Next American Idol

So i really need advice in post below, so read it please --- but this was too cute not to post!!!

Cash LOVES to sing and dance and entertain and I finally caught some on tape!
i LOVE it!

HELP THIS MOTHER OUT!!!!

How could someone that looks THIS sweet be so mean?
Really, he looks so innocent, loving, and you just love him!

That is, until you bring your child that is the same age as him into the room! Then he turns into this bully! He HITS and PUSHES every kid his same age that comes within his reach.

I know people say it is a phase, that he will grow out of it, but after 1 week of this behavior he is NOT growing out fast enough! What do I do?

I have tried TimeOUT, getting in his face and telling him no, putting him on my laps with no use of his hands, trying to teach to be softer, and NOTHING is working!

All you great moms out there with kids who have gone through this or know anything on this matter - please share the best way of teaching or disciplining a 17 month old and how I can turn him back into my sweet little boy who is so nice to everyone!

I can use anything - ALL comments welcome!
Otherwise, we might not have friends for long!

Bestest Buddies!!!

Cash is currently in a hitting phase. Anyone that is near his age, can walk, and comes near him gets a smack to the face. Doesn't matter if bigger, smaller, boy, girl, or anything else! For no rhyme or reason he just hits them! I am waiting for someone to hit him back hard and teach him a lesson, but that hasn't happened yet!

However, babies that are smaller than him he LOVES. He especially loves little Lincoln. Lincoln is 6 months and we see him almost everyday as his mommy is one of my bestest friends! Cash is sweet, soft, and very loving towards Lincoln, and often Lincoln laughs and laughs at whatever Cash is doing! (the only thing mean Cash does to Lincoln is steal his binky!)

Anyways, yesterday I was watching the 2 of them while Cheryl taught yoga and I put down the blanket and sat Lincoln on it to play with a toy. Cash wanted to join him and I said look at the camera and it was like they both new they were in a photo shoot! They smiled, looked, and it was great! Aren't they SO SO SOO cute!
(makes me hope in a way I am having a boy so Cash can have a fun little buddy!)

Take 1: both laughing!

Take 2: binky out please Cashee

Take 3: Both grinning!

Today for church Cash wore a new outfit! He looked so cute and got so many compliments! My little guy is growing up, and when we got home I had to get a pic! He went right over to the wall and posed for these pics! What a ham! I lOVE this little guy!

IMPATIENTLY WAITING!!!!!

Ok, so i am impatient! Really impatient!

I been wanting to know what the gender of our baby was since week 1 when I knew I was pregnant.

:)

I went in for my first appointment and ultrasound last week at 13 weeks and they said it was too early! However, the gal performing the cute visual of our baby said she could tell me what she "thought it was leaning towards". I of course, not being able to wait, said "TELL ME!!!"

She said boy, based on the spinal curve ending! Well, then the DR. said you can NOT tell at this point and not to believe anything she said! hmmmm.....

:)

So after more research, looking up chinese lunar calendar stuff (seems appropriate right considering our move there soon), and all the other wivestale ideas I could find.....they all say GIRL!!!!

:)

So what am I to believe? My gut had said from day one that it was a girl......but the ultrasound tech has now completely thrown this to the wind and said boy. However, last time they told me girl at 12 weeks and then at 17 weeks I found out little Cash would be joining us. So maybe whatever they say first to me is wrong, and so since she said boy it must be a girl.

Or maybe this time she is right and all my gut instincts, my thoughts and dreams (some of them nightmares for that matter), my overly intense dry heaving and nausea this time, my very different emotional waves that have come this time (or not come), and all other differences of this pregnancy from the first one that originally led me to believe that it actually was because it was a girl are indeed wrong..............or just coincidence (words of the Dr.)

and I really am having a boy!

:)

I don't know, and it frustrates me to think about it and not be able to find out soon enough for my desires..............but I am trying to become more patient, I am trying to put it in practice and just wait not too anxiously for February 10 when I can go back and have it confirmed for sure by the Dr.

:)

Now, I patiently wrote this so where is my snack, right now, right here?!?

ps - i know what really matters is NOT gender, but the health of the baby.........i just like to know to plan (and I have pros for wanting both sexes..........i just don't want to get excited over boy if next time they tell me I am actually having a girl) I can't take another repeat of feeling like they took my little girl (or boy) away from me again -- it was too weird last time!

:)

Any guesses from ya'll as to what I am having???

FIRST BIG GOOSE EGG!!!

Yesterday we took a another walk!!!
It was beautiful outside!

Cash chased a kitty almost the entire walk, and then made friends with a bulldog, and then found some boons! (balloons)

It was a great time but he got running down our hill behind our house and I thought....he is going to take a tumble, and sure enough - he went crashing down right on his head!!!

Poor guy was upset for about - hmm.... 2 minutes, and then he was back on the ground running! I wanted to take a picture of his goose egg he got almost immediately, and figured I would wait til it turned black and blue today....but we woke up, and then thing had disappeared on me!

Wish I was as resilient!!!

Another round at Vapianos

We spent the night at a hotel in DC, and ate at our favorite restaurant there:

Vapianos!!!

We always take a picture, so here it is --- it will be fun sometime to post all from the 3 years we been going here with these friends - you see families growing (sometimes just my belly from being prego at different times), kids getting older, more kids in each picture......and a few gray hairs probably too!!!
Thanks Cady and Jenny for meeting us and having this yummy dinner!!!

Learning from the BEST!!!

While home in Utah I learned a LOT.....

like Cash learns......from just watching!!!
I watched as my mom taught Cash and let him participate in all her activities. She still got more than I could imagine done in a day, and yet she let him help her and he had a blast, and wanted to just follow her around and hang with her all the time.

I decided when I got home I would be a better mommy myself and do lots of activities with Cash.

So yesterday we went for a walk (about 5 minutes as it was so chilly)
He played with toys while I practiced the piano

I let him up on the counter while I cooked the homemade tortillas and lunch and dinner

We read lots of stories and played blocks, trucks, bouncy balls, and wrestled!
And I let him help me sweep and vacuum the floors!

Alhtought he had a blast I think, it didn't go quite as smoothly as I had hoped!
First, he dumped an ENTIRE bag of cheerios on the floor and then stamped on them before I could get them all picked up!
He shoved a car, a little man, and any other items he could find down the disposal.
After retrieving them all out I gave him the soda can and brush to play with, and he managed to stick the soda can down the disposal and get it stuck - it took me 15 minutes before I finally popped the soda can, sprayed rootbeer all over both of us, and squeezed the can in order to pull it out!
He pulled out every single DVD and threw half of his toys down the stairs
and yet...........



When I wanted to get so mad at him and I shook my finger and said "NO NO NO cashee..." he just looked back at me, shook his little finger, and repeated "no, no, no" with a big smile on his face. He laughed, then ran up to me, jumped into my arms and gave me the biggest hug!
Although it was frustrating, he gives me so many hugs all day long it is just impossible to stay mad.....so we just threw our hands up and enjoyed some ice cream before bed!!!!

I love his sweet personality, the little tease and spunk he has, and the funny sayings he is picking up and bringing back, even if in the moment I don't find them amusing.
Thanks mom for teaching me so well.....i am still learning and trying to be better!!!

BIG NEWS AGAIN!!!!!!! ROUND 2!!!!

Yes, it's true!!!

Not only are we moving half way across the world to China for a bit, but we are doing something else crazy to go along with it!

We are having another little munchkin and adding to our family of 3!!!

Baby #2 is due July 21, 2010!!!!

Am I totally sick and nauseous? CHECK
Do I dry-heave daily (but nevery throw up)? CHECK
Have I been so tired I fall asleep mid-afternoon and at 7 pm? CHECK
Do I have sore legs, a sore back, and just want to never get ready for the day? CHECK
Do I have to eat ALL the time to prevent feeling even more nauseous? CHECK
Do I wake up every night at least once to make a trip to the bathroom (yes already)? CHECK
Do I feel bloated and fat even though I am not showing an actual pregnancy belly signs yet? CHECK

Do I hate that I had to have family pictures when I just packed some poundage on eating so much to avoid vomiting.....seriously! CHECK
Do I wonder sometimes why I agreed to do this AGAIN, after knowing how much I hate pregnancy after round 1? CHECK CHECK CHECK

So after this, yep, I am still in it and we are really excited, although i am scared of having a baby in a foreign country!!! If I don't like the medical care over there I will be back in June and have the baby here!!!
I am super excited to find our what we are having though next month before we leave!
I am almost 4 months - so this is going a LOT faster!!!!!
Wish me luck!

Family Pictures 2009

Well, 2009 came and went!

It was a great year, full of lots of travel, adventures, and lots of new best friends!
We were lucky enough to come to Utah for Christmas and had a BLAST with my family!

Grammy planned a great reunion with events that everyone liked, and we had so much fun hanging out with the family, playing games, going to movies, eating yummy food, and just being ALL together again for the first time in 4 years!
We had some family photos taken while we were there, and since it was 9 degrees, Cash didn't last long out on the ice, but here are what we ended up with!
(more pics of Christmas and other events to come!!!)

"the whole fam"

cool photo Kelly

more up close and personal with ALL of us!

the one picture Cash decided to smile for....before his meltdown

yes, we are cold!
me and MY honey!

This point Cash had a meltdown and we ended up in the car while the fam shot the rest of the photos without us!


the girls! my handsome bros!
hmm...yep, kevi, you look shorter than all here!
my beautiful sister kimmy
Grammy and Pops - the people who made everything happen!

laughing with the boys

kimmy had some photos done for her school pictures!

What can I say? I LOVE LOVE LOVE my family! They are the bestest ever!