He Amazes Me

My sweet boy, he really does amaze me. Yesterday he was playing Legos. I just sat there and watched him. It is amazing to see him putting things together and building. He has quite the mind and imagination that boy.

Yesterday he was playing getting ready for bed. He told met hat he needed to go potty, so we took his diaper off and he went! I asked if he wanted to wear underwear and he said that he did. I really wasn't very hopeful, expecting an accident shortly after I put the undies on him. Well, he wore them until bed with NO ACCIDENTS!!! He actually told us when he had to go! I am still amazed. So, this morning he wakes up and he's DRY! Oh my gosh! So, I put him in his Ramone (CARS) underwear and he has not had any accidents today. He's told me every time he had to pee and even pooped on the toilet! I am amazed! It's like the light bulb just clicked on! WAHOO!

This boy loves his sister like nothing else. Recently they've been playing "cats". We are all cats in our house, Seth-cat, Amelia-cat, Mommy-cat, and Daddy-cat. Now that Amelia crawls, Seth will have her follow him (or he follows her) and they are cats. It cracks me up. I love watching them together, I love it more than anything.

We've had some downright mild weather recently, so we've been outside playing. Seth was playing on the electrical box and I told him that it probably wasn't a good idea. He asked me why and I showed him the picture of the man with lightning coming at him out of the box. I told him that he could get hurt really bad if I let him play on it. So, he stopped playing on it, but insisted on studying the picture. Wow, he is SO his Father's son.















I do, I love this boy...to the Moon and back.

Another Job??

This is a possibility. As you know, Jeremy interviewed with a company in Logan. He called them yesterday to let them know about Zimmer. Well, they said that they haven't decided yet (just finished interviewing on Monday), but to let them know when he gets the official offer from Zimmer. So....maybe we're staying in Utah after all. Who knows?!?! I just want to know where we're going and GO!

A JOB!!!!!!!!!!!

Jeremy has a job. A real live job! He was just offered a job at Zimmer today! He has to do the background check and then they will give him the official offer, but HE HAS A JOB!!!!!!!!!!

Happy Birthday to ME!!!!! I had a fabulous birthday (on the 11th) and party yesterday!! Oh my goodness, you all will be so JEALOUS when I tell you what my husband did. But first...A's sweater!

Here it is blocking on the 11th. After this I had to do the hood, all the seaming and buttons! It took me almost another week to get that done. Life just gets so crazy!!

















But...VOILA! I finished it!! My goal was to have it done for my party at 3:00 on the 17th. I weaved in the last end at about 11 am!


































And, it gets better...look at it on my BABY!!


































Here are the specs -
Yarn: Patons Marino Regency colorway and Cascade 220 Brown Heather colorway.
Needles: Size 7 and 8's Knit Picks Options
Baby: Just too cute for words :)

Ok, now to my party.

Look at what my Mom made for me. I don't really have a great place for it in my little apartment (but it is on my wall). I think it is just so cute though!






















So, my husband can be pretty darn creative. He made me a wonderful cake, invited tons of my family and friends...and surprised me. I was beyond surprised really. We have a friend, Mike (Lori's husband) who is a graphic artist. He and Mike have been working on something since Thursday. He kept joking with me telling me it was a marble sculpture of me. Ooh, that is something I want :)
So, imagine my surprise when he comes into the room where my party was being held and said that he had a surprise for me. And... I needed to go outside. So, out I went with everyone looking so excited...and this is what I saw

















A PINATA that looked like YARN! WOW, that is so cool! Just to give you an idea of how big it was, here's a picture of it next to my head ;)

















So, I start swinging at this thing, and all the sudden Nicole and Stephanie get a bit nervous looking, converse and tell me to stop. One of Stephanie's kids goes to their van and gets out a big blanket and they put it under the pinata. I start thinking..could this be what I think it is?? Could it be that there isn't candy in here?? Could it be something else?? I dared not to hope, but just kept whacking away (and letting all the kiddos there do the same).

When it finally opened...here is what I found

















30 BALLS, SKEINS and HANKS OF YARN!!!!!! OH.MY.GOSH! I was stunned, happy, no, really, those words don't do justice to how I was feeling. I had sock yarn, worsted weight, bulky, you name it...all sorts of wooly goodness!!! I got the pink and brown Lorna's Laces that I was coveting over at Simply Sock Yarn, I got Socks that Rock January One Colorway (ooh, I love that!), I got some fabulous Rowan, Manos Del Uruguay, and lots of others!!! 30 balls for 30 years.

































Here I am at home, in my bed, with my yarn. I love my husband! He totally surprised me. Now he has 10 years before he has to top himself ;)

Ahhh...finally a moment!

I haven't been able to blog how I want to in a few days. We either have only had dial-up, or the kids have needed me...we'll see how much I get done this morning though. I have a feeling that A is close to melt down mode :)

Ok, we've had lots of fun this month!! S is obsessed with CARS, so I decided to make Radiator Springs in his bedroom! We've got the race track, Lightning's house, Luigi's, Mater's, The Cozy Cone, Doc's, and a Corvette House (he has some corvette's that had to be included!).














Last weekend was relatively warm, in the upper 40's, so we went to the park! Man, we had fun, all of us!










































Check our family website for more pictures of this fun day!!!

My birthday was on Sunday (thank you all for the birthday wishes!). I got some new headphones for my iPod. I love listening to audiobooks while I knit at night. It is really so relaxing for me. I keep stealing Jer's headphones, so he got me some nice ones for myself! Here are some pictures of my yummy cake -














Of course, I have to have a picture of my little man eating the cake. He really liked it...so much that he had to eat my LAST PIECE of it!

My birthday party is on Saturday, so I am sure I'll have more pictures to show of that soon!!!

A Moment of Silence

Last night there was a terrible tragedy in Salt Lake City. A gunman went into a large mall here and opened fire. My thoughts and prayers are with the victims, their families, and all of those who will be haunted by this night forever.

Pregnancy, and Interview, and Bouillon Cubes, OH MY!

That was just yesterday! So, the kids and I were out yesterday and when we came home, our crazy upstairs neighbor was coming outside. Now, remember, I said she was crazy. She stopped to chat for a few minutes and looked at me and said "You're not pregnant again are you?". I was shocked. Stunned. I took a minute to collect myself and said, "No. I'm just fat." She stumbled over her words this time saying, "Oh, no, I didn't mean..it takes a long time for me to lose the baby weight too. I just thought that you were pregnant because you looked like it and I thought WOW if she's pregnant again, her hands will be really full!". I looked at her again. Truly not believing that we were having this conversation and again, I said, "Nope, just fat. Thanks". And I walked inside. What a WHACK JOB! Jeremy said that I should have said, "Oh, they let you out of the loony bin again?".

Interview - well, Jeremy had another interview yesterday with the director of hip development at Zimmer. She had some reservations about him and wanted to chat with him some more. Apparently, the other people who interviewed him really liked him and so she needed to see what she was missing that they saw. So, I guess during the on site interview, she was asking him some questions and really wanted to get at his thought process on how he would handle a situation, and he didn't answer her questions well enough. She gave him a design problem and she said that he gave up too easily when he didn't know the answer (I don't remember the specifics, I will talk to him and then we will edit this part). He was really glad she called. He recently read this book, "Now, Discover your Strengths", and he told her about it. He learned from that book that he is pretty analytical (really???) and that he needs to sit and think about something before answering. He doesn't just jump in with an answer, he takes his time. She was glad to hear this, as she is the same way :) He also took a test online to see what his strengths are and sent her the results. So...we'll see. She said that they would be making a decision this week! *fingers crossed*

Bouillon cubes...*roll eyes*. My son. He is a very mischievous boy. Yesterday I was laying A down for a nap. I heard some banging of cupboards in the kitchen, but I couldn't get up to see what he was doing. So, I just took a very Zen approach and said, I'll deal with it when I get up. I go out to the kitchen about 5 or 10 minutes later and I see a chair pulled up to the counter and the spice cupboard open. S had something in his mouth and I asked him what he was eating. He opened his mouth and there was a chicken bouillon cube! GROSS! I told him to give it to me and explained that it isn't for him. He said, "Oh, it's just for Mom and Dad?". No, sweetie, it's for cooking! What a nut!

This morning I got up and he was eating my last piece of birthday cake. Ooh buddy. You don't come between Mama and her cake. He ate all the frosting (whipped, my favorite!) and the oreo that was on top. I was laying in bed dreaming of that piece of cake and it's gone. In the belly of my 2 year old. Here is the conversation he and I had:
Me: S! What are you doing?? That's my birthday cake!
S: Well, you can share!
Me: No sweetie, that's my cake!
S: But, you gave me some in my Cars bowl.
Me: Yeah, last night I did. But, that was my last piece of cake and I wanted it.
S: Sorry Mom. Sorry for eating your birthday cake Mom.

Ugh, why is he so cute? Because it saves him. Just now, he was coloring on himself and the table with markers. Who is this child?!?!

Anyhoo...my birthday was SO relaxing and fantastic! We got up and went to church. We came home and Jeremy made me lunch and then I got to have a nap. Nicole came over after my nap with a great bag she knit for me. Jeremy and Seth got me some headphones for my iPod (I think it's because I steal Jeremy's daily!), and we had some FABULOUS cake. (I'm still mourning the loss of my last piece of cake). It was a really nice day and I was so happy to share it with my family. Now, I'm the big 3-0. So far, my thirties are good :)

Oh, and I will post pictures...I just can't right now. Our great neighbors let us use their high speed internet...well, it hasn't worked for a few days now. So, I'm on dial-up. I hate dial-up.

Oh so much better!

This is how I am feeling. I lost 4 lbs. the other day! I hate being sick. I despise it! Luckily for me, my husband came home and took care of my babies so I could take care of myself! And, now, I am better!
Ok, as promised.... 30 things about me for my 30 years!

1. I was born February 11, 1977 at 11:38 pm.
2. I stay up until my birth minute every year and wish myself happy birthday.
3. Since I have become a Mother myself, I have called and thanked my Mother on my birthday.
4. I have 3 children
5. 2 are living...it's the hardest thing I've ever had to do.
6. I grew up in Omaha, NE; Coffeyville, KS; and Kaysville, UT. However, when I tell people where I'm from, I always say Kansas.
7. I could never sleep in as a child. I wished I could...it was terrible being the first one awake at a sleep over at someone else's house.
8. I would eat chocolate everyday if I could.
9. I am learning that chocolate doesn't cure everything though.
10. I have been pregnant or nursing (or both) for the last 5 years (in March)
11. I bit my toenails when I was a kid (gross, I know)
12. I have been 5 foot 6 inches since 6th grade. That was the year that I grew 6 inches!
13. I had my first kiss when I was 13. I felt so old then, but now that I have 13 year old nieces, it is SO YOUNG!
14. I am the 4th of 5 children.
15. Between the 5 children in my family, there are 20 grandchildren!
16. I love to read
17. Therefore, I love audiobooks!
18. I wish I could knit and listen to books all day long.
19. I would never do that, because I love reading to my kids and playing legos with Seth!
20. I love Barry Manilow and the Carpenter's. I thank my sister and my Mother for that.
21. I always wanted a car mat like my brother's had, when I was little.
22. My feet are always cold.
23. I wish I could knit socks faster...because my feet are always cold ;)
24. I have the best in-laws in the world, seriously.
25. I was a Sign Language interpreter for 2.5 years.
26. I have been signing for 24 years now.
27. Someday, I hope to go back and finish my degree in Deaf Education at Utah State University.
28. I made a cd when I was in college. Don't ask to hear it, I won't let you.
29. I play the piano and guitar...neither of them well, but I can.
30. I am the luckiest woman in the world to have such a fantastic family. I mean, who couldn't love these people?!?! Oh, and fyi, the last picture is Emma. I know, she looks just like Amelia!

Sick

Oh man, it sucks when Mom is sick. I've got what Seth had, but I get to take care of 2 little ones, change diapers, make food and try to be a nice Mom while doing it. Ugh.

Potty Training

Yeah, not so much. We've tried, he just isn't ready I guess. Seth told me yesterday that if he had an Elmo potty seat, he'd go on the big potty all the time. After 3 pairs of underwear, a poop incident and a couple pee incidents, he told me he really just likes diapers. So, it's back to diapers. I've had a child in diapers for the last 4 years. I'm kind of tired of diapers. However, I know that it is not ending any time soon, so I will suck it up and be happy :)

On a brighter note...my birthday is on Sunday. My dear sweet husband is giving me a party on the 17th. It will be fun. I haven't had a birthday party (a real one) since I turned 16. Yipee!!!! :D

Silent Poetry Day

t's Blogger (Silent) Poetry Reading day! I heard about it from Cara and she heard about it from this blog. So, here is an original Kim.

Emma

I lay her down, she laughs, she cries
she knows what is coming
I lie down and offer my breast
she grabs it and smiles.
Here comes the milk,
drink up my baby!
I look at her face
so sweet, so innocent.
Rosy cheeks, tousled hair,
little bit of me,
and a lot of Jer.
She is my world,
she is my joy,
I can't believe I wanted a boy!
I love her dearly
and pray
she will be happy, hopeful and
know she is loved, everyday.
Goodnight my Angel
Sleep tight my love
I'll be here all night
So if you wake up, and get scared
or hungry,
roll over, I'll be here for you
always.
Goodnight my Angel
Mommy loves you.

Written August 3, 2003, 20 days before Emma died. I find that so ironic, it was not long at all before she left me. This just gives you a glimpse of my feelings for her. I've been thinking of this poem a lot lately, as Amelia is doing much the same things Emma was when she died. She is crawling, playing with toys, and playing with me just like Emma did. It is hard for me, daily, not to call her Emma. I catch myself everyday.

Seth is sick. It came on very suddenly. His friend, Aurora, has been over all day. They left and he wanted a snack. I gave him some pudding and he didn't want it. That should have been a clue, but it wasn't. Then he wanted spaghetti. I gave him that and he barely touched it. Again, this should have given me some inkling that something was wrong. It wasn't until he was sitting with me, asleep, that he threw up everywhere. That was my clue. Sometimes we need to be smacked in the face (or puked on) to realize when something isn't right. Ugh. I hate when he doesn't feel good. It is the worst. My poor little bub.

The Z Hotel

Jeremy got home last night around midnight. He has been in Warsaw, Indiana for an interview with Zimmer. So, now we are waiting to hear from Medicine Lodge in Logan, UT and Zimmer in Warsaw. He said the interview went well, really well. They have 4 positions available in the hip team. So, we'll see.
The very interesting part of this is the hotel where he stayed. Zimmer is a pretty big deal in this small town. About 10% of the town works there and they have various buildings scattered throughout town. So, the fact that they have their own hotel isn't too odd. The art work in the hotel...well, that is another story completely.
Now, you all know that Zimmer does implants. They are an orthopaedic company, hips, knees, spine...that's their thing. So, what happens when implants meet leaves? Art in the bathroom. Yes, in the bathroom of Jer's hotel room was a picture of a knee implant among leaves. (I'm still laughing about this one). Oh how I wish he had a camera phone and he could have taken pictures. There was another piece of art involving a hip implant, but I don't remember the details.
This has inspired me. If they can do it, why can't I?? My sister-in-law, Tawnya, has a knee plate that was recently removed (and cleaned) from her leg. I am going to take it and place it in beautiful yarn. Maybe I can get it shown in the hotel even! I am excited about that! ;)

14 days!

14 days until my birthday. The big 3-0. I am pretty excited about my birthday this year. Heck, I always love my birthday. No diapers to change, no children to really take care of (all I have to do is nurse A). I really enjoy my birthday.
So, in the spirit of my birthday (and to give some hints to my sweet husband) here are some things that I hope I get this year!
1. Addi Turbo needles, size 0 and 1, 40 inch cable. I love doing socks in the magic loop, but I don't have these sizes of needles yet! You can only knit so much on 2's and 3's! :)
2. This yarn. Those who know me shouldn't be surprised, my two favorite colors!
3. Any of this yarn
4. And, any of this yarn - this is especially yummy stuff! I've blogged about it before.
5. Of course, I always love gift certificates to my lys (Local Yarn Store, Jer) my two favorites are Black Sheep Wool and/or Soul Spun Yarn. This way I could take a class or two :)
6. This is something I have been wanting for a while now. Of course, my husband (the engineer) thinks he can make me one that is electric...we'll see!
7. And, how could I have number 6 without this?!?!
8. I also adore this sock yarn. My sister in law, Stephanie got some from Santa, it is just heavenly! Sadly, it is usually sold out since she hand dyes and spins it!
9. I would love a gift certificate to this store
10. Or this one

So, I originally started this list with 5 things, I have since added on 5 more :) It is my top ten wishlist, but in no particular order. Even if I don't get any of those things, it is fun to look for them and think of what I would want :)

And, as promised, 30 things about me will be coming soon. I have to think of 30 things first! heehee!

Logan Interview

It went really well!! Jeremy felt really good about the interview. He met with 8 different people and when he called me, he sounded so upbeat and happy. There are about 10 people they are interviewing and he was the first on site interview. However, his main contact, Dan, told him that half of the people that interviewed him today were first interviews themselves :) This is somewhere Jeremy would really like to work. They will be hiring someone in February, so it shouldn't take too long :D
Since he was in Logan, Jeremy went to see his Grandparents after his interviews. It was nice for him to go see them and see his cousin, Matt, who just returned from an LDS mission to the Philippines in November.
Now the next interview is on Tuesday/Wednesday in Warsaw, IN.

While Jeremy was gone today, my friend Nicole came over. Here is a picture of our kiddos - Seth, Aurora and Eve. They were having fun with their babies.














Seth and Aurora are so funny together. They are just such great friends and crack Nicole and I up on a daily basis. Last night we went over there for dinner and Seth and Aurora got married. After they got married, Seth gave Aurora a Lightning McQueen car. She looked at Seth and very seriously said, "Oh Seth, I only like beautiful cars". Nicole and I cracked up! They are just such nutty kiddos. It is a good thing that they get along so well, it gives Nicole and I the much needed sanity/knitting breaks that we need!

The Fine Print

So, Jeremy got his interview schedule yesterday for tomorrow in Logan. He needs to be there from 8:30 until 4:30, which means he needs to leave here by 6:30 am. Not a biggie, he usually leave the house around that time. Here is the fine print though...he needs to have a 30 to 45 minute power point presentation about his interests and past projects. He's freaking out a little bit. Eek!

He's Leaving

Jeremy is going to Indiana next Tuesday! He will get into Fort Wayne around 6 pm and have interviews on Wednesday until 2. Then, they will have a realtor show him around town. I was pretty excited about that, thinking that they would be offering him a job, but after talking to my Dad, it makes more sense that they want him to know the town so that he can make a good educated decision when/if they offer him a job. Wow. Hows that for a run on sentence?
So, there is that. But wait, there's more!
He is going to Logan on Friday for interviews with the company up there!!! Man, I am so excited. I love Logan. It is where I went to school, I adore that town. However, I would LOVE to leave Utah. I have never been a huge fan of this state. But, I have so many fabulous friends here and my family and of course Emma is buried here. Also, the job would be really great for Jeremy's career, he'd get lots of experience in different areas, whereas with Zimmer, he'd just do hips. oh it is just going to be a difficult decision for sure. We will have to pray about it lots.

My Mom was so excited and saying that she is just sure that he will have a job within the next couple of weeks. My sweet Mom...she has been saying this since June! She is forever the optimist. However, we've been here before. Multiple companies wanting to meet him and having him out for interviews, and then no job. So, we are cautiously optimistic. My Dad likes this term, I do too.

So, now to the kids. Amelia is sitting up and sitting herself up now! She crawls (kind of) and gets where she wants to go. She turned 7 months yesterday. I can't believe it's been 7 months! Only 1 month and 1 week until she is the same age Emma was. This is hard. This is a very hard time for me. It was with Seth too, but more so with Amelia. Probably because she is a girl and looks SO much like Emma, and she sounds like her too when she talks. *sigh* Sometimes it is just so hard.

Oh Seth

He is just so silly. Here was his prayer tonight, "Heavenly Father, thank you for blessings, thank you for Emma and Santa". He is a NUT! I love having this silly 2 year old in my house (most the time). He truly makes Jeremy and I laugh...which is a VERY good thing otherwise he may not be here any longer ;)

Houston, we have INTERVIEWS!

So, last Thursday, Jeremy had an interview with Zimmer, a company in Indiana. For those who remember, he interviewed with them in September, they liked him and wanted to bring him out, but the job was canceled due to budget issues. Well, they interviewed him for a different position last week. They called today and want to bring him out for an interview!! YIPEE!!

Then, on Friday a company in Logan, UT called. They did a phone interview with him on Friday. The gentleman he spoke with said that they originally wanted someone with more experience, but if the right person came along, they'd work with them. He has a phone interview with the rest of the team tomorrow at 4. Man, it would be awesome if he got offered both jobs and we could PICK where we lived!

Both places have perks, so we'll have to pray about it and decide where we really need to be right now. Keep us in your prayers please!

As for us...I'm sick, the kids are sick...man I hate colds! I don't like wiping runny noses. My babies don't like it either. :(

I'm trying to get some knitting done and quick! I am making some beautifully sweet booties for my friend Sarah's little baby girl, Zoey. I am hoping to get them out this week and she can have them before she turns 4 weeks on Saturday! :) Then, I have a purse to make, a headband, a scarf and a shawl. All before my birthday on February 11.

Speaking of my birthday...I'm going to be 30 this year. Kind of a big one. I am excited to be 30. I have always loved my birthday. It is a great time for me. A time of reflection and goal setting. Watch for an upcoming post...30 things about me, just in time for my birthday!

6 Things About Me

I was tagged by Heather

"According to the rules... Each player of this game starts with the "6 Weird Things about You". People who get tagged need to write a blog of their own 6 weird things as well as state this rule clearly. In the end, you need to choose 6 people to be tagged and list their names. Don't forget to leave a comment that says 'you are tagged' in their comments and tell them to read your blog!"

1. I hate wet socks. If my socks get wet, it will drive me BATTY! I must have dry socks at all times...I'm weird I know. But wait, there's more!

2. I am FREAKISHLY anal about my windshield being clean. I can.not.stand. a dirty windshield! I won't drive if there is anything on it, leaves, bugs, what have you...freakishly anal people.

3. Some of my best friends, I've never met in person. I've been on a discussion board since I got pregnant with Emma (April 2002) and we were all due at the same time. We have been friends for almost 5 years and most of us have never met!

4. I can't sleep if I haven't knitted at all that day. Seriously, I am addicted! If I haven't had a chance to knit during the day, I will stay up until midnight knitting, then I can fall asleep :)

5. Now, this may be weird to some of you, but it's not to me - I can never have enough yarn. nuff said.

6. II love tomatoes, but I hate chunks of tomatoes in things. Salsa, spaghetti sauce...yuck! But, I will eat a tomato right out of the garden any day! :)

Ok, now I am sending this along to Lori, Nicole, Michelle, Stephanie, and Jenn.

Yeah, I know, I didn't tag 6 people...that's me, living by my own rules! haha!

I just want my Dad!

My sweet boy is sick. He has a bad cough and a fever. I hate when he is sick. Last night at about 11:30, he woke up coughing. I was still awake, so I went in to take care of him. I got him some water and laid down with him. Well, he just got very upset with me. Here is the conversation we had;
S: No!
M: What's wrong baby? Mommy's here, it's ok.
S: I want my Dad. I don't want you. I just want my Dad!
M: Oh, ok sweetie. Just a minute, I"ll go get him for you.

So, with broken heart, I went and got my husband. My heart wasn't broken for too long since Jer had to be the one awake with him all night and not me. I guess this is what happens when Daddy takes over nighttime parenting. This is what we did when he night weaned, I am SO glad! It really is sweet that he loves his Daddy so much. Sometimes I wish that I could comfort him still. Oh well...hopefully he will get better fast. I hate sickness.