On this day in 1994....

It's been a while since I posted one of these.

March 27th, 1994- I finished reading the Westing Game. It was awesome. When I find some time maybe I'll read it to you. You'll really like it, I promise. It's fast Sunday because next Sunday is the first Sunday in April and it's Easter. Yes, Next Sunday I'll be pigging out on junk food and candy and I'll get a present too. I wonder what it is. I bet Mom hasn't even gotten me a present. Mom made me a babysit for 1 hour she said, but it was about like 1 hour and 15 or 20 minutes. Matthew has learned to hit people already. He scratched me across my face. I feel like I'm going to throw-up. Mom reminded us and all, but, I forgot to pig out on food after dinner. What a jerk I am. Forgetting it's fast Sunday when somebody reminds me. Well ta-ta for now! Love, Carly the Jerk P.S. Happy Easter!

Sadie may not be as weird as we think she is- since she came from someone like this.

Park Day

We recently had our first official park day in Utah. To be honest, it was terrible. I learned my lesson about bringing an 18-month-old with no sense of danger to a place with dangerous opportunities aplenty while I am carrying an extra 20+ pounds straight off the front of me (a pregnant belly). Makes it a little difficult to chase/climb after a reckless toddler. Next time daddy will have to be there to chase her.

It all started off innocent enough on the swings, aka "weeee".

Sadie loves the swing.

Then she moved onto the playground.

I was surprised and so proud of her that she climbed up and went down multiple slides by herself without my prompting.

But then Sadie started doing things like this:

(She actually climbed all the way to the top of one of the slides this way)

And this (at the top of the stairs):

(The highest point on the playground and she didn't understand she could come down the slide. The width of the staircases up there are about the same as my hips. I shimmied my way up there multiple times to retrieve her.)

And this:

(May not look like much, but that platform is about 4 feet off the ground. She ran over there, plopped herself down, and scooted herself to the edge until she fell off and I caught her- barely. I got this picture after she had been scolded for doing it and she got right back up there.)

Then Sadie started running away from the park to the street

and I had to literally run after her, which is hilarious- to everyone but me

She did that 3 times. And that's when we left. Sadie screamed the whole walk home.

What a little booger.

Don't Cry Because it's Over. Smile Because it Happened.

Cheesy quotes are so great. They bring me right back to when I was 12 and kept a quote book. It contained such insights as "If you love something let it go. If it comes back, it's yours. If it doesn't, it never was." and "No boy who is worth your tears will make you cry". So, so deep.

Anyway...we in the Nielson household are all smiles now that the basketball season is officially over for Daniel. No tears over here! Well, Sadie may be shedding a few tears that she doesn't get to go play in the arena during games anymore, but I love it when I get my husband back.

Last week we attended the Great West Conference basketball tournament. Look at Sadie, sporting the UVU shirt and the headband that actually started out on my head.

Sadie and I arrived early enough to see the teams introduced (first time that's ever happened).

She immediately got to work playing on the stairs.

Why watch the game when there are stairs to be played on?

Stairs are also apparently a perfect place for some light reading

She ran over to show me a picture of Willy the Wolverine in the book- didn't even notice her dad in it.

UVU won the game in these pictures, but lost the next one. Too bad they couldn't repeat the magic of last year. Too bad, so sad. Oh well.

Like I said, the season is officially over!!!

Birthday Boy

Yesterday was Daniel's birthday. We don't usually do much to acknowledge birthdays on our blog, but Daniel's a pretty good guy and yesterday was a pretty good day so I'll tell you about it.

While Daniel got up in the dark for bishopric meetings Sadie and I slept. Happy birthday!
We got up and made Daniel some yummy stuff for brunch before he got home.

Sadie helped by putting toys into bowls and attempting (unsuccessfully) to stand in bowls.

Following church Sadie took baby for a walk around the house.

Please note she's wearing my shoes.

Here she stopped to add a few magnets to the stroller, because, well, you never know when a magnet might come in handy.

Then Sadie and Daniel snuggled while I made dinner.


We sure hope you had a terrific day, Daniel! I like you and I know Sadie thinks you are cool.
But why wouldn't she? You show her Backyardigans and old videos of her on youtube. (I never let her get this close to my computer- mean mom)

And you show her what she should be doing to work on her form.

(Daniel was genuinely excited to show me that Sadie could get some backspin on the ball)

Tucson = Paradise

I spent last weekend with some of my favorite friends- all my bridesmaids from my wedding. In college we always talked about how we'd grow up and live all over the country and get together for girls' weekends. Well, 5 years after college we did it! And it was 75 degrees and sunny in Tucson. And there were no responsibilities. And I ate a whole lot. It was heaven. I will admit I missed Sadie (and maybe Daniel) a whole lot by Sunday.

We spent the long weekend talking, eating, shopping, and relaxing.

One morning we went on a hike/walk in the scenic Arizona desert.

We also spent time relaxing by the pool. The only problem with sitting in the sun while pregnant is you can't lay on your stomach so I got sun (maybe some burn) on the front of my legs, nothing on the back.

Seriously, it was an amazing weekend. I am ready to face the last 9 weeks of this pregnancy!

Here's a shot of the 3 pregnant ladies, in order of due date (l-r). We are all due within a month of each other- spaced 2 weeks apart. See, my stomach doesn't look that huge while standing with other pregnant women. It may also help that I am wearing a dark shirt standing against a dark window.

Pictures of my crazy toddler coming soon.

Picture

For all you picture-free blog post haters,

Here you go ya jerks

(Thanks for the shoes Garrett! Your stuff is on it's way soon)

V-day

We had a pretty decent Valentine's Day. Some scattered thoughts:

1. Sadie and I both had doctor's appointments in the late afternoon. I had to do my gestational diabetes test, which I was actually pretty nervous about since I failed the 1-hour test last pregnancy (see post here). My new doctor's office just does a finger prick and they can tell you the results within a couple minutes- it was a big fat pass for me! We also found out Sadie is still alive and healthy at her appointment. Phew.

2. We actually did more for Valentine's this year than normal. Daniel picked up dinner from Outback and 2 very thoughtful presents. First, Sadie got Tyrone (from Backyardigans- a tv show Sadie enjoys). For some reason Tyrone has turned into a tickle monster and she uses him to tickle us. I got Mockingjay (the third book of the Hunger Games trilogy). I enjoyed it- suspenseful just like the other two books, but I felt like the ending was too short. There was such detail in every part of the book and then the end was like- oh and this is what Katniss ends up doing.

3. Daniel got some much-needed new black dress shoes. Boring, I know.

4. Our first Valentine's Day together (back in 2003) actually wasn't awkward, despite the fact we had been dating less than 2 weeks. Probably because the drama surrounding us beginning to date forced us to admit that we liked each other a lot from the very start- we knew where we stood already.

5. I like the way my mom did Valentine's Day when we were growing up- it was about family and general love and not romance. We had a nice family dinner party. We were not allowed in the dining room while she decorated- decorating all cute is not like my mom at all. My dad did the cooking (as usual). We each got a long hand-written, very personal, Valentine's card- not just generic "I love yous" but why specifically she loved us individually. Then we got a small present along with a plastic cup of Valentine's candy. Who knows why the candy had to be in a cup- but it did. Later on she also added the tradition of making heart-shaped cakes and delivering them to people who we really appreciated or thought could use a pick-me-up.

6. My father-in-law's birthday is on Valentine's Day- happy birthday Tom!

7. I don't hate or love Valentine's Day. I plan on using it as a day to remind me to make sure my family knows how much I love them. Daniel and I can celebrate us on our anniversary.

8. Sadie is still nutty

(My last 3 posts have included numbered lists)