She's all girl!

Hannah turned three last week! We celebrated for two days straight. We were all pretty tired after the birthday festivities. On her birthday we went to Hogle Zoo....along with 90% of Utah. It was super crowded, but we took our time and still had fun. The birthday girl was happy to get in the stroller after a fun day at the zoo.

Later that night we opened presents. She was beyond thrilled with all the fun dress up clothes she got. Hannah twirled and used her wand cast spells on us all night long! Even though she is young, she definitely understands that on her birthday the spotlight is on her!



The next night we had a fun family party for her, complete with a pink butterfly cake, as requested by the birthday girl! She got clothes, dolls, a My Little Pony, books, and a stroller and couldn't have been happier. Hannah now loves taking care of her dolls. Hopefully that means she'll be a good big sister!

Hannah is sweet, stubborn, a talker, a snuggler, emotional, caring, helpful, and a wonderful member of our family. Happy Birthday Hannah!

Pictures say it all!

In case you missed the announcement on Facebook, I'm pregnant! Below are the pictures of the kids faces the night we told them that there was going to be a new baby in the house.

Thankfully they were excited. I don't think they quite understand how things are going to change around the house, but I'm just glad they were happy about it. Tyler even said, "I can snuggle with the baby...not at night though, because I'll want to sleep!"

My due date is April 10, 2013! So far this pregnancy has been different than the other two. I got very mild morning sickness with Tyler and Hannah. This baby has really thrown me for a loop. I've been on Phenergan twice a day since about 7 weeks.  I'm pretty sure I didn't cook for 5 weeks straight! Mostly because food sounded repulsive! My energy level has also been lower than with the first two. At one point Steve laid down on the couch and joked, "I think this is the first time I've been able to be on the couch in over a month!" Thank goodness for wonderful family and a supportive husband who have taken care of me and the kids. Thankfully, the last week has been better. I actually cleaned the bathrooms this morning!

I am simultaneously thrilled and nervous about having another baby. Part of me loves where our family is at right now. Both kids are more independent, and no diapers. Yet the other part of me knows this baby is supposed to join our family right now. I just pray that this baby is healthy...and a good sleeper!

Circus!

Last Friday we took the kids to the circus. It was a first for all four of us. We got to go see the animals and performers up close before the show started. The BEST part was Tyler and Hannah getting up on the performer's platform and dancing in front of hundreds of people. Oh, to be a kid with no fear! The theme of the circus was the Spirit of the Dragon. During the opening number, Tyler turned to me and asked, "Do you have the heart of a dragon?" I didn't know how to answer that!



This was the typical circus you think of. They had horses and riding performers, clowns, gymnasts, trapeze performers, lions and tigers and a tamer, elephants, eight motorcyclists in a small steel circle, cats, dogs, miniature horses, and the list goes on.  The lions and tigers were incredible. They were growling and taking swipes at the tamer. It was totally tense and engaging!  I think Steve and I were more entertained at some parts than the kids. All in all, it was a very fun evening out!

Is anyone there?

I have been MIA for a while. I feel like I've been neglecting my blog, and everyone else's. So I thought I'd write a quick update on the family.

Steve--He is a busy guy. Between demanding work, calling, and family obligations he has little to no time for himself. He never really complains. He is a wonderful husband and father.

Erin--Trying my hardest to keep up with Tyler and Hannah. Some days I do, and some days I don't. I'm learning that I set my own expectations when really no one else cares. Taking the pressure off of myself, I've found life to be a lot simpler!

Tyler--He is absolutely LOVING kindergarten. He asks if he can go on the weekends. He still has more energy than I know what to do with! Tyler has a huge imagination and loves creating things with Legos and creating imaginary games to play with Hannah.

Hannah--Her new saying is "you're not in charge of me." She mostly says that to Tyler. She is really growing up and potty training is around the corner! She has also mastered her "sad" face!

I promise to update more soon!

Things I learned in California

We just got home from a week long vacation to Steve's hometown. His parents were generous enough to let us stay with them. Of course the men went off to fish for the week, so the women stayed home and played hard. It was a great week of relaxation, shopping, site seeing, and spending time with family. Here are a few things I learned over the past week:

1. Tyler and Hannah love time with their Grandmas! I think all kids have a special place in their hearts for their Grandmas.

2. Hannah is afraid of feeding goats. Who knew? I love that she is clinging to my mom for dear life. Yet, she was perfectly fine to brush the goat.

3. Dieting on vacation is for sissies! Here is a short list of the delicious food I ate during our week visit: ice cream, kettle corn, fruit tarts, spinach and gorgonzola pasta, snicker doodle cookies, a cookie sundae from Ghirardelli square, cheesecake, and more...much more!

4. Tyler and Hannah can get along...some of the time. The perfect phrase to sum up their interaction is "monkey see, monkey do." Hannah will do whatever Tyler does...good or bad. Tyler loves the power!

5. Tyler is a true engineer. We rode the cable car in San Francisco and he was more interested in watching the conductor and gears than he was seeing the beautiful sights of the city. Also, we stopped at Ghirardelli Square for dessert and he was fascinated by the machines that make the chocolate. He turned to my mom and said, "I want to work here!" My mom asked, "So you can have the chocolate?" Tyler replied, "No, so I can make the machines that make the chocolate!"

6. I want a bathtub filled with pillows for our playroom. This is the cutest bookstore, and such a great idea!

7. We wished Daddy was in each of these pictures, but are glad he had a great time with his dad and brother fishing.

  

A huge thank you to Doug and Kathy for a wonderful vacation!