Nursery Projects.

I have a little bright pink spiral notebook. I got it a few months back when I noticed Claire was doing funny things I never wanted to forget. Unfortunately, that notebook has become a notebook filled with lists. I never would have guessed that I was a list person. Each page is filled with to-do lists, grocery lists, Christmas lists, Birthday lists, lists of goals, lists of names, any kind of list you can think of. It is also unfortunate that my little notebook I cart around with me everywhere is missing.

I've been having dreams about fixing up the girls' room, I'm so excited. Since I don't know if this gal is going to try to come early or not, I'm itching to get started ASAP. For those of you who don't know, a while back Ross told me I could do whatever I wanted in the nursery. Men, it is a dangerous idea, giving 100% freedom to your pregnant wife regarding the nursery.

-Readers, feel free to stop here- I don't have my notebook of lists, so I'm putting the list of things I want to do in the nursery on here, so I don't lose it.

-Finish Claire's quilt
-Start/Finish new baby's quilt
-Paint dresser and crib white
-Find a tall dresser and bed for Claire (Paint those white, too)
-Repaint nursery (Either a neutral or yellow)
-Paint scalloped trim which, you guessed, will be white. (tutorial found HERE)
-Name blocks for new babe and fix Claire's. (Pink with white/brown dots)
- MAYBE paint some frames to hang family pictures in there with brown ribbon. I haven't decided if I want to yet, but seeing how much Claire loves to look at our pictures has me thinking about it.

I have my work cut out for me! My mom is coming out for a visit in January, thank goodness! I'm really excited to get to have some play time with her, but I'm also holding off on all of my little projects until she's here to help me. Hope you're ready, Mom!

Little Girls.

I recently read this article. This will pretty much sum it up for you.

"Teaching girls that their appearance is the first thing you notice tells them that looks are more important than anything. It sets them up for dieting at age 5 and foundation at age 11 and boob jobs at 17 and Botox at 23. As our cultural imperative for girls to be hot 24/7 has become the new normal, American women have become increasingly unhappy. What's missing? A life of meaning, a life of ideas and reading books and being valued for our thoughts and accomplishments."

This gal talks about refraining from telling little girls how cute they are and instead talking to them about their interests, things they're thinking, and what they're reading.

I wear make-up daily. Whether I take the time to straighten it, or fix it up in a neat pony-tail, I try to do my hair every day. I have six or seven different exercise DVDs on my shelf that are solely mine. Not only that, but I do exactly what this woman says we shouldn't do. I make a point every single day to tell Claire she is beautiful. And I think it's important.

There is a difference between telling little girls they are beautiful, and telling them they could be beautiful IF... I decided a long time ago that I would never say anything in front of Claire about her or my body, especially about something being "wrong" with it.

I want Claire to KNOW that she is beautiful, even with snot running down from both nostrils, and who knows what smeared in her hair and on her clothes. But that isn't the only thing I want her to know. I also make a point each day to tell Claire that she is smart, that she is important, and that I love her. I want my girls to grow up to be strong, independent, smart, confident women. Ross and I went to see The Help in the dollar theater last week. (Side note -We were BLOWN AWAY!!!! Absolutely loved it!) This little clip made me think about Claire and has stuck with me since.



We read books together multiple times each day. We practice counting fingers and toes, and we sing songs together. Over and over again. Claire also sits on the bathroom counter and talks with me while I put on my make-up. And I love it.

Ross often says he'd be perfectly happy if we only ever had girls. While I still have my heart set on getting some Boy Scout mom jewelry, I do love being the mom of little girls. Being a mom is an overwhelming responsibility at times. Hopefully I'm not screwing up too badly!

Baby Update.

This time around, I really don't have time to think about being pregnant. In fact, I always forget that I am! That is, until I have to bend over or stand up. The only time I really remember is when I get a reminder phone call about an upcoming appointment.

Today was my 24 week appointment. Here were the updates:

-Still no weight gain. Though, baby is measuring just a tad bigger than she should, so we aren't too worried about the lack of weight. (And honestly, I'm not too bummed about the missing weight, either!)
- I was told to watch for the slightest signs of preterm labor. At the beginning of this pregnancy, I was listed as high risk, and then taken off that list a couple of months later. Depending on how this month goes, I might be going back on that list. This is the point with my last pregnancy when I started having issues with Claire. I guess we'll find out if she's just as anxious to come as her sister was and if I'll have to start going in more often for appointments.
- She's not head down yet, and just as squirmy as ever! My midwife has always had a hard time getting a heart rate on this Miss. She doesn't like to be found with the doppler, and is constantly moving. We love active babies!

We're getting more and more excited about this gal joining our family! Only 3 more months before we get to meet our littlest Miss!

Quotes From The Loveland House Part 2.

I'm really glad I write these down, I'm 100% positive I'd forget the funny things that happen in our family if I didn't keep track.

Me: Claire laughs now whenever she farts.
Ross: *Rolls eyes* She definitely got that from you.

Sadly, he's right. I'm 21 and farts are still funny.


I was making dinner last night. Here's how the conversation went.

Me: Hey Ross, how many mozzarella sticks do you want?
Ross: How many do you usually eat?

Uhhhhh wrong question, love. Let's NOT ask the pregnant wife how much of something she eats.


Me: Claire, say "DADA"
Claire: MAMAMAMAMA <-- my dream come true!!!

Ross taught Elder's Quorum last week. After church, I was asking how it went.

Ross: So crazy guy talked to me for a few minutes afterwards about how he found his soul mate in NY and how he knows they're perfect for each other. He said he wants to be better so he can help her and be a better partner for her.
Me: Oh yeah?
Ross: Then I found out he was talking about Madonna.



I suppose I can give you all an update on our family while I'm at it. The last day of classes was yesterday!! Woo Hoo! Only a few finals and Ross is free! Well, kind of. We're staying in Utah for Christmas, our first family Christmas! He'll be working over the break, but we're excited!

Claire's finally over her flu bug, and now she's working on 4 or 5 teeth. A couple of which are molars. Ouch! She can reach the doorknobs now and especially loves opening the bathroom door. (Just a head's up for everyone!)

Since painting the bathroom in our room, I've become obsessed with having a spotless house. I even make the bed upon waking up. It's actually been really nice. Claire makes it near impossible to have a clean house, but I've been trying!




I really wanted to send out Christmas cards this year. However, once I realized the cost of the cards, envelopes, and stamps, I decided I'd rather have a box of diapers. Sorry everyone! So here's our Christmas card. Enjoy! Also, I do realize I spelled "merry" wrong. It took me so long to make the stupid thing, I refuse to go back and fix it. Good thing I decided not to print and send these.

Christmas.

Two posts in one day?! I know, I'm getting a little crazy. I meant to post about the zoo Weds night after we got home, but I was watching the neighbor's boys and didn't get around to it till now. And Claire's napping so I can blog my little heart out as if I have nothing better to do with my time.

We got our tree from DI a few months back for $3. Later we found out the tree had been boxed up still decorated! What a steal! Ross and I have all of our ornaments we've collected through the years and we had a great time decorating our first tree as a family, but little did we know one ornament would be so disturbing and a little haunting.

Yes, we have Santa's HEAD atop our Christmas Tree.

I think it's super creepy and will forever haunt me, but this beheaded Santa tree topper has stolen my heart. Future Loveland Christmas tradition?

This will be our first Christmas in Utah by ourselves. I was excited at first, then skeptical. Now that our decorations are out, I'm excited again. Or at least getting there. Claire has been sick off and on the last couple weeks, I'm not getting much sleep, I feel huge already, and I'm all around just a little more snappy and impatient than usual. Especially while driving. And drivers are substantially more idiotic during the Holidays.

Point is, I could use much, much more Christmas spirit, so I made a list of the things I want to do with my wee little family this Christmas.

1.) Temple Square lights. This will be our third Christmas in Utah, and we still haven't gone. We're going this year.

2.) Take Claire to see Santa. I don't know if I was worried about her getting sick last year, or if I was too sleep deprived to care, but we didn't take her last year. This year I want to dress her up in her adorable Christmas dress and tights (Thanks, Aunt Holly!) and take her. And you can bet her hair will be done in pigtails and bows.

3.) Go for a drive and look at lights. My family has a tradition of piling everyone in the car on Christmas Eve in their jammies, snuggled up with blankets, and driving through neighborhoods looking at lights. We haven't been able to do it yet, and I really want to.

4.) Maybe the Thanksgiving Point Lights. If anyone has gone, I'd love to hear about it and if you think it's worth the money!


Now that it's December, I'm starting to get more excited for Christmas. I think Claire and I might even tackle the Christmas shopping next week while Ross is busy with school stuff. I really struggle with Christmas Lists. I think of everything we NEED and make that my list. In the past, I've had curtain rods, teeth whitening strips, a hairbrush, and sponges on my list. Ross, however, is a firm believer that presents are supposed to be fun and for YOU. Here is an actual quote from the Loveland house last night as we were discussing Christmas lists.

K: Oh, I remember what I want for Christmas!
R: What's that?
K: I want a 24 hour carpet cleaner rental from either Lowes or Macey's!
R: I am NOT getting you a carpet cleaner rental for Christmas.

Any help or suggestions for my Christmas list would be greatly appreciated by Ross, I'm sure!

Claire Is An Animal Whisperer.

On Weds Claire and I ventured out to the zoo. Mind you, we only went because it was free! It was perfect weather, so I was nervous the zoo would be beyond crowded. When we got into Salt Lake, it was snowing. And raining. And it was windy. Being the award-winning Mother I am, I dressed Claire in a T, light sweater, and barely managed to grab her boots before we ran out the door. Luckily, Claire had a little hooded vest under one of the seats in the car. I think I sat in the car for a few minutes debating whether or not we should just drive back home.

After being in the car for an hour, Claire was grumpy and restless, so I decided to brave the weather and see some animals! I'm so glad we did! It was by far one of my favorite zoo excursions with her and we pretty much had the whole zoo to ourselves! Most of the exhibits even had a keeper there feeding, or just talking with us. We were sad Ross had to work and couldn't join us.

Claire's getting older and more observant. She loves to point at things and yell "Uh" to get my attention and make sure I see whatever she's fascinated by, too. She also LOVES our stupid cat. This poor cat spends the majority of the day running away as Claire crawls after her as fast as she can, all while yelling and laughing hysterically. It's pretty funny to watch. Claire can also say Belle's name and says it whenever she sees the cat. I figured with Claire's new obsession for poor Belle, she would love the zoo. She's been maybe 4 or 5 times in the past, but didn't really care about the animals. I'm not sure what it is about Claire and animals, but every time we've taken Claire to the zoo, whatever animal we're checking out comes right up to Claire. This last visit was no different.

It was pretty adorable. We first went and saw the gorillas. I took Claire out of the stroller and let her stand, holding on to the ledge so she could get a good view. The gorilla was playing with his box, and then all of a sudden came and just sat down right in front of Claire! Most of the animals did similar things, coming up to Claire and running in front of her. My favorite was when we went to see the tiger. He was doing laps around the exhibit, passing in front of the fence where we were standing. After a lap or two, he came up to Claire and stopped. Then he growled at her. Claire had no reaction and stared him down. It was pretty funny, but I am grateful for that fence. Claire might have been a tasty snack!

Claire was such a trooper and only cried when I'd put her back in the stroller to go see other animals. She's a tough one! I'm so grateful to have grown up in Oregon where you go on with your plans no matter the weather. We would have missed out on a fun afternoon together. It's a lot harder taking pictures without Ross there, so I didn't get very many.

Humbling Butt-Kickers.

The last couple months, especially the last couple weeks, have been filled with little "butt-kickers" that have really made me think good and hard about who I am. It's been a humbling experience. I guess we all need those every once in a while.

Butt Kicker #1: This has probably been the biggest one. It's no secret I had a difficult time transitioning to Motherhood. What you probably don't know is that I wasn't jumping out of my skin with excitement when we found out we were expecting another so soon. Not only did I have a lot of doubts and concerns, mostly with my ability to handle two babies at once, but I was losing weight and was dedicated to my Bikini-Bod goal. These past 5 months I have grown to love this little girl and know with an unshaken certainty that it is perfect timing for our family. I can even say I'm excited, though not as excited as Ross. It's been a wonderful reminder that I'm really not in charge. There is a specific plan for each of us. And more often than not, that plan doesn't match up with the plans that we might have in mind. My dear Mother In Law often says, "If you want to make God laugh, tell him your plans!"

Butt Kicker #2: While the thought of having two kiddos in the house has brought joy and excitement to our home, it's also brought Ross an insurmountable amount of stress. I haven't worked since the tail end of last October. Much of the time I take for granted all of the work and effort Ross puts in for our family. Last week we were having a family discussion and we decided I should start up a paper route again. I contacted one of the old managers and he had a route open! The route was actually the biggest of the lot, but also the best paying. Unfortunately, I only lasted two days. And I complained the ENTIRE time. After yet another family discussion, we decided I shouldn't be doing the route, under one condition. For every complaint I make, I have to give Ross a five minute massage. It made me aware of how much I complain.

It's been three days since that discussion, and I can proudly say Ross hasn't received any massages. Honestly, that deal has been the best thing for me. I've become so aware of my infinite amount of blessings, as well as the many areas I've been lacking gratitude. (How appropriate, the week of Thanksgiving.) I feel like I've been a real chump and I'm so grateful for this change of attitude, and even more grateful for my hardworking husband. In the two years we've been married I can honestly say I have never heard him complain, or say anything bad about someone else, something I KNOW I need to work on.

Butt Kicker #3: Since Sunday, I have been considerably happier. Ross has always told me happiness is a choice. I guess I've never actually made that choice. That is, until the threat of owing Ross a massage came around. I've been in a pretty bad mood. Since Claire was still sick on Sunday, we stayed home from church and decorated for Christmas. I haven't been in the Christmas spirit at all. Whenever a Christmas song would come on the radio, I'd change it as fast as I could. I was determined to not acknowledge anything Christmas until after Thanksgiving. I guess I finally caved because we brought out all of our decorations, including our $3 tree from DI. We had fun decorating as a family for the first time and I've even listened to Christmas music in the car since then.

I think the added cheer and spirit in our home combined with my new determination to be grateful has lifted the mood significantly. Yesterday, we started off the morning with Claire rising before 6, a new habit of hers I'm afraid. Ross and I fell back asleep watching Baby Einsteins with Claire and woke with just a few minutes before we had to leave for school. Once home, I was looking on Amazon for some birthday gifts for Ross. Claire did a little online shopping, too. After I cancelled and refunded her orders, she had a big blowout. While cleaning that mess, I found her in her room. She had managed to dump her vaporizor out, soaking herself and the carpet. The afternoon was followed by smearing snacks over the coffee table, and more blowouts. I had managed to fold the laundry. I went in our room to put it away, and came back to find Claire picking a bug's exoskeleton off of her tongue.

The thing is, through all of those "adventures" I couldn't help but see the humor and laugh at everything. It was actually a fun, incredible day! And surprisingly, Claire eating a bug didn't bother me at all. (Which is a shocker because I'm grossed out by even butterflies.) I guess I've learned to choose to be happy and enjoy the little "adventures".

It makes me think of a talk Thomas S. Monson gave a while back, where he says, "...be aware that the tiny fingerprints that show up on almost every newly cleaned surface, the toys scattered about the house, the piles and piles of laundry to be tackled will disappear all too soon and that you will—to your surprise—miss them profoundly. ...Let us relish life as we live it, find joy in the journey, and share our love with friends and family. One day each of us will run out of tomorrows." (Later he goes on to talk about gratitude. Oof. If only I hadn't been so quick to forget his talk!)

I can think of many more butt-kicking lessons, but I'll stop purging myself for the world to see. Humbling experiences are never fun. It's been a rough few weeks, but I'm grateful for the result. I am amazed at Ross' and Claire's capacity for patience with me. I couldn't be any luckier! Most of all, I am grateful for my Savior and for the Atonement. It's amazing knowing I can always have a fresh start, and that I can never run out of those fresh starts.

My Girls Have The Best Dad.

Though Claire is saying "mama" a lot more often, she will forever be a Daddy's girl.

This little lady is already walking in her big sister's footsteps. She is a SQUIRMY thing. Which is great! We love active babies. Whenever I go in for my appointments, my midwife has an extremely hard time getting her heart rate. She is constantly moving and really doesn't care to much to be found.

It's funny though how much she already favors Ross. I'm not sure what it is about little girls and their daddies, but our two ladies LOVE theirs! When I was pregnant with Claire, it didn't matter how I was sitting on the couch, or which side of Ross I was on, she'd scrunch herself up as close to Ross as she could get. This one is doing the exact same thing already. Hello, lopsided tummy!
It's a little awkward when I'm trying to balance my jug from the hospital, or some form of snack on my belly and she's shoving herself as close to Ross as possible.

It's so fun to see her personality come out little by little. We're so excited to meet our littlest Miss soon! Claire just turned 1, and it's been fun looking back and remembering the very end of the pregnancy, birth, and her first few days at home. I loved having a November baby, and admittedly, I miss it! It seemed perfect!

With the Holidays right on our doorstep, I'm getting more and more excited about this March baby. I'm looking forward to eating whatever and however much I want with no shame! I'm 100% POSITIVE my midwife would give me a kiss and a doughnut if I came in next month having gained 10 pounds. To be completely honest, we have Thanksgiving at our house about 4 times a year. Who doesn't love Thanksgiving food?! Once a year is simply not enough.

Happy Thanksgiving and Happy EATING everyone!!

Quotes From The Loveland House. Part 2.

I'm really glad I write these down, I'm 100% positive I'd forget the funny things that happen in our family if I didn't keep track.

Me: Claire laughs now whenever she farts.
Ross: *Rolls eyes* She definitely got that from you.

Sadly, he's right. I'm 21 and farts are still funny.


I was making dinner last night. Here's how the conversation went.

Me: Hey Ross, how many mozzarella sticks do you want?
Ross: How many do you usually eat?

Uhhhhh wrong question, love. Let's NOT ask the pregnant wife how much of something she eats.


Me: Claire, say "DADA"
Claire: MAMAMAMAMA <-- my dream come true!!!

Ross taught Elder's Quorum last week. After church, I was asking how it went.

Ross: So crazy guy talked to me for a few minutes afterwards about how he found his soul mate in NY and how he knows they're perfect for each other. He said he wants to be better so he can help her and be a better partner for her.
Me: Oh yeah?
Ross: Then I found out he was talking about Madonna.



I suppose I can give you all an update on our family while I'm at it. The last day of classes was yesterday!! Woo Hoo! Only a few finals and Ross is free! Well, kind of. We're staying in Utah for Christmas, our first family Christmas! He'll be working over the break, but we're excited!

Claire's finally over her flu bug, and now she's working on 4 or 5 teeth. A couple of which are molars. Ouch! She can reach the doorknobs now and especially loves opening the bathroom door. (Just a head's up for everyone!)

Since painting the bathroom in our room, I've become obsessed with having a spotless house. I even make the bed upon waking up. It's actually been really nice. Claire makes it near impossible to have a clean house, but I've been trying!




I really wanted to send out Christmas cards this year. However, once I realized the cost of the cards, envelopes, and stamps, I decided I'd rather have a box of diapers. Sorry everyone! So here's our Christmas card. Enjoy! Also, I do realize I spelled "merry" wrong. It took me so long to make the stupid thing, I refuse to go back and fix it. Good thing I decided not to print and send these.

Michael Jackson.

I have some confessions to make.

I'll begin by stating that this post all started while I was cleaning this morning. Claire and I had Michael Jackson blaring and I was so proud of my little girl dancing away to Beat It.

As I write this, I'm a little embarrassed for myself. In my iTunes, you'd probably find more Michael Jackson than anything else. It was my solution for everything. Gotta study for that chem homework? At the gym? Cleaning? Road Trip? Oh, you can bet I have a Michael Jackson playlist for that!

I remember exactly where I was and what I was doing when my then fiance texted me and told me Michael Jackson had died. I was on the treadmill listening to none other than, that's right, Michael Jackson. Ross was at Disneyland with his family when I got the text, which was almost in a mocking tone. (Serves me right.) My sweet husband is NOT a Michael Jackson fan.

Don't worry MJ. You're still going strong in the Loveland house (As long as Ross is not present). Especially on cleaning days.

How I've Spent November.

Well, besides chasing Claire, picking food out of the carpet, and singing "The Itsy Bitsy Spider" over and over again, of course.

It's been a productive past three days. Which is weird, considering I've also spent the days pouring over five hours of Pride and Prejudice. It makes the laundry much less of a chore.

Five hours of the ever delicious Colin Firth? Yes please.

It's been such a pleasant way to spend my "me-time", perhaps I'll spend the rest of the month watching flicks I'd never force Ross to watch with me. Nap time just became all the sweeter.

Quotes From The Loveland House.

Claire had wandered off one evening while I was cooking dinner. I heard the shower curtain ruffle and knew exactly what she was doing.

Me: Claire, come out of the bathroom, please.
Claire: Uh-Oh!


Me: Is Big Bum Guy Crazy Guy's Dad?
Ross: Big Bum Guy would have to be like 70. There's no way he's Crazy Guy's Dad.
*We bust up laughing*
Jake: Those are actually really descriptive names. Now that I've met them, I know EXACTLY who you're talking about.


Me: Claire, say "mama".
Claire: DA DA DA DA DA DA. *She then laughs like she's heard the best joke."


Jake: I'm so glad I'm not a pregnant woman.


Captain America Movie: "Hile Hydra!"
Jake: It's like they're on a roller coaster!



We've had a lot of laughs this week. Claire's little personality is growing funnier and funnier each day, and having Jake live with us just adds to the fun.

What's In A Name?

It'll probably be a while before we even start discussing names for this little lady. Ross likes unique names, while I prefer "old lady" names. We have such different taste, it really is the compromise of all compromises.

With Claire, we each made a list of twenty names we liked. From the list, we pulled the ones we had in common, 5 from Ross' list I liked, and he was supposed to pick out five from my list, but he honestly HATED every name I came up with.

From the new master list, we researched where the name was from, the meaning, paired it with potential middle names and eliminated them one by one. Typing out the baby naming process makes me feel a tad ridiculous, but it really was fun!

Growing up, I knew a family where the mom got to pick all of the kids' names. I'm starting to think this is a grand idea.

I'm going to start writing up my list of names. And you can bet I'm going to include Beatrice, Eleanor, Lucy, Alice, and Penelope. All of the ones I like, but will probably end up being pet's names through the years. Wish me luck!

Sugar And Spice, So Nice We're Doing It Twice!

We decided we just couldn't wait any longer to find out what our little bean is and went in for an early ultrasound.

Ross called it before we even went in. This morning I asked him what he thought and he wasn't sure. I asked again while we were waiting and he said, "It's a girl." He knew that Claire was a girl before the ultrasound, too. He's amazing.

This little lady was stubborn and bashful. She had her little rear shoved as far as she could against the wall, trying to hide, and would not budge. After a few tries of jiggling, we finally got a clear shot. Claire's going to have a little sister!

We couldn't be more thrilled. I was certain we were having a boy, so it was a wonderful surprise. I am so excited to bring in a whole lot more pink and ruffles. I am determined to have very girly girls who love Barbies, pink, ribbons, lace, princesses, and everything girly and sweet.

I'm already planning out how to make the nursery even more girly for my little ladies. Poor Ross is getting overrun and outnumbered.

You Know You're Pregnant When...

Last pregnancy, I was enthusiastic about working out. I'd walk every night on my treadmill while watching music videos on my laptop.

Confession: I really enjoyed working out to Eminem. I gotta say, it has a nice beat.

Well, while watching the Mockingbird video, all of a sudden I couldn't see the screen anymore. Yup, I was having one of the pregnant bawling episodes. I was crying because of an Eminem music video. I couldn't listed to that song for 4 or 5 months after.

A few months ago I started crying because my s'more tasted just so dang good.

Today, a friend posted a video of a girl finding out she's going to Disneyland for her birthday. You guessed it, I was a gonner!!

I love watching TV shows or movies where one of the gals is pregnant and really plays up those stereotypes. I can TOTALLY relate and I get a great laugh. And I am so grateful Ross is never ever home for these preggo episodes. haha I'd never hear the end of it!

The Best Has Yet To Come.

Two years has flown by! It all started 6 years ago at a stake dance, followed by years of a secret crush, a long friendship, and jokes about how funny it would be if we really ended up together. Well, joke's on me I guess!

People are always shocked when I tell them that Ross and I never actually dated. We were friends, best friends, best friends who liked each other, and then we were engaged! Two years later we're still the best of friends. I can't think of anything better.

After the actual wedding, we enjoyed a soup, salad, and bread sticks lunch at Olive Garden, and then took off to do a corn maze. Usually people are shocked at that, too. I mean, who goes through a corn maze on their wedding day?! We do! We decided then and there that we would celebrate our anniversaries by sharing our soup, salad, and bread sticks and getting lost in a corn maze. Last year was so fun, and we're excited to share our tradition with Miss Claire this year.

I'm so grateful for the gospel in our family and for temples. Another year down and it's never going to end! Each year is better than the last, and I'm sure the best has yet to come. Happy Anniversary, Ross. I love you!

We're enjoying dinner without Claire this evening and then going to Cornbellys as a family later this week. Last year I forgot my camera, but this year I'll be sure to take lots of pictures!

The Second Time Around.

Really, I'm just delaying the inevitable to-do list for today.

This pregnancy is FLYING by. It might just be that Claire is very, very mobile and keeps me running all day, but I'm already 1/3 of the way done!

My last appointment was last week. It's been the most exciting appointment of all! First off, I adore my midwife. She came in and gave me the biggest hug and kiss on the cheek. I've missed her a lot. She's like a really great friend. I had taken Claire to a friend's for a play date, and Jennifer, my midwife, was actually really upset about that. The office actually LOVES when you bring your kids. They love to hold them and play with them and know every single child by name. That was the first thing I noticed the first time I went into the office. I loved it.

Anyway, after the reunion with my sweet friend, I was told that my levels from the blood draw were really high. I had gotten an ultrasound at my first appointment and there were two blobs, but the tech told me one of the blobs was just a big yolk sac. I guess we'll find out. I'm measuring exactly how I'm supposed to though, and we only heard one heartbeat. We're 90% sure there's just one cooking in there. Let's hope so!!
hardly stand the sigh
I'm also on the high risk list. I think it's from all of the preterm labor I had with Claire, but with the high levels, she thinks I might be showing early signs of it happening again. Not to worry, she just wants to watch it for a little while and maybe I can graduate from the list!

This pregnancy is completely different than Claire's. I haven't worn real jeans since I was 5 or 6 weeks. But I did find some cute, cheap full panel skinny jeans from Old Navy that I'm pretty much living in.

Things I Love:
With Claire, I wanted candy, brownies, and everything sweet I could get my hands on. I can hardly stand the sight of sweets. I am loving fresh fruit and veggies. My counter and fridge is always stocked! And lots and lots of Orange Juice. Anyone who knows me knows I've always been an OJ guzzler, but now it's even worse.

Marshmello Mateys. The generic Lucky Charms. I won't even share them with Claire. That's Mama's cereal.

Dreyer's Lime Fruit Bars. NOT the variety pack. Just the box that has 6 lime bars. Those are my FAVORITE.

Sonic Ice. Yup, I go through the Drive-Thru just to order a bag of ice. It costs just as much as a bag of ice from the store, but it's the pebble ice. Plus, I don't have to get out of my car. Laziness at its finest.


I can't believe I'm already going to be into the 2nd trimester this week! It's been so nice not having to spend the days hugging my porcelain throne. I've only thrown up maybe 3 times. HUGE difference from Claire! It's been wonderful. Though that might change if Claire keeps getting into the cat food.

I think I've gotten over the shock of having 2 this close together and I'm really, really excited. It's been so fun having Claire around to make the time fly. Before we know it she'll have a new best friend to play with! I'm sure two babes will keep me busier than ever. Hopefully it'll help take off the baby weight, too! :]

Halloween Preview

This will be our third married Halloween, but our first dressing up. Naturally we're going all out. I really wanted to make our costumes this year, and yesterday I stumbled across the most brilliant idea for family themes costumes that really suit our family.

Claire is going to be a pink LEGO. First I measured the brick I wanted to duplicate. I wanted the proportions to be exactly right. I took the measurements in mm and converted them to inches. I took the foam and marked how big I wanted my pieces to be. I wanted crisp edges, but we don't have any power tools. So I used a kitchen knife and trimmed the loose edges with scissors. After hot gluing my circles on, it was time to paint. At first I used a spray fabric dye, but it was super bright and ran out quickly. Luckily, I had a can of hot pink from when I painted Claire's bow holder frame.
It came out like a sparkly tye-dye LEGO. I actually really like it. I'm just waiting for it to dry so I can piece it all together and try it on Claire! I'm really excited!



Now for Ross. I showed him this idea yesterday, but it took a little while to get him on board. Honestly, I just like having projects and having something to do during the day besides clean and change diapers. I was hoping he'd say yes, because the description said it would take between 40 and 50 hours to complete.

I spent the morning drawing out my diagram and getting the measurements of each LEGO part and converting them to Ross' height. It was actually a lot of fun and I really enjoyed doing math and using my brain. With my fruit bar breaks, I am in heaven.

I bought a couple sheets of poster board to make patterns for the round pieces that I'll use to cut foam later. One is currently being used as a drying mat for Claire's costume. I used a compass on the other to draw out my circles. Honestly, I'm a little impressed with how exact my measurements have turned out.



I'm REALLY excited about these projects. It's Day 1, and I'm having a blast. I hope that Ross' costume turns out as awesome as the original, but we'll see! More pics to come as the project progresses!

A Riddle For You.

What has two legs, two arms, and a tail??















If you guessed Claire, you're right!!

The Things That Matter Most.

It's a Monday morning, and this particular morning required a little extra uplifting. So I checked out the Mormon Messages on YouTube. I love these clips. They're short, to the point, and I always find exactly what I'm looking for. Today I watched one on enjoying the little moments. Judging by my laundry list of to-do's for the day, it was exactly what I needed. I looked up the October 2010 General Conference talk that was referred and dove in a little deeper.

"Let’s be honest; it’s rather easy to be busy. We all can think up a list of tasks that will overwhelm our schedules. Some might even think that their self-worth depends on the length of their to-do list. They flood the open spaces in their time with lists of meetings and minutia—even during times of stress and fatigue. Because they unnecessarily complicate their lives, they often feel increased frustration, diminished joy, and too little sense of meaning in their lives...

"My dear brothers and sisters, we would do well to slow down a little, proceed at the optimum speed for our circumstances, focus on the significant, lift up our eyes, and truly see the things that matter most. Let us be mindful of the foundational precepts our Heavenly Father has given to His children that will establish the basis of a rich and fruitful mortal life with promises of eternal happiness. They will teach us to do “all these things … in wisdom and order; for it is not requisite that [we] should run faster than [we have] strength. [But] it is expedient that [we] should be diligent, [and] thereby … win the prize.”

Lately I've felt exactly like the first paragraph. I felt proud of myself when Ross would come home and I'd divulge everything I had done that day. Ross is incredibly supportive. With the pregnancy, I really don't make dinner all too often. I love that he doesn't expect a hot dinner on the table and a spotless home when 5:00 rolls around. Let's be real here. When I go to pick him up, I am by far the scariest girl on campus. My hair is usually in whatever kind of pony tail I quickly did, with a splash of who knows what on my pants. Let's not even talk about the make up situation here.

Last week I had appointments, meetings, and just things to do on every square of my calendar. This week is completely blank. I think I'm going to take advantage of that and try to focus on the significant and what matters most. If dinner, a clean house, and possibly some make up just happen to happen, that's even better!

Pedro Germs, No Returns.

When I was in second grade, my family moved to Oregon. I went to Mary Woodward Elementary School. It took a while to make even just a couple good friends. A few years later there was a new boy named Pedro. I don't remember how it started, but I remember the kids were mean. Really mean.

If Pedro bumped into someone, that person would then touch someone else and say, "Pedro germs, no returns!" It turned into a game of tag almost, and you did not want to be the one stuck with "Pedro germs."

A few weeks later, some friends and I started the "We Care Club" or WCC for short. I remember scribbling out ideas for club names and for some reason this was the one I decided was best. We really didn't do anything with the club, but the one rule we had was that we weren't allowed to pass on the "Pedro germs".

I kept a list of the popular girls' names and swore to myself that those would be my kids' names. For some reason I thought if I named my kids after a popular person, they'd be popular, too. That was my ten year old logic.

Now I have a kid of my own and another on the way I can't help but think of the saying, "It's nice to be important, but it's more important to be nice".

I am overwhelmed by the responsibility and role mothers have, in a great way. And I'm so grateful for both of my mothers as well as the opportunity I have to be a mother.

Well, The Cat's Out Of The Bag.

That's right. Come end of March, Claire will have someone else to play with, and I'm sure Bells is grateful. Or maybe terrified that there will now be two monsters trying to claim her whiskers as prizes.

Everyone was getting suspicious with my constant, extremely picky snacking and numerous bathroom runs. I actually wanted to keep it a secret until right before we found out what we're cooking, but I'm already in the pudgy stage and now I can snack during church without shame. I was getting some pretty concerned looks when I pulled out my entire bag of cheeze-its a couple weeks ago.

While I'm finally adjusting to the shock of the kiddos being barely 16 months apart, we are thrilled with the news. I'm already plotting how to redecorate the nursery for two and where to move furniture.

This pregnancy is already completely different from the first. I'm still very very bossy about food in our house and Ross is coping beautifully. I couldn't ask for a more wonderful, supportive husband, though I'm sure he'd appreciate a sandwich or a home cooked dinner sometime soon.

Back To School.

Fall semester started today. Summer went by so fast, but I think Ross was ready for school to begin. I'm excited for him, though I am going to miss our lazy evenings together. Claire wasn't too sure about this whole school idea, either.

I love fall. I can't wait to break out my scarves, sweaters, and boots! Bring on the cold!

All Poor Claire Wants To Do Is Get The Kitty.

I feel like a terrible mom for sitting and watching this happen, but it was just too hilarious to not get on video! While Claire can't crawl, she actually is quite mobile. She is an excellent scooter. It doesn't matter where she starts, she will ALWAYS end at the family computer. I tried covering it with a blanket so it was "gone", but Belle just thought it was a fun hideout. All poor Claire wanted to do was play with the kitty.

That's What I'm Talking About, House!

There's something empowering about mopped floors, 5,000 loads of laundry folded and put away, the trash and diaper pails emptied, and the scent of pine-sol in ever room of your house.

What's more empowering is that I got it all done before 9:30, all while Claire was awake. That's what I'm talking about, house!

It could just be because I slept exceptionally well last night, or it might have been the diet coke I popped open at 7:00 this morning, but I love cleaning days.

And now I get to spend the afternoon playing with these sweet cheeks.

A Cold Hard Truth.

I cannot sew. It's rather embarrassing really. I spent the past couple days making myself a dress. When I tried it on, I laughed so hard I might have cried. It's truly truly ghastly, though I wore it for a few hours just because I made it.

I even picked up Ross from work in it. I gave him a warning beforehand and let him know it was the ugliest thing I had ever worn. My wonderful husband didn't even laugh at me, though the look on his face was priceless.

"Well, at least it's good practice, right?"

I love him.

And I plan on sticking to baby blankets and replacing buttons. I'll leave my wardrobe to the outlet mall.

What Sunday Evenings Are For.

I have heard wonderful comments regarding a particular Miss Manners book. I looked at our local library's catalogue and saw it was available. I scooped Claire up and checked it out as fast as I could.

I must say, I have adored every word of this charming book. Ross has even read a bit of it and said that there are "a lot of good things in there".

"...As dear Erasmus said, 'It is part of the highest civility if, while never erring yourself, you ignore the errors of others.' Miss Manners prefers to believe that everyone means well, and that if anyone seems to be doing something wrong, it is probably not from intent, but from forgetfulness, busyness, absence of mind, or illness. Miss Manners may be mistaken in this now and again, but she leads a happier life for believing it."

This book truly has been a delightful gem. It has been an edifying, while comical read and I am looking forward to picking up another of Miss Manners' works this week.

"Children have two styles of dress these days. One, which consists of velvet dresses for girls and velvet suits for boys, is worn only to performances of The Nutcracker. The other, which consists of rags, is worn for everything else life has to offer. Miss Manners does not condone this..."

I cannot wait to see what Miss Manners' Guide to Rearing Perfect Children has in store for me.

Home Decor 101.

Since Ross and I were married, up until a little after Claire joined our family, I have loved decorating our home. I was very particular about it, controlling even. When Ross came home from work or school and would put his keys on the kitchen counter instead of on the designated key holder, I would honestly be stressed out.

When the young men would come to collect fast offerings, they would comment on how "modern and cool" our home was, yet also "cozy." I took a lot of pride in our "modern, cool, yet cozy" home.

Since then though, I have relaxed and calmed down a significant amount Our home decor currently consists of cheerios strewn about the floor.


And mountains of laundry amid the valley of Claire's toys which are almost never in her toy box. Of course some cheerios are mixed in there somewhere.


And I really gotta say I love every bit of it, down to the last cheerio and teething ring; though I can't wait for the money fairy to come back around and leave a little present so I can start more home projects.

Our Kitten Is Really A Dog.

No, really Not only does she beg for food, but she thinks it's ok to jump on the counter and eat food there. She licks the plates clean and has no problem eating out of the sink. She's been INSANE. It's like having another kid. I don't have to feed or change her, but as far as destruction goes, we have a baby and a toddler living in our home.

Anyway, last night I was already in bed when Ross was brushing his teeth. I heard a plink and then the cat running out of our room as fast as she could.

Ross: Do you beat the cat when she drinks out of the toilet? I took one look at her and when she saw she was caught, she booked it out of here.

Note: I do not beat the cat, but she DOES get in trouble when I catch her doing things she's not supposed to. Like eating my breakfast while I help Claire or drinking out of the toilet.

Stupid cat.

The Summer Post.

It's been a crazy summer at the Loveland house. Claire started her helmet treatment in June. Her first follow up appointment was early July and the results were amazing. When we started her on the helmet, her head had a 12 mm measurement difference. (The measurement is taken from her eyebrow to the back of her head opposite.) So between the two diagonals, there was a pretty significant difference. At her follow up appointment, the number had gone down to only a 5 mm difference. Now I'm so glad we decided to get her the helmet. Her next appointment is August 8th, hopefully we'll have more great news and she won't have to wear it too much longer.

End of June, Claire and I took a trip to Oregon to visit my family. We had such a wonderful time playing with Grandma, Grandpa, and Aunt J. We went to the zoo on the 4th of July and had a fun BBQ with some friends. Claire especially liked the petting zoo where she made friends with a goat. We also got to ride on the tractor with Grandpa. We had a few girl shopping days with Grandma, which included a trip to Jamba Juice. Claire loved it so much, she learned how to drink from a straw!

We only had a few days home before our next trip. Claire was sick in the beginning, and then Ross was sick. I didn't have time to be sick with everything that needed to get done before we left for the Johnson Family Reunion in California. During those few days, Claire got her first x-ray! Ross was putting her to bed and playing with her. He had her standing on the bars of her crib while he held her hands. Her foot slipped and Ross heard a pop when her weight fell. We noticed that she wouldn't use her left arm and screamed like a banshee whenever we'd touch that wrist. After a few minutes, we decided to take her in to her Dr's office. I LOVE her pediatrician. I don't think we could have picked a better one.

The Dr. thought it was probably a nursemaid's elbow, but because of how tender Claire's wrist was, there was a possibility of a fracture. She couldn't try to pop Claire's elbow back in until we did the x-ray to be sure nothing else was wrong. Ross went in with the x-ray tech while I waited in the hall. I'm sure you could hear that poor girl way on the other side of the hospital. Luckily the x-ray came back negative. The Dr. quickly popped her elbow back in and Claire was back to normal! I was grateful it went back in on the first try. Needless to say, Claire slept extremely well that night.

We just got back from the Johnson Reunion and had a blast!! We drove to Kingsburg, California the first day and stayed the night at Ross' grandparents house. Claire was amazing on the trip. I was shocked. She loved to just look out the window and play with her toys. We didn't have to put in the Baby Einstein's CD once! The next day everyone headed out to Morro Bay. We did a family 10K, family bingo, talent show, went swimming at the beach, took family pictures, fed seals, played 1,000 games of Skip-Bo, ate some amazing food, and just had a great time. It was so fun to get to see everyone and get Claire together with the other baby cousins. We stayed another night at Grandma and Grandpa's house before we headed back to Utah. Claire got to go swimming in their pool and LOVED it. It was so fun to take her swimming and watch her kick furiously. She didn't mind getting splashed or dunked on accident. She was quite the fish. We had an amazing time and I was sad to go. Luckily we got to bring back a couple souvenirs. Mom and Autumn come back to spend the week with us. Autumn gets to play with us while Mom attends a family history conference at BYU.

It's great to be home, and even more fun to have them stay with us. Luckily, I don't think we have much going on in August. We'll have some time to relax and get back to our routines before school starts up again. I hate to be the party pooper, but I can't wait for fall. Perhaps it's just the fall fashion, but I'm getting antsy. I'm so excited for apple pie, apple cider, redecorating the house, breaking out the peacoats and scarves, pumpkins...everything.

Hubba Hubba!!

While going through Ross' old camera, I found these gems from before we were engaged.

What a lucky wife I am!! Hubba hubba!!!

Life's Tough, Get A Helmet.

It still blows my mind that Ross and I made a PERSON. A real person with likes, dislikes, personality, and a whole lotta sass. It's been so neat to watch Claire grow and develop, and see more of her personality come out.

I had a really hard time adjusting the first few months. There were times I cried, saw the toilet as an escape for a little "me" time, and occasionally wondered what the heck I had gotten myself into. And honestly, it's been the best time of my life.

Our journey with Claire started out with jaundice and a few days in a bed of lights. She could only come out to be fed or changed. It was hard having a newborn baby, MY newborn baby, and I couldn't even hold her when I wanted to. Little did I know that would be the beginning of the Claire Adventures. There were months of sleepless nights, an emergency run to the hospital for RSV, plagiocephaly, torticollis, physical therapy, helmets, and the list I'm sure will go on and on and on.

Through all of this, I've reflected on the women I look up to most. They are beautiful, strong, courageous, and such incredible examples for me. I had to learn the hard way that these women are not that way because they are "butch", but because of and through Christ. Our church is chalk full of these strong women, and for that I am grateful. I hope to one day be numbered among them.

Bragging moment: I've been really great at keeping a journal this past month. Sunday I went back and read a little and I already feel silly for all of my whining and complaining about how hard being a mom is. (Not that my journal exclusively contains my whining.) Ross has always told me happiness is a choice. -Have I mentioned how much I absolutely detest that he is ALWAYS right. About everything?!

Whenever I text him and tell him what a horrid day I'm having, he always responds simply, "Well, that's your choice." Sometimes I feel like he might as well be my parent, too. It takes me back to Mr. Bennet's 8th grade English class. He made a poster of his mantra which read: Buck up little trooper, cause life ain't easy. He posted at the front of the class on bright colored paper. I'm beginning to figure out that happiness IS a choice and I can make the best of the worst situations.

Claire and I have our helmets on (haha, get it?) and are ready for whatever's next. Bring it!

My Poor Husband Is Married To A Moron.

No, really. A couple days ago I was getting ready. Lately I've been using Claire's first nap to actually do my hair, put on make up... You know, things that NORMAL people do. Then I pulled out my jewelry box. I had a couple old rings in there that I never wear, but I thought I'd wear another ring that day. Well, I took one out and tried to put it on. Note: If you have to push and shove as hard as you can to put something on, it's probably not a good idea.

It seemed like a good idea at the time. Much to my blonde surprise, I couldn't get the stupid thing off! I tried baby oil, soap, ice, cold water, everything and it wouldn't budge. After Ross was home, I had him pull as hard as he could and ignore the ungodly sounds coming from my mouth. It didn't work.

HOURS later, I decided to be brave and cut it off with a tool from our beloved tool box. I don't remember who gave us that toolbox, but that was probably the greatest wedding present we received. We used it to break into our home the first night back after getting married. And a couple more times until we decided to only lock our deadbolt, and only once we're outside. We've pieced together furniture, opened paint cans, and hung pictures. Now we can add 'undid one of Kate's dumbest moments' onto our list.

Poor poor Ross. I'll bet he had no idea the adventures he'd get himself into when he married me.

Utah Bucket List.

A girl friend of mine made a post like this to get ideas of what she and her hubby MUST do and see before they left Idaho.

It seems like such a great idea and looks like they've been having so much fun checking things off together. And to be honest, I'm a little jealous.

So let's have it. What does our family absolutely have to see and do here in Utah before Ross graduates??

Let's Play A Little Game.

It's called: What Crawled Into My Kitchen And Died??

Seriously, I have no idea. I have scrubbed and scoured every inch of that kitchen, inside and out. Twice. I have no idea what the smell is or where it's coming from.

I have 3 Glade plug-ins going, a jar of potpouri, and 5 candles. I'm telling you, it's BAD.

Keeping A Journal.

I had a journal when I was in seventh grade. It had a cow on the front and was a bright green color. Each paragraph was scribbled in different colored gel pens, and was filled with my ten thousand crushes of middle school. No, really. I found said journal when I was in high school and literally every single paragraph was about which boys I liked, how good looking they were, and everything else a thirteen year old could mention about a boy.

I was so embarrassed, I threw it away in fear someone would find it. I didn't know that older me would WANT to find it. I really regret throwing my cow journal filled with middle school me in the trash. Although I'm sure I would still blush reading it, I love looking back and remembering. My parents saved a box of all of my old school projects, cards, stories, valentines, pictures... the list could go on. That box is one of my favorite things in my house. I could spend hours sifting through everything, and I wish that stupid journal was among the contents.

I decided to start a new journal, actually handwritten on paper, not just a blog. Keeping a journal seems like a small task, but in truth, I struggle with it. I didn't even write about my wedding day, or about being engaged. I'm sad about that, too.

My journal instead of a daily record, will rather be a weekly one. I figure I can spare a few minutes a week, and I'm sure fifty year old me will be thoroughly entertained. Now I know how much I regret not being diligent with keeping a journal, and throwing my only journal away, I'm much more determined to actually do it. One week down, here's to a million more.

After Over A Year And A Half Of Marriage...

Me: Did you notice there haven't been any clothes on the floor in forever?!

Ross: Yeah, I like how clean it is back there! (referring to our room)

Me: Even though it's only been a whole 24 hours?

Ross: After being married to you for over a year and half, I know how impressive that it.

My poor husband. This week I made a point to not put my clothes on the floor or counter. And to put my shoes away instead of leaving six pairs in the front rooms. I'm a little ashamed to admit how much of a difference it really has made.

Claire's New BFF.

Claire and Bells have a perfect relationship. Claire flails her arms and legs for Bells to "attack" and shares her toys, and in return, Bells lets Claire squeeze her, poke her eyes, grab her ears, and pull her whiskers. To be honest, we think Bells actually likes Claire abusing her so. Over the last couple days, they've decided they're best friends.

They love to play together on Claire's play mat. Claire's great at sharing and loves to take turns with Bells swatting the dangling toys.

They love to cuddle and watch Baby Einstein together. Sometimes Bells gets tired of watching and would rather swat at Claire's kicking legs or scratching fingers. She never sticks her claws out though when playing with Claire. I'm sure she knows Claire's the baby and we like Claire more than her.

Claire loves having a BFF to play with all the time!

My Amazing Husband.

I already knew I had a great husband, but this weekend was incredible. Saturday was my 21st and Ross made sure we partied hard. I'm not usually thrilled for my birthday. I get more excited about other people's birthdays and surprising them. I think after this weekend though, I'll be counting down till my next birthday already. Thursday morning, Ross asked me if I'd need the car the next day. I figured he'd just be swinging by the store on the way home to pick something up for Saturday.

Friday came around and he took the car to work. I had a cleaning/laundry day at home and went for my long afternoon run/walk with Claire. When I got out of the shower, Ross had texted me. I don't remember exactly what it said but it was something like, "I hope you're excited for this weekend, it's going to be a lot of fun. But it's a lot of fun to fit into one day. Oh wait, it won't fit in one day. You should start packing an overnight bag soon."

Needless to say, I'm glad I showered and actually shaved for once. Around 3 some of our really good friends came by to steal our baby for the night. I am so so grateful for Michael and Jessica! Thank you!

Ross came home before Claire drove off for the night, and he said we actually had 45 min or so till we could leave. I was too curious and excited to do anything else, so I just sat on the couch with my bag for 45 minutes while Ross packed his bag and got ready.

We finally got in the car and started heading towards downtown Provo and ended up here. They weren't quite ready for us, so we got to walk around and take a peek at the other rooms while they finished getting ours ready. We stayed in the Library Room which was so cool. There's a spiral staircase that leads to a jetted tub under a skylight, a secret wall you push on that opens up to the bathroom, the room was scattered with rose petals, and there was a bottle of pear sparkling cider for us to share. Oh, and she brought us up some strawberries and home made whipped cream. :]

After we got settled, we went off downtown to find some grub before we headed back to our room. The next morning, breakfast wasn't going to be ready till 9:30 so Ross decided to clue me in on the next surprise. We got in the car and ended up at Petsmart to pick out our first family pet!

Unfortunately they weren't open yet, but at least we killed some time! We went back to the mansion for a three course breakfast, and went back to Petsmart. Petsmart always has cat adoptions going on, but they're usually older cats. Much to our surprise there was a cage with three kittens. We asked to hold them and we were sold.

Claire loves Belle. When we first introduced them, Claire grabbed the cat and started laughing. They've become fast friends and this poor cat hasn't learned to stay away from the baby yet. Claire loves to hold Belle too tight, poke her in the eyes, grab her ears, pull her whiskers, and just over all bug the poor thing. But Belle loves it. She stays right by Claire and doesn't do a thing.

I am amazed at how unafraid this cat is. She's explored every inch of the house and loves to cuddle and be around people. It's been so fun and her personality fits right in! Now we're a real family with a pet and everything!

Ross never ceases to amaze me. I'm so spoiled. I had the best birthday ever! I loved the romantic getaway and break from Claire. (Though I did dream about her that night.) And the surprises just kept coming! I am so grateful for my sweet husband. He's so incredibly thoughtful! And sneaky!!

The Random Man At Costco.

So I was standing in line with Claire at Costco this morning. She was a little grumpy so I was playing with her and making her laugh. This guy in the line next to me I guess had been watching us for a while and he came up and went:

"You have the best job in the whole world. It's the hardest, but it's the best. I have so much respect for mothers and what you do. Thank you."

He was so kind; it just totally made my day. I love people that go out of their way for strangers like that.