Blurbs from the Browns

SWEET SEVENTEEN (months)

2011-02-10T16:18:00.000-10:00

Averie Emma Brown...aka DIVA aka Ave aka Sisserina aka Ninja aka Angel Muffin. This sweet busy ball of energy changed our lives forever SEVENTEEN months ago today. Time is FLYING! I love everything about this girl even though she gives my patience a run for its money just about every 45 minutes. I admire her thrill to try new things. I love watching her accomplish something and feel so proud of herself. I love how she nods with her ENTIRE body while mouthing words that never actually come out. She's starting to appreciate shoes, and has to wear the pair SHE wants to when leaving the house. Who can knock a girl for that? ;) Averie is VERY Particular, or at least it's starting to look that way. Her food has to be ON her tray and her drink cannot be with it until she's ready to wash her food down. She loves dolls and Elmo and her friend Dmitri. She's absolutely head over heels for her big brother, and watching her wave and blow kisses to him through the laptop while he's away melts my heart.

The funniest thing about Averie at the moment are her faces. She can furrow her brow and get sassy at the drop of a hat. She will get all serious, let out an "ugh" and purse her lips. Heeeelarious!

The last few times we have gone to give her a bath she has FREAKED OUT while removing her diaper. Jon and I could not figure out why she was going ballistic on us. Two nights ago, I went to take of her diaper and she flipped and ran out of the bathroom screaming into her room. Come to find out, she prefers to have her diaper taken off on her changing table before her bath. Who knew? I sure as heck did not!

The Many faces of Averie are as follows...

My personal Favorite :)

We went swimming with friends today so I took the opportunity to capture Ave in her swimsuit.

I love her chubby little dorito covered hands

Homegirl has the BOMB lashes...wait till she's allowed to wear mascara!

She brings so much joy to our lives. I could not imagine life without her!

LEGO Love

2011-01-24T14:02:00.000-10:00

Aiden LOVES legos. It's always a topic of conversation. We have been a little hesitant to bring them into the house since Averie is still small. However, we set a few rules in place and decided it was time :)

Jon and Aiden were playing with the plane they built. We watched that thing take off and land for quite a while!

Mom I am totally uncapable of smiling normal..just sayin'.

I told Aiden that he could not smile whatsoever, no matter what...this was the result :)

Whoa Whoa Whoa

2011-01-24T13:55:00.000-10:00

So much for my New Year's goal of blogging 2 times a week. Here we are wrapping up January and i still don't have Christmas on here! Sheesh....What is a mama to do?

In the light of my procrastination and the pure slackage that has been taking place in my blog world, I will quickly summarize our wonderful Christmas holiday in a few (ok a lot of) pictures.

When Jon proposed on Christmas eve 2 years ago, we all had homemade pizzas for dinner. We have decided to keep that tasty and new tradition alive in our family. Below are the kids strategically placing their pepperoni.

Ave naturally had to do a taste test. She's definitely belongs to Jon and I. :)

Here's the muffin enjoying all her hard work :)

Abay ate to quick to get a picture...but he's diggin his snowman straw..

The sleep deprived but super excited parents!

Christmas Jammies

Lucky the Elf brought Aiden and Averie the Rudolph Wii game..Abay is quite the wii master...

the forced by my mom to smile by the tree picture :)

Kids in their new PJs

We made Hello Dollies for Santa this year...we were told that these are his favorite!

YUM-O!

Christmas morning the kids were up about 7:15 I think. I'm so glad that they aren't in the "I have to get up as early as humanly possible on Christmas" mode yet. The kids got right to business! Aiden was so happy he could FINALLY open all the gifts that have been catching his eye for a month. Santa brought him a Buzz Lightyear jet pack, a workbench, and a glow doodle. Averie received a little tikes Cozy Coupe (which she stayed in alllllllll day and wouldn't get out unless forced), she got a barbie 4 wheeler as well. We bought the kids so many fun gifts, and it was so much fun shopping for them. Aiden's favorite thing however was from Daddy Jonny. He received LEGOS!!!!!!! He now has a passenger plane, firetruck, boat, and helicopter to start his lego collection. Talk about a boy in heaven!

The gifts after unwrapping. I must admit it's nice to have our house back :)

We had our missionaries over Christmas morning for some homemade cinnamon rolls and a few gifts. They were so shocked that they had gifts to open. That made it so much more meaningful and fun. We got them some t-shirts and a flag football set. We also got them the ingredients to make nutella marshmallow rolls. We made them one night when they came for dinner and ever since they have become famous. :)

Elder Post and Elder Davies with Aiden

It was a wonderful, quiet, and stress free holiday for us. It was so great to be together and just "be." I hope every year is just as amazing!

Cookies!

2010-12-13T10:03:00.004-10:00

One of Aiden's favorite activities is making Christmas Cookies. I don't think the time of year matters either :) I made my mom's sour cream sugar cookie recipe..which is my ABSOLUTE FAVORITE most amazing sugar cookie recipe ever on the face of the Earth (in my humble opinion). Aiden did a great job of cutting out the shapes and Averie did a great job of sticking her fingers in the dough and eating whatever she could shove in her mouth. :)

I swear he's happy despite his odd look....

These kids are quite serious about their cookie cutting...

Pigtails

2010-12-05T09:44:00.003-10:00

Our sweet girl is turning FIFTEEN months this next week. Uhm...excuse me? Did you just say FIFTEEN? That can't be! I could have sworn I would be super skinny by the time she was 6 months...whoops :) Anyway, now that Ave has a little more hair in the back than she does up top, my girlfriend Sara told me about a friend of hers who has her daughter's hair in pigtails in the back and just lets the top hang loose. This got my wannabe hairdresser wheels turning in my head...would this work on my little muffin cake? Let's give it a whirl...

Here's a glimpse of the back

Success! I'm in love!

One went limp...maybe need some "product" on these babies..

Sweet sweet Piggies :)

Field Trip!

2010-12-05T09:30:00.003-10:00

Aiden's preschool ventured out to the mac nut farm this past week. It was SUPER FUN! Averie and I rode with another mom, and joined in on the festivities. We saw a coconut demonstration, a really fun bus ride in a bus that looked like in belonged in a movie. It had busted out windows, rusty, filthy actually, but it was fun going through what Aiden called the "forest." We went on a canoe ride as well. It rained on us the whole time. Got a gorgeous picture of the mountains from the boat though! We ended the day with a trip to Mickey D's, and I'm happy to report that Aiden chose apples over french fries :) Averie slept the whole way home, and it was much needed. Homegirl needs her beauty rest!

Here's Aiden with some of the kids from his class..

Gorgeous mountains from boat

kids and I after coconut demo

Calling all villagers!

Ave scored a cookie from the ladies in the gift shop!

It was a fun day. Wish daddy Jonny could have joined us!

Life...and the pursuit of CRAZYness....

2010-12-03T22:11:00.003-10:00

Well.....it looks like our blog is needing some serious love. I've had so much fun lately stalking everyone ELSE's blog... and I've made ZERO time to write on my own. I feel like I have been so busy, but when I sit and look at what I've been doing, it really seems like a whole lotta nuttin'. Go figure. SO I have decided to "try" to make a serious commitment to be a little more ''blogworthy'' and document the going ons of our family. After all, you blink and it's all gone in an instant right?

Now where to begin? I feel like I have so much catching up to do it would take me a month just to get it all up, so I think I'm just gonna jump in where I am right at this very moment.

Lauren: I am super content and happy with life. I have so much around me that I have to be grateful for. My kids are healthy, fed, and bathed (most of the time), I'm getting busier with Endless Glow, vinyl is picking up in a big way, my house is clean most days, and I've been able to spend time with some wonderful friends. Leaving Hawaii is going to be an emotional event FOR SURE. I love my life here. It's where Jon and I started, where we brought Averie home, where I survived our first deployment together, and where I've made AMAZING friends with whom I will keep in touch with forever. Life really is good. I feel immensely blessed.

Jon: I can't really speak for JB, (although what kind of wife would I be if I didn't try) ;) but he has been flying again, and I think it's been going well. He's flying nights, so his day starts at 1:00pm and ends anywhere from 9:00pm-1:00am. He's been in TWO college chemistry courses through Oregon State University, and is prepping for the SAT...which happens to be TOMORROW! It's been a WILD and JAM PACKED couple of months. I think it's safe to say that after next week when classes end and the SAT is out of the way, we have a great excuse to celebrate!

Speaking of that, Jon was in a golf scramble today with the guys from work, and whoever won and beat the commander would get a 3 day weekend. Not only did Jon and his partner Matty WIN...Jon got his first HOLE IN ONE!!!!!!! They ended up -5 after 9 holes. I'm super proud!! He got a trophy and will be in the newspaper tomorrow.

Aiden: This little whippersnapper has been in preschool 3 days a week since October, and he is LOVING IT! I cannot believe how much he has grown and learned in just a few weeks. He's recognizing so many letter sounds, and associating them with words, among many other things. He's always singing, and is such a happy kid. He can successfully recite the Pledge of Allegiance. He says it PERFECTLY and it's so adorable. His favorite song right now is, "Rain is a good thing" by Luke Bryan, and he's really into Christmas songs right now. I think we laugh daily at the stuff that he says, and I wish I could freeze him like this and he would never get bigger. Some of the things that we've heard lately include...

1- me "Aiden, why does it take you sooooooo lonnnnngggg to go potty?" Aiden-" Because I have brain damage mom."

2- "Mom, Jesus has special powers. He was not at the temple when we went there. I wish he would just appear in my room."

3- "Kids can't see Santa in their house on Christmas, 'cuz if they do, all his magic will go away and you'll have the worst Christmas ever."

Every time he says a prayer, he prays that Averie and Daddy Jonny will "get better from their sickness." They haven't been sick in weeks...but I guess a little extra praying might prevent more? :)

Averie: Oh miss Ave. Her personality is unreal. I have one word for it. D.I.V.A. She has got to be the funniest baby in the world. Sometimes I wish I could freeze her too. She's so freaking smart and sneaky she has been named the "ninja." You can take something out of her hand and then IMMEDIATELY something else appears. I have ever seen anything like it. She loves being elevated. So we find her standing on anything and everything she can to gain a couple inches. She figured out how to use her car as a step stool, so she can get on the sofa now. That lasted about twice, now she doesn't even need the help. She's figured out how to get on the kitchen chairs as well. Just tonight she ended up in Aiden's lap while he was finishing dinner. Oy. When asked if she's hungry, she will nod "yes" with her WHOLE BODY and run to her high chair to be buckled in. But you absolutely canNOT...in no way whatsoEVER slide her tray on without putting on her Elmo bib FIRST. Good gravy. The same goes with napping/bathtime/bedtime. You ask if she wants to do it, you get the body nod of approval and she darts to the gate at the bottom of the stairs and starts to wave and say "bye bye" to everyone who is within earshot. Like I said. Smart. Opinionated. Sassy. Whoa are Jon and I in for it. She's something else I tell ya. I couldn't imagine our life without her. She brings so much fun, silliness, innocence, curiosity, and just all around JOY to all who meet her. We are lucky to call her our own.

That's pretty much it in a nutshell. We've been getting excited for Christmas! The kids got an Elf on the Shelf on Thanksgiving night, and named him Lucky Twinkletoes. He's been doing a great job scouting for Santa, and for the most part has had good things to report. Our Christmas shopping is finished, minus a few odds and ends, and we made our first round of sugar cookies tonight, which will be decorated VERY soon!

I'm going to see if I can scrounge up some pictures and post them below...

Our tree (horrible pic) It's cute I promise!

Brotherly Love.

Aiden at school holding the flag for the Pledge

Afternoon walk...complete with accessories!

Surprise from Santa!

Family night @ the Browns

2010-10-01T16:46:00.003-10:00

Aiden ate ALLLLLL his green beans last week at dinner, so we told him that we would make popcorn with our popcorn machine and watch a movie the next night. He was SUPER excited to get the machine out and watch Monsters vs. Aliens. He was adamant that we all wear the proper eye protection to protect our eyes from anything that might pop out of the popcorn machine at our faces...

Here's Daddy Jonny with his eye protection....

Aiden is quite the popcorn connoisseur and is serious about his popcorn making...

It was a really fun night, and I'm grateful for these times we get to spend just doing the little things. It didn't cost us a dime, we didn't have to go anywhere, and we laughed and had a really great time just being together. I love our family and I look forward to many more family nights making memories just like these :)

I'm so behind!

2010-09-05T13:27:00.001-10:00

We are HAVING A BLAST on our vacation! I have so much to catch up on I don't even know where to start! Maybe i'll do it all once we are back in Hawaii....until then..

The "Washmallow" Jar

2010-07-07T00:00:00.003-10:00

One day I was losing my mind (I do that more that I would like to admit). I was just fed up with the constant chattiness of Aiden, Averie in DIRE need of stuff, a messy house, no husband, not enough hours in the day, not enough arms/hands etc. Basically a pity party tailored just for yours truly. After a few deep breaths, a diet coke and moment to get myself together, I realized that I needed something to bridge the gap between Aiden needing discipline and my inconsistency. I find that it's too easy for me to just tune out what I don't feel like addressing and then all of a sudden I SNAP, raise my voice and go nutso and my sweet son has no idea what happened. :( A light bulb went off in my head and I dashed to the kitchen to locate a jar that Aiden could fill with something when he made a good choice. I thought this would be good because it would alleviate the what feels like constant explaining on my part and the constant negotiation on his. So, out of my rear I introduced the "good choice" jar with a bag of marshmallows....

I read somewhere that to understand and retain something, it is good for us to engage as many senses as possible...or something to that effect. So when introducing the jar I realized that Aiden will get to "touch" his marshmallows when filling up the container, "see" them in there so he can visualize his progress, and "hear" my praise for good behavior. On the flip side, I could remove a mallow when he's been naughty. It was sounding more and more like a great idea. So, out it comes and I tell Aiden about the concept behind the jar and what it means, the rules, and what will happen when he fills it up. I told him we could go on a "date" for ice cream or a movie, or we could go let him pick something out at Target...basically whatever was special to him. Of course he chose to pick out a toy at Target. Total boy after my own heart :)

Some of the things that earn marshmallows, or rather "washmallows" as A-Bay calls them, are putting Averie's bottles in the sink, making his bed, being sweet and sharing with his sister, throwing trash away, eating ALL his dinner, etc. He has DONE a GREAT job and it's only taken him a couple weeks and he's about to earn his prize. It has been a GINORMOUS stress reliever for me because a) I don't have to freak out when he's getting a little wacky b) it closes that gap between me subconsciously tuning out and him getting away with whatever c) He's actually EXCITED to make good choices! I walked in his room just this morning to a made bed and picked up toys. Uhm...HELLO?! Why didn't I do this a year ago?? Another bonus is when we are out and about, he doesn't ask for anything and everything around him. He gets reminded once that his jar is still not quite full and until it is, he has to wait. Fanflippintastic...

I love my boy so much it's crazy...and to see him succeeding in this little endeavor has been super rewarding for BOTH of us. Hooray for free agency and making good choices!

Rarrr!

2010-07-06T23:21:00.004-10:00

I've decided LONG ago that Aiden watches way TOO MUCH television. Sometimes it's just easier for me to turn on PBS kids or Nick Jr. and let him veg out while I get my stuff done. Well, since begging for TV has become a regular thing around here, I've decided that I just need to keep him busy...OUT of the house and AWAY from the BOOB TUBE.

Pearlridge mall has a dinosaur exhibit with a train that I decided to take the kids to. I was actually really impressed with how nice it was. Of course i couldn't tell Aiden where we were going until we pulled into the garage...because it would have been nonstop CHATTING the entire ride there. However, once I revealed the surprise, little man was grinning ear to ear.

Aiden got to hold a T-Rex tooth and pose for a little photo op. He wasn't to thrilled at getting close to that giant head behind him...

But, I made him do it anyway. He kept saying in a shakey voice, "I don't wanna touch his teeth mom, I can't he's gonna EEEEEEEEEEEEAT me!" So of course I tried to get him to stick his whole head in there and pretend that he was being eaten. He won that battle, and the next picture was as far as we got. :)
His little imagination is currently running wild, so I can understand his fear of the "beasts." They really were realistic looking. He was super thrilled about getting to ride the train...but when he saw the dinosaurs all around the tracks, he was starting to second guess himself. I told him to buckle up and just close his eyes when he saw a scary one. He was reminded by the train workers, my girlfriend Erin, and myself that they were just robots and they couldn't walk. He wasn't convinced. So as he passed the T-Rex the first few times this is what he did...

By the end he was waving and happy. Thank goodness. I was starting to feel bad that he was so nervous. It's a great feeling to watch your kids overcome something. Even if it's a silly dinosaur exhibit.

The above picture is Aiden's friend Ali. She came to the train with us and then we all headed over to 808 bounce to jump in the inflatable jumpy things for a bit. It turned out to be a fun day. I'm excited to see the next exhibit the mall will offer!

R&R Part Deux

2010-06-29T21:55:00.003-10:00

Well..too much time has passed and I have quite a few things I would like to blog about. BUT, I don't want to start on those until I finish our R&R stuff. We really just spent Jon's last week at home just doing everyday things. We saw How to Train Your Dragon, I made homemade cinnamon rolls (Deeeeelish), we shopped A LOT, reorganized the kids closets (hallelujah!), and got more stuff done in the garage. I never think that things are that unorganized until I see the results of a few hours spent getting things in order. Oh the peace and calmness that washes over me! I love opening the kids' closet and seeing BEAUTIFUL AND ORGANIZED shelves, racks, etc. And the garage looks FAB as well. I love the home that Jon and I have made here and I can't wait to have him back so we can enjoy it together!

My new love...the cinnamon rolls to die for!

Abay with a shark in Kailua-Kona

Averie is "kind of a big deal" :)

Daddy Jonny and his babes before the airport. One of my favorite pics of them.

Hurry home Daddy! We love and miss you!

R&R 2010

2010-06-16T21:21:00.007-10:00

My sweet sweet boy came home from Iraq last month for some much needed and WELL DESERVED R&R. It was two glorious weeks, and we enjoyed every minute! I made some signs for the kids to have at the gate so he could see us right away. Aiden was really getting pumped as we pulled into the airport. I think everyone from the parking garage to the security guards to the TSA guys to everyone else that Aiden could steal attention from knew EXACTLY why we were there and who we were picking up. We did a few practice runs of waving the signs and choosing the perfect spot to stand once we got to Jon's gate. Aiden would NOT stop talking..so I told him to look for the plane with 2 letter "As'' that will come to THIS jet way. It bought me a few minutes of semi-silence...as well as a moment for me to compose myself. I was just as excited, if not more than Aiden!

The plane lands and people start to trickle out...and finally I see the handsomest man I've ever known coming out the jet way. It felt like the first time we met in person, which was in an airport terminal as well. OH THE JOY! The webcams and the instant messaging everyday for the last 8 months didn't hold a candle to seeing Jon in person. I couldn't just stand there..so I took off running (which wasn't far) and hugged him as quick as I could! Averie was in my arms..a little confused as to why I was squealing and jumping up and down and hugging her daddy. It took Aiden only a second, then he ran up and gave his Daddy Jonny the biggest hug he could.

A couple asked if they could take our picture with my camera so we could all be in one together...so we were able to get a couple shots at the gate. I will never forget the look on Averie's face..just staring at Jon as if she was thinking.."I SWEAR I know you from somewhere...now where on Earth is it?!" She went to him without complaint and he was able to keep her all the way to the car. This was the first official snuggle...

We got Jon's luggage and went straight to Chili's. We were all hungry, and Jon hadn't had anything to eat on the plane. I don't exactly know what I was expecting having Jon back...but it was like he never left. Like the last 8 months didn't even happen! I of course, was completely okay with that ;)

We spent the first few days just lounging around, hitting the pool, eating, watching TV, and eating some more. I think eating was our most frequent activity. Once again, I was completely okay with that! We were leaving the next week for our trip to the Big Island at Hilton's Waikoloa Village, AKA "the dolphin hotel." So we got packed up and headed off!
Our big island trip started with me leaving my cell phone (our only source of communication and a GPS) at home on our nightstand, as well as grumpy kids at the airport. Every time I look at the picture below I start laughing. Ohh the joys of parenthood ;)
Once we got on the plane, landed and checked in, the kids were much happier...
Our room was AMAZING and from our lanai you could see the salt fed lagoon for Kayaking snorkeling swimming etc., the ocean, as well as the dolphin lagoon which was just below us! The resort has 14 dolphins living there, and Aiden and I got to get in the water with one named "Shaka" on our first morning. I LOVED IT...and I know it was more for Aiden than me...but I could have stayed in there all day. Of course Aiden was on CLOUD 9, and we are STILL waiting for the day when he will stop talking about his experience! We obviously made a good decision by choosing this resort!

We spent the rest of our week there going to the pool everyday, all day. A little shopping at the Queen's Marketplace and in Kona was on the list as well. We had great intentions of going to see the volcanoes, but after we discovered how long the kids would have to sit in the car, we decided against it. That and the fact we had nothing but flip flops...probably not the best footwear for walking on lava rock.

The resort has a monorail as well as boats to take you around since it's so big. Below is us riding on one of the boats...

Aiden is talking to one of the dolphin trainers telling her that he's going to be a trainer too..On the grass watching the dolphin show...

More pool time!
We truly had a GREAT time and really wanna go back again before we leave Hawaii! I'll post our 2nd week of Jon's R&R soon!

The first of many :(

2010-04-13T17:59:00.004-10:00

It looks like my sweet baby girl should have been named "Crash." She's sooooo busy and curious! I thought that her crib was a safe place for her while I showered, pee peed in the potty, etc. Apparently not! I looked over while making the bed and boom, She lost her balance and socked herself in the face. Or maybe it was her Baby Einstein thingy hangin' on the side rail. Either way she screamed, I snuggled her and we went on our way. It's just sad to look at :( I'm grateful that it wasn't her actual eye, but just beneath it! She loves pulling herself up to her knees and thinks she's way more coordinated than she is. She's so dang determined that I don't know if she will ever be cautious. I think it's safe to say she didn't get it from me ;) I don't think any of the kids in my family would go down the McDonald's slide till we were 5 or something! LOL.

Anyway- Ave is still truckin' along like nothing happened. Oh to be a kid!

Spaghetti CUPCAKES

2010-04-11T17:36:00.002-10:00

A friend of mine from my mommy group posted a recipe on our message board, and I have been DYING to try it out. It looked super easy, and who doesn't like food that has the word cupcake in it? I know I can't resist :)

So today was the day. It's totally quick and easy. Here's the recipe-

8 oz. Spaghetti noodles
1/2 C. Parm cheese (i used fresh)
4 eggs
2 Cups Mozzerella
jar of sauce (I used Classico's sweet basil) but i think any kind would be great

Cook noodles to al dente, drain and set aside. Preheat oven to 375. In a bowl beat eggs and add parmesan cheese. Add noodles and combine. Press noodles into your muffin pan then top with sauce and mozzerella. Bake for 15 minutes and voila...dinner is served :)

PS- there wasn't a measurement for the sauce, so I just spooned some on top....i would use more since it didn't soak down as much as we would have liked. Still yummo and no complaints from A-Bay. I consider that a success! I vacuum packed the remaining "cakes" so when our Daddy is home we have one less dinner to worry about :)

Spring randomness

2010-04-04T09:13:00.003-10:00

Silly muffins!

Wow. 2 Posts in 24 hours! We've been stayin busy with our playgroup and keeping our house tidy. We've done a pool excursion (Averie LOVES the pool) as well as an Easter party and other fun activities. We are getting excited for Auntie Momo to come with Ivan for a a visit! Aiden will start soccer while they are here, and Ivan has been chosen as the "parent" of the first practice. Ivan is a super amazing soccer player and I'm sure Aiden will learn some cool new skills :) Things are just business as usual and we are getting excited for our visitors and for DADDY to come! Here are some pictures from the last couple weeks.

Ave on Easter morning.
Ave @ the playgroup egg hunt.
Aiden so excited about his BLUE eggs. (his favorite color)

Pool at Hale Koa.

Happy Easter!

2010-04-03T22:02:00.004-10:00

Happy Easter everyone!

Time is flying by now that Spring is here...and that's just how we like it at the Brown house! I wish I could freeze the kids and not let them grow a millimeter until Jon gets home, but unfortunately life still happens :( What have we been up to you ask? Let me lay it out for ya...

Ave is approaching 7 months.Yes I said SEVEN. What. The. Heck. She's not a newborn anymore and it breaks my heart. She has FOUR teeth on the bottom. (I call it her full rack) and LOVES to CRAWL and follow Aiden everywhere. She's an absolute angel and I have NO IDEA how I was blessed with such amazing babies. Averie's smile just makes me melt, and she is starting to really get upset when I leave the room and she can't see me. It's a challenge cleaning a bathroom or doing laundry with Averie in tow, but it secretly makes me so happy that she wants me all the time. She's a fantastic sleeper and a good eater as well. I can't pick her up without my lips glued to her cheek :)

Mr. Aiden is transitioning from a boy who loves trains and more trains to boy who loves trains and STAR WARS. I was informed this week that "Obi Wan Kenobi Jesus Man" is Anikin's lucky guy. I guess I see the resemblance?? And that R2 D2 can fly and "Star Vadar" is bad. I think I'll wait for Jon to explain that Anikin IS "Star Vadar." Might break the poor kids heart! He loves his Mater Yoda shirt that he got for his birthday as well as his remote control R2 and electronic light saber. We were at the pool last week, and Aiden had his arm outstretched trying to reach his food across the table, but not leaning in for it. When I asked what he was doing, he replied, "Mom I just have to use the force to make my chicken come over here!" Awesome. We have a young Jedi on our hands.

He's losing more and more of his toddler-ness and really turning into a young boy. He is my designated trash man and diaper disposal helper. He is putting his dishes in the sink and brushing his teeth on his own too. It's a fun stage to be in with him, but I miss my little baby boy.

The kids do really love each other and I LOVE LOVE LOVE seeing them together. The way that Averie watches Aiden's every move and how he is so sweet and tender with her has got to be the most rewarding thing about parenthood. I'm trying to cherish every moment and not dwell that I'm the only one getting to witness it firsthand.

Jon is doing well and I think it's safe to say that he is more than ready for some R & R. He is slated to leave in about a month and we are counting down the days. We are going to spend part of the 2 week vacation on the Big Island at Hilton's Waikoloa Village. I'm so excited I am hardly stand it. I actually wouldn't care if I just got to sit on the couch all day with Jon and stare at him. I would feel like I died and went to Heaven. It should be a great 2 weeks and I'm sure some great memories will be made with the four of us!

Once again, Happy Easter to everyone!

Aiden's fashion statement.

2010-01-30T11:50:00.001-10:00

Gotta love the pantless wonder with his Thomas boots!! He was prompty
tol we don't wear shoes in the house. He then asks, "but what about
boots? These aren't shoes!?" tricky tricky lil stinker!

Ave's 4 month Stats

2010-01-29T17:47:00.003-10:00

Our little princess is 4 months old! Where the time went I have no idea! She's now a WHOPPING 14 lbs. 7 oz., is 24.5 inches long. She went from the 10th percentile at birth to the 50th for weight and height. She's more than doubled her birth weight as well...which makes the parents happy!

She's mastered rolling from her back to her tummy and is getting pretty fast at it. She can do a mini push up now...and I'm starting to wonder if she will crawl before she sits up! Her new favorite thing to do is hang out in her Jumperoo. Aiden calls it her "dancer." He loves standing next to her and watching her "dance." He usually joins in too. :)

Ave is also very chatty ( i have no clue where she got that from ;) ) She loves to squeal and almost laughs when you tickle her. She's such a joy and I love her pieces. She also is a super pro at spitting up. And when I say pro I mean totally pro...the Michael Jordan of spit up. It seems no matter what I do she will still find a way to christen everything with the contents of her tummy. She's happy regardless, I just hope she can outgrow it eventually. It's frustrating sometimes. It's been a good way to learn patience, and to know that I'll probably have to change my clothes at least twice each day. ;)

We love her so much and are so grateful for her to be a part of our family. Her sweet disposition is infectious!

Vegas baby...

2010-01-29T16:52:00.002-10:00

The kids and I flew home for the holidays since our Daddy is away. It was nothing less of fabulous. The extra help from everyone was sooooooooo appreciated! I don't think Averie touched the ground! AND, as predicted, Aiden was over the moon about being with his Magga. I get demoted everytime she's around...Aiden is completely smitten. I wasn't allowed to do anything, make his breakfast, draw his bath, not even help clean him up after the bathroom! When I asked if I could help, Aiden would always reply with..."No sanks mommy, how bout Magga?" He's lucky to have such a great Grandma.

Averie wasn't missing out on the Magga fun either. The girl could barely make a peep and she would be picked up and snuggled. My sisters would have her in a different outfit, complete with a matching bow every time I turned around. We have a little fashionista on our hands!

It was so fun to be able to spend such a long time in Vegas with family. It definitely made the holiday season go by without too much sadness.

On the flip side...it's great to be HOME in Hawaii. I missed our house, and all of our stuff, and seeing Jon's things again wasn't too bad either ;)

2010....wow

2010-01-08T20:52:00.002-10:00

Happy New Year! The kids and I will be back in Hawaii very soon....stay tuned for an update from our extended trip to Las Vegas!

"the Iraq"

2009-11-01T15:33:00.003-10:00

My sweet Jonny left for Iraq a couple weeks ago. Thankfully, I have been able to talk to him everyday, and even see short glimpses of him on webcam. The internet connection is a little rough, so its rare we can actually see him.

Life is just not the same. I just feel like half of me is missing and I can't find it. We just hope the time can fly and have our daddy home safe and sound! I'm coping, some days it seems like it will never end, and all I want to do is cry myself to sleep. But the majority of the time has been just fine. The kids are doing well and for that I am grateful.

Aiden refers to Iraq as "THE Iraq." Daddy Jonny is in the Iraq getting bad guys. Daddy Jonny has to fly his helicopter to the doctor but he can't get a pokey. Does daddy Jonny have a gun? When does he shoot bad guys? Ahh....the questions keep coming. We go through this almost daily. When Aiden said his prayers the other night, he asked that Jonny be kept safe and that the bad guys didn't get him and that Jon could help the hurt people in the helicopter. It was his first REAL prayer that didn't consist of poptarts and Thomas the train and Buzz Lightyear :0) I just cried my eyes out. It was the most tender thing I have ever heard. Although it's so sad to say the least is that Jon is away, I love the fact that Aiden misses him so much. They've really gotten close, and I know the bond that have created will last through this deployment.

This is Jon and Averie just before we left him....I love this picture. It makes my heart is full yet still breaks every time I look at it.
One last shot of us...

Just another day at the Sim.... Blackhawk simulator that is!

2009-10-16T09:31:00.002-10:00

Jon took us to the blackhawk simulator yesterday. We have been meaning to go for some time, but life gets in the way ;) It was SOOOO COOL! It's about as close as I will ever get to being in a real army helicopter...and to have Jon as my IP (instructor pilot) made it extra special. I had absolutely NO idea how much you had to be managing all at once! You've got your pedals, collective, several gauges and your cyclic (probably spelled that wrong!) Oh, and don't forget to look out the window! I kept looking at everything in front of me...it was almost too much to look out the window AND fly. It was a really fun experience and I'm glad Jon got to take us. I have always had respect for pilots...but after doing the simulator, I have TONS MORE! To fly in real life in real combat situations is something truly remarkable!
When Aiden came in....he was all ready to go. Told Jon he was here at the helicopter and was ready to fly "way up high in the clouds." He sat down in the seat, put on the headset and was all business. It was too cute. He put his hand on the collective and said he needs to get some power and pull up on it. Guess he had been listening to his Daddy Jonny!
PJ and Tom are the guys that run the simulator...and they said we are welcome back anytime there is a spot open. So I'm thinking as a special treat...Aiden will have to log some more flight hours while Jon is away :)

Bannnnnzaii!! and a couple other adventures

2009-10-02T15:48:00.007-10:00

Jon's parents arrived here 9/17, and so we have been doing our share of "exploring" around the island. The first weekend that they got here, we rode the old Oahu Railway train up to Waianae on Sunday afternoon. How fun! Aiden was more than excited, and he even got to blow the train whistle after the ride was finished. He jumped from it being so loud, but he loved it!
We also went out to the Pali lookout, which I had yet to see. It was beautiful and soooo windy! The was absolutely no point in combing my hair that day! That was actually my birthday and we celebrated by eating dinner at the Shorebird downtown (one of my favs)

Miss Averie did a lot of this on our adventures.......

We headed up to North shore since there was a high surf warning. The waves were expected to be around 12-15 feet. I haven't seen big waves here yet, so I was excited to go out and see what we could. We chose Banzai pipeline as our viewpoint. It was soooo cool!! I loved watching the surfers out there trying to catch a big one. I could have camped out there all day just watching. I can't wait until winter when the waves get HUGE...I'll be toting my camera as well as the munchkins for those :)

Averie's Arrival 9.10.09

2009-09-27T15:15:00.006-10:00

I have been meaning to write this blog post for some time now! So many people have been asking for pictures, blog posts, e-mails etc. So here it is!!

***WARNING!! This post could include too much info for some. If you're not into the nitty gritty details regarding labor, girl parts, blood, etc., then this might not be for you :)***

9.8.09- I'm fed up with being preggo. Jon brings home castor oil...I partake...and have the worst night ever with contractions and pain :( or so I thought...read on! Thought if I could make it to my appt the next morning, maybe they would admit me and get this over with!

So on 9-9-09, I had a doctor appointment. Jon and I were ready to meet Averie (of course) so before the appointment, Jon had me walk the stairs outside of the hospital a couple times to get my heart rate up and running. It worked! We get into the exam room and my pulse and blood pressure were outta control, so the doc gets in there and notices that I am uncomfortable (duh) and she offers to strip my membranes. Of course I said YES. She checked my cervix, which was a tight 4 cm, she did the stripping (I wanted to crawl up the wall it hurt so bad) and she sent me up to L&D since my blood pressure and pulse were raging.

So up to L&D we go. By this point, my contractions are coming, but just not regular enough to be considered "active labor." The nurse we had was great...however...the punk (i'm putting it nicely) of a doctor tried to chalk up my contractions to "dehydration" and sent me home. Basically he didn't want to admit and induce another woman since he was busy. Rude!! So Jonny and I left a little ticked, but oh so determined. The nurse told us as she is taking me off the monitors that we would be back later that night.

We get home, and Jon has this ENTIRE ROUTINE planned out in his head on how we are gonna get this baby out. I remember him saying, "You want a baby? Then stick with me kid and we'll have one!" This was Jonny's plan...

Step 1- Get your running shoes on! Jon took me on a walk, or should I say "power trail" through our neighborhood. I was supposed to keep his pace and slow down only for contractions. He stated before we started that I know I'm gonna hate him, but he's only trying to help. He was right, I was ready to punch him at times, but knew I had to do it! Not to mention I realized how desperately I need to get out and run/walk whatever. I'm a slow poke to the max!

Step 2- Hot bath with hot compresses to the ta-tas. Jon lit candles, filled up the tub with bubbles, put me in the tub and left to get me my favorite gatorade. I was under strict instruction to soak for 20 minutes keeping the washcloths hot on the chest, and after that rinse off and let the hot water hit the ta-tas. Let me just say that cold gatorade was a relief after that :) Of course I didn't scorch myself, but after that stuuupid walk, the last thing I wanted to do was soak in a hot tub!

Step 3- Whip out the pump! We got the breast pump set up and I laid on our bed and got to business..for about 15 minutes.

Step 4- This step is just for Jon and I to remember...I'll leave the details out ;)

Step 5- Dinner. We headed up to Chili's (after my next dose of castor oil) and noshed on some old favorites.

I was getting pretty dang uncomfy after dinner. I Had lost all kinds of mucousy bloody stuff from down below. Laid on the sofa when we got home, and the contractions got stronger. We called the hospital, I had to stop talking to the nurse since I had a contraction that was hard to talk through, started to cry, and away we went to tripler.

That was in the 8 o'clock hour. Jon somehow magically made it to the hospital in like 13 minutes or something, which is amazing from Ewa Beach. The night nurse who took care of us when we got there said the nurse who took care of us that morning left all our paperwork for her since she knew we would be back. LOVE HER! I got checked, was a good 5 centimeters now. The night nurse went to bat for me and convinced the staff to admit me. I guess they were thinking of sending me to walk around the hospital. What is wrong with these people and admitting patients?! My uterus isn't made of steel you know, sheesh! Doctor Kern was assigned to me for the delivery, and she made mention of how they would probably do pitocin and augment my labor. I'm thinking...whatever lady, just get me back there and get the epidural drippin'!

Through my contractions, I would squeeze Jon's had so hard that his wedding ring made a dent. Whoops! By the time I got to the delivery room, I was MISERABLE with contractions. I think it was a combo of me being soo exhausted mentally and physically, because the toco score on the contractions were only in the mid to upper 30s...or so i thought. Nevertheless, those puppies hurt!

I was a little mean to the doctor that was telling me about the epidural. He said he was going to put in the order, and I, in a not so nice way, told him to "type faster." That's putting it nicely. At that point, Jon came over to me and reminded me of the saying, "Don't poop where you sleep." Meaning that I should probably be nice to the staff, since they are the ones that are taking care of me and our new arrival. LOL Looking back this is pretty funny, but at the time I felt horrible, and apologized to Mary, our nurse for the delivery when she came back in the room. She has been a nurse longer that I have been alive, so my behavior didn't phase her one bit. Lucky for me I guess :)

Shortly after this, Fred, the CRNA, came in for my epidural. He became my best buddy. I was in so much pain, telling Jon to make it stop, that Fred's face was like a breath of fresh air. Super cool guy, has done TONS of epidurals. He hooked me up, I was able to wrap my arms around Jon while they inserted the catheter, and that was the best I had felt at that point. The meds hadn't kicked in yet, but I was hugging Jon, and hadn't been able to for quite awhile since all the admitting stuff and IVs and monitoring.

Jon was able to leave now (I let him) and get my paperwork from downstairs to properly admit me to the hospital. I wanted to keep him with me until after the eipdural since I was kind of a crazy person leading up to it. I still was feeling contractions, and was still in some REAL pain, after 15-20 minutes of the epidural being placed. With Aiden, I didn't feel crud, and I was thinking that is how I should feel. Mary asked if I was still feeling them, I promptly responded with a moany voiced YES, and she left to get Fred again. So Fred the BFF came back and gave me another bolus, and he ran off to help with a c-section.

Jon came back and asked how I was feeling, and he said my eyes were floating and having a hard time focusing on him. HA!! Guess the meds were working! He went and sat at the computer across the delivery room, and I was still waiting to feel nothing down below. He would check on me every couple minutes and ask how I was. I looked over and smiled at him after him asking if the meds were working. I said, " I can still feel it..so I don't know." Jon was cracking up inside since according to the monitor, that was the strongest contraction that I had had thus far....and I was smiling through it! So yes, Fred's procedure was successful. :)

Shortly after that whopper of a contraction, I gasped and told Jon, "I feel pressure...I think my water just broke!" I was waiting on the doc to come in and break it for me, but my body apparently did the trick. It was just Jon and I then, and he walked over and lifted the sheet, his eyebrows raised and he took off with a little more speed. My water didn't break, but my amniotic sack, IN TACT, came out and was just hanging there. Averie could have came out with it! I guess that's a rare thing, but sometimes babies are born in their water bags. After Jon saw this and took off, Mary came back to check me, discovered I was complete complete +1 (fully dilated, effaced and baby's head was almost chillin') and ran for a doc. Mary came back, said I should do a practice push so she could see how I would do. So I did that once, got the green flag, Dr. Kern came in, got gowned up, I pushed for 4 push sets, and pop! Out comes the sweetest baby ever! No rips tears, episiotomy nada! Averie was born at 12:50am on 9.10.09. During the pushing, it was actually peaceful. Everyone was calm, quiet and just waiting for Averie to make her decent. I felt no stress, didn't feel rushed, just ready to meet our baby girl. It was just Jon, Dr. Kern, and Mary and myself. Totally awesome! I would do it again in a heartbeat if I could only skip the part leading up to the epidural :)

Once Averie was out, they had placed her on my chest and I just stared. She was fussing, sticking out her tongue and I think I was in a state of shock. I thought, wow, there she is. She's mine. She's Jon's. OH MY GOSH Jon and I have a baby together! Yahoo! It all seemed so natural, like she's always been with us. Jon got the video camera out and was filming Averie getting dried off..she was COVERED IN vernix and stuck to everything. She also grabbed the nurse's lanyard with her credentials on it and was pulling so hard towards her that Jon had to pry her fingers off! The nurse was shocked and said that has never happened before. She also would have rolled off the scale if it didn't have a side on it. I knew she would be super crazy active! She nursed right away and and not wanted to stop since!

I could go on about this day forever, but I should stop. All I can really say is that I am SO GRATEFUL to my Father in heaven for blessing me with such an amazing husband, son, and now a daughter. My mom told me once that she thought she understood better how much the Lord loves his children now that she has her own. That could not be more true. The love you feel for your kids is beyond anything I could imagine. And to share that with such a loving, kind, thoughtful, strong, courageous, and utterly amazing man is something truly special, that I will never take for granted.

Tiki Island

2009-08-12T18:38:00.004-10:00

We went out to Tiki Island at the Marine Corps base with the Sinclair Family last weekend. We had a blast!! It's a little putt putt course next to the golf course. They have bumper boats and batting cages too! Aiden was so excited to have "the boys" with us. He loves all the attention he gets from Phil and Karen's boys. They are 7 and 9, and are so sweet to Aiden.

Jon gave Abay a couple lessons on how to hold his putter and away he went! I was impressed on how well he did. There were a couple holes where he almost had a par! About half way through, he wanted no help from us and was happy to do it all by himself. Go figure.

I was hot, pregnant, and super ready for a break after 18 holes. Jon and Aiden did the bumber boats and got soaked!!! They had guns on them and Aiden kept them in a constant spin. They came off cracking up!

We finished up with CPK in Kailua (Yumm-O) and headed home. What a fun way to spend Friday. Thanks Sinclair fam for hanging out with us!

Baby Shower

2009-08-12T18:23:00.004-10:00

August 1st was the day that Mindy and Magga threw an ADORABLE baby shower for Baby A. Aiden and I flew into Vegas for the weekend and enjoyed every minute of it! The decor was so sweet, the diaper cake from Mindy was outta this world. (I can't believe I got 2 of those!) There was a clothesline hanging up with the most adorable outfits and onesies ever. I have to say one of my favorite parts was the pink chocolate fountain! I could have made myself sick eating that thing!

It was absolutely wonderful spending time with friends and family I haven't seen in so long. All in all, it was a fantastic day and could not help but feel so loved, spoiled, and blessed for all the work and effort Mindy and my mom had put into this. Jon and I could not be more thrilled to be having this little girl.

Thank you to everyone for making this so special for us!! We love you!

Slow down there Turbo!

2009-08-11T18:41:00.001-10:00

We had an appointment today. Lil missy is getting ready! I am dilated to 2 cm, 50% effaced, and her head is at -3 station. Part of me is so excited, but the majority of me says SLOW DOWN....don't come just yet! :)

Baby Averie...in 3-D might I add

2009-08-06T08:55:00.002-10:00

There has been some "talk" whether it's from people at the grocery store, the doctor, girlfriends, whatever that say "wow you don't look 8 months pregnant, you're so tiny!" At first, I would secretly bask in my silent glory that yes, I didn't turn into a huge elephant, thank you very much, and I still don't need maternity pants. As vein and snoooty as that can sound, I also began to worry. What's wrong with this girl? Should I eat that extra bite of fries or pizza eventhough I can't breathe? Should I take up a new slurpee addiction? (I wouldn't have minded that one) :) But I kept asking myself, "where is the weight gain?" When the doctor measured my belly as being too small and sent me for yet ANOTHER growth scan and a non stress test, the stress started. He assured me that there isn't anything I am doing wrong, but I wasn't 100% convinced.

The NST (non stress test) went fine, no contractions and strong heartbeat. The nurse was joking about how active she was in the belly. Yeah lady, tell me about it. It's my ribs and organs that she's sparring with in there. Anyway, so I left for vegas and had an ultrasound scheduled for the 5th.

Jon and I dropped off Aiden at a friends and we headed to the hospital. Our sonographer, Terry, was an absolute character. Just imagine a rather pretty older lady, a little heavy, white hair, glasses, a HEAVY smoker's voice and the rather blunt sense of humor to match. We loved her. She's married to an ex-marine, so you can imagine the type of woman that has to bear that :)

What we discovered during the ultrasound is that Averie's head is so far down that it's actually past the point where they begin to measure, resulting in the small measurements at my appointments. We also discovered that SHE'S GOT HAIR!! An inch long to be exact. Homegirl is going to need bows in the hospital. I'm thrilled about this! We saw it floating the the amniotic fluid all crazy. Too funny. She also has Jon's feet. Terry said, "Good Lord who has the longer second toe, mom or dad!" We just cracked up and sure enough, a mini version of Jon's foot came up on the monitor!! She weighs 4 pounds, 13 ounces, and is in the 34% percentile overall. YIPPEE! She's a healthy, happy lil' kickboxer in there! We were able to get some super secret 3-D shots of her face. I fell in love all over again.

Prince Charming

2009-08-04T13:28:00.000-10:00

Look what was waiting for me when Jon picked me up from the airport. I
have one thing to say (ok maybe more than one.) I Love this man. He's
absolutely remarkable inside and out and so incredibly thoughtful. I
love that he's my husband and I get to be his wife. Two words explain
it the best.... DARN LUCKY. :))

Talented Aunt Tina...and G-ma Tootie too!

2009-07-26T11:37:00.003-10:00

Jon and I got an e-mail a couple weeks ago from Jon's sister, Tina, telling us to look out for a rather "large box" coming our way via the postman. So we waited, and waited, and waited some more. Finally we got the little orange slip in our box that said we had a parcel. Yippee! I love getting packages! So I promptly call the post office the next day and they told us we can come pick it up. Jon ran down the street and brought home the rather hefty item. I've been wondering what in the world it could be since the box was so huge, and we were asked to call Tina when we received it so we could get "dismantling instructions." Huh? It needs instructions to be taken apart? What in the world??

So I call Aiden downstairs and give Jon a knife so we can tear into this bad boy. To our amazement, and after an explosion of packing peanuts, we reveal the mystery.... the MOST ADORABLE diaper cake ever! Completely assembled! Jon's first comment was, "Wow, that is really cute!" Aiden said, "It's a diaper party!!" I just giggled. So fun! Dangling from the top were 2 pacifiers and a winnie the pooh super soft snuggly, and then the craziness began. We found "lollipops" which were feeding spoons and washcloths, "roses" that were baby socks on a stick, bath products, hair brush and spoon, formula holder, receiving blankets, onesies, and a secret box in the bottom layer with FIVE outfits. Yes I said five. Absolutely adorable, each and every one. I had a moment of feeling a little overwhelmed with all this unexpected generosity, and feel truly blessed and loved.

I keep telling myself this is real. I say it often, like feeling all the punching and kicking and rolling around in my belly isn't enough. We've got diapers now, baby shampoo, the tiniest onesies and outfits ever. The crib is up, the swing is downstairs. Wow, the time is near. 2 kids, an amazing daddy/husband, a beautiful home, in Hawaii no less. My cousin Suz said it perfect just yesterday, "dreams really do come true!"

Thanks again to Tina, Jim and Quintin for such an amazing OUTPOUR of gifts for Averie. And for Gramma Tootie for being there to take pictures of it all and help get the "diaper party" put together. It made our day!

Mud face!

2009-07-24T18:38:00.000-10:00

Belly Pic 32.5

2009-07-23T16:08:00.003-10:00

I'm a little lazy on the belly pic deal. People ask all the time, "I wanna see a belly pic!" Wahh wahh. Sorry guys, but willingly getting out the camera to take a picture as your body is taken over by another person is less than fantastic! However, I absolutely have loved being pregnant, both times. The complaining is just a part of it, right? :) It truly is a miracle to know that there is this little girl inside, swimming around just waiting to be born! I feel as if I know her so well already....wild! I felt like Aiden and I were close before he was born too, they just come and it's like you've known them forever. I hope she looks like Jon, and Jon hopes she looks like me. I guess a combo of the two would be alright :) I just really hope she gets Jon's eyelashes, as well as his skin (he can tan). I keep envisioning her with light brown hair...but then I have had dreams about her as a complete toe-head with ringlets. Guess time will tell!

I'm feeling it this week as far as being uncomfortable. Averie LOVES to nestle in my ribs when I sit down for the night. I feel like I have to arch my back and have to lay down just to get comfy. I think baby A will be happy to get out and s...t...r...e...t...c...h!

Tour de Aiden

2009-07-08T14:17:00.000-10:00

Since he's been begging to ride his bike, we went into the garage
after lunch and Aiden did a few laps up and down the street. He made
his boundaries the mailbox and a neighbors trash can. The "tour de
Aiden" lasted about 10 minutes before we needed a break. Guess it
might be a while before he's racing Lance Armstrong :) and please
excuse the pantless racer, we gotta watch for potty accidents ;)

Aiden is Back and Block Leave

2009-07-07T21:38:00.003-10:00

Aiden was returned to us on Sunday the 5th, and we were very happy to welcome him home. He was definitely happy to see us as well. He has said over and over, " I missed you and am so happy." I just love when he says things like that. He's been full of snuggles and kisses and still loves his pop tart every morning for breakfast :) It's nice to have him back and just be with him all day. One of the first things he did was want to touch my belly so baby Averie can "jump." He let out a few belly laughs when he felt her move beneath his hand....I LOVED IT! I can't wait to meet her, and see the two kids together.

The unfortunate thing about Aiden's return is that he is COMPLETELY un-potty trained. It took so much mental effort on my part to get Aiden to where he was, and now it was all for not. He has no desire to use the potty, doesn't even mention it. I started using some Thomas stickers as a bribe and it seems it might work....if he feels up to it. Big bummer :( I'm not sure when to start again since he leaves in less than a month for another trip, and I don't want the same thing to happen. I guess we can just take it slow and remind ourselves that he won't go to college in Pull ups. :)

While Aiden was gone, Jon had his block leave. Its the set time soldiers in their unit can take leave before deployment. Jon took 2 weeks, and I loved every minute of it. We never were really 100% alone since before the wedding, so this was a good time to spend just being together...and sleeping in! I can't remember the last time I slept in until 11am, but Jon and I made sure that happened. Often!

We spent the time off seeing movies you would usually need a babysitter for, eating out, the military surf classic, more eating out, father's day brunch at Hale Koa then looking for sea turtles and toolin' around on a friend's boat, a BBQ, AMAZING salmon and cheesecake at the Cheesecake Factory in Waikiki, accumulating things for baby Averie's arrival, working to sort out the garage (this was definitely a Jon thing, and it's looking fantastic), finishing up the painting of the walls and hanging pictures, golfing in Kanehoe, and just being together.

I could do nothing but sit on a sofa and stare at flies on the wall as long as Jon was there next to me. I just love being with him, doing anything. I honestly don't care what it is. It's a wonderful feeling. I loved our little bit of time alone, as this is going to be the last time before we welcome Averie and Jon leaves for the desert. Too bad it couldn't last just a bit longer!!

Belly Pic of the Week

2009-06-28T18:11:00.001-10:00

Week 29. I can feel limbs now and not just kicks. She doesn't like
cold things on my belly. I still love sugar. My belly button is flat
and I'm praying it doesn't poke out. No stretch marks....Yet. Hope
those never come! She about kicked me in the throat when the big saw
turned on at home depot yesterday.... Halarious! And in this
picture... I don't know what sticks out more.... The belly or the
bootie! LOL!

One week left!

2009-06-28T18:04:00.000-10:00

Aiden is home in a week! The time went by fast! I'm really looking
forward to hugging the crud out him and hearing his little voice say
the funniest things :) On the flipside... I must mention that being
home alone with Jon has been wonderful! Everyday I am more and more
grateful that I married such an AMAZING man. I definitely consider
myself the luckiest!!

Sleepy dude

2009-06-04T18:17:00.000-10:00

Preschool Graduation

2009-06-03T12:53:00.002-10:00

On May 19th, Aiden graduated Keiki Land preschool for the year. It was a month long program that the seniors at Campbell High School put on each spring. He absolutely loved it! He was such a ham up there, running up to get his diploma. He was loved by all the seniors and would always compliment how well he talks. YES I KNOW...the kid won't ever sit in silence. He sure is a cutie and is friendly to everyone he meets. No self esteem problem here! We will definitely have him do this program again, it was great, and gave Aiden something fun to do each day.

Belly Pic of the Week

2009-06-03T12:44:00.003-10:00

Week 25 is here. I was in and out of the Dr. in about 20 minutes. It took me longer to drive there! Averie is still transverse, with her head on the left. Doc says they usually flip one way or the other, let's just hope her head goes down :) Yes please, that would be nice. Her heartbeat was in the 150s, and it took a while to find her beat...bout 5 minutes. She kept wiggling away from the doppler, the doc kept laughing. I wasn't worried at all, since I just felt her moving minutes before we went into the appointment. Aiden was good while we were there and he kept asking if my arm needed a snuggle from the machine. He wanted me to get my blood pressure taken again, and was convinced that if I got another "snuggle" from the blood pressure cuff, I would be cured and not get a pokie. He's too funny.

Magic Bullet Margarita....kinda

2009-06-02T17:07:00.004-10:00

Jon and I purchased the magic bullet at Costco last Saturday. I'm really starting to fall in love with "as seen on TV" things. Anyway, I bought a bunch of fresh fruit for a fruit pizza (which was fabulously delicious by the way) and I decided that I should start using up the rest of the fruit before it spoils. Solution?? My new magic bullet of course! I made a YUMM-O smoothie/slush concoction with a handful of fresh berries, OJ and some ice. It took a whopping 6 seconds to whip up and I loved how I could just pop off the blade and drink it right out of the cup! I'm all for little or no clean up! The other night we made chocolate mousse in about 10 seconds. FANTASTIC! In some ways I regret doing this one. It was too easy and wayyyy naughty for the bootay! And of course I plopped a huge spoonful of cool whip on top. ahhh...heaven in a cup!

If you don't have a magic bullet and like cool kitchen gadgets, I highly recommend. I'm going to tackle some hummus and fresh salsa soon!

belly pic of the week....6 MONTHS?!

2009-05-26T17:51:00.003-10:00

So here we are. 24 weeks, (or 6 months) preggo with lil' Miss Averie. Aiden gets excited to hold the sign in front of the mirror every week. I think he's going to be sweet big brother. He loves to give "snuggle snuggles" and "kissy kisses" to Jon, Averie and myself. We remind Aiden almost daily that I am not a jungle gym and that he needs to be careful around my belly. Hopefully he'll get it soon because I'm going to be a super freak when the baby finally gets here!

I can't belive it's been 6 months! It seems time has just flown. Maybe because I got engaged, married, moved to Hawaii and sent jon to NTC for a month. That will take your mind off the long wait to delivery! It seems so long ago I was hugging a pillow in my bed in Las Vegas wishing I could just sleep away the nausea, or better yet, have Janette come put me out of my misery. Either way, I'm grateful that portion of this pregnancy is over! However, I have moved on to other pregnancy woes. Such as ACNE. Eww. I despise it. Hate it with a passion. I feel like i'm going through puberty but times a million. I am trying to not stare or mess with any of it. If you know me, you know that is nearly impossible! Hopefully I can at least control it until I deliver....it went away after Aiden pretty quickly. If that's the only major thing I have to complain about...then sheesh! I must be doing pretty well!

Averie is moving what feels like constantly and Aiden (Jon too) let out a giggle when they saw my belly jump the other night. I just love those two. Averie is going to be spoiled rotten by these guys, that's for sure!!

Bake sale

2009-05-14T12:00:00.000-10:00

I made these today for the FRG bake sale tomorrow at the hangar. Aiden
and I did a taste test... Pretty good! :)

Zzzzzzz....

2009-05-13T15:17:00.000-10:00

This is what happens after 2 hours at the playground :-)

Belly pic of the week

2009-05-12T18:58:00.000-10:00

22 weeks! I'm up almost 4 pounds and probably should control what goes
in my mouth! I LOVE sugar!! Jon gets home Friday and he'll get to feel
Averie moving! I can't wait!!

Blog from iphone

2009-05-12T13:35:00.000-10:00

Just seeing if this works!

Silly sayings form Abay

2009-05-10T15:41:00.003-10:00

This last week has been SO REFRESHING! Leslie (my friend since 7th grade) is making a temporary move to Maui, and she came and stayed with Aiden and I for almost a week before heading over! I cannot even tell you how nice it was to have a girlfriend to talk to 24/7, go to the beach with, get massages with, eat junk food and laugh with. Not to mention Aiden was in love :) We had a great time caching up on the craziness of our lives, and we could not stop laughing at things Aiden would say.... Here are a few Samples.

#1- Aiden is just waking up for the day and yells from his room, "Hey mom, It's ME, Aiden!" "I'm awake now."
#2- We are getting TCBY the other night and Aiden insists on doing the ordering. He tells me, "Mom, I need to talk to the lady about my ice cream." So I pick him up so he can choose his flavor out of the case, and he chooses a purple and yellow sorbet. He tells the lady that he would like that kind and while she is scooping only the purple color Aiden says, "Hey lady, I need the YELLOW too!" Yes, I was beat red. :) It was all said politely, but he really needs to learn the term ma'am and not 'lady'. Jeez....

#3- In the spirit of being 3 years old, Mr. Aiden does NOT like holding my hand while crossing the street, in a parking lot, etc. He got too far away too many times, so I yelled at him to get closer. He swiftly says, "Mom you can't yell at me, you need to make good choices!" What a way to remind me what's important Aiden...thanks. :)

He's a crack up!

Belly pic of the week

2009-05-04T17:42:00.001-10:00

21 weeks today. Averie is moving more, I can feel her often throughout the day. Some days I have energy, and others (like the last two) I am absolutely whipped. My arthritis is still very agressive, although I've read 70% of women go into remission while pregnant. Guess I'm not one of those girls! All in all things are fine. I see the OB for the first time here in Hawaii, and I hope it goes well!

A day of P....popcorn chicken, park, and playing around

2009-05-02T19:29:00.003-10:00

It seems that even with preschool, Aiden is still needing more entertainment. Some days i feel like I JUST CAN'T be the only one for the job. I am not a jungle gym, my limit for playing trains and airplanes is not as long as Aiden would like it to be, and I can only watch Mickey Mouse Clubhouse about 453 times until...well you know. I could sprout Minnie ears and a tail at any moment. :)

The solution??? Get our butts outside! We found a playground by the Barlow's house, which is just down the street. I told Aiden we were gonna have a picnic and go to the park, and of course he wanted pop tarts. He settled for KFC, and off to the drive-thru we went. We pull up, got our beach towel and food and hit the slides. The weather was perfect, and there were kids from the nearby houses all out there playing. At that moment, little Hannah Barlow, who is in preschool with Aiden comes running saying hi. Aiden was soooooo happy! He just adores her. She really is an adorable and sweet little girl.

After a little while of playing, Milena (Hannah's mom) comes out too, and we had the nicest time chatting about kids, church, shopping, etc. I LOVE that I met her and that she lives close! It was so great to have Aiden burning off his extra energy, and that I got a little bit of a break. :) We were there almost 2 hours!

We will definitely frequent this little park. We got home, had baths, and Aiden slept ALL NIGHT in his bed. He has not done this since Jon has left, so when I woke up this morning realizing that we both slept all night, I couldn't believe it! It was great!

Hannah and Aiden

Melon Lime Cooler

2009-05-01T15:55:00.003-10:00

Ingredients:

4 1/2 cups cubed honeydew melon (about 1 small) ( I'm buying frozen)
1 1/2 cups lime sherbet
2 Tbs. lime juice
fresh strawberries (optional)

Instructions:

1. Place melon cubes in a single layer on a baking sheet. Cover and freeze 30 minutes or until firm.
2. Position knife blade in food processor bowl. Add frozen melon, sherbet, and lime juice. Process until smooth.
3. Pour into glasses. Garnish with strawberries, if desired. Serve immediately.

When the girls come over, serve these up in a fun glass, add an umbrella, or a charm on the stem if you're using stemware. Fun!

Mommy Margaritas

2009-05-01T14:14:00.004-10:00

In all of my husband-less-ness, I've had a few instances where I was almost "driven to drink." :-P Either that or Aiden and all this transitioning is gonna give me preeclampsia at some point... either way I have seriously questioned if I can do TWO kiddos instead of just one. I used to think I had it all together, my son was an angel, and I couldn't be more blessed. I still feel immensely blessed, however I think my hormones and joint pain and missing Jon terribly have just made me feel at my limit some days. SOOOOOO, in lieu of this, I have decided to create the "mommy margarita club." It's open to all gals with ovaries, kids are not a requirement. I'm going to choose a fun drink recipe, a "mocktail" if you will and the girls in the group will have a month to get together with girls where they live and try it out. I think preferably this get together should be done sans kids, but hey, who are we kidding? So the rule is, you have to enjoy the monthly beverage with at least 1 other girlfriend with or without kids, and you have to talk about celebrity gossip, getting pampered, fun new recipes, or some other girly thing that makes you feel like YOU, and not just a stressed out momma/ future momma. I want to find a super yumm-o recipe and post it by the 5th so this can get rollin'. Please send any ideas or recipes my way!

Ahh...I think this could be a goody....

Belly pic of the week

2009-04-26T12:28:00.001-10:00

Um....So I feel HUGE! I had a Dr. Appointment on Friday and weighed the SAME. Huh? No way? How come my clothes don't fit? According to this scale, I have gained .6 pounds. Not even a whole pound! I guess I've fluctuated a bit, because I was up 4 at one point. Maybe living by a beach makes you "think skinny." Until next week....

She can't be naked Mom

2009-04-24T20:18:00.003-10:00

When we were on the hunt for the perfect train for Aiden's potty reward, Aiden asked if baby Averie wore underwear. I told him that when Averie comes, she won't have any clothes. "Mom," Aiden says, "Baby Averie can't be Naked!" I started to chuckle and so we went to find her some clothes to "cover her nakedness." This is what Aiden picked out for her. It's so tiny and adorable, and I've officially fallen in love with girl clothes :) Thanks Abay. Your lil sis is gonna love it!

Stop....Potty Time!

2009-04-24T18:51:00.003-10:00

This week has been working on goal number 2 while Jon is away...Potty Training. Oh have I stressed about this, had nightmares about this, DREADED this for 3 years. But today at 6pm, I saw a light the end of the tunnel...the toilet tunnel that is. I started officially potty training on Sunday this week. I gave in and bought the highly recommended e-book from www.3daypottytraining.com. At a steep price of 24 bucks, I was committed. The lady that wrote this book says throw out all diapers and pull ups. And have the child do it. (Are you kidding me?! Those are a pretty penny) So feeling guilty for spending the money on this book, I got a garbage bag and had Aiden put the last of his diapers and pull ups inside and say goodbye. He was only gonna wear underwear now. He was totally okay with this. Waved bye bye to the bag and to the garage it went. (I can't bring myself to chuck em). Let the games begin! Aiden was told that he could not pee on his Thomas underwear or Thomas would be VERY sad, and that he was to let me know when it was time to potty. I can honestly say, Aiden did great! With just 2 accidents, he's been consistently using the potty for #1. JUST #1. That night was my first nightmare of you know what smeared you know where and I'm alone away from everyone left with the smell and stench. Thankfully this did not happen. I think I would surely die!

So Sunday comes and goes, as well as Monday, and no #2. Great. Now I've constipated the kid. So now I second guess everything. Is he not ready? Am I pushing this too fast? Is he scared? Ugh, I can't do an accident of this kind. My superhero pregnant nose will detect it and I will pass out...I'm sure of it. Why did I decide to do this without Jon? I must be crazy. Well, while I am feeling sorry for myself for trying to tackle this what seems to be daunting task, Aiden hides under the kitchen table and....yep you guessed it. I was crushed! After all the positive encouragement, offering of treats, stickers, temporary tattoos, etc. How could this little "turd" (no pun intended) do this to me?! Anyway, we run to the bathroom, clean up the mess and tell Thomas that Aiden was sorry for "coloring" him. So Wednesday and Thursday come and go with no more #2. Stopped up again. Fantastic. So I whip out the mandarin oranges and juice and hi fiber foods to try and make this kid do his business...in the right spot. Once again, Aiden thinks that he should hide in his closet to do this. LUCKY! So we clean that up and I express how important it is for Aiden to send his stuff down the tunnel in the potty, and that he NEEDS to tell mommy when he feels like he needs to go.

Friday is here. Still doing GREAT on #1. I'm getting nervous for what is inevitably coming..so after my Dr. Appt that was a joke (blog to follow later) I decide that we need BIG incentive to make this a thing of the past. The NEX has a Thomas the train section, and I let Aiden pick out a train that he could have when he finally went on the pot. He wanted it on the way home, to carry it in the house, sit with it at dinner, etc. I said, "NO WAY! NOT UNTIL YOU POOP IN THE POTTY." I decided that the shiny new incentive would sit on our shelf where Aiden could see it all afternoon and think about maybe trying to "git r done."

He's such a trickster. He peed about 6 times trying to get me hand over the prize, saying how is bum is empty and he just can't put his stuff in the bowl. I started ignoring his persuasion and finally...after a couple of hours...out of NOWHERE, the kid dashes in the bathroom without a word and sits and DOES IT! I started screaming, crying, jumping up and down and almost had an accident of my own. Oh the elation! I clearly felt like I was floating. I know, over bodily waste, crazy!

So now, Aiden is enjoying his new shiny Thomas complete with a jet engine that lights up and makes sounds, and I am sitting on the sofa blogging a novel about the event. Ah, the things we get excited about when you grow up and have kids.

Scattered about through this lengthy post is Aiden, post potty, with his reward. Enjoy. I'm loving every minute of it!

Belly pic of the week

2009-04-19T18:58:00.001-10:00

Ko Olina

2009-04-19T09:51:00.002-10:00

Two goals I have while Jon is away. #1, get a dang tan, or at least try to. #2, get Aiden POTTY TRAINED! We worked on goal #1 yesterday as Aiden and I braved the beach. Well, we braved the lagoons at Ko Olina. I absolutely love it there. The water is mild and calm, but you can still hear the waves crashing beyond the lagoons in the ocean. Aiden was a little less scared of the water, and I'm really hoping that with more time he will get used to it. Poor guy. He did help some kids build a sand castle that was very close to the water, and even tried a couple times to get water in his bucket. We'll see how it goes the next couple weeks. We were out there for about an hour and a half, and loved it! I think we will go every Wednesday and Saturday until Jon gets home. We should look like we at least live in Hawaii by then :)

preschool

2009-04-19T09:49:00.003-10:00

Aiden started preschool last week! It's only a month long, but he is happy and LOVING IT! He likes to remind me that nobody has hit him or threw him on the ground each day. Too funny! He's growing up way too fast!

New Blog

2009-04-16T09:55:00.001-10:00

We've made it! The Brown clan is finally under one roof! Jon and I were married on March 28th at my parents house in Las Vegas. It was FANTASTIC (blog to follow once I get pictures) and now we are moved and getting settled in Hawaii. Aiden had his first trip to the ocean yesterday. He was so SCARED! I couldn't believe it. He wanted nothing to do with getting near the water. Of course, Jon and I took a turn with getting him wet. He settled down towards the end, but I think he's happier flinging sand everywhere instead. Jon made a circle in the sand that Aiden was supposed to stay in to avoid getting sand all over us, it kinda worked :) We will be working on the "beach rules" to say the least. All in all, he did fine, we just need to make it a habit to spend time at the beach so he can get used to it. Aiden lives in the wrong place to be scared of the beach :) Here are some pictures from yesterday...