to 10. He forgets about 7 alot, but otherwise, it's flawless!

-He walks up/down stairs without help. No more crawling up or down for this guy.

-He's still a really picky eater, but he LOVES pizza. In fact, I've learned that if you tell him something is pizza, he'll eat it. Even if it is nothing like pizza at all. This was a very handy trick to learn.

-He talks in sentences. Usually the sentence starts with "I am" or "I want", but it's pretty cool.

-His favorite thing in the whole world right now is laying in Mommy's bed. I know it's a bad habit, but I just love his little sleepy face.

-He's completely obsessed with snowmen. I can't tell you how many times a day I have to draw a snowman for this kid. It's getting ridiculous.

I hope that you all had a great Christmas and New Year. We're looking forward to what this year might bring.

Picture Post

2010-10-24T15:59:00.000-07:00

Here's a little picture post, so that you all can see how big our little dude is getting. There's not much new happening around our house. As usual, E is talking up a storm. He learns new words everyday, and (I may be biased) I think he's WAY advanced for his age in the vocab area. He's even putting words together into sentences now. His favorite combo? "Shoes on!" He tells everyone at the store "Hullo. Shoes on!" and promptly points to his toes, because he is so proud of his shoes. He's also been learning lots of new animal sounds, a few shapes, and colors! He's really learning a lot and getting to be a little smarty pants. My new favorite words he says are creepy, kisses, "the claw!!!" and pumpkin.
This is the new addition to our family, Peanut. Or.. P-nuuuhht as E says it. We decided to get the puppy, because every little boy needs a dog right? And despite E's usual lack of affection for animals, he really loves his new puppy. Now... if only mommy liked the dog as much as the boys did...

Here is E's super cute Halloween costume. A while ago, he picked up the phrase "YEEHAW!" and would say it everytime he saw a hat or a horse (no idea where he picked it up from.) So, I jumped at it and decided he would be a cowboy for Halloween.

E is growing up before my eyes! He's so cute I could just pinch him all day. But then he'd start using his new favorite phrase even more: "Stop it."

We took him to the pumpkin walk and even though I really loved it, he was less than thrilled by it. But he looks cute anyway.

Here he is eating, but mostly wearing, his oatmeal.

One of E's favorite things to do is help mommy bake cookies and treats. He's very helpful...sorta.

One of our favorite things to do in the fall is to go apple picking at Paradise Valley Orchard. E loves to eat the apples and I love to pick them!

I'm beginning to grow concerned about the amount of pictures cropping up with E dressed up in tutus, makeup, or wigs....If he didn't love sports so much, I'd wonder about him. Either way, he looks simply adorable playing dress up with Brookie. And it'll come in handy one day when he's a teenager.

E is a devoted Aggie fan. He likes getting all dressed up and going to watch FOOTBALL! He loves to tell the players to GO, GO, GO. And he's very good at cheering "Go Aggies!!"

Things I love about Easton

2010-10-19T14:17:00.000-07:00

E is 21 months now, and that age comes with a certain amount of attitude on his part. When you add teething in to the mix, he hasn't been the happiest little boy lately. So...it's been a little difficult to maintain my sanity and patience lately. But, no matter what, he's still the best little buddy in the whole world, and here's why:
1. He calls me "Honey" instead of "Mommy". I think it's the cutest thing. When I'm gone, Kade said E walks around the house calling for his "Honey". What a little sweetheart.
2. My new favorite thing he says is "I'm a mess!" when I clean him up after meals.
3. When he things something is yucky, he scrunches up his whole face and says "EEWW, Gwoss!"
4. He gets SO excited to go to "chooch" (church). Despite how he behaves in sacrement, he has a really good time at church and LOVES nursery. He also loves to bless the food and always folds his arms at the table and waits to say "maymen".
5. His new favorite thing to do is talk on the phone. He gets especially excited when he gets to call Daddy or Gwappa (grandpa). If you're ever lonely, give him a call.
6. He thinks it's so funny when he falls down. How many kids laugh when they fall instead of cry? He's a real tough guy.
7. He LOVES football. He gets so excited to watch it and is always yelling for the players to "GO, GO, GO!" and to get a "TOUCHDOWN!" He is definitely his father's son.
8. He likes to pretend his food is either a car or a hat. He is always "driving" his apple slices around and saying "Vrooom, vroom." or putting his food on his head and saying it's his hat. What a goober.
9. He calls juice "douche". That's all I can say about that.
10. He likes to whisper a lot and I don't think there is anything cuter than the sound of his little whispery chipmunk voice. Especially when he puts his finger to his lips and says "Shhh...quiet".

Now, let's just hope that the next time he is rolling, screaming, kicking on the floor or in time-out, I can remember how many silly, cute things he does. I love him, terrible twos and all.

The end is near....

2010-08-09T14:52:00.000-07:00

So...I already made this post once and it got deleted. So I'd rather not do it again. This is why I don't blog very often..it's a pain in my neck. But here are the photos from the last six weeks or so. Enjoy.

At Hogle Zoo with Daddy by the penguins.

"Mawnkees!" He was pretty excited to see all the different monkeys

We picked Daddy up at the airport before the Zoo. E was pretty excited to finally see his Daddy.

As you can see, E is really getting big. He is also talking at a 2 yr. level according to the doc.

It was really, really hot.

In the Penny Arcade in Disneyland (where I got to escape to for a weekend with my love.) Apparently his kisses are "sexless".....

....while mine are "ecstasy".

This is a particularly hideous picture of me...but my mom and sisters will get it.

There are actually people inside those giant balls.

The view from Hotel Maya in Long Beach

Yes...he's naked.

Helping mommy with the sweeping.

The Dodgers game Kade went to with his dad.

Kade and Dennis at the game. Happy Father's Day boys!

The Queen Mary next to Kade's hotel.

Talk, talk, talk

2010-06-14T09:01:00.000-07:00

This post is completely for my own memory to remember all the things Easton is saying and doing at this point:
He says mama, daddy, bye, hi, car, dog, nana, please, thank you, wow, socks, shoes, nose, toes, cheese, cracker, nanight, no, book, ball, baseball, go, outside, toons, gramma, grampa, all done, whoa. He knows where his nose, hair, and belly are. He knows the sounds a duck, snake, and monkey make. He seems to recognize almost everything I say to him, and usually is good at following directions (The best is when I say "Put that back" and he does!). He's 17 months old. He can walk, run, and climb. He gives the best hugs in the whole world (I especially love when he pats my back). He's stingy with his kisses, but he'll give them out on rare occassions. He is almost always happy to blow you a kiss or give you a high-five. He has 6 teeth (2 bottom, 4 top). He can ride his push bike and likes to play outside the best. He's content to watch cartoons or read a book. He really loves to ROOOAARRR at whoever he can. His favorite foods are fruits, veggies, and cheese. He has kicked the binky habit.

Absence makes the heart grow fonder

2010-06-05T19:11:00.000-07:00

Kade left last Tuesday for Princeton, NJ for an entire 22 days. So far I am hanging in there, but only because being a single, working, student mom provides me with a lot to get down in a single day. It's a lot harder than I anticipated to go without Kade's help around the house. I think we are both appreciating the work we do for each other ten fold. But his absence has prompted me to make this list:

Top Ten Things I Miss About Kade:

10. He'll kill me for putting this on here...but...umpiring funds.

9. Having 2 people to cook for. Cooking for one is hard!!!

8. The #2 man in the 2 man pin that it sometimes requires to get E to let me change him.

7. Having someone to share the bed with.

6. Not thinking that every little noise after dark is either a burglar, rapist, kidnapper, or murderer.

5. Being able to leave the house past 7:30. Once E goes to sleep, I'm grounded.

4. Having help around the house and with errands

3. Going on dates

2. Not having to find babysitters when I work

1. Getting hugs, cuddles, and kisses... :(

However, it has also prompted this list:

Top Five Things I Like About Being Home Alone:

5. I can stay up as late as I want without someone telling me to come to bed.

4. The treats in the house are lasting a LOT longer

3. Sports have not been on my television ONCE!!!!!

2. No snoring!

1.My house is SOOOO clean!

So far E has sustained 2 injuries while Dad has been gone. First, he fell in the shower and cut his eye. Then, he fell and hit his mouth on the table and cut his lip open. *Sigh*......

Today I made these tasty treats:

www.bakerella.com/easy-as-pie

Yep....it's true. Mini pies on a stick DO exist. And they ARE delicious.

I'll post some photos from Kade soon....

Another "fat talk" rant

2010-05-03T13:45:00.000-07:00

This is probably a post for my other blog, but I think more people will see it on here. A lot of you will skip over this and write it off, because I preach about this subject a lot. But it's important to me. Today I attended Family Week at work. This is our 3rd time doing it, and I have gone every time to meet the families and listen to Doris Smeltzer speak. She is such an inspiring woman. She lost her daughter, Andrea, to bulimia at 19 after only 16 months of practicing bulimia. I still cry when I hear their story. I can't imagine losing a child to such an unneccesary disease. When I got on home, I logged on to facebook. I was completely disturbed and overwhelmed by the amount of "fat talk" I see on that page. Statuses, advertisements, comments...it's everywhere. Why do we as women and mothers allow this sort of thing to continue? Dont we all realize that when we say WE look fat and WE look ugly, others hear that? A child's strongest role model is their same sex parent. How would you feel if your daughter felt she was fat or ugly? Did you know the most common age for a girl to try dieting the first time is 10? TEN YEARS OLD. What the hell is wrong with this world that a fifth grader can't even feel good about his/her weight?! I find nothing more offensive, more disgusting, than a woman who says outloud "Oh gosh, I can't eat that! It'll make me fat!" People go up in arms when you use a racial slur or the word "retard" (as they should, because that's terrible!) but no one bats an eye when you say you are fat or say something like "She's too fat to wear that." And the really sick part? We encourage all this! We motivate each other to continue! "Good for you! You lost 10 pounds. You look so good!" When did our bodies become the bad guy? I think we ought to be showing gratitude for our bodies. This is the only one you're going to get. And hey, remember that real special Man who made that body especially for you? How do you think it makes Him feel when you say that your body isn't good enough? My body isn't perfect. It's full of rolls, stretchmarks, extra skin. But guess what? I really couldn't give a damn. This is MY body. So the next time you want to say "I can't eat that." or "I need to lose ten pounds" or "Geez...she's gained weight.", do me a favor and zip it. No one wants to hear it. And the FACT is, that talking this way will lower your self esteem AND the self esteem of those listening. Keep it to yourself. I'm not interested.

Fat Trap

2010-04-27T11:05:00.001-07:00

No time to post an update....

I just wanted to share this very wonderful article from the New York Times.

The Fat Trap
By PEGGY ORENSTEIN
Published: April 18, 2010

Food is never just food. Food is love. Food is solace. It is politics. It is religion. And if that's not enough to heap on your dinner plate each night, food is also, especially for mothers, the instant-read measure of our parenting. We are not only what we eat, we are what we feed our children. So here in Berkeley - where a preoccupation with locally grown, organic, sustainable agriculture is presumed - the mom who strolls the farmers' markets can feel superior to the one who buys pesticide-free produce trucked in from Mexico, who can, in turn, lord it over the one who stoops to conventionally grown carrots (though the folks who grow their own trump us all). Let it slip that you took the kids to McDonald's, and watch how fast those play dates dry up.

Doing right by our kids means doing right by their health - body and soul. Yet even as awareness about the family diet has spread across the country (especially among the middle class and the affluent), so, it seems, have youngsters' waistlines. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, a full third of America's children are overweight, and 17 percent are clinically obese - a rate that has more than tripled since 1976. Those figures may be alarming, yet equally disturbing are the numbers of children, girls in particular, who risk their health in the other direction, in the vain pursuit of thinness. In a 2002 survey of 81,247 Minnesota high-school students published in The Journal of Adolescent Health, more than half of the girls reported engaging in some form of disordered behavior while trying to lose weight: fasting, popping diet pills, smoking, vomiting, abusing laxatives, binge eating.

Parents, then, are left in quandary, worrying about both the perils of obesity and those of anorexia. How can you simultaneously encourage your daughter to watch her size and accept her body? My own initial impulse, when I found out I was pregnant with a girl, was to suggest that my husband take responsibility for feeding her. After all, he doesn't see a few extra pounds as a character flaw. Nor does he serve up a heaping helping of internal conflict with every meal. It's not that I'm extreme; it's just that like most - heck all - of the women I know, my relationship to food, to my weight, to my body is . . . complicated. I did not want to pass that pathology on to my daughter.

At best, weight is delicate territory between mothers and their girls. Michelle Obama found that out firsthand when kicking off her campaign to eliminate childhood obesity. In an attempt to destigmatize the condition, especially for African-Americans, she confessed that the family pediatrician warned her that "something was getting off-balance"; she needed to watch her daughters' body-mass indices. So she cut back on portion sizes, switched to low-fat milk, left fruit out on the table, banned weekday TV viewing.

The news that the First Mom put her daughters on a "diet" set the blogosphere abuzz. She was accused, even by supporters, of subjecting her daughters' bodies to public scrutiny, making their appearance fair game. Some grimly predicted that years of purging awaited the girls. The actual message Mrs. Obama was trying to get across - that minor changes can make a major difference in kids' lives - was, at least temporarily, lost in the uproar.

The president also has overshared about his children's weights, saying in a 2008 interview, "A couple of years ago - you'd never know it by looking at her now - Malia was getting a little chubby." He, too, was criticized, though less harshly, maybe because while fathers' comments sting, nothing cuts deeper than a mother's appraising gaze. Daughters understand that early: according to a study of preschool girls published in the journal Pediatrics in 2001, those whose mothers expressed "higher concern" over their daughters' weights not only reported more negative body images than their peers but also perceived themselves as less smart and less physically capable (paternal "concern" was associated only with the latter). The effect was independent of the child's actual size.

A 2003 analysis of the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, meanwhile, showed that mothers were three times as likely to notice excess weight in daughters than in sons, even though the boys were more likely to be large. That gave me pause. It is so easy for the concern with "health," however legitimate, to justify a focus on girls' appearances. For organic-eating, right-living parents whose girls are merely on the fleshy side of average, "health" may also mask a discomfort with how a less-than-perfect daughter reflects on them. " 'Good' parents today are expected to have normal-weight kids," says Joan Jacobs Brumberg, author of the book "The Body Project" and a professor of history and human development at Cornell University. "Having a fat girl is a failure."

By the time my own daughter was born, I realized that avoiding conversations about food, health and body image would be impossible: what I didn't say would speak as loudly as anything I did. So rather than opt out, I decided to actively model something different, something saner. I've tried to forget all I once knew about calories, carbs, fat and protein; I haven't stepped on a scale in seven years. At dinner I pointedly enjoy what I eat, whether it's steamed broccoli or pecan pie. I don't fetishize food or indulge in foodieism. I exercise because it feels good, and I never, ever talk about weight. Honestly? It feels entirely unnatural, this studied unconcern, and it forces me to be more vigilant than ever about what goes in and what comes out of my mouth. Maybe my daughter senses that, but this conscious antidiet is the best I can do.

Still, my daughter lives in the world. She watches Disney movies. She plays with Barbies. So although I was saddened, I was hardly surprised one day when, at 6 years old, she looked at me, frowned and said, "Mama, don't get f-a-t, O.K.?"

At least, I thought, she didn't hear it from me.

Pics of E-Mad

2010-04-01T11:54:00.000-07:00

We've had a very busy month or so since I posted last full of concerts, ducks, new cars, and new jobs! It's been a good month around the Gardner home. The best news of all is that Kade will now be working for a company called Miele in Logan. He's been interviewing for the better part of 3 months for this position and we're very glad that he finally got it. He'll be doing the same thing he does now at Icon, but instead of working with exercise equipment, he's working with kitchen and home appliances. The bad news is that he'll spend more than half the summer out of state training for his new job. We're not sure how we'll survive without him. We also traded in the Expedition for a cute little Honda Civic. It's already saving us loads of money on gas, payments, and insurance. We really like it. I'm almost done with school for the semester, and ready for my 2 week break before summer semester kicks off. Kade has FINALLY been accepted to USU and we hope that we'll find time in our busy schedules for both of us to be in class this fall. Fingers crossed... Easton is growing SO fast. I can't even log all the words he uses now, but his new favorites are ball, grandpa, outside, and socks. He also knows where his belly is and can tell you what sound a monkey, duck, or snake makes. He has become completely obsessed with ducks and sometimes the first thing he says in the morning is "Kack Kack" which is Eastonese for Duck (Quack Quack). Kade and I went to Owl City (with Lights and Paper Route) and Daughtry (with Cavo and Lifehouse) this last month and had a blast. Sorry no pics. Our camera stinks in dark places. Hope you are all doing great!
Here are some somewhat recent pics of E. He's growing up before our eyes.
Super excited to see the Kack Kacks.

Eating the bread that was supposed to be for the ducks.

He absolutely loves to sit in the baby bouncer. He'll grab his milk and sit in the bouncer watching cartoons and I think it's so funny. Hopefully he doesn't break it. He weighs 24 pounds!

He loves to put things on his head from headphones to hats to helmets and bunny ears.

He has started coloring! Actually this was about 6 weeks ago, but it's still cute and exciting!

Harry Potter Party

2010-03-22T09:15:00.001-07:00

So, maybe I'm a little embarrassed to blog about this-- My Harry Potter Party! Yeah, I know. I'm a huge nerd. But it's my birthday, so lay off. I had my family over to celebrate my 22nd and have a little HP fun. We had a feast to rival the Great Hall and even drank Butterbeer (which is kinda gross, by the way). After we played HP trivia and the loser (mom) had to be the first to try the jellybeans. I'm pretty sure she ate a centipede flavored one. Then we ate a special cake that Tiff brought me and watched HP6. Oh, what fun. I just might have to do it again next year...

This is how you look after eating a skunk spray jelly bean.

Do I dare? I shouldn't have, because it was booger flavored.

Hello, Spring!

2010-03-22T08:04:00.000-07:00

We are so excited for Spring at the Gardner house! Easton's new favorite thing is to play outside and go for walks (sans stroller!) We hope that the weather isn't just teasing us. We're ready for the warm days!! It's pretty much the same old story around here. Easton's personality has exploded even more in the last month and he leaves me wondering how he can fit such a big personality in such a tiny body. He keeps adding new words to his vocabulary (outside, dog, all done, thank you). He's quite a clever little guy. I've been watching a new baby at my house. Easton is completely in love with her. He gasps with excitement when he sees her and likes to blow her kisses. He seems to understand how tiny and special she is. Perhaps it's a sign that he's ready for a new brother or sister....someday.

A monumental occassion-- First Girl Scout Cookie!

Getting his first "real" haircut from Cousin Brook.

Post-haircut look. What a babe!

Excited to wear his brand new suit to church!

Easton loves to read his books. His favorite part is turning the pages and sometimes he even reads them outloud to himself.

Busy, busy boy

2010-02-13T06:51:00.000-08:00

I can't believe it's already been a month since Easton's birthday! He's changed so much in the last few weeks, that I don't know if I can remember everything he's learned! Here goes:

-New teeth have FINALLY arrived. He's 13 months old and only had two teeth until this week. He's got two little nubs poking out on top that I know are going to make his smile simply irresistible.

-Off he goes! My little dude doesn't crawl anymore. He's walking all over the place. I can only be grateful that he's not running *yet*.

-His vocabulary is climbing up, up, up! The list includes Mama, Dada, nana (banana), na-nigh (nuh-night), Bahbah (bye, bye), sheeze (cheese), hi, nono, yeah, s'at (what's that). And he recognizes the words/phrases milk, have a bite, I'm gonna get you, come here, don't touch, see you later, dance, hug, kisses, and the list goes on and on....He's one smart cookie.

-He learned this silly little way of blowing kisses. Mostly he just put his finger in his mouth and makes a kissy sound, but he sure thinks he's blowing you a kiss. I'll get a video of it soon before it evolves into a real blown kiss.

-He climbs stairs. All the stairs. If Kade and I aren't paying real close attention, we often find him upstairs playing in his room as if it's none of our business.

Today he and I are both stuck at home with colds. Kade is out of town umpiring, and we miss him lots and lots. We hope you all have a great Valentines Day!

Easton's Year in Photos

2010-01-12T20:15:00.000-08:00

Dear E,
Today you are one year old. Mommy was really strong about it until she put you to bed. Then I held you and just cried, because I just doesn't know where this year has gone. I do know that this has been the happiest and mot rewarding year I have ever lived. Also, it's been the fastest. You amaze me each and every day. I've never met a child with so much personality in such a little body. I think you knew how sad this day made me, because you decided to give me a kiss for the very first time. That made me cry too, but those were happy tears. I don't know what I ever smiled about, laughed at, or loved so much before you were born. One year ago, I held you in my arms for the first time, and I was sure that there would never be room in my heart for any more love than I felt at that moment. Now I know that I was wrong. My heart has made room for 365 days worth of more love. That's a lot, Big E. One day you'll understand, but until then, make sure you give me lots more of those kisses and extra snuggles when you're growing an extra lot. I love you, E. Thank you for the most blissfully happy year any mommy has ever had.

E's Extravaganza

2010-01-11T09:19:00.000-08:00

We had a lot of fun last night at E's big birthday bash. Thanks to all who came. My favorite part was when Easton shared his cake with me and got frosting all over my face. He had so much fun with all of his family and friends. I think his favorite part was the huge cake that he got all to himself (no surprise there). This morning he has been very busy breaking in all his new toys and videos. Thanks AGAIN to all of you who helped me make his party a success and helping to calm me down when I started to get a little overly-stressed about the shindig. Here are some photos from last night and one other of E at home doing what he does best----getting into trouble. I think I should get a big pat on the back for already having these posted...even if I am only doing it so that I can take a break from my homework.

Holidays

2010-01-07T11:09:00.000-08:00

Here's what we've been up to:

Easton:
-Easton got his first hair cut this week and looks very handsome now. No more mullett!
-Easton is no longer using bottles. YAY! Big boy!!-
-Easton is taking a few more steps but still not really walking. Any day now...
-Easton can crawl up the stairs now. Uh oh.
-Easton has a knack for finding trouble where ever he goes....
-Easton will be one on Tuesday. I was due on this day one year ago! Sad!

Kade and Nikki:
-Nikki starts school on Monday. She has 12 credits and feels like she's probably crazy.
-Yesterday was the 4 year anniversary of our first date. Weird!!!
-Kade starts umpiring next month (over Valentines weekend) and he already has a full schedule. He's nuts too.
-We will soon be off to Vegas again for a little R&R

The fam:
We had a great Christmas and New Year together. Easton liked to get his new toys and unwrap presents once he realized that they weren't a "No, no" anymore. We all spoiled each other and had lots of great food with our families. Then it was off to Salt Lake for a nice break with Kade's family. We did lots of shopping and playing. We hope that you all had a great holiday season like we did! Easton says ddkkdk kdkdkdjjjjjjjjjjj ttttttssssssssssss which means Hello and I love you in Eastonese...I think.

After his first hair cut

Before his first hair cut

My clever little man found an open bottle of baby powder and did his damage. It sure made for a cute picture though.

Opening presents with mama's help

Very happy about his new Spiderman plate

Trying to figure out who that funny man with the beard is

Finding trouble in the form of the towel drawer

Family and Christmas photos

2009-12-19T19:58:00.000-08:00

Here's a little peak at our new family photos. We hope you all have a very Merry Christmas!

Dancing Fool

2009-11-23T22:02:00.001-08:00

Here's a cute little video of Easton and his sweet moves. Sorry it's sideways...

New Easto Photos

2009-11-23T21:32:00.000-08:00

My best friend, Julianne, was kind enough to take these wonderful pictures of Easton. She did an amazing job. He was very happy and easy going through the whole thing. Here are few of my favorites. Thanks, Jules!

Halloween (only a month late...)

2009-11-23T21:05:00.000-08:00

Here are the Halloween photos that I have been needing to post for a LONG time now. We had a lot of fun trick or treating and going to the pumpkin walk. Easton was SO adorable in his little skunk outfit. I was a bunny and Kade was the trapper that got us all!

Blog Happy

2009-11-23T20:40:00.000-08:00

Okay, so by now, you have all figured out that I'm pretty terrible at remembering to blog. I suppose this is why I could never keep a journal. Actually, I'm just terrible at finding time/motivation to blog. Here's what has been happening around the Gardner home since I last posted:
- I took the ACT. I am planning to go back to school in January. I had to take the ACT because I'm a giant idiot and never took it in high school. I was really nervous, because if I didn't do well I couldn't take it again in time to get accepted for Spring semester. Anyhow...I got a 28 (out of 36). I was pretty proud of myself. I also realized yesterday that since I tested so high in the English portion (a 32) I won't have to take the lower level English courses! Yea!! I've decided to major in English and work towards teaching high school English. Go me!!
- Kade has been studying and trying really hard to pass his Real Estate exam. Cheer him on! I know he can do it!! He also celebrated his 25th birthday last week. One whole quarter century! I'm so happy he has shared nearly 4 years of his life with me! I love you, babe! He has also recently taken on snow removal and a paper route (ha!) to give us some extra funds and I think to give him something to do and talk about. I admire his dedication to our family. He sacrifices a lot for us.
- E has been busy learning, learning, learning. He can now:
*Pull himself up to whatever he wants. He has also started "cruising" which means he walks when holding onto stationary objects. We think he'll be running around the house in no time. Wish us luck with that..
*Say 4 words. He frequently says "Dada" or "Dad" and "Mama". He has also been known to say "Nana" which means "No, no." and "Bah" which means ball.
*Feed himself. He doesn't use utensils yet, but the boy simply refuses to eat baby food. I'm okay with this. There are a lot more choices for self feeders and I have enjoyed the lunch time freedom as much as he has.
*Dance. He dances and shakes and grooves his little heart out. Especially, when Britney Spears comes on. Should I worry?
Other than those exciting developments, we are just very busy preparing for the holidays. I've been quite crafty lately and we have all been busy shopping the sales and finding deals. I hope you are all well and enjoy your Thanksgivings and especially BLACK FRIDAY! Yay!
When you can't find a binky...you make do.

Big E cruising around with Dada's help.
The boys tickling each other at dinner. Ah, they are so fun!
My first attempt at a bulb wreath. Cute, eh?
My super cute new garland! I can't wait to put my tree up!

Top reasons having a 9 mo. old is a lot like having a puppy

2009-10-21T07:19:00.000-07:00

I've realized lately how much my sweet boy reminds me of a puppy. Here's why:
1. Several times a day you will find him crawling around the house with a sock in his mouth. I don't understand it, but he loves to eat socks. He has one in his mouth right now. I have no idea where he found it.
2. When I sit down to eat, Easton will tug on my pant leg and beg until I share with him. Have we mentioned that Easton really enjoys food? Cause he REALLY enjoys food.
3. He plays hard and sleeps hard. 'Nough said.
4. He loves to play ball and will fetch if needed.
5. He is breaking in the new teeth by chewing on the coffee table. Now there are Easton marks alongside the Jack marks.
6. He's always good for a good snuggle.
7. And of course....I have to clean up his poop.

Off he goes!

2009-10-13T13:37:00.000-07:00

Well...Our little baby is not such a little baby anymore. He is steadily cruising toward toddlerhood. Here's what's been happening in Big E's world:
1. He traded in the army crawl for the big boy crawl. And boy is he speedy! He's having a lot of fun exploring the house and finding new things to get into.

2. He has turned 9 months old! What a big boy!! He went for his check-up yesterday and he's now weighing in at 19 lbs and 13 oz (47%) and 28.5 inches(60%).

3. He FINALLY got two teeth. His first little chompers broke through at the same time and Mommy was SO relieved to see them. They had been giving Easton a hard time for months!

4. He finds EVERYTHING hilarious. Little Dude laughs at anything that happens around him. Sometimes it's a full out belly laugh and other times it's his so sweet "courtesy laugh."
5. He gives very good hugs. The best part of Mommy's whole day is when he crawls into her lap and snuggles in. *Insert melty puddle here*

Apple Picking

2009-10-13T13:02:00.000-07:00

Yesterday Kade, Easton, and I took a little drive out to Avon to visit the Paradise Valley Orchard. We picked lots and lots of apples and quite a few pumpkins too. We had a lot of fun together. I love fall.

Vegas, baby.

2009-10-13T11:50:00.000-07:00

Kade and I took a little trip to Las Vegas at the end of September to celebrate anniversary number 3. We went for 4 days and left Easton with our families. This was my first time to the city of sin. Boy...is it ever. Usually when we're walking busy streets, I feel that I need to hold Kade's hand for my own protectiong. But in Vegas, I felt I needed to hold his hand for HIS protection. But in all, we had a good time walking the strip, seeing the lights, chilling in our hotel...and yes...even playing the slots a little bit. But I'm proud to say we only gambled with the free slot money hotels gave us, so we came out on top. The best thing we did in Vegas (ironically) was to visit their temple and do sealings. Words can not describe how beautiful the inside of that temple is. We got to seal marriages and sons and daughters. Once, we sealed parents to their son who had been waiting since 1705 to be together again. I had a hard time leaving my little guy for 4 days! I can't imagine being away from him for 304 years! But, like any vacation, the best is always getting to come home. Here are a few pictures of our quick trip:

Sideways pic of Kade at ESPN Zone....Probably his favorite part.
The Bellagio Conservatory

I think if I post lots of pictures of Kade smiling like this he'll quit doing it.

Here I am.

2009-10-05T11:56:00.000-07:00

Just in case you were wondering...we're not dead. Just very busy.

I suck at blogging

2009-09-02T22:33:00.000-07:00

It's true. I suck at it. Would you forgive me if I told you how insanely busy we are these days? I think I've used that excuse before, but it's the only one I've got. My little baby is almost 8 months old. Typing that out makes me want to cry a little. He's getting so big. He does something new everyday and he's the most entertaining little fellow I've ever met. I don't remember what I used to laugh at before we had him around the house hamming things up. I just adore his squishy little face. He's started army crawling. Not scooting. Not crawling. We're talking the real soldier army crawl. A sign? I sorta hope not....And he's also been teething terribly lately. Fevers, running noses, gnawing on everything, and the grumpies. But no tooth. Kade and I of course are busy out of our minds and rarely see each other. And when I do see him I'm usually so stressed that my eye is twitching so I'm not much fun to be around. But I love him dearly :) Our third anniversary is in just a few weeks. We're planning a quick trip to Vegas with some friends to celebrate. We desperately need to get away. It'll be our first time leaving Easto over night. Nervous? Very. I just need to remind myself that just because he's not in my hands, doesn't mean he's not in GOOD hands. I'm sure I will check on him every hour. Here are some new pictures of our life. Isn't he getting SO BIG!?!

For some reason, he really likes to sit in the sink and play...Whatever.
My ONE tomato plant. It has a mind of it's own and is HUGE. I counted 50 tomatoes on it and 50 new blossoms. Yikes.
The flowers grew nicely too :)
The peppers on the other hand..
And the other tomato plants...

Easton is all about having fun. All the time.
Isn't it cute that he crosses his feet while he eats? What a sweetheart.
Sometimes he looks so much like his father that I could shake him. But it wouldn't matter. I think he's stuck that way.
He drinks from a big boy cup :) The bottles just may leave us soon.
He's very good at getting into trouble. He just thinks it's a good time.
His first sink bath. He loved it.

First shot at vienna sausages....Loved that too.

This is baby B. She comes to play on Mon, Tue, Wed. Easton loves her. She loves his binky. Smart girl.
Well....He loves her most the time.....

I don't know why my videos always turn out so dark but this is a cruddy video of the army crawl.

Happenings

2009-08-10T21:55:00.000-07:00

SO long overdue. Forgive me. Since I last posted, The Gardner Clan took their annual trip to stay in the cabin in bear lake. Easton really loved playing in the water at the lake and he also enjoyed having a fan club. At any given time there was a small crowd huddled around him. Easton went to his six month appt. The shots made him a holy terror this time around, but the good news is he's growing, growing, growing. By now, he's probably over 18 pounds. BIG boy. He's so cute and rolly. He's rolling all over the place now, and I can't get him to hold still for more than 30 seconds unless he's got food in his mouth...and even then he's a wiggle worm. Kade's last baseball game is tomorrow night...what a relief! I'm sick of baseball. But last week he hit a killer home run in Smithfield, so that made the whole season worth it. Here are the latest photos of our life. More to come....

Easton's new sleeping positon. Bum in the air. SO cute.

One of Easton's fan club members at the cabin.
Kade thought he was clever enough to be able to put on his swim trucks without taking off his shorts first....Obviously not a good idea.
Nevermind the hat. I burn...fast...
Kade pitching.

Then and Now

2009-08-04T09:18:00.001-07:00

I know it's been almost a month since I posted. We've just been so busy! I'll post a real good post later, but just to suffice for now...
Easton Then.....

And Easton now....

Is that even the same kid??

6 Months and Counting

2009-07-08T09:30:00.000-07:00

Our little guy is growing up right before our eyes. He will be six months -That's one half year!- on Sunday.There's not much new in our lives, so enjoy the pictures.

Never hold Easton above your head after he just finished a bottle. . Gross
Enjoying the parade with Mistie and Brynlee

Enjoying the fireworks with Grandpa Dennis
Impromptu baby food finger painting :)

Swimming at the pool and lovin' on Grammy
He looks EXACTLY like Kade here.

Sometimes he won't hold that little noggin' still long enough for me to get the spoon to his MOUTH.
I let him play with a receipt one day on the way home. I thought he still had his binky, but turns out he decided to eat the receipt. It was spit-glued all over his face when we found him soundly sleeping in the backseat.

Nevermind

2009-06-29T21:36:00.000-07:00

I changed my mind. I'm allowed to do that right? I don't want to set my blog to private. Sorry, Kade. I can't do it. Enjoy, random people of the public.

Going private

2009-06-24T10:12:00.000-07:00

I have decided to set this blog to private. Please message me your email if you would like me to email you an invite. I have also started a new blog that will be open to the public called Musings. The URL is www.ngmusings.blogspot.com. I hope you will all enjoy it. It will help me to be able to keep THIS blog more dedicated to my family happenings and less to my random thoughts I feel like sharing. On with it....

Easton has now passed his 5 month mark. Big boy! He is sitting up on his own and eating solids like a champ. He's pretty cranky lately...I suspect teeth. However, our biggest hurdle has once again focused on sleeping. Easton started waking up several time a night to eat. I decided that he is just too darn old to be needing to eat more than once at night, if at all. So..no more nighttime bottles unless I'm really positive that's what he's screeching about. Now I just pop his binky in his mouth, switch on his swing, and leave him alone to work it out. So far so good. Here are the newest pictures of our life.

Top Five Things to NEVER say to your wife during that "time of the month"

2009-06-23T10:02:00.000-07:00

I thought I'd make a little list to help Kade out next time I'm laying in bed wishing the cramps would finally just kill me.
5. "Atleast you didn't start as young as _______"
Okay...I don't really give a crap who started when. The last thing I wanna be reminded of are the blissful, pain-free years I had as a child. Please. Shut. Up. And I'm pretty sure that girl doesn't want to be reminded of how many pain-free years she's missing out on.
4. "You can kick me in the nuts if it makes you feel better"
Actually...yes...it would make me feel better. You are actually allowed to say this one. On one condition. You may not say this line and then proceed to cup your hands over the goods to protect them. If you say it- You had better stand up straight and take it like a man.
3. "My _________ hurts."
You hurt? You don't know what it means to hurt. I gave birth. I win. Always. I don't really care if your arm just fell off. I will always laugh at you when you say you hurt from now on. The end.
2. "Gosh, you're ornery today, aren't you"
Uh...are you kidding me? If you say this sentence you better get ready to run. Pretty sure my head is about to start spinning around like the Exorcist. You should always tell me how lovely I am and how much you are enjoying my company. I don't care if it's a lie. JUST SAY IT.
1. "You'll feel better tomorrow."
How the *bleep* do you know? Can you give me a written guarantee? Unless you are promising to turn me into a boy over night, you may not say this one. EVER. It is hereby forbidden. And you may not defend yourself after saying this by saying "What? It gives you something to look forward to!" You may as well sign your own death certificate.

Hope that helps, honey! Love you :)

Dear Media, You disgust me.

2009-06-22T17:55:00.000-07:00

As you all know, I frequently use my blog as a soapbox. So, in keeping with tradition...Here I go again. The media makes me sick. I can't walk by a magazine stand without seeing at least one headline blaring who is fat, thin, anorexic, in treatment, etc. The latest headline did catch my eye, however. Stephanie Pratt (from the MTV reality show "The Hills") declares "The Hills made me Bulimic." HUH? Since when can a TV show (which you claim is not scripted) "give" you a deadly mental illness? Excuse me? Yeah...it can't. The only disease is seems to have given you, Stephanie, is a deep need for attention. In an interview with MTV she admits that she has struggled with her eating disorder for long before "The Hills" began. That's more like it. She also says she is just trying to draw attention to the issue of eating disorders and to help parents better recognize the signs. Hmm...I'm not convinced. I don't doubt the fact that she legitimately struggles with this illness, but I sincerely doubt her reasons for making it public. Especially if you're way of bringing it into the limelight is by telling a trashy magazine. Secondly, to Wrigley Gum: In response to your recent ad campaign: GUM IS NOT A SNACK! If you're hungry, eat for heaven's sakes! Morons. Also, Dear Taco Bell: Please do not encourage your customers to eat a "Fourth Meal". Late night binging is NOT healthy. And last but not least--- Dear Dreyers ice cream: Kindly change the name of your new ice cream flavor: "Red, White, and No More Blues". Ice cream does not solve problem. Please don't convince people to emotionally eat. And Dear Media: You disgust me. Sincerely, Me.

Oh and one more thing: I swear to never watch Jon and Kate + 8 again. It's time to move on. I refuse to give ratings to a show that has ruined such a beautiful family. The end.

Proud of me

2009-06-15T21:04:00.000-07:00

Today has been very productive. I did seven loads of laundry, cleaned the house top to bottom, played with Easto, make a kick-butt dinner, baked the best cookies in the world, AND made a yummy snack for us to enjoy when Kade got home from class. I think I understand the term "super-mom" Here are the recipes I tried today. I HIGHLY recommend each and every one of them!
First-- The aptly-named Better Than Sex Sauce. This recipe was shared with me a while ago by my friend Natalie. Bout time I made it, hmm, Nat?

Better Than Sex Sauce...

2 c. Whipping Cream
1 c. Sour Cream
1 tsp. Chicken Base (like the pastey kind)
2 T. Clarified Butter (what is clarified anyway???)
1 T. Flour
1 tsp. bottled jalepenos minced
1 T. juice from bottled jalapenos
2 oz. Shredded cheese - mexi-mix

Heat whipping cream in a heavy saucepan over high heat. When the cream is ready to boil, stir in sour cream. After sour cream dissolves, reduce heat to medium. Stir in chicken base and jalapeno juice and simmer.

While cream is heating: Make a roux by warming butter in a saucepan over medium heat, adding flour, and mixing with a wire whip until mixture starts to turn pale gold.

Just before cream mixture is ready to boil again, add roux, whisking briskly and constantly until roux is incorporated. Remove from heat; stir in minced jalapeno and the cheese.

Serve with Tortilla Chips, Bread, Crackers...whatever the heck you wanna serve it with!!

Next-- S'more Cookies...YUM!
1/2 c. old fashioned rolled oats
2 cups all purpose flour. (I used 1 c. flour and 1 c. finely ground graham crackers)
3/4 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup butter
3/4 cup brown sugar
1 large egg
1 king size milk chocolate bar (I cut each Hershey square in half)
15 large marshmallows cut in half

1.Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a food processor, pulse oats until finely ground. Add flours, cinnamon, baking soda, and salt; Pulse to combine. In a large bowl, cream sugar and butter. Add egg. Beat in flour mixture on low speed until just combined.
2. Drop dough by tablespoon, one inch apart, onto two baking sheets. Top each with a chocolate square. Bake until lightly golden, 11-13 minutes, rotating sheets half way through. Remove sheets from oven. Heat broiler. Top each cookie with marshmallow half. One sheet at a time, broil cookies until marshmallows are golden brown. Cool on wire racks. SOOOO GOOOOODD!

Last but not least....http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Honey-Mustard-Grilled-Chicken/Detail.aspx
This chicken was really good. You should just check it out on the website. That way you can scale it up or down to fit your family and see the picture of it. Very yummy.

5 things I did yesterday

2009-06-06T11:31:00.000-07:00

Inspired by my sister (who was inspired by her sister-in-law) here is a list of five things I did yesterday.
1. Watched The Hours...What's is WITH that movie?? Weird.
2. Read Pride and Prejudice. It's taking an infinitely long time for me to finish it, but I'm really enjoying it. I'll give the credit to Julianne, who always told me I needed to read it.
3. Went to the park behind my house with Easton. I just intended to get out of the house to get Easton to STOP crying. But it turned out to be exactly what I needed too. It is full of the most beautiful wild daisies and other flowers. It was absolutely gorgeous. Christy and Tegan joined us
there later. It's so nice to see good friends.
4. Went to a bon fire to see some old high school friends. It turned out to be just about the lamest thing I did yesterday, second only to watching that horrible movie (which is debatable). Turns out...I see the people I want to see and don't really have a need to "reconnect" with anyone else.
5. Had a sleepover with Amber and Whitney. Kade was out of town umpiring so we decided to have a girl party. It was so much fun. I forget how fun it is to stay up late doing Madlibs, eating junk, and just being silly. I half regretted it in the morning when Easton woke up so early (and with a cold), but post-nap I know that it was definitely much needed.

Easton has turned into a drooly, whiny, teething monster. He and I are trying desperately to get along while we get through this unavoidable time. Can't kids just have dentures???

Also-- Here are our new family photos. Thanks again to Christy :0)

My new love

2009-06-04T11:00:00.000-07:00

Basically, I am in love with finding and trying new recipes lately. And if I can't find a good one, I'll make it up. Such is the case with my recent obsession with making hamburgers. Preferably ones that are stuffed with cheese and bacon and bbq sauce....delish! Last night I tried a recipe for baked salmon that was fantastic. I don't usually enjoy salmon, so you know it must have been good. Here's the recipe:
1 clove minced garlic (I left this out because I don't like to have bad breath)
2 T olive oil
1 T melted butter
3/4 tsp basil
1/2 tsp salt
3 T lemon juice
1 tsp dried parsley
dash of dill weed

Mix that all together and let your salmon marinate in it for about 45 minutes in a shallow dish. Cover the dish with tinfoil and bake for 35-45 minutes at 375 degrees. Done. Delicious.
Tonight I'm making Northwest Steakhouse Steaks. I'll let ya know if it's a winner.

And the season begins.....

2009-05-26T22:23:00.000-07:00

Well, my friends, it seems summer has arrived. Kade and I are going, going, going all the time now. The good part of having an extremely busy husband is that I now am only working weekends so that I can be home with Easton while Kade is running around like a mad man. What a relief! Easton is more full of life than ever. I am especially enjoying the fact that he finds everything funny these days. He gets a big kick out of screeeeeeching when he's excited. It's pretty cute, even if it does hurt the ears. Since I procrastinated this post for a long time, I have a billion photos to share. Enjoy! We're getting some family photos done this weekend (thanks, Christy!) too.

Easto has really taken an interest in his toys. He likes to play, play, play. I have a feeling Kade and I will have a hard time keeping up with him soon.Daddy can fall asleep anywhere and apparently while doing anything. Here, he's fallen asleep while feeding Easton.
I finally found some swim trunks small enough to fit Easton! Aren't they adorable?

We took a 3 day trip to Park City last week . Thursday we went to Geoff and Kristen's wedding in South Jordan.Geoff and Kade were mission companions and have remained close friends.
Easton LOOOOVES vacation.
He feels like big boy sitting next to mom in the chair at our condo in Park City.

Friday, we went with Kade's family to see Thomas the Train. Despite his expression, Easton had a really good time.

But he wanted to let you all know that he IS a tough guy. So he got a tattoo.Mom and Dad had a good time too.
Easton really liked the hot tub, but he wasn't as crazy about the pool.

This year, Kade is playing ball for the Logan Cubs. They're a new team, and he's very excited. Even though they miserably lost their first game tonight, it was fun. Kade pitched more than half the game and did a great job! Easton was ready to be on the field!

Easton has really taken to eating solids. However, he already thinks he needs to help mom with the spoon. I'm doomed.
Oh well....at least he enjoys himself. And how could I not love that gooey face?

Also, in the last two weeks Kade and I have lost two very dear people. Kade's grandmother passed away from cancer about two weeks ago. The funeral was difficult for him, but we are all at ease knowing that she is no longer suffering. Saturday, my best friend, Amber's, dad passed away from a heartattack. He was a surrogate father to many of us since we were in elementary school and after since we spent so much time at Amber's. He was a very dear man to me, and an honorable example of what a father should be to a daughter. Grandma Gardner and Tom Schooley-- You will both be greatly missed on this earth. God be with you 'til we meet again.

Long overdue but not much to say

2009-05-18T20:34:00.001-07:00

I've been meaning to post for a while now. Easton turned 4 months old last week. He is growing like a weed. At his 4 mo. check up, we found out he weighs 13 lbs 11 oz and is 24.5 inches long. He has more than doubled his birth weight :) We've tried solids a few times and he's still not quite ready for it. He does look adorable slurping on that spoon though. Not much else has changed around here. Spring has arrived, which means Kade is always running off to this place or that. He's umpiring little league games a few nights a week and his own baseball team will kick off in about a week. Pair that up with work and class, and I'm a single mom :) It's all okay though. Summer will be over before we all know it and I'll have my sweet man back. We're taking off to Park City this week for a few days....hopefully we don't blow an engine this time around..yeesh.

Recipe Exchange

2009-05-04T13:56:00.000-07:00

Since I'm only work part-time now, I have been able to make more dinners lately for my family. I really love to do it! However, I am definitely running short on new recipes and ideas. So, I'm starting a blog recipe exchange. Here's how it will work. I will post a recipe on here for you to use and tag some friends. If you're tagged, then you post a recipe on your blog for us to have and tag someone else...I'm sure you understand. Thanks in advance for your yummy recipes!

Here is a family favorite that my mom used to make and Kade loves:
Crockpot Lemon Chicken

1/4 c. Ketchup
2 T vinegar
2 T brown sugar
6 oz. lemonade
Chicken Breasts
Flour, pepper, salt, seasoning salt

Coat chicken with flour and seasoning. Place in skillet over med-high heat to brown both sides of chicken. Place chicken in crock pot. Add remaining ingredients on top of chicken. Cook on high for 4 hours and serve over white rice.

Simple! And delicious!! Enjoy!
I tag Tiffany Smith, Katie Marcheschi, Christie Bodily, Michelle Moss, and Sarah Thompson

Milestone Madness

2009-04-29T15:15:00.000-07:00

Our little Easton has really begun to figure out the world. Yesterday, he slept through the night (from 9 pm to 6 am!!), rolled over (front to back), AND started grabbing objects all before lunch. I half expected him to be walking and potty trained by the time I got home from work. I guess sometimes things just click. Here are some pictures and videos from this week:

He's getting so strong!
Playing in his gym

Loving up on momma
The rare photo of Easton after a bath and NOT crying because he had to get out of the warm water.
Our new favorite goofy photo
Playing with his toys...finally :)
Holding his own bottle like a big boy.

Sorry the videos are always so dark...hope you can even tell what's going on here.

Help the Howes!!

2009-04-22T21:24:00.000-07:00

Hey Ladies! Recently, one of my closest friends, Julianne Howes, delivered her baby boy, Michael, 15 weeks prematurely. Baby Michael is a little miracle and he is doing incredibly well given his extraordinary circumstances. So far, their medical bills have reached 90,000 dollars and he is expected to be in the NICU until late July. So, when a friend is down, you reach out and help right? Here is what I can do: I am a Mary Kay consultant. I will donate 20% of my profits for the ENTIRE month of May to her family to help with costs. Here is where you can help: Book a skin care party any Saturday morning or Wednesday evening in May, get me a list of guests, and I'll do everything else! Wednesdays and Saturdays no good? Let me know a day that will work for you and I will try my very hardest to work it out for you. Don't want to hold a party? Then, just place an order with me!You get great skin care and make up products AND you'll help out this AMAZING family. You can message me here, email me at sticks_2006@hotmail.com, or call me anytime at 435-512-4274. Please, help!

Personality....

2009-04-21T20:04:00.000-07:00

Hi! I'm Easton Maddux.......

I'm a little bit goofy..

I'm a great dresser.....

But, I prefer to be naked.

I enjoy long baths .........

And I HATE it when Mommy makes me get out....

I like spending time outside in the sunshine,

and eating my fingers,

I don't like to exercise.

People say I look just like my daddy-

Mommy says I act just like him too....

And, did I mention I look adorable in sandles? Because, I do.

Laughter fills our home...FINALLY!

2009-04-10T09:26:00.000-07:00

Before news of Easton--- One of my best friends, Julianne, was life flighted to McKay Dee Hospital this week. She is dangerously close to delivering her baby boy about 16 weeks prematurely. Please keep her in your hearts and prayers as she, her husband, and baby fight this battle.
Okay....now....something more lighthearted...
Easton has learned to laugh! I have been dying for him to do it for the past week or so. He was so close! And then finally last night, out of nowhere, he laughed! I'm so glad that Kade and I were both there to hear his first giggle. It was priceless. He is such a happy little munchkin. He is feeling much better now. Formula is going smoothly. It was such a relief to have our happy guy back. He's getting to be very clever. He has pretty much no interest in his toys. He'd much rather stare at and study a face. He has even begun to imitate our facial expressions. His tongue is his new best friend. It's almost always sticking out, and if you show him yours, he'll try to mimic you. He's getting bigger by the minute. I'm so curious about what he must weigh now. He's really filling out. Here are some new photos and videos of our little dude. He's a real ham.Easton loves to watch his mobile go round and round.

Classic dad sleeping with the baby photo
Every now and then we get a little duck outside our house. Easton and I decided to feed them some old bread....
He wasn't sure about it.

This video is really dark, but hopefully you can at least hear the sweet sounds he's making.

Watch him closely. He starts to imitate what Kade is doing.

Don't give up!

2009-04-03T21:38:00.000-07:00

Tonight Kade and I found ourselves lying on the floor chanting "Don't give up! Keep trying!!" while Easton kicked and strained and wobbled around on his belly. Our little man is inches away from rolling over. It seems he figured out what to do over night. Yesterday, during tummy time he was mostly rubbing his face into the carpet. But today was something else! He's gotten so much stronger. Formula feeding is still not going well. He was inconsolable most of the day from the tummy ache it gives him. So I decided to try a new formula. I'm pretty bugged considering I bought a 3 lb can of the other stuff. Stupid. If anyone uses Enfamil Gentlease...I'll make you a SCREAMING deal. Just get rid of the crap. Now we're trying Nestle Goodstart, and I already think it's working better. No crying! But he spent most the night in a coma because he was too busy screaming during the day to take his naps. So, cross your fingers that we've found the good stuff. For some reason, even though I can't wait to stop pumping, watching my milk dry up is very scary. I get so nervous as I am slowly filling the bottles less and less when I pump. I don't think I will feel good about my own milk going away until I have found a formula that doesn't make my little guy puke, scream, or unable to have a good poop. *SIGH* Here are some photos I took tonight of Easton on his tummy so the rest of you can see how good he's getting. These are my new favorite pictures of him. Doesn't he look ADORABLE!?!?!

My heart could just explode with joy looking at that sweet smile.

Even more guilt over formula

2009-03-30T22:12:00.000-07:00

So to make matters worse, Easton doesn't tolerate formula well. I knew this already from the few times I had given him the little 2 oz. bottles of shelf stable formula they give at the hospital. He throws up everything for about 24 hours after he has it. No bueno. I talked to my pediatrician about it and he recommended that I try Enfamil Gentlease. I semi got over my guilt today and trekked off to Sam's Club tonight to get a HUGE can of formula. So I'm feeling experimental and I decide to give him just a few ounces tonight before bed to see how he does and see if formula fed babies really do sleep longer. I mixed a few ounces of breastmilk and a few ounces of formula to make a five ounce bottle. A few ounces in, he puked all over me. Great, huh? Serves me right? I'm hoping it was partially because he was too full because it wasn't time for a feeding yet. I was reading about it online and it seems that you need to give the baby atleast a week with each formula to really try it out before switching again-- even if they are puking all over the place. So now my poor little Easto has to vomit all day just so that I don't have to pump. Talk about a major guilt trip. I'm going to keep at it though and just really ease him into it with more breastmilk mixed with the formula. Poor little guy......

Guilty....

2009-03-29T22:23:00.000-07:00

I love being a mom. I absolutely adore it. But some things that have come along with it are not so fun. The most unpleasant being the added measure of guilt I feel over EVERYTHING. If it's been a little too long since a diaper change: Guilty. If I let Easton fuss a little bit more than I "should": Guilty. If I don't pay constant attention to him while he's awake: Guilty. Holding him to put him to sleep: Guilty. And my newest guilt companion: Considering using formula. I have been pumping exclusively since Easton was about 2 weeks old. It is important to me that my son has the very best nutrition and naturally, that means giving him breast milk. However, nursing wasn't our strong point and I'm over the desire to overcome those hardships. So, I've been toting around my pump and giving it my all for 9 weeks now. I'll admit that at first this seemed like a workable solution. I set the goal to give him breastmilk for atleast six months. I'm almost halfway there. It may seem like a short time to someone else. Just a wrinkle in time, right? If you think pumping or nursing is not hard, you can come over and let me give you titty twisters constantly for atleast 15 minutes several times a day and then you would know what it's like to be me. Besides the discomfort, it's very inconvenient. When nursing, you can find somewhere to sit just about anywhere and do the deed. Not with pumping. I don't like planning my day around the need to pump or being forced to lug the machine around with me and pray that I'll be able to find a place to plug in. So, due to my growing hate of pumping, I'm considering putting Easton on formula. Ugh. Even writing it down floods me with guilt. I know that formula is very well made and is still very nutritious. But I think any mother who has breastfed will agree that there are benefits beyond measure that formula can never give. Not only is breast milk healthier-- it is also FREE. I can't believe I'm about to pay $25 bucks for a can of something that my body makes a better version of. I'm not going to go into a pro-milk rant here, because it's useless and will only make me feel more guilty. I'm on the fence. Is it so wrong for a mommy to be a little selfish with her body and time? Should I just live with my own discomfort to provide for Easton? Who knows? I feel like such a wimp when I read or hear about moms who pumped or nursed for a year (or for more than 11 weeks for that matter.) Why should one be expected to enjoy depending on a machine to provide the natural comforts of not having rock hard boobs and milk soaked shirts? I may as well change my name to Bessy and move to a dairy. I feel so sad for all those sweet dairy cows who have to put up with being milked for years and years, so that we can have a drink. Perhaps subconsciously this is why I've never drank milk. I always knew it was cruel deep down. I'm exaggerating of course, but still... Anyhow, none of this rambling solves my dilemma. To milk or not to milk? That IS the question.....I guess I'll figure it out later. I have to go pump now......

Performing my blogly duty

2009-03-26T09:42:00.000-07:00

So, since it's apparently a blog sin to change your background and not add a post while you're at it (TIFFANY!!) I decided I'd better give a few updates-- assuming I can think of anything. Little Easto is as full of life as ever. His sleeping schedule has regulated and he now puts himself to sleep very easily. He's basically amazing. He's very talkative and has started to do this fake cough thing when he gets extra excited. I just can't wait for the giggles. His legs are kicking non-stop (I remember that from when I was pregnant) and I'm starting to think he'll be a better soccer player than a baseball player. (Actually, his movements remind me a little more of a broadway dancer, but we won't go there...) Sorry, Kade. I'm not sure if I've mentioned this already, but Kade and I are both looking into ways to bring a couple extra bucks in and pad our resumes as well. So, in a few weeks, Kade will start classes to get his real estate license. I'm considering undertaking Mary Kay. We'll see what happens. I love my job, but I'd love to stay at home with Easton too. Being a working mom is bittersweet for me. Well...here's hoping that spring actually comes and sticks around soon. The Gardner clan sure is ready....Oh, and I also want to wish my sweet Makenzy a Happy Birthday. She's turning 16... Oops..I mean 6.When Easton gets REALLY angry, he kicks like mad. This is what happens when babies are REALLY angry while wearing jammies that are a little too big.
Easton secretly wishes he could control his arms enough to suck his thumb. Here is a good picture of one of his better attempts (before I intervened and gave him a binky.)
He absolutely insists on sleeping on his side. Don't bother trying anything else.
Easton's favorite moments are the ones where I let him be alittle bit naked and free. He lights up.

This video is a little long-ish but it really shows all the personality our little guy has. Pay attention to how often he moves his little eyebrows.

Sleep, shots, and sickness

2009-03-15T08:03:00.000-07:00

Little Easton is now two months old. It's fun to watch him become his own little person more and more each day. He has developed quite a sense of humor. I was dancinga bit last night to a song, completely unaware that I had an audience. I looked over at him and his binky was half out of his mouth and he had an enormous grin on his face like "Mom....seriously?" It was adorable. We've been working on sleep training, because we got into the bad habit of holding him while he slept. How could we help it? He's so sweet! But it was causing some trouble getting him to sleep on his own, so it had to stop. Now we only hold him until he's drowsy, then he does the rest himself. Except, he insists on being on his side if he's going to sleep. So now I have to wait until he's zonked out and turn him onto his back for fear of SIDS. This is fine, until it's 4:30 am and I'm trying to keep myself awake long enough to get him turned successfully. He also went to his 8 week well baby checkup this week. He now weighs 10 lbs 2 oz and is 22.5 inches long. He's growing well, but he's still so very small when it comes to weight. His height is right on the money, so perhaps he'll be a tall, skinny guy. Not to mention handsome as all get out. There is a nasty cold going around, and I'm afraid I caught it. I just hope that I don't pass it to the rest of my family. I don't like it when Easton is sick. He had immunizations last week and they made him absolutely miserable for about a day. He had a fever and was so unhappy. Also, we figured out that the formula I have makes him sick. He barfs all over for the whole day if i give it to him. There goes that. The pediatrician recommended a couple kinds that would be easier on his tummy, but I can't bring myself to spend the 25 bucks on a can of it when I have a freezer full of milk. I think I must have been a cow in another life.. Well..sorry this post was completely mundane and unthrilling, but it's all I got.

My beautiful family

2009-03-05T21:04:00.000-08:00

Here are a few of the family photos my family had taken at the beginning of the month. They turned out wonderfully. Christy- You are a creative genius! Thanks so much! If anyone needs a photographer- Christy Bodily comes HIGHLY recommended. Check out her stuff at www.christymariephotography.blogspot.com. She does beautiful, quick, inexpensive work.

My wonderful parents

Our OH SO HANDSOME little boy

The Whole Fam

Makenzy- the cutest (and sassiest) 5 year old I know

The adorable D-bug.

I like this one, even though Easton is a wee bit upset with us.

Tiffany's beautiful little family unit

The Blessing

2009-02-25T18:57:00.001-08:00

Today was Easton's baby blessing. I'm so thankful for all my family and friends for coming to support our family on this important day in Easton's life. Kade gave a beautiful blessing, and I think Easton is going to be off to a good start. In case you missed it, here are some of the blessings Easton was given.
-The blessing of a healthy life
-Strength and wisdom to fight the evils in the world
-Intelligence and the desire for higher education
-A desire to serve a mission and the ability to find those seeking the truth
-The blessing of a temple marriage
-The ability to love all people equally
-A love for and understanding of the scriptures
-Faith in the prophet and the ability to take the prophet's word as scripture
-The ability to listen to the spirit and not man
I'm sure there was more, but that's all I can remember right now. The blessing was absolutely perfect. I'm so grateful for my husband and for the fact that he holds the priesthood. I'm so glad that he was able to bless our son. The priesthood is such a powerful thing, and I can't wait to watch it work in our son's life. I feel so blessed to have the priesthood in my home. Thank you, Kade! I love you!
Here are some photos of Easton in his outfit. It's the same outfit Kade wore on his own blessing day, over 24 years ago! Easton looked so handsome. I think we might have a lady killer on our hands. Thanks also to all of you who came to the luncheon after church and for helping us to put it together. We also took some family photos today, so when I get them back I'll post them.

Our little comedian

2009-02-22T19:59:00.000-08:00

We are just beginning to discover what very large personality our son has. He's become a real pro at smiling in the last week. Those of you who have met the little tyke know how expressive he is. Yesterday, he looked around the room with one eyebrow raised like we were all a bunch of goons. I can't even raise one eyebrow! What a talented little guy. Also, I've learned that he's very much a morning person. After his breakfast bottle, he'll just look around and grin. He's become a big fan of his mobile. He loves to stare at it for as long as I have the patience to keep winding it up. My very favorite is that he's begun to coo and chatter a lot. His favorite phrase is "Ahhh GOOO." I'm pretty sure that's Eastonese for "I love you." Kade and I fall more and more in love with our little boy each day. We'll be blessing him this Sunday, the first. If anyone would like to come, I'd be happy to get you the address and info. Here are some new pictures of our little guy hammin' it up.The one-eyebrow-raised stare...

Easton's first month

2009-02-11T10:07:00.001-08:00

Tomorrow is Easton's one-month birthday. Boy, time flies. Here's a look at some of the moments we've shared:

Sleepy moments

Happy moments

Cuddly moments

Angry moments

Peaceful moments

And moments that are just plain funny

Happy First Month, Little Guy! We love you!

Another week bites the dust

2009-02-01T22:19:00.000-08:00

We have almost reached the 3 week mark. Here is what is new in Easton's life.
- He now weighs 7 pounds 3 ounces. He has gained a whole pound since he was last weighed!
- He's measuring at 20 1/2 inces. Another whole inch! He's really growing!
- Poor baby is now having to take Zantac for reflux..you can blame daddy for that one little man.
- The smiles are rolling across his chubby face more and more often.
- He's sleeping 5 or 6 hours at a time at night. We are so LUCKY!
Those of you who have seen little Easton while he's awake will know that he sure is expressive. He's always making faces and letting you know just what he thinks of you with a look. I can't wait to see more of his personality. I'll post some pictures soon and maybe some videos of his cute little faces. Love you all!

Two weeks

2009-01-26T22:07:00.000-08:00

Happy Two-week birthday to our little Easton! This week you have become even more handsome and aware of your world. I love watching you stare around the room with those big round eyes. Sometimes you look so serious and intense and your little brow scrunches up. I think you'll have wrinkles by the time you're five. Other times you look at me with the cheesiest grin and I fall completely in love you. I don't care if it is just gassy smiles...you're adorable. I think you and I could stare at each other for hours and still be fascinated by what we see. I can't help but wonder who you'll be to the world. You've learned to coo and talk to me and the best part of my day is when you will tell me a little story. You know how to burp loud enough to shake the walls and I'm actually proud of that! You can only get away with that for so long, so eat it up! Daddy and I are still trying to figure out how to take the very best care of you. We'll get there- we promise. I want you to know that you are my dream come true and the love of my life (right up there next to daddy.) As long as I can remember, I've wanted a little boy. A rowdy, dirty, break-my-things-and-drive-me-nuts little boy. You're even better than I imagined you would be. You're such a good boy. Thank you for being such a good eater and for only waking me up once each night. Thank you for the times you fall asleep on my chest and make cute snoring sounds. Thank you for being patient with me when I kiss you a million times. Thank you for letting me be your mommy. I love you, baby.

The Bili, the belly, and the bath

2009-01-22T09:56:00.000-08:00

Well, little Easton is a week and half old now. Time is passing so quickly! So far Kade and I have been amazed at what a good baby we have. He hardly fusses, sleeps great at night, and eats like a little piggy. And he's in excellent health! We had to have his Bilirubin level checked 4 times to keep a close eye on jaundice, but I just found out today that he's okay and doesn't need any more tests done! Hooray! I hated watching them poke his little heel. He was a real trooper though. His cord fell off last night and I don't think I've ever been so excited to see a belly button...except when I finally saw mine again after he was born. Since the cord fell off, we got to give him his first bath. I think he was a little nervous about it and he fussed a little. But I realized that he liked the sound of water running so we were a bit wasteful and let it run while we bathed him. He seemed much happier then. He looked adorable in his little hooded towel! We're getting along just famously! Today we are little lonely though. Kade went back to work today and we are both missing daddy. Kade is an incredible dad. He feeds him, changes him, and cuddles him to death. I have fallen in love all over again with him watching him be a dad. I think Easton and I would both be lost without him. We can't wait for the weekend to have him home again, and we're impatiently watching the clock today for him to come home.

Easton Maddux Gardner

2009-01-15T11:05:00.000-08:00

Finally! Our little man has arrived. He was born Monday the 12th at 4:54 pm. He weighed in at a tiny six pounds ten ounces and measured up at nineteen and a half inches. Just a little guy, considering he was five days overdue. The last few days of my pregnancy were especially long and hard. I had false labor a few times and was so very frustrated each time the contractions would go away. I was so overwhelmed and exhausted by it. I had a bit of a mental breakdown Sunday night. My poor dear husband. He must really love me. The next morning I woke up around 4:30 am from contractions. I assumed it was false labor again, so I got up to take a bath and make them go away. When I stood up, there was a small gush of fluid, and I thought maybe my water had broke. So, reluctantly, we went up to the hospital. I was sure that they would send us home, but knew my mind wouldn't rest until I knew for sure that my water hadn't really broken. So we checked in and waited around. They checked my dilation and said I was at a 1-2 centimeters. I was SO mad! My last appointment I was at a 3 and I thought for sure that all the contractions would have made me progress. Well, an hour later, they checked me again and I had progressed to a 4+. So, hooray! I really was in labor and we got to stay at the hospital. I managed the pain really well and had no help until I got to a 6. Then they broke my water and I made the decision to get the epidural then. The first epidural they gave me only numbed my right side and I was really uncomfortable and sick feeling. But once they redid it, I was just peachy! In the next hour I progressed all the way to a 9! Then just a half hour later, I knew I HAD to push. NOW! So we got all set up and I pushed for a short 28 minutes. Then Easton made his entrance, and he is BEAUTIFUL!!! He had already had a bowel movement in the womb, so they took him immediately to clean up and make sure he didn't breathe in the bacteria. The whole experience was great and not nearly what I had imagined. It was just about 12 hours long and a lot easier than I thought it would be. Kade was a fantastic labor coach and he is so proud of this new little boy. He can't get enough, and neither can I. He's nursing really well and he's not a terrible sleeper. We love him! Thanks to all of you who have called, visited, sent flowers, etc. We are so blessed to have such wonderful family and friends. We'll be sure to keep you posted on all his milestones, big and small!

Stripped...again

2009-01-08T09:45:00.000-08:00

So here we are. OVERDUE. Ugh. I know that your due date is only an estimate, but it still sucks to watch it pass you by. So I went back to the doctor today for the last time. I am now 3 cm, 90% effaced, and scheduled to be induced Tuesday if Easton doesn't join us before that. She also stripped my membranes again. It didn't hurt nearly as badly this time, but still unpleasant. I think that labor is just around the corner and I really doubt that I'll be induced. I hope that he's here by the weekend so that my dear sister Tiffany can still come to visit. Maybe if Easton knew how many people were anxiously awaiting his arrival, he'd hurry up. Perhaps he's going for the "fashionably late" approach. I am just going to try to stay a bit more active today that I have for the last few days and hope that it helps. PLEASE let him come. Oh please....

Stripped

2009-01-06T17:21:00.000-08:00

Today we had another dr. appt. It went pretty well. I have progressed to 2+ centimeters, 80% effaced, and the baby is sitting at zero station. Yay! They also were able to strip my membranes today. All I know is that it had better work, because it HURT!!!! My goodness, I thought I was going to kick the nurse in the face. Atleast it was over quickly. Hopefully it was worth it. The nurse said that if it worked, we would know within 24 hours. In the event that it doesn't work and I go...(GULP)...OVERDUE, then I go back to the doctor Thursday to talk about my options then. Ugh. Anyone else sick of talking about me giving birth and me not actually DOING it? I sure am. Anyway...due tomorrow. PLEASE let it be soon.
I want to take a quick second and tell my husband happy anniversary of our first date. :) Agreeing to go on that first date was the best thing I ever did, and I don't have any idea where I'd be without you. You are the perfect match for me and the last three years have been the best I've ever had. I love you more than you'll ever know. You're going to be the best dad Easton could ask for, because you're already the best husband I could ever ask for. Happy Anniversary, love. Here's to eternity!

Crippled

2009-01-02T09:04:00.000-08:00

AH!! I'm crippled! This little boy is totally crushing my pelvis and it has become VERY difficult for me to get around. I try to limp and not put as much weight on the side that hurts, but it's no bueno. I'm pretty sure the only thing that will give me relief from the pain is birth....ironic? I'm still working this week, and I feel that each night is an accomplishment. I hope that you all had a happy New Year. I'm feeling very excited for what is to come this year. I can't wait to watch my little boy grow up and learn how to be a good mommy to him. We're in for a year full of firsts. I'm not setting any resolutions this year, because I feel like I've got enough work cut out for me for a while. But I will try to be a more patient and loving wife for Kade. Hopefully the lack of a bajillion hormones will make that easier for me....but maybe not. I'm due in just five days now, but there is no sign of Easton joining us anytime soon. I'm just hoping at this point that he doesn't go a week over and I end up being induced anyway. I don't know that I can stand this pain in my hip and the discomfort from carrying this huge baby for 12 more days. But I'm trying to hang in there and keep a positive mind. TRYING is the key word there. I'm sorta hoping he'll come on the sixth now. That's the 3 year anniversary of our first date, and how wonderful would that be? Keep your fingers crossed for us! Thanks for all the support you've all given lately as we wait and anticipate! We love you.

Thoroughly Discouraged

2008-12-29T20:42:00.001-08:00

Wednesday is no go. Apparently you need to be 41 weeks if you are a first time mom before they will induce you. Real nice......

Wednesday?

2008-12-29T13:32:00.000-08:00

Well..so much for Monday. I just got back from my appointment and sadly, they weren't able to strip my membranes. The nurse practitioner couldn't reach my cervix enough to do it. My body is turning against me, I think. But I spoke to her about induction and I may be able to be induced Wednesday. She needed to talk to the doctor on call to be sure, but she thought I'd do well because my cervix is so thin. So, she said not to make another appointment and she'd give me a call to let me know the final decision. If I can't be induced Wednesday then I'll just sit back and wait my turn I guess. In other news....Christmas was very nice. Kade and I enjoyed our last Christmas alone together. Since we had Thanksgiving and Christmas Eve with my family, we spent the whole day with Kade's family on Christmas. I wasn't feeling very well that day so I got pretty overwhelmed when the whole family showed up. But it was still nice to see everyone one last time (hopefully) before little guy comes. That is..if he ever comes. I finished the nursery completely today. It felt good to be done with it. One step closer. I hope that you all had very nice holidays. Enjoy the new year. We'll keep you posted on any developments...or lack thereof.

Monday...

2008-12-23T13:06:00.000-08:00

Monday, Monday, Monday. That is my new mantra. The doctor agreed to strip my membranes Monday. MONDAY, MONDAY, MONDAY!! Oh friends, what good news that was to me. Now lets all cross our fingers that little Easton will cooperate with our plans and come to meet us all. I'm still sitting at one centimeter and 70% effaced. Thats okay. It's not zero. And it doesn't determine anything anyway. But his head is engaged and he's all ready to go. Now to get him here. That is the hard part I'm afraid. But either way, my due date is only 15 days away. AND you know what? It's Christmas Eve Eve so all is right in the world. I hope you all have wonderful holidays. Hopefully the next post is complete with photos of our new little man. OH PLEASE! MONDAY!!!!

One

2008-12-15T13:56:00.000-08:00

Good news! I'm one centimeter dialated and 70% effaced. Wahoo! We're really getting there now. :) Kade and I are really ready. The baby showers are over. The nursery is ready. All we need is our little man. Oh dear...when will he come?

Mary

2008-12-07T18:51:00.000-08:00

I've been thinking a lot today about the true meaning of Christmas, but more specifically, I've been thinking about Mary. I am so grateful for her example of motherhood. I can't imagine what it must have been like for her. She had to endure endless persecution for carrying a child that was not her husband's. She had to travel great distances on foot in the final days of her pregnancy. She had to endure the worry and grief it must have given her to be turned away when looking for a place to stay and birth her child. Never mind the immense pressure and responsibility put on her to carry and care for the Son of God. All these things she did. And of course the Lord rewarded her. She held and kissed and loved the infant Christ. What would it have been like to know that you held the Son of God in your arms and gazed into his eyes? To watch Him reach his first milestones? To know that our Heavenly Parents and Their Son depended upon you and your skills as a mother to give the Savior everything he would need to survive and succeed on this earth? She is an amazing woman. What an example she is to me! She must have lived her life greatly even before motherhood or the Lord would never have trusted her with such a great responsibility. I can't wait to hold my own infant son in my arms and understand the joy she felt that night in Bethlehem. I am honored that the Lord would trust Kade and I with one of His children. I doubt that I could measure up to Mary, but I will try my hardest to be the best mother I can for Easton. This Christmas, as we reflect on the birth of our Savior, don't forget to remember Mary and her profound sacrifices. Merry Christmas.

My pregnancy soapbox

2008-12-04T21:53:00.000-08:00

I don't know if you are all watching the baby ticker still...but if you are you'll know that it says 34 days today. YIKES!!! Where has the year gone, my friends? Today we had an appointment and an ultrasound to check on our little guy's growth. Good news! He's just fine. He weighing in at almost six pounds already and measuring at 35 weeks 3 days. Yay! Go Easton! The funny part is that my belly is still measuring at 30 centimeters like last time. I should be at 35. No wonder my back hurts so badly. He's camped on my spine. I forgive him. I've decided that he is every bit as uncomfortable as I am. It can't be fun to be all squished up inside me either. He's still very, very active and has begun to drop. The drop has caused some unpleasant side-effects I never knew about. I've been very nauseated, dizzy, and my back feels like it's about to snap, but my doctor assured me that it's my body's natural reaction to the pressure. Anyhow, with that, I'm just going to take one second and get up on my box. I've been very offended lately by people who seem to think that it is their place to judge me or others who don't particularly enjoy pregnancy. I am very grateful to have been given this opportunity, even though it is not what I had anticipated it to be. Kade and I tried very hard for 9 months to get pregnant, and I do not regret our decision. I am extremely happy that Easton is growing inside of me, even when pregnancy is making me somewhat miserable. Pregnancy is different for every woman because we all have different bodies and builds. It obviously will be less enjoyable for some and more enjoyable for others. Even though I am hoping he will come a little early, it is not solely because I would like to have my body back. It is for many, many reasons. If you would like to find out those reasons, please feel free to ask before you make assumptions. And of course, I would never want him to come a minute early at the expense of his own health. I assure you that I am not that selfish. I would share my body with him for as long as he needed to be a healthy, normal baby. I don't think that there is anything wrong with not being in love with the whole experience of pregnancy. Good for you, if you are. That really is a blessing and a talent. But please, don't judge me and make me feel badly because I don't enjoy elastic pants, nausea, sore ribs, and swollen ankles. But I am grateful to the Lord for trusting me with such a responsibility, and despite what some think, I do thank Him daily for giving me such a miracle. I already love my son more than I can express and I can't wait to meet him. I already know he is one amazing little guy. I'm not ashamed to say that I would rather hold him in my arms than in my belly. Get over it.

A farewell

2008-11-23T21:06:00.000-08:00

What a week we've had!First, we said goodbye to a close friend. That's right...Jack has moved on. We adopted him to a new family. We'd been having a lot of trouble with him lately. He really took the cake though on last Wednesday when he decided that our kitchen floor needed some help. So instead of peeing on it like he usually would...he just tore it up and ate it. So...we decided that he was too much maintenance for us, especially with Easton coming so soon. Kade took him to his new family on Friday. Now he'll have more room to run and children and another dog to play with. I'm sure he'll be very happy. Anyhow,Kade had his birthday on Thursday too. The big 2-4. He's feeling quite old I think. We went out to dinner at the Maddox and relaxed the rest of the night. It was nothing too exciting, but Thursdays usually aren't. Yesterday I had my first baby shower. Big thanks to Kade's mom, sister, and cousin for that! It was spectacular! We felt very spoiled after. However, even though his closet is full and we are more prepared, I'm still pretty anxious for our little guy to come. But the excitement also fills the house!Just 45 more days! The nursery is coming along nicely, and I have two more days off to work on it. Also, I am positive that my belly has grown. Easton must be growing just fine! And he has been exceptionally active this week. Well, I hope that everyone has a terrific Thanksgiving. I KNOW I WILL!!!

This week

2008-11-17T20:01:00.000-08:00

Today we had another doctor appointment. Dr. Craig says baby looks fine and feels like he is sitting head down (yay!). The only bad news is that I'm still measuring small. I should be measuring at 33 centimeters and I'm only measuring at 30. Uh oh. So we're going to have another ultrasound before our next appointment just to make sure that he is growing the right amount. Dr. Craig and I both suppose that everything is fine. Easton likes to hang out in my ribs so he's probably just hiding up there growing away. My weight gain is still on track and after next time we should start going weekly to the doctor. It's crunch time! So Kade and I are going to be working extra hard on getting the nursery in line and ready for little man to come. My first shower is this weekend and I'm really excited to visit with everyone. The gifts won't be bad either! We'll be down to seven weeks on Wednesday. Yikes! We had lamaze class today too. I'm really enjoying the classes. I hope that they prove to be helpful. Tonight we learned breathing patterns. Ah hee ah hee ah hee ah hoo. And don't you forget it! Oh and I also want to say that whoever voted on the poll that I'll have Easton Jan. 11-17 is a real big meanie. Just kidding....kinda.

Nerves

2008-11-11T08:36:00.000-08:00

Finally...I'm nervous. This whole time I've just been breezing through this pregnancy without a single nervous bone in my body. Well..the nerves have shown up and I think they're trying to make up for me having an easy 8 months. It just hit me in the last few days that I am actually going to have a child. I love babies and kids, but I've never had one that I didn't send home with my sister after a few hours. Scary. And I'm feeling a little sad today that it won't just be me and Kade anymore. I am still very excited for little Easton to come, but I'll miss having Kade all to myself sometimes. I have the greatest husband in all the world. I hope that we can still find quiet moments to sit together and be silly. I think he deserves a medal or something...he's a good sport for putting up with me. He'll be a very good dad. AND he did such a great job at our lamaze class last night. He is going to be an awesome labor coach. Last night we learned some basic massage and relaxation techniques. It was actually physically exhausting for me and I was very sore when the class was over. I'm still not nervous for labor. That's a good thing, I guess. I am nervous for early labor though. Only because we are not ready for Easton to come. 8 more weeks, folks. I am feeling a bit in over my head.

Family photos

2008-11-04T09:29:00.001-08:00

Okay, first of all-- where the heck did November come from? Didn't October just start? Time is flying by right now. That's a fact I only too grateful for. Just 9 more weeks folks! And you better have your fingers crossed for 8!!! Halloween was really fun this year. Kade went as Elvis and I went as a beauty queen (Miss Conception, of course. Thanks for the idea, Karissa!)

We also had another doctor appointment. Nothing big to report there. I'm measuring a slight amount smaller than I ought to be, but we're not concerned. Also, we've signed up for lamaze class and I am simply giddy about it. I can't wait! We took family photos last weekend and I can't wait to share them with all of you! My friend, Christy, is starting up her own photography business so we had her take the pictures for us. She was simply divine. The pictures were wonderful, and I would recommend her to anyone looking to have pictures taken. You can check her out at Christymariephotography.blogspot.com and I think you'll agree with me.

I am getting very excited for Thanksgiving. We're spending it with my mom's side of the family, and I'm really grateful to be able to see everyone before baby comes. Not to mention eating all that fantastic food. Pregnant lady paradise is what it is. Let's just hope the time keeps flying by until then.

Promises

2008-10-20T21:34:00.000-07:00

Here are the pictures I've been promising for a million months. Blogger is being weird so I can't tell you which picture is which, but there are some from our hotel room on our anniversary, flying kites/planes, our haunted gingerbread house, carving pumpkins, and a few adventures of the mischevious Mr. Jack...Good luck. No news, except that we are now doing bimonthly appointments!! WOOT! We're getting closer by the minute.

Baby Ticker

2008-10-13T17:30:00.000-07:00

Here is my new baby ticker. Now you can all count down with and see the changes that our little man is going through! Enjoy!

October arrives!

2008-10-06T10:25:00.000-07:00

Okay...so I suck at blogging. I know it. You know it. Now we can move on. I have had a post drafted for some time, but I STILL don't have any pictures of my baby belly. Kade went to take some for me one night, and the batteries in the camera died! And wouldn't you know that I didn't have a single good battery in the house. I do have some of our anniversary and of Jack's adventures that I will post this week on my days off. So...sorry. No pics this time. I'm posting from work or I would just post them now. On with it.... Oh, how I love fall!! October is my favorite month. I love the leaves, the weather, the holidays, everything!!! The end of September wasn't bad either. Kade and I celebrated our second anniversary on the 29th. We decided that this year we would make a big deal about it since it's our last child-free anniversary. We got ourselves a room at the Anniversary Inn on Sunday night and both took Monday off to play and relax. Our room was wonderful. We stayed in the Player's Clubhouse. It has a foosball table and a putting green. My favorite part was the heart-shaped jetted tub. I made Kade promise to buy me one some day. We went to the movies and to dinner. We even bought kites and goofed off at the park for a while. It was a really great anniversary. We're almost all settled into our house. Things are definitely coming together. Easton is still doing well. Kicking away in there. Making me crazy. Love him to pieces. This Wednesday is the first day of my last trimester. Can you believe that? I feel like it's going so slowly, but actually the weeks are flying by. Now I only have about 12 weeks left. I remember when I was only 13 weeks along!! And actually, if Easton comes a week early like Kade and I are hoping, then I only have 11 weeks left. YIKES!! We better get to work on that nursery. I'm starting to feel the anxiety of preparing to be a mom....and preparing Kade to be a dad. I've been talking with a few of my friends who are new moms. It makes me feel good to talk to them, but it also makes me realize how much work we're in for. I don't have a lot more to say. Kade and I are still busy working, working, working all the live long day. But we are very happy and doing well. I guess you can't ask for more! I have an appointment this Thursday so I'll post then and let you all know how that went. Stay tuned folks! Also-- My showers are coming up, so if you'd like an invite to one of them, then please post your address on here for me so I can get you one! Love ya'll!

I'm still alive

2008-09-20T20:42:00.000-07:00

It was called to my attention that people may think I have dropped off the face of the earth. Kade and I have been SO busy. We are officially homeowners now, and are still getting settled in our new house. We LOVE it. Once we got the painting done, we were feeling very good about moving. I know I keep promising pictures, and you're just gonna have to hear it again. I'll get some pictures up of my belly, the house, and Jack really soon. There's not much new on the baby front. He's incredibly active and I have decided that there is nothing cooler than feeling a baby move inside your tummy. It's amazing. Except for those few times where it makes you go "Whoa. There is a body inside me." I had a doctor appt. this week too. It went really well. Have a mentioned how much I really love my doctor?? I am seeing Dr. Kristen Craig at the Budge Clinic, and I have adored her. She got called to a delivery before my appt. but made sure she stayed long enough to see me so I wouldn't have to wait. I was so grateful. I had to take that dreadful, awful, disgusting glucose test this time. I don't think I will desire orange soda for a long, long time now. And next time I have to get a shot in my bum! WHAT!?!?!?! Who decided that butts were a good place to stick a needle anyway? I would like to meet them....and stick them in the butt. Oh well. All in the name of motherhood. I also had a very good month for weight gain....8 pounds baby. I was shocked...and a little appalled. But only until Dr. Craig told me to expect a jump in this month's and next month's weight. Doesn't make me feel all the way better about gaining that much at once, but again, I'll do it for Easton. I do believe that's it for me this week folks. I'll try to think of new, funny things to write and I WILL get some pictures up very soon. I promise.

The moody blues

2008-08-30T20:35:00.000-07:00

Ugh. Where in the world has sane Nikki gone? If you find her...let me know. The hormones have completely taken over my brain. I've turned into the dreaded psycho chick (sorry to those of you who have met her.) I have been so disoriented lately with this new body. Laughing, then crying, then laughing about crying, then crying again. I've never been a person who dealt particularly well with stress or anxiety even though I seem to be prone to it. And stress is psycho chick's best friend. Hunger is her second best friend. If you happen to catch me when I'm stressed or hungry or worst of all stressed and hungry-- let me formally apologize to you here. I am deeply sorry. I will probably be mean. Snappy remarks and rude comments flow out like word vomit from psycho chick. Then she'll realize she's mean and she'll cry. All in all- she's not a fun person to be around. Therefore, I am not a fun person to be around most the time anymore. Again, sorry guys. May sound like an excuse, but I really can't control it. Hopefully you all get to see me on days where my tummy is full, I am fully rested, and have not had a rough night at work. Today was not one of those days. I went to Salt Lake today to visit Tiffany and her family and I feel like I should have stayed home, because psycho chick refused to be left behind. I got up for work today at 5 am which of course exhausted me so I was no fun. Then I let myself get too hungry, said mean things to Kade, hurt his feelings, stressed myself out because I was mean to my dear husband, word vomited A LOT, and mostly ruined everyone's time I think. I've discovered that I'm starving most the time and even when I eat til there is no room left in my belly, I am still hungry. Two hours later and I'll be ravenous and word vomiting all over the place. Completely hopeless. However, ladies, if you're at this point in your pregnancy (21 weeks) I don't think that you're allowed to throw yourself pity parties about how rough you think you've got it. Trust me--you're the only one who will show up. The men will roll their eyes and the women will kindly remind you that it's going to get much worse. Suck it up, soldier. You might secretly (or openly, like me) wish you had your body back, but then your little baby will nudge you from inside to say he/she loves you and it will put you on the world's worst guilt trip. Probably, you'll cry. Atleast, this is what my experience has been. Party over. Moving on.

I sincerely tried to put up the good pictures of the baby, but I can't figure out how to work the scanner at Mom and Dad's so it'll have to wait. We'll probably be closing on the condo in less than a week (crossies!!) and I can put them up then. I would just like to share one more experience I had this week..promise this one is more light-hearted. Some may think this next story is too much for the blog, but I completely enjoy it. So-- lately wearing a bra has become a death sentence in the morning. Ugh. SO not comfy. My old bras still fit me just fine (luckily) but they are just so darn uncomfortable. So off I go in search of the bra that won't make me miserable. First I go to K-mart and ALAS! I find exactly what I was looking for. Wait...nope. My size is impossible to find. So I leave that store feeling a little down-trodden and disgruntled, but I'm not ready to give up. A couple days later, Mom braves Shop-Ko with me on the hunt again. And Ah!! Look! There it is! And it's just my size....except it's hot pink and has underwire which I didn't want. So...keep looking. We searched and searched and the only thing bras that had the features I wanted (wide straps, seamless, no underwire, etc.) were those awful 18 hour bras in boxes. Mom finds one that will fit and I look it over. Wow. It's like body armor. Those things are so ridiculously huge that they look like vests. I don't particularly want to "suit up" in the mornings so I passed it up and went back to look at the normal bras. I found one with wide straps that was seamless and a normal color. They had my size. It's only downfall is the underwire. However, what I learned is that all bras my size have underwire (unless it's a vest). Psh...land of the free? Yeah, right! Only if you're not a D! Otherwise the companies think they have the right to tack iron rods under your boobs like some sick joke. Jerks. Oh well. So, here I sit. All wired up, but actually much more comfortable than before. Maybe one day I'll swallow my pride and just wear the stupid, ugly vest.

Downhill journey

2008-08-24T20:13:00.000-07:00

Well folks, first off, let me apologize for dropping off the face of the planet last week. Kade and I had a very, very busy week moving out of our apartment, and I had zero energy for blog-land. BUT- we have reached week twenty and it's downhill from here! Hooray! Last week's appointment was a success! I finally gained five pounds (go me!) and we also found out what had been causing the very disturbing mystery pain on my left side. I have pulled the left side of my round ligament. Boy, is that painful. It was a relief to know that that's all it was. I started icing it for the pain and it seemed to help until the worrier inside told me I was freezing my baby's brain. Yes, ridiculous-- but mom's worry a lot. The ultrasound showed that baby is doing exceptionally well. Kade left the good pictures at work, so I'll post them as soon as possible. Baby was right on track for size and weighs 11 ounces!! That's about the weight of a can of pop. What a little hard worker! I'm so proud! The heart, brain, and spine are looking perfect and there are no signs of cleft lip. Also, baby was very active and already sitting head down. I have gotten to feel the wiggles a lot more lately :) We also found what we've all been waiting for. The sex! I'm happy to say that Kade and my hopes were confirmed! It's a beautiful, wonderful, perfect little man!! YAY! Now the real fun can start. Of course, like all new parents, we had to go out and buy a few outfits just to please ourselves. The real name game has started and the name of the day is Easton Maddox....stay tuned. We'll see if I like it next week still. We also are looking for cribs and crib sets now so we can pick the nursery colors and get painting! If only Kade and I could agree on whether or not to do jungle theme or sport's theme...(go monkeys!) We are staying at my mom and dad's house and I have to say we are NOT hurting. Mom is so wonderful. She makes me dinner and keeps me company. However, we will be very grateful to have our own home ready to move into. We're still working on getting the loan stuff closed up so we can get to work with the paint. All in all it's been a pretty good week. One more down.....twenty to go.

The house

2008-08-12T22:12:00.001-07:00

Well, that's it. I'm a real grown up now. We bought a house. Well..a condo anyway. It's in the blackhawk subdivision for those of you who know where that is. It's all very fast, but we love it and are very happy with our decision. We have to move out of our apartment by the 22nd now...which is just about nuts. So we'll be staying with mom and pop for a few weeks while we get all the paperwork settled and painting done that I decide to do. I'll post some pictures when I have them. Anyway....we have made it to week 19. Almost half done. We just have 6 more days until we find out the sex of the little bambino. However, I did have a dream last night that it was a girl (named Emma Lois...uck!) ...A sign, maybe?

Stretchy pants are awful

2008-08-10T22:09:00.000-07:00

Today I went shopping at Kohl's and decided it was time to check out the maternity section. None of my pants fit me anymore, and I also discovered today that not one of my skirts can be done up so I guess I'll be wearing the same two dresses for the next 6 months to church. I've mentioned before my feelings on maternity pants with the big stretchy tummy part. UGH. Mortifying. But I decided to be brave and try a pair on today. I thought that maybe once I had them on I would fall in love with them and vow to never wear pants without elastic again. Nope. I was wrong. I took one look at myself in the mirror and knew I could never pay $50 to look that way. So I'm looking into alternative options. Kade was slightly less than helpful with his comments (he's clueless.) I don't even remember what he said exactly. I only know that by the time we left the store I had sworn not to go pants shopping with him again. Perhaps I was just in an especially sensitive and foul mood. Later, we went to visit Jack at his "foster parents" home. Kade's parents have been more than generous by taking him while we sort out our housing situation. I was so amazed at how much he had grown in a week. I guess it's the same way with little babies, so I'd better get over it. Speaking of housing, I've been looking at apartments the last week or so and I have been absolutely disgusted by the places that allow pets. Of course, they all REEK of pee, and are just generally run down. After looking at one particularly disappointing place, I decided to heck with renting. We're going to just buy a townhouse instead. It will end up costing more, but hey, it's OURS. So Kade is going to get a second job to help out since he's taking a semester off school and I'm sure it will all work out. It's more than a little nerve-wracking to get a mortgage, but we're both tired of throwing our money away on rent and moving from place to place. Tomorrow we're going to speak with the bank about our financing options and etc. Wish us luck.

Summer winds down

2008-08-08T09:53:00.000-07:00

August has become one of my favorite months. I know we're only a little bit into it, but it has been a nice month so far. Last weekend, Kade and I drove up for my Aunt Bea's 50th birthday party in Blackfoot. I really love getting to see all of my family :) Tiffany even drove all the way up and stayed for the weekend with her Little Man. He's the cutest little boy I ever saw. Maybe he'll have some competition come January.We have just about a week and half until we find out the sex. Anticipation is thick at the Gardner house. I'm pretty sure that I can feel the baby moving....but it's hard to be sure. Perhaps I'm making something out of nothing. I was finally able to pull my head out of the new and final book in the Twilight series last night. I savored every page. It was wonderful, by the way. This week, Kade and I are working at the Cache County Fair to earn a little extra dough and help out his mom. If it weren't so hot, I'd love it. Even with the heat, it's pretty fun to be down there. I inherited a love for "people-watching" from my mom, and the fair is a pot of gold for weirdos wandering about. It's highly entertaining. We're still looking for a new place to live and still working to get our current place rented out. Finding an affordable place where we can keep Jack is proving to be more of a hassle than we had hoped. Perhaps our move will only allow us to keep Jack, and not save money as we had intended. But he's worth it. I'll get a part-time job if I have to.

Uprooted..again

2008-07-29T09:13:00.000-07:00

Looks like the Gardner family is moving...again. We've only been in our apartment for 3 months, but Kade and I have decided to jump ship to save money and have a place that allows Jack. So, we are currently looking for a Jack-sitter. Any volunteers? It's gonna be a really huge hassle for me to move all of the dog stuff into hiding every time we have to show our apartment. Anyhow, Jack is doing very well with us. He's caught on so quickly to potty training and sleeping through the night. What a wonderful little dog. My very favorite thing is how dang excited he gets when one of us comes home. He wags his little bum and jumps all over, and it's just so darn cute you can't be grumpy after work. No news on the bambino this week. I'm DYING to feel the baby move, but I'm getting no cooperation. But I just found out that my closest cousin in age is going to have a baby boy this December. I'm very, very excited for him. Well, folks I wish I had more to give ya, but I'm all out of interesting things to say.

Here's Jack getting his first bath. He wasn't so fond of it, but he looked adorable.

Jack hiking with Kade.

Our new addition

2008-07-23T10:27:00.001-07:00

Kade and I would like to introduce the newest member of our family! His name is Jack! He's border collie and cocker spaniel...and yes, the physics of that breed are mind-boggling. I especially love the freckles on his nose. What a babe.

He has been such an adventure for us and really is helping us to prepare for the baby. He gets me up atleast once a night and needs constant attention while he's being potty-trained. Just don't tell the landlord. :) Kade's cousin brought the puppies to Bear Lake while we were up there and we fell in love with him. He's mellow and sweet.

Kade and I had a great time relaxing at his family's cabin in Bear Lake. I got the sunburn of a lifetime, but we still managed to have a good time. We spent time at the lake, four-wheeling, eating delicious food, etc. Monday night my sisters and I went to the John Mayer concert and LOVED it.
That's John there in the white shirt jamming away. What a beautiful rock star.

Colbie Caillat opened for him and she was also fantastic. She's the one in the white shirt. She has the most beautiful voice. It was nice to see both of my sisters and relax for one more night before I had to go back to work.
Yesterday I got to go to the doctor again. We heard the baby's heartbeat and Dr. Craig said that baby seems to be growing right and that I'm just the right size. I was SHOCKED to find out that I still haven't gained any weight. My doctor told me not to worry, so I guess I won't. We also got to schedule our ultrasound for Aug. 19th :) We'll finally know the sex for sure! I have started getting a lot of comments about my belly. I'm not quite sure how to take them. I suppose they're meant well. I've recently been told I was "losing my figure", I'm looking "calvey" (like a pregnant cow would), I have a chubby belly, and one person said they couldn't imagine what I would look like by January.....Nice....As much as I love my new belly, comments like that make me sort of insecure. I don't feel like I'm huge or that I'm showing too much. Oh well. Going back to work was slightly less than joyful. I feel like lately my patients eat me alive (no pun intended) and yell at me about things I can't control all night. Again, oh well. Such is life.

The bump

2008-07-12T10:20:00.000-07:00

Ahh...the bump. My baby belly is showing now. Except, the thing I really don't enjoy about baby bumps is the fact that if people don't know you're pregnant you just look sorta fat. People might just think I've let myself go. I'm in a really frustrating stage where my clothes don't quite fit me anymore, but I'm too small (and prideful) to start wearing stretching maternity pants. Anyhow, I'm in my second trimester now which is very nice. Baby is the size of a lemon this week and I still marvel at the fact that I can't feel a lemon-sized person moving around in me. Not a lot has changed for me with the beginning of a new trimester. Except for the fact that I now frequently get headaches which really annoy me. I'm getting a little antsy for the fun parts of pregnancy to come. Enough with the sickness. Let's move on, body, shall we? Anyway, I know this is a short post, but I'm in one of those moods where you're so awfully ornery that you can't even stand to be around yourself. I'm struggling to think of anything positive. I'll be on vacation for a little while without internet access so I'll post again after my appt. on the 22nd. Happy July.

I just remembered another thing that I have been meaning to post about. Hopefully someone will have ideas about how to make my biggest problem go away. I keep having the most horrible nightmares. Usually they involve me trying to not get shot point blank in the head. Last night, I woke Kade and myself up screaming "NO!" in my sleep. I had a nightmare that someone snuck up on me in the dark and grabbed me. It doesn't sound that scary now, but it really was terrifying. I can only take so many more gun dreams and nightmares. Any ideas?

Days off are a beautiful thing

2008-07-04T21:29:00.000-07:00

AHHHH......How I LOVE having days off. I've had the last three days off and it has been a wonderful, wonderful thing. The Fourth is my supreme favorite holiday. I was feeling so fortunate to have it off, considering my job includes working Thanksgiving and Christmas. On Wednesday I loaded up my sister, Lindsay's, two beautiful daughters and carted them out to Hyrum to watch the fireworks with Kade and Grandpa. I hardly saw any of the show because I too fascinated by their cute faces and was snapping away with the camera.

Dad and the girls waiting for the fireworks. Ashlyn is too quick for the camera.

I think this is the sweetest picture. :)
CHEESE!!!

If you look close, you can see that Makenzy's mouth is hanging wide open. This was right when the fireworks started.

Makenzy's face is PERFECT in this one.

Thursday night we went to Logan's fireworks with Kade's family. It was our niece Brynlee's 2nd birthday too. Happy Day!!! She is the most adorable little thing. We didn't get as many pictures that night and unfortunately Uncle Kade forgot to bring the camera to her birthday party today. We also went to the pool with Mistie, Nick, and Brynlee on Thursday. I wish I had pictures of her going down the slide with Uncle Kade. She loved it!
She didn't seem as sure about the fireworks that night. She was probably pretty tired and they were a lot bigger and louder than the ones Makenzy and Ashlyn went to see with us. She still "Wow"ed in all the right places and seemed content. She's so cute. :)
However, there is no new news on the baby front. I've decided to leak information about the names on the list for lack of better information for you all. The girl name is 100% positive. Kadynce Marie (First name after her daddy and middle name after my mom's). I think it's so beautiful that we half hope it is a little Kady :) The names for a son change weekly, if not daily. The list include thus far: Brooks, Cohl, Carson, Camden, and Brennen. I also love Max :) So you'll have to stay tuned if it is our little baseball player in there. Feel free to let us know which ones are your favorites and maybe we can narrow it down.

Who do you listen to?

2008-06-30T10:18:00.000-07:00

So I've been miserably sick this week with what I believe is a sinus infection from my terrible allergies. I cough, I sneeze, I can't breathe, I can't sleep. Awful. I'm starting to get very frustrated. Saturday I went to the store and stood in front of the allergy medications and decongestants for about twenty minutes reading all the labels and wondering which were safe and which weren't. I decided to call my sisters (who were wonderful) and do some research of my own online. What I've learned is that everyone has something different to say about what's safe to do when you're pregnant. My doctor told me that most over-the-counter medicines were safe. MOST. Not all. Of course, I assume I'll pick out the one that isn't approved. One website says a medicine is safe, another says don't take it. Other mommy's doctors have said don't take anything in the first trimester. Another says take Benedryl. Another says take Actifed. Who do you listen to? Of course, no (good) mom wants to take something or do something that will harm her baby. So here I am. I took Tiffany's advice and stuck with the Sudafed. I've decided to use a nasal spray as well. Hopefully, the combo will make a difference for me and make no difference for baby. But most of all I really hope that I figure out who is actually right in all this business.

The exclusive first look at the Gardner baby

2008-06-26T18:19:00.000-07:00

Well...my mind is finally at ease!! Today we had another appointment with our doctor and our first ultrasound. It was so reassuring to hear the heartbeat and see our little bug in real time. We even got to watch the baby wiggle around in 4D. The doctor said that baby is looking perfectly normal and healthy so far. There are no words to describe what it's like to see the baby on the screen and know that it's actually inside of me! I'm so amazed at the fantastic work my body and baby are doing right now. Baby is just the right size and she even took a guess at the sex.... I think I might hold you all in suspense and not post it on here until we know one hundred percent. Feel free to make guesses from the pictures, but remember I'm only 12 weeks so it's anyone's game. I'm feeling more like myself every day and I'm really looking forward to the coveted second trimester. I've even developed a bit of a baby bump. I was also happy to discover that I haven't had any weight gain yet (which is actually an okay deal at this point.)

Can you tell what the sex is???

Week 11

2008-06-18T20:05:00.000-07:00

So, here we are. Eleven weeks down and 29 to go. However, the last week has brought some welcome changes. I'm starting to have more energy....finally! My eyes are still pretty heavy by about 8 pm but I'm much more able to function throughout the day. Now..if I could only sleep at night....Since being pregnant I am getting some really terrible nights of sleep. I wake up 3-4 times every night and it takes me 15 minutes at least to get back to sleep. Ah well, this too shall pass I'm sure. My nausea is improving also. It's funny how when you're in the first trimester you are actually alarmed by feeling well. I start to worry if I'm not really tired or nauseated before and after every meal. I laugh sometimes, because I actually feel relieved when something triggers my gag reflex. Those who know me best know that I am an anxious basket case most of the time. But, I'm finding that with each day that passes I breathe a little more easily knowing that baby is still in there. I can only hope that that means everything is going smoothly. The best new change is that time seems to be passing more quickly. It felt like the first weeks of knowing about our pregnancy dragged on and on. The ultrasound is just 6 days away now! Wahoo! I'll post again next week when we get our first peek at our little bug. :)

The first appointment

2008-06-10T19:44:00.000-07:00

So- Kade and I went for our first doctor's appointment today. Basically, we don't know anything new! The baby is still pretty tiny so there was only a 50% chance that we could hear the heartbeat. Well, we were part of the unlucky 50% and the doctor couldn't find the heartbeat. So, we'll be going back in two weeks for our first ultrasound. I am really looking forward to having some proof that there is actually a little baby inside my tummy! It's frustrating to not know what's going on in there! I'll try to have a good attitude about it if the hormones will let me. My moods have been completely out of control. Say a prayer that Kade will still love me by the time the baby comes. I'm afraid I've not been a very fun person lately. However, the upside is that I really loved my doctor. She was very informative and kind. I'm looking forward to having her help us through the next 30 weeks. Also, she said that the morning sickness and nausea usually peak at 10 weeks so I should be over the hump soon. Lucky for me, I have only thrown up once so far! So, I'll just keep counting my blessings and trying to be a nice girl.

Here we go!

2008-06-08T22:00:00.000-07:00

Hello, all! I'm jumping on the blog bandwagon to keep everyone informed about our crazy lives, happenings, and mostly our pregnancy and baby! I'll do my best to post all the fun new stuff that happens. Happy blogging!