Notre Petite Famille

Liam Alexander Wallace

2011-09-29T16:16:00.026-07:00

My apologies go out to our friends and family for the lack of communication regarding the birth of baby Liam. Chris sent a picture text the day of his birth but somehow it didn't reach everyone intended and with our move we didn't have the chance or the internet to post pictures. So here I am, two weeks later, introducing my little peanut.

Liam Alexander was born on Sept 14th at 4:48 pm. He weighed 6lbs 9oz and measured 19 1/2 in. (He was lucky enough to be born the exact same day as his cousin, Elin.) He gave us quite a scare while I was in labor. His umbilical cord was tangled around is neck and body and every time I had a contraction, the cord would choke him. The stronger the contraction was, the lower the heart rate would get. I'll never forget the moment when his heart rate dropped completely off the monitor and a harem of nurses flew into my room. I'm super grateful for the doctor and nurses I had - they were incredible. And I'm relieved to say that Liam made it safely and in good health. We've since moved up to Utah for Chris' new job and are getting settled, and I am trying to enjoy life with my boys :).

39 Weeks and Counting...

2011-09-09T08:34:00.014-07:00

My due date isn't until September 13th but I'm ready for my little man to come. As the old Dusty Springfield song goes, "I'm wishin' and hopin' and thinkin' and prayin'; plannin' and dreamin' each night," all I want to do is "hold him and kiss him and squeeze him and love him." This weekend would be a perfect time for him to arrive -- all of my ducks finally seem to be in a row. Too bad it doesn't ever seem to work that way. Here's to being patient and holding out just a little longer.

Headlamps and Such

2010-11-13T19:37:00.026-07:00

Lately, Eli is obsessed with Chris' headlamp (or any type of flashlight for that matter). He loves to turn off all of the lights and walk around with it looking for "les phantoms" (ghosts). He also loves our office/bedroom and frequently goes through the desk drawers pulling out pens, erasers, scotch tape, computer paper, electronics or whatever he finds that day. When I ask him what he's doing, he says very matter-of-factly, "Je travaille, Maman." (Translation: I'm working, Mom.)

Expressions

2010-08-13T15:34:00.017-07:00

So after a year long hiatus, I'm back! I have so much that I want to catch up on from this past year but I'm going to begin on a current note because these pictures are too irresistible not to.

The following are some of Eli's many facial expressions. I wish we could get him to smile for the camera because his cheesy grin is my favorite face of all, but he's a goof and won't. I love him more than anything in the world. He is tender and sweet, and he reminds me of everything that I have in life.

Halloween

2009-11-13T16:11:00.059-07:00

October was chalk full of festivities (so much so that I ended up with the flu shortly after Halloween ended). Our month included hayrides, pumpkin patches, costume parties, caramel apple dipping, pumpkin carving, trunk-or-treating, trick-or-treating, and goodies galore. Eli's bat costume was a bit last minute and not my first choice (it was a size too small and a little too purple but was the only decent thing I could find the day before Halloween - I guess I didn't learn my lesson from last year). He was cute regardless.

HOMESTEAD FARM
Our first festivity was a trip to a pumpkin patch at in MD with friends.

Eli geared up for his first tractor ride and loved it.
Chris took this rad picture with our measly point-and-shoot in the pumpkin field (had to give him props).

We love this place because we can pick our pumpkins straight from the vine.

Eli took every opportunity to devour my caramel dipped apple (picked from Homestead's orchard). Soooo good.

PUMPKIN CARVING

We had our annual pumpkin carving night with none other than the VA Bohn clan.

Our zany array of pumpkins (we have a lot of personality).

Wallace family pumpkins (can you guess whose is whose?).

BURKE NURSERY

We went to a pumpkin playground for play group. It rained the day before so it was very muddy and kids were literally jumping in mud piles.

Eli was in awe of the kids jumping in mud piles.

I found a carousel to keep him away from them.

The motorcycle was also a great distraction -- Eli could have stayed on it all day.

CARMEL APPLES
Mel invited us over to make caramel apples. Eli definitely had his fill of Butterfinger bits that night.

COX FARM

Some friends and I took a jaunt to this fall festival. I was watching Erich for the day so he came along for the fun.

I tried to get both boys to stay back while I took a picture on the yellow brick road. Erich followed the instructions.

Eli on the other hand, couldn't restrain himself and bolted.

TRICK-OR-TREATING

We went trick-or-treating with the fam. Eli was more interested in the gnomes and nicknacks on the porches then he was in accumulating candy.

Eli and his papa, the New York hipster (in case anyone was wondering).

All Business

2009-08-20T14:23:00.009-07:00

This last week I left Eli with his papa and flew to Cleveland, Ohio to represent my company at a conference. I was a nervous wreck to leave my baby and go on a business trip by myself in a city I had never been to, but in the end my only real challenge was the trip itself. Due to construction, I didn't get to the airport until 40 minutes before my flight departed so by the time I arrived at the ticket counter, the US Airways rep told me I was too late to check in and would have to wait on stand-by for the next flight to Cleveland. I was so frustrated, particularly because after going through security I walked past my old gate and it hadn't even begun to board. If that wasn't bad enough, I didn't make standby on the next two flights because they were overbooked. Eventually, the airline got me on a flight to Charlotte from which I flew to Cleveland. A few delays, a lot of turbulence, and a cab drive later I arrived at my destination. I arrived at 8:46pm which means I spent a total of 14 hours traveling (mind you, a direct flight to Cleveland only takes 1.5 hours). Luckily the rest of my trip went smoothly. I spent the next two days at a Marriott, met some really nice people, won $150 gift card, and returned home without any hitches.

Sleep-eating...?

2009-08-13T19:40:00.009-07:00

Last week Eli fell asleep mid-bite during dinner. What's more is after he dozed off, he proceeded to eat until his food was gone. (What can I say? He takes after his parents and loves to eat.) No one at the table could stop laughing. Luckily, my FIL was there to document the moment (thanks, Chris).

Full of Spunk

2009-08-11T22:23:00.021-07:00

It has been f-o-r-e-v-e-r since my last legitimate post which means I have a lot of catching up to do. Eli has grown up so much this year. He has a mouth full of teeth, a growing vocabulary, and so much personality. (We're still working on the hair.) Here is a peak at the little guy. More pictures and updates to come!

Rockin' no. 1

2009-03-01T13:32:00.013-07:00

Here's to the schm-eli and his first birthday. (The big day was actually a couple of weeks ago (2.19.09), but as per usual, I am late in posting.) Life with two jobs and a husband in law school is a whirlwind, but this little guy keeps me grounded and consistently reminds me of what is truly important. I love him, he's my number one.

Pay it Forward

2009-02-18T06:23:00.000-07:00

"The first 3 people to leave a comment on this post will receive a handmade (or possibly store-bought) gift from me during this year. When and what will be a surprise. There's a small catch though...Post this same thing on your own blog and then come back and leave a comment telling me you're in. Remember, only the first 3 comments receive the gift!"

Kaput

2009-02-09T20:22:00.011-07:00

If anyone has had trouble getting a hold of me lately, I finally have a legitimate excuse. This poor thing is on its last leg: lasting only 2 hours on a full charge, dropping nearly every call (leaving me and countless others rambling into thin air), freezing anytime I try to text, and vibrating sporadically throughout the day. All I can say is "thank you phone" for lasting me this long. After surviving 200+ falls (refer to photo above to see cell body damage), several parking lot puddles, the gnawing of e's budding teeth, and many Lost & Found incidents, it is almost time to bid farewell. Just give me another week*, eh?

*Feb 17 = Verizion Wireless upgrade

2009-02-06T21:46:00.007-07:00

I'm in love Ellie Gray the Elephant. Why can't they make more kid toys this cute?!

Inauguration Day Pandemonium

2009-01-26T20:04:00.042-07:00

As soon as Obama was elected into office, Chris and I planned to attend the inauguration. (What better way to take advantage of living near D.C. than go?) Getting there in one piece, that was the issue...

Security was expected to be tight in DC for the big event, so the night before I searched online to check safety regulations. Every site I visited discouraged people from bringing their children (strollers were even prohibited on the west front of the mall). The New York Times went so far as saying that doing so "would amount to bad parenting," which elevated my (already high) anxiety level about the event. But we'd always planned to bring Eli and didn't have anyone to dump him on at the last minute, so we took our chances anyway.

The line at the metro station at 8am the next morning extended all the way back to the parking lot. I became increasingly nervous about dragging Eli along as we got pushed further into the throng of people ahead of us (What if there was a stampede? What if it was too cold for him? What if we got stuck on the metro for 3 hours as the media had predicted? What if everyone thinks I'm a bad mom? What if, what if, what if...) Then some people in line started talking about us in Spanish (Chris remembered enough from high school to get the gist of their not-so-private convo), and that was the end of it. We headed back home to watch it on our DVR. We were crushed (to say the least), but felt like it was the right thing to do at the time.

About an hour after we returned home, my brother called saying that the lines had died down at the metro. We weighed the pros and cons, and ultimately decided to give it another go. And we're so glad we did because when we got to the metro station (for the second time), it was almost empty. People had been piling onto metro trains since 2am that morning, but apparently no one had to thought to leave late (late being an hour prior). After a 35 min ride to Foggy Bottom metro station and a quick jaunt to the Lincoln Memorial, we arrived in the thick of a 2 million person mass. It was c-o-l-d , but we were bundled up and too excited to care. (Eli couldn't have been more comfortable, he had the best seat in the house in his "mini Cadillac.")

The feeling that filled the mall that day was incredible -- so many different people united in one place to inaugurate the first black president of the United States. Aretha Franklin's rendition of "My Country Tis of Thee" sent chills down my back, and I got teary realizing that we were, and would always be, a part of history in-the-making.

(This pic was taken by the media-we're in the crowd though!)

We made our way back home immediately after Obama's inaugural speech in order beat the crowds. And beat the crowds, we did. In fact, the streets in the city were empty and a little eerie--military policeman and vehicles (like the one below) were stationed at every corner and there were no cars to be seen. We got home at 1:30pm to enjoy the rest of Chris' day off. It couldn't have turned out better, I'm so glad we ignored the media (fear) frenzy--Eli will love us forever!

2009-01-18T21:30:00.013-07:00

After a bit of a blogging hiatus, I'm back with photos galore.
Here's a quick run-down of the last month.

A visit with Santa (lasting all of three seconds)

Christmas Eve Shred Fest (sans the kiddies)

One of the few skiers left on the block

Christmas morning in all its glory

Going gaga over (hand-me-down) Tickle Me Elmo

Cousin E wishing Santa had brought him his own TME

Urgula Poon rocking out on the electric guitar

More Rockband...

Late night chats

Eli's first sledding/snow adventure

Braving it on the back of Uncle Brad's 4 wheeler

Sunny St. George

As an "Artic chill" is hitting DC, I'm wondering why I was in such a rush to come back

Cousin photo shoot lasting about five seconds, after which Eli pushes Addie aside and bolts down to the ground

The beloved aunties

Crazy giggles with Maddox

Fern and Joshie kicking our trash in the New Year's Eve Wii tennis tournament

A visit with Navy, of course

A few final (priceless) snapshots over the last couple of months

This was not staged...

2008-11-19T20:49:00.000-07:00

My Shameless Plug

2008-11-08T20:00:00.011-07:00

After months of work, my sister and I just launched our new website. Check it out here. We'll be updating it monthly, so if you like it, sign up for the RSS feed (you can find a link at the bottom of the site), and feel free to add a button to your blog!

Cutest Kitty Cat in the Hat

2008-11-05T21:19:00.012-07:00

Eli was the Cat in the Hat for Halloween, so at the last minute Chris and I decided to follow his lead. Don't mind if I toot my own horn but considering the time limitations, our costumes turned out surprisingly well.

Materials needed for costumes:

Kitty Cat in the Hat:

Paypal acct

Thing 1 & 2:

2 circles cut out of construction paper

Sharpie

2 red shirts

4 safety pins

1 bottle of blue hair paint

"Think left and think right and think low and think high. Oh, the thinks you can think up if only you try." Dr. Seuss

Word to the Wise

2008-10-18T15:08:00.003-07:00

As appealing as it seems, restrain yourself from buying Costco's 56 lb bag of peanut M&Ms.
It's far too dangerous...

Keeping it Real

2008-10-07T17:00:00.003-07:00

On a flight out of town this last week, Eli turned into that dreaded baby and we ended up those poor parents. You know, that over-tired, over-stimulated baby you can hear screaming from the front of the plane (the one no one wants to sit by). And you know, the parents red with embarrassment, avoiding evil glares from nearby passengers (particularly, serious ones in suits), pulling out any and all stops to get their baby to calm down and just sleep. Yep, that was us. I figure this incident is one of many initiations to parenthood.

*To baby E's credit, the return flight was a breeze and he was (thankfully) not the baby shrieking from the front of the plane.

Rockin' the District

2008-09-27T19:10:00.015-07:00

My brother scored some coveted tickets to Ben Folds last Wednesday, so Chris and I left our chitlin at home with a friend and headed to Constitution Hall to hear him play. The concert was great; it was surprisingly nothing like the rowdy gigs I used to rock-out to (back when I was young and fun). The building had cushy seats and air conditioning, and there weren't any sweaty bodies bumping into us (I know, gross) or annoying teenagers brooding about (woot woot). I think I'm getting old because I loved just relaxing in my seat. (Admittedly, there were a handful of moments-when Ben rocked out to his classics-that I was bummed I couldn't break into dance though.)

If you want to hear Ben's new song with Regina Spektor, click here. I promise it's worth a listen!

Baby Woes

2008-09-21T12:51:00.014-07:00

Last week someone asked me how old Eli was. In my head I thought 6 months but then quickly did the math and uttered "7 months?" Where has the month gone? Is he really 7 months? It appears so. His jeans are now floods and his onsies have been stretched far beyond their capacity (I just got around to buying 12m onsies-I skipped 9m because really, what is the point?); he eats veggie puffs, bananas, oatmeal, and whatever dad sneaks into his mouth (e.g. chocolate, ice cream, grape soda); he giggles at Baby Einstein puppets; he crawls everywhere, gnaws on cords, gets into everything. Can somebody please hit pause? His babyhood is slowly slipping through my fingers. I don't want him to grow up. I want him to stay the sweet, smiley, snugly peanut that he is.

Early to bed, early to rise?

2008-08-10T21:42:00.012-07:00

I've had the "early to rise" part of this phrase down for years, it's the other half I desperately struggle with. Whether I'm curling up on the couch to read a book or watch TV, perusing online, making to-do lists, folding clothes, or vacuuming, night time is my time to wind down and just be, without the munchkin (as cute as he is) in tow. No matter how late it is, I can always find something interesting or "important" to do. This has turned into a viscous cycle: I go to bed late, curse myself in the morning (vowing to go to sleep early the next night) and then when it comes time, I just can't seem to put myself in bed (once under the covers though, I'm out like a light).

Anyway, a recent trip to Arizona made me all the more aware of my serious need to kick this habit as Eli (due to a 3 hr time change) rousted out of bed at 5:30am each morning (lucky me). I'm home now but have yet to catch up on my sleep, so tonight (actually tomorrow, since it is already past midnight) I'm bidding adieu to my night owl-ish tendencies for good.

Les Photos

2008-08-04T13:23:00.032-07:00

While in Arizona, my MIL's friend took some pictures of Eli for me. He's so bashful that it was hard to capture his big smile-every time he smiled, he'd immediately look down or to the side.

I probably posted far too many pictures but I just couldn't decide between them. He's so munch-able!

Update

2008-07-16T07:15:00.005-07:00

Chris is home and on bed-rest. The obstruction is an adhesion (i.e. scar tissue) from an appendectomy he had when he was six. We're probably looking at surgery. The fun here just doesn't seem to end.

Hospital Schmospital

2008-07-14T05:07:00.010-07:00

Chris is in the hospital a-g-a-i-n. Although, this stay has caused far less drama than the last (flashback: Chris admitted to the ICU at 2:00am-on my birthday, no less-in a massive amount of pain with no inclination as to what is wrong; Chris on a Morphine drip with a tube stuck up his nose and down his throat, unable to clearly communicate; Chris smack-dab in the middle of a full law school semester with papers looming; us with a newborn baby that can't go near the ICU; me frantically running back and forth between hospital and baby for four days straight). Yes, this admission is far less stressful. It isn't my birthday, we know what is wrong (an intestinal obstruction) , Chris noticed the symptoms early (before the violent vomiting ensued), he's in a regular hospital room and Eli is old enough to come with me for quick visits. We still have no idea when he's coming home but the good news is that this time the surgeon won't discharge him until he figures out what is causing the obstruction. Anyway, this is round three in our family for hospital confinement in the last five months (the first being me with the birth of Eli). Let's hope this marks the end of our medical trauma for the year.

I heart Charlie Rocket

2008-06-13T20:07:00.016-07:00

Since Eli was in the womb, I've been on an exhaustive search to find cute boy clothing. Why is it that everything for boys (particularly 0-6 months) is plastered with giant orange fish, baseballs, or even worse, Winnie the Pooh? Please someone tell me, what is the fascination with these creatures/objects? Anyway, since boys don't require much in terms of clothing (you can only have so many pairs of cargo pants and jeans), I allow myself to splurge on t-shirts/tops and am constantly on the look-out for cute ones. I've had success at H&M and occasionally find stuff at GAP and Old Navy but my favorite brand by far is Charlie Rocket. This co sells the cutest surfer/skater tees. I was first introduced to the line by my sis-in-law who found them in a boutique in San Diego and now I just can't get enough. I'm constantly looking for new designs and sites that sell them, and I'm bummed that Eli is hitting a major growth spurt and starting to outgrow some of my favorite finds!

Happy Anniversary!

2008-05-19T20:48:00.017-07:00

As I rummaged through old pictures to make the slide show, I couldn't believe how fast time has flown by. It feels like just yesterday Chris and I were canoodling on the porch swing of his ratty old apartment/house at BYU (good old 499). The last few years of marriage have been an adventure. Our life is by no means perfect, we’ve had ups and downs but I can’t imagine sharing the good, the bad and the ridiculous moments of my life with anyone else.

So I saw this he said/she said questionnaire on a friend’s blog a while back and thought it fit the occasion:

When did you meet your wife/husband?

He said: At a Halloween party.

She said: In October of 2003, at a ward Halloween party. At the time we were both dating other people but it didn’t stop me from noticing how cute he was. A couple of months later we bumped into each other as we were both leaving the Clyde bldg to ditch Sunday school and what can I say, sparks flew.

What was the first thing you said to your wife/husband?

He said: "Howdy"

She said: I have no idea what I said but the first thing I remember him saying to me was “What’s your excuse?” (referring, of course, to the fact that we were both leaving church early).

What was your first date?

He said: Going up to the tunnel and scaring the dickens out of you.

She said: (Umm, hun, the tunnel wasn’t a date, it was me and a group of your roommates/friends running around up the canyon.) Our first real date was when he asked me to go to a “blue grass” concert in SLC which ended up being a lame-o Hawaiian style institute dance with a live band (…apparently he was misinformed). The night ended on a good note though. We headed back to his place, watched Rushmore and talked until the wee hours of the morning.

Where was your first kiss?

He said: After our date. I waited until 7am to see how long she would stick around for the kiss…by 2am I knew she was sold.

She said: On the couch after talking until 7 am. It took f-o-r-e-v-e-r for him to kiss me. He insists that he was teasing me but I have my suspicions. I think it took him that long to work up the nerve.

Where did you get engaged?

He said: At Nicole’s after playing video games for the whole night with my roommates to relieve the anxiety. Karl had to drive me to SLC because I wasn't fit to drive.

She said: In SLC at my sister’s house. He tricked me into thinking he’d left for Christmas vacation the night before but he actually drove up to her house at 6 am the next morning to propose. He sneaked in and gave my 16 month old niece, Lili, the ring to wake me up with. I’ll never forget my Lili-bye handing me the ring in her purple pjs with her hair all tussled.

Where did you get married?

He said: In SLC.

She said: In the Salt Lake Temple. It was a bright and sunny day.

How did your reception go?

He said: Great, it was a really nice day, and it seemed like it all happened really fast.

She said: Instead of a reception, we opted to spend all of our money on a wedding dinner with close friends and family at this cottage up in Salt Lake. The food was catered and yummy. We ate, had a slide show, made toasts and danced the warm, sunny evening away. Aside from accidentally stabbing Chris with a fork when exchanging cake (yes, I made him bleed-don’t ask why I chose to feed him with a fork), the day was pretty darn near perfect.

How was the honeymoon?

He said: Even better. She was totally surprised. The best part was going to San Francisco and buying a Built to Spill album and a Sufjan Stevens album at a used CD store to listen to in the rental car (we forgot to bring music along)...okay that wasn't really the best part.

She said: We went to the Ritz Carlton resort in Half Moon Bay, CA. When we got there, we were upgraded to a beach front suite. We felt like movie stars. We got massages, ate fancy food and frolicked like newlyweds. Needless to say, we haven’t been on such a nice vacation since. Someday, we’ll go back…

back for more!

2008-05-01T19:49:00.006-07:00

I think we can all attest to the fact that summer television sucks (and is only bound to get worse with the current slew of D-rate reality shows being produced). But every cloud has a silver lining and for summer and the telly it's So You Think You Can Dance. If you've watched it then you likely know what I mean. And if you haven't, well give it a whirl. I tell ya, it will not disappoint.

*Pictured above: my all-time-fav contestants Allison and Ivan back in the day (of Season 2, that is).

Mama's Boy

2008-04-27T18:48:00.007-07:00

I got tagged so here are 10 fantastic facts about my bebe boy.

1. He is not named after Eli Manning although Manning did win the Super Bowl for the Giants just two weeks prior to his birth. (Surprisingly, we've been asked this question more than a few times.)

2. He has big, bright, inquisitive eyes. Everyone we meet comments on how "alert" he is. I assume that's a positive thing?

3. I catch him following me with his eyes all of the time. Upon catching my glance, he'll break out a smile and start cooing. He's quite the charmer.

4. He rarely spits up but has recently started foaming at the mouth. (Teething, perhaps?)

5. He bobs his head around like a bird trying to keep up with what is going on around him.

6. He won't have anything to do with tummy time (if he can help it).

7. His bottom lip quivers right before he's about to cry. It's sad but too cute.

8. His middle name is Christopher by default. We searched relentlessly for a cute French name but couldn't find one we liked that most people could pronounce.

9. Before a nap or bedtime, I rock him in my arms for a minute to wind him down. Once he's cozy, he'll let out a long, deep oh-so-priceless sigh.

10. He resembles a ski jumper (stiff, focused, legs locked) when he poops.

Thimble Blossoms' Quilt Giveaway

2008-04-24T20:19:00.003-07:00

Check out this website for the chance to win an adorable and authentic quilt!

6 Weeks and Counting

2008-03-31T20:03:00.008-07:00

Fashionista

2008-03-11T09:57:00.011-07:00

Although I still can't squeeze back into my old skinny jeans, I'm thrilled to finally be out of maternity clothes. Clearing my closet of elastic waisted pants and stretched out tops has been a release and a bit of an eye-opener for me. I realized that being pregnant for 9 months definitely put a damper on my style. By the end of my pregnancy, I wore my hair up every day and went to work in hand-me-downs that weren't my size. At first, shopping for my growing belly was fun but by month 7 the last thing I wanted to do was waste money on new clothes. Plus, at that point I felt like a manatee and all I wanted to throw on at the end of the day was a pair of sweat pants and a t-shirt. Anyway, thumbing through all the hip fashions and fun colors for spring in the latest J-Crew catalog (and watching Project Runway, of course) has motivated me to get back into shape and style. Now I just need exercise, a fab haircut and some mulah.

Being that I'm not a little girl and I just had a baby boy I know I'm clearly looking in the wrong section of the catalog on this next one but I can't get over how cute she is. Shopping for girls (any age) is far too much fun.

Ta Dum....

2008-03-01T12:20:00.026-07:00

Eli Christopher Wallace
2.19.2008

Time has flown by since Eli was born. Now almost two weeks old, Eli is a little more alert and a lot less yellow. After a jaundice scare he's back to his birth weight. Much like his dad, sleeping is his favorite pass time so I prize any time those eyes are open.

My mom and dad spent the last two weeks helping me out and Chris' dad was able to visit for a few days while out in D.C. on business. Now that everyone is gone we're soaking up life with a baby. Sometimes we just sit on the couch and stare at him.
Is he really ours?

Here are some snapshots of the last two weeks:

One of many naps with Mimi

Chillin' with Papi

QT with G Wallace

Two peas in a pod

Tired

Back From The Abyss

2008-01-18T18:20:00.000-07:00

So after a short sabbatical from the blogging world, I’m back. I think it’s probably too late to recap the holidays but I can’t go without giving kudos to my BFFs Kari and Breanne and my mom for throwing me baby showers while out in Utah. The food at both showers was delectable and the company even better-I got to reminisce with so many old friends and neighbors. Plus, I made out with more gifts than I could handle! A big thanks to everyone. More pics and posts to come...

Frugality Is Not My Strong Point

2007-12-02T22:16:00.000-07:00

I’d love to be able to call myself a thrifty shopper (I really would) but I’m the furthest thing from it and don’t know that I’ll ever have the patience to learn. I’ve tried time and time again to shop at outlets, on clearance racks, at Ross, and I’ve even taken a few swings at ebay, only to come away frustrated. Weeding through everything to find that one prize item takes so much effort, and if I do buy something, it usually ends up in the DI bin a few months down the road. In the case of ebay, I’ll bid on an item, get super excited about the incredible deal I’m getting, and come back to find that I’ve lost the auction. So in the end, I’ve always preferred to avoid the hoopla and go to a regular store to buy whatever it is at full price.

With that said, you can only imagine how challenging life is for me as a starving student, especially during this nesting stage of my pregnancy. I generally avoid shopping altogether because I’m afraid I’ll either rationalize my way into buying something we can’t afford or I’ll come away gluttonous. But as Eli's arrival nears, I just can’t help looking online for things I don’t have:) Luckily (and gratefully) I’ve received the bulk of baby necessities (e.g. crib, dresser, clothes) free from friends and family, so I’m hoping that I can save up the pennies to splurge on one of these overpriced baby treats.

COMBI DELUXE ACTIVITY ROCKER

2008 PEG PEREGO PLIKO P3 STROLLER

PETUNIA PICKLE BOTTOM BORDEAUX CHENILLE DIAPER BAG

I'm It: 6 FACTOIDS ABOUT MYSELF

2007-11-14T19:40:00.000-07:00

1. I’m a compulsive list-maker. Somehow, a list makes me feel like things will get done. The problem is that my lists are always short-lived because I’m either too busy to actually look at them or I forget about them (e.g. I always leave home without my shopping list, it makes me so mad, but not mad enough to drive back and get it).

2. I love, love, love clothes, shoes, bags, accessories, etc. but detest shopping. It’s good for my wallet but bad for my cute-factor.

3. I’m a blog-hopper, not because I’m a stalker but because my life is rather dull and it’s fun to see and read what everyone is up to. It's like looking at People magazine, but more fulfilling because I actually know the people.

4. I’m a night owl. I’m pregnant so I should be taking naps and getting to bed early but rarely do I slip under the covers before midnight. It’s a bad habit and is sure to kick me in the butt when Eli arrives, but as of now, I work all day and like having the time to wind down and do my own thing.

5. DVR is my new best friend and is admittedly responsible for many of my late nights. I definitely think it’s a necessity for any lonely law school wife. Plus, I can watch shows on my own time and never have to sit through commercial breaks (which, by the way, seem to be getting longer, more frequent, and more annoying these days).

6. And lastly, one of my favorite movies is She’s The Man. I think I’ve seen it upwards of thirty times. I don’t really have an explanation for this one other than I’m a geek who likes Amanda Bynes.

Can't a Mommy Have a Coke?

2007-11-12T16:49:00.001-07:00

Call me a terrible mother, but about once or twice a week, I kick off my shoes and enjoy a cold, fizzy, caffeinated glass of Diet Coke. After a long day of work, it’s just the pick-me-up I need. I try not to buy cases at the store because I’m afraid I’ll stop rationing my intake and guzzle it down. I generally just steal a few cans from my brother’s mini fridge to bring home with me for the week (thanks Marc).

Occasionally, I get paranoid about my weekly fix. Not only does Diet Coke have caffeine but it also contains NutraSweet, and I’ve read enough articles to know that “experts” consider these questionable ingredients for a baby in utero. The only rationalization I can make about my habit is that my older sister drank three times as much Diet Coke as I do now, throughout all four of her pregnancies and her children turned out healthy and normal. Let’s just hope baby Eli turns out okay.

Pregnancy Pic

2007-11-09T17:15:00.001-07:00

At the request of many, I've finally taken some pictures of the belly. I'm feeling rather large and less than cute lately, but for the sake of memories I've succumbed to the pressure:)

Anyway, Eli is busy bouncing around inside-he's crazy. Watching my stomach is always entertaining because I can see him bumbling around every which way. It's like he's trying to get out...maybe he'll come early! I know, I know I still have some time to go but when it is time, I hope I'm that lucky.

"I don't understand you...speak English!"

2007-09-17T19:54:00.000-07:00

Every time I watch this video clip it cracks me up...check it out.

Bohn-Spam Free???

2007-08-22T19:38:00.001-07:00

Hi, I just wanted to point out that my gmail has been Bohn-Spam free for nearly two weeks. If I hadn't had the chance to skype and google chat with Marc I would have thought him to be kidnapped (or dead) at the hands of some bandwidth policing agency. Marc...come home we miss you.

D.C. here we come

2007-05-19T20:40:00.000-07:00

For those of you who don't know, Chris and I are off to D.C. at the end of the summer. I know I'll miss my family terribly but I can't wait to get out of Utah and have an adventure.

Anyway, I've been trying to revamp the blog a bit so it reflects some degree of creativity but it's become a much greater task than I had originally intended. I guess knowing French and German isn't enough, without comprehension of html and css I'm handicapped. For the time being (until I can figure this thing out) our site is officially under construction...so much for crawling out of the crapshoot in the near future.

2007-03-30T19:34:00.001-07:00

So I decided to resurrect our blog and update everyone (the meager few who even look at this) on our lives. Both Chris and I graduate from BYU next month! It's definitely about time-both of us have been moving at a snail's pace toward our undergrad degrees (5yrs +). This fall Chris will be going to law school. Impressively, he survived the LSAT (with a competitive score) and the hellish process of applications. So now we're just playing the waiting game, which doesn't prove to be much fun either.
These are the schools we've heard from so far:

Catholic University (DC)
University of San Diego
Franklin Pierce (NH)
Waiting list at George Washington (slim chance but opens up the possibility to transfer)

We have so much to consider: the cost of living, scholarships awards, school ranking, the possibility of transferring to a top school in the area, potential for international law, yada yada yada . Frankly, I'm tired of weighing the pros and cons and just want to decide. Unfortunately, we have until mid-May to figure it out so we'll be stewing over this one for a least another month.

back...

2006-03-27T00:01:00.001-07:00

Well, I'm back from the dead. I had to reformat my hard-drive because Becca accidentally let a virus on my computer. This, however was not a bad thing because my computer needed to loose all the lame programs that come with it. Like real player - doesn't that sound like something you'd hear in a P. Diddy song? Now my computer is Googlefied which is probably about as bad as being Microsoftified (to have access to China, the Web giant [Google] agreed to censor itself which seems shady or at least seems to contradict the anti-evil-empire-attitude of Google seeing that most of the world wide web users in China are members of the Chinese government.) Anyway, to be unfair you should see this site: amazing website. Basically who's surprised? And to be fair: Google (Sergey Brin and Larry Page) wants to make money just as much as anyone who got into the internet buisness or buisness for that matter. Most people want to make money so we ought to stop fooling ourselves thinking that google.com is so great becasue they don't allow pop-up ads. Obviously pop-up ads are annoying but isn't it an insult to our intelligence to say "hey we're better becasue we don't advertise with pop-up ads, but instead have found a way to make billions not by refraining from advertising but by actually advertising a whole bunch?" (Yeah, that was a long rhetorical question.) This, my friends, is the tragedy of studying philosophy because although I might observe some interesting things, in all reality I still use google because it doesn't use pop-ups. Good-night.

2005-11-27T21:49:00.000-07:00

This is Becca and Chris (from left to right)

hello

2005-11-27T19:16:00.000-07:00

So Becca and Chris have a blog. It will probably be pretty cool.