Plumped up

December has been great
(minus having to have the car towed twice, Siri having the barfs, and getting a speeding ticket...but let's focus on the good stuff).

My Mom and John have a beautiful tree, train set going around the bottom and everything.

We saw the lights at Temple Square, as I believe everyone should this time of year. There was the best free hot chocolate...although Siri says she just likes 'warm chocolate'.

The usual baking with the girls

Christmas day was cozy, we stayed home all morning, then visited the Thackerays in the late afternoon, went to see Grandma Thack, then back to Milt and Sandy's. Everyone had gone so Siri was left to play with Charlie the dog (which she seemed to enjoy). If you ask Siri what she got for Christmas she usually says "A SUCKER!"...yeah, she got a dumdum sucker in her stocking, and a lot of cooler stuff she doesn't care about so I hid it.

I went to the Dr today, 38 weeks. I was happy that I didn't gain any weight in the last week, seeing as how last appt I had put on 5lbs the 2 weeks before. Yeah, baby and I are plumping up nicely. Even though I've done this before, I still have that feeling of the unkown, who knows how, or when, this labor will go. I'm *excited though and ready (er, as ready as I could be) to have our world shaken up. *Part of that excitement may be that I look forward to getting rid of restless legs, congestion, heart burn, a huge belly, and being able to go running and sit Siri on my lap once more.

Ironman Update

So it's been 4 months of training and so far so good........i think.

Two weeks ago, I went down to St. George with Cody, Andy, Adam and their wives to go ride the bike portion and do some of the run course as well. Friday we went and rode from the first transition at San Hollow through the first loop and back to the house, which put us around 75 miles and took us about 4.5 hours. (The actual race course contains a second loop and then back to the Tabernacle for the second transition). I had never ridden that far (or that long) and my neck was killing me. I was definitely tired but not as beat as I thought I might be.

The next day we ran half of the run course (13 miles) and that was tough. The first 10 miles actually felt pretty good but the last 3 were brutal. My muscles started to tighten up and I just felt sluggish. Definitely have some serious work to do.

But it was super nice to get down there and experience the course, not to mention go workout in some nice weather. I have to say I feel pretty good about where I am at as far as training goes, but also pretty stoked that I still have 5 months to become stronger! I am certainly going to need it.

Ali has been so so good with me and my crazy training schedule - so lucky to have such a stellar wife like her. (and to think that she is 8 months prego and still is so good to me)

So anyone who wants to come down for the Ironman race this May (May 7th) it's going to be a PAR-TAY. You can come and watch me fall flat on my face (more than once I am sure) and watch all the rest of the stupids trying to finish this crazy race.

"I want to go back to Alta Mommy"

We haven't been up the canyon yet this ski season. We don't have season passes, and being 8 mo pregnant doesn't help either. (I think knowing my sis Liz was up there yesterday inspired me). So today Siri and I went up to Alta.

It was her pre-lesson to skiing...watching people ski. And she loved it! We walked around a bunch, I pulled her in the sled for a while. She waved to the skiers as they passed by and would name the color coat they had. We stopped in the lodge for some snacks, and had a snowball fight before we left.

I hope hope hope she will love the mountains and the beauty of the snow as much as Mark and I do.

snoozin on the job

As you know we've been potty training at our house. She loves her underwear and doesn't want diapers. But she will not go #2 on the potty. She cries that she wants to and that she needs to get it out...but nothing ever happens (until its nap time or bed time with a pull up on). I feel so bad for her, she seems like she's trying so hard.
Today was yet another struggle to get her down for a nap because she says she has to go. I went go find some patience and change a load of laundry and when I came back, bless her heart, she was nodding off to sleep on the toilet. It was so hard not to laugh too loud!

He's 28

A birthday a long time ago

birthday two years ago

Happy Birthday today!

Love my Mark. He's incredible, really. I love him so much, sometimes I think "I wish everyone could have a husband as good as mine". Proud? Yes, and very thankful. Lately I've also admired his efforts in training for the Ironman. Its dark, and cold, and sometimes wet, but he works out anyway. Siri and I made red velvet cupcakes per Mark's request.

now I'm at the top of your blogroll

A year ago (well, Nov 20 to be exact) I got Lasik on my eyes. What a B-LESSING! This pic was taken 5 days after. Today I went to my 1 year appt and am still seeing 20/20. I love technology.

I take Siri once or twice a week to MyGym. She LOVES it and I love watching her expound so much energy and play with (or at least near) other kids.

It snowed the end of October. It was beautiful, but I was happy it all melted the next day.

My friend Jennifer snapped a few pics of me and this one with Siri. I love it.

Mary Chapin Carpenters "Thanksgiving Song" has great lyrics for this time of year.

I started potty training Siri on Wednesday. So far its been pretty good. I think its as hard for me as it is for her! The biggest obstacle is that she won't #2 in the potty (and that I'm afraid to go anywhere). Yeah, gross, but its real life ya know. Anyway, you go listen to that song and I'll go tell my daughter for the millionth time "tell mommy if you need to go potty"...

Autumn

Pumpkin smoothie from Jamba, pumpkin bagels from Einstein, pumpkin cheesecake icecream, pumpkin pie...I've tried pumpkin everything and LOVE it! Not sure if its pregnancy or just that it really is that good.

Mark has been biz-e this month so Siri and I have had a lot of time to spend together...

going to the cabin with Grandma Carol

going to St.George with Grandma Sandy and Uncle Bill.
Siri loves her Uncle Bill and we got to see Sandy do her first triathlon!

I made grape jelly. This is a pic of my hands after I had washed them.
It is taystee though! So good on a toasted PB&J.

We went to the Barnyard Boo at Thankgiving Point (face painting, wagon ride, goo making, animals to see) and a pumpkin festival in Draper at Farnsworth Farms (hello apple cider donuts :)

We made molasses cookies. The smell it gives your house is priceless, all gingercloveyumlike.

We found a turtle outside our backdoor. We think it was a water turtle. He hung around for a day but wandered off somewhere.

We slept over at Grandma Carol's house. Siri got to help feed the horses.

Siri swam in Grandma's giant tub

And tonight we had a family Halloween party at LizDanSam's. Good times.

We also signed up for a few months of MyGym and got a basic pass to Dimple Dell rec center. Bring on the cold weather!
Lately Siri has been much more aware of when she's wet, poopy, etc and makes me change her diaper a lot more. I need to buckle down and take a try at potty training, so if you have any advice, please PLEASE share.
Today I picked the last of the harvest before everything freezes in the upcoming days. I have bowls of tomatoes, a bowl of raspberries, and still have 5 pumpkins I need to go pick.

It was a perfect autumn day today.

Maiden Voyage

So Mark hasn't ever owned a road bike (the only bike he has is a hand me down mountain bike from his sister that he put commuter tires on). We figure if he's going to do the Ironman, he should have his own bike. It was either get something off KSL, or try to proform one through my work. The latter option worked out for us, albeit 3x more expensive than something off KSL, but an amazing bike he got! (Sorry Mark, there goes Christmas/Anniversary/Bday gifts for the next few years). He got some shoes and has most all the gear he needs now.

He rode it for the first time today and fell in love with it. He better become good friends with it, already tomorrow he's got a 2hr 15 min bike (followed by a 30min run).

We went out to breakfast w/Liz and my mom for Liz's birthday. It was an extra special treat since none of us had to be anywhere (although if you know if anyone that needs a marketing or admin assistant, let my mom know:) Everyday since Liz's birthday, Siri has talked about it, and how she blew out the candles (before Liz could). Apparently she had a lot of fun.

FHE visits to the awesome Draper and Salt Lake Temples

I was able to keep up my motivation.
I canned apple pie filling, froze tomato basil soup, canned salsa, and froze some peaches. As excited as I am about it, the real test is if it will actually taste good in a few months!

Oktoberfest



Siri and I went to the pumpkin growing contest and Harvest Festival at Thanksgiving Point while Mark was shooting a wedding in Florida.

We spent way too much time outside the grocery store today...she's a sucker for Big Bird.

And tonight we had TimLizTess over. Holy smokes that little girl is awesome, especially when we dressed her up in a little chick Halloween costume-it made us all crack up laughing! Heart you Jensons. Now I'm listening to Siri chat away in her crib, saying things like 'no whining!' (yelling it to Pooh Bear, "Coooh dood" and of course "Lizzie's burfday".

I think I'm about 25 weeks now. I still feel good, minus the heartburn that kept me awake last night. Yuck, I've never had it before. I'm still (barley) jogging, but now start to make noises when I have to bend over too far or too long. This pregnancy has already gone by so fast.

Tomorrow Siri and I are going to the cabin for one last time (Mark has to stay home to shoot a wedding). Hopefully we'll come back with some great pics of autumn.

taste buddies

I like to cook. It makes me feel good (and to eat it too, obviously). I just opened the oven to take out 2 pumpkin pies. Oh how I love that warm pumpkin spice wafting on my face! Now I just have to be patient enough to let it cool so I can put some whipped cream on top and have a slice {too late, just snarffed down a piece}.

I am proud to stay that I had my first round at canning. Who knew that could be so fulfilling? We had a ton of grapes so I did grape juice (and we still have more grapes). I was relieved and proud that all 8 cans sealed and nothing broke or cracked in the process.

I currently have tomato basil soup simmering down on the stove. I'll puree it and then can that tomorrow. I've got a bag of apples to peel and cut and I'll make that into apple pie filling and can that too (I hope I can keep up the motivation I have right now, I think that is part of my reason for posting).

We also made a red pepper pesto this week from the peppers in our garden. We froze a few tupperwares so we can enjoy it later on.

I'm going to borrow my sis's food processor and make salsa out of our tomatoes, jalapenos, and onions we've grown. Having a baby due in January is also adding motivation. All this canned and stored yummyness will be very handy in a few months.

Today I went to a big parking lot baby/kid garage sale and got ski boots for Siri, a fleece jacket, a potty training seat, a pair of newborn pj's, 2 shirts, newborn hat, 3 onesies, and 3 swaddling blankets for $29. I'm pretty excited about it. Mark also biked today in his foxy new bike attire (his first time owning spandex that's not in speedo form). He'll have to post some pics.
We went to the Oktoberfest with LizDanSam and Em&Jess. I have grown to love sitting and listening to the german music they play. And its always nice to be up the canyon. Then we hiked a little way up the Red Pine Trailhead. It was a good day.

{today I also worried about what I'm going to do with a newborn and where we're going to live in a year, when my aunt gets back, and how things will be when Mark is training like crazy...but I'd prefer to post about the good things and the worries pale in comparison anyway}

And another good tidbit: Siri's birthday was radical!
She weighs 26.8lb (53%), 18.6in noggin' (45%), and is 34.5in tall (69%).

She got 3 or 4 shots (even I couldn't stand to watch...needles make me shutter). She did really well. Had a gap in breath/speech so she could get her wail out and then was fine after she got the purple sucker.

We went to the zoo in the morning, had lunch with grandpa Mike, swimming w LizSam then party with more friends and family! She got a new orange bike that she lu hu huvs. She doesn't really get the whole push with your feet thing, but she'll catch on. Her Aunt Zaza and Uncle Bill gave her a stuffed Pooh bear that she carries around constantly and sleeps with now (so much for her faithful sidekick Leo the Lion who has slept with her since birth). And the doll accessories from JennKate have been another hit. Mark has pics from that lovely evening on his camera.

Her favorite seemed to be the elephants and the monkeys

did I mention that I got double the amount of cupcakes I meant to get? I thought I ordered 24...but ended up with 48! Good thing is that there is no such thing as too many cupcakes.
super cute clippies handmade with love from Auntie Kerrah.