Sugar and Spice and Puppy Dog Tails

It's About Time

2011-11-20T11:04:00.000-08:00

I'm finally getting around to posting about Halloween.....now that it's almost Thanksgiving! ;)
We had a fabulous Halloween season. I love how much fun the holidays become when you have kids to enjoy them with. Enjoy the photos! :)

Haleigh, Trevor, Jersey, and Daddy enjoying an impromptu soccer game. I had to put down the camera and join in the fun as well.

Haleigh going for the goal and Trevor taking a little "breather".

Trevor trying to get past Daddy to score a goal.

My cute little Halloween kids.

Posing with the carved pumpkins. For some reason this year I didn't get photos of us actually carving. I guess I was too deep in pumpkin guts.

That night's dinner.......pumpkin face mini-pizza.

Haleigh's Medusa pumpkin. That girl LOVES her snakes!

Trevor's google-eyed pumpkin.

Our tradition.....milk jug ghost "lanterns".

Trevor got to go Trick-or-Treating at school on Halloween day.

Haleigh marching in her school Halloween costume parade.

My adorable little Indiana Jones.

My blue-eyed cobra ninja.

Ready to go get some candy!!! Haleigh's costume was PERFECT for her this year. And Trevor was so cute as Indiana Jones....I wouldn't mind if he wore this costume every day because it was adorable on him.

Pure Randomness

2011-11-06T07:57:00.000-08:00

I ran across some photos that I have taken that haven't been included in any of my posts recently. I hate to let them just float on by so I decided to make another "random" post. Enjoy the photos! :)

I had to take a picture of this outfit that Haleigh wore the other day because it was given to us from some good friends. My friend's daughter had outgrown it and she was sad because it had been one of her favorites. Haleigh loves horses and this was such a good addition to her closet.

Haleigh just celebrated the 50th day of school in her class. One of the girls I work with had a poodle skirt that Haleigh borrowed and she LOVED it! She wanted to wear it to bed that night. It was so much fun dressing her up in her 50's garb to enjoy a whole day of 50's fun. I lent Haleigh's teacher some records I had growing up and the kids were able to listen to those along with doing the twist and listening to some Elvis.

I can't resist some good sleeping photos. I love to see my kids peaceful and dreaming.

Jersey wishing that Haleigh would have picked a book about a dog instead of a cat. She does like to lay next to Haleigh and have her read out loud to her.

Some photos of a recent movie night/sleep over party that the kids enjoy every now and then. I love these munchkins like crazy!

My Beautiful 1st Grader

2011-10-26T18:32:00.001-07:00

School photos are back. I just love this little girl to pieces! She looks waaaaaaay too grown up in this photo, though!!!

Latest Artwork

2011-10-23T19:54:00.001-07:00

Here are some recent creations that Trevor and Haleigh have done at school.

Trevor has really started spending more time coloring lately. Too bad it's not only pieces of paper he finds to color on. I've washed it off walls, laundry baskets, and doors, and just recently off the carpet. I love to let him color but he has to be monitored at all times!!!

Haleigh's different design leaf. I really liked this picture.

If you want to see more of Haleigh's creations you can check out her September writing book entries that I posted on her blog here.

Bald Eagles

2011-09-22T21:56:00.000-07:00

Haleigh brought home a paper she wrote about bald eagles and I just had to share it. It makes me chuckle every time I read it. So cute!

"You are going to learn about bald eagles. It is found on our money. Hope you had fun learning about eagles!
by: Haleigh"

Homework

2011-09-19T20:30:00.000-07:00

I'm glad that for the moment both my kids love doing their homework. Haleigh loves doing any of her weekly assignments which involve reading, writing, spelling, and math. I'm so proud of how well she is adapting to first grade! Trevor is absolutely loving preschool and is definitely improving his social skills as well as other valuable skills. He comes home singing the songs we teach the kids and loves to sing them for his big sister and Daddy. Trevor loves doing homework along side Haleigh and so I'm always searching for little things he can do while Haleigh does hers. I thought I would post some of the things they have been doing either at school or at home. Enjoy! :)

Trevor's Chicka Chicka Boom Boom tree that he made at school.

Trevor's bear that could only eat things starting with the letter B.

Trevor's homework assignment. He's getting so good at counting and being able to draw a line to match the number the same amount of items. I didn't help him with this at all. I was so proud.

I loved this little sheet that Haleigh brought home from school about emotions. I especially loved the section on what makes her sad. So cute!

Haleigh's silly banana clown that she helped draw and write about as an at-home homework project.

We couldn't be more proud that Haleigh's first two spelling tests have been 100% grades!

"If I Could Wish For Anything......"

2011-09-18T21:22:00.001-07:00

I love that my daughters top wish is easy to grant, but really, REALLY!?!?!? Ugggggg!

First Time For School Pictures

2011-09-16T21:55:00.001-07:00

Here is Trevor's very first school picture. I think it turned out quite nicely! I didn't know that I would get some too, but I actually got my own school pictures. I had to laugh when they handed me a packet of a bunch of photos of myself. I will spare you all and just post Trevor's! ;)

First Week Back To School Pictures

2011-09-04T18:30:00.000-07:00

So, the first day of school was quite hectic. Not only was I getting Haleigh ready for the first day of school, I was also getting myself and Trevor ready for our first day of school as well. I totally forgot to take "first day of school" photos until the kids were already loaded up in the car. I hurried them back out of the car to take quick pictures before they were forced back into their designated car seats. I felt awful that I didn't take time to take a "cutesy" picture of them and so to make myself feel better I decided that we would turn the "first day of school" photos into the "first week of school" photos. Then I felt a bit better because there would be three more days of photographic opportunity.
After dropping Haleigh off at her first day I rounded the corner of the school back to the parking lot, and pretty much lost it. My baby is in first grade! Where does the flippin' time go? Can I please stop it somehow? I called Matt up at work and he thought I sounded worse than I did after dropping her off at Kindergarten. I have to admit that Kindergarten was hard, but first grade is totally throwing me off kilter. My little girl; my baby is going to school all day long.....as long as the 6th graders go. She's playing on the big playground. She's carrying a lunch tray that's probably just as big as she is. She's deciding what to put on that lunch tray. I just can't believe that my Haleigh-bug is that old already, but she is ready. I am confident that she is having an amazing time at school learning and having fun.
At least I get to take Trevor to school and stay with him all day so I can monitor how he's doing, how he's learning, and how he's progressing. I'm loving the new job at the preschool/daycare. I love interacting with the cute, cute kiddos and being able to be their teacher is so much fun.

Loaded up in the car saying, "school!"

First day of school! She's so excited! She just HAD to wear her soccer shirt the first day.

2nd day of school.

2nd day for Trevor, also!

2nd day together.

2nd day of school she got to ride her bike with Daddy and Daddy picked her up from school.

3rd day of school.

Trevor is ready to get in the car and is done taking pictures!

Okay....maybe one more. With his favorite blanket (that was supposed to help him take a nap at school.....alas, it didn't)

4th day of school

Together on the 4th day of school.

Trevor in his Westlake Thundering Tot t-shirt that he gets to wear on Fridays. What a handsome boy! :)

Tri, Tri Again

2011-08-29T21:41:00.000-07:00

On August 13th Haleigh participated in her second triathlon down in Lehi. This is the second year she has done this particular triathlon and I think it's such a great thing for kids. The kids are able to determine what they think they can do and then they just go out and do it. They still get to participate in an organized race and feel like they're important, but it's not the winning that's important; it's the involvement, experience, and exercise. The ages range anywhere from 4 years old to 12 years old and the best part is that it is free. The swim was 50m long, the bike was 2 miles, and the run was 1/2 mile. I think Haleigh only cut the run at the end to a 1/4 mile, but I think she did so amazing! Local businesses donate money and prizes so the kids even get rewards at the end of the race. This year Haleigh received a medal and a hat along with her prize bag. I'm so grateful Haleigh had this opportunity again and I'm thankful to my parents who came down to watch her race. Thanks to Niki Martins for taking some amazing shots for us (it was a lot of fun this year and a lot more relaxing knowing that I didn't have to bring my camera along with me). And last of all, thanks to Haleigh for being such a good sport and eager participant in the new and exciting endeavours her parents decide to sign her up for. Way to go Hay-bug!

My baby blue eyes! Ready to start the race.

Trevor wants to race as well.....next year, buddy! ;)

Haleigh loves this photo. She says it looks like she's in the ocean. I love this photo because she is so happy to be in the water.

Testing the temperature of the pool.

My little #34. This is one of my favorite shots.

Look at the breathing technique! She's getting so good at swimming!

This photo makes her look like such a wee baby! I love her face in this though. She's pushing through and ready to swim back.

Up for more air.

Front crawl to the end.

Ready for the transition to biking

Her cute little footprints leading to her bike station.

I love this photo as well. Haleigh walking with Mommy while Daddy leads the way.

I bet every triathlete would enjoy a personal dressing team, wouldn't they?

Next the helmet.

...and she's off....

Trevor and Daddy walking to the car after Haleigh and Mommy left on their bikes.

Haleigh racing to the finish line.

Off we go....

Another cute swimming picture. Getting ready to start the race.

Haleigh starting feeling a side ache while running and I have to tell you this was my favorite part of the race. Not because she was hurting but because we got to hold hands together and we walked and finally started running again. Haleigh amazes me with her strength and determination.

After race refreshment.

The best use for the water bottle after a race. :)

Trevor enjoying an orange slice as well.

Just leavin' it there to snack on. ;)

Two of the many faces of Trevor Clark.

Receiving her prizes.

My triathlete at the end of the race. She doesn't even look tired!

One last running shot. I love this shot. Haleigh's face says it all. She looks like she's in so much pain and she's holding her tummy, but she's pushing through. I remember this moment so well. She was talking to me the whole time and was determined to make it around to the finish line. I love this girl so much! She teaches me so much every day and I learn how to be stronger from her example!

It's That Time of Year Again

2011-08-20T19:12:00.000-07:00

We are now back to the time of year where school is about to start and the soccer games have begun. Haleigh took a little coercing this year to get her to play soccer but wouldn't tell us the reason she was so against playing. Finally I got her to open up and found out it was because this would be the first year involving goalies. When we started explaining how fun it would be to play against a goalie and how fun it would be to actually BE the goalie her eyes lit up and she was sold on the idea of playing soccer again. Disaster averted! After her first practice she got home and told me, "I've changed my mind, Mommy. Soccer is my favorite sport". I'm so glad we stuck with getting her signed up even though she was against it at first. Today was her first game. She is in a new age group so she is again one of the youngest kids on her team but I think it will help her improve tremendously this year. The games are held at 12:30 in the afternoon which I don't quite understand why they have to be so late in the day because all the kids were so hot and thirsty throughout the game, but what can you do, right!? Trevor and I had such fun watching Haleigh kick the ball and even watch her play goalie for a quarter. I'm so proud of my little Hay-bug and the progress she's made over the years with her soccer skills. I was looking at some of her early soccer photos and comparing them to now and I can't believe how grown up she is. She even starts 1st grade in three days. I've gotta stop thinking about that right now......baby steps, right? Enjoy the photos!

Trevor chillin' in his Cars chair getting ready for the game to start.

Discussing some game strategy before they start.

Contemplating her plan of action.

Of course you've gotta take time to flirt with the boys. Look at that little flirty pose. LOL

Getting ready for the pass.

Getting cool refreshment during the game.

Getting ready to start the 2nd quarter as goalie! :)

The coach explaining what kind of special things she can do as goalie.

Getting ready to defend her team's goal.

My cute little soccer girl.

Picture from last year

Pictures from two years ago. My, how times flies!

Bridal Veil Falls Times Two

2011-08-13T21:30:00.000-07:00

Last weekend we had the opportunity to make a trip up to Bridal Veil Falls in Provo Canyon. We hadn't been up there this year yet so we planned on going when Matt was off last Saturday. We decided to take lunch and the kid's bike and scooter to make the adventure a bit more fun. The first thing we did was find a spot to eat lunch. The weather was perfect, especially in the shade. The kids enjoyed eating their lunchables and chips and then they were "ready to roll". We headed up the trail to the falls with a few short pit stops on the way. After we came back down from the falls Haleigh wanted to take a little nature walk/hike because she had packed her own backpack full of bug collecting and nature walking items. Funny that we find more bugs in our own back yard than we found in the mountains that day. Haleigh and Trevor were still able to find their own "walking sticks" and had fun climbing up the mountain a little bit. Trevor was a bit nervous coming down the steep hills but they both did an amazing job on our little hike. After packing up the car we decided to head to the BYU campus to the Monte L. Bean Museum (a life science museum). We got there at the perfect time because they had some of the live animals out for people to observe, touch, and hold. Haleigh and Trevor were able to hold a snake while it wrapped itself around their arms.....blech! (It was pretty cool to see them holding a snake but you wouldn't catch me doing it). After the snake (Bruce...which I actually did end up touching just slightly.....go me!) they brought out Colonel Mustard (a lizard) which the kids touched. Matt and I even touched him....he felt like sandpaper. The last thing they brought out was a turtle. All the kids took turns holding the turtle until the girl brought him to Trevor. Trevor wouldn't touch or hold him. We wondered if he was just a bit too scary and Trevor would rather be "safely" holding a large snake or lizard instead! We took our time walking around the exhibits and looking at all the different animals. After we were through at the museum, of course we had to make an ice cream run to the BYU creamery right around the corner. We sat on the grass enjoying our ice cream and had such a fun time as a family laughing and spending time together.
Just a few days later my sister came to visit with my cute niece, Isabella and we decided to take them back up to the falls because they had never been. I could seriously sit in front of those waterfalls for hours with a good book in my hand and be completely content, happy, and at peace. The cool air and breeze from the falls makes the hot weather barely noticeable and the sound of the water is very relaxing. What a beautiful world we live in and I'm so happy to have spent a couple days in a very beautiful place with some of the most beautiful people I know!
Now on to the photos! Enjoy! :)

I love this shot that Matt took of the falls with his phone. Of course I forgot to check the battery in my camera before we left and it ran out of "juice" before we even made it up to the falls. Thank heaven for technology!

Taking a break on the hiking trail. Boy, do I love these munchkins!!!

Trevor was fascinated with his "walking" stick and being able to drag it in the dirt and hit trees with it was the icing on the cake.

Cute and happy hikers.

Me with the kiddos. I wish we would have got a similar photo of Matt with the kids. Maybe next time.

Haleigh and her new friend named Bruce. They've become quite close in such a short time! ;)

I spy Trevor!

Trevor also loves watching the river from the bridge.

Walking, biking, and scooting up the trail.

Resting and watching the falls.

My cute boy! Yes, his lips are blue....he had just finished a blue coconut slush!

Ready or not; here we come!!!

Haleigh, Isabella, and Trevor on their ride to the falls.

The kids with the falls in the background.

I love this photo. Wish I would have taken it a little sooner so there wasn't a women walking in front of the kids, but what can you do!?

Looking at the clear, cold water.

I tried to crop this cute photo so that unknown gentleman in the background wouldn't be visible, but it took away too much of Trevor's face. We'll just leave it how it is.....mystery guy included.

My beautiful, happy Haleigh-bug. You can tell there was quite a breeze because her bangs are getting tossed around.

Another shot of the falls.

A look at Haleigh sitting like this I'm thinking, "oh, she's relaxing and enjoying the beautiful scenery". A look at Trevor sitting like this I'm thinking, "oh no, what is he contemplating? Is he going to sit or jump?" So, so different!

Haleigh complaining that it's too cold in front of the falls and Trevor still has blue lips to support her thesis (no, it's not from the cold.....still from the slush!). Really!?!?! It's was around 93 degrees and this girl is cold? Silly thing!

A series of Trevor photos. Now I understand why at the end of the day I feel like my day is a blur and I can't remember anything and I'm exhausted. My blur = Trevor.

Little Trevor feet after dipping them in the nice cool water.

Haleigh's cute toes after a refreshing dip.

More Projects

2011-08-04T22:33:00.000-07:00

Here are some more of Haleigh's projects that she has been working on these past few days:

#1. Trevor wasn't feeling very good Sunday evening after we got home from church so Haleigh made him this card. She is always so thoughtful about other people and is constantly making a card for someone for something. I think it's so cute!
She even let him choose what kind of face he wanted on each page. Talk about personalization. :)

"Feel better soon Trevor"

" Hope you're feeling better soon."

"Sorry you are feeling bad."

"From your sister Haleigh"

#2. Haleigh's pig story. I'm guessing this is a work in progress. Maybe it's a short story; I'm not quite sure.

"Piggy the pig"

"Once upon a time there lived a pig called piggy. He ate a lot of pie."

#3. Haleigh family drawing:

Trevor helped with this drawing as well. He assisted with some artistic additions. I noticed that Haleigh never gave Matt a face. Then Trevor got hold of a black and blue crayon. Unlike a real life scenario he didn't turn his sister black and blue....ha ha. He did proceed to put a black cloud over himself .....guess he wasn't feeling happy like in the picture that day.

Among The Many Forgotten Things

2011-07-27T18:17:00.000-07:00

For some reason I forgot to post Haleigh's cute project/gift that she gave to Matt for Father's Day. I helped her put it together but she did most the work. The kids love their Daddy very much and I'm so grateful for a wonderful husband that puts his Daddy "duties" over other things. We love and appreciate you Matt/Daddy!

"Father's Day"

"The best thing dad cooks is steak"

My dad's favorite flower or plant is a "daisy"

My dad looks the most handsome when he "goes to work"

I like to "play games" with my dad.

His favorite color is "blue"

His favorite food is "steak"

His favorite thing to do is "play with Trevor and me"

I wrote in the remaining answers.

Mommy's Little Piggy

2011-07-27T13:34:00.001-07:00

You all know the line from A Christmas Story about "who's mommy's little piggy". Here are some photos that go along with that saying from the dinner table the other night. The storyline is a bit different. We weren't trying to get him to eat, he just wanted to make us laugh. Here's to Trevor, our future class clown!

I Wanna Be Like Haleigh

2011-07-26T17:36:00.001-07:00

Today Trevor FINALLY got the chance to participate in something that he's been watching Haleigh do for quite some time. Today was his first day of swimming lessons for the next two weeks. He has been so excited about starting swimming lessons and it has actually helped me coerce him into going to the potty. Hey, whatever works!!
It was so incredibly cute to see Trevor walk with his teacher to his new "spot" at the pool. He has been anticipating this day for weeks now. I loved that he kept looking at me throughout lessons even though I told him he should pay attention to his teacher and don't pay attention to Mommy (you know I secretly love it, right?). After lessons were over he was so excited to tell me that he practiced blowing bubbles in the water, practiced kicking his feet in the pool, and that he had a swimming lessons teacher. Then Haleigh came walking over from her class and asked if I watched her......whoops. There's always tomorrow right!? :)

Talking to his teacher. The little guy in the green is in Trevor's nursery class at church so it was nice for him to know someone there already!

Following the teacher into the water.

Listening intently to what the instructor has to say.

Yep, there's Mommy. Here's some cheese for ya! :)

Getting the run-down of today's expectations.

Spring Dance Pictures

2011-07-26T17:27:00.000-07:00

Haleigh finally got her spring dance pictures back. Her dance was to "Just Can't Wait to be King" from The Lion King so that explains the costumes. She is picking up on things so quickly in her dance classes. I'm so excited to see how good she gets this year!

Haleigh and her class.

My own little Lioness!

Her Newest Creations

2011-07-25T19:24:00.001-07:00

I wanted to include some of Haleigh's newest works of art. She made a card for Trevor yesterday. She called it his "hooray" card. Then she drew a couple pictures to share as well.

" Hooray Trevor"

"I am excited you are going to swimming lessons and you are going to preschool. You are gonna like it. It is really fun" (Picture of Trevor at swimming lessons and going to school)

Trevor and Haleigh

The fireworks.

Oh Yeah, That Did Happen!

2011-07-09T19:43:00.001-07:00

For some reason I totally forgot to include any posts of Haleigh playing baseball this season. Not because I didn't want to but because it seems like all major life events happen for us during the stretch of April to June (which is baseball season here in Eagle Mountain). I decided to still post some photos and will later add video that I had taken at some of the games later. Hope you enjoy these photos even if they are a bit late.

Haleigh warming up before the game (notice the gloves on her hands.....it was really cold that game and it even started snowing).

Trevor didn't seem to mind the cold.....he wanted to warm up too! :)

Having a pre-game strategy chat.

Throwing warm up.

In the line-up

Here comes the snow while waiting on third.

Finally....a warm game. These next photos are ones that Matt took during a game when I was out of town. What a great daddy to take on a game with the two kiddos alone! :)

Trevor still wanting to play.....he decided to play some catch....by himself.

Then he decided to take some photos of Daddy.

Haleigh in the field.

Haleigh's team photo.

First Installment of Swimming Lessons

2011-06-29T14:50:00.000-07:00

Haleigh is almost done with her first two-week round of swimming lessons. She's now in Level 4 and I can't believe how much she has learned in just a couple weeks. She is already working on doing all the different strokes; even the butterfly. I'm so impressed with how well she is doing with all of them. She has come a long way since just last year. I finally got some good shots of her swimming today and yesterday and I thought I would share the photos. Of course Trevor got in on the photo shoot (wouldn't want to leave that cute mug out, right?). Enjoy! :)

Diving practice!

Working on daily bobs.

Doing the front crawl. She's got her breating down so much better now!

Working on her different types of kicks.

Getting ready to push off for her back stroke.

Watching the teacher demonstrate the backstroke.

Enjoying some treats at the pool.

Of course we have to include Trevor's photo shoot! Trevor and his many faces! :)

Party Time!!

2011-06-25T19:08:00.000-07:00

Trevor has conveniently scheduled his birthday around the time when big summer movie hits are released and he has got particularly lucky in having two big Pixar movies come out around his birthday the past two years that he absolutely adores. Last year it was Toy Story 3 so of course he wanted Toy Story toys. This year, it was Cars 2! This morning we took him to see the movie and he love, love, loved it! He keeps talking about the racing and the guns and the blowing up. Such a boy's movie because all the girls just thought it was, "okay". Trevor was glued to the screen from the beginning of the Toy Story short film at the beginning (which was adorable and hilarious!). When we got home from the movie we had a couple hours before his party started and guests arrived. We decided to have a pool party and grill hot dogs and hamburgers. Trevor had some friends over to play in the pools for a while and then we ate our food and then it was on to cupcakes and opening presents. Everyone gave such fun and thoughtful gifts. Trevor loved them all and has been very protective of his gifts (a good sign that he can't get enough of them). A big thank you to all who came to celebrate with us.....we have such great family and friends who show such love and support to our little T-Rev. Thanks so much....especially to family who had to drive a far distance to be here and to Grandma Bryner for sharing her birthday with the birthday boy. Now on to the pictures! :)

Testing out the water, pools, and new water guns! Aunt Kandi and Bella sure knows how to pick out great birthday gifts! Trevor loved his new water guns so much (and so did all the rest of the kiddos).

Daddy working hard grillin' up the burgers and hot dogs! Yummmmm!

All the fixin's!

The whole group hangin' out and enjoying some relaxation time together.

My little bathing toothless beauty! :)

Singing Happy Birthday and blowing out the candle on his cupcakes!

Yeah, I got this Dorito off the ground and ate it.....so what!?

The many faces of Trevor Clark. Happy 3rd baby boy!

Haleigh and Emily performing a special birthday dance for Trevor.

Now everyone's getting in on the dancing action!

Opening some fun Cars gifts.....he's a happy boy!

Yes! More water toys! He's excited!

Tomorrow He's 3!?!?

2011-06-20T21:30:00.001-07:00

Tomorrow is Trevor's 3rd birthday and I'm finding hard to grasp that thought. I know the phrase is used way to often, but it really is true because it seems like just yesterday I was bringing him home from the hospital. My pregnancy with Trevor was slightly different than my pregnancy with Haleigh. I felt nauseous more frequently, but luckily all I needed was to take things slow and sit still when I started feeling that way and it would pass. With Trevor I craved vegetables from the start. That was completely different than with Haleigh and now he will eat almost any vegetable there is without question. Haleigh, on the other hand, takes quite a bit of coercing and making deals. Maybe it all stems from those leafy green cravings I had in my first trimester. By the end of my pregnancy with Trevor I was wanting cookies and Dr. Pepper. I hardly ever drank Dr. Pepper before I got pregnant with Trevor and it was strange to have such a strong craving for something that I rarely drank. I'm still loving cookies to this day and as far as the soda goes; the craving turned to Diet Coke and it's been a hard road of quitting that craving for sure.

We were able to schedule a c-section for Trevor's birth. I actually really liked being able to schedule the day that my child would arrive. I love putting things down on a calendar and knowing when things will occur. To be able to mark on the calendar the exact date my child would be arriving was so comforting to me. Because of the trouble we had had with Haleigh's delivery I decided that a c-section would be the best route for me. Another fact was that we lived further away from the hospital than we did when I was going to deliver Haleigh and I didn't want the distance to cause any problems. Plus, I was able to set up babysitting options for Haleigh and know that she would be taken care of.

When the morning of June 21st arrived we got up early and headed to the hospital to be there by 6 A.M. They got right down to business with getting my room, IV (which unfortunately took about five or six attempts before it was correctly performed by another nurse......ouch!), and gown on. We thought we were going to have Trevor quite soon after all these procedures took place. Then a nurse came in and informed us that our doctor was at another hospital delivering a baby and that the mom was a first time mom so they were unsure about how long he would be gone. They stopped the IV and told us that we would have to wait. I was starting to get hungry because I hadn't eaten since the day before (because of surgery requirements) and Matt was very hungry too. I told him to go ahead and get something to eat but to please not bring it back because I knew it wouldn't help with my hungry belly.

Luckily one of my favorite movies came on right after they told us there would be a longer wait. It was What About Bob and so Matt and I "hunkered" down to watch a movie while we were waiting for an unknown amount of time. I was so grateful that there was actually something good on because it was Saturday morning and most the time all you can find on Saturday mornings in June are infomercials or golf. Don't get me wrong, I enjoy watching golf.....to an extent. I wasn't ready to watch it to help aid in the passing of time.....not the best option. The timing of the waiting vs. the movie was about perfect. When the end credits were rolling the nurse came in and told us the IV would start again and that I would be in the operating room soon.
Having a scheduled c-section was quite different than an emergency c-section because of obvious reasons and also because they do things a little differently. Of course, they aren't rushing around and the feeling is a lot more laid back and calm. I remember the operating room being about 30 below zero degrees. I was freezing and I couldn't stop shivering. They administered the spinal block and within seconds I couldn't feel the water they were squirting on my legs. The doctor also had to force Trevor down because he was up so high it felt like the doctor was standing on my stomach....the pressure was unreal and very uncomfortable. Weird how you can't feel them cut you open; but you can feel them pushing your stomach and it feels like you can't breath. Luckily that didn't last too long and they had him out at exactly 11 AM on the dot. Trevor was loud from the get-go. I didn't have to wait to hear his cry.....he let us know that he was here and he was gonna let the world know that he was here.

The recovery from Trevor's birth was SO MUCH easier than it was for Haleigh's. They had me up and walking in no time and the pain was almost non-existent. I couldn't believe it! With Haleigh it was so hard to get up and walk the first time and I was so very tired. With Trevor I was more alert and able to spend time with him and with Matt. I did have a few set backs while I was in the hospital. Trevor didn't take to nursing.....he would fall asleep as soon as I would try. I learned with Haleigh that we were really in control and could make the decision about nursing vs. bottle feeding and so many other things. I tried the whole first day to make it work and ended up having really bad pains in my shoulders and back. I finally decided to have them bring bottles in for him. I even sent him to the nursery that night so I could sleep (something I wish we would have done with Haleigh because Matt and I were so exhausted). I sent Matt home to sleep in a comfortable bed rather than a hard-as-rock fold out chair. I had one of the best nurses I could have ever asked for. She would come and the first question she would ask was, "have you decided on a name?". Yes, we had a hard time figuring between two names what we wanted to call our new baby boy. We had it down to Spencer and Trevor. The second day Matt went in to retrieve our baby from the nursery and he couldn't see a bed that said Baby Boy Clark. He did finally locate our little boy and the name tag read, Trevor. So, I guess you can say that the nurses helped push the name selection along. Luckily they picked the name we were leaning to ;) Another thing my great nurse did was give me massages. She would sit me in the recliner chair and rub my back and shoulders because of all the pain I was having. She was heaven sent. I loved her for that little act of kindness and going above and beyond.
I remember the first time Haleigh came in to see her little brother. It was such a special moment to see her holding Trevor in her arms. Nothing feels better as a mother to see your family together and loving each other so much.

Now Trevor is going on his third birthday. I can't believe that he's that old! He's such a big boy....a lot of people think he's at least three already or even more. Trevor is my spitfire, my bold boy, my dare devil, my crazy boy, my silly boy, my hilariously funny boy, my singing boy, my energizer boy. He is so deep and it's so hard to describe him in one word. He's never been that patient with anything; whether it was bottle feedings, changing his diapers, or just a peanut butter sandwich. When he wants something, he wants it NOW! He is very hard headed and will not let his opinion about something go unnoticed. He is so unbelievably hilarious. He says and does the silliest, craziest, and funniest things. He loves to make loud sounds from as many parts of his body as he can.....in true boy form.

Some things that I absolutely adore about this boy are:

#1) His laugh. This boy will laugh until tears are pouring out of his eyes.

#2) I love it when Trevor sings. He loves to sing and is pretty good at it. He loves music and loves to sing and listen to it constantly.

#3) His love for sports. Already this boy wants to be out playing ball with his sister instead of sitting on the sidelines. He loves watching it on television and playing them in the backyard.

#4) His need for his Mommy. Yes, I might act like it drives me nuts, but secretly I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE, that he's a Mommy's boy. He doesn't want to go anywhere without me and it makes me feel loved. He even wants to be around me right after I've scolded him and put him in a time-out. Now that's love! :)

#5) I love his dimples. He has the cutest smile.

#6) His smiles. He has different smiles and it's easy to decipher these smiles. There are smiles of pure happiness, smiles of mischief, smiles of triumph, smiles of love, and smiles of comedy. This boy is like an open book. One look at his every changing expression filled face and you know what he's feeling.

#7) His stubbornness. It might drive me crazy and make me want to pull my hair out most the times. But his stubbornness makes me a better mom. My patience is constantly tried and I feel like I'm in Mommy training 24-7 with this kid. Every day presents a different problem to solve together.

#8) His love for learning. This boy loves to learn. He soaks things in, but in a different way than his sister. Haleigh will sit still and listen, but Trevor will run around and climb and jump but will be learning and listening in the process.

#9) His love for Heavenly Father and Jesus. This boy loves church. You'd think that sitting still, folding his arms, and being quiet would be the last thing this boy wants to do. But he is such a good boy when we get to church. He will fold his arms during the prayers. He will sing the hymns and help lead the music. He will go to Nursery class with no problems. He loves to fold his arms and show his stuffed animals how to do the same. He loves to say his prayers and thank his Heavenly Father for his blessings.

I can't imagine our lives without Trevor. He truly rounds out our little family. He makes me a better Mommy and shows me what unconditional and true love is. He does test me and is a handful most days, but when I see him asleep in his bed.....it all fades away because of his adorably precious face. My ball of energy is just what I need sometimes to become better. I love him so much and I'm so happy to have spent these past three years getting to know him and I can't wait to learn more with him by my side.

We love you Trevor! Happy 3rd Birthday tomorrow!

Double Duty

2011-06-15T21:00:00.000-07:00

Haleigh's teeth were on double duty today. She had a dentist appointment this afternoon for her regular check-up and she was so excited to show the dentist her clean teeth as well as one "loosey-goosey" (as the dentist so lovingly called it). The dentist was so impressed with her clean, nice teeth and told her that since it was her first loose tooth he wouldn't bother it and he would let her do the honors when the time came. All the girls at the front desk were telling her of various ways she could try to pull it out. Her tooth-pulling job of choice was to tie a string to Jersey and have Jersey run outside and pull her tooth in the process. I wasn't quite sure this was a great idea for the first tooth. We didn't want any serious trauma and who knows if we would be able to find the tooth afterwards.
After we got home from the dentist, Haleigh had a fun summer/swimming party to attend and then she had to come home to have dinner and get ready for a baseball game this evening. While she was getting dressed in her baseball gear she came running down the stairs telling us that her tooth had fallen out. She said it just fell out pretty much (it was hanging on by a thread) when she pushed her tongue against it. She was so excited and was jumping up and down in half of her baseball outfit. She had lost the tooth in mid-dressing so she was so anxious to tell us that she forgot to put her shirt on before she came running down the stairs. I love her cute new "gappy" grin and I just want to kiss that sweet face more than ever!
I'm so proud of my brave girl and I hope the tooth fairy is kind. She's a new visitor around these parts. Haleigh hopes that Jersey doesn't eat her. :)

My cute toothless girl!

Haleigh got a cute tooth holder at the dentist today. The hygenist that helped us found the perfect little treasure chest for her to keep her tooth in. I love pediatric dentists! I wish I could go to a fun dentist like that......maybe I wouldn't dread it so much!

Song and Dance

2011-06-11T19:24:00.000-07:00

Trevor loves the movie Tangled. I think he loves it more than Haleigh but Haleigh will humor him and usually watch it when he wants to see it.....again.....for the third time in the same day. Because they have watched it so many times they have learned most of the words to the songs (and the rest of the dialogue). They carry my Tangled piano book around the house and sing the songs to each other. It's rather cute. I snagged the video camera when they decided to put on a singing show for me tonight because I wanted to share this cute moment with everyone else. Hope you enjoy! :)

Dance Camp

2011-06-10T22:32:00.000-07:00

Haleigh has been able to attend a three day dance camp that was put together by the local High School. She knows one of the girls on the dance team and so it was exciting for her to get to work with High School age girls learning dance moves and having fun. It was good for her to have something to do right after school let out because it's kept her from getting too bored right off the bat. Yesterday she told me that she got a sticker for having the biggest smile while dancing. That's my girl! I love seeing her happy face and seeing how much fun she had doing the dances they learned. Tonight they were able to watch the High School girls perform and then all the different age groups put on their dances for each other. It was fun to watch Haleigh and even Trevor had a great time watching. He especially liked the High School girls (I don't think he moved the whole time and he had a grin plastered to his face). As long as this is just temporary and that he worries about grades and sports while he's actually in High School.....yeah right! Enjoy the video! I just realized that you can hear Trevor after the first dance is over saying, "Good job, Haleigh". So cute!