Three Guys and a Lady.

Merry Christmas 2011.

2012-01-11T16:57:00.000-08:00

The old half-decorated Christmas tree.

Christmas morning at my mom and dads...

Waiting for Brian and Becka to arrive. (so we can open presents).

We're going to Disneyland!

Christmas afternoon at Grandma Beckys..

Our Christmas Card.

2011-12-18T08:47:00.000-08:00

Here's our yearly unprofessional Christmas card photo.

I look a little drunk, but we picked it because the kids looked cute.

They were not acting cute that day, Here is my proof:

If you recieved a card (and haven't seen me since before October) you may have thought

"what the heck did she do to her hair?!" .

If you care to know the answer to that, here it is:

I always hate my hair. Long, short, light blonde, dark blonde. i don't like it. so i obsess about changing it. this time i wanted to take my platinum blonde hair to my natural blonde color. (less upkeep, blahblahblah). So i did what any cheap, un-trained hair dresser would do, and googled the best way to accomplish this. thats when things went sour. I died my hair red so it would'nt turn green. made sense. only it turned pink. then i damaged it by washing it over-and-over with dish soap. most of the red came out. but it looked horrible and was breaking off so i did what any desperate, obsessed, untrained hairdresser would do.

i chopped all of it off with a pair of dollar tree scissors at 1 in the morning.

and then i cried myself to sleep.

lesson learned.

Happy December 2011.

2011-12-15T16:05:00.000-08:00

i love december. it's my birthday month. it's christmastime.

it's the time of year where i get to wear all of my sweaters and stockings...and i only have to shave my legs once a week. it's the best.

this year my whole family came down to visit.

we rode the train, shopped, and looked at christmas lights on candy cane lane.

that's another reason i love december.. CHRISTMAS LIGHTS!

andy's customer gave us an old pow-pow-powerwheel. it was a hit.

Becky's Move Weekend

2011-11-12T10:24:00.000-08:00

Andy's mom moved from his childhood home this weekend. I got a few pictures of some of the cousins playing in the backyard the day before the big move. We are going to miss that house. But the new house is great, and the kids will probably love playing there even more. Of course, my camera died so I didn't get pictures of the new house...

Halloween 2011

2011-10-31T23:20:00.000-07:00

We had a busy busy Halloween this year. Never ending really.

Cohen had a preschool Halloween party. Then we went to a family pumpkin carving party.

Then the Trunk-or-Treat. And finally Trick-or-Treating on Halloween.

On top of all that, Cohen has been dressing up almost everyday. Sometimes he's a dinosaur cowboy, then a superhero, he even tried to put on Ben's tiger costume...but most of the time he's a pirate. I tried to convince him to wear some of his other costumes for the parties, but it didn't work. He loves pirates. That is why we took him to the "Pirates Cove" to go Trick-or-Treating. (Its just a fun neighborhood that goes all out with the pirate theme).

Its like Disneyland. We love it.

This year, since Cohen was a pirate, he got the VIP (Very Important Pirate) treatment of trick-or-treating (full size candy bars from the pirate houses and a ticket to board the "ship" to meet the captain). yipee!

I forgot to draw the mustache and whiskers on Halloween night. oh boo.

But I did get it for the trunk-or-treat.

PIRATE'S COVE

Trunk or treating with the Burton and Larson Families. Our trunk was too boring.

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!!

Ben's First Birthday

2011-10-23T20:56:00.000-07:00

,We didn't do too much for Ben's first birthday. We went to church, ate at Ruby's on the pier, Ben devored his first cupcake, and then we rubbed some butter on his nose for good luck. It's a Canadian tradition...I told my grandma I would do it...The greased nose "will make Ben too slippery for bad luck to catch him". Cohen was a bit jealous that Ben got his nose greased, so I stuck some butter on his nose too. You can never have too much good luck.

Happy happy birthday Ben! We are so happy you were born.

The Butter Nose

Ben is ONE!

2011-10-23T15:12:00.000-07:00

Benjamin turned ONE today. I can't even believe it. Last year at this time I was sitting in a hospital. Ben was sleeping next to me, all swaddled like a sweet 7 lb burrito.
Now he's a 22 lb real boy.
Part of me misses the infant days when he was so sweet and cuddly and smelled like a newborn and I could just hold him on my chest and he would just fall asleep effortlessly.
But I cannot forget the Reflux, vision problems, changing diapers in the middle of the night, Cohen's jealousy towards Ben, and the "Mom guilt" for not spending equal/enough time with Cohen/Ben/Andy. I do not miss any of that.
This year was a big adjustment for all of us. Life seems much easier then it did a year ago and I am very grateful for that. I don't know if it has actually gotten easier, or if we have just adapted to feeling tired and busy all the time. Either way, it's better. And I am happier than ever.
Let me tell you some of the reasons we all love Ben so much...
He has cutest laugh that I have ever heard. It's easy to get a smile out of him. His cry face is adorable. His walks like a cowboy. He's a good sleeper. He's funny. He's cuddly. He's a cute dancer. His hair looks like Albert Einstein's after every nap. He has chubby cheeks. He sometimes sings himself to sleep.
We LOVE You my sweet Benjamin Boy.
Happy Birthday!

October 23, 2010 at 1:30ish

1 week

1 month

2 Months

3 Months

4 Months

5 Months

6 Months

7 Months

8 Months

9 Months

10 Months

11 Months

12 Months!

Cohen is 3!

2011-10-15T21:45:00.000-07:00

My little boy is getting so big. Three years ago, on October 15, 2008 at 10:02pm, our lives changed forever. We felt love that we have never felt before and we felt tired like we have never felt before.

Cohen has grown up a lot this year. He became a big brother. He started "preschool." He made friends. He makes a lot more sense when he speaks. He got potty-trained. He stopped taking naps. And he is still sleeping in our bed.

I love my little big boy.

We went to Bates Nut Farm for Cohen's birthday this year.

My Mom, Dad, Dawn, Becky, David, Sheldon, and Jay came too.
We go every year, but on weekdays. This year we went on Saturday. BIG MISTAKE. super crowded.

We still had fun and Cohen loved running around in the hot hot sun with his cousins.

Ben fell down the stairs.

2011-10-13T21:47:00.000-07:00

About 15 concrete stairs at my friend's apartment. Ouch. Just a few scrapes, bruises, and a swollen nose. Didn't even have to go to the doctor. So lucky. I've always heard babies are very resilient...

Here are some of his battle wounds. This picture doesn't show the doozy on his upper forehead very well.

Preschool and Potty Trained!

2011-10-06T21:54:00.000-07:00

Yep. That's right. Cohen is a big boy. He is back in our little mom school. Learning the ABC's and playing with friends. He loves it.

AND

He pees in the toilet. He just woke up one morning and decided he no longer wanted to wear a diaper. Everyone kept telling me "wait til he's ready." So I did. Every once and a while I'd stick him in underoos to see if he was "ready." He wasn't. Then one morning he told Andy he wanted to pee on the toilet and that was that. He has not worn a diaper since. AND no accidents. Woot woot. But he does pee ALL OVER the toilet seat almost everytime he goes.

All of this happened in the same week. He's growing up fast.

2011-10-04T23:22:00.000-07:00

One of my favorite friends Breanne took family pictures for my brother and his lovely family. We were able to sneak in a few of them. You can see the rest of their family pictures by clicking here.

Random Summer 2011

2011-10-04T23:00:00.000-07:00

Well summer is officially over. Here are some random pics from the last month or so.

Andy's sister Angela and her sweet girls came to visit us in SD. Of course, Cohen had a high fever that came out of nowhere, so I couldn't go.

I'm sure Ben was loving all of the attention without Cohen around.

My dad FINALLY got his knee replacement surgery. We are so happy for him.

Ben = 11 Months

2011-09-23T21:06:00.000-07:00

Cohen has finally grown to like his baby brother. I believe he always loved Ben, but he never really liked him..until now. Now, the two of them will spend at least an hour a day playing (not together, but in the same room)..without fighting/crying.

The rest of the day, Cohen is locking Ben out of his room so he doesn't destroy his precious train track.

Ben has perfected his walking skills. No more dirty hands and knees.

He's is a lil' little guy. He looks too short to be walking. But he is still pretty big everywhere else.

He's sweet and cuddle-y and a major mama's boy. i love that.

He's a ham. He does weird/funny things and looks for our reaction...which is usually a laugh, and then he laughs at himself and does it over-and-over again.

Ben = 10 Months

2011-08-23T00:21:00.000-07:00

Benji is 10 months old. He's an expert-crawler, almost-walker, and big time fall-er. Notice the bump on his cheek. I don't even know where this one came from. I could've easily edited that out, but Ben wouldn't be Ben without a bruise on his face. Sad, but true.

In the last month 2 people have told me that Ben looks like his dad.

finally, he's starting to look like one of us.

Poway Train Park

2011-08-22T23:55:00.000-07:00

One of our new favorite family activities is going to the Poway Train Park. I'm sure it's called something else...but I'm too lazy to look it up. Its in Poway, and they have train that you can ride for $2. Cohen loves it. Andy and I love eating taquitos at a Mexican Restaurant nearby. And then I get to go to HomeGoods after that. Its a family activity that pleases all of us...that is why we go there. a lot.

my boys

2011-08-18T18:30:00.001-07:00

I just love them so much. They stress me out. Big time. I’m still adjusting to two. I don’t know if I will ever get used to it. But I wake up every morning with their sweet smiley faces next to me and I feel like the luckiest mom alive. I have two little boys who need me, and they think I’m the best. I need to remember that when I’m going crazy because Ben is playing in the toilet again, and cohen pooped in the bath for the second time this week.

Sea World

2011-07-25T18:23:00.000-07:00

We went to Sea World with my pops. We laughed at all of the cheesy shows, ate churros and slurpies, and saw lots of sea life. My favorite is the Beluga. The dophin show was so cheesy fabulous. I’m still bummed that we didn’t get splashed my Shamu. We sat in the “splash zone” and didn’t even get a single drop! We just looked stupid and hot wearing our "poor man's" trash-bag ponchos. oh what fun.

the stumpy mirror

konked out

having a blast

More Camping Pictures...

2011-07-24T22:51:00.000-07:00

cousins

ben and grandma

Sand-eater

Hunky Hub

Ben = 9 Months

2011-07-23T16:38:00.000-07:00

So Benny turned 9 months…about a month ago. He’s cruising and crawling and keeping me busy. He stood up for the first time a couple of days ago. AND he’s finally getting that third tooth. Very exciting.

and just for LAUGHS....

Camping at Carlsbad.

2011-07-18T15:54:00.000-07:00

My family has taken us camping at the beach every summer since I can remember. Aunts. Cousins. Friends. --- Doheny. San Elijo. Carlsbad. This is where some of my funniest memories were made. Now, I only live about 15 minutes from the Carlsbad campground, so I could just hang out with the family during the day and go home to my clean, sand-free bed at night..but I choose not to. I love beach camping. There's just something about the dirty bathrooms, quarter showers, sandy sheets, and sharing a tent full of farters/snore-ers that creates a recipe for funny memories. I would never want to miss out on that.

I'm so happy that we can keep this tradition with my boys.

Ben = 8 Months

2011-07-15T19:52:00.000-07:00

My baby boy turned 8 months while we were on vacation. He's starting to become a mamas boy. He's very friendly...he lets anyone hold him as long as I am out of sight. He's so sweet. He crawls all over the place, but he does it in a VERY slow-and-steady-wins-the-race sort of way. His cousin Wesley crawls circles around him. He's a very jolly baby (except when he's in his car seat). I can't think of a better word to describe him. Even his laugh sounds like Santa Claus. A very DEEP bellowy laugh. It's the kind of laugh that makes me laugh.
He weighs about 21 lbs. not bad.

Montana 2011

2011-07-05T19:16:00.000-07:00

We made it. Another year to the cabin and back. Another looong road trip with 2 kids under 3 years old. ugh. Ben hates long car rides.I learned that this trip. After hours of driving (and listening to Ben screaming), we decided to stay in a stink-bug infested motel in Beaver, UT. I'll take stink-bugs over Ben's screaming any day. On a more positive note, we all made it safely to Montana, Andy was able to come up for a weekend...and Ben was much happier on the drive home. It was a good trip. I'm sad it's a;ready over.

Here's what we did...

1. We shopped it up in West Yellowstone

2. I began my summer love affair with DAIRY QUEEN.

3.Floated down the river...

4. Had some Bonfires. and S'mores. and our very own firework show.

5. Cohen got some growling bear slippers

6. Quad riding with Grandpa and Jimmy...

7. Hiked

8. Ate giant pancakes
9.Wore a Davy Crockett hat
10.The Men did manly things like move big rocks, and put a new roof on the cabin

10. Cohen dropped a sledgehammer on his toes..

11. Ziplined in Big Sky (andy)...

Wendy's Wedding

2011-06-27T20:37:00.000-07:00

My cousin Wendy got married to Josh on June 25th in Twin Falls, Idaho.

She is now Wendy ~~Kent~~ Luth.

This was the first wedding that I have ever been in. Hopefully it will be the last.

I'm kidding. But it was very stressful.

First of all, I don't like people looking at me.

Birthday parties, my wedding, baby/wedding showers...they ALL stressed me out.

I know that the wedding isn't about the bridesmaids, and "everyone will be looking at the bride"

but for a split second everyone in that audience was looking at me,

wobbling down that extra LONG isle with my tall shoes that I could barely walk in. . .

Luckily, I wore extra deodorent that day.

And even though I ruined the months of May & June WORRYING about it,

everything turned out okay.

I didn't trip during the wedding parade.

I looked down when people looked at me.

Grandma modest-fied my bridesmaid dress 2 days before the wedding and it looked great.

Wendy looked beautiful. and happy. and in love.

and the reception was SO much fun.

(warning: this is A LOT of photos)

Four of the EIGHT Bridesmaids. Anne's face cracks me up.

This is where they got married. yikes

The COOLest bridesmaids

bwwahahaha

Father's Day 2011

2011-06-20T22:40:00.000-07:00

I was an awful wife this Father's Day. Instead of making Andy breakfast-in-bed or doing whatever it is that I am suppossed to do for him on Father's Day, I spent the day driving up to Orange County with my mother-in-law, to get my bridesmaid dress altered at the last minute by grandma Kaye. Happy Father's day dear. love your terrible, awful wife Jenny. I will make it up to you next year.
Andy is a great father. Our little boys love him so much. He takes Cohen to the mailbox almost everyday (which is a far walk)...they run around, smash snails, and do other weird stuff that girls will never understand...it is the highlight of Cohen's day.

I love my Father. I love the Father of my children. I love my husband's father. I love my grandfathers. Happy Father's Day to all you fathers.

Ben = 7 Months

2011-05-24T11:22:00.000-07:00

Teething Face

Ben is already 7 months old! To be honest, it's been a very long 7 months. But when I see how fast my little man is growing, it makes me a little sad. He's getting 2 more teeth (the top ones). He sits up on his own. He's scooting...still not crawling, but he knows how to get around. He puts everything in his mouth. He's a good eater. Pears, Bananas, and Squash are his favorites. He's funny. Smiles all the time....except when he's sad. He has the happiest happy face, and the saddest sad face. He laughs a lot too. He has a very deep belly laugh. so cute.
I think we'll keep him.

2011-04-29T17:27:00.000-07:00

The Naked Cowboy.

Cohen picked this hat out at an Estate Sale (ewww. i know).

He's been living in it for the past 2 days.

San Diego Zoo.

Ben and his 0-3 month hat. The sun came out, and I didn't have a hat for him.

I found this in the bottom of my bag.

I guess it's better than a sunburn.

Beach Day

2011-04-27T17:07:00.000-07:00

We took the boys to the beach today. This was Ben's first real beach trip. Cohen had fun building sandcastles with strangers and getting chased in the water by his dad. Andy had fun chasing Cohen in the water and got a bad sunburn. I had fun reading my book (Hunger Games) in the shade with my sleeping baby. Ben slept a lot, and got sunburned on the walk back to the car. poor boy.

Besides the sunburns, it was a perfect day.

Easter 2011

2011-04-25T16:06:00.000-07:00

Cohen's forced excitement over an Easter-Egg that I had to pursuade him to pick up.

Ben. Sitting fat and happy.

Me: "Cohen! Pick up the EGGS!...Look how cool these EGGS are!"

Benji and Wes. Having the time of their life.

The EGGS had CANDY in them???!?!?!?!!

We went to church. Had a delicious breakfast-for-dinner (pancakes, plum sauce, whipped cream, and bacon)yummmmmmmmm. Andy read a little something out of the Ensign. Cohen did a little egg hunt. It was nice.

The week before Easter, my mom, Dawn, and Becka took the kids to Irvine Park's EGGstravaganza, so Cohen could do an egg hunt, ride the train, and go to the zoo.

Cohen isn't much of an Easter-Egg Hunter. He would rather hunt for loose candy and lollipops that were strewn among the Easter Eggs. I don't blame him. Most of the eggs were filled with stickers anyways.

Ben = 6 Months

2011-04-23T11:50:00.000-07:00

Trying to crawl...

Eating Baby Food

Baby Ben is hardly a baby anymore. He has 2 teeth. He sleeps less. He eats baby food.

He whines to get our attention, and laughs at us when it works.

He doesn't crawl yet, but he tries.

He DOES move though.

I set him in one place FOR A MINUTE, and next thing I know he's all the way across the room.

They're BACK!

2011-04-17T12:58:00.000-07:00

Becky and David returned home from their Family History Mission in Salt Lake City.

I believe this was the first mother-son mission ever. We are so proud of them!

Ben got to meet his Grandma Becky and Uncle David for the first time (at 6 months old).

Sadly, my camera was dead so I didn't get any pictures from their homecoming weekend.

But we are very excited to have them back home in California.

It wasn't the same without them.

April 17th 2011

Aquarium

2011-04-15T11:24:00.000-07:00

We went the Long Beach Aquarium - twice. Cohen loves it. I love it.

It's nice and small, without being too small.

Cohen almost died of excitement when he saw the shark exhibit.

"Shark! Shark! SHARRRRKKK!!!!!!!!"

I forgot the flip camera.

shhhhhharkkk!

Moments after Cohen bonked his head on the fish tank. :/

Baby-Fish-Mouth and his Daddy

He could've stayed there all day.

Petting the Sharks

afterwards, we celebrated my dad's birthday.

we gave him a much needed ipod.

he loved it.

lots and lots of family pictures.

2011-04-09T17:18:00.000-07:00

I know this is a TON of pictures that I am posting. It's not because I'm full of my self. It is because my mom really wants to see them, and it's easier to blog them, then email. so there.

Cohen was more interested in running, than smiling at the camera. Surprise. Surprise.

But she managed to snag a few cute shots.

Notice the bribe toy in his hand... it didn't really work.

Remember when my friend Breanne took those cute newborn pictures of my baby benjamin?

Well now she took some cute family pictures of us.

Let me fill you in on a little secret. I've never really liked family pictures on the beach.

Here's why. When I picture family pictures on the beach, I picture everyone matching in white button-down shirts with their jeans rolled up, barefoot, and walking hand and hand in the water. so overdone. and cheesy.

Breanne promised me that she would not take cheesy beach pictures.

And I believe she succeeded. whew. :)

4 years

2011-04-08T21:20:00.000-07:00

Andy and I have been married for FOUR years.

It seems like it's been 10 years.

I don't mean for that to sound bad, it's just that SO much has happened in the past 4 years...

We got married, lived in La Habra for about 3 months, moved to Vista, lived in our pretty little apartment in the ghetto, I worked at a CPA office/Andy @ Berrett, got pregnant with Cohen, bought our first house(condo), had a baby Cohen, did LOTS of home improvements, had another baby Ben... and that is where we are now. Two lovebirds living with our 2 boys in our tiny nest (that we can't move out of because it's worth less than what we bought it for).

It sounds all rosy when I put it in a nutshell, but let me tell you, it hasn't been ALL peaches. First of all, I was pregnant twice, which means I turned into a complete crazy person twice. We moved twice, which means Andy was a crazy person twice (he HATEs change). And now we have 2 needy kids which is much harder than one needy kid. And I sort of resent all of the people who told us "it's not that hard." What a bunch of liars. BUT, I wouldn't undo any of our trials (if I could) because they have made us stronger as a couple. Moving away from family was really hard- especially in the beginning. but it forced us to become closer. We really are best friends. Andy has learned that I'm a meany when I get stressed or tired (which usually happens once a day), and I know not to mess with him when he is hungry or tired.

Zoos

2011-04-08T12:53:00.000-07:00

We got passes to the SD Zoo and ~~Wild Animal Park~~ SD Safari Park.

Cohen LOVES animals.

I heard that boys are usually obsessed with one of the following: cars, sports, or animals.

He never leaves the house without at least one of his animals in his chubby little hand.

Sometimes he wakes up in the middle of the night crying for his animal of the week.

His favorites (this week) are: Shark and Whale

A week ago, it was: Shark, Lizard, and Lion

A month ago, it was: Percy & Lion

...you get the idea.

He's a sweet kid. With a BIG imagination.

He can't watch Robin hood without his Lion(Prince John) and toy snake (hiss) in hand. As soon as Prince John's Hippo/Rhino guards are on, he rushes to the kitchen in search of whatever metal kitchen utensil he can get his hands on (a spatula, an egg beater). This is his sword. When they march, he marches...

He also needs to be playing with his whale and shark while watching Finding Nemo.

And, if he doesn't find his stuffed Simba raised up in the air by the time "Circle of Life" is done playing, there is usually a meltdown, and the movie is restarted.

He is definitely an ANIMAL boy.

Ben=5 Months

2011-04-02T19:24:00.000-07:00

Ben=4 months

2011-03-11T11:38:00.000-08:00

Ben is 4 months old.

He's turning into a REAL boy.

Holding his head up and rolling all over the place.

Slowly but surely he's getting cuter.

He gives me a big goofy smile almost every time I look at him...

and he cries almost every time I lay him down (see picture above).

He slept thru the night for the past 3 nights.

oh how i love my baby boy.

Winter beach days...

2011-02-17T09:40:00.000-08:00

Since it's been such a warm, sunny Jan/Feb we've been taking the boys outside at any chance we get. Our weeks have been going something like this: beach, park, duck pond, beach, park, mcdonalds, tidepools, park, duck pond....you get the picture. prrretty exciting.
Now the rain is coming...so I gotta get this warm,sunny post up quick.

Ben = 3 months

2011-02-14T19:58:00.000-08:00

Here are some of Ben's 3 month pictures. Once again, I'm about a month behind. enjoy. . .

Let me tell you a little bit about our 3 month old benny boy.

I'll start with the most obvious, he's BALD. He start shedding at 3 months...and a few days later he morphed into Bruce Willis. BUT I've been noticing some new hairs sprouting up - so that's exciting.

He makes a lot of funny faces.

He's a thumb-sucker. which means he can "Self Soothe" at 3 months old ...hooray!

He's got nice, LONG eyelashes (I'm jealous) and HUGE eyebrows.

He smiles and giggles. which melts my heart- not only because its cute, but it gives us hope that his vision isn't so bad after all.

Merry Christmas 2010 and Happy 2011

2011-01-09T20:23:00.000-08:00

I was really bad at taking pictures this Christmas. I don't know why, because I just got a new camera that I am in LOVE with. i know you're not supposed to love THINGS but I really REALLY like it. i guess we were just having too much fun. shopping, eating, and desperately searching for the neighborhood with BEST Christmas lights. (we found it - after 3 years of searching).

We rang in the new year with a sick-ish baby and a 2 year old with pink eye. jealous?

I shouldn't complain. My parents insisted on babysitting the sick kids so we could take a break and see a movie. "True Grit"...loved it.

Here is our camera - timer Christmas card picture that we take every year.

Santa came to grandmas house this year

Top 5 of 2010:

1.Baby Ben was born. 2.Cohen was weened 3.Cohen sleeps through the night (in our bed).

4.We got a new car. 5.We made more friends

Ben = 2 months & is Blessed

2011-01-09T19:43:00.000-08:00

Ben turned 2 months on December 23rd...MY birthday!

Ben weighed in at 14.8 lbs and is 24.5 inches long at his 2 month checkup. that's double his birthweight. He's chubby everywhere, but I think he holds most of his weight in his cheeks/chin/man-boobs. they're HUGE!

Doctor sent us to a specialist for his eyes, (he's having some issues with his eyes). he calls it "Visually Delayed" which means he could eventually catch up and be able to see just fine.

it could mean that there is a more serious cause, having to do with his brain developement. we just have to monitor it. and wait and wait and wait. we're going to be waiting and praying - a lot. We're also trying to not talk about it TOO much, because talking about it makes me worry, and we don't want to waste time worrying about the future that we cannot control. But, we are preparing ourselves for the worst, and hoping for the best.

We will have another appointment in about 8 weeks. we'll see how it goes...

Ben's Baby Blessing

December 26, 2010

We had a very small, private blessing for benny boy.

(it was in the Bishop's office. no microphone, tiny audience, no hosting a party afterwards, no stress). it was nice.

baby ben = 1 month

2010-12-20T19:02:00.000-08:00

My new friend at church asked if she could take some newborn pictures
of my baby boy for her upcoming photography business
(she doesn't have a website yet).
I was like, "please do!" So she did...

i know he's practically 2 months old today, but these pictures were taken at 1 month.
check out my FAT baby. ..

oh how i love him so

fat rolls

chubby cheeks that i want to pinch and kiss, and dance with - cheek to cheek - all at the same time.

Cohen was too excited to play with his friends, so she couldn't get any pictures of him and baby, but she snuck this one of him while he was playing.

I LOVE MY BOYs. thank you BREANN for taking these lovely photos.

happy halloween 2010

2010-11-08T23:26:00.001-08:00

Cohen got to go trick-or-treating for the first time this year. he loved it. well, he loves candy, and pumpkins. Cohen and cousin Sheldon ended up swapping costumes at the last minute because Cohen was too afraid of wearing the weird dinosaur costume that HE picked out in the store. So, he ended up wearing Jack-O-Lantern pajamas to the ward Trunk-or-Treat, and he was an Elephant on Halloween.

Big Brother Cohen

2010-11-08T23:25:00.000-08:00

Cohen is handling the Big Brother role much better than expected. He LOVES the baby. He wakes up and immediatley starts searching the house for the baby. All day long he smothers Ben with hugs and kisses. Sometimes, when baby is left alone on the couch or crib, we will find cohen laying on top of him, pinching his cheeks and smooching his forehead - we call this the "brother smother." cohen loves to get me a diaper when ben needs to be changed. he also loves to watch me change ben's diaper. when there's poop, he needs to announce it to me, and usually gags at the sight of it. i guess he got his father's gag reflex. when baby cries, cohen gets very concerned. "OH NOoo! BABY SAD! BABYS SAD!"

He's a very protective older brother. Just look at that face. It's like a lion protecting his young.

brother smother.

Baby Benjamin

2010-11-08T23:19:00.002-08:00

I'm not Pregnant anymore!!! oh happy day.

baby benjamin david demke was born on saturday, october 23, 2010 at 1:32 in the MORNING.

he's a little guy...7lbs 2 oz. 20inches long, to be exact. he decided to come one week early.. much to my delight.

after a day of irregular contractions (some long, some short, some close together, some far apart, some painful, some not) we went to hospital. got checked. was 5 cm, but not having regular contractions, so they sent me home around 6:30 - to get some rest. around 8:30, contractions were getting stronger, and painful, but still not close together. went to bed to try and get some sleep. couldn't sleep through the pain. Decided to go back to hospital around 11:30 at night.

- Arrived at hospital around 12am.

- admitted in 1st room to get checked around 12:15 was at 8cm.

- 12:30 - walked to delivery room...asked nurse if i could use bathroom because i felt like i "had to go"---she said "no, that is your baby's head!"

- doctor came in around 12:45. so did my mom and aunt dawn.

- doctor delivered the "bad news"...i could NOT have an epidural.

I broke down. hysterical. bawling. annoyed, tired, SO uncomfortable, and unprepared.

- dr had me lay on back. told me baby is "READY." Eventhough I was NOT READY.

- baby's heart rate was still slow, so she did one final attempt to "fix" it by trying to get the baby in the "best" position by putting her fingers "up there" and literally turned the babies head...during a contraction. oh. my. goodness....OUCH!

that was the absolute worse part of the whole thing.

then came the pushing. it went something like this:

- "PUSH! (me bawling - I just absolutely could not stop crying once I started, no matter how hard i tried).

- 2nd "PUSH"!: it felt so UNnatural - how ironic natural childbirth feels unnatural to me. Like my pelvic

bone was going to snap in half if i pushed any harder. i cried, "I Can't do it." My very boisterous, yet sweet doctor shouted "YES YOU CAN, BREATH and...

- "PUSH!!!" #3 : this was it. the dreaded "ring of fire".

I knew she wasn't going to take "no" for an answer, so I gave it EVERYTHING I had. Still bawling, and not breathing...dr said "BREATH. stop crying - you're going to hyperventalate. BREATH! and...

- "PUSH!!!" #4 immediately followed #3 and out came baby ben!

I couldn't believe his head was so small. he was small. He FELT HUGE when he was coming out...let me tell you. i was sure he was a 13 pounder. when I saw how tiny his head was, it really made me feel like a wimp.

after 45 minutes of hard, labor. my 2nd baby boy was born. and I am in love all over again.

15 minutes after he was born, the anesthesiologist came in to give the epidural. gee thanks.

In case you are wondering whether I have converted to the whole "natural birth" thing, I HAVE NOT.

i already cannot remember exactly how awful it felt, but i do remember telling andy that we will not be having anymore kids immediately after delivery...and again the next day. it was that bad.

the thought of having another baby come as quickly as this, makes me nervous to have another one. I was lucky - Ben was on the small side, i can't imagine what having another big baby would feel like.

This was QUICK, and i felt WAY better during the hours/days after delivery, which are some of the benefits of not having pain medication. that was nice. But, since this was my 2nd delivery, I'm not fully convinced that the quick recovery was from not having an epidural or if it was because 2nd deliveries are generally just easier all around (less stitches, no epis). i guess i'll never know.

What I DO know is if I have another baby, it will be with an epidural. I will do whatever it takes to get one on time. I'd rather have take 3+ hours of feeling next to nothing over 45 minutes of extreme pain. but that's just me.

It's not just the horrible pain that i didn't like. To me, this was the most UN-NATURAL feeling I have ever had. I felt like I had no control of my body. I could feel my bones moving. Having an uncontrollable urge to push, when you can feel your skin tearing is an awful, unnatural feeling too. it's just not for me.

I also didn't like how the entire delivery was a blur. it didn't even seem real.

I can remember almost EVERYTHING about Cohen's delivery...it was kind of fun. there was the annoying nurse who kept telling "her" birth story, my family was there, i was smiling, and relaxed. When they put him on my chest i was in love. instantly.

Ben's delivery was nothing like that. I was crying, irritable, exhausted, and when they put the baby on my chest, I was relieved more than anything. Don't get me wrong. I LOVE Ben too, but it was just such a stressful, emotional delivery, that all i could think when he came out was "whew, I'm glad that is over with." -- If you are thinking this sounds like PPD, let me tell you, it's NOT.-- During the time when the nurses whisked him away to do all of their nurse duties is when it all slowly started to sink in... I JUST HAD A BABY. It took about 10 minutes for it to "feel real" to me. When the nurses brought him back to me the 2nd time, it had fully registered, and i finally fell in love with my baby boy.

Overall, it was a good experience. in a way, i'm kinda glad i didn't get an epidural, so the next time someone tries to convince me to go "all-natural" i can at least say i've done it, and i dont like it.
that'll shut 'em up.

the end result is all that really matters... my healthy baby boy is here!.

2 down. one more to go. (yes, we hope to have one more).

Pregnancy #2

2010-11-08T23:19:00.001-08:00

I'm almost done with pregnancy #2. I wish it was my last, but i promised myself i'd have at least 3 kids (if i can), no matter how much I don't want to ever be pregnant again.

If you know me well, you'd know that I am not a good pregnant woman. I don't like it. I'm grumpy, tired, my legs hurt, I waddle, my face gets splotchy, and I am MOODY, irritable, and insecure ALL THE TIME. so moody, irritable, and insecure that i actually turn into a recluse. I try to avoid being around anyone who knows me. I don't really know why.

By the end of each pregnancy, i'm always amazed that my loving husband didn't leave me. he's still here? wow. I can't even stand to be around me when I'm pregnant. how does he do it?

All things must come to an end, and it is almost my time. (I'm due on Oct 29 or 31st)
HOORAY! this pregnancy actually went by really fast...and it was actually a very healthy, "easy" pregnancy. (let me clarify: it was easy because there haven't been any complications - not even morning sickness - the craziness in my brain has really been the only major struggle, but luckily, that will go away as soon as this boy decides to come out).

Sorry I'm being such a complainer. I'm usually pretty tough. I mean, I would rather go through the pains of childbirth 3 times than I would like to be pregnant for 9 months. I'm serious. I actually LIKE HAVING babies. Being pregnant just wears me out physically, and emotionally- for the entire 9 months. it wears andy out too. if you think I'm exaggerating, i'm not. just ask andy. he'll tell you.

Well that's enough complaining. I know that being pregnant is a BLESSING. I know that I MIGHT even miss it someday. not anytime soon, but someday. maybe. when i'm too old to remember how awful it was.

I'm on the home stretch. So EXCITED to meet baby Simon/Leo/Benjamin! That's right, we still don't have a name picked out...
If it were up to me, it would be Leo.
If it were up to andy, it would be Benjamin (Benny).
If it were up to US it would be Simon.
But, I'm not sure I like the way "Simon Demke" sounds. decisions, decisions...

Nesting Part II

2010-11-08T23:14:00.000-08:00

Last time I was pregnant I nested at the last minute. we put in new wood floors about 3 weeks before cohen was due.
This pregnancy, I started nesting early:
- Around 4 months: I decided to repaint cohens room, and his bathroom. i wanted something more neutral and grown up. my mom painted a tree in the corner. done.
- 5-7 months: I got OBSessed with de-cluttering. when your house is 965 sqft it is important to understand the importance of decluttering and organization. just ask ikea, they'll tell you.
after MANY trips to goodwill - done.
- 7 months: spruce up decor: Make new mirror in cohen's room, new rug, new curtains, rearrange pictures, etc. done.
- 8 months: organize kitchen. clean out cupboards and drawers. repaint cupboards. dust top of refrigerator. Wash & Organize baby clothes. done.
- 9 months: repaint living room...which turned into repaint kitchen, hallway, living room, AND bedroom; BEFORE andy gets home from Big Bear. done.

whew. that was a lot of work. so glad i did it, and so glad it's DONE.

Cohen turned 2

2010-11-08T23:09:00.001-08:00

he was more excited about blowing out candles, than he was about eating the cupcake. We re-lit the candles 3 times just so he could blow them out again, and again...

There he was. a tiny 8 lbs 9 oz.sleeping peacefully......

now he's a 32lb man-child who never sleeps.

I can't even believe it. my cohen boy turned 2 on October 15th.

Two years went by fast, and slow at the same time.

Allow me to explain:

(Fast): when I think of the day cohen was born I can remember all of the details so clearly (what I was watching when I went into labor, what I wore when I went to the hospital, what I ate the night before, and that morning for breakfast, the labor nurses name, etc.) It really feels like it just happened ...

(Slow): BUT, whenever I see a tiny new baby I feel like I can't even really remember what he was like when he was that small. it seems like it never even happened. so weird. I look at these little newborns and think, "I don't think cohen was ever that small"... eventhough I know he was.

Whenever I hold a newborn (that is not my own), it feels SO foreign to me...like i've never done it before. (eventhough cohen was a newborn just 2 years ago). It makes me feel a little awkward. Like I just can't get that baby in a comfortable position, and the baby can always sense that i'm uncomfortable holding them because they always end up squirming and crying shortly after being placed in my arms. it's kind of like a horse that can sense an inexperienced/nervous rider so they try to buck them off. i'm sure it looks just as awkward as it feels, that is why i try to avoid holding newborns. I LOVE newborns, but i would much rather gush over them from across the room than hold them. i'm weird, i know. anyhoo...

when I held cohen for the first time, I didn't feel awkward at all. I actually wanted to hold him, and i didn't really want to share him with anyone else. For once a baby actually STOPPED crying when I held him. Needless to say, I was smitten from day one.

we had cupcakes, opened a few presents (his favorite: toy story & thomas train), played with dad, grandma, great grandma, dawn, aunt becka, and wesley. and later we went out to dinner.

I think he liked his birthday, eventhough he doesn't really know what a birthday is.

I think I liked Cohen's birthday more than he did because it gives me a day to reflect on his actual birth day. I loved that day. That's the day I became a mom, and andy became a dad. It's the first time I held a newborn who didn't cry or make me feel terribly uncomfortable. it just felt so natural and perfect. he is my boy! i love him so much.

October 15, 2008. 10:00 ish

pumpkin patch

2010-11-08T22:35:00.000-08:00

no, i'm not hiding a pumpkin under my dress...

Bad lighting photo #1...and #2...

https://www.batesnutfarm.biz/

Bates Nut Farm 2010...or as Andy likes to call it - Nates Butt Farm.

It was HOT. and the sun was beating on our un-sunscreened faces, so we didn't stay long, but we did manage to get a few bad pictures of cohen in the pumpkin patch, and feed the animals at the petting zoo.. so i guess it was worth the trip.

Bear Lake Demke Reunion

2010-10-19T16:10:00.000-07:00

Just when I thought I would never do another long pregnant road trip, we got invited to a last minute mini-Demke reunion at BEAR LAKE IDAHO that we couldn't turn down. What was suppossed to be a 13 hour drive turned into a 15 hour drive (because mapquest gives confusing directions). But luckily that was the ONLY bad part of the trip. everything else was perfect, and I'm glad I fought off my urge to stay home and relax. The lake was perfect, and Cohen was easily entertained by his cousins, and second-cousins. He was a bit whiny at times because there were a lot of unfamiliar faces and the sleep schedule was off. BUT he did better than I was expecting, so that made me a happy mom.

Baby Wesley

2010-10-19T15:44:00.001-07:00

Cohen is my parents' "only grandchild" no more.
WESLEY ALEXANDER ADAMS
was born on August 7th.
I went up to orange county the weekend he was due, and waited and waited and WAITED for the little guy to come out, and he never did. (Until I finally decided to go back home). So I missed his birth. but i forgive him because he is sweet and adorable, and he and cohen are going to be best buds.

Montana 2010

2010-09-14T12:35:00.000-07:00

So we made it to Montana this year. Just me and my boy. Andy couldn't make it this year because of work...but we still had fun without him.

Remind me to never be pregnant in the summer again. A 17 hour drive when you are 6 months pregnant is never fun. i should know, this is my second time doing it.. there. I did my grumpy pregnant-woman rant.
Besides that, we had a good time. Cohen is getting so big, and everything is so new and exciting to him. It was worth the long trip and hemroids that came along with it (too much info? sorry) just to watch how happy it all made him. this kid belongs outdoors. it is his happy place. rocks, bugs, trucks, mud, animals, tools, dirt, and a river to throw rocks in. it doesn't get much better than that.

Grandpa

Dirt.

outside.

Yardwork.

Rock+River

Rain.

Firepit.

Quad.

and more rocks.

chopping it off

2010-05-06T13:15:00.000-07:00

I'm sick of my hair. I grew it out, because I wanted a change, but I never liked my hair long. It makes my face look long. It's stringy, and it doesn't hold curls. It also make my neck hot, and I hate being hot...so it spent most of its days pulled back in a sloppy ponytail anyways. So I feel like i'd be doing myself, and my hair a favor by chopping it all off. not all of it, but a lot of it. My only concern: It's going to make my pregnant FaT face look even FaTTER.

THE GREAT DEBATE

Here are some of the pictures that Andy and I agreed on (yes, i ask my husband for hair advice). I'm not going to post all of them because I don't want to bore you any more than I already have.

#1

i would probably chicken-out and do a little longer than this.

#2

my face would look fatter than hers.

i don't think I would do the long piece on the side.

now I just have to find someone to cut it for me...

update on the past 4 months.

2010-05-03T11:15:00.000-07:00

me and my boo. April 6 2007

the one picture we have from our utah trip (because our camera was broken)

Cohen and his cousins at Whitley's birthday last week.

my boy is obsessed with chairs. he like to sit in all of them. just to try them out.

he is also obsessed with bat-i- ball (basketball)

Cohen is going to be a big brother. (this is my friend kara's baby kali)

Okay, here come my excuses: I haven't blogged in about 4 months because....

1. our camera died. it took us about 2 months to buy a new one.

2. i'm pregnant- again. and have been spending most of my time plopped out on the couch waiting for the nausea, tiredness, and headaches to go away, so the excitement can begin. (the excitement still hasn't fully kicked in, but the nausea, tiredness, and headaches are pretty much gone. so that's good i guess.)

3. i've just been busy. we went to utah in april. vegas in february. orange county for a week in march. celebrated our 3 year anniversary in april. i've been uploading EVERY CD we OWNs back onto our itunes because I ACCIDENTALLY DELETED all of the songs on itunes. i've been obsessing about getting a new haircut, so when I'm ON the Internet I usually spend most of my time google-ing pictures of celebrities- trying to find "the haircut.." I'm the YW's Secretary which has been a little more time consuming than being a primary teacher. whew. i think that's about all of the excuses I can come up with right now.

anyways. I just realized how much blogging I did when I was pregnant with cohen, and it made me feel bad that this baby won't have that. so I'm doing it. because I know how it is to be a second child... way less pictures, videos, one-on-one time..it sucks. i kid. being a second child is not all that bad. (but seriously, brian has WAY more baby pictures than i do).

Teething.

2010-03-01T10:35:00.000-08:00

Cohen and I are both getting our teeth in. I never thought I'd be teething with my child, but here I am. 24 years old. growing my first wisdom tooth.

2010-01-24T13:33:00.000-08:00

okay. so i haven't been SO good at my blogging new years resolution, but that is because i have been doing good at some of my other goals...(and we've been having a BARF-A-RaMA at my house this past week. and no, i am not pregnant. unless cohen is pregnant too).

i started reading this book called the happiness project:( http://www.happiness-project.com/).

Its pretty interesting. and its really easy to read which is good because i have A.D.D when it comes to reading.
Every month the book gives you a goal to make your life happier. (i'm not depressed. I'm not even unhappy. i just want to be happier.)
For january, the goal was to de-clutter my house. i had no idea how crazy all of my junk was making me. my house is too small for all of my crap. so i had to say goodbye to all of the stuff that i've been holding on to because i think there might be a small chance that i will need it in the future. it was hard. i have about a week left to finish. i'm a little more than half way done, and i already feel better...well, except for the fact that cohen still has the barfs. ick.

well hello blog..

2010-01-07T14:06:00.000-08:00

happy 2010. this year i'm going to try to be a better blogger. if you noticed, i took a 3 month break from my blog. and i must say it felt pretty good. not that i don't like my blog. i do. i just needed a break. i started to feel the pressure. like, every time something new happened i needed to post it on my blog. i don't like pressure. i never have. just ask my mom. i felt the same pressure when i had a facebook...that's why i cancelled it. but i don't want to cancel the blog, i just needed a break. and i got it. and now i feel better. oh yes, and when i was taking a break, i found the solution to my problem. i am going to do shorter blogs, with less pictures, more regularly. that way i only have spend less than an hour uploading pictures, sorting them out, typing, and the reading my friends' blogs too. i will no longer dread having to do a looonng blog every 2 months. that will make it more enjoyable to me. and you. anyways... i'm annoying myself. here is my last long blog..

the past 3 months in a nutshell:

ANDY's BIRTHDAY!

andy turned 28 on november 29th.

Here are 5 reasons i am happy he was born (because i don't have time to list 28 reasons)

1. he doesn't lie. this is a blessing, and sometimes a curse. the truth can hurt.

2. he brushes his teeth a lot. some call it OCD; i call it good hygiene.

3. he likes to drive. this is good because i hate it.

4. he is my own personal weather man. he calls it a hobby; i call it OCD.

5. he brings me breakfast (cereal) in bed every morning.

We sent out another ugly Christmas Card

we are too cheap to hire a professional photographer, and we don't ever want to bug our friends to take pictures for us, so we set up our camera on top of the hood of 0ur car, with the automatic timer on. i have a pole sticking out of my head. as bad as this is, it's still a little bit better looking than last years. maybe next year will be a little better...and then a little better...and better.etc

MY BIRTHDAY!

i turned 24 on December 23rd. i feel like i aged 10 years in this last year.

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

NORCO SLEEPOVER!

we had a tasty Christmas dinner with the demkes in norco. then we put the kids to bed and had a good old fashioned sleepover. we stayed up late, giggled and talked a lot about poo and farts (which andy is sort of an expert at). the next day we went on a little hike. i didn't think it was going to be as hard as it was. luckily, i didn't have to carry a 26 pound cohen in a backpack. it's times like this when i am grateful to be a girl.

HAPPY NEW YEARS!

we rang in the new year at our friends, james and leah. my dad came down to babysit cohen,

it was nice to be able to party with grown ups and not worry about cohen for once.

as i already said, my new years resolution is to blog more frequently. it's nice alone time, which i don't get very often, and i feel like i need it. andy told me his was to be more patient with cohen. which is a good one. i feel like that is what a resolution is supposed to be. a goal to make yourself a better person. andy told me that my resolution should be to be nicer to him.(i was being a grump at the time). so i guess that will be my other, non-selfish new years resolution...to be nicer to my husband. happy 2010!

boo.

2009-11-03T20:06:00.001-08:00

jack-o lantern by jenny

eskeleto

giving mom the finger...

we had another happy halloween.
we went to our ward party/trunk or treat.

andy dressed up as a white trash guy. mullett and all.

i forgot to get a picture of it.

i'm still a little mad.

here are some pictures i forgot to post from cohens first bday party...

daphne and whitley..teaching him how to eat cake..

his girlfriends...

demkes

uh-oh. andy is getting baby fever while holding jay.

ONE YEAR AGO...

2009-10-15T12:09:00.000-07:00

WE BECAME PARENTS

I'm amazed at how quickly this:

A healthy 8 lbs 9 oz. 21 inch baby

Became this:

A 26 pound, 31 inch boy

in 12 months.

I TOOK PICTURES OF COHEN FOR ALL OF HIS MONTHLY BIRTHDAYS.

SO WE CAN WATCH HIM GROW...

1 MONTH

2 MONTHS

3 MONTHS

4 MONTHS

5 MONTHS

6 MONTHS

7 MONTHS

8 MONTHS

9 MONTHS

10 MONTHS

11 MONTHS

12 MONTHS!

2009-10-08T12:51:00.000-07:00

fall is here. that means the holidays are coming. we got festive with our friends and went to Bates Nut Farm (https://www.batesnutfarm.biz/) and picked out a pumpkin, cohen rode a pony...and a tractor, saw the petting zoo, and [cohen's favorite] played in the dirt. needless to say, we had a good time, and we can't wait to make this one of our new family traditions.

cohen doesn't wear shoes. i try. he hates them. he refuses to walk in them. he loves being barefoot. his feet are always dirty and he looks homeless most of the time. but i like to believe that its making him more tough. by the time he turns ONE he will have the feet of a mohican, and i will never have to buy him shoes again. kidding. kidding. it is my goal to have him wearing shoes before rainy season. but that would be nice.

cohen's filthy dirt face.

riding the pony. (too bad i didn't get the pony in the picture)

The 3 Amigos: cohen, weston, and his new pal luke

cohen kept clobbering his friends, so we had to set him on the haystack. i keep telling him that no one is going to want to be his friend if he can't play nice, but he never listens.

oh yes, and i forgot to post that our boy is now officially walking....everywhere.

he's getting a lot more personality, which is making him a lot more fun to hang out with.

oh yes, if you are like cohen's shirt go to http://littleshredder.com/default.aspx

Summer- y

2009-09-14T13:49:00.000-07:00

We got gym passes. I never thought i'd be the type who goes to the gym. the thought of sweating and exercising in a giant room full of sweaty strangers in their fancy workout clothes has always kept me away from the gym. that is, until my friend karina started bringing me along with her free guest passes and i became addicted...so here i am ($300 x 2 later)...a gym go-er. oh yes, and i do not wear fancy gym clothes..i am the most ghetto gym goer at 24 hour fitness. its embarrassing. i'm always on the look-out...hoping that no one i know will see me. i wear leggings, an oversized t shirt, and my mom's old shoes. i refuse to buy expensive clothes that i am going to look gross and be sweating in. i would rather spend money on cute clothes to wear after i sweat at the gym. and i do sweat. a lot. more than andy..if yoou can believe that.but no offense to those who buy gym clothes. i just have a cheap disease. anyways. so far we love it. i'm excited to get rid of my flabby butt cheeks.

We went camping - twice. Camping at the beach is hardly camping. But you do stay in a campground. and you do sleep in a tent. We stayed 3 nights at doheny beach(dana point). and then the following week we stayed 4 nights at carlsbad beach. it was fun. but i dont think i will ever take a 10 month old to a dusty old campsite again...if he could walk at the time it would've been a lot easier to keep him clean. BUT cohen had the time of his life playing in the ocean and eating sand, so i am happy we went eventhough i couldn't really relax the entire time he was crawling in the dusty, spider infested campsite. my computer is having issues, so i can't upload any pictures right now. i will try to fix later...

We did some home repairs. not because we really needed them, but just because i wanted them. okay, lemme explain...

I wanted to repaint my too dark green cave-like bedroom and turn it into a relaxing bright and cheery room. so i started to go on the best home decorating websites to get some ideas:

http://apartmenttherapy.com/

http://ohdeedoh.com/

http://decorpad.com/

and

http://designsponge.com/

then. i became obsessed. everytime i turned on the computer i had to check and see if they updated anything. then. i started look at my house and wished it would look more like what i saw on the websites, so i ended up redoing my home. here is what we did.

we got rid of our old bulky tv stand and got a skinny one. so we have more room to walk in our ity bitty living room.

we got rid of our old used-to-be-light beige but turned brown carpet. i wish we wouldve done this sooner. its not fancy, but its clean and it feels like heaven on my feet.

we also got rid of the ugly split pea soup green wall paint that i never liked. we settled for a nuetral cafe latte color that i still dont really like (surprise,surprise), but definitly will not be repainting. i'm hoping it will grow on me. i still need some new curtains, pillows, pictures, etc so maybe that will make me like the room more. i hope so.

my light blue, relaxing new bedroom. which is also still a work in progress (need new pillows, pictures,etc). but at least i like the color.

Legoland

2009-08-21T08:55:00.000-07:00

So I finally went to Legoland with Andy's lovely sister Angela and my little nieces last week. Cohen can only go on 2 of the rides, but he LOVED playing on all of the little playgrounds and stuff...and I loved how pretty and shady the park was...and the weather was delightful. I am excited to go again...and now I can go whenever I want because I have a pass! I'm so excited.

Cohen LOVED the train. I don't know why. it's not that different from his stroller. and he HATES his stroller.

The night before we took the girls swimming in Carlsbad. it was chilly, but they didn't care. There was a time in my life when I didn't care how cold the water was. But, now I do. I'm turning into an old lady.

Oh yes, and Cohen is now 10 months old.
my boy is getting so big.

I've been on vacation from my blog...

2009-07-30T09:38:00.000-07:00

Time to get back into blog mode.

Here are some pictures from our Montana trip.

I will have more pictures of other stuff we have been up to this summer as soon as my camera is done charging and i have time to upload them on my computer...

Brian and his friend Caleb forgot to put the plug in their raft...

This picture kept coming out sideways and I don't know how to fix it.

same with this one...

and this one...

Father's Day

2009-06-23T16:35:00.000-07:00

This father's day was extra special because it was Andy's first. He is a naturally good dad. and i'm not just saying that. i always knew he was going to be a good dad, because he was good with his nieces/nephews and the primary kids. but he continues to surprise me with how helpful he is with cohen. he helps even when i don't really need his help! he is great. i love my baby's daddy.

I'm also lucky to have such a great dad. he is fun, hardworking, busy busy busy, and sooo helpful.

Here is an example of how helpful he is: a few weeks ago my parents were houseitting our house (while we were in Utah). when we got home the house was spotless, and our kitchen was FULL of new groceries. Not just groceries, but NAME BRAND groceries (andy and i are big into the store brands). Pork chops, chicken, pizza, cereal, bread, soup, pop tarts, ice cream, drumsticks, and the list goes on and on...

he is and always has been a very busy man. Work, church callings, and traveling about 3 times a month has kept his life very hectic, but he still always makes time to do all the things he loves : family, vacations, U2 concerts, and going to the movies. I love my dad.

I only knew andy's dad for about a year and a half. But i really liked him. that's probably because he reminds me a lot of andy. especially his voice and feet. andy sometimes tears up when there is a sweet/sad scene on a tv show/movie and he always says "I'm turning into my dad!" Which is a good thing.

Andy has this shirt his dad is wearing in this picture... he plays basketball in it every Tuesday.

i'm sick of the glooooom!

2009-06-12T13:55:00.000-07:00

It' the middle of june and i don't think i have seen the sun (for longer than a couple hours) in almost 3 weeks. All this gloom is turning me into a grump. i thought june gloom was suppossed to "burn off" by the afternoon. weathermen can be such liars sometimes.

i zoomed in so you can get an extra good look at my face. what is he smiling about?

HAPPY FRIDAY!

ketchup

2009-05-30T22:10:00.000-07:00

here is a picture summary of what we've been up to lately...

BRIAN GRADUATED! from CAl State Fullerton. he now has a degree in Advertising.

so happy for him. i hope he ends up getting a job in san diego. i've been trying to lure them down here for years. i don't think it's working. but i'm keeping my fingers crossed.

We got to go. the may gray burned off as soon as the graduation started. it was so hot...and i wasn't wearing breathable fabric. ugh. it was a sweat-fest. really. i sweat more than the average male. it's so gross.

my friend whitney graduated with my brother. she's all grown up.

the graduation party...

we finally took a family pictures...

cohen's first girlfriend Emma. he couldn't get enough of her. and she couldn't care less about him.

The cute little kidlets at Whitley's birthday party (over a month ago).

all the cute little kidlets.

Cohen=7 months

2009-05-18T09:30:00.000-07:00

obviously i don't have anything new to blog about.

2009-05-13T22:06:00.000-07:00

i've been a lousy blogger lately, so i'm trying to make up for it by doing a lot of posts... here are some new cohen pictures. these are his 6 month pictures that i never got around to posting when he turned 6 months old.,.he will be 7 months old in a few days, so expect more pictures soon.

a rare smile for the camera

cohen is a very big child. he eats A LOT...and you can tell. he moves all over the place these days...but he does not "crawl" like most babies do. he drags his body (like a slug) from room to room. (picture a baby with 2 broken legs trying to get around the house - that's what he looks like. i don't know if he will ever crawl. we try to show him how much easier it is to crawl on all fours, but he insists on doing it his way. oh well. what can you do.

Thanks Dad!

2009-05-12T21:37:00.001-07:00

i was admiring my beautiful roses, (that are slowly dying) so i decided to take a picture of them. and then i decided to post them on my blog. thanks. i love you.

Happy Mother's Day to Me and My Mother.

2009-05-11T14:24:00.000-07:00

Supposedly these ugly bonnets were "in style"

side pony...

i'm wearing a pirate shirt...she's wearing shoulder pads...

This mother's day was special because it was my first. Andy made me pancakes and gave me the longest foot rub of my life. Then we got to go to church. I got to watch my adorable primary kids sing the same primary mothers day songs that they have been singing since i was in primary. after church, my family and grandparents came to our house for dinner. this was exciting because we have not been able to just stay home for a holiday in a very looonng time.
happy mothers day. i love my mom.

Fake Burberry Sunglasses

2009-04-21T19:40:00.001-07:00

A few weeks ago (on our Palm Springs trip) andy and i bought some new sunglasses from one of those fake designer sunglass stores that you find in tourist-y areas. We got the 2 for $15 deal. I got the Burberry knock offs and andy got some other fake brand.

I went to kohls yesterday to return some things. i had my sunglasses in the cupholder of the stroller and cohen in my arms (he doesn't like to be strapped down). Andy was in the dressing room trying on some cheap shorts that i wanted him to buy. i go into the dressing room for less than 30 SECONDS to give him a different size (leaving my stoller in the entrance) and WHAM! my fake designer sunglasses are gone. I'm so annoyed. i'm especially annoyed because i know it was my fault for leaving my stroller in the entrance for 30 seconds. Someone is out there with MY fake Burberry $7 sunglasses...probably thinking they got the "real deal." ha.

Baby Conrad

2009-04-20T18:55:00.001-07:00

Cohen is so lucky...he is going to have 3 BOY COUSINS (Dutch, Conrad, and [Jay?]), 2 second BOY cousins (Brandon & the new baby), ONE second GIRL cousin, AND 3 BOY "friends" (boys that i want him to be friends with)..Weston, Henry, and Luke ( am i forgetting someone?) Count'em up! 8 boys. ONE Girl...all less than one year apart.

Boys EVERYWHERE. (except for Christina's baby girl on the way)... what is the deal with that?

ANYWAYS...

here is a picture of the newest member of the Demke clan:

Aaron and Kim had their baby boy Conrad (kim's maiden name..love it) on Saturday, April 18th (their due date).

We are so excited for them, and can't wait to go to Kingman in a few weeks to meet the new little guy.

Cohen and Dutch Boy

2009-04-20T09:07:00.000-07:00

We recently got cohen and his cousin dutch together for a mini photo shoot at Grandma Becky's. Cohen is 1 1/2 younger than dutch, but he is WAY fatter. They were fighting over an empty water bottle. Cohen is a vicious fighter. There was lots of ear pulling, pushing, cheek sucking, and frustrated squeals. i hope they can be friends someday..

Cohen boom boom, Dutch boy, and David poops. happy.

fighting

musical geniuses

ear pulling.

2 Year Anniversary

2009-04-09T15:55:00.001-07:00

This year we decided to celebrate our TWO Year Anniversary in Palm Springs.

We had to bring the little nugget along with us,

so it was more of a family vacation than an anniversary trip.

We stayed at our FREE hotel in Palm Desert (thank you HiltonHonors Points).

We ate, went swimming, and pretended to be richer than we are.

The next day we went to Palm Springs...

We rode the Tram for the first time. Andy is afraid of heights so he didn't look down the entire time.

It was 75 degrees at the bottom and 37 degress at the top of the mountain.

top of the mountain..

there was still snow up there. brrrr.

Shopping on Palm canyon drive.

Happy Anniversary to US! I love my boo.

I'm happy that i married a guy who cooks, cleans,helps me with the baby, AND puts up with me. he is the BOMB.

2009-03-23T09:27:00.000-07:00

Happy Birthday to my girl Whit

whitney and i have been friends since the beginning of 7th grade.

i was attracted to her because she dressed cute, and she had older, 8th grade friends.

she was attracted to me because i had a big blonde ponytail on top of my head and i was sitting at a lunch table full of my boys friends.

since then, we have been through a lot of fun times. lots of tacky clothes and bad makeup. lots of catty girl fights with our other girl friends...lots of little adventures: san diego, riding the bus to the beach, camping at the beach, venice beach, rosarito, our soma holidays, and our OC nights where we would eat way too many popcorn w/m&ms and my brother would yell at us for drinking all of his soda. oh yes, and don't forget the time when whitney accidentally drove my neighbors car down the street with her car keys.

note to whitney: i hope this post makes you want to visit me sooooon

and i also hope this post with make you want to start a blog.