let it snow

Well we took a little winter trip to Utah to visit with family, and got quite the winter wonderland! Some days we were snowed in and just stayed inside, which I always like, other than that we had family dinners, my niece Sydney's dance recital, a date night, some shade shopping, and of course got some projects done! Brody loved having some big kids to run around with, and I really think he's gotten faster since our trip(apparently it was possible)! Thanks to the Jessop's for the accommodations, I promise one day you'll actually be able to stay with us!

Brody and his new buddy Ryder are just watching their dad's plow snow outside.

Brody and his cousins play follow the leader.

Sydney the dancing queen right after her recital.

A little night on the town, the boys did the planning and told the girls to "just show up and look pretty."

temple lights

At the beginning of the month we joined with some friends and went up to the LA temple to enjoy the lights. I'm always so amazed at how precise and carefully everything is decorated! My favorite decorations are the palm trees in lights, but that's mostly cause I know it's a warm weather thing! Here's some pics of our night, including a suspicious picture of Brody before he tried to climb over some of the light ropes!

Me and my buddy.

Almost caught in the act!

Justin's fancy photo work.

little surprise, big excitement

Well word can travel fast so I thought I'd inform you all first. Brody's going to be a big brother! We've know for a little while and went in for our first appointment a couple weeks ago. Our hospital does a first appointment ultrasound to accurately measure the baby and give you a due date. Well I couldn't see the monitor, but Justin could. I was a little worried because he looked really concerned. The doctor then explained that she needed to get a really good shot since there's two babies!! That's right, we're having twins! We're definitely surprised since twins don't run in either one of our families! We learned they're fraternal, so they won't be identical (that's good, I'll be able to tell them apart), and now there's an opportunity for a boy and girl combination (Justin's hopeful!). The ultrasound was absolutely amazing and completely took our breath away, watching two little ones move around was just phenomenal. We're nearing the end our the first trimester so we're sharing the news a bit early, but I already have a bigger belly, which can no longer be blamed on thanksgiving! We're due in mid-June, but twins tend to come early so we don't really know when to expect them. The shock has worn off and we're so excited to meet two more personalities that will be part of our growing family. Luckily things have been going well and I've felt fairly normal, but every now and then I get a little winded and need a couple minutes to re boost. Other than that we've been really blessed to have things go so smoothly. Here's the first picture of our two little ones (we'll hopefully find their sex's out later next month):

he's trouble

We moved to our current place a year ago and tried to make the place as kid friendly as possible when we set up house. Yeah right. Brody can already climb up to grab the items I placed out of reach, and he has no problem working child locks on our drawers and cabinets in the kitchen (ok maybe my fault as I bought ghetto locks since they were cheap). Brody can definitely be trouble, especially as he channels his evil twin in the mirror (hopefully a video to follow soon), but lately I can hardly look at him without swelling up in pride and love, he's so sweet and I'm so glad that little stinker is ours!

eat up

Right before Brody turned one he got super picky about anything we'd serve him to eat. Mostly he'd refuse, except for a few staples. Lately he's been coming around and trying new foods, it's been quite a relief! The funny thing is, once he enjoys the food, he'll eat a ton! He's a huge fan of bananas, and pronounces it pretty cute, which we normally serve in three large chunks for him to munch on. Well, as he loves to out do himself, he shoved all three chunks, or the whole banana in his mouth at once! He slowly worked it, and after a minute or two, he actually was able to swallow the whole thing. What a champ!

success!

Last Halloween was quite an eye-opener. I bought a costume for Brody to wear, but come Halloween night he threw a huge tantrum and would not wear it. We luckily had a little basketball outfit that we used for his costume instead, and he loved it! This year I made him a mummy costume (which I felt suited him since he still walks a little crooked) but the night of our ward trunk-or-treat we had an all out battle trying to get it on him, and resorted to letting him wear a little soccer outfit we have. I was so bummed! All my hard work, for nothing! Justin made a few adjustments to the costume and on Halloween night Brody actually wore his mummy costume, I was so proud! Brody went trick-or-treating at both grandparents houses and over to his great-grandparents house. A couple hours and lots of kit kats later, he was all partied out! It was definitely a happy Halloween!

Our little mummy. Mummy and mommy.

Enjoying the new stash!

pumpkin patch

We've been wanting to take Brody to a pumpkin patch, so when the Rueckerts called to visit Pa's Pumpkin Patch in Long Beach we were super excited to go! After quite a bit of traffic we finally made it! There was tons of pumpkins and lots of carnival type games to play, and Brody loved it all, we could hardly contain him! Here's some pics of our night:

Justin took Brody into the petting zoo, and he LOVED it! He went running from animal to animal, wanting to pet them all! He had such a blast! I obviously stayed out and waited till I could lather him up with hand sanitizer!

Justin testing his strength! Luisa and I took the boys on the little train.

Brody climbed all over the big pumpkins despite the sign telling kids otherwise (hey he can't read yet). Another little family pic.

The night was super fun, and we loved watching Brody get so excited for everything! Once we started driving home, he crashed and slept late the next morning! Talk about a way to kick off the weekend!

a born leader

Well Brody didn't sit through any of the speakers during conference, but he got super involved during the rest hymn. I can definitely tell you that he didn't get his musical talent from me!

no fear of failure -or of falling

So Brody is a bit of a climber (is that really a shocker?). It never fails that you look away for a second, turn back, and he's pulled himself up on something in the room. His absolute favorite trick is to climb up the couch, onto the end table, and fall over the armrest onto couch pillows. So I decided to take some picture of his climbing this morning, this was all before his nap (it was actually just a mediocre day, not too much climbing). Oh, and if you were wondering if he's ever tried to fall over the armrest of the couch onto the floor, trust me, he has!

Climbing to see out the window, and later climbing to fit in the entertainment center.

Up unto the couch, then onto the end table, unfortunately I missed his free fall.

He climbs into his chair which is helpful, except he sometimes makes a break for the table.

He must want one of those FARMS church books on the higher shelf. Um, he also likes to climb up to make out with himself in the mirror. We're hoping he'll grow out of it before he's a teenager.

paging dr. ashton

This pic is from Justin's white coat ceremony when he first started dental school. This year, after passing his board exam, Justin started working in the clinic and on actual human beings. I just wanted to share how proud I am of Justin and all the hard work he does. I think he'll be a great dentist, super smart, excellent technique and great with people. This month he's already given patients shots, pulled some teeth and even did a little oral surgery. I'm so proud of him and just wanted to give him a little shout out. Love you!
PS-He looks so professional in his white dental coat!

tagged

So I was tagged by my friend Lisa, and I have to share 6 random facts about me. So after much thinking (apparently I'm not all that interesting) here's what i came up with:
1. Since I've started reading I've drastically cut down my tv viewing habits. That's right, I'm going back to that line in the Princess Bride "In my day tv was called books..." And I kind of like it!
2. I've never participated in a snow activity. Ok, once Justin and I built a little snowman, but I've never been in a snow ball fight, sledding, skiing or snowboarding. Oh, and for clarification, I did live in Utah for four years.
3. I'm one of those people who always gets injured. Broken toe (same toe, multiple breaks), multiple bone bruises, three concussions, broken ankle and a broken rib. Just lucky I guess.
4. Everything body oriented (blood, guts, openly viewed surgeries) makes me sick, but if I had all the brains in the world I'd probably become a neurosurgeon. Studying the brain (anatomically and cognitively) totally rocks, and I can actually handle watching brain procedures. Would you trust me to work on your brain, um, don't answer that.
5. I am the furthest thing from an animal person. I detest about every type of animal, especially if it's a pet. I used to say I'd let our family have a dog one day, but I changed it to a turtle, then a fish, and now I'll just take my kids to check out library books on animals, and hopefully that will fulfill their interests. I also can't stand when people hold their pets in higher esteem than actual people!
6. I have no idea where we'll be two years from now. More school? With a private practice? With a dental group? Still in Cali? Another state? Couldn't tell ya. We figure we'll have our minds made up by the time graduation rolls around in April 2010.

Yea, you made it! So there you go, six random facts about me. So I tag Caroline, Heidi and paperback writer. Enjoy!

a little bit sticky

So I've NEVER been a big "here's a cute picture of my messy baby" type of mom, and I don't plan on becoming one since I detest when Brody gets super messy. Lately Brody's been throwing all sorts of food tantrums, and we've finally realized that he's ready to start feeding himself. This was one parenting job I was dreading, watching my child get all sorts of sticky and messy foods all over himself in an attempt to actually get some food in his mouth. I tried hard not to make disgusted faces or intervene, while I observed his new found excitement for yogurt. This picture is my proof that I can exercise will power, and not rush over to clean up every sticky food that gets on his hands (some of you know how I get about messy hands). And for the record, Brody nearly finished all his yogurt, without a tantrum!

should I be concerned?

I've never denied that Brody's an action orientated kid, and now he's becoming quite the thrill seeker. He never ceases to amaze me when he tries to keep up with kids three times his age at the park. His latest tricks include climbing up everything, trying to walk off high ledges, and oh yeah, moto x stunts on park equipment! We watch the X games thinking those guys are crazy, but I'm starting to wonder if their moms were just as amazed by their one year old's as I am by my own.

california adventure

To cap off the end of Justin's summer break we decided to go to Disneyland and have a day of fun. We always start off in California Adventure, which I absolutely love. The lines are shorter, the rides are fun, and I love walking around to music from the beach boys. Shauna and Alyssa joined us for the day, so we knew we'd have lots of fun! Here's some highlights from our day:

Justin is definitely a record catch!

Brody's first ride was from Bug's Life. The ride slowly goes around in circles, and made me so dizzy I had to put my head down. Hmmm, it must be a sign that I'm getting old.

Brody was also a big fan of the carousel, which I opted out from.

Brody thought these chairs were thee coolest part of the day. He couldn't get enough of them, so of course we all had to try them out.

Alyssa had a super brave day going on lots of "adventurous" rides that she's never tried before. We suckered her into the screamin' roller coaster (which was pretty fun) and I talked her into going on the maliboomer (I love drop rides!) We had a fun day together, but after dinner Shauna and I took Brody home while Justin and Alyssa rode some more daunting ride after dark! We can't wait to go again!

a little project

My sister and I had discussed this decorative project while I was visiting last month and this is how my work came out. The letters are for Brody's nursery (Brody Jay Ashton), which is actually finished now! I can't believe we actually have a room done, it's so exciting! The letters were actually pretty easy to decorate and it's a really quick project. So big sis, I look forward to your results!

cruisin'

Well Justin's grandparents have been super generous and have taken the whole family (children, grandchildren and now great-grandchildren included) on a cruise every once in a while as a way to get the whole family together, all 25 of us. Last year Justin and I couldn't go since I was a couple weeks from my due date, but this year we were sure to be there! So the whole family boarded the boat for a three day cruise to Ensenada, where there would be plenty of food, fun and family. My favorite part of the trip? Having TONS of food to eat without having to prepare or clean up a single thing. Brody was a trooper and LOVED having familiar faces to run into all over the boat. It was so nice to see each other and catch up, the only bummer? We missed Ryan who had to work!

date night

Between school, traveling, Brody's teething and Justin's boards, things have been a little hectic. So when the Ashton's offered to babysit, Justin and I took the opportunity to go out on a date together. First we went out to dinner and made sure we both tried a new dish (that's about as adventurous as I get) and we both enjoyed our selections. Afterward we went miniature golfing and I'm pretty sure that I won, although I bet Justin will plead his own case. Later we just hung out and did some old fashioned talking. It was so fun to have some time for just the two of us. Justin is so fun to be with and he's such a sweetie. I love you Justa and can't wait for our next date!

trip to utah

This month Justin takes his boards, so Brody and I headed to Utah to visit my family so he could have some time to study. In a rare treat, the entire immediate Hatter fam was all present (there's always a son-in-law missing, this time it was Justin)! The first half of our trip was a little bumpy since Brody was having some major teething pain, but after a few days he came around and we were able to get out a do some stuff (okay really we got out and did some shopping). We had a fun trip and it's so fun to visit with all my nephews and nieces (including newest edition Emily, she's so cute!) Having the whole family together is so fun, but next time I'm definitely bringing Justin to complete the pack!

unfortunately all in a day

There are days when by the time Justin comes home I have reached my max. And then there are days, like today, that max you out just hours after you've climbed out of bed. Today included:
a teething baby (that's a reoccurring one all day)
an ant infestation (I actually just cleaned last night, go figure)
re-cleaning the house
food tantrums from Brody who won't eat
having yogurt smeared on my shirt right after I got dressed
finally getting Brody to sleep and maybe a full minute later
an EARTHQUAKE shakes him awake and freaks me out (I HATE them!)
not being able to get a hold of Justin until an hour after the earthquake had passed
Body waking up and hour and a half early from his nap
Brody climbing out of him crib and falling to the floor before I could get him(a new development)
the dvr recorded extended news coverage instead of one of my shows
another food tantrum
Brody climbing under the table and standing up, bumping his head
spilling water on my ipod.

Ok so individually not that bad, but in a seven hour period, it's a bit much, at least for me. Anywho, we went on a walk in the afternoon and everything seemed to calm down after that. Our last hour before Justin came home was pretty fun, so maybe the day will balance out after all. Hopefully I'm not alone in having totally stressed out-patience exhausting days! Now.. where's the chocolate?!

I need a little help...

So as a preschool teacher I received TONS of candles as gifts, which I have steadily been trying out. However, I haven't really come across a candle that continually gives off a lasting great scent. So, any suggestions of candles I should try? Thanks for the help!

the big day

Last Thursday was the biggest day of the year for our family, since we celebrate both our anniversary and Brody's birthday. Ok, so the anniversary hasn't actually been celebrated yet (although I did get my present) but we did celebrate Brody's first birthday with a little bbq party with family and friends. Lately it seems that Brody is getting to be a lot more kid and a lot less baby. He working on walking, trying to climb up slides at the park and even thinks he can swim by himself in the pool. I think he sincerely believes he's as big as three year old, except for the tiny little fact that he only one. Brody is such a funny kid, and he if he's ever at your house he'll explore it ALL! He's so fun and I can't believe how fast this year has gone. As a sum up: I LOVE our little guy!

American Idol

Tonight was the big culminating event of the Ashton's holiday celebration, so we headed to downtown LA to have CPK and attend the Idols Live concert. The top ten idols performed: Chikezie, Ramiele, Michael Johns, Kristy Lee Cook, Carly, Brooke, Jason, Syesha, David Archuleta and David Cook. The first two were a little boring but Michael Johns came out singing some Queen, and the whole show took off from there! The concert was really fun and it was great to spend the evening with everyone!

Beach day

On Saturday we went to the beach with Justin's family. It was actually the first time Brody's been at the beach to play rather than for my walks. I didn't know how he'd like the beach, given the pool fiasco, but he absolutely loved it! He loved having the water splash over him and flow back through his toes! He did get a little upset when the water would wash back out, but other than that he had a great time! It's soo fun to watch him experience new things and we were thrilled he enjoyed his day at the beach!

All bundled up to help dry off, it's one of my favorite pictures of him!

Taking Brody in the water.

Brody's practicing boarding on land before he heads into the water.