Pick Me!

17 months

I love this picture. I gave Cash pudding the other day with his lunch and I left the room to change a load of laundry and came back to this. Me being the mom I am, instead of instantly cleaning him up, I grabbed the camera! hehe He will hate me one day but oh well!

Rolling Over

Caught Colt rolling over for the first time today!!!! I was excited to get it on video (sorry its from my phone)

Lots Going On...

Sorry I haven't blogged in awhile. When I made my last post we were going through a lot and I haven't been able to blog since then.

On March 4 we lost an incredible part of our family. Cash and Colt's Grandpa Hawkins passed away at 4:20 a.m. at Utah Valley Regional Medical Center due to a ruptured abdominal aortic aneurysm. This was something that wasn't coming on, it just happened all of a sudden. I spent all week down at UVRMC with Jeff and had the boys with me which took a toll on me, but they did a lot better then expected. I was able to take one day and go down by myself (thanks mom) and everything in the waiting room who had been there all week had asked where the boys were cuz they loved having them there - probably because Cash is a ham and loves to show off and put on a show. Or pretty much flirt with the ladies! He loves the ladies!

It has been a very rough month and we were able to spend a week in Helper and have the funeral and everything. Jeff has inherited everything of his dad but he and I would trade it all back just to have Mike back. What an incredible man, that's all I have to say. He loved what he loved and most of all loved his grandson's. Jeff has his good days and his bad days, but most of all just misses his dad. I would be the same way if I were him. What makes me the most sad is that the boys will never grow up to know their grandpa. I had the same thing with me, as I never got to know my Grandpa Gressmen - just heard lots of stories and I always wished he was still around. Luckily the boys still have one grandpa around who can help fill that role, but it's still not the same as having two grandpa's. My heart hurts every day but it's getting better. I am just trying to be strong for Jeff.

Jeff's dad received a veteran's memorial

We are going to be going to Carbon County a lot now that we have a house to go too. It will be nice to get away down there because it is super quiet. Eventually we want to get back down there because Jeff and I both agree that growing up in a small town is better than the city. I just can't raise my boys here, sad I know, but I just can't. I want them to be able to go for drives up the canyon and go scouting, to go hiking within five minutes of the house, etc... I miss the small town feel so badly! It just sucks there are no jobs down that way. :(

On the flip side of things, the boys are growing up so freakin fast! Cash just turned 17 months old on the 27th and today Colt turns 5 months old.

Here are a few things about each boy:

Cash ~

• LOVES DANCING!!! He dances to any type of music, he doesn't care what it is, he will stop at the drop of a hat just to dance
• He loves food and would eat 24/7 if I let him. He also loves milk and drinks a ton of it!
• He just recently got over his second round of croup and he did very well with it. It just made me sad when he gets sick.
• He has been having night tremors so I have been able to comfort him and rock him back to sleep. This honestly is my favorite part of being a mom. I don't care what time it is, I will wake up just to get that cuddle time with my bug.
• He climbs - on everything!!! This child has no fear and when I say no fear, I mean it! The only thing he hasn't figure is how to jump off things.
• He has learned to climb out of his crib. Because of this, I'm going to keep watching him closely and determine if I want to put him in a big boy bed or not.
• Anytime he sees a ball he starts screaming "ball ball ball ball". He is becoming quite the thrower too! He also has learned to go "hut hut"... haha 

Colt~
My little chunka munka!

• Colt has got quite the lungs on him! He loves to cry and cry loud. Things have gotten better though since we found out he has had an ear infection and ever since being on antibiotics, he has been such a happy boy!
• Colt just cut his first tooth a few days ago. He actually was born with a milk tooth (it looks like a blister in his mouth) and for awhile I could see white in there but then it disappeared. I then noticed a little blood in his mouth and saw that a tooth had finally cut through.
• He is weighing over 15 pounds! This boy is my chunk. I love that he is growing so much and he is already wearing 6-9 month closes and some 12 month clothes. I have decided that baby sizes are just random!
• He is almost turning over. I can get him to go from his belly to his back once-in-awhile but he is still struggling from his back to his belly. I'm also just getting him to enjoy laying on his belly. He doesn't find it fun. I am not a belly person either.
• What a talker! Once we got his ear infection taken care of, Colt has decided to tell us things - many things and always has something to say! I think he talks more than me sometimes.

I think the worst thing I am the most frustrated over is losing the baby weight. It's hard for me to get to the gym because of the schedules both Jeff and I are on right now and the fact that the world flipped on us this month, but I just wish it would go away. I know I know, I just had a baby 5 months ago, but you don't get it. I got big when I got home from college and it took me 5 years to lose over 60 pounds. I need to lose about 50 right now and I don't want it to take me that long. I don't want to be labeled as one of those women who have kids and stays fat - especially since I am a stay-at-home mom. I have major body issues because of my past and it's hard for me too look at myself sometimes. I just feel ugly. I just want to be the MILF that people look at and are like, "wow she has two kids and looks f'in awesome!" Hopefully one day that will happen. But truthfully it's hard to want to get dressed because nothing looks good on me. Okay, I'm done pity partying on myself...

Anyways, I'm glad this month is almost over. I'm ready for April to begin, as we have Jeff's 33rd birthday and our 5th year anniversary (since we started dating). I can't believe I have been with Jeff for five years. I can tell you we have had are ups and our downs, but mostly ups. I am so EXTREMELY grateful he came into my life and always will be grateful - he is my best friend and I wouldn't trade him for anything in this world!

Colt's 4 Month Stats

Well, we have a little chunk on our hands - or as I like to call him - CHUNKA MUNKA!

Last Tuesday we had his four month appointment and I was very pleased with his stats.

In weight he went up to 14.88 pounds and is in the 51st percentile.
In height he had a great jump, going from 22.52 inches (27%) to 25 inches exactly at 55%.
In head circumference he jumped from the 24th percentile to the 55th percentile! I think he has the Gressmen head! haha

He is still cranky but is getting a lot better and is enjoying life a lot more. He is starting to eat more foods other than rice cereal and has developed a love for Stage 1 sweet potatoes!

We love the little guy and can't wait to see if he is going to be like his big brother or completely different. He and Cash have a lot of the same tendencies and Colt loves to laugh at Cash. I'm just glad he is healthy!

Juggling Everything

Well I have finally figured out why God finally gave me children after all of these years - to test my patience. Not just to test it a little, but to test it a lot!

I have to say that once Colt turned a 1 1/2 months things changed quite a bit. He became colicky and boy does this child like to scream and cry! I'm not talking just a little bit of crying. I'm talking about crying ALL THE TIME! Crying to the point where I have just become numb to it basically. Then the numbness wears off and I'm left with a lot of frustration. Then on top of that, I've got a VERY energetic 1 year-old who is just dying to just go out and run! He gets into everything and has now learned that climbing is his new favorite thing to do. He is also cutting teeth like crazy (now has 8 on top, 4 that are just breaking the gums and 4 already there and 6 on bottom with 2 more breaking through where he will soon have 8). You would think I would have lost my mind through all of this but nope, I haven't.

And as crazy as it sounds, I wouldn't trade any of it for anything in this world!

There are days I just want to lock myself into a room and scream or just turn up the TV really loud and ignore everything. Then there are days I just sit and watch Cash play with his toys and Colt discover something new and I can't help but be the luckiest person in the whole world. Sometimes it chokes me up to watch my boys grow up. I now know why my mom cried at milestones when my brother and I are were growing up. You just get this feeling inside of you like, "wow they are mine".

Having good days are often, having "great" days are rare, having a down day is normal. We are getting to the point where there are a lot of good days, with a few great days in between. Colt seems to be getting a little better and Cash is just Cash. He is hilarious! It's been really hard dealing with Colt just because Cash was such a good baby, but then Colt is my challenge and I have a feeling that will change once the boys get older. Cash will be my challenge and then Colt will be my angel haha

I got asked the other day, "Do you take naps?" I just laughed and said, "what are those?" I stopped taking naps once Colt turned a month old because getting him and Cash to sleep at the same time is one of the hardest things to do! One is always awake, and if I can get both of them to nap at the same time,  I have about 45 minutes to myself to shower, eat, clean, watch one of my shows, etc... A lot of time everything but me getting cleaned up gets done.

Again, I wouldn't trade it for the world.

This weekend my best friends little boys turns 2 and I am still shocked at how fast time goes by. Then I got to thinking, this weekend I will have a 16 month old and a 4 month old. Crazy!!!

Besides the boys, I have been able to juggle getting the dogs taken care of and other things around the house. I am lucky to have a supportive husband who helps me when he gets home from work - even if he has had a long day. And somewhere in between that, I find time to head to the gym for an hour.

How do I juggle it? I have no clue, but I know one thing - God can keep throwing things at me, because the test of "patience" - well I think I'm handling it pretty damn good - even though some days are rough.

Looks So Good!

I decided to take this from http://www.simplymodernmom.com/

I love this website and it gives me a lot of good ideas!

Taco Soup Recipe from Simply Modern Mom

Posted on March 5, 2010 at 7:00 am
in Food, Over-Used Recipes, Simple Recipes, cooking, recipes

Taco Soup from me…

This is a fast soup. And I need fast recipes in my life. My friend, Tannen, introduced me to taco soups and I have been refining a mixture of several recipes since then. This recipe will make quite a large batch, serving 6-8 people. So it’s a go-to recipe when we have company or at the beginning of a week for Nathan to take leftovers to school. And although Kaye is a pretty picky eater, she loves this soup because she gets to crunch tortilla chips.

Ingredients:
1 pound lean ground beef or turkey
1/2 onion, chopped
1 (14.5 ounce) can diced tomato, undrained
1 (12 ounce) can tomato paste
2 (14.5 ounce) cans stewed tomato, undrained
3 tablespoon brown sugar
2 tablespoon taco seasoning
1 can sweet corn, drained
1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 can kidney beans, drained and rinsed
2 cups water, or more to reach desired soup consistency

1. Brown beef in pan with chopped onions, then drain excess fat.
2. Meanwhile, in a blender, lightly blend stewed tomato, brown sugar and taco seasoning.
3. In a large soup pot, combine blended mixture, browned beef and remaining ingredients.
4. Bring to a boil and mix well.
5. Serve with avocado, cheese, lime, sour cream, cilantro and/or tortilla chips.

No Longer S.A.D.

So about five years ago I couldn't stand the thought of Valentine's Day. In fact, I always called in SAD - Single Awareness Day! I hated this day so bad that I would totally avoid the V-Day isle at the grocery store, department store, etc... I tried to avoid this day at all possible! Nothing good ever came out of this day....

...but one man changed that. It just happens to be the man I am married too.

My Valentine!

Once you meet the person you are meant to be with, your vision of Valentine's Day changes. We don't do much to celebrate, but I can tell you that having a "permanent" valentine just makes me smile. I have some who loves me more than anything in this world and I feel the same about him.

I also have two little boys whom I love unconditionally and will spoil them on Valentine's Day once they know what is going on. I'm just glad that my mind has been changed about this day and I hope it never does!

So with that said - HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY EVERYONE!!