30 Weeks And Growing

30 week belly

Here are some stats:

• Waist: 38 inches....and growing
• Weight: gained 17 pounds....and gaining
• Pregnancy woes: heartburn (since about 20 weeks or so), leg cramps, nausea (only occasionally since week 15), fatigue (2ND trimester rocked! I'm needing a daily nap again...if only), wearing the same clothes over and over and over again...
• Pregnancy joys: feeling our Little Rascal kick, punch, and squirm, good complexion, excitement in the addition to our little family, no complications
• Food cravings: Soft pretzels, crisp bean burritos, fruit
• Food aversions: chocolate (love it, but hate the heartburn), hamburger (I just finished cooking 12 pounds of hamburger for the ward party....I don't think I will be able to look at raw red meat for a VERY long time!), anything I cook looks disgusting...

For the most part the baby isn't too much a factor in Jaxon's little universe right now. He will usually give the baby a hug and a kiss daily and he is really sweet to not "bump" the baby. If he does, he will come over and kiss my belly and say "Sorry baby!". I'm going to sign him up for a big brother class at the hospital. I think it will be fun, but we'll see. Jaxon loves other babies, especially his little cousins. I'm excited to see how he responds to the baby that is going to be joining his life permanently.

Who Would Have Thunk?

A Day With Grandpa

Today my dad decided to take the "Big 4" (the 4 oldest grandkids) to the Treehouse museum. Since his retirement he has all sorts of time on his hands. (Driving the missionaries to a doctor appointment turned into showing them Snow Basin and going to find a bald eagle. They would have made it to the Bingham Canyon Copper Mine, but the missionaries said that was absolutely out of their mission.)

Back to the post at hand, here are photos from our day with grandpa.

Grandpa helping Jeffrey make a dinosaur rubbing.

The "Big 4" on the firetruck (and some random kid in the back).

Lauren enjoyed picking flowers. Surprisingly Jaxon did not.
Jeffrey, Jaxon, and Jayne in the Oval Office. (Lauren is MIA.)
Our future leaders. Hmmm. Should we be worried?
The cousins stopped to play a little dress up in the castle area. Well, all the cousins minus Jaxon. Jeffrey "The King", Jayne "The Jester", Lauren "The Queen"...
...and Jaxon "The Monkey"
Jaxon was bound and determined to pull the sword from the stone.
FYI...it doesn't come out. I tried.

Entrance to the Treehouse: $5

Memories to cherish: Priceless

Family Night Fun

Family Night is a pretty simple and routine ordeal. Song "Popcorn Popping", prayer, 2 minute lesson, activity, and occasionally a treat. The biggest part of the night at our house is not in the treat, but the activity. The activity is usually a game of Jaxon's choice. Tonight we played Hungry, Hungry Hippos and Candy Land.

I got tired during Candy Land and decided to lie down while we played. It wasn't too much longer that Jaxon thought he would try lying down like me. You might also notice the chocolate milk mustache he is sporting...stunning, really!
He won. Legitimately. But he was equally excited when I finally made it to Candy Land. What a gracious winner!

My Monster

He tries to be scary, really, he tries.

I think he's just adorable!

The Man Of The House

I've been tagged! Here's the 411 on my man...

What is his name? Brian Scott ... Ute Fan Extraordinaire

How long have you been married? 7 years 2 months... or so Ü

How long did you date? 6 months

How old is he? 31 next month

Who eats more? He eats more during a meal, but I eat more meals.

Who said "I love you first"? I'm pretty sure it was me and I'm pretty sure I felt really stupid after I said it. (I'll have to consult the diary on this one!)

Who is smarter?No contest....he is!

Whose temper is worse? I get frustrated more easily...neither one of us has a real "temper"

Who does the laundry? I usually do the laundry, but if Brian needs something washed he'll just put a load in the washer. He's great at taking the initiative!!

Who does the dishes? Me. Is this negotiable?

Who sleeps on the right side of the bed? He does. In fact, he is usually the one who gets up with Jaxon. Mostly for the fact that he hears him first.

Who pays the bills? I do. But he usually has to fix the checkbook after I've made a mess of it and can't get it to balance.

Who cooks dinner? I do the majority of the time. Again, he will do it (and does do it) if I'm not feeling well, too tired, or just too lazy to do it. He usually makes breakfast on Saturday mornings.

Who drives when you are together? He does, unless he is super tired. (I think I've driven a dozen times with him.)

Who is more stubborn? We're about the same...depends on the issue.

Who proposed? He did. He proposed at Sherwood Hills (where we first hung out together and started the whole relationship thing)while we watched the sunrise. It was Peach Days in Brigham City.

Who's parents do you see the most? I see my parents more frequently, but we spend more time with his parents.

Who has more friends? Are you kidding me? Everyone loves Brian! (He would probably disagree. Number of friends might be a tie. We are both lucky to have LOTS of great friends. Sadly, don't hang out with many people anymore (hint, hint) I guess having kids does that.)

Who has more siblings? I do. He has 2 brothers and 1 sister, I have 3 sisters and 2 brothers.

Who wears the pants in the family? Definitely Brian!!

I am tagging....Michelle, Heidi, Melisa

Brian and Jaxon studying physics. Jaxon was only a few days old.

Our engagement party with some of our institute council friends...that's how we first met.

Brian and Steve Young @ the 2002 Winter Olympics. Brian tested athletes for drugs and also led in a country for the opening/closing ceremonies.

Brian on his mission in the Philippines.

Can You Say "Loved"?

One of the many perks of having 25 "kids"...

Aren't my school kids the greatest?

Jaxon sure has enjoyed being the benefactor of such sweetness. (If anyone is needing a chocolate fix...please come see me!) The cupcake is a train that says "I Choo Choose You!"...cute!

But the very best part of my day came at 1:10 this afternoon.

There I was, sitting at my desk correcting papers, waiting for the kids to finish their math timings, when I hear a little tink tink tinkling sound. I look up to see our assistant principal enter the room. This is usually followed by "Can I borrow so-and-so for a few minutes?" Not today. Today was goooood. Today she came delivering sweetness. Today she brought joy, happiness, and sunshine all wrapped up in a vase full of love....all the way from Denver! Awww, what a guy!

Aren't they purty?

Happy Valentine's Day!!!

I LOVE...

Valentine's Day

V incent's (Brian, Jaxon, Anne, Scott, Becky, Brady, Adam, Emily, Mamata, etc. etc. etc.)Families...

A nderson's (Mom, Dad, Jen, Dave, Lauren, Garrett, Rob, Nat, Jayne, Jeffrey, Isaac, Trevor, Kayla, Josh, Wyatt, Katherine, Marc, etc. etc. etc.).... Are Forever

L aughter

E xercise (don't do it enough, but love the feeling when I do)

N aptime... ah, beautiful naptime

T axes and tithing (Because I have been given much...)

I nsurance

N eighbors

E ating good foods

S anity....you don't appreciate what you have until it's gone. *sigh*

D ates with my boys

A B C's...without them we couldn't read...and I LOVE to read!

Y OU!

Yippee Skippee!!!

I rarely ever win anything. In 6th grade I correctly guessed how many gummy worms were in the jar at my friend's Halloween party. In junior high I won a t-shirt for coming up with a slogan for drinking milk. (It was so amazing that I have absolutely no idea what it was...but the shirt was awesome!) My first year teaching we had a drawing for a 2-drawer file cabinet and I won that. My winning streak pretty much ends there. Until today...

You see, there is this blog I like to read, but I don't actually know the people so I feel a little guilty lurking around. Yesterday as I clicked in I noticed they were having a contest (they have another fabulous contest going on right now....you should all at least check it out, the grand prize is amazing). All I had to do was post a comment on what I wanted for Valentine's Day or what I was giving for Valentine's Day. The prize? A $25 gift certificate to Target. I love free stuff just about as much as the next gal. So, I commented. Not too hard to do. And guess what? (You probably already know...but take a guess anyway).... I WON!!!!

So, check out the blog. It's fabulous! Lots of good advice (and even more laughs). Thank you Donkey and Wife. You've just made my day!

I Can Do Hard Things

Growing up, one of my mom's favorite sayings was "You can do hard things". Yeah, well sometimes I don't want to do hard things, whether I know I can or not. I didn't think that Brian's trip to Denver would be this hard. I have done the single mom thing before and I survived. The last few nights have been rough. Nothing huge or out of the ordinary. Jaxon and I are really missing Brian. It's bearable. Just rough.

Last night I was struggling with the whole "I'm all alone" bit. Today I had a baby shower to go to for a good friend. I really didn't want to take Jaxon with me for the simple fact that there wouldn't be any other kids there and I just wanted some time to talk to my friends without worrying about the mess that he was making. I feel like I ever do is ask people to watch Jaxon for me. I feel like such a burden sometimes! What else could I do? I either take him with me or find someone to babysit for me. When the daddy is gone there aren't any other options. So I made a few calls last night in hopes that someone out there was just dying to watch my child. Nothing. I started to feel discouraged and (like usual) cried while saying my prayers. I pleaded with Heavenly Father that he would help me be the single mom while Brian is away. I was feeling so worn out. I really wanted to go to the shower and have some "me" time. Not work time. Not mom time. Me time with my friends. I went to bed feeling a great sense of peace that everything would work out (as it always does.)

So this morning came and I made more phone calls. I even called kids that I would pay to watch Jaxon. Again, nothing. I completely understood. Saturday is a busy day for everyone. After multiple attempts, I again became very discouraged. I really thought everything was going to work out. I resigned myself to the fact that I would being taking Jaxon to the babyshower (guaranteed to now be a short appearance), I would miss the leadership training broadcast, but I was convinced that we would have a good day anyway.

We hadn't been at the shower for 5 minutes when a friend of mine said "Why didn't you call me? Jaxon can go play with my boys." I told her that I had called earlier and no one had answered. After a quick call to her husband to make sure it was okay that Jaxon joined the ranks, I wisked him off to her house where he was able to play all he wanted....and I was able to enjoy the shower with my friends.

As we were getting our food, I was talking to another friend. Originally her husband (the bishop) had said that she didn't need to worry about going to the broadcast because it was more important that they spend some time together. He went to the broadcast this morning and when he got home he told her that she needed to go and that she needed to take me with her. So tonight Jaxon is going to go play with the bishop and his 2 girls (whom he loves) and I am going out for the 2nd time today and have "me" time. I don't doubt that it will be a spiritual boost and a much needed rejuvenation.

This was a day of answered prayers. Simple to some and possibly insignificant to others. But to me it shows me that I am not alone. My prayers are heard. I am loved. The Lord will always find a way to give us what we need.

Bunch of Stuff

What were you doing 10 years ago?

Winter Quarter of my first year of college at WSU....getting excited for the Sweethearts Dance at the Institute with Kyle Poll....hanging out with Melisa Cogdill and our new WSU friends...thinking that college life was the absolute best life EVER!!





5 things on my "to-do" list today...

*Fold the Laundry
* Get ready for Parent/Teacher Conferences
* Give Jaxon his meds
* Conference with 12 students and their parents....usually pretty uneventful, last night we had to pull out the box of tissues for one mom.
* Watch American Idol

6 Snacks that I enjoy…

* Kettle Korn Popcorn
* Black Licorice
* Gold Fish Crackers
* Trail Mix (sunflower seeds, peanuts, M&M's, raisins)
* Apples
* Cereal Bars (raspberry or strawberry)

3 Bad habits...

*I have to doodle when I'm on the phone...I write down random things being said
*I scratch my throat by making a growling sound. It drives Brian crazy! Jaxon has picked up this awful habit! Oops!
*I don't know if I could talk without using my hands

If I were suddenly a billionaire I would...

*Pay off student loans
*Build our dream house
*Buy Brian a helicopter
*Give very generous tips just because I could

5 Places I've lived…

*Clinton (with my parents)
*Ogden
*Clinton (we lived in the house for 3 weeks...it was a rental that got sold)
*Clinton (Cindy's duplex)
*West Point...boy, I've really ventured out, haven't I?

5 Jobs I've had…

*Painter for Davis School District
*Receptionist at Mountain View Medical
*Front-End Manager at Macey's
*Teacher, 2nd and 4th grades
*Mom

5 Things people don't know about me…

* I like my sandwiches dry...I don't eat mayonaise or salad dressing
* I don't know how to swim...I've taken lessons, I'm just EXTREMELY afraid of drowning
* I get the munchies when I read.
* I am claustrophobic...I. Must. Have. Air!!! (linked to the fear of drowning thing)
* I don't wear a lot of make-up...mostly because I'm too lazy to do it, not that I don't need it. I've had the same consealer since before we were married (7 years ago)

5 People I'm tagging...

*Ruth
*Melisa
*Natasha
*Heidi
*Josh

Fishy Face

Fishy Face

a.k.a. nebulizer treatment

Jaxon came down with croup last night. It scared me out of my mind! I was so worried that he was going to stop breathing. He would be completely asleep (wheezing, but asleep) then start gasping for air as he tried desperately to cough. I've always just relied on Brian to tell me what to do when Jaxon has been sick. With Brian in Denver (and working 3-midnight last night), I left him a message of Jaxon coughing and trying to talk in the phone. When Brian got off his shift he returned the call and put my crazy, freaked out mind to ease.

Our night from 12:35 a.m. - 4 a.m. consisted of the following:

• 1 nebulizer treatment of Xopenex.....did not work (guess it really is just for asthma)


• 1 nebulizer treatment of ice chips....worked like a charm (when we finished, Jaxon was jumping up and down on my bed yelling "Fishy Face made me aaaaaall better!"...at 3:27 a.m.!)


• 1 humidifier of ice water....didn't do much


• 2 phone calls to Wee Care Pediactics (2 a.m. and 3:43 a.m....one for advice, the other to schedule an appointment)


• 5 phone calls to Brian


• lots of hugs, snuggles, tears, and silent prayers

The doctor said it should only last another 3 nights, but we have meds now so hopefully tonight will go much smoother.

One more thing: the PA we saw this morning is also our primary chorister. When he walked in to the exam room this morning, Jaxon said "Is this Primary?!" Well, no. But he did offer to sing some songs with him!

1 Down, 3 to Go

Happy to report that we have all survived week one of Brian's ER rotation in Denver. Whew! I hear the first week is the hardest....right?!?! Jaxon has been superb Ü!!!! It has gone so much better than I would have thought (knock on wood). Jaxon puts a sticker on our chart every night before we go to bed. He desperately wants to put a sticker on the #1 spot because he knows the next one is the day that Daddy comes home. I thought the visual would help him understand that Brian would be gone for A LOT of days, but each night on the phone Jaxon asks him, "Dad? Are you coming home now?" and of course, "Dad, can we wrestle?" Jaxon has even volunteered to wait on the couch until Brian comes home. It's been tough, especially not having his wrestling buddy (poor Dinosaur is getting the brunt of it) but we're hanging in there.