3 Days of Christmas

Christmas was a little different this year, but still a lot of fun. We always split it up so we spend the same amount of time at the in-laws & my parents house. My parents decided to go on a Mexican Riviera Cruise this year for Christmas, so we spent Christmas Eve with our little family at home & Christmas with Ty's parents.

Although Zoe is only 9 1/2 months, it was still exciting watching her open her presents. She got a little princess wand and a keyboard she can rock out on. She loved them both and played with them most of the day.

Every year, Ty's Grandma Higley has a Christmas party for the family. This year it was on the 26th. We had a huge lunch and lots of exchanging of gifts. We made out pretty good this year with a bit of cash & a Quesadilla Maker. :)

We spent the 27th with my family at mom & dad's house. Zoe got an adorable authentic Mexican dress that I need to take a picture of and put on here & a fun toy to help her walk. Her & her cousin Adyson had a blast walking around the house & play with them. The older boys liked them too and definitely tried to steal them.

All in all, it was a great Christmas. It was the second year in a row of me being pregnant. I sure am getting tired of this!! I just can't wait to have my body back. It is hard enough recovering from a C-section without being pregnant, but getting pregnant 3 months after Zoe was born has been a bit rough.

We have been immensely blessed this year though. Zoe is an amazing little girl. She makes me laugh everyday. I cannot explain how much I love her. We have great friends around that are so good to us. I have a wonderful husband who provides for our family and works so hard to make sure we are happy. I couldn't ask for a better 2010. I am definitely looking forward to seeing what 2011 brings! I hope you all had an amazing Christmas and an even better New Years.

All my Love,

Janessa

Christmas Pictures

Mamamamama!

Zoe learned to say Mama 2 days ago & it is the sweetest sound to my ears! She woke up this morning and said it to me and I melted! :) I love my sweet baby girl!

Black Friday

Happy Thanksgiving to everyone! Our Thanksgiving was definitely a little different this year. My mom & dad went to Baltimore to visit Joelle & Ty's parents were in Utah, so we had to fend fore ourselves over the holidays. Thank goodness we have relatives close that were kind enough to have us over. We spent Thanksgiving dinner with Aunt Sheila & Uncle Dan & some cousins, it was a lot of fun. After dinner we headed to Mandy (Ty's sisters) & Toby's house in Pasco & spent the rest of the weekend there. Stephanie (Ty's sis) & Dave & their new little one came up for a few days too. Zoe loved having a playmate.

So, my first time ever attempting Black Friday was this year. Stephanie, Mandy & I started at about 5:30 am and went until 2 pm. Being 5 months pregnant definitely had it's challenges, but I did pretty good considering. I definitely will be doing it again! I can't believe the deals I got. I'm sure I spent a bit too much money, but I had a blast doing it. I hope you all had a great Turkey Day and were able to spend it with your loved ones!

It's a Boy

Just went to the Dr. on Friday and we are having a little boy. We are thrilled! Ty actually high-fived me. haha. It was cute! Everything looks great and he's growing perfectly in proportion. I'll post some ultrasound pictures soon!

Halloween!

Can you see her first tooth!?

In the 5 1/2 years we've been married, this is the first pumpkin we've carved together. I think we just wanted to see how Zoe liked the guts. It was pretty cold, so she stayed away for the most part.

Grandpa & Grandma Herrud. Zoe wasn't afraid at all, it was kinda funny she just wanted to grab the hair.

Our cute little Halloween Fairy!

More Fall pictures

Babies, Babies & more Babies

We find out what we are having next Friday. We both feel like it's gonna be a boy, but who the heck knows. We are excited to find out. I have definitely felt different throughout this pregnancy, way more nauseous & grumpy. I'm sure it has to do with the fact that I have a 7 month old always all over me and needing me.

Speaking of needing me, Zoe has never been so NEEDY! She always has to be either touching me or be able to see me. She even has a hard time with Ty sometimes. I love that she loves me, but I'm assuming it's a phase that she will continue to repeat over and over. She's also teething & I'm sure she doesn't like that. Anyone else out there know what I'm talking about? Have your kids gone through this. I'm just trying to figure out what to do & how to stay sane at the same time. Ty has been extremely helpful, but he works all the time so I'm left to entertain my little one most the time.

I have been trying not to gain as much weight as I did with Zoe. I think that will be easy seeing that I gained 70 lbs with her. Yes, 70 lbs! I look back at pictures and think oh my!!! What was I thinking??? I was so happy to even be pregnant I didn't have a care in the world. I just ate and ate & didn't worry one bit. This time around is a lot different. It was so hard to lose weight after I had Zoe & I don't want it to be as hard this time. Thank goodness I lost 50 lbs before getting pregnant. I'm 16 weeks and I've only gained 8 lbs. Hopefully the rest that I gain will just be the baby and fluid. The joys of getting pregnant when your baby is 3 month old. AAAAHHHH! Sometimes I just want to scream, but this is why I'm here, to make babies & bring them back to their Heavenly Father. We are blessed! I really shouldn't even be able to have babies (say most doctors). But, miracles happen! We have 2 babies that prove this to be true.

Fun in the Fall

Zoe & I were able to go to the Country Mercantile (just on the outskirts of Tri-Cities) on Saturday. We had a blast. They had a carnival with rides, a pumpkin patch & hay rides!

I made her hairbow & a tutu for the occasion. It's definitely fun making new things & saving some money.

Zoe also got her first tooth. I found it on Saturday. What an exciting day we had...

Afterwards we met Ty at the TRAC at the Women's Expo where he had a booth set up for ADT. It was definitely a successful weekend!

My grandma hasn't been doing very well these past few months. Right before our trip to the Coast this summer she was in the hospital for a few weeks & we didn't know how long she was going to have. She is so stubborn & such a fighter that she has made it until now. She is 85 years old. It still seems to be touch and go with her but we are glad to have her here for as long as we can have her. I know she wants to be with grandpa. He passed away in '93; I can't imagine being separated from your spouse for that long. I love her with all my heart & pray for her everyday.

Fall is in the Air

It seems like this year has flown by. Our little family is growing and we feel so blessed. We are expecting another one in the beginning of April. If this one stays in as long as he/she is supposed to our kids will be exactly 12 months and 2 weeks apart. I am still a bit overwhelmed by it all, but am trying to get as ready as possible.

Zoe started crawling at about 6 months. She is so strong and so tiny at the same time. She loves watching her daddy play video games; I think it's because of all the bright colors.

I have all the sudden got the urge to do a bunch of crafts! I used to scrapbook a lot before I had Zoe, but I just stopped it all together once she was born. Now that she can entertain herself a bit I am able to do a lot more. These are some foam pumpkins I bought at walmart. I spray painted them with a metallic finish. They turned out really cute. I am been blog stocking a bunch of craft blogs for some good ideas. Here are a few that I love...

The Idea Room

Craftaholics Anonymous

Shanty 2 Chic

I Heart Naptime

Crawling

The past few weeks, Zoe has been trying to crawl. She gets up on her hands and knees, rocks back & forth a bit and face-plants. She is a determined little one though. She is so intense (just like daddy). I am amazed at how coordinated she is. I can't wait to see what she does next...

Bummer news!

This post is supposed to be about how awesome I did in my triathlon. Unfortunately, I wasn't even able to do it. All last week I was feeling dizzy and lightheaded. It kept getting worse and worse. By Thursday morning I was barely able to stand up and get ready. My hands were shaky and vision was kinda hazy. I tried to get out of the house and run some errands but by the time I got in the car and started driving I felt worse. I went to the walk-in and, of course, they wouldn't even see me. They told me I needed to go the ER. Ugh! So I packed Zoe back up and went to the hospital.

They ran a bunch of tests and determined that I had severe dehydration. I felt a bit better after they pumped 2 bags of fluid into me, but still felt yucky. I think the worst part was knowing how close I had gotten to my goal of completing a triathlon. All that hard work and this is what happens... Well, I'm sure you guessed it. I didn't get to compete after all.

If my body allows, I will definitely be competing in not just one but a few next year.

Wish me luck!!

Summer Fun!

Well, we just got done with the Moses Lake Fair! Actually, Ty just got done with it. He had a booth in the Vendor Building for ADT and worked 12 -13 hour days. He is so glad to be done. It's extremely exhausting but definitely well worth the hard work. I'm thinking I'm gonna be a single mom for the next few months because he is slammed with appointments. I love the money, but miss my honey! haha.

Zoe spent most of last week with me at the fair too. She did so good in her stroller. It's so fun to watch her take it all in. So many colors and different people to look at. She'll definitely be a good people watcher just like her mom.

I spent some time with my friend, Alyson Keeley, yesterday at a photo shoot. I had a lot of fun. I love everything about photography and I like posing people. :) I'm glad she let Zoe & I tag along. I need to keep busy so I don't get too bored.

The triathlon is this weekend and honestly I'm looking forward to being done with it. The training has been exhausting & these early morning workouts are killin' me. I'm glad I have followed through with it though. I wanted to quit so many times, but when you are working out with 4 other women they kinda make you stick it out. It's funny, if one of us is late or doesn't want to workout that day we are all calling them or texting them to get off their butt and workout. It's definitely a good motivator when you know there are others counting on you being there. I would recommend working out with a group to anyone who needs a little extra drive. The tri is in Issaquah at Lake Sammamish. I hear it's beautiful there. I can't wait to see how my body will respond on race day. I miss competitive sports, and I know my adrenaline will be pumping. Wish me luck!!

Family Reunion

I can't believe it, but I ran 4 miles today. I had to take a little break after about three & walked a bit, but I keep running and finished. I have never ran that much in a single workout before, so I was pretty proud of myself. Tomorrow we are swimming about a mile. I'm finally starting to get used to these crazy hard workouts. It sure does feel good to sweat so much.

Ty finished up softball & we are both a little relieved it is all over. It was definitely a long season. They didn't place at state, but won a few tournaments along the way.

Zoe is 4 1/2 months & is totally trying to crawl. She hasn't figured out what to do with her hands and arms yet but her legs are movin' like crazy. She gets her feet under her and her butt in the air and scoots forward. She sucks on her toes all the time and gets mad when I disturb her while she's busy with them. haha. I think that is hilarious. She loves to stand also. Her personality is coming out like crazy & I love being around her. I'm not gonna lie, those first few months were pretty rough & dealing with postpartum depression wasn't fun. I finally feel like I have a handle on things and am able to enjoy the small things throughout the day. Yay!

What's new?

This summer has been busy! Zoe is growing like a weed and she makes my heart smile every day. I'm definitely getting this mom thing down. :) Ty has been playing softball on a city league team here in Moses Lake with my brother, Josh. He loves getting out of the house and doing something active and competitive with other guys. I've noticed he's been so much happier since he's been playing. I love to go and watch and cheer him on. I'm probably one of the loudest wives there, it's the competitiveness in me!! My training for the triathlon in August is going well. Today I ran 3 miles. This is no little thing for me. I've always been one to workout but never have I ran that much during one workout. Even though I was exhausted at the end, I couldn't stop smiling. I was so proud of myself for finishing. I know that's how I'm going to feel when I finish the Tri. I never imagined I would be able to do something this big, but now I know if you set your mind to something and work hard, you can do anything! (That sounds totally cheezy I know, but so true) Ty got me an SLR Canon camera and I've been taking pictures like crazy. Here are a few pictures of what our summer has been like. Oh & I got some hair extensions put in by my friend Brittany Marlatt yesterday, I absolutely love them! She did an amazing job.

Crazy brother!

This is our babysitter, Makenna Hirz, Zoe loves her!

Summer 2010

She's grabbing everything & putting everything in her mouth!

This picture was at Ty's softball tournament, she loves being outside!

I really don't know what to say about this one...haha

I love this picture! Zoe's smiling so big now.

Triathlon Training

I have decided to start training for a triathlon to get back in shape and lose the rest of this baby weight. Me and 4 other girls from Moses Lake are training together every morning. I have really enjoyed it, even though I am still out of shape and sore most days. This type of training is definitely out of my comfort zone. I have always been one to workout, but never for endurance purposes. I'm excited to try something new and to challenge myself.

A big thank you to my amazing husband who watches Zoe in the mornings so I can workout. He has been so awesome! I appreciate his support and excitement about me setting new goals. I will keep you all posted on how training is going and when the triathlon is. I'm thinking about entering one in the end of August or September. Wish me luck!

BATHTIME!!

Zoe loves her Bath. Especially when Dad joins in.

2 Months

Today was Zoe's 2 month check-up w/ her doctor. What a crummy day! She had to get 3 shots and take something orally for the flu virus. I held her hand and kissed her forehead through the whole ordeal while Ty looked on. We both wanted to cry. It was so sad watching someone inflict pain on your child. I know that it will help her in the long run but it still was painful for all of us.

She is weighing in at 9 lbs 14 oz & is 21.5 in long. She's still so little! She's in approximately the 25th percentile in everything. So at least she's proportionate. Right? I did get a few smiles out of her today which was nice because she's not felt good most the day.

Here are a few pictures of her with her cute band-aids!

Today was also the first day I caught her just staring at the t.v. She wouldn't take her eyes off of it. It was the funniest thing! So, of course I had to take a picture.

My first Mother's Day

I told Ty that all I wanted for Mother's Day was one night of like 8-9 hours of undisturbed sleep! In my dreams right? Hopefully that will come soon enough.

Being able to celebrate mother's day as a mother was very special. I felt very much appreciated all day long. I was able to snuggle up with my honey most of the day because when you have a little one and you're around family you hardly get to hold them. Zoe was passed around the room from person to person. She slept most the time barely fussed at all.

Ty and I went to church with my mom and dad in Royal. My mom is the new Relief Society President. She is such an amazing woman. Since having Zoe I have learned to appreciate her so much more. She had 4 kids within 6 years. I don't know how she did it without going crazy. She has always stayed strong in the church and been an amazing example of choosing the right. I love her so much.

Sunday was also my first full day of church. I went to all 3 hours. Yay for me! I know it might not sound like much, but after recovering from a C-section and Zoe having thrush for 3 weeks it's progress. I went to Relief Society and they put on a program about the importance of Visiting teaching. It was so good. I felt the Spirit so strong. The best part was that I was able to listen to it while snuggling with Zoe! It was a wonderful day.

I love being a mom & can't wait for the many beautiful moments to come!

Zoe's Blessing

Here are a few pictures of our little princess in her pretty dress and afterwards at her party! Enjoy

Zoe was blessed by her daddy on May 2, 2010. It was such a special day for all of us. We had so much fun having all the family come over to visit and to spoil her. It was a bit overwhelming trying to get the house ready for everything this weekend but we got it done. I woke up at 5:30 am to feed her and didn't end up going back to bed. I had way too much to do and church was at 8:30. Oh man, the things we do for our little ones! I am still getting the hang of being a mom. It's not easy. It's definitely a daily struggle, with the hormone fluctuations, caring for a sick baby & trying to have any alone time with Ty. It's rough. I would happily accept any advice anyone would be willing to give me.

Some Fun Candids

Personalize your own free photo slideshow

1 month old

I cant believe how much she has changed so far.

She is putting on some weight finally!

She's already learned to pick her nose!

Check me out!

Whatcha lookin' at?