Utah State Fair

My sister-in-law Lesli hooked us up with free passes to the fair this year and we had such a great time.

We saw a cool alligator show and Finn loved walking through all the animal pens.

I love this video because it shows just how excited he was...he kept breaking out into spontaneous dance moves:

Of course we had to put him on some rides, even though they are a total money trap:


My favorite part was the "Little Hands on the Farm" exhibit. They gave each kid an apron and basket at the beginning, and had them walk through several stations where they got to "work on a farm".

Here is Finn picking his fake tomatoe. On the other side of this 'garden' the kids planted pretend seeds in the dirt, then went to the other side and got to pick what they planted to put in their basket. He also got to pick a pretend apple from a tree, ride a mini tractor, feed and milk a pretend cow, and brush a pretend sheep as seen below.

At every station he got to put something in his basket. Then at the end, he 'sold' his farmed goods for a fake dollar bill that he got to take to the 'grocery store'. They had a lot of different things like little cereal boxes, chocolate milk etc. and he got to pick out whatever he wanted for the dollar he made. Just as I was explaining this to Finn, Aaron says, "Hey Ash, I think we're getting an apple." I looked at Finn and he had picked out an apple and taken a big bite out of it! I thought it was so cute that he chose an apple out of all those things. He ate it on the way home and was totally content.

The only downer for me was the "BBQ turkey sandwich" I paid six dollars for that ended up being cold deli meat on a bun and I had to put the BBQ sauce on myself -- lame! I always think it's going to be so fun to eat at places like this, and I am always dissapointed and wish I would have brought my own food. Lesson learned. Luckily, I got to eat the rest of Finn's corn dog after he was done with it.

Gooooooo Cougars!

BYU Player Dennis Pitta...pretty sure Aaron made him feel like a rock star by cheering and taking this picture.

Aaron is not really a "sports fan" per se, but he is a pretty hard core fan of BYU football. How hard core you ask? Hard core enough to go to an impromptu pep rally at Provo airport at 2 AM to welcome the team home after their amazing win against Oklahoma. The game was pretty intense, and after we won all of Provo celebrated for a good two hours. People were honking, lighting off fireworks (ok, maybe that was just Aaron) and cheering. About 1000 fans ended up at the airport (for the first time ever apparently) and Aaron was so excited to be a part of it all. And I was excited that he fed Kate before he left so I could sleep. Here is a video he took of Bronco talking to the crowd:

Here's hoping the Cougs keep up the good work...I'd really like my husband's mood to be this good for the rest of the season!

Carnival Fun!

We all went to a carnival fundraiser for Milo's school a while ago and had a blast!

Finn and Dad at the fish pond, Finn caught a coloring book!

Finn LOVED his pony ride.

Sawyer and Milo in a donut eating race.



Finn's wildest dreams came true when he got to play Plinko. We have a Price is Right game at home that he plays with every day. He won a pencil and glow in the dark bracelet. Not quite $50,000 but we'll take what we can get.

Gemma on her pony ride. I think her face in this pic is priceless.

We got the kids ice cream while we waited in line for the ponies. Finn was in heaven. His face got stained and sticky but it was totally worth it. What a fun night!

My Birthday

I turned 25 on September 1st. I am now old enough to get discounted car insurance, rent a golf cart on Catalina Island, and feel like an official adult :)

The day was mediochre until Aaron got home from work...then it was awesome! He got right to work cooking me a FANTASTIC dinner, shown below. The pictures really don't do it justice though.

Spicy scallop salad with dressing he made himself, broiled swordfish, garlic roasted potatoes and steamed asparagus. YUMMY. Then we had a DQ ice cream cake for dessert (my fave) and this one was extra good because it was made with Girl Scout Thin Mints! Aaron and Finn both sang me "Happy Birthday" before I blew out the candles...well, candle. It was so wonderful having Finn sing along, I loved it. Then I opened my presents. Aaron got me a really cute dress and shrug to go overtop...I am always impressed with what a good job he does picking things out for me. Then my sister Megan came to babysit so Aaron and I could go to a movie. We saw "Up" at the dollar theatre (gotta love discount Tuesdays!) and loved it!

Because I am lame, I didn't get any pictures of anything besides the food...we were kinda rushed :) But just know that I had a fantastic birthday...thanks Aaron for making it so great!

Introducing the New and Improved....

Cordless Kate!

Upgrades include:

MUCH Lighter weight

The ability to be carried around the house by Mom

Removal of ear-splitting (and always false) alarm

Removal of itchy under-arm belt that caused infant stress

Faster get-ready-to-leave-the-house time

Removal of oxygen tube stickers and associated annoyance

Current Stats:
2 months and 10 days old
8 lbs 9 oz
19 1/2 inches long

It's true! She has been off oxygen for a couple weeks and now has the official doctor's order to be taken off her monitor as well! Secretly, we may have been cheating for a few days (throw me a bone!) but now I can be guilt free about never hooking her up to anything ever again! Seriously, can not even describe how much easier my life is. Congrats Kate!

Finn Is 2!

For Finn's birthday this year, we headed to the park once again. We brought a cake, some pop and a bunch of balloons and invited all of Finn's cousins and a couple other little friends of his.
Finn is all about cars lately and Aaron found this sweet cake at Wal-Mart. I would have tried to make something this cool and failed, so it was pretty great that we could just pick it up and save myself the headache and inevitable feeling of motherhood inadequacy.
Finn was totally overwhelmed by all the attention but was very excited as well. Here he is patiently waiting for all his friends to sit down so he can start opening presents:
We have been playing this every day since his party:

We saved the best for last -- this giant Elmo that Aaron found on KSL (brand new) for $10!

When he opened it he said his signature, "Wow!" and loves to give 'Big Melmo' hugs whenever he can.

He got so many great things from family and friends that have definitely made my life easier lately. I can't believe it has been two years since he was born! Hard to imagine him getting a bath like this these days:

He is such a fun little boy and we love having him around and watching him learn and grow. Happy birthday Finn! We love you more than you'll ever know.

Benefits of a Bottle Baby

Aaron fed Kate in the middle of the night last night.

Twice.

And I slept.

Need I say more?

No, but I will.

No soreness.

No messing with a nursing cover.

No exclusion from the fun when I have to feed my baby.

No ball and chain.

I really gave it my best shot. I nursed Kate while she was in the hospital, but it was always difficult getting her to latch. I had to use a shield and it was always a struggle, but Finn was a difficult nurser too so I just thought it would take some time. When she came home though, I needed to give her several fortified bottles a day so she could get the extra calories she needs...and that's when she started to boycott nursing altogether. After a few frustrating late-night feedings where she took FOREVER to latch or didn't at all, the last straw was when it took me 30 minutes to get her to latch, and then Finn came and jumped on us and I couldn't get her back on. Enter the bottle. Exit frustration and headache. I am pumping as long as I can stand it/until my milk supply runs out. My maternal instict to nurse makes me a little sad that I can't breast feed my baby girl, but I have made peace with the situation and am just glad that she takes the bottle like a champ. Plus, the extra sleep I get thanks to my wonderful, helpful husband is pretty freaking amazing.