Monday, July 30, 2012

Curtis 6 month checkup

Curtis turned 6months while we were in Utah so today we had our 6 month check up. Here are his stats.

Curtis on top of the Conference Center

Weight: 17lbs 3oz (30%)

Height: 26 3/4” (50%)

Head Circumference: 17 1/4” (45%)

So he’s doing well. The Dr. said he looked great and he’s just perfect. Our sweet little boy is growing up. I need to get it on video but this afternoon he started to really crawl forward…. exciting and scary at the same time. We can see it in his eyes… he’s figuring this out.. he can move on his own. I totally watched his confidence grow. He’s going to be getting around a lot quicker than I am ready for. Either way… ready or not it’s fun to watch.

In 2 weeks we have Connor and Chloe’s annual checkup. We’ll see how big they are getting!!

Last 2 weeks in Utah.

Our 2nd week started off with a lazy “recovering” day on Monday… The kids haven’t really been getting good "down /nap time each day so here and there we would throw in a down day and just relax and enjoy Park City. The kids love the park at the bottom of the hill and sometimes if the park was empty I took the kids to the park in the middle of the outlet mall… The kids love meeting New friends… and I think really think it’s important for kids to have a lot of interaction with new children. I think it will help Connor when it comes time for school to start.

Tuesday we had a train redo… it was a beautiful day and the kids were so excited. Especially with the tease the week before.

Connor and Chloe by Train

We got there early enough to get great seats on the train. I knew it was super important to get seats with a great windows.

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The train moved at a slower but steady pace. It was beautiful scenery. It took us half way through the Provo canyon we made it to the end the kids and Grandma got off to run around a little, while I stayed on to save our seats and try to put Curtis down for a nap… very unsuccessful. My Little cat napper was too excited about what was going on. I think he took a 15 minute nap. They sounded the 10 minute warning and everyone started to head back to the train. We got into motion heading back into Heber. We were only on the track 10 minute when we made a stop….. an unexpected stop…. everyone was a little confused and started to worry when the conductor came into our car and told us our engine had died and they had another one coming….Train 132012-07-17 11.46.18

so after a 45 minute stand still wait…..we were back on track… during those 45 minutes we tried to keep the kids entertained. We went and got ice cream bars from the concession car. I am sure they have NEVER sold that much merchandise in one ride, ever.

On Thursday, Connor’s real birthday we wanted to do something special so we ventured to Thanksgiving point to explore. I didn’t realize how much there was to do there. We decided to visit the Dinosaur Museum. Connor loved it.2012-07-19 10.17.09

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We wandered around a lot of the exhibits and then went into the 3D theatre to watch one of their dinosaur movies. I think Connor liked the 3D thing... something I am not particularly into but for this movie it was fun. Have way through the movie I could tell Chloe was getting tired… so I tried to keep her attention with some gummy bears I had in my bag… when she asked for more and I told her “no” (she doesn’t like that word….) she started to break down. She started to throw a little fit… which escalated  pretty quickly. So with Curtis and Connor with my Mom I tried to stay calm and took Chloe out of the theatre. At this point she was devastated and continued freaking out…. I was shocked at how far she was taking this tantrum. Usually I can talk her out of it and calm her down but I could tell I had lost her. I did for a brief moment have my Chloe and we were in a good place… but as we waited for everyone else to get out of the theatre she lost it again. So as I was taking her out of the museum we ran into grandma and the boys. I told my mom to enjoy the museum with Connor.. its his day…… so she went back in and they had fun.Connor and shark at the Dinasaur Museum

I took Chloe to the car and let her continue with her fit. This is the worst fit I have ever experienced with Chloe…. I ended up in the front seat sipping on a diet coke trying to keep my cool while Chloe was on the floor in the back. When a window of calm came I took advantage and invited Chloe to come sit with me. She came and sat on my lap and we talked. I hate seeing my kids that upset but she was just so tired it was worthless fighting with her. I explained it was because she was so tired.. and its ok to be tired…. I told her I was tired and it was ok. She nodded her head and put her teary face on my chest and slowly drifted to sleep. So here I am in the Jeep with a 3 year old drooling down my chest, sweaty, uncomfortable and tired. Why share this story? Well while I sat there with a dead phone (so no entertainment) all I had were my thoughts…. kinda scary. but I thought of how I love being a mother and I thought of my mother and all the sacrifices my mom made for me. Maybe she never held me in her arms while I drooled all over her…etc… but I remember so many times she went above and beyond the call of duty for me. I remembered the time she drove me and 2 or 3 of my girlfriends from a soccer game somewhere in Maine into Boston (right mom?? ) either Boston or Connecticut somewhere to go see Christina Aguilera in concert. She didn’t even have a ticket. She had planned on staying in our Big Van the entire concert and then drive us home.. After all the effort and money and stress of it… Christina canceled her concert… so we rolled out of the parking lot blasting Britney Spears music with the windows down. Now I am sure my Mom could’ve have been a million other places but she was with me… and I LOVE her for that. I just hope I can be there for my children like she was for us. love you mama.

ok back to our trip…..  Love you Chloe :)

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My Mom was so sweet and offered to watch the kids so I could go visit the temple… not only once but 3 times… The day I drove to the new Draper temple, we didn’t think to check but it was closed due to Pioneer day. But the 2 temples I went to were the Jordan River and then Mt. Timpanogos. 2 I have never been to. I really enjoyed being in the temple and have that time to get some answers I have been searching for. Thank you Mom.

 

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On Friday while Grandpa was working we drove up to Layton to spend the morning with Grandma and Grandpa Pedersen. They were so sweet, they had little birdhouses ready for the kids to paint and then hang up in the backyard. They painted 2 each and we brought home 3 and left 3.

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I helped Curtis out a little with his. Surprisingly  his birdhouses turned out the cutest : ) They showed off their Gorgeous  garden. I was so impressed on how much they have out there. I would save so much money on produce if I was half the gardener they are! Great job guys!! like I said I am happy if our grass is green….  We had lunch, the kids played on the floor with Grandpa’s cars and we played in their basement. The kids enjoyed exploring the house. We had fun… anytime we get to spend with the Pedersen clan is a treat. We always wish we lived closer we could stop by more often : ( someday…. if not in this life… in the next.

Great Grandpa Pedersen and Curtis 22012-07-20 12.27.25

While Grandpa was in town on Saturday they took us up to a lake somewhere in Oakley? I don’t remember the name of the lake you’ll have to read my Mom’s blog for that info : )

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But before leaving we found some friends in the backyard eating Grandma’s Bushes… urgh!!! we tried scaring them off but I am sure they found their way back after we left.

Once at the lake the kids were a little nervous at first and the water was a wee bit chilly compared to Arizona’s bath water pools…. After the kids got comfy riding the kayaks with us they were begging for more and more.  Chloe and I saw, what I thought to be either a beaver or an otter in the water. We didn’t get a great look at it but I saw it dive down so I saw it’s back…. so fun. The Utah sun always surprises me… even though it was a little “chilly” ( My dad will scoff at that… ) but we all came home with a little tan. Wonderful!  

Lake - Chloe 1Lake - Chloe and Connor in WaterLake - Chloe and Kathy on KayakLake - Connor and Chloe eatingLake - Curtis and KathyLake - Curtis

Monday morning we decided to do something on the spiritual side so what’s a trip to Utah without visiting Temple Square?

 Connor and Chloe by Temple 2

Due to the temple being closed, the grounds were quiet… well at least until we got there : ) Its been awhile since I actually walked around both of the visitor centers. The one on the south side had really changed, it was really interesting.

 Connor and Chloe by Christus

We went through both visitor centers, the tabernacle, the little chapel and then the conference center. By the time we got to the conference center the kids were a little worn down but they were really amazed at how big the conference center was.

Kathy and Michelle with kids in Conference Center

Curtis, Chloe, Connor on top of Conference Center

After the conference center we had lunch at the Garden at the top of the Joseph Smith Building.

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(picture courtesy of Connor)

Delicious.

Chloe and Kathy in Garden Restaurant

*look at those beautiful girls… it’s amazing to me… I came from one and I created the other… such beauty.

One of the waitresses came over and told me that Curtis was “pretty” She said I know that’s not what you say about boys but he’s “so Pretty” I thought that, that was sweet. My little pretty boy.

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Next on our list was to visit the aquarium. I was surprised at how cool it was on the inside, from the outside appearance I wasn’t expecting much. But they had a little bit of everything. My favorite I think was the otter. They are just so cute and playful and it confirmed my theory of what I saw at the lake the previous weekend in the water. Aquarium - Chloe by seal

It was fun… a little tiring chasing the kids from one exhibit to the next but it was fun watching their faces light up at each new window. Chloe of course loved the penguins… Aquarium - Chloe by penguins

I think we could have stayed there all day watching them waddle around. I’m sure that’s how I walked when I’m 9months pregnant…. 

Aquarium - Chloe touching starfishAquarium - crab

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After seeing all we could see we ventured out to get some lunch.. we decided on Burger King which had a play place for the kids to get completely exhausted on…. we told the kids if they ate their lunch all gone they could go play…. so here’s a look at our table side entertainment. This is seriously how Chloe eats a hamburger. Love this little girl. She ate Every last bite. She loves her burger! And then she was off and probably burned it all off climbing up the slides and then sliding down…  over and over and over again!

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We Enjoyed our time in Utah this summer. Arizona heat is exhausting so 3 weeks in Utah might sound like a long time but it really does break up the summer for us. We love being with Grandma and Grandpa….. and… Suki I guess… :) Chloe and Connor having lunch by pond

We had an amazing time and we look forward to the next visit with grandma and grandpa!! We love you and thank you for sharing your summer with us!

Tuesday, July 24, 2012

Week 1 in Utah

we were invited to spend 3 weeks this summer with Grandma Miller. I am always excited to get away from the heat so we jumped at the chance. We love coming to Park City any time of the year. So hopefully I don’t forget anything but here’s a look at our first week in Utah.

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On the plane the kids were great. I packed them their individual backpacks and they were responsible for their own things which was nice… I hate it when I hear “Mommy can I have……” all day long.. so they had snacks, movies, toys, books etc… so I was able to take care of Curtis. He was wonderful. He fell asleep on take off and woke up right before we landed.

And when we got off Grandma was there waiting!! Yea!!!Curtis, Connor and Chloe at airport

We have been asking Chloe and Connor what they wanted for their birthdays and all Chloe wanted was “earrings like mommy”. So after talking it over with Kiel I decided to get them done here in Utah. When I asked Kiel what he thought all he said was that he didn’t want to be there… he didn’t want to hear her cry. But she was great. She was so excited about her hello kitty earrings!!! She has let Grandma and I clean them every day. She tells me, “Mommy we’re best friends, we have earrings.” She’s been really careful not to touch them but she’s so proud of them. I do have to admit I felt a little regret right after because I feel like I lost my little girl. She instantly looked older..

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On Wednesday Grandma and Grandpa Pedersen came down from Layton to spend the day with us. We decided to go ride the Gondola at the Canyons. The kids loved it.. It was such a beautiful ride up the mountain. It was a wonderful day. The kids loved being with Great Grandma and Grandpa Pedersen. I really think Chloe thinks their name is Great Grandma/Grandpa because they are Great. so cute.

Mom and Dad with Michelle and kids

 

 

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After coming back down from the mountain we hit the famous park city farmer’s market. We hit all of Mom’s favorite vendors. We got salsa, fresh corn, bread, cherries etc…. delicious eats!!

We then all came home and made lunch. We all gobbled up the fresh corn on the cob. That’s' one of Connor and Chloe’s favorite foods. Soon after lunch we all took a nap. Connor and Chloe conked out as well as Grandma and Curtis. Curtis loves to snuggle!

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Thursday my Mom planned for us to go on the Heber Creeper (A fun train that takes you slowly thru Heber into the Provo Canyon) but unfortunately we weren’t on our game and we got lost and we missed our train… We rescheduled for the next week. But we decided to turn our lemons into lemonade. We found a nice park for the kids to play for a little while…

*side note… Curtis is 6months!!!

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and then we went to the famous Heber spot, Dairy Keen. Delicious!!! And yes, this is how Chloe really eats her burger… She ate EVERY bite. 

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Connor was a little busy… he didn’t eat his entire lunch (not a shocker there…) but he loved playing with the train set and watching the train go around the restaurant.

Connor at lunch in Heber

Thursday night Erin and Grandpa came into town. We were excited to help Erin celebrate her birthday!! While Erin and I went out and had our nails done and went to lunch Grandma and Grandpa took the kids on a walk to a pond. They love playing with grandma and grandpa…

Chloe at PondConnor at pondCurtis at Pond

Friday afternoon Kiel flew in to spend sometime with us and to get out of the heat. Its never long enough but any time I can get Kiel out of town and relax I can advantage. That night Grandma and Grandpa Pedersen came down to join us for dinner for Erin. We went to Prime Steak House a Great spot on Main street. We love Erin… and we were so happy to be able to be with her on her Birthday.

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Saturday we spend in Salt Lake at the children’s museum (mainly for Connor..) We celebrated Connor’s birthday a little early so Kiel could be with us while we celebrated. The kids loved running around and playing at the museum. We’ve been there a couple of times…

Children's Museum - ChloeChildren's Museum - Connor at Register 22012-07-14 11.56.17

Children's Museum - Erin, ChloeChildren's Museum - Chloe and Mark

Children's Museum - Chloe & Connor in helecopter

After the kids wore us out at the museum we went to lunch at the California Pizza Kitchen and instead of making a big cake for Connor Grandma made cupcakes. Connor wanted Chocolate cupcakes with “white frosting” so that’s what he got.

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And with his Lego theme we added our own toppers:) ) Each cupcake had a different Lego character on it. Connor loved that and then collecting them all after. Silly boy. He loves his Legos.

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The rest of the weekend included relaxing outside with Daddy, an Awesome treasure hunt Erin put together for Connor, going to church, playing cards and of course delicious eats.

Connor, Chloe and Curtis on hammock

Kiel and Erin left on Sunday : ( But Monday morning before Grandpa left we chipped in and helped with mowing the lawn. I don’t think Connor and Chloe were much help…..but they loved being outside with us.

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Connor and Chloe have been sleeping in the same room together and one night I went in to check on them and this is what I found. Connor and Chloe fight hard  but they are so sweet to each other for the most part. I know they love each other. They really are best friends.

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I took this shot on the way to the airport to drop dad off. We haven’t been really good about getting the kids down for naps everyday, too much fun going on… But it’s a given every car ride Curtis falls asleep but for Chloe to fall asleep it’s a added Bonus!!

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After we dropped off dad, my mom wanted to show me the new City Creek Mall in downtown SLC. Such a cool mall. The church really did a great job revamping downtown. I remember that mall being a bit depressing. But now it’s beautiful.

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More to come.. but that’s our first week in Utah this summer!!