Shady Bradys

Just a Reminder!

2010-07-01T16:04:00.000-07:00

We've moved to http://spontaneousday.blogspot.com

Moving On

2010-06-16T14:13:00.001-07:00

Hi Everybody. This is just to let you know that I've created a new blog for us at: http://spontaneousday.blogspot.com. So, if you want the random updates on our life, that's where you're going to find them. So, if you do, please follow me! I may or may not be keeping this blog up. Haven't decided yet. : ) Bye!

Blessed.

2010-05-04T11:55:00.000-07:00

Brittan & Grandma Brownell

Don't you just love how I'm looking in one direction, Anthony's looking the other, and our babies are gazing right at the camera? Haha! I've decided it's hard to get a good picture when more than one camera is pointed at you.

Blessed Baby

Cooking Adventures Part 2

2010-04-29T22:31:00.001-07:00

I was making pizza last week. I almost always make my own and was trying a recipe that didn't have to rise.

Dubious?

Yes.

It was a total flop. I'll be going be going back to my tried-and-true, thank you.

Well, I figured that since Ashlynn is always under foot when I'm cooking, I might as well put her on the step stool to watch. And she did. And she enjoyed it. We made pizza pockets this week and she helped put the cheese in. But, I'm getting off on a tangent. Where was I?

Oh yes, she watched me make the stupid yeast-less pizza dough and roll it out on the pizza stone. Then I went to the pantry to get some tomato sauce for pizza sauce and I came back just in time to see my observer stuff a bunch of dough into her mouth. Hahaha! Yuck. Well, she seemed to like it, but she looked soooo guilty when I caught her.

Busted! Heehee. Like how my kitchen counter is the size of a postage stamp? Me too.

Yum yum! Yeah? See that trash can? That's where that pizza dough went. All the toppings? They got put into sandwiches. Waste not, want not!

Cooking Adventures Part 1

2010-04-29T22:15:00.000-07:00

I made a discovery today.

All those apple recipes that tell you to peel and cut the apples? I strongly DISLIKE them. I really, really, really, really, really hate peeling apples. And every apple recipe I've tried involves several pounds of apples. I've never repeated any apple recipe I've tested because I hate peeling those stinkin' apples!!

Well, I've been meaning, for weeks now, to have a go at a really yummy-looking mini apple pie recipe and I realized that since it was healthy-ish (whole wheat, real butter, low sugar, plain yogurt, etc), I really should leave the peels on. My train of thought was that if I make mashed potatoes with the skins on (I hate peeling potatoes too) because they are good for you, then I should leave the apples peels on for the same reason. I was a little apprehensive. Who wants to waste 3 lbs of perfectly good apples? But, I was more than willing to see what would happen.

Guess what?

Decades of women have been peeling apples for NO REASON!!!

Mini apple pies are delicious AND the skins are gooooooooooooooooooooood! :) Can't even tell they're there.

I'm NEVER peeling another apple again.

The Story of the Stokke Sleepi Crib

2010-04-12T18:36:00.000-07:00

"There's one place," a young couple once said,
"Good enough for our new baby's head:
The best crib in the land,
Only cost us twelve grand."
It stands empty--he sleeps in their bed.
-- Josh Lerman

This was us, back when we had Ashlynn. The crib is the Stokke Sleepi. It cost us a thousand bucks. Was it worth it? I'm going to say yes. It's probably the worlds most tiny, compact crib and when we were living in a small bedroom in my parent's garage last summer, it was a life saver. But, she didn't really start sleeping in it until much later. Both my babies have insisted from day one that only my bed will do. Ashlynn lost any say in that matter when she got mobile. But the crib.... I still love it because it doesn't take up much space and it is cute. No, I didn't buy the $100+ sheet sets for it. A regular crib sheet works fine because the mattress is so snug. I have yet to fix the bumper that is slightly too long and overlaps. Will we buy another one for Brittan? No. I think we'll get a regular cheap-o one, thank you very much. :) Do I recommend this crib? 100% yes, if you can stomach dishing out that kind of cash for a piece of baby furniture. Or if you have an awesome mom who will pay for half of it. ;)

Beautiful Baby Brittan

2010-03-24T21:00:00.000-07:00

Our newest baby girl. In love. Of course. :)

Just out and really blue. They told me that is normal.

Tired but happy.

Just an ounce bigger than her big sister was at birth, but several inches shorter!!

Ashlynn and Brittan meeting for the first time. Pretty fun! Grandpa and Nana Casperson brought Ashlynn over to the hospital for a visit.

I just love this picture of Ashlynn (now 16 months old). Surrounded by the people she loves most in this world (except for Mommy & Daddy of course!): her Nana and Aunt Rachel. We're assuming that Brittan will be a fast favorite too. :)

Passed out drunk. Haha! She falls asleep eating every time.

Cute, chubby cheeks. Just a doll. Dontcha think?

Where's the food?"

Ashlynn, "helpfully" unpacking the hospital bag. :)

Can't sleep.... Guess I'll blog!

2010-03-17T01:06:00.001-07:00

Just a couple of pictures taken in February.

This is me at the FUN baby shower Pam & Jenny threw for me. Patty did such an AWESOME job on the cake (as you can see)! Please excuse the lack of space here between this caption and the next picture. It's making me so mad, but I can't get it to stay seperated for anything! GRRRRRRRR!

Ashlynn got this little castle tent for Christmas. Her favorite furry blanket and a basket full of books make it one of her favorite places to be. I hope she has a life-long love of reading like her momma!

This is a great example of what happens whenever I give Ash something to eat that she's just not that into. Little crumbs and pieces EVERYWHERE. You'd think that someone so afraid of the vacuum would be a little more tidy......

Ashlynn loves bathtime and she loves her hooded towel (Thanks again Emily!). And I love cute, little, clean babies!

Christmas in Downtown Seattle

2010-01-25T11:48:00.000-08:00

These are just a couple pictures from our outing in Downtown Seattle, right after Thanksgiving. We went to the Seattle Center where we saw dancers from other countries and Ashlynn chased seagulls in the park. We rode the Monorail to Westlake Center and there we got to ride on the Christmas Carousel. Then we went to the Sheraton Hotel where they were displaying amazing gingerbread house creations. Lastly, we went down to the waterfront (walked through a lit up Pike Place Market) and saw the Toy Land of Lights on one of the docks. A very fun family day. We need to do things like this more often!
Ashlynn with Daddy, waiting for the Monorail.

Mommy & Ash with our tickets for the Christmas Carousel. So excited!

She was thrilled when I set her up on that horse!

Not so thrilled when it started moving. She was so brave and didn't cry or scream even though it obviously freaked her out! *laugh*

In line at the Sheraton to see the Gingerbread houses. They were all from Christmas movies.

Can you tell that she was being a little trouble maker during the wait?

So Big!

2010-01-19T00:27:00.001-08:00

This was taken yesterday. Ashlynn is learning how to feed herself. She's very excited about it. Can you believe that she's already 14 months old!!! When did this happen?
Excuse the boxes in the background. We're still unpacking. I'll try to get the Christmas pics up before this month is over. :) No promises though. :P

And. It's......

2009-11-30T07:07:00.000-08:00

A GIRL!!!!!

Everything looked good at my mid-term ultrasound and Ashlynn's going to have a little sister. :)

Repentance. A looooooooooooooong repentance. :)

2009-11-24T13:59:00.000-08:00

Hi. This is my attempt at catching up. I've been quite remiss in my journaling (aka blogging). You've already read the updates on Anthony and me. Not a lot has changed there. Tony's only got 2.5 more weeks of this quarter left. I've been using up my dental insurance for the year. Not fun. And we've decided to run down to Utah & Rexburg for a quick visit right before Christmas. And now for the interesting stuff. Ashlynn. >:)

She's actually got hair now. She can wear clips, bows and bands. Yeah! My sister, Rachel, did this hair-do. Now if only I could get Ash to leave it all in....

I've never met a child who adores fur and fuzziness more than my baby. Those textures have a very calming effect on her. Comes in handy at the grocery store, among other places.

We took Ashlynn to the local pumpkin patch the weekend before Halloween and she had a blast patting all the pumpkins and playing with the farmer's puppies.

This is the face of frustration. We get to see it quite a bit actually. The story behind this particular photo is brief. I had filled a tall container full of carefully folded baby clothes. Ashlynn emptied it out. Almost. She got very upset about not being able to reach the very bottom pieces. Hahahaha!

Little flower fairy. It was so hard to get a halfway decent picture. She wouldn't hold still.

Going through her bag after trick-or-treating. "Yeah!!! Candy!!!"

Birthday Party #1. With Anthony's side of the family. Day before Ashlynn's actual birthday. This is Daddy helping her blow out her candle. Ashlynn refused to eat her cupcake. Probably should have just put a candle on top of a banana or a pile of broccoli. Or better yet, her bottle.

Opening presents. With a little help.

Tony cutting the pizza for Birthday Party #2. With my family. On the 15th. Happy 1st Birthday Ashlynn!!

Party Girl.

Everyone decorating their own cupcakes. Ashlynn actually ate the candy off the top of her cupcake this time around. :)

Whew!

Jamie

2009-10-28T15:32:00.000-07:00

Okay, okay. So, the picture is mostly of Ashlynn. But, it's a good smile from me. I know I shouldn't laugh when my baby falls on her face, but I do. Only when she doesn't cry though. :)

So, what's new with me? I'm busy with the before mention child, who is into EVERYTHING! And when she isn't all over the house searching and destroying, she wants me to hold her. So, I spend a lot of my time cuddling. Not complaining though. Just enjoying it while it lasts. I'll get my chores done some other day.

I've been crafting more. Can't say what I'm making right now because it's all for Christmas and some of the recipients may read this blog.

I'm also pregnant and just about half way through. I'm excited for the 9th of next month because I get to (hopefully) find out the baby's gender. Tony wants a boy. I can't imagine having anything else but girls. We'll see. I find myself forgetting that I'm pregnant some days, which is nice. I'm having a hard time remembering to drink enough water.

Can't think of anything else really exciting to tell you.

Oh! We're moving into an apartment in downtown Vashon between the 17th of November and the 1st of December (depends on when they finish spiffing it up). I think that's pretty exciting. :)

Guess my next post will be Halloween. Hope everyone has a good one!

Tony

2009-10-10T13:57:00.001-07:00

Tony commented on how there is nothing about us on here. So I figure we'll update you on his life this post and my life on the next post. :)

So, Anthony is still working for his family's business as their graphic designer. He really likes it and from what I've seen of his work, he's really talented!

He's taking a couple of classes at Tacoma Community College this quarter and is s-l-o-w-l-y knocking out all the required classes to get his Associates in Business. He's taking math and english right now and says that his teachers are cool so far.

Anthony is REALLY enjoying Ashlynn and all her new phases. She's getting to be more playful and they have lots of fun wrestling, tickling and playing peek-a-boo together. He's a really good daddy. :)

Milestones in a Minute

2009-10-06T14:51:00.000-07:00

Sorry that it's taken me so long to do this. I've been busy.

This first video was filmed at least a month ago. I finally decided to quickly document Ashlynn's bizzare crawl before she started walking. Glad I did.

This second video was filmed about two weeks ago on the day that Ashlynn decided to give up crawling. She has been walking (and improving) ever since.

Our Little Alarm Clock

2009-08-29T23:48:00.000-07:00

Wouldn't you love to wake up to this happy face every morning? Alright, to be honest, half the time it's a mad, loud face. Ashlynn always wakes up before I do. She tells me to get up nicely at first, but if I don't move on the first request, I get an earful! *groan*

Cotton Swabs & Teeth

2009-08-17T13:29:00.000-07:00

So, it's kind of a weird picture of her, but here is Ashlynn showing off her first two teeth. She really enjoys using them. >:)

Ashlynn loves getting into stuff. Here she found the basket where I keep her baby care items. Loving her some cotton swabs! Yum!

Contemplations

2009-07-31T21:14:00.000-07:00

I just set up a new blog. It IS religious, but if you're so inclined, go check it out and please add it to the list of blogs you follow. I would LOVE to have your input! Thanks! http://mydailycontemplations.blogspot.com/

Baby Mine

2009-07-21T18:38:00.000-07:00

8 months old now.

Mobile Monster

2009-06-29T22:04:00.000-07:00

And she's off!!! Dang it. Now I gotta keep the floor clean. Ashlynn is scooting around. She can crawl, but (currently) prefers to get around on her hands, one foot, and the outside of one thigh. Huh???

And she's pulling herself up on things (like her crib, me, laundry baskets, other babies, furniture, anything that will hold still for two seconds).....and letting go! She tried to balance on her feet today. Of course that stunt quickly landed her on her rear. I told her that if she walks before she even really perfects crawling she is gonna be in BIG trouble.

And yes. She's drooling. Profusely. I'm assuming that if a child drenches 6 bibs in one day, a tooth isn't far very away. That sentence rhymes!

Oh yeah. And my perfect baby that sleeps, pretty much through every night? She's gone.

Someone replaced her with a hyper, squirmy-as-a-worm-on-hot-pavement kid. One that won't stay on her back when put in her crib to sleep. One that stands up in her bed (see pictures) and yells at me from across the room. Several. Times. Every. Night. One that won't sweetly nurse and fall back to sleep in bed with me. No! This one crawls all over the place, pulling my hair, smacking my face, poking her daddy's eyes, and then falls off the bed (which makes us all sad). *sigh*

I love this new kid though. She crawls over to get hugs, kisses, and cuddles when we're playing on the floor together. The old Ashlynn didn't do that. So, I guess it's all give and take, right? :)

Pool Party Princess

2009-06-14T00:25:00.000-07:00

We went to Chance and Brice Pecheos’ birthday party yesterday and Ashlynn had a blast in the pool. It was her first time “swimming” and she was very angry when we made her get out. Sorry about so many pics. I just love them all and the video is poor because it was taken on the camera AND sideways, which I don’t know how to fix….

Naptime?

2009-06-05T16:10:00.000-07:00

So, Ashlynn had a nice, long nap today. I was in the room for half of it. As I was leaving, I realized that she had her arm thrown over her face. That's just how her daddy sleeps!

I was gonna take a picture, but then realized I'd left the camera in the car. So, I did a bunch of stuff and finally went out to get the camera about 45 minutes after I'd originally wanted to use it.

When I got back into our room, she had turned herself around with her head on the other side of the crib and was on her stomach instead of her back!

Sunbathing

2009-05-29T23:29:00.001-07:00

We've just been soaking up the sun lately. Enjoying it while it's here. Tony's already brown. I'm as white as ever. Ashlynn's still as cute as a bare naked button. :)

Mohawk

2009-05-13T08:44:00.001-07:00

Oh yeah, she owns it. Hehehe.

Beginning of the Bumps

2009-05-08T11:17:00.000-07:00

So.... nothing could really prepare me for how sad and guilty I feel about my baby getting hurt, for the first time, due to my negligence. I like to sit her on my bed to practice sitting up because when she falls over, it's a soft landing. Well, today I placed her too close to the solid wood bed frame at the foot of my bed. I looked away for two seconds and heard the sickening thud of her poor little face hitting that wood. She, of course, started screaming. I rushed her downstairs to grab some baby tylenol and a frozen go-gurt. She stopped crying to watch my face, which was very sad and crying too. I'm embarrassed to admit, but I sobbed longer than she did. Sooooo sorry Baby!!! She enjoyed her cherry flavored medicine and sucking on the cover of the frozen go-gurt (glad I bought those). She's acting totally normal now. I just hope she doesn't get too big of a fat lip since we were planning on taking some family photos tomorrow. Ack. I still feel so terrible. :(

This picture was taken 25 minutes after her first bump. Guess babies are pretty resilient, huh?

World AIDS Orphans Day

2009-05-07T09:35:00.000-07:00

After reading this woman's blog posting today, I just have to share.

Please take time to click the link and read. :) She's got some great points.

http://fullhousehandshearts.typepad.com/my_weblog/2009/05/there-areover-15million-children-orphaned-by-aids-around-the-world-equivalent-to-the-number-of-people-living-in-new-york.html

Calling ALL Mothers! Advice, PLEASE!!!!!

2009-05-06T14:00:00.000-07:00

Well, I've heard that putting your child's carseat in the middle (away from the doors) is the safest. But, the middle seatbelt in our car doesn't hold the carseat base still very well. Should I just put Ashlynn near one of the doors, where the seatbelt holds her still? Or should I keep her in the middle and let her tip sideways?

"Mom? What's going on?"

"Did you take that turn too fast again??"

Top 7 Things NOT to Feel Guilty About...

2009-05-06T13:44:00.000-07:00

(Hope I'm not infringing on copyright laws by putting this on here) I got this from my Feb. Parenting Magazine. It made me laugh, so I'm sharing. It used to be the top 10, but there were a few that I thought were dumb. Don't feel guilty about:

1. Having the impulse, after discovering your kid has used your $20 lipstick to draw a giant plum-colored pig on your dining room wall, to call up Brad and Angelina and ask them if they'd like to take in one more. (Nevermind that I'd never spend that much on a stupid lipstick and would definitely take a picture of the pig!)

2. Returning the fancy but useless baby gift to the department store and spending the credt on shoes for yourself. (Maybe I haven't been a mom long enough, but I think it's waaaaaaay more fun to shop for Ashlynn)

3. Introducing your sister's kid -- little miss organic-only -- to her very first Twinkie. (Hahaha! I would soooooo do that!)

4. Setting up playdates just with kids whose mothers you like. (Seems like a no-brainer to me!)

5. Calling your jiggly belly your "mummy tummy" ten years after childbirth. (Well, that is what it is. Right?)

6. Insisting on grown-up music in the car (I'm already doing this with Tony, who seems to like loud teenage-boy music...heehee)

7. Knowing, really knowing, with every fiber of your being, that your kid is the cutest on in her class picture. (Or in any other picture, for that matter!)

Sunny Day

2009-04-30T14:01:00.000-07:00

Ashlynn enjoyed her five minutes out in the sun today. *laugh* Gotta take what you can get in the beautiful (but cloudy) Pacific Northwest! My baby's getting good at balancing, isn't she?

Grass Is Bad

2009-04-29T23:21:00.000-07:00

Or at least Ashlynn thinks so. And I'm not a mean mom. I swear. I just think she's so cute when she cries. Well, I guess that's not saying much since I think she's cute when she smiles, sleeps, eats, poops, laughs, yells, and farts too. :)

Food Is Good!

2009-04-29T23:02:00.000-07:00

Ashlynn really loves eating. She doesn't care for the mush bottles. She likes eating off of a spoon. She watches both her Mommy and Daddy very carefully when they eat and loves when they share! Heehee.

Ashlynn vs. Kissa

2009-04-24T00:03:00.000-07:00

Ashlynn loves anything soft and furry. But, I think it's safer to play with Daddy's hair, than it is to play with the cat....

Heads up

2009-03-25T21:15:00.000-07:00

I have posted a TON of stuff today. If you want see it all you'll have click the "older posts" link at the bottom of the page. :)

Carrots

2009-03-25T21:09:00.000-07:00

Ashlynn has tried rice (not a fave), oatmeal (loves it!), and carrots. She sampled carrots for the first time last night. As you can see by the evidence on her bib, it wasn't a big hit. But she sure loves her daddy! :)

How the....????

2009-03-25T20:14:00.000-07:00

Know how some people keep a pen or pencil behind their ear for when they need it later? Ok, I don't know how she did it, but Ashlynn tucked her paci behind her ear for safe keeping...in the middle of the night. *laugh*

Swinging Monkey

2009-03-25T19:58:00.000-07:00

Ashlynn won't sit back in her swing anymore. The girl is developing some strong little abs!

Rock-a-bye Baby

2009-03-25T19:56:00.001-07:00

I love it when this happens. :)

Mohawk Girl

2009-03-25T19:51:00.000-07:00

No, I don't do her hair like that. It grows that way. But, isn't she so cute? And getting soooo long!

Thank you Nana!

2009-03-25T19:45:00.000-07:00

My mom bought this furry number for Ashlynn a couple months ago. She's just now growing into it. She looks very posh, no? She doesn't, however, like how the fur tends to constantly get in her mouth.

She rolls...

2009-03-25T19:16:00.000-07:00

Ashlynn rolled over in bed one recent morning, and this is how I found her.

Of course I couldn't leave her with her face pressed into the mattress, but she didn't appreciate my caring.

Reflections

2009-03-25T19:14:00.001-07:00

Blessing Day!

2009-03-25T18:59:00.000-07:00

Ashlynn was given a name and a blessing, by her daddy, on February 15th, 2009. It was a great day. My family and Anthony's family were there for it and later on that evening we had a party for Ashlynn and Anthony (his birthday was the 14th). Doesn't my baby look so sweet? Anthony thought her dress was too long. Obviously, he'd never seen the original type dresses used for christenings. :) You learn something new everyday! Haha.

Poopy Face

2009-02-27T00:32:00.001-08:00

Yup! This is Ashlynn working hard on two things. 1. Picking up her toy. 2. Making a nice stinky diaper for Daddy to change. :)

Tony

2009-02-25T18:50:00.000-08:00

How well do you know your husband??

Here's a chance to see how well you really know your husband. Cut, paste and fill in the answers, then forward . . . shoot, you know what to do. The real challenge is to send it to your husband to see how right you really are.Tag your friends and have them try it too...

1. He's sitting in front of the TV, what is on the screen?
Anything. But he likes his Netflix, NCIS, Smallville, The Office, Fringe, American Idol, Burn Notice, and waaaaay to many others.

2. You're out to eat; what kind of dressing does he get on his salad?
Ranch. Only kind he likes.

3. What's one food he doesn't like?
Mushrooms.

4. You go out to eat and what does he have to drink?
He almost always orders Dr. Pepper.

5. Where did he go to high school?
Sumner.

6. What size shoe does he wear?
I have no idea! I know he's told me...I think he said 10.

7. If he could go to any one sporting even what would it be?
Football. Blah.

8. What is his favorite type of sandwich?
I don't know. Subway or Quiznos. The ones he makes himself have no condiments.
So dry! But he doesn't like mayo, miracle whip, or mustard.

9. What would he eat every day if he could?
Hm. Taco Bell.

10. What is his favorite cereal?
Cinnamon Toast Crunch.

11. What would he never wear?
V-neck sweaters. I have no idea. He acutally has very strong opinions about his clothes. Super picky! I never know what to get for him. And all his clothes look the same.

12. What is his favorite sports team?
I have no clue.

13. Who did he vote for?
McCain. Nobama. Sad day.

14. Who is his best friend?
Me. It used to be Jared, but I usurped!

15. What is something you do that he wishes you wouldn't do?
Say "stop it!"

16. What is his heritage?
He's got German, Scandanavian, English, & Irish.

17. You bake him a cake for his birthday; what kind of cake?
Ice cream cake.

18. Did he play sports in high school?
Basketball. I don't remember any of the others.

19. What could he spend hours doing?
Watching TV. Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr.

20. What is one unique talent?
Unique? He's helpful. He does EVERYTHING I ask him to do, and without complaint. I love it.

I tag....Becky....Cori....Kara (again)....Melinda....and....Jenny M.

CUPID

2009-02-25T18:33:00.000-08:00

A Random, Interesting Article I Found

2009-02-24T23:16:00.000-08:00

http://www.venusproject.com/ethics_in_action/Children_Autism.html

Ashlynn & Vaccines

2009-02-24T16:15:00.000-08:00

I've made a decision. It's something I've been thinking (and praying) about since my second trimester. So, I'd pretty much made up my mind and then I did somemore reading. Look at this website. --> http://generationrescue.org/vaccines.html Wow. It's a real eye opener. I had no idea that vaccines were making some people so much money! Or that there really are A LOT more kids having reactions than doctors (not all doctors, of course) and the government want to admit. Anthony wants our kids to get some of the vaccines, but he's ok with waiting until they're 2 or 3. I feel good about this decision.

And on a totally different note: I just discovered that Ashlynn LOVES Irish music. I've never played it for her before. Normally when I put her in her swing, I turn on the little canned (slightly annoying) music that it plays. This time I turned Pandora Radio up and let her listen to Celtic Woman and the trilling and violins that go along with that and.....she's been in her swing for over a half hour! And now she's asleep. But when she was awake, she just sat and listened for a LONG time. She broke her longest swing time record by a lot. So, I'm going to leave it on, get off this computer and get some things done around the house. Yay!

8 Things

2009-02-24T15:33:00.000-08:00

I've been tagged. Since I do follow Becky's blog. :) Oh, and these aren't in any order of importance or preferance.

8 Favorite TV Shows:
1. Rachel Ray
2. Smallville
3. Fringe
4. America's Funniest Home Videos
5. The Office
6. Lost (sometimes. it feels like it's going nowhere)
7. NCIS
8. Off (it's not a tv show. It's how I like the tv best)

8 Things I Did Yesterday:
1. Went to Fred Meyer for almost 2 hours
2. Slept with my head on three pillows because I'm sick
3. Made nachos
4. Cleaned my whole house
5. Fed the squirrels peanuts, in hopes that they'll leave my bulbs alone!
6. Spent waaaaaaay too much time on the computer
7. Did a little Family History researching
8. Mostly I just kept Ashlynn happy, which was hard because she's sick too.

8 Things I Look Forward To:
1. Not being sick anymore
2. Getting my own house - someday
3. Chocolate
4. Ashlynn not being sick anymore
5. Going to the functional decorating class I've been attedning
6. Weekends with Anthony
7. A more fit body
8. Understanding Ashlynn better

8 Favorite Restaurants:
1. La Rustica (my all time favorite!!!!!!)
2. Th Metropolitan Grill
3. McCormick's and Shmicks
4. Panera Bread
5. Olive Garden
6. Thian Thai
7. Wendy's
8. Jack in the Box

8 Things on My Wish List:
1. My own house
2. A place for everything, and everything in it's place
3. A trip to Ireland, or two
4. To be able to find my Caldwell line (Family History)
5. The ability to teleport
6. A more fit body
7. More babies...but not right now.
8. For Anthony to figure out what he wants to do

8 People I Tag:
1. Kara
2. Angela
3. Kenzie
4. Jenn
5. Kristina
6. Tiffany
7. Ashlyn
8. Emily

She Speaks!

2009-02-17T20:10:00.000-08:00

The Loves of My Life

2009-02-12T12:05:00.000-08:00

Bleary-eyed Blogging, Pay It Forward, & Smiles

2009-02-10T01:40:00.000-08:00

Ashlynn has been sleeping very well for several weeks now.... until tonight. I can get her to go to sleep by rocking her, but when I lay her down she wakes up and cries. It's almost 2am, I've got a crick in my arm from her heavy bowling ball head, I'm typing with one hand and I love this little beastie to death anyways. I totally heart being a mom!!!

Well, I got this next thing from an old BYU friend, Emily, and I already know what I'm gonna do for the handmade gift so I'm pleased. At first I was hesitant to do this because it seemed like more work, but when I thought about how thoughtful and sweet it really is, I had a change of heart.

Here are the rules:

1.Be one of the first THREE bloggers to leave a comment on this post, which then entitles you to a handmade item from me - something crafty or yummy, who knows?!

2. Winners must post this challenge on your blog, meaning that you will Pay It Forward, creating a handmade gift -anything!- for the first THREE bloggers who leave a comment on YOUR post about this giveaway!

3. The gift that you send to your 3 Friends can be from any price range and you have 365 days to make/ship your item. Remember: It’s the Spirit and the Thought That Count!

4. When you receive your gift, please feel free to blog about it! If you are not one of the Top Three Commenters on this post, you can still play along. Go ahead and start your own Pay It Forward chain, and encourage your blogging friends to do the same! SO, REMEMBER...Pay it forward!

Smiles!

Sweet Baby

2009-01-27T11:43:00.001-08:00

Ashlynn is 2.5 months! So, I'm just posting a picture I love of her. I took it earlier this month without the flash. It's kinda blurry, but I think her expression is so sweet. And I think she kinda looks like my brother, Matt, when he was a baby in this photo. But, she also looks a lot like her daddy! :)

Ashlynn's First Christmas

2009-01-15T11:36:00.000-08:00

It started out well.

Ashlynn decided that she would like to start the festivities off by opening her stocking first, even though we usually do that last. :)

Daddy volunteered to help her get everything out. "What a cute little stuffed doll!"

But Ashlynn was very unhappy about this arrangement!

She wanted to open her stocking herself!

But when she saw all the neat things that Santa brought, she decided it wasn't so bad after all.

This is the onesie she got from Uncle Shane and Aunt Rachael. VERY fitting!

Next, we went downstairs to open presents!

Ashlynn liked the toys she got from Aunt Lynne and Uncle Eric and Aunt Maribel. But she couldn't believe that Mom and Dad got her nothing but boring clothes for Christmas and she let them know, very clearly, how mad she was.

And not just that! The stupid clothes didn't even fit! (hee hee)

But...

It ended well.

Kissa thought so, too! :)

Trip to Sacramento

2008-12-23T22:44:00.000-08:00

Anthony, Ashlynn, and I went to Sacramento, California for a friend's wedding last week. We left on Tuesday night to outrun a snow storm. The original plan was to leave on Thursday,so it was a hassle to leave last minute but I'm glad we did. It gave us more "vacation time." Ashlynn hated being in her car seat so much and did a lot of screaming. It was stressful for us to listen to her sadness, but we all lived through it. We drove down with Anthony's parents because they have a jeep and we have a chevy cobalt (not a snow car). Made for two very squished 16 hour drives! Besides the wedding and reception, we also went to the Jelly Belly Factory in Fairfield and Fisherman's Wharf in San Fransisco.

Ashlynn's first road trip. She definitely needed the warm coat Nana gave her for Christmas. And she certainly appears to have joined the gnome club!

This is one of the tricks we tried to help Ashlynn stay asleep longer during the drive. Her head would bounce around and she'd wake up. So, we used her coat to keep the bobble head movement to a minimum. It worked pretty well!

This is Anthony in front of one of the Jelly Belly motor homes at the Jelly Belly Factory. That would be a sweet ride! Heehee.

Ashlynn and me in the Jelly Belly tour hats. They made us wear them for the whole tour! That factory was really cool. And it's free! If you're ever in the area make sure you go. So much more goes into the making of a gourmet jelly bean than I ever suspected! After the tour, we went to the food court they had there and shared a large jelly bean shaped Canadian bacon and pineapple pizza for lunch! Yum!

Our cute little family at Fishermans' Wharf. We were walking along and saw the sign that said it was a photo spot. So, we took a picture! I love how Ashlynn looks like a mummy in the little pack we bought, while we were down there, for her to ride around in. She loves it! Well...if her daddy is doing the carrying. She just snuggled her lil face into his chest and slept the whole time!

This is another photo spot. Anthony's mom, Kaye, joined us for this picture. You can't really see it, but that is Alcatraz behind us in the water. :) Looks like a nice place.

It was a fun trip and we enjoyed the nice Marriott we stayed at, but I'm glad to be home. The drive home was the worst! The roads were covered with snow starting in Salem, Oregon to all the way home! The weather we're having here in the Seattle area is out of control! But, we're enjoying it while it lasts. We had a small reprieve and were able to go out today and finish all our shopping for Christmas! Yay!

Merry Christmas everyone!

Santa Pictures

2008-12-14T20:11:00.001-08:00

During our church Christmas party, Ashlynn got to sit on Santa's lap and get her picture taken. St. Nick was a leetle bit nervous about being handed such a teeny baby, but he did fine. She slept through the whole thing. She didn't even ask him to bring anything for her! Now, my dilemma. Which picture is best? I need y'alls input. Of the four taken, which picture is the cutest?

Split Personality?

2008-12-11T11:04:00.000-08:00

I can't figure out this little person! *laugh* On Tuesday, nothing could make Ashlynn happy and she spent most of her day yelling at the top of her lungs. Yesterday, she seriusly spent ALL day sleeping (even falling asleep in the middle of eating) and I took her temp cuz I started to worry she might be sick. She was fine. Today, she's happy as long as I'm dancing around with her to Christmas music. If I stop, I get an earful. Though food, of course, works to keep her quiet too. How come the trick that worked one day, doesn't always work the next???

Sleeping Beauty

2008-12-08T16:11:00.000-08:00

I couldn't resist taking a few snap shots when I actually woke up before Ashlynn (usually she gets me up). It's just so smile invoking to roll over and see such sweetness laying in the bed next to you!

Babies 1st Christmas

2008-12-08T16:04:00.000-08:00

This is the first Christmas for both Ashlynn and Kissa. Ashlynn likes to look at the lights on the tree. Kissa likes to eat the tree.

If it isn't one baby, it's another!

2008-12-03T16:22:00.001-08:00

This is Kissa.

This is what Kissa did last night.

This is what my downstairs bathroom looks like now.

This is Kissa enjoying her handiwork. She's really been very naughty and obnoxious ever since we brought the baby home.

First Bath

2008-12-03T15:59:00.000-08:00

I don't know how such a little person can make such a big mess, but when Ashlynn and finally decided to get up this morning, I unrolled her from her blanket and discovered she'd been busy! Poop all the way up to her armpit! She was pretty soaked! I decided that instead of making her scream by trying to clean her up with cold wipes, I'd just give her a bath. Here she is showing off her messy clothes.

Her she is sucking her finger. It has nothing to do ith her bath, but I think it's cute and she's getting better at it.

Here's a close-up of the mess. Yeah, thought y'all would like to see that! :)

She was pretty chill about being in the bath seat. Maybe because she had her binky?It wasn't until I started using that wash cloth to clean her that she decided she really didn't care for this new experience!

This is how she was feeling by the time I got her out and dried her off. And she wouldn't be comforted until I fed her. But she got me back pretty good by peeing on my bed before I could get a diaper on her!

All's well that ends well! Don't you just love that adorable snub nose?

Welcome to Parenthood

2008-12-01T15:11:00.000-08:00

Just thought you'd all like to see the face that Ashlynn (currently) makes the most. Even at this moment, I'm typing one handed and using the other to bounce her around and keep her happy. She's a very opinionated little creature and usually her opinion is that the service around here stinks! *laugh* She hates getting dressed and/or undressed, she hates having her diaper changed and she hates waiting for food. She also gets very unhappy when her binky falls out of her mouth and, of course, she isn't capable of putting it back in on her own. Despite her healthy and very loud lungs, we LOVE our baby! She's so cute! Even when she's screaming her head off! :)

Ashlynn is here!!!!!

2008-11-16T19:58:00.000-08:00

Name: Ashlynn Elizabeth Brady
Date Born: November 15, 2008
Time: 12:59 am
Weight: 7 pounds and 10 Ounces
Lenght: 20.5 inches
Head: 14 inches
Where: Bellevue, Washington

Halloween Party at my parents' house

2008-11-07T14:36:00.000-08:00

First picture is of Dad with all the carameled apples he made. They were VERY yummy! Mom wouldn't be happy to know that I posted this pic of her, but I like it and her friend, Pam is in it too. Tony took it while they were standing at the top of the stairs. My handsome husband went as Clark Kent. Studly, no? I hate the picture taken of me, but it was the only one (thank heaven!). I went as a very swollen-faced spider. Black shirt and pants with a nice red hourglass taped to my huge belly. Heehee! It was a good party. Mom and Dad invited a couple different families, but I just wanted to get the family on here.

Jacob, Daniel, Kaitlyn, Molly, Sam, & Rachel - Halloween

2008-11-07T14:13:00.000-08:00

Jacob dressed up as a viking and had a great wig and beard (that kinda made him look more like Jesus or John the Baptist), but this was the only shot taken of him. Next time I won't give Tony the assignment to take the pics. Daniel was some Roman dude - can't remember which one. Aren't Kate and Molly just growing up to be beauties? Kaitlyn was Alexander the Great's wife - Roxanne. Molly was a character from Eragon (the book). Sam went as Isaac Newton. All I can say is, wow. Rachel dressed as Arwen from Lord of the Rings. We tried to put extensions in her hair. It didn't work out too well. But she looked cute anyway!

Alex, Lizzy, Noah, Sophie, and Isabella - Halloween

2008-11-07T14:03:00.000-08:00

Well, here we have pictures of the 5 youngest of my siblings. Alex was some fighter character, also from the Eragon book. Lizzy was a pink Tinker Bell. Noah was supposed to be a scarecrow but he wouldn't leave his red nose or hat on. He's got Jacob's spear in this picture. I think he finally succeeded in breaking it. Isabella and Sophie were fairies.

My current best friend is.....

2008-11-02T13:09:00.000-08:00

OATMEAL!!! I can't get enough of this stuff. I crave it all the time. I eat it for almost every snack. Weird craving, but at least it's totally safe and healthy to ingest! Oh, and I don't want it cooked. I eat it straight out of the box. Plain, unflavored, dry, and oh so delicious to me!!! I keep telling my baby, "Your mama's getting more and more bizarre, you'd better hurry up and come out soon!" *laugh* But, like I've said in earlier blogs, there are worse things to crave and I don't have to worry about my fiber intake, right?

Kissa-wissa My Precious Naughty Brady

2008-10-25T12:28:00.000-07:00

These are pictures of my baby. Her name is Kissa. She's a bit bigger now since these pics are a month old. She eats real good and is growing like a weed! But, like I said, she's my baby and has helped me not be all upset about wanting the baby inside of me to hurry up and come out. Kissa's name means "cat" in Finnish. It's a family tradition to name your cat "cat" in other languages. It fits her. She's such a cutie. She's currently recuperating from major surgery. She got declawed and spayed a couple days ago and isn't her usual rambunctious self. That's ok though. She's just being cute and sleepy and all drugged up.

Quick update for yesterday

2008-10-24T18:48:00.000-07:00

I went to the doctor and I do NOT have preeclampsia. No protein in the urine. Nothing. I'm grateful for that. But this pregnancy is starting to rack up on the false alarms! At least all's well that ends well, right?

Blah!

2008-10-23T10:31:00.000-07:00

I am having "one of those days." When I went to the doctor on Tuesday they found that I have some protein in my urine, so now they are worried that I am developing preeclampsia. Urg. My blood pressure was the same as always though and I haven't had any headaches. I've got major swelling going on. Especially in my poor legs and feet. So, now I have to go back in for more tests on Friday, even though I've already got a scheduled appointment early next week. *sigh* Ashlynn, can't you just come out already?

I decided a couple days ago that my house is definitely NOT in order and that I had to get it into ship shape before the arrival of this child. I'm not supposed to be on my feet much, but yesterday I totally ignored that and I'm glad. My house looks incredible! I'm not completely done with the upstairs, but it's good enough that I'd be fine going into labor right now. Actually, I'd really like that.

I don't wanna wait anymore! *whine, whine*

So, anyways, hope I don't have preeclampsia. It's just all bothersome and worrysome stuff and there is nothing you can do about it anyways except have the baby. So, why do they want me to lay around when being active could help get labor started. I'm measuring 38. Big enough, right?

Oh, and an update on the beloved husband since, so far, all I ever talk about is myself. *laugh* Anthony is busy with the political season at work, and he's almost going full time at school too. But, he's juggling it all very skillfully and I'm very impressed. He still finds time to help me out and never complains when I ask him to get something for me because I just don't want to climb the stairs. He's excited to be a dad and asks me several times a day how I'm doing and if I've had any contractions. I'm not the only one ready for the grand finale! :) He's also losing weight because he got all healthy and started running and eating better this past summer. He's looking GOOD!

That's all for now. Time for a nap.

Pregnancy....is not alwayz pretty. :)

2008-10-17T10:59:00.000-07:00

People have asked me (a lot) if I've had any weird or particular cravings. When I first got pregnant (before the nasty sickness set in) I wanted meat. LOTS of meat! I became a carnivore! Then I got sick and nothing was my friend except Jamba Juice. Once I got into my 2nd trimester I didn't have anything that felt like a craving. I just simply had to have cereal and fruit everyday to be happy. I still do. Especially the fruit part. I ate a lot of salad too. Now I just like to eat everything! Though, I have no idea where my stomach is at this point, but it's not feeling too roomy anymore!

I remember hearing about women who craved stuff like ice (not bad), clay, dirt, grass, crayons, and other weird things. And they'd eat it too!! That's the strangest part. I never thought that would ever happen to me. But all of a sudden in the last month the two things that smell so good, they are almost (note I did say almost) tempting are: cat food and dish detergant. I know! Bizarre! So, since my brain says, "no, you are absolutely NOT going to ingest those substances," I just enjoy feeding the cat and loading the dish washer a lot more because the smells are so pleasant. The whole heightened sense of smell thing has been a trial for me though. Everything smells stronger, and for the most part, BAD. Poor Anthony. :) I can't wait until I get my normal sense of smell back. Oh, and hamburgers are disgusting right now. *laugh*

Buttrest is BORING!!!

2008-10-14T13:56:00.000-07:00

So, I decided that just because I'm confused with all the options and steps involved with this whole blog thing, doesn't mean I can't update the written part. At least I know how to do that! And it's not like I've got any recent pics to post anyways. I really need to get some preggo pictures snapped before it's too late and the baby is here already!

Anyways, the reason for my title: Two weekends ago I had contractions all day. Nothing serious or really painful, but more than six in an hour sometimes. My doctor wasn't on call. Another one was and she suggested I take it easy, drink lots of water and if that didn't change anything I should go to the hospital and get checked. I wasn't the best listener because I had sooooo many errands to run that day. And of course, silly girl that I am, I decided at 11:30 pm that it was better to be safe than sorry and go to the hospital. After all, this was the first time I'd ever felt a contraction! So, Anthony drove me over there and we were there for HOURS!!!!

They did a lot of tests and sure enough I was having many contractions (but not even close to hard). They didn't want to let me go until the contractions were stopped because I was only (supposedly) 34 weeks along. They gave me a whole bunch of trebutaline (NASTY STUFF) and that did the trick. The contractions stopped completely. Tony and I didn't get home till almost 5 am. Not doing that again! One thing I learned, it hurts more than anything to get your cervix checked! YOWZERS!!!

I saw MY doctor two days after that and he said, just keep the baby in for two more weeks and then it's all good. So, I'm basically on buttrest. Not bedrest, but I just have to be a blob. Pretty easy for me. No, actually it isn't. Being lazy is only fun for half the day. Then I get bored. :)

Doctor Zimmer gave a me a little list of stuff to do and not do and told me that I didn't need to go into the hospital until the contractions were actually stop-you-in-your-tracks painful or if my water broke. At least I know now. Wish I could've just talked to him on that Saturday! Would've saved me a trip to the hospital. He's so cool, laid back, and down to earth. Plus, he was my mom's ob-gyn and delivered several of my siblings, so he's been doing this whole baby thing for a while now! :)

My sister-in-law is throwing me a shower this weekend. I just have to make it to that or she'll kill me! And if you are reading this and wondering where your invite is, just ask me for the details because you're totally invited. It's in Bonney Lake at 3pm. :)

Am I forgetting anything? I'm totally nervous about labor and having to go through all the pain. But, at the same time, I really want to get this over with. I feel like my body is being rented by this little creature and it's about time for her to move out!

Oh! I think they've got my due date all wrong. Dr. Zimmer said she's been measuring two weeks bigger than where she's supposedly at for a while now. That means that I'm actually 37 weeks, not 35. That's good! I just want her lungs to be all ready to use when she comes out. I'm not hoping for a huge baby. I think it'd be easier to squeeze out something smallish and then fatten her up once she's out.

And just in case y'all didn't know, her name is Ashlynn Elizabeth Brady. Unless she gets here and really doesn't look like an Ashlynn. Then we'll be back at square one. And I'm really hoping it's truly a girl like they said. If not, he'll be wearing a LOT of pink!!!

In the beginning....

2008-07-13T14:17:00.000-07:00

Once upon a time there was a guy named Tony and a girl named Jamie and they grew up most of their lives in the Seattle area not knowing each other even existed. To make a long-ish story shorter, they both ended up on the same flights to Seattle from Houston (which is where they each had served missions)on March 13, 2007. They were assigned seats next to each other and Tony talked Jamie's ear off the whole time. But she didn't mind. When they arrived at the Sea-tac Airport Tony told Jamie that they should get together and do something sometime. She was in agreement. A month after that they began spending their Saturdays together, which quickly became weekends, and then several times a week. Tony decided that he couldn't live without Jamie and over Memorial Day weekend he proposed. On June 20th they were married; sealed for time and eternity in the Seattle Temple. In July they honeymooned for a week in Washington DC, which was very fun but very humid. On August 25th they finally got around to having a reception/party. They lived happily ever after. The End.