Momma Hoot

Under the Weather

2012-01-09T07:54:00.000-08:00

Well it seems that Grayson and I have been playing "tag" and passing this funny viral infection back and forth. He now has the cough that I've had for the past week. Let's just hope this twisted game ends soon. For one thing, I hate going to work sick and worrying about getting a bunch of pre-schoolers sick, and Grayson being sick just makes me sad. We're surprisingly good considering...
I simply couldn't resist posting this picture of Grayson enjoying nakee time. It just cracks me up how he walks around with that big belly hanging out! Something about playing naked seems to make it more fun for him! Silly boy!

For our first Utah Christmas, it was disappointingly dry. All our snow melted the week before Christmas, and we didn't get any until this weekend. I for one was hoping for a white Christmas...but a Winter Wonderland will do. It is so pretty with all the snow hanging on the trees. Everything is weighed down, and the trees look so elegant outlined in white.

I've been slacking in the photography area, I need to whip out my camera and capture more of these precious moments. What can I say...work is draining.

Spoon-tastic!

2012-01-02T09:42:00.000-08:00

Since starting at the CDC, Grayson has gotten much better at eating with a spoon. I couldn't resist showing him off! So below is a video of him eating Jello, and some pictures too!

A Little Backed Up

2011-12-29T09:27:00.000-08:00

We have an account on photobucket (which is a great and free way to store lots and lots of photos). And well...I've been a little behind on uploading our photos. We have two different SD cards that go in our camera and each is 2 Gigs. So today I finally gave in and spent about 2 hours uploading and sorting over 500 photos plus video! SHEESH! I really only did it because they were both full and I couldn't have taken any more photos anyway!

So here are a few of the highlights!

Christmas with the Goulds

2011-12-26T13:39:00.000-08:00

Well, as you can guess Grayson had a blast opening all these presents! We stacked them all up on the table the night before, and his eyes got so wide when he came down and saw them all. However he had no problem tearing everything to pieces!

Here is one of the many pictures of him shredding wrapping paper. For all the pics go to our photobucket page.

And this of course his the aftermath of our little munchkin having so much fun. He looks so mischievous! I just love that look. We played with the trash for another 30 minutes or so, sadly I think that was almost as exciting to him as the opening part.
So to sum it up, we had a wonderful Christmas morning which was completed with French Toast Bake! I found the recipe on pinterest, you can see it HERE. It really was just as good as it seems, and I made it with some homemade bread!
Breakfast was followed by lots of cleaning up and vacuuming, then phone calls and Skype. While Grayson was down for a nap we cooked the turkey (turned out GREAT), homemade stuffing (this was my first attempt, and it turned out good too), sweet potato casserole, and homemade rolls. It took us about 6 hours to get all the cooking done, and just in time for our dinner guests. It was so much fun to pull out our nicer plates and decorate the table for a simple and quiet Christmas dinner.
I can't wait until next year when we will be able to start lots of Christmas traditions that Grayson just wouldn't have understood this year. It's going to be great!

A Little Christmas Cheer

2011-12-23T18:56:00.000-08:00

This Christmas we didn't pull out our 6 ft. ultra festive Christmas tree, instead we opted for a 3 ft. one. We knew that having a little terror running around the house + lovely and delicate Christmas ornaments would = DISASTER. And boy were we right! Grayson enjoyed helping to decorate it...but only got to help with non-breakable ornaments. Then we placed the tree high and out of reach on a little buffet that houses some of his toys in the living room. It looks so cute with the lights that we strung up around the room, Grayson likes sitting in the living room with only the Christmas lights on in the evenings, and I really can't say I blame him...it's quite magical.
We also decorated the outside of the house with lights. Granted it would be more cheery if we had outlined the second story roof-line, but that would require a very tall ladder. Also please note all the footprints in the snow, we had a blast playing in it before it started melting yesterday.

Although we don't get to go home for Christmas this year, it's still going to be great. The internet is such an amazing thing, we will get to talk to some of our parents on Skype! Yay for technology! We will also be having a couple from Derek's work over for dinner, but only one couple as we don't have much extra room. Maybe next year we will have a big enough house for several families (just in case we're here again).
So here's to wishing everyone a wonderful Christmas! We love you, and wish you only God's best!

Painting with a Mess-Maker

2011-12-19T08:33:00.000-08:00

Grayson loves all things artsy (he is just like his momma)! The kicker however is that Grayson likes anything that is messy the most! We have done a couple finger painting sessions, and they usually end up with paint on his entire body and sometimes his face. I loved this time with blue paint where it ended up all over his face when he tried to rub his nose. My little Smirf was smirfy for 2 whole days! Gotta love it!

Grayson has also gotten pretty good at coloring, and loves when we give him the opportunity to scribble vigorously on anything! Which is why we keep a pretty close eye on him while he has any writing utensil in hand! Mischevious little boy just loves keeping me busy!
Hope you are doing well, and enjoying preparing for the Christmas Season! Sending much love! (More blogging to come...I know I'm behind!)

Grayson's First Santa Experience

2011-12-05T19:12:00.000-08:00

Saturday night was the CDC Christmas Party, and I am so able that I was invited to go, and was able. We had a nice time, and Grayson got to open his first "Santa" Christmas present. I was a little worried that Grayson would be too afraid to sit on Santa's lap, but I think he decided this jolly old man was OK since he had gotten a gift. He was all to eager to sit on Santa and pose for pictures! And...I admit it, I had a little fun too!

*I made Aunt Patties jalapeno squares to take for an appetizer, and they were a huge hit!!!

Eager to get his present Way to excited about opening it!

Happily sitting with Santa.

Grayson likes the new toy!

Hmmm...I could get used to this!

2011-12-03T08:00:00.000-08:00

While adjusting to my time away from Grayson is tough (to say the least) I have found one good thing! I'm not cleaning, re-cleaning, and straightening up the house as this little monster runs around tearing it all apart over and over throughout the day. Instead, the house stays relatively clean regardless of if I clean that day or not! Who knew?!? I had no idea that this would be an extra little perk of working outside the home. So I don't feel quite as much like it's a loosing battle!
Mind you, as I get used to working I will at some point have to clean again (haha) and I may feel differently at that point. But for now, I'm thinking I could get used to this arrangement. It doesn't hurt that I adore my friend who is watching him right now, so I know that he is in good hands while I'm at work.

Once we got home from our visit to see family and friends I said that my #1 goal was to get my house spotless, and in tip-top shape! I'm sorry to say that I didn't quite reach that goal, as if it's even possible! But I did get close, just didn't finish my never-ending list of to-do's. I'm sure that every mother feels at some point (or all the time) that she isn't doing enough, and isn't good enough. Well I've just about gotten over that, because there will always be TONS more that you could do, and about a million things that you could do even better. At some point I started to realize that those expectations I was putting on myself were only perceived by me.
One night in particular stands out, as I literally broke down about how the house wasn't perfect, and I wasn't saving enough money (with my craftiness such as making laundry soap and couponing) to stay home. He just got mad because he didn't understand why I was feeling useless. Of course I was hurt by his frustration...just goes to show you the differences between men and women. But once we got to talking I realized that he was mad simply because he wasn't viewing my time at home that way at all!

The moral of the story...is don't take life too seriously.

Work's Starting!

2011-11-30T21:35:00.000-08:00

I thought I would have time to blog yesterday after my first day of working at the CDC, but what I didn't anticipate was "homework." Yes, you read that right, I had lots of paperwork that I had to fill out. The paperwork involved in working for the military as a civilian is outrageous! I've put in at least 9 hours doing paperwork, between doing a background check online, 3 fingerprint pages, and sitting in the NAF office signing page after page! It's been crazy, but now I'm to the good part...almost!
Yesterday I read a 2 inch binder full of memorandums, and took a tour of the facility again. Rules Rules Rules, that was all I did yesterday! No children, nothing interesting...just rules. Today I got to spend about an hour in each of the different ages, and then tomorrow I will be watching several hours worth of videos. Training is a blast (note scarcasm!), but I do realize it's necessary...

I haven't had a chance to really explain much about the CDC to very many people, but it is the Child Development Center here on base, and is about a 5 minute drive from our house (which will be a great commute haha). Grayson will eventually be going there with me, he is on the waiting list now. The complicating factor is that the CDC is opening a new facility that is just across the parking lot. I'm hopeful that I will get to be a classroom teacher, and not stay a floater for long. *When you start at the CDC you are always a floater, and then you move up, it's just the name of the game. I would love to teach in a Pre-School class, but we will see...I'll keep everyone updated.

Also, Grayson is doing great! He seems to be adjusting well to me going to work, it may even be harder on me! I think we will all adjust though, we just have to enjoy our time together more, and spend it wisely.

La

2011-11-28T22:08:00.000-08:00

Well, sorry that I've been out of touch folks! We had an amazing trip home, but weren't able to do nearly as much as I had anticipated. I didn't realize how full and fun packed our trip would be! We are ridiculously blessed to have such a loving family, and so many wonderful friends. If you think about it, not having enough time to go around is really a blessing! So in summary, thanks for traveling far and wide to fit us in to your schedule, and we were so happy to see everyone that we did!
In the mean time, since we've been home Grayson has started to call Lola "La." It's so stinkin' cute, when she goes outside he will run to the glass door, put his hands up and shout "La" until she comes up to the door. He has been imitating sounds that we make for quite awhile now, but I can tell that he is now putting meaning with the words! It's so much fun, he says "dad," mostly while daddy is at work, and I personally have never heard him say "mom," but he does whenever I leave.

Today was my last day to enjoy spending time with Grayson at home, and I know I will miss our time together. Tomorrow is the big day, I will be starting work at the Child Development Center here on base. I know that it will be a big change, and I will not have time to do all the around-the-house things I've been doing. Much of my time at home has been spent saving money, and I've really enjoyed all of it but I'm gonna have to realize that I can't be down on myself for not having as much time.
So anyway, I will keep everyone posted on how work is going, and I will be posting pictures as soon as possible! (our camera is dead and we're waiting to get our charger in the mail...silly me left it plugged in in Texas). Sending much love to everyone!!!
*Wish me luck!

Our Little Family

2011-11-06T09:10:00.000-08:00

As many people probably saw on Facebook, our little family ventured out to Paul's Patch, a great little fruit/veggie stand that's pretty close to home. Since we love to make homemade pumpkin pies we snagged two little pie pumpkins, which we cooked whole in the oven (great and easy clean-up). Derek has since made one pie, and the other half of the mix is frozen for the next pie.
The pie pumpkins cost $0.50 each, and made the equivalent of 2 cans each. Savings of $2.50 per pumpkin! Success! Needless to say, we will be going back there. We also picked up some plums and peaches which I've made into our jelly for the year! As well as some more apples (what can I say, my boys love applesauce!).

While at the Patch, we also posed for some pictures, thank you Grandma Debbie for capturing some pretty cute moments!

When we finally got back home, Grayson was sure thirsty! Then of course he crashed for a nap. What a fun and full day.

Pumpkin Carving

2011-11-03T09:44:00.000-07:00

I'm a little late...I know, but cut me a little slack.
We were very lucky to snag our pumpkins for free from the park opening right by our house. They had crate-fulls of gorgeous pumpkins, 2 of which look pretty good outside my front door! Daddy did all the cleaning while Grayson was down for his nap, which was great because I can only imagine the mess he would have created with all the pumpkin guts!

Once Grayson was awake Derek worked long and hard on the designs for their faces, both have very distinct personalities, I think! But Grayson was very intrigued with the toppers, and had a blast looking inside. They provided a good half hour of entertainment, which is quite miraculous for this little boy who is always on the go!

Just what Daddy needed, a big helper to help pick out the eyes and nose. Grayson loved peeling away the skin, and looking inside.

He could have gotten stuck...haha.

He also wanted to feed Daddy the pumpkin from his finger

Lazy Lump

2011-10-25T19:19:00.000-07:00

Well I'm really feeling like a bum, and I'm finding it hard to take things slow. I'm not allowed to push or pull anything including a broom, mop or vacuum. So keeping house is pretty non-existent. Luckily Grandma Debbie is happy to help out. Grayson is always very interested in the vacuum, you can't see but she's vacuuming under the table, and Grayson just ran across the room to watch very closely.

So a summary, I'm still moving slow but at least I'm moving. And on a good note, Grayson is having a great time with all the visitors! He is such a ham, and just loves the attention. We are really looking forward to our trip home. I'm still working out our schedule of when and where we will be during the trip.

Last week I was a total zombie, and didn't get to post pictures of my parents time here. I'm feeling a little better (when I don't push myself) so here are some pics.

Hope you all are having a wonderful week!

Too Much Sleep?...NEVER

2011-10-21T14:01:00.000-07:00

Grayson has always been a pretty good sleeper (I'm super blessed in that), and I must admit I enjoy my sleep to! Lately however he has been sleeping 12 hours at night...which is just ridiculous! Mind you he is still napping during the day too. So I couldn't figure out what was going on...then one night he walked over to the couch where I had a drink sitting pretty far back (beyond Grayson's "reach zone") but he reached up and spilled the water...grrrrr. This kid just keeps growing, we've even had to move the bookshelf into the laundry room since we usually keep him out of there.
He now reaches things we "hide" on the table, things on the bathroom counter...nothing is safe! Haha, but at least now I know what's with all the sleeping! Our little monster isn't gonna be little for very much longer!

Fall Is Here!!!

2011-10-17T19:21:00.000-07:00

This weekend we decided to head up into Ogden to see fall! We've been warned that by the time fall gets to where we are in the valley everything else has already changed. So since our streets are now lined with half green-half yellow trees we figured our timing was perfect (another clue is that the mountains have started to look red). First we stopped off for a wonderful lunch after Grayson's nap, a restaurant we L O V E!

Grayson had fun wearing Daddy's sun glasses, and boy does he look studly (if I do say so myself!)

Then we walked around outside and enjoyed the beautiful views. I don't think the pictures fully capture it, but is looks like God painted the mountains, simply takes your breath away!

Hope you enjoyed a peek into the beauty we are enjoying!

Awesome Support

2011-10-13T10:41:00.000-07:00

This post will not be linked to FB because I don't particularly want the whole world to know...but I want family and friends to hear from me what is going on. I covet your prayers through this time of uncertainty.

As you know I had an ovarian cyst that developed during my pregnancy, and for those who really like to read up, you can do so here. I had the cyst drained during my pregnancy and when my gallbladder was taken out three weeks after Grayson was born they thought they had taken care of everything (but really the doctor didn't listen to me at all, and just left the cyst after draining it again). However, I started to feel pressure in my abdomen again in August and sure enough this cyst is persistent. So after seeing a doctor and getting multiple sonograms they have decided to do surgery. It is scheduled for October 19. They think the surgery will stop this all together, and that I will likely not have anymore problems with this.

In the mean time I have been feeling sick, and they think it is caused by the pressure. Yesterday I couldn't keep any food down, and ended up in the ER to get some fluids in me. The discomfort is persisting today, and I don't know that it will go away before having it removed so I'm seeing the doctor today to see if there is any possibility of moving up the surgery.

Considering that I've been dealing with this for nearly 2 years now, I'm just ready to have it over and done already! So please keep me in your prayers, as I recover and such. We are so incredibly blessed to have had family members volunteer to come up here (since I won't be able to lift Grayson at all for a couple weeks). It is truly awesome to feel the support of family and friends when faced with this trial!

Also, before you freak out I should include that they have already done tests and determined that the cyst is benign...it's just a nuisance!

Snow Boots!

2011-10-13T09:45:00.000-07:00

This past week, with the crazy weather, we realized that we don't have many of the essentials for snowy weather! So we headed out to the Layton Mall on Sunday, and found some irresistible snow boots for Grayson! He isn't used to boots that go above his ankle and are stiff...so seeing him walk in them is a little funny. But I'm sure that he will get used to them, and really appreciate warm tosies as the colder weather comes in.

I just had to share some pictures of the little man walking around in them. I'm sure there is more snow gear that I haven't thought of yet. Hope everyone is having a great week!

Any tips for freezing weather and little ones? Leave a comment!

Steal of a Deal!

2011-10-10T10:27:00.000-07:00

I don't know about you, but I love shopping when I can get a good deal! The shirts below are all for my son, as we have lots of hand-me-downs that are clearly for Texas weather, and just aren't going to cut it here in Utah. So I got some coupons in the mail to JCPenney's for $10 off a $10 or more purchase. I love those things, and was lucky enough to get 2! So these cute shirts (left side) and sweatshirts (right side) only cost me a total of $2.11! YIPEE!!!!!

Interview!!!

2011-10-08T08:49:00.000-07:00

Well, I know I mentioned that I had applied to work at the Child Development Center here on base...and just wanted to give a quick update. They called me on Wednesday to see if I could go for a group interview on Thursday...they aren't so good at giving you time to plan. But everything worked out and Derek got to take his lunch early and hang at home while Grayson napped.
I think everything went very smoothly, and hope to be receiving a call in the near future (after everything has been processed by the military hiring office). Then I'll be able to get to work after our trip home to Texas! I am so looking forward to getting out of the house, and spending time with some new kiddo's! I just hope I still have some time to do all the cooking, baking and crafting I've been up to!

Thanks to all those who have been praying about this!

Lasagna Casserole

2011-10-05T15:25:00.000-07:00

Last night we ate some lasagna casserole (recipe courtesy of MoneySavingMom), and Grayson got his fair share! I've been working on cooking lots of extra foods to stock up the freezer. I know that I won't want to be cooking very much, so I figured having food on hand would be a great convenience, and this recipe is great so quick and easy.
I mashed up quite a bit of the casserole for Grayson, and he ate about 3 portions of it. I was so surprised that he kept eating, but he just couldn't stop. Our little ham is getting pretty chunky, he now weighs 22 pounds.

That last picture is the exact reason that we are now calling him "chunker." He is eating a ton lately, and tends to put his whole fist in his mouth, I guess to make sure he doesn't miss any pieces, haha.

Speaking of my freezer cooking, I will be sharing some recipes soon for you to enjoy!

Froggy in the Tub

2011-09-30T08:00:00.000-07:00

I simply couldn't resist sharing this cute little boy's froggy legs. Somehow it's comfortable to sit with his legs like this, and we just think it's so funny. Also I'm pretty sure I've mentioned it before, but Grayson loves loves loves water. Any water whether the water hose, kiddie pool, faucet or tub, he just can't get enough!

He hates getting out of the bath tub, and has even figured out that if he closes the drain then he gets to stay in longer. So every night during bath we have a sort of war between opening and closing the bathtub drain. Our little man is very clever...

Granny & Morrie

2011-09-27T21:31:00.000-07:00

We had a wonderful visit, and crammed in a lot of fun while still relaxing! The first exciting thing we did was see the Mormon Tabernacle Choir! I have wanted to do that since we moved here, but for some reason or another it always fell through...I was so happy to finally watch the group I've heard about since choir in high school. Sitting there watching the choir rehearse, I just kept picturing my high school choir.

"Mr. Dyer would have never let us sit if we were flat..." I kept thinking random thoughts while they rehearsed.

It was so great, they were really amazing, and the Tabernacle where they rehearse has astounding acoustics! If you have never seen them, it is a must if you are ever in Utah on a Thursday night!

You can see the temple in these pictures, the whole area is truly beautiful. So much detail on the buildings, and this is just at night (it has already started to get dark pretty early).

On Friday we took a picnic out to a nearby park where we go pretty regularly. Where of course Grayson had fun running around chasing Daddy...

It's really just a beautiful place to take in the scenery, and enjoy the outdoors!

Saturday consisted of a trip to the "fruitway" which I talked about here, where we bought mostly corn and zucchini. Blanching and cooking that was fun. We also experimented with making imitation Gerber snacks (which I will post more about later).

Also, Granny and Morrie watched Grayson and put him to bed while Derek and I went out for a date night! I was so amazed that they didn't call or anything (and you should know that it was very hard for me not to call). They said the evening went very smoothly and he fell asleep easily, I was so glad to hear that our little monster didn't cause too much trouble...

Then came Sunday when we went to church and then played a game of Sequence. It's a funny little game...we had never heard of it, but played it with some friends on a game night and were hooked!

So in case you were wondering...we had a wonderful time

Crib Protector

2011-09-18T08:15:00.000-07:00

A few weeks ago, I started to notice Grayson teething on his crib railing and decided to do something about it. Not only did I not want him to destroy his nice new crib, but I'm sure ingesting the wood or finish isn't great either! I looked into a crib protector, and the kind they sell for his type of crib (since it has a thick railing) was $40+. Needless to say I wasn't about to pay that plus shipping!

I decided to create a crib protector of my own...here's how it went.

I went with a gender neutral geometric print (just in case #2 is a girl) and well green...since it's my favorite color.

After that, I honestly have no idea how to describe what I did. All I can say is I'm very glad that I decided on gender neutral so I will NEVER have to make another one! It's stuffed with 2 layers of a pretty thick batting, so it's somewhat pillow like.

Here is a picture of the final product. I'm very happy with how it turned out! And now for some pictures with Grayson the wood nibbling little bugger!

Ahhh, sweet satisfaction. Another project finished!

Daddy's Boy

2011-09-16T21:52:00.000-07:00

Grayson is usually a super-duper active little boy and won't stop for anything, so Monday when he would stop playing to lay his head down on the floor and give a little whimper I knew something was up. Our little man just wasn't very happy...at all. Tuesday he started throwing up, and wouldn't eat hardly anything the entire day (which doesn't work well since we're trying to fatten him up). Wednesday morning when he threw up again I decided it was time so I called the clinic and got in for their only appointment that wasn't during nap time. It was literally 20 minutes from when I talked to them and I had just jumped in the shower and bathed Grayson after the morning incident. So I looked wet and frizzy as I walked into the clinic (we've all had those days haven't we?)

Of course since it was an "emergency" appointment, not just a check-up we were assigned to whoever was available. That meant that we got to see the same silly Dr. who didn't know if Grayson had an ear infection or strep throat. I know I griped about this Dr. a little to my mom, but let me paint a picture for you.
Thank you for reading me the pamphlet on "Vomiting (Viral Gastritis)" before handing me a copy. That was so incredibly helpful! In all seriousness he read some of the bullet points, without ever looking at me. Then when I asked him, "how often should I be offering him food?" he glanced back at the paper and when he couldn't find the answer he simply changed the subject (this is a civilian Dr. working on base). I really don't want Grayson to get sick other than when I already have a check-up scheduled because I absolutely love his regular Dr.
Anyway, so I left the clinic and headed to the commissary where I got some PediaSure which really seemed to help Grayson feel better. I'm sure it didn't hurt that it was berry flavored (kind of a little treat). After today though, I can see some improvement, and he seems to be over the worst of it.

Daddy got off work early today, and suddenly Grayson was in a much better mood. He is on a Daddy kick...I'm a little offended (not really). It's really sweet how he loves on his Daddy!

Making faces!

Weighing In at 20 lbs.

2011-09-14T10:49:00.000-07:00

Grayson is weighing in at a whopping 20 lbs. I say that kidding-ly...because he hasn't really lost weight but he isn't gaining any either. We have doctors orders to plump this kid up with butter and everything unhealthy! When we went in for his latest appointment, they were a little concerned because he hadn't continued the growth pattern he's had. But when you take into account that he started walking (practically running) and burning more calories, he got sick and had less of an appetite, and that he fought weaning for a few days it makes perfect sense. The doc said it was only a real concern if he lost weight, but that he should be getting his appetite back and thus gaining weight. He suggested adding more dairy, even butter to speed along the process.
Sure enough, now that Grayson is over that ear infection he appetite is through the roof! This morning for breakfast he ate 1 scrambled egg, some baby cereal (like I mentioned I stocked up), 3 chunks of peaches cut up, and some blueberries. This little boy is a total pig!
It's official Grayson has discovered his head. I'm still not convinced that this is a good thing! Every time he eats he manages to cover himself in food, and for some reason that is the perfect time to check that he still has hair. He takes his grimy fingers and pulls on his hair...which makes quite a mess. But it also makes for some cute pictures...like this one where he's really grumpy while eating.

But it's sooooo much cuter when he's getting ready for a nap, like here...

So we're having fun, and keeping busy. I'm not sure who I've mentioned it to, but I have my application in at the Child Development Center here on base, and I'm getting very antsy to hear back!