Handy Moments

You've got a friend in me

2011-11-06T14:59:00.000-08:00

For Halloween, the girls wanted to do the Toy Story theme, so Mikayla was Jesse (which EVERYONE called her Woody, hello!?) and Sophie was Buzz Lightyear. We did a lot of activities this month, and they were able to wear the costume 3 times. Once for school, once for the ward trunk or treat and then of course on Halloween. The girls were really sad to see Halloween go this year. As I was packing up the decorations, both of them had tears in their eyes as they said, "Bye Halloween, see you next year!"

A little song that Mikayla would sing in between houses

My baby's 2!!

2011-08-08T12:10:00.001-07:00

Sophie had her 2nd birthday on Saturday, and we had a lot of fun. We had a Wizard of Oz party, went to the zoo and ate lots of ice cream! I posted about the party on my photography website, www.vintageframephotography.com so if you want all the fun pics and details, check it out. Happy Birthday my little Sophie! We love you!!!

3 months!!

2011-06-30T12:06:00.000-07:00

I can't believe my little one is 3 months today! It always amazes me how quickly/slowly these first few months go. Here are a few things she is doing now:

She loves to "talk". Kedzie coos and ahhs whenever anyone even looks at her. She is also, by far, my most smiley baby.
She chuckles now. Her smile gets so wide on her face that forced air comes out and she has started chuckling.
Still loves her swing!
Is sleeping 10 hours at night! (she's been doing this since 6 weeks, I think being premie had a lot to do with it)
Does not cry during shots.
Still pukes after every feeding and continues to do do until the next one.
Is the joy of our house (along with her two older sisters)

Love my little Kedzers!!

Blessing Day

2011-06-09T19:51:00.000-07:00

Last Sunday we had the opportunity to bless Kedzie. It was a really great day with many people we love supporting us, and surprising us. My Aunt from Washington D.C. flew out to be with her daughter, and took the time to surprise me at the blessing. It was a great surprise and I felt so blessed. Steve gave a beautiful blessing, and I could feel how special this daughter really is. I know the Lord has entrusted us with His precious daughters, and every day I strive to do my best to teach them.

Here are some highlights of the day:
Finally, a family picture with the new addition

Steve's adoration:

Woman of the hour:

Blessing dress, made from my wedding dress:

Fast Friends

2011-05-27T13:18:00.000-07:00

Kedzie's already made a fast friend...

Mid Stream

2011-05-15T09:30:00.001-07:00

I got lucky with this shot and was able to catch Kedzie puking in mid stream. I love the way it looks, you can totally see it start to splash up on her dress. I was hoping that one of my children would be a non-puker, but I don't think that will ever happen. Sigh.

Another Photo Shoot

2011-05-01T20:48:00.000-07:00

This was a really cool moment. Kedzie was kind of fussy, so Steve picked her up, put her in the crook of his arms and started playing the piano. Within a couple of minutes, she had stopped fussing and fell asleep. Precious.

Easter

2011-04-24T14:55:00.001-07:00

Happy Easter Everyone! I am grateful for the sacrifice of my Savior who made it possible for me to have my family forever. What a blessing to know that He lives, and that one day I will live eternally with those I love most. He is Risen!

Explosion

2011-04-17T19:15:00.000-07:00

How my head hasn't blown off my body from all this cuteness, I'll never know

A Sister's Love

2011-04-07T16:09:00.000-07:00

Kedzie Sarah Handy

2011-04-01T20:17:00.000-07:00

I can't believe the time has arrived and my little one is here! Amazing to me how a pregnancy can seem like an eternity while you live it, and then when the day comes that the baby is born, it's over in an instant. We were blessed to have Kedzie come when she did, I was having consistent contractions very early in the pregnancy and was trying to just make it to 36 weeks. We made it to 36 weeks and 6 days! I think Mikayla sensed very early on that Kedzie would come early. Every night before bed, she would tell Kedzie that she couldn't come out until AFTER her birthday. Mikayla's birthday is March 29th, and being the obedient, loving sister she is, Kedzie was born on March 30. I have a feeling these two (as well as Sophie) are going to be the best of friends. I love my girls more than I could ever say, and feel so blessed to have all 3 of them.

My Two Princesses

2011-03-16T12:54:00.001-07:00

I love my Snow White. I love my Cinderella. But nothing makes me happier than how my Snow White loves my Cinderella. How am I going to handle adding another one to the mix??!! I don't think I can take it!!

New Blog

2011-03-13T17:41:00.000-07:00

I decided to start a new web page to chronicle my experiences as I learn how to take and edit photos. If you want, check it out
It's www.vintageframephotography.com

Be warned though, it's definitely a work in progress as I learn how to design, and build a website, and I practice with taking and editing photos. It's mostly for me, but if you're curious...

Photoshoot

2011-03-04T11:56:00.001-08:00

I have been playing around with photography and editing and worked on a couple of pictures of Mikayla. The first one is bringing out the contrast and the colors are nice and bright, and the second is supposed to be a "honey kiss vintage look". I really like how MIkayla's eyes turned out in the second one. They really pop. I'm messing around with different effects to see what I like the most. It's been really fun!

Luck Be a Lady

2011-03-02T13:25:00.000-08:00

Steve went to a business expo last week and entered a drawing for a chance to get tickets to the BYU and New Mexico game tonight. He was quite surprised when he got a phone call yesterday telling him that he WON!, but we were more surprised when we saw how they chose the winner. Check it out:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QpGNSTVBAjE

Every time I see that video I still can't believe he won! Seriously, what are the chances? I told him he needs to enter the lottery with the way his luck is going :)

Wet Bangs

2011-02-01T09:21:00.000-08:00

The other night we were discussing with Mikayla about following Jesus and the importance of baptism. We explained to her that when she gets a little bit older she will be able to be baptized too! We've talked about this before, especially since she has seen numerous cousins be baptized and has always been excited about it. Well, this time she looked very upset and informed us that she does NOT want to be baptized. We asked her why and she responded, "Because I'm scared. I don't want to get baptized." I asked her what she was scared of, thinking it had to do with being submerged under water and not breathing. I was not expecting this response...

"I'm scared my bangs will get wet!"

Yes, I have a very girly girl. And you know what...I LOVE IT!

Roommates

2011-01-14T10:33:00.000-08:00

When we got back from our cruise, we decided to move Sophie in with Mikayla, because they had spent a week together in the same room on the boat and did great. It's been a week and the transition has been a dream. They don't talk to each other, they both sleep until 7:30 and Mikayla loves having Sophie in with her and told me on the second day, "Mommy? I like sleeping with Sophs." Those two are the best of friends, I love it.

It still kills me, though, to see a tiny little girl in a huge twin bed. Sophie could get lost in that bed, but she seems to like all the room. I'm loving it because now I can focus on the nursery and get it all ready for Kedzie! Less than 100 days! Crazy.

Island Get away

2011-01-10T12:11:00.000-08:00

Our family has been greatly blessed over the past few months, and because of a tender mercy of the Lord, we were able to go on a 7 day Disney Cruise to the Caribbean last week. We left on the 29th of December (our 4 year Anniversary) and came back on January 6. We were able to go with all of Steve's family and we had so much fun. Nothing beats laying on a beach in the middle of January with 80 degree weather while everyone back home is freezing in 5 degree weather!
Here are some pics of our adventure:

New Year's Eve

Snow Whites

Running down Goofy for a hug

Mickey Pool on the top deck

Sisters walking the boardwalk

Chillin on the Beach

St. Maarten

Castaway Cay

St Thomas

Pirate Night-Pirates IN the Carribean

Merry Christmas!

2010-12-22T13:01:00.001-08:00

December Fun

2010-12-18T17:52:00.000-08:00

This month we have been kept busy doing various activities, so I thought I would post about some of them. We have gone to temple square to see the lights, sat on the third row for a Jazz game, made gingerbread bear cookies, played outside in the snow and just enjoyed being together. I love this time of year, and the time spent with family! Merry Christmas Everyone!!

XX

2010-12-01T13:58:00.000-08:00

We just got back from the ultrasound and found out that baby #3 is a Girl! I am so excited, I love my two little girls. A third one added to the mix is going to make my head explode from all of the cuteness, but I think we'll be able to handle it. Well, Steve is going to have to get his shotguns ready. I don't think anyone will be nearly good enough for his girls.

Can I hear an Amen?

2010-11-10T13:15:00.000-08:00

Every time we say prayers, little Sophie will fold her arms and when we finish, loudly say, "The End." Mikayla emphatically corrects her by saying, "Not The End, baby Sophs (or Ken if she is wearing the Barbie costume), say Amen! It's not a book!"

We have yet to hear an Amen...

Ken

2010-11-05T09:03:00.000-07:00

So we have a "new" member of our family. After watching Toy Story 3 Mikayla became obsessed with Barbie, of all toys. She wears a dress every day that is her Barbie dress and will not answer to anything other than "Barbie". She will only refer to herself as Barbie and heaven forbid if I say the name Mikayla, all you know what breaks loose. But the most hilarious part of this whole thing is that she calls Sophie "Ken". I feel so bad for little Sophie, I swear she is going to have an identity crisis. All day, the only thing we hear is Mikayla yelling from various parts of the house, "Ken! Ken! Come here Ken!" It's even got to the point that in casual conversation she calls Sophie, Ken. "Ken, do you want a snack? Ken do you want to take a nap? Ken, be careful." I just hope by the time this thing is done Sophie will still answer to her real name. She's starting to respond to Ken more often then not.

We're off to see the wizard...

2010-11-02T13:33:00.001-07:00

For the past two months, Mikayla has been DYING to be Dorothy for Halloween. I'm not joking. She has talked about it, worn her costume almost daily, and told everyone who would listen, who everyone in the family would be. Mommy is green witch. Daddy is scarecrow and Sophie is Toto.
When it came time to wear the green makeup and look the part, Mikayla didn't want any part of it and instead wanted me to be the "pink witch". In my ever expanding condition, I didn't think a Glinda costume would work so I compromised and put on a fun hat and wore black to be a nicer "green witch". It's not exactly authentic, but it worked. I think my girls make the absolute most cutest Dorothy and Toto.

This year, "Halloween" fell on Steve's birthday so my parents came down to trick or treat with us and then celebrate the big day. It was a fun day and Steve got lots of candy for his b-day! :)

Just one of the reasons I LOVE my life

2010-10-14T21:33:00.000-07:00

And then there were...

2010-09-21T09:21:00.000-07:00

I don't know if we are crazy, naive, dumb or what, but we are adding another little one to our family! I am 10 weeks pregnant and due on April 21. Mikayla will just have barely turned 3, so I definitely will have my hands full. But we are very excited and can't wait to meet the third member of our family. Truly there is nothing that brings me more joy than to have these sweet children around me.

This pregnancy hasn't been as difficult as Sophie's, but not as easy as Mikayla's. I'm just counting down the weeks until my second trimester, so my much needed energy will return. I think the two girls are running the house right now :)

A miracle

2010-07-26T13:50:00.000-07:00

For the first time in a year, I slept 8 continuous hours without having to nurse a baby. This is difficult to type, as tears stream down my face and onto the computer, but it is true. Sophie finally slept through the entire night. 7:00pm to 7:00am

This is a huge deal, for so long she has had difficulties with her serve GERD and the two seizures, I didn't think this day would ever come. But it has.

Now, to only hope that we can have a repeat tonight...

The Goat Whisperer

2010-07-19T20:25:00.000-07:00

I am married to a Goat Whisperer. I just found this out last weekend. We went to the "This is the Place" monument and there is a petting zoo in the park with some goats. We sat down on a bench, hoping to avoid the animals (Mikayla was a little nervous to be close to them) when all of a sudden, as if on command, the goats came to us.

Mikayla did NOT enjoy the experience, but it was sure funny to see all of these goats flock to Steve.

Princess Pirate

2010-07-07T20:35:00.000-07:00

This is why I love my girls so much. One minute they are this:

And the next minute they are this:

P.S. It's also why I love my husband. He is so good with the girls

Animal Noises

2010-05-25T15:06:00.000-07:00

Things that make me Laugh

2010-05-20T13:18:00.001-07:00

I wanted to jot some things down that Mikayla says, I don't want to ever forget how funny this girl is.

Whenever I get dressed for the day and she sees me holding up a shirt or pants, or even socks to put on she says, "Cuuuute!" (I have to admit, it makes me feel pretty good)

If she sees something that she really, really likes or she thinks it's pretty cool she will say, "OH. MY. GOLLY!" But the best part about her saying this is the way she does it. She drags each word out and then the last word, Golly is said with her tone raised.

When I ask her what color something is, and the object is white, it's never just plain, old white. Oh no. It's "Snow White"

She likes to pretend to cook like Remy from Ratatouille and she will warn Sophie that the pots and pans, are "Super Hot, baby Sophs, super hot."

If Steve takes her somewhere, as she is walking out the door, she will turn back to me, blow me kisses, and say, "See you later, be back in a minute, going to get meat."

My baby's 2!

2010-03-30T12:03:00.000-07:00

I really can't believe that my little baby is two! I was looking at pictures from her first birthday and it shocked me just how much she has changed in a year. Everyday she gets more and more fun to be around and amazes me by how much she picks up. From her response of, "I don't know" when we ask her why she did something to "No, I'm not" when we tell her she looks tired, or "be back in a minute" when I ask her where she is going. This girl constantly makes me laugh.
Lately she has been into different Disney movies, so I decided to throw a Disney princess party. We invited her cousins that were born the same year she was and had a really fun time. Princess Party 2010!

Princess Mikayla in her feather boa

Royal Banquet with Royal Guests

Bubbles!

Sitting on her throne in the Castle

Grandma and Grandpa Handy

Grandma Gee with the princesses

Olympic Hopefulls

2010-01-20T08:54:00.001-08:00

We are going to bring home the gold

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Opposites

2010-01-06T10:06:00.000-08:00

It is so amazing to me how two little girls with similar DNA could be sooo completely different. I wanted to record some of those differences so that in 20 years when the girls ask me what they were like I don't forget. Here's a list of some of the things I've noticed about the two.

Pregnancies for both were polar opposites. With Mikayla I hardly noticed I was pregnant. No sickness, no stretch marks, life was a dream. Sophia I was sick from day one, the mere thought of some foods sent me to the bathroom. Lots of back pain, sciatic nerve pain and tons of stretch marks.

Labor and Delivery: MIkayla was 25 hours with only 5 of those with an epidural (not by choice mind you). Sophia was 3 hours and I never felt one contraction.

Sleeping: Right off the bat Mikayla did really well with sleeping and still is a champ at sleep (she asks us for naps and often will walk into her room, climb up into the bed and take a nap on her own) Sophia is still struggling with the concept of sleeping through the night.

Weight gain: Mikayla started off gaining weight steadily and then it dropped off. Right now she is wearing size 12-18 month clothes. Sophia is my chunk a munk. She is wearing size 6-9 month clothes and she just barely turned 5 months. She is only one size away from Mikayla! (For most of you out there, that might not be that chunky, but for my kids, that's huge!!)

Teething: Mikayla got her first tooth at 10 months and we didn't see another one until 14 months. Sophie got two teeth at 4 months and two more are on their way in. Hence the no sleeping.

Personalities: Generally Mikayla is very outgoing, talkative and spunky. Sophie seems to be very sensitive and tender hearted. If Mikayla is crying about something, that will start Sophie as well.

It's amazing how much I love my two girls. They bring me such joy and what makes me so happy is the love I already see they have for each other. Just looking at the picture at the top of the page brings me such joy. I love you two!!

Week o Fun

2009-12-31T13:05:00.000-08:00

Steve took the entire week off last week and we decided that we would plan something everyday so we could make the most of Christmas. It was so much fun and made it that much harder for Steve to go back to work this past Monday. We made some great memories and took some fabulous pictures. Here's our week in review

Saturday Dec 19: Went and saw Princess and the Frog. Loved it
Sunday Dec 20: Gee Family Christmas party. Wonderful
Monday Dec 21: Saw Christmas Carol. It was good, a bit too spooky for Sophie
Tues Dec 22: Made homemade ornaments and went on the Polar Express to meet Santa. A late night but worth it
Wed Dec 23: Sledding. Mikayla LOVED it, I think I burned 2,000 calories walking back up the hill once with Mikayla and sled in tow
Thur Dec 24: Christmas Eve with the Handys
Fri Dec 25: Christmas day. The best one of my life. Mikayal was so much fun and loved everything about it.
Sat to Sun: Up at the cabin with my mom and dad. Day full of sledding, snowman making and snowmobiling.

Mikayla got a princess outfit from Santa and she wears it EVERYDAY, it's so cute

Christmas Eve present, PAJAMAS!

Sledding

On the Polar Express meeting Santa

Our Dough Ornaments

Diaries of a Potty Trainer

2009-12-09T08:19:00.000-08:00

Day 8

It's been more than a week since we've started this journey and so far so good. Mikayla has gone pee pees in the big potty everyday since we've started. She LOVES her potty chair. In fact, the hardest part about the whole process is that she wants to stay on it all day. She gets frustrated when she has just gone to the bathroom and can't get more out. So, she has started bringing books with her to the bathroom and will "read" until more comes out. I know we have a long road ahead of us until she is fully potty trained, but I like this beginning so far.

Potty Training

2009-12-01T17:11:00.000-08:00

It wasn't in my plans to start Mikayla on potty training so early, but she had other plans. For the past couple of days, she has been asking about her own "special potty" so tonight we went as a family so she could pick out her own chair. She chose a pink girly toilet chair and as soon as we got home, she asked me to take it out of the box. I thought it would be a milestone to have her just sit on the chair with her clothes on, so she could get used to the idea. I was very surprised when she starting pulling her pants off and was acting like she wanted to do the real thing. So, we set her on the chair, let her sit until she didn't want to sit anymore and imagine my surprise when she stood up and there was pee inside! I was so proud of her! I yelled to Steve and of course we took pictures, gave her a treat and made the biggest deal out of it. Currently she is in the bathroom sitting on the chair, hoping for another chance to get such a reaction from us. Hopefully this pattern continues, it will be nice to have only one child in diapers.

Instead of posting the "real" picture, I took another one of her in her diaper. You get the idea...

Where's Waldo?

2009-11-12T11:33:00.000-08:00

Mikayla is the BEST big sister. She loves Sophie so much and always wants to share with her, and if she spits up, Mikayla will grab a rag and wipe up her face. She gives her her binkie when she's crying, and kisses her when I ask her, "Do you love Sophie?" Well, the other day, I noticed she was bringing a lot of her toys out of her room and I was wondering what she was planning on doing with them. One by one, she piled them on top of Sophie until all that was left was a tiny head, looking at me with eyes that were pleading for help. I had to take a picture before I came to her rescue. What cute girls.

What else would this blog be but Halloween?

2009-11-01T11:07:00.000-08:00

One thing I love about Blogging and Facebook, is that the day or two after a Holiday, everyone is posting and writing about the same thing. So in keeping with the expectations here is a run down of our Halloween:

I love the way the skeleton is staring at Sophia

Both girls were Winnie the Pooh. Mikayla was a Pooh Bear with a pumpkin stomach and Sophia was a Pooh Bear Sunflower

Mommy and Mikayla (I'm just a basketball player, not very creative)

Steve and Mikayla (Steve had a costume contest at work and won $100 dollars for his costume) Go Jack Sparrow

Halloween was a lot of fun this year. Mikayla LOVED trick or treating. She kept up with the big kids (we went with my brother and sister's kids) and stayed out for an hour and a half and she carried her bucket the entire time. Each time we asked her if she wanted to go back, or if she wanted us to carry the pumpkin, she would absolutely refuse. Here's a picture with her bounty:

When we got home Steve and I made pumpkin cookies, had hot chocolate in spooky skeleton mugs and watched Something Wicked this Way Comes. A great ending to a great night!

Wind Storm

2009-10-28T09:14:00.000-07:00

The other day we had a really strong wind storm that came through Eagle Mountain. Steve went out our front door to see if he could find anything blowing around and found this:

Somehow our door mat had weaved itself in and out of our railing. I have no clue how that happened, but I'm sure it would never happen again. That's what I call a spooky Halloween.

Pumpkinland

2009-10-22T09:05:00.000-07:00

For FHE this past Monday, we went to pumpkinland in Orem. It was really fun and quite inexpensive. For $3 we were able to go through a corn maze, see animals in the petting zoo, jump in a bounce house, see a "light alley" (instead of a spook alley) and pick out pumpkins. We've decided to make this a family tradition if we stay in Utah for a long time. It was so much fun and Mikayla had a blast. She kept saying "spooky" whenever she saw a witch or ghost.

Steve and Sophia

In a Giant Pumpkin

This was the closest Mikayla would get to the goat. I don't blame her

Picking out the perfect pumpkin

Welcome to Pumpkinland

Cute Pictures

2009-10-19T12:25:00.000-07:00

Just wanted to post a few more pictures of my cute family. I love my girls!

I love the way Mikayla is peering down at her sister, making sure she is having a good time

Nap time

Mikayla wanted to help give Sophie her binkie. I love Sophie's face

Monster Mash

2009-10-15T08:20:00.000-07:00

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Sophia's Blessing

2009-10-12T08:54:00.001-07:00

We blessed Sophie yesterday and it was a great day. I love having all of my family together and it was so neat to see all of the priesthood holders go up to the circle to bless my little one. It was a really beautiful blessing and I felt how special little Sophie is. I feel so grateful to have her (and of course Mikayla) in my life. They are the sweetest little girls ever!

My parents with my family

The men who blessed Sophie

Steve's Parents

As a side note, Sophie has begun to smile like crazy and on a good day we can get a little chuckle out of her. I don't know how one can't feel happy after looking at a picture like this:

Family Pictures

2009-10-06T21:01:00.001-07:00

About a week ago we took family pictures on my side of the family and it turned out pretty good. I didn't think we would be able to fit everyone in, but we did it. There are 28 kids in the picture, and the oldest of all of them is just 12. We are a baby factory. :) Sophia is the youngest of the whole bunch and the 5th to be born this year. I really like that we are all in BYU apparel. We are die hard fans, so it's cool to have us all in BYU blue, GOOOOO COUGS!

RockBand

2009-09-26T12:35:00.000-07:00

We have the game Rock Band for the Wii and we were playing it the other night for our Family Home Evening activity. Mikayla had a blast grabbing whatever instrument we weren't using and joining in on the fun. On one of the songs, she even managed to get one of the notes right on the drums for a 2% completion percentage. I was so proud, she's going to be a musical genius I can tell already.

Nursery

2009-09-18T17:17:00.000-07:00

I never thought this day would come...the day when I could drop a child off in the germ infested toyland and actually listen to a Sunday School and Relief Society lesson. But the day has arrived (and gone) and it hasn't gone as smoothly as I've always dreamed. Two Sundays ago was the first time we dropped Mikayla off and she lasted about 20 minutes. This last Sunday she lasted about an hour and it was glorious (Although the entire time I was worried that she was getting beat up by the other kids or being ignored by the nursery leaders). I think it's been a little difficult for her because our ward has a TON of kids (we have 3 nurseries) and at any given time one of them is crying hysterically for their mom. I'm sure Mikayla is thinking we've dropped her off in some crazy place where kids go to get tortured. I'm hoping for a miracle this Sunday, that she'll actually have fun and last the 2 hours. If Moses could part the Red Sea, why not?

More pictures of Sophia

2009-09-11T10:14:00.000-07:00

It's hard to believe that Sophia is already 5 weeks old. In some ways the time has flown by and in others in seems like an eternity.

Her first Sunday outfit (unfortunately she is a big time puker and she lasted about 15 minutes in this)

Holding on for dear life

Reading with Daddy and Mikayla

Sisterly Love

2009-09-04T13:03:00.001-07:00

One of Mikayla's favorite toy to play with has always been a ball. Anytime she sees a ball, she will say the word over and over again until we give it to her. If her cousins come over to play and they happen to pick up a ball to play with, watch out. It's not a pretty sight. It doesn't matter what Mikayla has in her hands, she will always go for the ball. Well, the other day I was trying to get lunch ready so I put Sophie in the swing so I could get it ready faster. Before too long, Sophie started to get fussy and I noticed that Mikayla went over to her. I got nervous thinking that she was about to do something she shouldn't, when I noticed that Mikayla gently gave her basketball to Sophia. It was the cutest thing ever. It was as if Mikayla was saying to Sophie, "Whenever I'm sad, a ball always makes me happy so try mine." Mikayla already is a great older sister and I know when they get older, they are going to be great friends.

Handing over her most beloved possession

Standing over her to make sure she uses it

Big Girl

2009-08-27T12:42:00.000-07:00

With the arrival of a new baby, I knew that Mikayla would need to be moved into a bed soon so that we could free up the crib for Sophie. So when Mikayla was 15 months, we moved her into a twin size bed. I was really nervous to move her over, I kept having nightmares that she would roll out and get hurt. We debated getting a toddler bed, but felt it would be more economical getting a bunk bed so when Sophie is older we wouldn't have to buy anything else. Luckily the transition went very smoothly and Mikayla loves her new bed. I have heard horror stories of trying to keep a toddler in bed, but Mikayla has been great. She is able to get out of the bed, but she just doesn't. Whenever she wakes up, she just patiently yells for me to come and get her. It is funny to walk into her room and see this itty bitty girl being swallowed up by a twin size bed. She has become my big girl. This is the picture of her in her bed for the very first time. I'm also posting some other pictures of Mikayla because she is just so cute

Back in the Land of Virtual Reality

2009-08-21T14:15:00.000-07:00

Yes, I am alive. I know it's been awhile since I've posted a blog. Life has been crazy, busy and full of change. First of all, we moved from our house in Provo after living there for the first 2 1/2 years of our married life. It was sad to leave the house, our ward and friends, but it's nice to have new opportunities and meet new people. We bought a condo in Eagle Mountain and we love it! The move was high stress as I was 3 weeks away from delivery as we packed up everything. Luckily we got everything settled in our new home a few days before Sophia came. Next blog I will post some pictures of the place, but for this blog I wanted to post pictures of our newest addition. On Aug. 6th, Sophia Nicolle was born at 12:27. She was just a little peanut, weighing in at 6 lbs 10 oz. She is the cutest little girl and already I can't imagine life without her. It's hard to believe that she is already 2 weeks old! Mikayla is a great big sister, except when I nurse Sophia. I think Mikayla knows that I can't give her my full attention while I'm nursing, so she tries to get it anyway she can. I love my two girls! Now, sit back and enjoy the pictures of Sophia Nicolle...

Sisters (No Mikayla isn't holding Sophie by herself. My sister-in-law took this picture and photoshopped me out)

Daddy Daughter

Mikayla excited to be a big sister

Mommy and Sophie

Sophia Nicolle

4th of July

2009-07-05T16:49:00.000-07:00

Our 4th was very relaxed this year, but it was very nice. We spent the day at a family reunion on Steve's side of the family and then we had a family barbecue at our house. The barbecue was nice because it was just the three of us and we decided to have a "dinner show" of fireworks while we ate. Mikayla always goes to bed at 7:00, so we knew there was no way she would stay up for the main event. We pushed her until 8:30 and she loved watching the sparklers and little fountain fireworks.

Playing with sparklers

In our seats ready for the dinner show to start

Steve preforming the entertainment (you should have heard the sound effects)

Watching the firework called "the Zombie" She liked the way they looked, but not the sound

Mesmerized by the show

After the dinner show, Mikayla was done, so we put her down for the night. We then had my family over to watch the Stadium of Fire fireworks. My family has spent many years watching the fireworks from this house and so it was kind of sad to think this was the last year we would be able to do this (the house is up for sale, so most likely it won't be in our family by the next 4th). Good times 2009

Just because she's so cute

2009-06-25T13:29:00.000-07:00

Lately Mikayla has been obsessed with wearing her little sunglasses all around the house. She found my pink glasses case and walks around like she is 20 or something. She kills me

Yellowstone/Jackson Hole

2009-05-27T08:31:00.000-07:00

For Memorial Day weekend, we went up to Yellowstone and Jackson Hole with my parents. I didn't think we would make it, because all last week Mikayla and I were really sick. She got sick on Tuesday, and it hit me on Wednesday. I'll spare you all the gory details, but trust me, it wasn't pretty. Luckily we all felt well enough to leave on Saturday. Mikayla did really well on the drive and she loved all the sites we saw. We went to Old Faithful, saw some hot springs, spotted some buffalo and it was awesome. It was so nice to spend the weekend together and not worry about school, work, the future, etc. It's always hard to pack up and head home. Thanks mom and dad for a great weekend!

A romantic spot

Old Faithful

I love Mikayla's face in this picture. You might want to click on it to enlarge it. If you notice, there is an elk behind her, WATCH OUT!

The antler arch in Jackson Hole

A moose giving birth to Mikayla

Just call me Martha

2009-05-13T14:29:00.000-07:00

I don't know what's happened to me, but I've become Martha Stewart. All of a sudden, I want to create. Within the last couple of weeks, I've tried my hand at a couple of crafts, and I have to say they're not too bad. First of all, I decided to try and sew a nursing cover. My sisters recently bought one and after looking at them and trying to get some idea on how they are sewn, I tried it on my own. Now, I'm pretty impressed with myself because I didn't have a pattern, or a nursing cover in front of me as I sewed. Plus, this is only the 3rd thing in my life that I have ever sewn. I simply went off of what I remembered. It isn't professional, but it covers what it needs to cover. No embarrassing moments for me!

Second, I tried my hand at decoupage. It was quite relaxing. I got letters for Sophia's name, some craft paper and waaa laaaa. Beautiful

Last but not least, Steve got me a Cricut machine for Mother's day! I was so excited and so surprised. Now I feel like my creative genius can totally be unleashed (watch out). I decided to have my first attempt be a nice vinyl decoration for Mikayla's room that says "Little Angel". I especially like the halo over the A. Wonderful

MMMMM

2009-05-03T16:02:00.000-07:00

This happened about a month ago, but with finding out what we were having and Steve's graduation, I haven't had a chance to post it. Usually when I try to take a shower, I attempt to confine Mikayla in an exer-saucer with lots of toys so she can entertain herself. It never works. She ends up getting mad as soon as I step into the shower because she wants out and she can't see me. Well, on this particular day, the routine was the same, I step in, she begins to cry, and I try to console her with loving words from beyond the curtain. After about 5 minutes of crying, I immediately notice she has gotten suspiciously quiet. I peek out of the shower, but without my contacts I can't see a thing. It appears she is okay, so I continue. All of a sudden I can hear Mikayla murmuring, "mmmmm, mmmmm, mmmm" and I wonder, what in the world is she so content about. I quickly finish, curious to know what she has gotten into, put my glasses on and find this...

Somehow she found a chocolate bar, managed to open it and treat herself to a nice snack. Well, at least she was happy!

Graduation

2009-04-27T07:30:00.000-07:00

This past weekend, Steve graduated from College! I am so proud of what he has accomplished. This last year has been hectic to say the least. Steve somehow managed to finish his last year of school with the changes of a baby (Mikayla), while teaching seminary, working, being in a bishopric, and dealing with a pregnant wife. All of these things would be a full time job in and of themselves, so I don't know how he did it. But what amazes me is that not only was he able to do all these things, but he did all of it well. He succeeded in each area and that is an example to me. Congratulations Steve, I love you!

Dandelions

2009-04-22T12:15:00.000-07:00

Whenever Mikayla sees a picture of a lion, she will roar at it as I usually say, "Lion." Well, the other day, Mikayla and I were sitting on the front lawn and she noticed the dandelions growing. She pointed at them and looking at me seemed to question, "What are those?" I told her, "Those are dandelions. Pretty huh?" About 10 minutes later, I noticed that Mikayla was roaring and I was looking around, trying to figure out what she could have possibly seen outside that resembled a lion. Nothing came to mind, so I thought she must have been day dreaming about a lion. Finally it dawned on me, she's roaring at the dandelions! That little girl associated the last part of the word dandelion, with the lion she normally sees and assumed it must be the same thing. Now whenever we go outside, she will always point and roar. Everyday that little girl puts a smile on my face.

Swimming

2009-04-18T12:07:00.000-07:00

Steve and I took Mikayla swimming for the first time this week and it was so much fun. We went to the Legacy Center in Lehi and it was packed. Because it was so noisy and so much going on, Mikayla didn't like it at first. However, she quickly warmed up to the idea and was getting mad at us because we wouldn't let go of her in the water so she could go where she wanted to. Now that she's been swimming, she will grab her swimming suit, head to the bath tub and look at us like, ok guys, fill er up. She loves the water!

I love that her sandals match her bathing suit. I can't handle it, it's so cute!

So cute

She loved the water that sprayed up, she was trying to catch it.

Daddy Daughter

Sporting the Shades

1 year old pictures

2009-04-14T13:04:00.000-07:00

We took pictures of Mikayla for her 1 year birthday (it was the first time since she was born), and we just got them today. I think they turned out pretty good. The one with the basketball kills me. The photographer had tons of stuffed animals and dolls, but the only thing that caught Mikayla's eye was the basketball. I love that she is in a fancy girly dress and holding a ball. Like Mother, Like Daughter

we took more pictures, but I need to scan them in still. When I do that I'll upload them

It's a baby...

2009-04-10T09:27:00.000-07:00

So we finally had an ultrasound to find out what we are having. It's another girl! I'm so excited because Mikayla and this new little one will only be 17 months apart and they are going to be such good friends (until the teenage years when they will probably hate each other). Looking at the profile, I think she will look a little like Mikayla. Can't wait to meet her!

Look at how defined her leg is. I'd kill for legs like that!

I like that the ultrasound guy put the arrow in the picture so we could all be sure.

My 1 Year Old Baby!

2009-03-30T09:07:00.000-07:00

Sunday was Mikayla's birthday, but we ended up having a party for her on Saturday. I never thought I would be the type to go all out on a birthday party, but somehow I found myself doing just that. Mikayla loves Mickey Mouse Clubhouse (mostly for the hot dog song), so I decided to do a Clubhouse themed party. I think it turned out pretty good, and there were over 30 kids there, so it was really fun. Here are some of the events we did:

We had the kids make Mickey ears and then they played pin the nose on Mickey and Minnie. Mikayla wouldn't keep her ears on, that's why they are on the ground.

For each activity, they kids had to pick a tool from Toodles. (If you haven't seen the show, that probably doesn't make much sense). Here Steve is asking the kids which tool to pick from Toodles in his Mickey Mouse voice.

Steve's brother had a bounce house, so we used that for the Clubhouse. The kids had to say the magic words to make it appear, "Meeska, Mooska, Mickey Mouse!" If you look close at Mikayla, she did NOT like the bounce house.

I decided to try my hand at cake decorating and made this Mickey Mouse cake. I didn't think it would turn out, so I'm actually please with the final result.

Mikayla eating part of her cake. She's definitely my daughter, she loves Chocolate!

The kids making Mickey Mouse cupcakes

We had a bubble machine and Mikayla loved trying to catch them

Overall, it was a great party, and there were so many people who helped make it possible. Thanks everyone for coming and making it such a success!
Happy Birthday Mikayla, I'm so glad you are my little girl. We Love You!

11 months

2009-03-03T13:08:00.001-08:00

I haven't posted any pictures lately of Mikayla and I haven't bragged about her in a little while so I thought I would gush about her for this blog. She is getting cuter and cuter everyday and becoming more independent. She drinks from a sippy cup by herself and has now move on to using a fork. She definitely likes feeding herself and if I do it, she will scream at me to let me know she is not happy. For the most part, she feeds herself, but I have to help with the really sticky foods like waffles, french toast and pancakes. That girl definitely has a sweet tooth.

I tried to capture Mikayla putting the fork in her month with the food, but she is too quick for me. If you look carefully, you can see on this mouthful, the piece of food fell off the fork and landed on her tray. That's why her face is the way it is, "Where's the food?"

Mikayla likes to first put the cup in her mouth...

And then tip her head back against the chair to get the milk out. She is so funny

Next blog, I'll have to put video on of her acting like a monkey, making elephant noises, saying her two syllable words and of her walking. She is definitely keeping me busy :)

I love Surprises! (for the most part)

2009-02-10T15:34:00.000-08:00

Today I had my first prenatal appointment, which is always a joy. I was expecting to have my Dr. confirm that I was about 13 weeks along and that I still had a while to go. However I was pleasantly surprised that when he measured me he informed me that I was bigger than 13 weeks along and that he thought I was more like 17! It is so amazing, in the blink of an eye an entire month of my pregnancy has passed. I'm already out of my 1st trimester! We made an appointment for Monday for an ultrasound to confirm my due date, so we should also be able to find out what we are having. I seriously feel like I just won the lottery. 1 month of pregnancy, GONE! Instead of having a baby shrimp right now (the size of a baby at 13 weeks), I am having a baby bell pepper

It's not official until you blog about it

2009-01-26T16:14:00.001-08:00

It seems like the changes in life just don't seem to be official until it's on the web for the whole world to see. So, I've decided to make it official. It is true. I am pregnant. 11 weeks or so (I'm not entirely sure yet) and way excited. This pregnancy has been very different from the first, so I guess that could indicate a boy. I don't have one feeling or another at this point. I could see having another girl (a little friend for Mikayla) or a boy (a buddy for Steve). I guess we will find out in just a little over a 2 months. Life is definitely getting crazy.

In case anyone was wondering, the baby is the size of a fig at this point.

9 month baby genius

2008-12-29T11:06:00.000-08:00

Mikayla is a genius, or so I think. She got a new toy for Christmas that came with 5 colored balls. She quickly attached herself to the blue ball and without fail, will always pick up the blue ball whenever she is playing. It doesn't matter what order they are in, or where the blue ball is, she will always find it and pick it up.

Christmas

2008-12-28T15:44:00.000-08:00

Christmas was so much fun this year. Having a child just seems to bring back all of the feelings and excitement that I had as a little girl. I was so excited to see Mikayla on Christmas morning, opening up all her presents and playing with the paper. We went up to my parents on Christmas Eve and spent the night with them. It's nice to be with Grandparetns who did a first rate job on spoiling her. She has a lot of new favorite toys and cute little outfits. I'm just going to post a few pictures for all of us to enjoy.

Grandma and Grandpa Handy got her this leap frog table that she loves!

Grandma and Grandpa Gee

Christmas morning with her new pony!

Hanging her stocking by the chimney with care

Acting out the Nativity with cousins Corbin and Kaycee. Mikayla is the youngest so she played baby Jesus

Neil Diamond

2008-12-20T10:29:00.000-08:00

After the disappointment of Celine Dion, I didn't think that I would ever be happy with any sort of entertainment again. But to make it up, Steve got me tickets to Neil Diamond (he is tied with Celine as my favorite singer in the WORLD), and we went last night to his concert. I was worried we wouldn't be able to make it, because we had just had a huge snow storm and the roads were horrible. But we pressed through and arrived 20 minutes early. The moment Neil walked out on stage, I thought my little heart would burst. It truly was a Christmas moment. I would also like to take the opportunity to share a slightly humorous moment... We were in the absolute last row at the Energy Solutions arena and there were two girls sitting in front of us. One girl kept taking out her camera to catch a picture of Neil, which was illegal. Twice the ushers had to ask her to put the camera away, but she would never listen. Finally on the third time, they asked her to leave the concert and they escorted her out. Somehow she managed to come back after about 20 minutes and what do you think she did the moment she got back? She took out her cell phone and started taking pictures! We thought she wasn't a very bright girl.

Disappointment

2008-11-15T16:55:00.000-08:00

Last year for my birthday, Steve got me tickets to go see Celine Dion in concert on Nov. 21, 2008. After waiting for over a year for the event of a lifetime (Celine rocks!) I couldn't believe that in less than 6 days I was going to watch my girl rock it at Energy Solutions. However, disappointment struck when it was just brought to my attention that the concert has been postponed due to illness and will be re-scheduled. When I first heard that, I thought, "Well, I've waited a year, I can wait a little bit longer." Surely it couldn't get any worse than that, but I was wrong. We went online to find that the concert has been rescheduled for Feb. 22, 2009. What's wrong with that date you might ask? Of course, it just happens to fall on a Sunday! I think I'm going to cry.
I still love you Celine!

Along came a spider...

2008-11-01T11:27:00.000-07:00

Halloween was so much fun last night, we were able to jam a lot in considering we have a 7 month old. First we went with our ward to a local shelter to go trunk or treat. Mikayla was a spider,

I was Little Miss Muffet and Steve was Curds and Whey. We weren't sure how to make Steve's costume, so we settled on name tags that said, "Hello, My name is Curds and Whey".

After the trunk or treat, we went over to the Handy home (Steve's Parents) and went trick or treating with all of the nieces and nephews on that side. We also had a party to celebrate Steve's birthday (it was the 30th). We partied all night. This is the whole clan who went.

My little nephew, Josh, grew this pumpkin in his backyard, it was so huge! I think it weighed like 50 pounds. We had to get a shot of Mikayla next to it.

This is one of Mikayla's very first doors when we went trick or treating. I know she had no clue what was going on, but Steve and I scored on some major candy!

Hammin it up

2008-10-24T17:45:00.000-07:00

Lately Mikayla has been doing this funny squinting thing when she smiles and it is so hilarious. She does it when she thinks something is particularly amusing, but not enough to get her to laugh out loud. I was determined to capture it, but of course, she wasn't going to have that. Tonight, as she was eating carrots and peaches, she decided it was time to pose. The only time she would smile was when she saw the camera. The minute I lowered the camera, the smile disappeared. I was able to get about 6 or so really good ones, but I will only post a few. She kills me. I love that girl!

6 Quirky Traits

2008-10-14T10:50:00.000-07:00

I was tagged by my cousin Diana and my friend Crystal, so here are the six things that are quirky about me:

1. I have a food fetish. If the food I'm going to eat looks weird in any way, or has a weird texture, I will not eat it, no matter how good it may be. For example, I don't eat the end pieces of a loaf of bread, I don't eat any fries unless they are perfect (I give all the "reject" pieces to Steve to eat, which ends up being the entire box), I don't eat left overs (even if they have only been in the refrigerator for a day-I can imagine all of the bacteria and germs all over the food item and it makes me gag), I don't like sea food of any kind (nothing, not fish, crabs, shrimp, nothing), I could go on, but I think you get the point.

2. I don't like walking bare foot in environments that are foreign to me and my feet. That means hotel rooms, locker rooms, or even other people's homes. When I served my mission in Chile, for the entire 1 1/2 years my feet never touched the floor. I either had socks, slippers or flip flops on (even in the shower).

3. I was deathly afraid of roller coasters when I was younger. The first time I went on a roller coaster was about 5 years ago in Lagoon. The funny thing is that I absolutely love riding them now, and can't believe I never did it when I was younger.

4. I am very susceptible to infections. I have had almost every kind of infection you can think of. Athletes foot, thrush (that's an infection on the tongue), my belly button has been infected, my finger, my eyes, you name it, it's been infected. The good news though, is that I respond very well to antibiotics.

5. I have a secret dream to go to the Olympics and compete in curling.

6. I am very competitive. I like to make mini competitions of everyday things where the other person doesn't know that we are competing so I can increase my odds of winning. Even though I win all the time, I am a very good sport and I never rub my victory into the face of the person who lost. (That is probably just because I don't want them to know that I was competing with them-they might think I was a freak!)

I think that's enough of embarrassing quirks about me.

6 months old!

2008-10-03T12:04:00.000-07:00

I can't believe that my little girl is 6 months old! She's growing up so fast. Her half birthday was at the beginning of the week and we realized as we were bathing her that we hadn't taken pictures of her on the actual day. So I quickly grabbed the camera and snapped a few. Lately she has been grabbing the wash clothe and sucking on it. I try to get it from her but since I was taking the picture, she got away with a few drinks of bath water.

She loves splashing the rubber duckies.

She was reaching for the camera right when I took this one. I hope the flash didn't blind her.

Disneyland

2008-09-29T12:30:00.000-07:00

We just got back from our trip to Disneyland and it was so much fun. Mikayla was so good, we couldn't have asked for a more perfect trip. She slept in the stroller and Steve's arms when she got tired and when she was awake, she just looked around at everything. I was worried that it would mess up her schedule, but since we've been home, she has adjusted back to her old sleeping routine. I can't wait to go back again.

These were Mickey ears that I got when I was 12 when my family went to Disney World

In front of California Screamin, our favorite ride (Steve and I)

We ate at the Blue Bayou which is a restaurant in Pirates. I like her pirate hat

In toon town, trying to escape. (I love her face in this picture)

We met Mickey Mouse at his house and Mikayla was obsessed with his nose

Celebrity

2008-09-17T16:55:00.000-07:00

A couple months ago, the Handy side had pictures taken of the grandchildren. We went to a woman who provides costumes so that the kids can dress up in different themes. We did the princes and princesses theme and they turned out really cute. A couple of weeks after the sitting, the photographer called us and asked if she could use the picture for advertisement. We said yes, and haven't thought much about it since then. Today we got the weekly fliers (you all know, the big mass of advertisements that just ends up in the trash) and I was going through it and, lo and behold, I found Mikayla's picture. I feel like such a proud mother. My baby's a celebrity. (If you can't tell, I said that dramatically). The picture here is a little small, so just click on it to enlarge it. The photographer chose the picture with just the girls.

Tupperware

2008-08-30T19:05:00.001-07:00

It's official, I am now your typical mom. On Thursday I was invited to a Tupperware party (I didn't even know they still did those) and purchased my first set of Tupperware. It was a tough choice, but I settled on the set of "Tumblers". With the arrival of Mikayla, I've realized that none of my dishes are baby proof. It's all either glass or ceramic. So the lifetime guarantee should keep us pretty safe. The tumblers even come with lids so we can take the beverage on the go. The only thing I don't get is why does Tupperware have to be so extreme in their color choice. I bet all of us grew up with the lime green and orange Tupperware dishes that had the flowers on them. One day this beautiful Tumbler Bouquet will be so outdated that my children will laugh and wonder what I was thinking. But I must say, regardless of the colors, I feel pretty grown up about now. :)

Leakage

2008-08-20T09:19:00.000-07:00

Diapers are so much fun.

First Solids-Rice Cereal

2008-08-11T08:34:00.000-07:00

We started Mikayla on rice cereal this last week and it went somewhat well. She liked the taste, but got most of it all over herself and the chair. She's getting better at eating, but still wants to suck in everything. Next week we plan on starting her on fruits, so we should get some good reactions. I love being a mom!

In these last two pictures, Steve was playing our piano and decided to put the head phones on her head. I love the way it squishes out her cheeks.

Family Pictures

2008-08-01T10:08:00.000-07:00

We took some family pictures in June and we finally got them today! Here are some of the pictures of our little family as well as the entire Gee clan. As you can see, we have grown to be quite the family. 23 grandchildren with two more on the way.

This last picture shows the 7 children that were born in our family this last year. All of my brother's and sister's and I had children and are all within a year apart. The last three had a little problem sitting up by themselves, so I had to lie down behind them to help prop them up. We plan on photo shopping that out.

Laughs For Daddy

2008-07-27T12:20:00.000-07:00

We have been trying for many weeks now to get Mikayla to laugh. She will smile at any little thing we do, but to get a good belly laugh has been difficult to say the least. This last week we went to a movie while Laura was babysitting and, low and behold, she got Mikayla to laugh. Of course we missed it, so we made it our goal to get her to laugh for us. Yesterday Steve was playing with her and got her going. I caught the tail end of it on video and it is so cute. She's so funny, as soon as she saw the camera she got quiet, but we got it anyway.
She's so cute!

Roley Poley

2008-07-16T19:44:00.000-07:00

Mikayla has reached a major mile stone this last week. Last Tuesday, on the 7th, she rolled from her back to her stomach for the first time! We were so excited, but she wasn't too thrilled because she still hates being on her stomach. Then two days later she figured out how to roll from her stomach onto her back! It's fun that she can roll now, but diaper changing has become a new challenge and in the middle of the night she will roll onto her stomach and yell at us until we flip her back over. If we don't go right in to help her (she doesn't do it herself because she is too tired to do it) she gets very upset and definitely will let us know. I'm trying to catch it on video, but of course as soon as she sees the camera, she becomes immobile. I can't believe my little baby is growing up (tear drop).

Bed Time

2008-07-03T11:37:00.000-07:00

Steve was putting Mikayla down for her nap and took these pictures of her. I thought they were so cute. She loves to hug her blankie and suck on her binkie. She is so good and puts herself to sleep, I don't know how we got so lucky.

One of Mikayla's new "tricks" is to pull herself up into a sitting position and then from there she likes to stand. She started doing this a couple of weeks ago and it's so funny when she has been standing for a while her little legs start to shake. You can tell her thighs are starting to burn and she has to sit down to take a break. Babies are so funny.

Cute Pictures of Mikayla

2008-06-17T09:35:00.000-07:00

Life continues to be good for us here at the Handy home. Mikayla is nearing her 3 month mark and she is doing great. We made the big move from our room to her crib last week and she took to it like a duck to water. She usually sleeps from 9:30-4:30, wakes up to eat and then sleeps until 8:30. She loves her crib and if we aren't home in time to put her down, she is not happy. She is starting to imitate the sounds we make and she smiles at every little silly thing I do. She is such a good baby that it makes me scared for the next one. :)
Steve has been busy like crazy. He has been attending conferences for CES, as he got accepted to student teach this fall at Diamond Fork Jr. High. He also just got called to be the Second Counselor in the Bishopric, so the weekends will be crazy too. The Lord continues to bless us and I'm very thankful for all of the blessings we have. Life is GREAT!

2 Month Check Up

2008-05-29T17:06:00.000-07:00

We took Mikayla to her 2 month check up today and she got her first set of immunization shots. I did not like the experience, and I know Mikayla liked it even less. Never the less, she was such a good girl. When she first got the shot, her face turned bright red, she let out the loudest scream I have ever heard her scream and cried for about 1 minute. We quickly snuggled her close to us and before we knew it, she was asleep. She slept the rest of the car ride home. She's been a little fussy, but she's been such a trooper. I'm just glad that first one is over.

Her stats for 2 months
She is in the 50th percentile for height and weight
75th percentile for her head circumference. I guess that is her intelligence coming through. She's going to be a genius, I can tell.

Dress Up

2008-05-28T16:02:00.000-07:00

It's been fun these past couple of weeks to dress Mikayla in different outfits and put a matching bow in her hair. Here are a couple of our favorite outfits

This is one of my favorites, Mommy's wake up call. Boy is that ever true

It seems every time she wears this one, she really does become Captain Drool.

I love that she has her hands up, "Mom, please, no more pictures!"

We are starting her early so that she will be a basketball player. I think she looks so different with that hat on, but still so cute

A touch of femininity

Blessing Day

2008-05-11T19:36:00.000-07:00

Today we blessed Mikayla and it went so well. She was just a little fussy during the blessing and that was because she got the hiccups. After the blessing she went right out and woke up just in time for pictures. Her blessing gown turned out beautiful, thanks to my sister-in-law, Amy, who made it from my wedding dress. All in all, it was a great day.
This is a picture of all the men who were in the circle. We are missing two people, Shane, who had to get back to Chloe, and Clark who lives in Colorado.

This picture didn't have anything to do with her blessing day. We just put sunglasses on her and right when I took the picture, she spit up. I thought it looked funny and cute.

First Sunday at Church

2008-05-04T19:26:00.000-07:00

I did it! I made it through church for the first time!

So cute!
Today we took Mikayla to church for the first time and it went really well. I fed her right before we left and she fell asleep during Sacrament. She stayed out during the three hour block, so it was a very successful day. She looked so cute in her little black and white dress, and her bow. Hopefully every Sunday will be like today.

Miracle

2008-04-28T17:14:00.000-07:00

We got a swing to charm Mikayla but for the first three weeks of her life, she hated it. Then one day, a miracle happened.

One Month Old!

2008-04-27T20:54:00.000-07:00

Yesterday Mikayla celebrated 4 weeks, and I can't believe how fast time has flown by (of course at 3:00am it doesn't seem so fast). Here are a few pictures of her at one month

More Pictures

2008-04-17T11:16:00.000-07:00

When I was little, I was obsessed with the TV show, Monchichi. One of my students, two years ago, bought me a monchichi doll which I can now pass on to Mikayla. She already loves it, and wants to take care of it. I think it's cute how they are almost the same size.

Little One

2008-04-14T20:14:00.000-07:00

Finally I've had a moment to sit down and post a new blog. I can't believe it's almost been 3 months. Time flies by. Here are a few pictures of Mikayla. She loves when we change her diaper and she gets the chance to stretch her arms. She gets really mad when we put her arms in the blanket. After she's done eating, she grunts to try and get them out. She likes to be free. She's so cute.

Tagged!

2008-01-30T15:00:00.000-08:00

I got tagged by a variety of people, so here goes:

What is his name? Steven Christopher

How long have you been married? 1 Year and 1 month!

How long did you date? We dated officially for 2 weeks, and were engaged for 2 months.

How old is he? 23, yup that's right, young, hot and spry

Who eats more? Steve, I can't even keep up.

Who said I love you first? I did. We talked about getting married, I said yes, and as he was leaving I told him I loved him.

Who is smarter? That's a hard one. I am smarter in some areas, and he is smarter in others.

Whose temper is worse? Mine. I couldn't get him mad if I tried, and sometimes I have tried :)

Who does the laundry? It's pretty even. Whenever one of us needs clothes, we do the wash.

Who does the dishes? Almost always Steve.

Who sleeps on the right side of the bed? Looking at the foot of the bed. I do

Who pays the bills? I usually pay them (I'm the sugar mama right now :)

Who cooks dinner? Before pregnancy, I did. During pregnancy, pretty much Steve does.

Who drives when you are together? It depends. Steve usually does, but he knows I like to drive, so he will let me.

Who is more stubborn? Me, but in a cute, adorable way.

Whose parents do you see the most? During remodeling season, we see mine more often. When we aren't destroying the house, probably his.

Who proposed? Steve

Who has more friends? It's pretty even. We have acquaintances, but we are still in the phase where we don't care too much to do anything with anyone else. He is still my schmoopy.

Who has more siblings? I do. I have 6, and Steve has 4.

Who wears the pants in the family? Steve does, but not in a authoritarian way. He lovingly presides, provides and protects, while I nurture and support. :)

Hope you have learned more about us!

Martha Stewart

2008-01-27T09:49:00.000-08:00

Hello Everyone! I know it's been a while since I last blogged, but life has been crazy and by the time I get home from work, it seems like the day is already gone. I made myself sit down this fine Sunday to get something online.
So I finally have decided on the colors for the nursey. I didn't want something overwhelmingly girly, since who knows what future babies might bring. I"ve settled for navy blue and pink. The crib bedding will be a navy blue quilted pattern, and the pink will be the accent for Mikayla so everyone knows she is a girl. If/When we have a boy, I will remove the pink and keep the navy blue.
Since I decided on the colors, I decided to be artsy fartsy and I went all out. Yes everyone, I, Janet Handy, decided to toll paint! I went to Michaels, bought some wood letters, painted them blue and pink, got a wood background, painted that blue and pink and waaalaa. I have to say, I didn't do a bad job. I was worried it wouldn't turn out, but I like it. It's got me excited for my next project, so who knows what I might end up doing next.

Bus driver, Move that Bus!

2007-12-16T11:50:00.000-08:00

It gives me great pleasure to announce the completion of our kitchen. I can't even begin to describe the joy I feel every time I turn the water on in the sink (for the last 5 weeks we've been using the bathroom) or when I turn the dishwasher on to do a load of dishes. The first load of dishes, Steve and I stood in the kitchen to watch. It was the first time in a year that we didn't have to hand wash a dish. I have to admit, a tear did escape my eye and roll gently down my cheek. We love everything about our new kitchen. New cabinets, new appliances, new tile, new lighting and a new paint job. It's just so magical. Below are some pictures of the finished product so that we all might bask in the miracle of the kitchen. Drum roll please...

OUR NEW DISHWASHER!!!! Isn't it the most wonderful thing you've ever seen?

Our new stainless steel sink (I've got goose bumps)

New stove and over the stove microwave

The breath taking view into the kitchen (notice the new tile, and the new curtains and the beautiful clock on the wall)

No more fluorescent lighting. Instead the very stylish track lighting.

It's the Holiday Season

2007-12-09T09:02:00.000-08:00

As this is the first Christmas for Steve and I (and Mikayla) as a family, and we are in a house right now, we decided to pull out all the stops for Christmas. In November Steve put lights on the house outside, and we decided to get a real tree.

I grew up with real trees, but this was the first one for Steve. I think we did a pretty good job picking out the right one for our little home. The best part about the home though, has to be the fireplace. It's so much fun to build a fire on a snowy night and have all the Christmas lights on.

Little Mikayla already loves her little stocking. It's weird, whenever I stand in front of the stocking, she begins to tap on my stomach in morse code. I've only figured out the beginning part of the message. It says, "Tell Santa I want..." I hope she finishes the message before Christmas. Only 16 shopping days left. I'm not ready

Handy Work

2007-11-28T15:45:00.001-08:00

We have been busy remodeling the kitchen these past 19 days and it's been quite the adventure. You can tell in the picture how exhausting it must have been to destroy the kitchen in one swoop. Unfortunately I wasn't able to help much, which can be frustrating at times. We now have the tile in, and the walls ready to paint. Dad and Cameron have been spending a lot of time down here, getting things put back together as quickly as possible. They've been a real big help, and we appreciate it. It's going to be one fancy dancy kitchen when it's all done. I just know it. When the cabinets are in, I will post more pictures.

Introducing...

2007-11-14T16:00:00.000-08:00

Well, after the longest 20 weeks of my life, we finally know what we are having. We are having a girl!!!! That's right, a brand new spanking girl. Isn't she the cutest? I think she looks like Steve. Tom, the ultrasound guy, was the best, as everyone said he would be. He did play with us though, during the entire ultrasound, first acting like it was a boy, then a girl. Finally in the end, he let us know that he saw the three white lines indicating a girl! He put the due date as March 31, with the possibility of having her on April 1. I could totally see her coming on April Fool's, couldn't you all? What a trickster. Like mother, like daughter. So fun.

Ultrasound Appointment/Controversy

2007-10-31T17:38:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I had my 18 week appointment and Steve and I were hoping that by some small miracle we would be able to get in for an ultrasound (it was Steve's birthday). But alas, it was not to be. "Tom" THE ultrasound guy wasn't in, so we had to make an appointment for the 14th of November. You can see in the picture it is at 4:00pm and with the one and only Tom. I can't wait to meet this infamous ultrasoundist. He is the best in the business, you know.
Halloween went off today without too many complications or difficulties. Sort of. I may end up on TV or in court for a controversial situation, but other than that, not bad. I absentmindedly threw together a costume, which I thought would be harmless and maybe a little funny. I had a black skirt, a black shirt and carelessly concluded that a nun would be a great idea. Apparently, I offended a catholic parent at the school and they called the District to complain. Oops. I guess what they say is true. Timing is everything. Now was not the time to be a nun.
Well, I want to say a word to my fans out there who are faithful to reading my blogs. I want to say thank you for always checking on my site, and that I'm sorry for not always giving the people what they want. I now promise to be better at maintaining my blogs. It's my Handy promise. (But don't count on anything really soon)

New Crib

2007-10-10T12:49:00.000-07:00

We finally put together our crib, isn't it cute? We got it at Shopko, on sale, and we just couldn't be any happier. While Steve was putting it together, he dropped one of the pieces onto his foot, and it didn't look good. I thought it might have been broken, but after following Dr. Low's advice, I concluded that it wasn't. It was just badly bruised.
We also got our new furnace put in this last week. Dad, Cameron, and Laura came down 3 nights last week to get it installed. It works like a champ and we are very warm at night. We would like to send a huge shout out to those who helped us. We couldn't have done it without you.

The Black Death

2007-10-01T17:49:00.000-07:00

So I've had quite the challenge this year with my class and I was at my wits end, not knowing what to do. In Social Studies we are learning about the Middle Ages and I decided to incorporate the feudal system into the classroom. Well, over the weekend, a stroke of genius (or inspiration) came to me to take care of this class once and for all. I decided to use the plague to "wipe" out the class. The kids rolled a dice four times and if they rolled a 4, they were dead. Then, anyone who was left alive, if they were caught talking to anyone who was dead, would die instantaneously. Kind of like playing pigs. Well, all I have to say is that today was a dream. I couldn't have asked for a better day. It was almost as if the children weren't there today. Calgon take me away. I just need to figure out how to keep this going until the end of school.