"Eh?"

We made it!
After a plane ride by myself with the two kiddos--including a frenzied run with my kids strapped in my double stroller (believe me I was breaking a sweat) to catch my first plane and fun "little" layover in Chicago--plus Eric and Stacey's 14 hour trek in a slow moving truck we made it to the "arctic" as some people deem it.
And within a day I was hearing "don'tcha know" and "eh?" and "you betcha--been working at Walmart for 5 years now!" Good thing FARGO prepped me for this part of the Midwest.
Everyone tells me I should watch NEW IN TOWN.

Maybe when I'm not up to my ears in boxes.

But for now--here are a few pictures from the past super exciting month:

Sierra's 6 month birth-day

Super cheesy grin from my Super cute almost 3 year old

Oh! How I miss this pool!!! It has been in the 90s here despite you Naysayers.
And I sure miss that fun time we had Steph 3 weeks ago.

Here's my awesome amazing friend Steph with cute Thomas:

Steph's a beautiful person and Super mom. Literally. Despite all she says to discount her efforts.
The kids just love cozying up with her and a good book.
Good smile Steph.

And this little buckaroo has been doing less of this
since we've switched her to a "big girl" bed AND
moved to a new house.
The 6 am wakeups are killing me.

While this angel girl is sitting up by herself and much more content now.
Oh how I love those cheeks and chub!

And this was a month ago with Oma.
B will swing forever.
Thanks for humoring her Mom.

And it looks like my mom is trying to stifle
a smile as she and B do a little cooking
TOGETHER.
Good sport.

In closing

ever miss those open-mouthed baby kisses?????

Well . . .

here ya go:

Mmmmmwwwaahh!!

Love ya!
Miss ya!
More later.

Boyfriends

Lately S seems to be getting all the attention from the boys:

Here she is with J man at his birthday party.
They really must have something because they wore matching outfits!

But

then Donny moved in on the action.
And really--with a name like Donny--how can he not be cute?!



He tried to pull the old "pretend to eat my friend so I can kiss her" trick.

It worked.

You'll recall that B found herself in a similar situation at this age with D's older brother:

Although as I recall--she was the aggressor at this point.
Her beau was none too sure of the situation:

So both of Sierra's boys have stolen her mom's heart. One trick in the art of dating.


But what does little Miss S think?

Just what's a girl to do?


p.s. can you tell I've been watching the Bachelorette that Eric loathes ?!

Time Flies

Dear Readers:

Well I couldn't agree more with the old adage (Who knows exactly how old that is)"Time Flies When You're Having Fun."

We've been having A LOT of fun around here. As well as some sadness at saying goodbye to so many people and places WE LOVE. Goodbye Bunny Fountains. Goodbye basketball team. Goodbye Steph's visits to Columbus. Goodbye our pool. Goodbye COSI. Goodbye to more med school/residency friends. Goodbye. Goodbye. That's all I say anymore.

A few tears have been shed. BUT we are getting EXCITED too!! For Minnesota here we commmmme!

So . . . pictures will follow but here's a list of some of the things we've done in the last month:

Family photo by Kara Hagberg- look for it!
Eric working over 100 hours a week for a month straight (that sucked)
My wonderful and amazing Mom visiting
My seriously cool friend Steph driving down with her 3 boys and visiting from Detroit
My funny friend Julia who happens to know mutual friends driving through from Utah to Maine
Our pool opening - Yayyyyyyyy!!!
2 trips to COSI
2 trips to the zoo -- Goodbye :(
Dentist trips for Bella -- TRAUMATIC
Dentist for me: no cavities!!
Dentist for Eric
4 basketball games
4 playgroups
4 days working at the health department -- Goodbye.
A 6 month old milestone for S!
2 dinners with some dear friends -- Goodbye :(
A stake variety show and blistered feet to show for it
A visit to a hospitalized friend who was on bedrest d/t pregnancy and the next morning she had her baby!
Dinner with the missionaries
Dinner for my friend -- Heather: Happy Healing!
New shirt for me at Kohl's for our family picture!
A few runs on the treadmill to get out my parenting frustrations
Completing all my CE for my license renewal!
5 showings in 3 days
A SOLD house!
A lesson on How To Make Bows -- Thanks Annie!
Help for a friend with a heart problem
Prayers for a nursery friend with cancer - tear
Service from a neighbor who has a woodshop in his basement - we'll miss his ever watchful eye.
A 1 year old birthday party - doesn't get more hoppin than that!
2 free KFC dinners - thankyou Oprah!
Memorial Day BBQ with friends - thank you friends!
2 free pairs of workout shorts - thanks Heather!
2 trips to and from the airport - Goodbye
3 stools off of Craigslist for our new place!

And looking forward to 1 brother and sister-in-law driving in to visit tonight!!!!

Could life get much better?!!! (ok--it probably could--but I sure love it now!)

There is so much to celebrate:
A new saga is about to start while one is about to end
We are so blessed to have lived and loved it here
I am so blessed to have the family both near and far
As well as the dear friends who I CHERISH

Please don't stay away too long and if you're ever coming through Minnesota (like people come through Minnesota) there's a place for you to lay your head!


Love
~me

Things I'll Miss in OHIO

My MOM has been in town. Yay!!
So that's what we've been up to since last post.

What about YOU?

My mom's departure was the straw that started the flood of tears today saying goodbye to everyone and everything here that we have come to love. That is--we have less than 1 month left. PLEASE BUY OUR CONDO!!!!

A few of those things I will miss include:

The bunny fountains--perfect on a hot summer day
Buckeye fever--scarlet and gray everywhere on gamedays
Walks with friends
All the great parks and playgrounds
Jeni's ice cream
Graeter's ice cream
Handel's (hmmm . . . is there a trend here?!)
A major airport within 20 minutes
A temple 10 minutes away
Stake basketball
Any women's basketball for that matter
The weather every 5 minutes on TV when there's a storm ;)
My friendly neighbor Jim with all his updates on the condo association and weather
The basement that Eric built
The bulbs that we planted and bloomed (1st try!)
Hocking Hills
An awesome zoo
COSI
Panera
Free Panera bread on Monday nights
Stacey's Reading Recovery visits
Kirtland
etc.
etc.

This list could go on and on

What do you like about Columbus? What will you miss?

24 Hours

Ever wonder what happens in a day with an Audacious 2 1/2 year old?

Let's see . . .

Bella poked a fork in our window screen
Bella sprayed sunscreen in Sierra's hair (curse "booty shop")
Bella changed her clothes multiple times (decorating her room with the shed ones)
Bella shampooed her own hair in the tub (wow!)
Bella helped herself to ice cream and caramel sauce . . . grrrr
Bella picked the dandelions and brought them inside
Bella sprayed Lysol all over the bathroom rug (and her FACE!!) - Ahh!
Bella reminded me to put all cleaning products up high!! (see previous)
Bella threw her friend's flip flops off our deck
Bella helped me put the clothes in the washer
Bella went to the babysitter without crying
Bella put up with the annoying banging for 12 hours while they replaced our roof and didn't complain (unlike her mother)
Bella helped bathe her "baby sister"
. . . and her doll
Bella reminded me to read the scriptures
Bella asked for "one more big hug" before bed
Bella napped on a big bed and didn't get off til I got her
Bella helped me take out the garbage
Bella folded her arms for prayers without being asked
Bella was my little companion while Eric was on call
Bella and I laughed and were silly together
Bella made me grateful that I could be her Mother

I remember bringing her home in her carrier . . . little did I know the craziness--frustration--Beauty and LOVE this child would bring.
How come no one told me about this? ! ? !

p.s. So I don't seem like a complete failure as a mother--I was cleaning our house for a showing while Eric was on call during the aforementioned incidents.

Happy Mother's Day!

Eric and I have been spending LOTS of quality time together . . .

It looks something like this:

In actuality with him on call at least 2 times a week during the past month--these little faces have been gracing my presence:

For some reason . . . Bella REALLY wanted me to take a picture doing this face.
And this chubby wubby is a bundle of joy.
Especially as we have decided the basement (where we can't hear her) is a good place for her to sleep since she is still waking up multiple times a night. (Insert bags under eyes here).
I'm beginning to wonder if the pacifier is a blessing or curse ? ? ?
True--Sometimes I take pity on the little chub and let her sleep upstairs with the rest of the fam--but she usually decides to reward my graciousness with a few extra wakings.

Seriously though--she' s a cutie. Especially when all she has on is a bib.


Happy Mother's Day to all those Wonderful Women I know!
and thanks to our amazing children for bringing the challenging AND beautiful moments to our lives.

It's May!!?!

Wow! How time flies!
S is 5 months old!
Isn't she a cutie?

I started her on solids at 4 months and she's finally getting the hang of it.
Of course her ever-helpful sister B has to show me how it's done.

Her repetoire includes rice cereal and peas.


Here:
The Peas Go IN

Here:
The Peas go OUT

YES. That is what you think it is on her hand--a gift she left me after I returned from a quick potty break with B in the midst of the pea session.



Here:
Earnest concentration as she gets the job done. (Blackmail picture for future use).

On another note . . .
B has been experimenting with fashion lately. Here is her latest statement.

To continue this trend B has learned to play "Booty Shop" (beauty shop) from playgroup at Leah's. (thanks Leah). So . . . guess what we play every day?

What is the favorite thing to play/pretend at your house?

Perks of Being Short

For my vertically challenged friends--here are some awesome things about being short. Thanks for your help Steph. :) Warning: some of these are my imaginations of "if I were short" from my perspective.


1) I could shop in the kids section and spend less on clothes--I actually know a woman who does this
2) My kids wouldn't outgrow their baby clothes so fast ??? hmmm
3) I would wear rockin high heels all the time???? hmmm
4) I could do gymnastics
5) People think you are younger than you are because they associate height with age
6) Toddler bed fits your toddler +
7) Bigger pool of men to date (Thanks Lauren)
8) Better at LIMBO (Brittany)
9) Flats look cuter (Reba)

And to quote Steph:

10) "Shorter people have faster reaction times, greater ability to accelerate body movements, stronger muscles in proportion to body weight, greater endurance, and the ability to rotate the body faster." This is true as I know it's easier for my short kids to start walking. You can also look at gymnasts and other such athletes. You can't be 6 feet tall and spinning around on the pommel horse.

2) "Shorter people are less likely to break a hip from falling. Another advantage of smaller people is that they are less likely to die in auto crashes." We don't break bones. Too close to the ground.

3) "Reduced negative impact on the environment, water needs, and resource consumption" Because you tall people eat so much, the environment is going to pot. I think we should just limit the number of tall people rather than recycling. Much easier.

4) This one is Steve's--inhale less smoke in a house fire. We are already low to the ground. Who knows what your chances are of survival:)


So basically "Shorties" are more coordinated, less likely to die, and less harmful on the environment. Glad I have a few in my back court.

Quotes from shortsupport.org

See if you can figure out why shorter people live closer to the equator and taller people in the North (i.e. Russia--Scandinavia--Northern China) . . .

Soapbox 101

At Sierra's 4 month appointment her pediatrician said "we like to see their weight a little less than their height." He continued about how they shouldn't weigh more. Blah blah. I was ready to drop kick that little man as he touched a nerve in my big body. Note: I refer to men shorter than me (6 feet) as short. Apologies to those "short" men out there. I know the "average" man is 5'7" but everything's relative.


Is there not enough emphasis on body size and shape in today's world? Let's start at 4 months old thank you. Not like girls don't have enough pressure later in life.

And fyi--I am 6 feet 0 inches tall and will never be a single digit size and that's fine by me. Even if that means that I usually weigh more than E when I am pregnant. Whatever. Here's my 9 month glory:


Life is too short to stress out about stuff you can't control. And yes--I guess I could "control" my weight by going anorexic. But then now that wouldn't be any fun now would it?

You just do the best you can and eat nutritiously and take care of yourself so that you feel good and healthy. You do the best you can with your kids and hope genetics is in your favor. Did you know that for about every inch over 5' 9" you are supposed to gain like 10 lbs (with all the bone mass--muscle--etc.)?

I have friends of all different sizes and shapes and I love their uniqueness and individuality and beauty. Here's a pic from my prego days to demonstrate what I mean:



Anyhow I thought I would laud SOME of the benefits of being my size and you can do the same for yourself:

Some of The Perks of Being Tall:

1) You can Eat MORE than shorter people (ask E--I eat more than him since I'm nursing).
2) You can hide 5 or 10 lbs pretty easy (maybe not--but thanks for the false sense of security)
3) You have great leverage to do chest compressions.
4) You are usually picked as one of the 1st in gym class for basketball teams because people THINK you can play. Keyword: THINK
5) You can reach those "HARD TO REACH" spots
6) Pregnancy is easier because you have more room for the belly bean to grow. (Possibly too much room aeb my breech babies?)
7) A mini potty and footstool are not necessary when potty training for your tall kids
8) You don't notice people's bad breath (note to tall people: make sure YOUR breath smells good for those who get your breath downwind)
9) You can put the star on the Christmas tree without a ladder
10) Easy to find your way in crowds because you can see over people (i.e. picture Dad running/leading the family through Disneyland)
11) Kids can reach the bathroom sink to wash their hands at 2 years old
12) You have the potential to dunk the basketball--if only you could jump.


There's a few off the top of my head. Think of any more?

I hope my girls grow up with their heads held high (and not slouched trying to fit in cause they're tall) knowing that they are beautiful and worth loving inside and out!


Now all you "SHORT" people out there--I am sure there are perks to being short. Can you list some? Let me know and I'll post them.

Update 4/17/09

Well--here's the latest from the Freeman clan in Ohio--soon to be Minnesota:

1) My DANG COMMA key is BROKEN. Little do you realize how much you utilize something until it is gone. DANG.

2) This little missy--audacious little two year old that she is--has decided to potty train herself. Go figure. Don't ask. Don't tell. We'll see if she is successful. Love the outfit although could use a little less attitude:



3) I LOVE that these two are starting to play together. Or rather--B is starting to love to entertain S with her silly antics and love pats. S doesn't much mind if B is "all up in her business" and laughs lots. Although Mom ruins some of the fun--according to B--by regulating the swiping of S's cool baby toys.



4) This little princess is 4 1/2 months old! Here's her stats: 16 lbs 8 oz (90th percentile) and 26.25 inches (95th percentile). My pediatrician said "we like to see their weight a little less than their height." WHATEVER. Gimme a break. Don't get me started. I'll save my soapbox for another post.

To keep this growing girl full we started rice cereal on her 4 month birthday and tonight she finally figured out how to down it. This is about right on track with what B did as I start my big babies on solids early. And as I recall B finally started sleeping through the night at this age after figuring out the rice stuff. Let's hope S does too.



And just for fun: B is about 35 lbs and 39 inches (last September). She is roughly the size of a 4 year old. AWESOME. WNBA here we come.

p.s. Yes. S does have red hair and blue eyes. And YES--that is my lazy boy.

NOT.

Pictures Galore!

YES. I'M A SLACKER BLOGGER.

ANYWAYS . . . Here's some pictures to satiate your appetite for a while til my next surge of blogging. Plus Eric's on call so why not ? Not like I have a million other things on my TO DO list nagging away . . . But instead I keep waiting for someone to email me or IM me or some other form of human contact (besides this little 4 month old that is cuddling in my lap right now).

So--what have you been up to you may ask?

Well; gentle reader; here is an update (note the comma key is broken).

CLEANING OUR HOUSE. Has it ever looked so purty? Look at that SPARKLING kitchen! We are ready and waiting if you want it!



TEACHING S THE WAYS. Thanks to her big sis who just HAD to get in on the action; S has learned the perfect way to grab the hanging toy parrot and bring it to her mouth.



S can now be found here or in her exersaucer with a ready grin.




Here's a picture of B at that age on the same mat. I love a little flashback.



SHAMROCK SHAKES
Happy St. Patty's Day! Eric and I got our traditional Shamrock Shakes from McDonalds (sans Bella--she was in bed). Note: This is how we usually spend our nights--one on the computer--one with S--on the couch--trying to multitask. Love that we have had this time before the evil Q4 started again.



But at least S got in on the action. I know you're thinking it--I'm a bad mom for giving S a taste of the good stuff on her lips. Whatever. I couldn't eat ANY dairy; nuts; eggs; or spicy food; or peanut anything for MONTHS with nursing B. I've paid my price.



CAR RIDES
B likes to explore both her toy car (pictured here) and our car. Time out is now on our deck which helps B get the hang of this even more. For some reason Elmo's head looks a lot BIGger and the car looks a lot SMALLer. Hmm . . .



I love that B has her "own" set of keys that she managed to jimmy rig to the pretend key spot:



MY FIRST POST-BABY HOMEMADE TREAT
Cooking is not on the agenda as often--although I am getting better. Especially when I have this cute helper to keep me company:



MMMmmmm! Finger lickin' good!



Somebody has sure discovered the joys of licking the bowl!



CUDDLE TIME
Here I believe YO GABBA GABBA is on. Please tell me--why is my child OBSESSED with this show?! She LOVES it.



And here is a final sweet picture of Bella while Sierra is obviously still too entranced with the weird stuffed animal aliens bouncing around on TV.



How I love these sweethearts!

P.S. We did fly out to MN for a week and bought a house!

P.P.S. Please come visit! Summer's are great! (so we've been told)

P.P.S. I KNOW my blog roll is lame and still not updated for you 30 people out there. Sorry. Like I said--I'm a slacker. So just know that I love and care about each one of you and your blogs but right now I have to put this baby to sleep!

Condo for Sale!

A little shameless advertising couldn't hurt:

If you know anyone in the market for a 2 bedroom/2 bathroom townhome in Columbus--there's one for sale! Find us a buyer and we will be forever in your debt.

Here's the info:
Craigslist

or

Flat Flee Listing

Thanks!

I Need to Take more Pictures

Here's the two little weegums I get to spend my days with. This was about a month ago. B sure loves her baby sister. S probably didn't like getting her pecs stretched out but I think B is just getting her ready for baby olympics. S endures B's enthusiasm with suprising tolerance. I think I intervened here and pictures ended.



Happy Birthday Stacey! MMMmmmmm. Edwards' Keylime pie was a big hit! What a good sport to blow out birthday candles while balancing Sierra (who obviously had no clue what was going on).



This was at Red Robin for Stacey's birthday dinner. It was pretty fun but crazy as you can see:



Before bed when Dad was on call. Kids in pjs are so cute:



And in case there was any question. Here is the cute chubby face I get to wake up to every morning:



Obviously I need to take more pictures since these last ones were from about 3 weeks ago.

Kirby

For our adoring public~
This picture is one month old. That means REALLY old in S terms but here is another picture of S at 2 months old. (I obviously need to upload more pics):



I know, I know. I'll get her 3 month picture on sometime soon too (since she is 3 months old!). But not til after Minnesota.

And . . . have any of you ever bought a Kirby vacuum? We had someone come and clean our carpets and try to sell (or rather blackmail us) into buying one. Did you know they sell for $2000!!!! That's right. Two thousand dollars for a vacuum! We got them down to $1100. But still . . .

If any of you have a Kirby--what is your experience?

I must admit it was the coolest bestest awesomest vacuum I have ever seen and I WANT one (YOU SHOULD HAVE SEEN WHAT IT PICKED UP). Our carpet looks AMAZING. They even vacuumed our bed. EWWWWW. But the salesman was above and beyond pushy.

Over $1000 for a VACUUM??! Seriously?!

Somethings Old, Something New

We are so BUSY BUSY!

A quick update on the past month:
Eric's sister, Stacey, visited us for 4 days--thanks Stace! Then my sister Amanda came 2 days later for 5 days--yay Amanda! Then we flew back to Utah together (kind of psycho plane story where a guy a few seats back had a seizure and they asked for a doctor or nurse and I must admit I did not immediately volunteer with 2 kiddos plus they were late taking off and lost our bags and we had to run to catch our other plane . . . ). Anyhow, it was an adventure!!

We got back one week ago and had a blast while we were there! I was a bit nervous about flying back by myself with both girls but my friend Annie talked me into flying with her and her two kids and we made it! My family was awesome with the kids: My dad and mom got up early with Bella every morning (due to jet lag) and my dad would play doll house with her for about an hour or so before he had to go to work. We were able to go to the Draper temple open house. And my mom even watched the girls while I got a massage! (sorry Sierra cried most of the time). My brothers and sisters were amazing too. Bells could not get enough of her "Aunt Wivvy" or "Woxie" the dog. It was so fun to see everyone especially since I'm not sure when I'll see Dave and Rashelle again (good luck with the NFL!). And my only regret was that I didn't see you, Steph, while we were there. Next time! I should have planned better. We were so busy (despite the one day stomach flu we brought) I can't even write everything. Loved the intramural game Nate! Memorable dinner at D & R's and Great-grandma's. It was so fun to be able to have Bella really get to know her extended family better. Thanks everyone!

And in one week we go to Minnesota for a 6 day house-hunting family trip! Ahh! Mixed feelings about the whole moving thing . . .

And between that we are trying to get our house ready to sell! (any tips anyone?!) Plus hanging out with our wonderful friends here in Ohio (the farm was the best the other day Lynnsey) and thanks so much for dinner, Brit. Plus I get to have more fun (thanks to Eric's willingness to be home) and play basketball on a league with some other girls . . . it will be a sad day when that ends. Sigh.

And this morning I hosted our playgroup. Poor Anderson, the only boy, was sick. But these little girls sure like playing with each other! I don't know why but the guest bed is always SOOOO fun to play on:



And of course I can't forget by sister, Tressa, whom I wish I could Skype with more often. Here she is with my cute Swiss grandparents and uncle. Love you Tress!



Gotta run!