The Burnell's

2010-09-26T10:45:00.000-07:00

Lately

Life:
I know its been a while since our last update, so much so that I've gotten emails from family members asking if everything is okay. Everything is fine, just been very busy! Bevan is back in school, and my "full time" work schedule started the same week Bevan's schooling did.
Even with all the changes in our life, Parker is coping very well. She's such a great girl. Even though I added one more work day to my week, Parker is only with her sitter for about 14 hours/week, so it's working out well. She now goes to a family friend, who has seven children- all of whom are at school, with the exception of one. So when Parker is with "Joo-Loo" (aka Julie), she spends her day playing with Isaac, a four year old little boy who loves everything Parker does-cars, necklaces, and making gigantic messes.

Parker:

As mentioned above, Parker is doing great. She is now 15 and a half months old! She's still the same bright eyed, loving, hyper little girl she's always been- except now she talks more, and is getting VERY opinionated. I'm going to try and remember everything she can say now, but I'm sure I will miss a few:

Mama

Dadda
Dog
Kitty
Bad Dog ("dad dog")
Bad Kitty ("dad kitty")
No No
Snack ("nak")
Get down
Bye Bye
Night Night
Thor ("toe")
Doomsday ("dooms" or "do-day")
Babe (the name of our kitty)
Nana
Julie
More
Please ( but doesn't say it very often, YET)
Thank you ( she says this constantly, which is sooooo cute.)

I think that's about it. She's started the phase of doing everything on her own. She does NOT want any help when it comes to anything she's doing- or thinks she can do. This includes feeding herself, putting on shoes and pants, washing herself in the bath, and figuring out her toys.
She's still our little lovable social butterfly, and loves other little kids. It doesn't matter if she knows them or not....she will give them a hug and a kiss. She now is up to 12 teeth, and loves to eat whatever mommy and daddy is eating.

Baby #2
I am now almost 16 weeks along, and feeling much better. I had morning sickness all the way up until about 14 weeks. I still feel pretty sick in the mornings if I didn't eat a whole lot the night before. So I try to remember to have a little snack before bed so I don't wake up sick. We did a gender check a few days ago, but the little stinker wouldn't cooperate. It was sleeping, and had its hind end up in the corner. When we would try and wake it up, it would either cross its legs, or put its hand in front of what we were trying to see. So as of right now, we just have to wait. We're going to try and check again this week (that's the beauty of working for a hospital...).
But everything is checking out well, and it seems to be developing right on schedule for a March 14th due date. ( In case I forgot to mention, my due date got moved back by 3 days.)

That's pretty much everything that's going on in the Burnell household. I will try sooo very hard to keep this updated...but in case I don't- see you in a few months. ;)

2010-08-22T16:45:00.000-07:00

Update!

Just a quick update on the baby. I am actually much farther along than I thought. My first trimester will be over in about a week.
So far everything is checking out good, and my due date is March 11.
For those of you who don't know, March 11th is Bevan and I's anniversary.
So this baby is supposed to make its appearance on our 5th!
After hearing that from my doctor, it completely made me realize that this was totally meant to be.
Until next time~

We're at it again

2010-08-08T16:43:00.000-07:00

Much to our surprise...Bevan and I found out last Tuesday that we're PREGNANT again. Well, I am pregnant if you want to be technical. Maybe one day I'll tell you the story of finding out, but for now we're still in too much shock. This will be our last baby, and when the 9 months is over and done with- one of us is getting fixed. We're not sure who its going to be yet...but we do know it's going to happen. We're just not "big family" type people- and for those of you who know how to pull it off, you're my hero.
We don't know how far along I am, and we obviously don't know the due date yet. We're hoping to get that answer next week at my first doctors appointment. But if I were to guess based on everything...I would say about 5-6 weeks along.
Regardless of the "surprise", we are extremely thrilled and happy that our munchkins will be close in age (almost exactly 2 years apart.) We know it will be hard in the beginning, and there a lot of unknowns we still have to figure out- but ultimately we just want a healthy baby.
And if the Big Guy is up there listening...we wouldn't mind a boy either. ;)

I'll love you forever

2010-06-21T08:41:00.000-07:00

***After I wrote this, I realized that it was a very personal post. I know that I'm kind of putting myself out there- but I've been thinking about it a lot lately. In ten years from now, I'll want to be able to remember this- the good and the bad- because that's life.

Ever since Parker turned a year old, I've been spending a lot of time reflecting on the past year. It's amazing to me how much she's changed. But not only that, it's amazing how much I've changed, and how much our marriage has changed.

I remember the night before I was supposed to be induced. Bevan and I were sitting on the couch, and I started crying. I told him that I was a little sad because it would no longer just be the two of us. But he said to me, "I know, Jess. It's going to be great, it's going to be just the three of us." From that point forward, I was very calm. Even when I went into labor at home in the middle of the night, I was calm. However, that morning when Bevan woke up at 6:30 AM ( we were supposed to be at the hospital at 7 AM to be induced)- he was NOT calm. When I told him how I had been feeling, and what my body had been doing- he was amazed that I didn't come and wake him up.
"You're in LABOR, Jessica!" he told me. But what in the hell did I know? It was my first baby!

A few hours, and a few pushes later- she was here. As soon as she came out, I started crying.
I was overwhelmed with happiness, and shock. It's such a surreal moment when you realize you're life has officially, and forever- changed.

The day after we brought her home, postpartum depression set in. And I don't know if I'm supposed to talk about this, because I don't think its politically correct- but I've never really been one to care about that sort of thing.
Looking back, I probably should have taken something for it. It affected me much worse than I was ever prepared to admit. But at the time- I only cared about breastfeeding my baby- and I knew taking a prescription for the PPD could possibly affect that.
Those 4-6 weeks after giving birth were probably the worst weeks of my life. I was walking around in a complete cloudy, dark haze. I couldn't sleep- even if my baby was sleeping. I couldn't think, and put together a complete thought.
And the worst part of all : I knew I loved my baby, but I could not feel it.
I felt nothing, other than sorry for myself. I cried, and cried, and cried because I knew it wasn't supposed to be like that.

To this day, I have a LOT of guilt for knowing that I was somewhat detached from my baby during those weeks. I know it's through no fault of my own, and it's a "natural" part of giving birth, and it was all to blame on the PPD. But that doesn't matter to me. I never ever, ever want Parker to think I don't or didn't love her- and I should have done something about it.

But after a while- it finally lifted, and it was the most amazing moment of my life. I remember going to get her in the middle of the night to feed her. As I was sitting on the couch, looking down and watching her eat- I felt this overwhelming sense of joy and love. I know this is cliche- but I literally thought my heart was going to burst with how much I loved her.
It's so hard to describe, other than it's the most pure, unfaltering love I've ever felt for anyone.
And it's been that way ever since.
To see her smile, laugh, crawl, walk, babble, and learn have been some of the best moments of my life.

She has brought Bevan and I even closer than I thought possible. She has made us a team.
In the beginning, I had a hard time leaving her with anyone, even Bevan. I had her on a schedule, and I didn't think anyone else would be able to follow it- or take care of her like I could. But I finally realized it didn't matter. He took care of her, and was so very happy to do so.
He's so patient, and kind, and loving with her.
He never gets frustrated, and lives to make her laugh.
I know I am bias, but he's honestly the best dad I've ever met. Three days a week, she stays home with him while I go to work, and he often tells me how much he loves his days at home with her.

This past year has been the best year of my life. Of course we've had hard days, sleepless nights, and frustrating moments. But I would never take back a single minute.
She has been the greatest joy- and honestly- the hardest thing I've ever done.

But more importantly, she has made us a family.
We are all bonded together, for all time and eternity- and I would never want it any other way.

To the most beautiful, charismatic, strong-willed, intelligent, and loving little girl I've ever met:

I'll love you forever.
I'll like you for always.
As long as I'm living,
My baby you'll be.

First Birthday!

2010-06-20T09:39:00.001-07:00

Warning: There are a LOT of pictures.

Yesterday we celebrated Parker's first birthday with family and friends. Since Parker is a HUGE lover of the outdoors, I decided to rent a shelter at one of our local parks. Parker got spoiled rotten with lots of books, clothes, and toys- and she even got her first real taste of sugary drinks, and cake.
These pictures are WAY out of order...but you'll get the idea.

One of her favorite presents was this rocking horse pony from my dad. I, however, do NOT enjoy this toy because it's theme song is now permanently stuck in my head. "I'm a little pony...klippity-klop...klippity klop."

There were four babies there for Parker to play with, but she was more interested in seeing what the adults were doing.
Although she did try and take a rock from one a little girl she didn't know, and then cried when the little girl didn't give it up.
She may have met her match.

Parker and her great Grandma ( or Oma as we all call her.)

The most exciting part of the party ( for me atleast) was the food because it gave me a chance to try out some new recipes I had been eying. I made some Smores Cupcakes, Oreo cream cheese brownies, Texas cavier, and a citrus punch.

She liked pulling things out of the bags, but beyond that- she wasn't interested.
She was more into picking up rocks and pine cones.

Parker, Aunt Mara, Kaya, Lily, McKenna, and Oma

Happy FIRST BIRTHDAY Parker Mae Mae!

2010-05-31T13:05:00.000-07:00

Birthday Pictures {Work in Progress}

Parker turns ONE in a week from tomorrow- and since she's the cutest baby to ever exist- I knew that I wanted to pass out some ONE year pictures with her birthday invites. Instead of spending the money to get them professionally done- I decided to try and take some at home.
I'm not crazy about the way they've turned out thus far- but...it's still a work in progress. I'm not sure I like the background, and I'm not sure I like the chair- I think it's a little too big. I also had to bribe her with a strawberry in order to get her to stay in the chair- which is why she's stained red from head to toe. Oh well. I guess that's the fun part about only being a year old.

Just a little update

2010-05-26T14:52:00.000-07:00

Hello blog readers( like four of you...). It's been a long time.
This time my excuse is not because I'm lazy, its because we haven't had any blog worthy events going on . We're just living.
So Parker is now 11 and a half months old. Crazy. We'll be celebrating her birthday, an "Owl" themed party on June 19th, which is about a week and half after her actual birthday- but June is a busy month for us. We figure this is the only time we can celebrate her birthday whenever, and she won't really care.
At 11 and half months, she's a talking, walking, joke-cracking little toots. This age is SO much fun. She also has 5 teeth, with three more coming in. She's got a head full of sometimes curly, sometimes frizzy hair- and she's still the best thing to ever happen to us.

For those who are interested- she can now say...

Mama
Dada
Dog
Kitty
Yeah
No
Bye-Bye
Thank you (tot-too)
Goat

We think in this picture, she was trading stocks or something. She was "talking" on two "phones" (remote controls), and was walking around barking orders. She kept saying, " YAH! yah! "

Also, the weekend of mother's day- we found out we would be adding a new addition to our family.
NO, I'm not preggers, are you crazy!?

We actually adopted a fully blind cat. Her name is Babe, and she's a beautiful, sweet cat- and we're more than happy to have her.

( I couldn't get the picture to turn, so just cock your head to the left, and you can see Babe in all of her glory.)

Easter

2010-04-05T12:58:00.000-07:00

This year Easter was so much fun with the little one around. It was fun for a number of reasons. One being that Bevan and I have never been very religious. (I never really grew up with a strong religious background- and Bevan was actually baptized and raised LDS- but later on decided it wasn't for him.)
But now that Parker is here- we both feel like it's important to teach her about our Heavenly Father- and maybe give her what I never really had. She's still very young- but one of the things we got her was a book on prayers. When she started tearing out her Easter basket goodies- the book was one of the first things she grabbed. Bevan started reading it to her- and she actually sat to listen to it for 5 minutes- which is unusual for her :) She still obviously has a lot to learn- but...atleast it's a start. And Two being that we got to spend the day with our family-which is always nice.

She also got jammies in her basket ( lame, I know. But this is like the only year I can give her jammies, and have her be excited about it. She likes to rub soft clothes on her face. :) But she's growing like a weed, and was on the verge of sleeping naked- so the Easter Bunny stepped in.

After Parker opened her basket- she got dressed in her best duds- and we headed over to Bevan's moms house so Parker and the other 3 little girls could par take in some old fashion fun of banging empty eggs together, and chasing around dogs.

These are what the Easter Bunny brought my mother & sister in law- reversible Spring and Easter blocks. What can I say, the bunny must have been bored one day, and had a lot of blocks on hand.

Twins' First Birthday Party

2010-03-21T21:02:00.000-07:00

On Saturday we celebrated McKenna and Kaya's first birthday!

The family gathered in Blackfoot at the Clark's house to celebrate with food and gifts.
It was a lot of fun, and a rare occasion to have all four of the cousins together playing. Usually when they are together, one is napping, while the other is crying- and the other two are playing.

It's so great to see them together, and watch them interact- but it's heartbreaking to see how big they are all getting.

This is Parker, very happy with herself, after she had stolen the walker from one of the twins. Luckily, they are all still at that stage where if one toy gets taken away, they move onto the next. Parker is very...secure, borderline aggressive. It's something we're still working on...

She did laps around the livingroom with this walker, and smiled and giggled at each person she passed.

This was my responsibility for the party. Mara asked if I would bring some cupcakes, and she didn't care what they tasted like, or looked like. So I thought, GREAT!! I took creative license to try out one of the many cupcake recipes I had been hoarding, and dying to try. So, I made Strawberry Lemonade cupcakes. I will be posting the recipe on my foodie blog soon.

After 3 hours of non-stop crawling, stealing toys, and pure unadulterated 10 month old fun, Parker was exhausted. (I hope to one day keep this picture and later use it as bribery.)
Overall, it was an awesome day- and I am so looking forward to planning and celebrating our little monkey's first birthday. ♥

New Family Photo

2010-03-06T18:44:00.000-08:00

The Burnell/Anderson/Clark families...basically all of Bevan's family- got together for family photos back in January. We just got the pictures back. This is our FIRST official family photo- and I love it. Except for my fat thigh. I don't love that.

More February pics

2010-02-20T15:15:00.000-08:00

8 Months

2010-02-20T15:00:00.000-08:00

Boy time sure does fly when you're lazy.
But I can't believe it, my little babe is all grown up at the ripe old age of EIGHT months.
This month was a special one for Parker. She got to meet my older brother's kids, all FIVE of them. She also went sledding for the first time and loved it.

Pure joy.

All of the Cates grandkids. Addison, Braden, Landon, Gracie, Paeton, Olivia, and Parker.

This month Parker officially got her first two teeth. They aren't fully up yet...but you can see the tops of them. I'm sure in another week or so they will be up.

My new love

2010-02-03T11:15:00.000-08:00

This website has so many cool DIY projects. I can't wait to get started on some of this stuff.

Seven Months

2010-01-27T14:57:00.000-08:00

*sigh*
Our little parker mae mae is seven and a half months old now. I can't believe how big she is, but at the same time- I love this stage. I love that we can take her out to eat, and she sits in a highchair and joins in our conversation. I love that she has a regular schedule, and follows it almost to a tee. I love her ever growing personality and silly sense of humor ( she thinks its hilarious when I pretend to do karate.) I love that she's mobile now, and wears herself out, thus sleeping REALLY good. :)

Yes, she is a full blown crawler now...and stander. She crawls to anything or anyone that enables her to stand. She also crawls to anything on the floor she's not supposed to have, and her favorite thing to do is chase the cat.

She is also a BIG time mama's girl right now. It really hurts Bevan's feelings, which just kills me- but anytime she see's me- she only wants to be held by me. If Bevan is holding her, she cries when she see's me, and immediately wants me to come get her. I hope this phase ends soon, and as I told Bevan- here soon she'll be daddy's girl, and want nothing to do with me.

A FIRST for this month- is her first set of pigtails. She has so much hair that it's really starting to look like a helmet, so we tried out the pigtails- and let me tell you- these pictures don't do it justice. She's just so freaking cute.

A funny story from this month...
While giving her a bath the other night, she pulled herself over to the side of the tub, stood up, and proceeded to empty her bladder. That's right folks, she stood up and peed like a boy right into her fresh bath water.
I'm not going to lie- I didn't know what to do besides laugh.

We love her so much, and she makes our day brighter.

Cutest little feet...

2010-01-24T14:57:00.001-08:00

I took these pictures of Parkers feet for a scrapbook project I was doing- and I just had to post them. I'll post the project I was doing as soon as it's done, and the person's birthday is over who I'm making it for!
These pictures crack me up...

What you don't see

2010-01-12T17:14:00.001-08:00

So as I was blog surfing the other day, I came across a blog from a girl I went to High school with who was a few years older. One of the posts she did was about "what you don't see on blogs"...and it's about how most people only write about their awesome, never mis-behave children who always have clean faces and booger-less noses. Or couples who never argue and take awesome exotic vacations.
So she posted a couple not-so-proud facts about herself...and I found it kind of inspiring.
SO here you go...here are my not so proud facts:

* I am a HORRIBLE housekeeper. When I know someone is coming over, I hurry and try and clean the whole house so it looks decent. But if you were to stop over at my house un-announced, you would find dishes in the sink and toys EVERYWHERE. I'm trying to be a consistent cleaner, but so far- no luck.

*On the mornings I work, I find myself hoping and praying that Parker will sit through her entire Baby Einstein DVD just so I can get ready for work, and not have to entertain her while doing my make up.

* My car is a wreck, or as I like to call it- a treasure chest of goodies. You could find anything from an entire outfit to mail to dvd's in there.

* Earlier this month I thought Parker may have a sibling on the way...and when it turned out to not be true- I was SO relieved. Its not that we don't want another baby...just not now.

There you have it- my not so proud moments. I encourage any of you to post yours! It's actually very liberating.

Christmas Eve at the Anderson house

2010-01-04T10:56:00.002-08:00

After opening our stockings at home, we went over to Bevan's moms house for a family gathering. We opened our secret santa presents, and ate good food.

Six months

2010-01-04T10:56:00.001-08:00

Our little Parker Mae Mae turned SIX months old on December 8th. I know every parent says it- and I always thought it was lame when I heard it- but I can't believe how big she's gotten. Time really has flown by.
At her 6 month check up she...
*weighs 17.5 lbs ( 67%)
*is 30" tall (97%)

She now lurches forward when she's trying to grab something (while sitting down)...which means she can only crawl a few steps before falling on her face. (She gets kinda angry when she tries to crawl.) She can pull herself up to her knees with ease, but getting up all the way to her feet is a bit harder. She is still our sweet, giggling, feisty little girl.

Her new favorite thing is to have Bevan pat her back until she falls asleep. He's the only one who has the magic touch-and it's a tender moment to see them sitting on the couch- her snoozing away, and Bevan enjoying the (now very rare) cuddle time.

Burnell Christmas Eve

2009-12-29T18:37:00.000-08:00

On Christmas Eve, Bevan, Parker, and I stayed home for the first part of the evening to do our stockings. I wanted to start a tradition for our little family, so I had us open the stockings. I did this because I had bought us all Christmas pajamas- and didn't want to wrap them, so I stuffed them in our stockings. :) When Parker gets a little older, I'm sure we'll go back to opening our stockings on Christmas Day- but I figured she's only 6 months old, and doesn't know the difference yet.

Parker with her Christmas PJs and new Baby Einstein "Christmas from Around the World" DVD and CD. I was at a loss for what to put in a 6 month old's stocking!

Bevan got the ORIGINAL first season of the GI JOE cartoon on DVD. You know, the cartoon from like the 1980's? Needless to say, he was thrilled. I've been hearing "Yo' JOE!" a lot lately...

I love this picture. I realize it's not flattering for neither my husband or my daughter- but this picture completely symbolizes the love and tight bond they have for one another. She completely lights up when he enters the room, and he will scoop her up and play with her for hours on end.

Up next is our Christmas Eve at the Anderson house, and then Christmas Day...

Do other moms...

2009-12-23T20:39:00.001-08:00

stay up much later than you should just because your child is finally in bed, and you finally get some alone time?

I've been doing this a lot lately, and losing a little bit of sleep- but I really like the me time.

Food blog

2009-12-14T15:30:00.001-08:00

Check out my food blog at
www.messyeats.blogspot.com
I've gotten pretty good at posting regularly!

Addy

2009-12-13T09:34:00.000-08:00

My neice Addison moved back from Hawaii a couple months ago. Last week, we finally got to see her, and baby Parker met her cousin for only the second time. Addison had a lot of fun playing with Parker's baby toys, and Parker had a lot of fun watching Addy run around( and I mean RUN AROUND. That girl has more energy than anyone I've ever met.)

Merry Christmas

2009-12-07T12:32:00.000-08:00

Parkers first christmas tree.

This weekend we decided to drag out the Christmas decor.
We have a 9ft and this little 3 ft tree- and I was being lazy and decided to only put up the 3 ft. Shes still too young to really know what it is- so...once she has a better understanding of what Christmas is- we'll go all out with the big tree. I thought she'd be extremely fascinated with the lights- but so far, she's not that impressed. Apparently, she's seen better.

Speaking of Christmas...I opened one of Parker's "big" presents for her today. Keeping with the theme of "she doesn't know what Christmas is" led me to open it. Who am I kidding? I was just too excited and HAD to open it.
Its a little kitchen set for a 6-36 month old baby.

Look how scrumptious those thunder thighs are...

This toy counts, does the ABC's, has a switch which tells her when the light is on/off, sings songs, has a shape sorter, has a little stove, which sizzles when she "cooks". It also does too many things to keep naming...it is afterall, a little baby's toy. :) Why am I so excited?

My favorite picture...she was spitting at me. This is her new desired form of communication.

Merry Christmas everyone!!

4 and 5 months...

2009-11-27T20:30:00.000-08:00

My how the time flies!! Let me start by saying: I am a bad mom! Well...only when it comes to documenting the growth of my beautiful daughter. Now that shes a little over a week away from turning 6 months...I figured I ought to try and catch up.
So here is Parkers 4 month stats ( from 10/13/09):
-14 lbs, 12 oz (71%)
-26" long (95%)...believe me when I saw she is stinkin' TALL.
- 16 1/2" head circumference

She started rice cereal about a week after she turned 4 months- only because she was sleeping perfectly(7-8 hours)...and then all of a sudden she tanked, and started waking up every 3 hours- and she was STARVED. So..we started her on solids.

Now that she's almost 6 months old, she's tasted squash, sweet potatoes, bananas, and peas. She LOVES the squash. Its funny- just in the past few days shes really started to understand that the solid foods have a DIFFERENT taste- and she gets very excited.

When she first tried bananas, she gagged and dry heaved- but now she pumps her arms and legs when she sees me opening it.

Also, at the beginning of this week- she has started sitting up on her own. She still falls over, but as long as shes concentrating, she'll stay up for quite some time. But she's such a happy little girl, she gets excited by A LOT...like the cat walking by, the dogs barking, seeing my cell phone, etc.

A funny story from the past few months...
She loves to sit on Bevan's lap and watch him play computer games. Before she started becoming very mobile ( ahh, the good ol' days), it was never a big deal. She would just watch, and get excited, and spend time with her daddy. Well now, she tries to copy Bevan, and wants to pound on the keyboard. The first key she learned was the "windows" key...which immediately closes down Bevan's game. She loves that key.
I also got her to laugh 20 minutes straight simply by kissing on doomsday.

McKlin returns

2009-11-27T20:28:00.000-08:00

Bevan's middle brother, McKlin, aka Mickey, returned on October 27th from a two year mission in the Roseville California area.

We all met at the airport around noon to await Mickeys arrival. Bevan's brother, Stanton- who is in the Navy, was also able to make the homecoming. It's seriously been 3 years since all of Bevan's siblings have been together.

THE BIG ARRIVAL...

After the homecoming, we all went back to Bevan's moms house for a delicious lunch.

And what post would be complete without pictures of my beautiful baby..

Updates coming...

2009-11-18T16:54:00.001-08:00

...this weekend! I have a TON to catch up on.
Both here and my cooking blog.

Pumpkin Patch

2009-10-14T11:38:00.000-07:00

This past Sunday we took the twins and Parker to a local pumpkin patch to get some pictures taken. I really wish there was a warm and fuzzy story to go along with the VERY adorable pictures...but sadly there is not. There was a mis-communication amongst the family, Bevan was upset, and it was freaking freezing outside- but such is life.
However, all was forgiven-and we went back to Galene's house for a delicious lunch. And all was certainly not lost, because we got these cute pics of our baby girls:

Thank you Gus for taking the pictures-and thanks Mara and Galene for putting up with us cranky Burnells!!

The little monkey

2009-10-13T11:18:00.001-07:00

A little preview from Sweet P's halloween pics...

Have you ever...

2009-10-12T11:52:00.000-07:00

gone back and looked at all of your old posts? I was doing that today while Parker napped. I used to be a lot better writer back then!! Does having a baby delete all of your brain cells?
Anyways, the point is- I found it to be very inspiring. Hopefully I can get back to where I was.

Never wax your...

2009-10-09T10:49:00.000-07:00

So I got this in an email from my mother in law- and almost died laughing. It's not for the faint of heart...

All hair removal methods have tricked women with their promises of easy, painless removal - The Epilady, scissors, razors, Nair and now...the wax. Read on......

My night began as any other normal weeknight. Come home, fix dinner, play with the kids. I then had the thought that would ring painfully in my mind for the next few hours: 'Maybe I should pull the waxing kit out of the medicine cabinet. So I headed to the site of my demise: the bathroom. It was one of those 'cold wax' kits. No melting a clump of hot wax, you just rub the strips together in your hand, they get warm and you peel them apart and press them to your leg (or wherever else) and you pull the hair right off.

No muss, no fuss. How hard can it be? I mean, I'm not a genius, but I am mechanically inclined enough to figure this out. (YA THINK!?!)

So I pull one of the thin strips out. Its two strips facing each other stuck together. Instead of rubbing them together, my genius kicks in so I get out the hair dryer and heat it to 1000 degrees. ('Cold wax,' yeah...right!) I lay the strip across my thigh. Hold the skin around it tight and pull. It works!

OK, so it wasn't the best feeling, but it wasn't too bad. I can do this! Hair removal no longer eludes me!

I am She-rah, fighter of all wayward body hair and maker of smooth skin extraordinaire.

With my next wax strip I move north. After checking on t he kids, I sneak back into the bathroom, for the ultimate hair fighting championship. I drop my panties and place one foot on the toilet.

Using the same procedure, I apply the wax strip across the right side of my bikini line, covering the right half of my hoo-ha and stretching down to the inside of my butt cheek (it was a long strip) I inhale deeply and brace myself....RRRRIIIPPP!!!!

I'm blind!!! Blinded from pain!!!!....OH MY GOSH!!!!!!!!!

Vision returning, I notice that I've only managed to pull off half the strip.. CRAP! Another deep breath and RIPP! Everything is spinning and spotted.

I think I may pass out.....must stay conscious...must stay conscious. Do I hear crashing drums??? Breathe, breathe...OK, back to normal.

I want to see my trophy - a wax covered strip, the one that has caused me so much pain, with my hairy pelt sticking to it. I want to revel in the glory that is my triumph over body hair.
I hold up the strip!

There's no hair on it.

Where is the hair??? WHERE IS THE WAX???

Slowly I ease my head down, foot still perched on the toilet. I see the hair. The hair that should be on the strip...it's not! I touch. I am touching wax.

I run my fingers over the most sensitive part of my body, which is now covered in cold wax and matted hair. Then I make the next BIG mistake... remember my foot is still propped upon the toilet? I know I need to do something. So I put my foot down.

Sealed shut! My butt is sealed shut. Sealed shut!

I penguin walk around the bathroom trying to figure out what to do and think to myself 'Please don't let me get the urge to poop..

My head may pop off!' What can I do to melt the wax?

Hot water!! Hot water melts wax!! I'll run the hottest water I can stand, into the bathtub, get in, immerse the wax-covered bits and the wax should melt and I can gently wipe it off, right??? *WRONG!!!!!!!*

I get in the tub - the water is slightly hotter than that used to torture prisoners of war or sterilize surgical equipment - I sit.

Now, the only thing worse than having your nether regions glued together, is having them glued together and then glued to the bottom of the tub....in scalding hot water.

Which, by the way, doesn't melt cold wax..

So, now I'm stuck to the bottom of the tub as though I had cemented myself to the porcelain!! God bless the man who had convinced me a few months ago to have a phone put in the bathroom!!!!!

I call my friend, thinking surely she has waxed before and has some secret of how to get me undone. It's a very good conversation starter. 'So, my butt and hoo-ha are glued together to the bottom of the tub!'
There is a slight pause. She doesn't know any secret tricks for removal but she does try to hide her laughter from me.

She wants to know exactly where the wax is located, 'Are we talking cheeks or hoo-ha?'

She's laughing out loud by now ... I can hear her. I give her the rundown and she suggests I call the number on the side of the box.

YEAH!!!!! Right!! I should be the joke of someone else's night.

While we go through various solutions. I resort to trying to scrape the wax off with a razor. Nothing feels better than to have your girlie goodies covered in hot wax, glued shut, stuck to the tub in super hot water and then dry-shaving the sticky wax off!! By now the brain is not working, dignity has taken a major hike and I'm pretty sure I'm going to need Post-Traumatic Stress counseling for this event.

My friend is still talking with me when I finally see my saving grace....the lotion they give you to remove the excess wax.
What do I really have to lose at this point? I rub some on and OH MY GOD!!!!!!! The scream probably woke the kids and scared the dickens out of my friend. It's sooo painful, but I really don't care.

'IT WORKS!!

It works !!' I get a hearty congratulation from my friend and she hangs up. I successfully remove the remainder of the wax and then notice to my grief and despair... THE HAIR IS STILL THERE.......ALL OF IT! So I recklessly shave it off. Heck, I'm numb by now. Nothing hurts. I could have amputated my own leg at this point.

Next week I'm going to try hair color......

Kid Cinema

2009-09-24T21:00:00.000-07:00

Last Saturday, Bevan, Mara (bevan's sister), Galene (Bevan's mom), and I all deep cleaned our house in order to get it ready to sell. Mara has a set of twins that are just two and a half months older than Parker, and she brought them over as well. Since there were 3 babies, and 4 adults- we needed something to entertain the little kidlets while we finished cleaning. So Mara popped in her Baby Einstein DVD- and all 3 babies were mesmerized. It was the cutest thing in the world.

Stadium seating, with a good view- all they were missing was their popcorn and diet coke!

Parker got most excited on the Dogs section, and the Bugs section. I can hang with her loving dogs- but NOT bugs. Please oh please do not let her like bugs.

August-September pics

2009-09-21T09:01:00.000-07:00

I seriously can not get enough of this little girl! It's amazing to me how big she's getting. I swear each time I pick her up, she's heavier than the time before!

Here she is "helping" me in the kitchen. Really she just likes to sit there and watch me. Sometimes she talks, other times she watches quietly. Its interesting that shes fascinated by so many different things.

This picture cracks me up. Her hair is finally starting to come in up front, so when you put a head band on her- it looks like she just got a really bad buzz cut.

3 months old!

2009-09-21T08:42:00.001-07:00

Our little Parka-pooh is now 3 months old- well,actually closer to 3 and a half months old- but lets face it: I am lazy and often times don't want to blog.
But anyways, here are some 3 month stats:

*I'm guessing she weighs around 13-14 lbs.
*Sleeps 7-9 hours a night, depending on her mood.
*Can roll over from tummy to back
*FINALLY likes tummy time
*Can giggle (although we've only heard it a few times)
*Tends to be more of a mama's girl- but loves loves loves her daddy. She likes to watch him walk all over the house
*Talks and babbles non stop (her tone often indicates that she's complaining...)
*Has to be in the mix of things- she wants to be facing forward almost always so she can see everyone and everything.
*Likes to try and sneak her thumb in her mouth- but she positions it in a way that we can't always tell she's doing it.

Here are some pictures of our adorable little monkey:

Strike a pose!
I call this her "I love lucy" outfit because it reminds me of Lucille Ball for some reason. But when I'm in the kitchen either cooking, or cleaning- she likes to sit in her bumbo and watch.

Her montly pic with her Thor dog. And of course, doomsday being the little ham he is wouldn't get out of the way.

Stories from this month:

She giggled for the VERY first time at her baby-sitters. Crappy, huh? She only goes to the sitter SEVEN hours a week, and of course it had to be during that time that she giggled. But the first time I heard her giggle was about a week ago. I had taken her for a walk around the neighborhood, and when we got back- I just left her in her stroller and took the dogs out back (because they've been feeling rather neglected lately) and was throwing the ball for them. I positioned her stroller so she could watch us, and one minute I look over at her- and she's staring off in space, and drooling- and the next minute I hear her just laughing up a storm. So I stop and look over at her, and she's just grinning from ear to ear. I couldn't quite figure out what she was laughing at. So I pick up the ball, and throw it again- and she starts laughing hysterically. It was sooo dang cute. I'm not even going to lie- I cried a little bit because it was the most precious sound I've ever heard.

We love you Parker.

I have tasted my own medicine- and it is bitter!

2009-09-07T21:27:00.000-07:00

Foodie Blog

2009-09-07T12:50:00.001-07:00

I finally started it!

www.messyeats.blogspot.com

Funny Story

2009-08-28T14:55:00.001-07:00

WARNING: This is another baby/poop story!

Everyone keeps telling me that I should get a journal so I can remember all of the cute/fun things little Parker starts doing. So in an attempt to remember all this stuff- I will start trying to write about it all HERE. Aren't you all lucky? (It's not too late to unsubscribe to my blog...) :)

As I've mentioned before, Parker is an extremely good baby. She's already sleeping between 6-7 hours a night. Usually she goes to bed around 11, and wakes up around 5 to eat, and goes straight back to bed. Then, three hours later, I usually wake up to her grunting and growling, while she trys to go poop. As she's laying there on her back, she will lift her legs straight in the air, and grunt so hard- her face turns purple.

Well there was one night when I had dressed her in her super cute lady bug pajamas. On the feet are the heads of Lady bugs, with two cute antennas that stick out. So as you can imagine, about 8 o'clock that morning- I woke up these deep, masculine grunts and growls that could rival any grown man. I look over at the cradle to make sure she's alright, and over the top of her cradle are these two red ladybug heads staring right back at me, with deep growls coming from below. She kept lifting her legs higher, and then would let them down. So one second I would see the ladybugs, the next second I wouldn't.

She was really trying hard to pass that bowel. I am a proud mama.

Needless to say- you had to be there. I woke up laughing- and I hope to remember this story so I can torture her with it when she becomes a mouthy teenager.

July-August pics

2009-08-19T13:38:00.000-07:00

Trust me, I have a lot more pics than just these! But I don't want to be one of those annoying moms thats trying to convince everyone that MY baby is the cutest by overloading this blog with 1000 pics! So these pics are mainly for the family that's in the midwest, and on the east coast.

CLOSE-UP!

Chillin in the Bumbo

Little P in the Bumbo. It was so funny because Thor was very very protective of her in that thing...i don't know why. But he didn't leave her side until I took her out of it.

Such a little cutie! We were laughing because the flower was almost as big as her head.

Kicking in the bath. She sure does love being in the bath. She loves it so much that once the water starts getting a little cold, I will empty some of it out, and put more hot water in it, so she can continue to play.

Two month update

2009-08-17T12:45:00.000-07:00

So as of yesterday, Parker is now cutting TWO teeth. That's right- getting teeth at ten weeks old. She's developing/growing a lot faster than I thought. I'll post pics of the two teeth as soon as she keeps her mouth open long enough!

Parker in the Bumbo

2009-08-16T11:00:00.000-07:00

This was her around 8 weeks old. Thor was very protective of her in the Bumbo for some reason.

2 months old!

2009-08-14T14:13:00.000-07:00

Our little sweet P had her two month check up on Tuesday! Besides getting three shots in her legs ( and crying hysterically for a few minutes)- she did really well and is growing like a weed!

Here are her two month stats:
*11 lbs, 15 oz
*24" long
*15" head circumference

Some interesting facts about our sweet girl:

*She is starting to smile on her own- not just gas smiles! When shes in a really good mood( which is like 6 days a week!) she gives us the really "gummy" smiles.

* She is starting to roll on her side.

* She loves to wiggle. She will scoot all the way down to the end of her cradle during the night, and she trys to wiggle out of your arms when holding her.

*She loves loves loves the bath! It doesn't matter how hungry, or upset she may be- as soon as I put her in the bath, she cheers right up. She's also starting to play in the bath. She kicks and flails her arms, and then gives us this excited/happy look...like she's VERY proud of herself for kicking so hard, it made a little wave.

* She is sleeping 5-6 hours a night, and then going right back to bed after eating.

*She is really starting to coo, and find her voice. She makes funny girgling sounds, and screeches when she's happy.

* She's still really into going on walks. She stays awake for almost the entire walk, and spends most of her time staring up at the trees.

* She still hates having anything pulled over her head.

Funny stories from this past month:

* We were over at my moms house on an extremely hot evening. She was completely undressed (letting her "air out" before we put another diaper on.) Thor, who was right by her, barked at something- it scared her so bad she peed all over my moms blanket.

*There was one night when she farted so loud, she scared herself! She didn't cry, but she got this very wide-eyed look on her face.

Janelle Johnson

2009-08-12T12:40:00.000-07:00

Will you please send me an invite to your blog? :) xtakemeawayx@hotmail.com

p.s- I did try emailing you a few months ago, but never got it.

Cousins

2009-08-04T14:47:00.000-07:00

The 4 girls born into the Burnell and Clark families.

These four cousins are at most 4 months apart.
The oldest are the two twins,McKenna, and Kaya who belong to Mara (Bevan's sister) at 4 months old.
Next is our sweet baby P (on the far right) at 2 months old.
And the newest addition is Lillyanne (the one crying), who belongs to Stanton (Bevan's brother) at 2 weeks old.

So far its a lot of fun having so many babies so close in age, but I wonder how fun it will be once they hit their hormonal, mellodramatic teenage years. :)

Well spoken...

2009-07-31T14:03:00.000-07:00

I got this in an email, and thought I would post it.

THIS WAS WRITTEN BY A SOLDIER IN IRAQ .

Okay, I need to rant.

I was just watching the news, and I caught part of a report on Michael Jackson . As we all know, Jackson died the other day. He was an entertainer who performed for decades. He made millions, he spent
millions, and he did a lot of things that make him a villian to many people. I understand that his death would affect a lot of people, and I respect those people who mourn his death, but that isn't the point
of my rant.

Why is it that when ONE man dies, the whole of America loses their minds with grief. When a man dies whose only contribution to the country was to ENTERTAIN people, the Amercian people find the need to
flock to a memorial in Hollywood , and even Congress sees the need to hold a "moment of silence" for his passing?

Am I missing something here? ONE man dies, and all of a sudden he's a freaking martyr because he entertained us for a few decades? What about all those SOLDIERS who have died to give us freedom? All those
Soldiers who, knowing that they would be asked to fight in a war,still raised their hands and swore to defend the Constitution and the United States of America . Where is there moment of silence? Where
are the people flocking to their graves or memorials and mourning over
them because they made the ultimate sacrifice? Why is it when a Soldier dies, there are more people saying "good ridence," and "thank God for IEDs?" When did this country become so calloused to the
sacrifice of GOOD MEN and WOMEN, that they can arbitrarily blow off theirr deaths, and instead, throw themselves into mourning for a "Pop Icon?"
I think that if they are going to hold a moment of silence IN CONGRESS
for Michael Jackson, they need to hold a moment of silence for every service member killed in Iraq and Afghanistan . They need to PUBLICLY
recognize every life that has been lost so that the American people can live their callous little lives in the luxory and freedom that WE, those that are living and those that have gone on, have provided for
them. But, wait, that would take too much time, because there have been so many willing to make that sacrifice. After all, we will never make millions of dollars. We will never star in movies, or write hit
songs that the world will listen too. We only shed our blood, sweatand tears so that people can enjoy what they have.Sorry if I have offended, but I needed to say it. Feel free to pass this along if you want.
Remember these five words the next time you think of someone who is serving in the military;
"So that others may live..."
Only two people have ever effectively given their lives for you.
Jesus Christ and The American G.I.
One died for your sins, the other died to give you freedom.

Amen.

One month old

2009-07-08T12:38:00.000-07:00

Today Parker is officially one month old. It's amazing how fast time goes by. She is really and truly a good baby. Most of the time she is very content- only crying when she's really hungry, or has a really gassy tummy. I've only seen her get really upset a handful of times. Other than that, she just sort of fusses to let us know when she has a wet diaper, or is tired. Since we haven't been to the doctor in two weeks, and aren't scheduled to go for another 4- I will have to guess on her stats:
One Month Stats
9lbs, 19.5 " long

Her likes:
*Mom's Milk(she gets VERY excited, and sometimes frustrated at feeding times)
*Sleeping on dad's chest
*Going for walks
*Sleeping in the car seat
*Her pacifier, especially when she's tired
*The curtains in her room

Her dislikes:
* Being in a wet diaper (but she doesn't mind the poopy ones!?)
*Having her clothes changed
*She's not a huge fan of being in the cradle, but she tolerates it.

She's progressed into sleeping 4-4.5 hours in a row at night before waking up to eat, and she has become very good at putting herself to sleep.

She had ONE blissful wonderful night where she slept for almost 7 hours straight, but it's only happened the one time.

Here are a couple pictures at one month:

Hanging out with her dad

I love this picture because she likes to give me the pouty lip look.

I got this idea from my sister in law Mara-each month you take a picture of the baby next to a stuffed animal so you can track how big they are getting. SO this is her with her stuffed animal Thor that her dad bought for her.

Never forget

2009-07-03T11:55:00.000-07:00

This past Monday night something happened that I never want to forget. When I'm having a bad day, or frustrated, or crying because of lack of sleep- I can always think back to this past Monday night, and it will remind me of how lucky I am to be this little girl's mom.

The week Bevan went back to work was the week from hell because I was so used to having him around, and here I was taking care of the baby by myself. But since his shifts rotate every other week, he happened to go back to work on the bad week where he had a bunch of shifts all in a row. Baby P and I made it through the week just fine, but by the time the next Monday came around - Bevan was working again, and I was exhausted. So at 10:00 that night, I was trying to feed her and put her down to bed so I could get some much needed sleep...but she just kept crying. After 30 minutes of trial and error, I figured out that my milk still hadn't dropped, and the poor thing was just hungry. So I got some reserve milk from the fridge (that I had been trying to stock up on for my inevitable return to work), warmed it up, and put it in a bottle. By this time, it was about 11 PM- and I was worn out and feeling like a bad mom for not being able to feed my baby. As I sit down on the couch, crying, to give her the bottle, all I can think about is how tired I am and I wish I could just go to bed. As she starts eating- I obsess about the idea of sleep, and find myself wishing away these precious newborn months-wishing she was older and would sleep through the night already.

That was when it happened. Here I was still crying, and being extremely selfish- when she reached her hand up, and wrapped her tiny fingers around my hand that was holding the bottle, and she just looked at me. She stared me in the eyes, and held my hand tightly until she was done eating. It was the most amazing thing I have ever experienced- it was like SHE was trying to comfort ME. By the time I was done feeding her, I was still crying- but not because I was tired- but because of the love and adoration I had for her. She definitely put me in my place that night, and I vowed to never take this time for granted. She'll never be this little again, and I need to savor it. Eight hours of sleep doesn't compare to the time I get to spend with her.

Twins' Blessing

2009-06-30T10:38:00.000-07:00

This past Sunday, Mara and Gus blessed their twin girls. The blessing started at 9 AM at their church, but unfortunately- we were not able to make it. We were planning on it- but Parker had a bad night with an upset tummy- so needless to say none of us really got any sleep. (Thus the reason for no make up, and looking like the living dead- you'll see in the picture below.) However, we were able to make it to the luncheon they had afterward ( even though we were still late!). We had awesome pulled pork sandwhiches, baked beans, and funeral potatoes. We also got to visit with lots of family, and share this special day with the Clark family.

Parker with her great grandparents, Oma and Opa.

See- I look like the living dead. Awesome family picture.

Four generations.

Parker with her twin cousins- Kaya and McKenna

Beautiful Girl

2009-06-21T11:32:00.000-07:00

This post is for no reason in particular, other than to share some pics of our beautiful little girl.

We have no idea where she got all of that blond hair from. I sure hope it stays. I had blond hair as a little girl, but not when I was born. Her eyelashes are starting to come in now too- and they are LONG and blond, and curled. Lucky little girl.

This was right before her first doctors appointment, when she was only 4 days old. She kind of looks like an 80's Glam star-we were joking around that she looked like Olivia Newton John. But I loved her outfit- she was soooo dang cute. However, she only kept her shoes and socks on for about 12 seconds. She's not a big fan of anything on her feet.

Happy Father's Day!

2009-06-21T11:19:00.000-07:00

So this year, I have TWO men in my life that I need to wish a Happy Father's Day!
First, is my dad.

You are seriously one amazing father! We have been close almost my entire life, and for that I am very thankful. You were the first one I would call when I had good grades...or when they were bad. You were the first one I would call when I had accomplished something, or when I couldn't figure something out. I depend on you for a lot, and I can always count on you to give it to me straight. I love you so much, and thanks for EVERYTHING.

Second, is my husband.

You have only been a father for a short 13 days- but it seems like you have been doing it your entire life! You are truly amazing with our daughter- and its so apparent to see how much you love her.

You are the king of giving baths, and such a good sport for taking the "late shift" so I can get some sleep. I literally tear up every time I see you with her, and I know the best is yet to come. I love you!

D-Day

2009-06-18T13:26:00.000-07:00

So I thought I had better write this down so I remember it. Maybe one day Parker will ask me about the day she was born, and I want to be able to tell her. Maybe she won't.

It all started at about 3:00 AM on Monday June 8th. I spent a good majority of the early morning in the bathroom with my stomach being extremely upset. So instead of waking Bevan with all of tossing and turning- I decided to sleep on the couch. So not only was my stomach upset, but I was having serious period cramps. At the time, I didn't realize they were contractions because it wasn't like people had described. They didn't come and go- it was consistent.
So 6:00 AM rolls around, and I called Labor and Delivery to see when they wanted me to come in to be induced (per my doctor). They told me to come in at 7:30 AM, and they would be ready for me. So I awoke Bevan, and took a shower. I also told Bevan about the cramps, but still didn't realize they were contractions. At this point, he started getting really excited/anxious.

So by the time I got out of the shower, and had gotten dressed- I finally realized I was having contractions, because at this point they were coming and going...so I started timing them. By the time we left the house, they were 9 minutes apart. By the time we got to the hospital, they were 5 minutes apart.
After getting settled, doing all the paperwork, and getting the IV and Pitocin- the nurse came in and told me I was dilated to a 4. After about 45 minutes of suffering (for me at least!) with the contractions ( during this time I actually told Bevan I would NEVER do it again because they hurt so bad), the nurse told me I could have the epidural at any time since I was already dilated to a 4, and my labor seemed to be progressing quickly. By this point, I didn't want to feel the pain of the contractions anymore- which I was totally being a baby about. (Those women who go through the entire labor & delivery without drugs are seriously my hero's!) Ten minutes later, the nurse anesthetist was in our room inserting the epidural. It wasn't until I was sitting on the bed hunched over, clinging on to Bevan for dear life- that I finally had a break down. I started crying and shaking- I think it was the point that I realized this was actually happening.

From that point- it was all a breeze. We had family coming in and going for the next hour or so- all the while I couldn't feel a thing ( I then went back on my word and told Bevan I could TOTALLY do it again!) The nurse finally came back in and told me I was already at a 7- and I would be having the baby soon since my labor was progressing so quickly. About thirty minutes later, my doctor came in and broke my water, and told me that we would be having a baby soon. Ten minutes later, I had to start pushing. It was just me, the nurse, and my very very loving and supportive husband. After about thirty minutes of pushing, and my husband the nurse swapping hospital horror stories- they both realized that I was crowning and paged the doctor immediately. Two minutes later he was in the room, and about ten minutes later- our little Parker was born.

It really was an amazing experience, and I could never EVER thank Bevan enough for all he did for me that day. He was unbelievably amazing. Our bond became even closer that day- and we shared some great moments between the two of us during the whole labor process ( that I won't share on here).

And I have to say that I was one lucky girl to be admitted to the hospital at 7:30, and have our sweet P only four hours later.
♥

Parker's Pictures

2009-06-17T11:14:00.000-07:00

These are just the sneak peaks the photographer sent us.

Any suggestions?

2009-06-15T08:11:00.001-07:00

On how to get a newborn on a schedule? Or how to get her to sleep in her crib?

Introducing...

2009-06-10T07:31:00.000-07:00

Parker Mae Burnell!
She was 7lbs 7 oz, and 19.5" long.
And she is the most perfect little thing I have ever seen.

These are both pics from a cell phone, but I'll update later with real pictures.
She's about to wake up, and will want to eat- so I will update later with details. But let me just tell you- I couldn't have asked for a more perfect delivery.

♥

Still no baby...

2009-06-07T06:37:00.001-07:00

so it looks like she doesn't want to come out on her own...
So Bevan and I will be heading to the hospital at 6 AM tomorrow morning for induction.
Wish all three of us luck!
Until next time...

Another baby update

2009-06-02T10:26:00.001-07:00

Upon the doctors request, I will be induced on Monday June 8th if little P doesn't decide to come on her own before then.

One week...

2009-05-31T06:57:00.000-07:00

One week from today is my due date...how scary is that!?!

My babies are being replaced by a real baby...

2009-05-29T07:06:00.000-07:00

So doomsday, Thor and I have had several talks about the "changes" that will be taking place in the next week or so. I've explained to them in the most simplest of ways that even though there is going to be a real baby in the house, they will always be my little guy, and big guy. I've also explained that I may not have as much time for them anymore, but it doesn't mean I love them any less...
And this is the look I get when these conversations take place...

No-but seriously...Bevan and I have agreed that we are not going to be one of those families where our dogs are shoved to the sidelines once little Parker graces us with her presence. Thor has been our "baby" for 4 years, and dooms has been with us for 2 and a half years(although at times it felt like he was with us for a NEVER ENDING amount of time.) They both have had trials and tribulations to work through, but they both have matured into the best dogs in the world.
Thor came from an abused home, and didn't want anything to do with ANY male- even Bevan. When we brought him home, he would follow me everywhere I went (he still does- he's very protective)...and then when we would leave, he would poop on Bevan's things, or chew on them...depending on his mood! After several months of working with him, he finally started to trust Bevan, and now 4 years later- he's more of a daddy's boy now.

And dooms...where to begin with my little dooms? When we first got him, he was about 10 weeks old, and we had just separated him from his sister. From the get go- he was an INSANE amount of work. He would cry when I got into the shower, when I closed the bathroom door, or when I walked out of the room too quickly for him to catch up. He also chewed everything in sight, and used his peeing and pooping abilities as weapons. If we left him at home for a period of time-and apparently it was TOO long according to him- he would be as sweet as could be once we returned home- but by the next morning, there would be a pile of poop waiting for us. Sometimes by the side of the bed, sometimes in the bathroom. He is a very, very smart little dog- and at times is very conniving. But after two very long, and patient years- he is the light of our lives... really, he's turned into a great little dog.

It will be interesting to see how they interact with little Parker, especially Dooms- but they have been through so much already, and have always come out on top-
I think they will be perfect little guard dogs.
♥

Nursery Pics

2009-05-28T20:12:00.001-07:00

The baby countdown

2009-05-24T09:40:00.000-07:00

By the way...the baby countdown on the side of my blog is WRONG. I am only 14 days away from my due date...
That puts me at 38 weeks pregnant, which is a relieving/ traumatic/ exciting/scary thing to think about. I'll see if I can't find our camera, and take a picture of this massive belly!
The good news is that our nursery is finally done, with the exception of some cleaning/picking up. But literally, picking up or cleaning for more than 10 minutes is next to impossible. I have to sit down, or lay down because I get so exhausted sooo easily.
My last day at Sam's Club was last Friday, and my last day at the hospital is this coming Friday...and then I will be ONE WEEK away from having my life change forever.
Stay tuned...
♥

So much time...

2009-05-18T20:31:00.000-07:00

Even though I'm putting in about 45 hours/week at the hospital for my internship- I still feel like I have a lot of time on my hands.
But thats okay, because then I find stuff like this

Pineapple Sorbet

2009-05-17T10:39:00.000-07:00

So if any of you have an ice cream maker, and you like pineapple- I have the perfect recipe for you!
Let me first start by saying that the ONE thing I really wanted when Bevan and I got married was an ice cream maker, and I received one thanks to The Moore's!( We have a Cuisinart Ice- 200) Skip to three years, two months later- I finally used it!!
This stuff is amazing...

Pineapple Sorbet
1/2 pineapple, cut into small pieces( about 2 cups)
1/2 cup water
8-10 tblspns sugar

--Combine pineapple, water, and 8 T sugar into blender. Blend until smooth. Taste- may need to add more sugar. ( Note: when I made this, I didn't have a full half of a pineapple, so I only added 7 T of sugar- and when I tasted it I thought it was too sugary and granular- but I went ahead anyways. If yours tastes like this- DON'T WORRY. When you put it in the ice cream maker, the granular texture goes away)

--Take the blended mixture and chill thoroughly. (I put it in the freezer for about 30-40 min.)

-Pour into ice cream maker, following manufacturers instructions.

Enjoy!

Last Final

2009-05-07T08:24:00.000-07:00

"Na Na Na Na... Na Na Na Na...Hey Hey Hey...Goodbye!"

I don't officially graduate until August, but I don't CARE! I am taking my last FINAL today in 30 minutes, and I can NOT WAIT to drive away from this campus, and never have to come back,except when I receive my degree.

A Scary Night

2009-05-04T10:19:00.000-07:00

Last night was a very scary night for me and my two babies(dogs). I swear to you, everything happens when Bevan is not around!
Last night was like any normal night when Bevan is working...I cleaned the house, read a book, and watched TV. I stayed up until about 11 PM, and then both dogs followed me to bed. Well about 12:30 AM I was awoke by my dog Thor who was going ballistic - barking, growling, running back and forth. And anyone who knows Thor knows that he is a VERY mild mannered dog, really nice- and is anyones friend.
The night previous he had been scared by the thunderstorm, so I figured he was getting upset by the rain- so I stayed in bed. About 10 minutes later- he was at it again, and Doomsday was up on the bed shaking.
By this time, I had texted Bevan at work, and told him how much Thor was freaking out, and that I was really scared. He told me to immediately call the police-and just tell them the truth.
At first, I thought that was a little hasty, especially since I didn't know what exactly was making Thor freak out so bad. So I got out of bed, and went and looked out the front window. I didn't really see anything, so I went and looked out our side door. I flipped on the outside light, and saw a man's camouflage backpack sitting right next to the steps that lead up to the door. The second I saw it, I started crying, turned off the light, ran to the bedroom and called the cops. I know its weird to cry over a backpack, but listening to Thor freak out, and then see a man's backpack so close to our house- I immediately thought someone was trying to break in.

So I called 911, told them the situation, to which they responded " There is a deputy in the area. Everything is ok."
Needless to say, this did NOT soothe my nerves, so I called Bevan, to which he responded that he was going to do some checking around and he would call me back. He also told me to bring the dogs into our room and lock the door-he also reminded me of where his gun was!
I was pretty much hysterical at this point just because I am almost 9 months pregnant, home by myself- and didn't have any answers.
About two minutes later Bevan called me back, and told me what had happened:
Our neighbor, who lived two houses down from us, had been out in the Cul-De-Sac with a gun to his head threatening to commit suicide. He had also been threatening to shoot at anyone who came near. So the SWAT team was called, and had set up a perimeter around the entire neighborhood. Bevan also explained that as a "tactical maneuver", they had placed that backpack in our driveway as a "go-to"point for when they had to close in on him. He also informed me that our neighbor was now in custody, and actually on his way to the ER(where Bevan was.)
So about two hours, and 12 cops later- they finally left our neighborhood, and Bevan was finally home.
Needless to say, I didn't get a whole lot of sleep last night, but I am so thankful that nothing actually happened. But I DO NOT want to live in this neighborhood any more!

More pics

2009-05-03T09:25:00.000-07:00

Birthing class!

2009-05-02T07:01:00.000-07:00

I know that this is a really stupid thing to be excited for- but Bevan and I are going to birthing class this morning! I think I am so excited because I feel like this class is going to put my mind at ease. Yes- I know how this baby is supposed to come out- and Yes, I know that women have been doing it for thousands of years- but I have never done it. And if learning techniques, or bits of helpful information will help me to calm down- then thats what I want.

So needless to say, I am very excited- and Bevan is NOT. :) He thinks I'm worrying over nothing, and that its such a natural process- that I will be an old pro. He might be right- but I really want to take this class. Wish us luck!

Oh, how I want these...

2009-04-26T18:34:00.000-07:00

Pregnancy craving or not, I will be making these next weekend...

Eights

2009-04-20T20:48:00.000-07:00

Eights

8 THINGS I LOOK FORWARD TO THIS SUMMER
1. The arrival of baby Parker
2. Sleeping with the windows open, and only a sheet. I love love love summer nights.
3. Baby P getting introduced to all of her new cousins
4. Graduating college
5. Snow cones!!!! Especially the Ruby Red Grapefruit ones...mmm
6. 4th of July
7. Only having to work part time- and spending the rest of my time with our little family. It will be a great feeling knowing that I no longer have to worry about school or driving to Pocatello
8. Hanging out with our friends, playing games & watching movies

8 THINGS I DID YESTERDAY
1. Hung curtains in the nursery
2. Dishes
3. Made Bevan dinner so he could take it to the ER with him.
4. Made oatmeal scotchie bars
5. Watched my mom and dad move some of my stuff
6. Took a bubble bath and read a cooking magazine
7. Mopped the floor
8. Watched the end of the very first season of Survivor

8 THINGS I WISH I COULD DO
1. play the guitar. I have one- just can't play it.
2. Speak another language
3. Rollover in bed without it taking 15 minutes
4. Sell our house
5. Motivation and knowledge to have a vegetable garden (this is a good one Talia)
6. Have more patience
7. Stop being "the worrier"
8. Stop being a baby when it comes to the mere THOUGHT of giving birth

8 SHOWS I WATCH (some of these might be embarrassing)
1. Survivor
2. Project Runway Canada
3. Project Runway America
4. Hell's Kitchen
5. Iron Chef America
6. One Tree Hill
7. Real Housewives of...
8. Family Guy

8 PEOPLE I TAG...no pressure!
1. Audie
2. Olivia
3. Mara
4. Crystal
5. Nick
6. Megan
7. Janelle
8. Mom

Maternity Pics 2

2009-04-13T20:33:00.000-07:00

So my friend sent me a couple more pics! I get the whole CD tomorrow, I can't wait.

This one is my favorite:

And this one cracks me up...Anyone who knows Bevan knows that having his picture taken is NOT his thing, especially when he's essentially being forced. I look like a complete moron- bevan had been murmuring threats into my ear inbetween fake smiling- so...this was the end result. But oh well, atleast we had fun- and its a good thing I made this blog private!

Finally an update

2009-04-09T15:48:00.000-07:00

Now that I finally have some time on my hands this evening, I thought I had better take some time to update this thing. So here is the update on our lives...
*School*
I only have four more weeks until I am semi-officially done with school! Actually two of my classes end in two weeks, one in three, and two in four weeks...haha how is that for detailed? My academic semester ends in 4 weeks, but I'll still have to finish my internship by July.

*Internship*
Around the first week of March, I actually started my internship to try and chip away at the 440 hours required for graduation. By the end of this week, I'll still only be around 90 hours, so I have a long ways to go! However, I am interning at Mountain View Hospital in their Marketing department, and I love it! Marketing has never really interested me before, but the two people I work with are awesome, and extremely smart. In the past five weeks I have already learned a lot, most of which comes through just hearing their conversations and attending meetings. Its extremely interesting to see how a hospital operates...but I had to sign a confidentiality agreement in the beginning so I can't share any fun stories... :(
I really hope it will turn into a (part-time) job at the end, but we shall see...

*Work*
Last week was my first week of only working 8 hours per week at Sam's Club. Honestly, I thought I would miss working there since I have been there for almost 6 years...but I really don't. I miss the people, and some of which I still see...but overall I'm not missing it as much as I thought I would.

*Life*
My life consists of the 3 items above. Literally. Sometimes I have 12-13 hour days, and its really starting to take a toll on my body. Speaking of which...

*Pregnancy/Parker*
I am now almost 32 weeks pregnant! I still can't believe how fast it's gone by. I'm very excited to meet her...but I'm trying not to focus on the fact that she will be here in 8 weeks. It scares and stresses me out too much because we still are no where near prepared. Plus, I don't want to think about the actually birthing process...
I'm hoping to calm down and relax more once we take our birthing class on May 2nd.

*Bevan*
He is also still pretty busy between work, school, and trying to help me move everything and finishing our fence. His school also ends in four weeks, which he is counting down the days! But he has been so amazing through this whole pregnancy, especially putting up with me while I go through this "nesting phase." (And I mean I have gone CRAZY the past few weeks. Cleaning everything in site at least two times, crying if there is mud on the floor, getting diapers at 10 oclock at night because I just HAD to have them in the house...I hope this ends soon!)
But he is extremely excited to meet Parker. He actually asked me yesterday if his sister would give us one of her twins because he really wants a baby...
We'll see how much that statement holds true in about 10 weeks...haha!

Well, until next time...
♥

Maternity Pics

2009-04-05T14:24:00.000-07:00

So I guess this is just a little preview- because I have only gotten a few back so far. But a week ago, my friend Olivia Hicks agreed to take some maternity pics for me.
I was 30 weeks exactly when these were taken...I think she did a great job...

Congrats Mara and Gus!!

2009-03-24T15:35:00.000-07:00

So last night my sister in law and her husband welcomed their two twin GIRLS at 8:41 and 8:42PM. Their arrival was a little unexpected and early- but none the less, the babies and Mama seem to be doing really well.

Kaya Starlin Clark-3lb 90z

McKenna Kathryn Clark- 3lb 15 oz.

I know these pics are a little scary- but since the babies are so tiny- they have to take every precaution there is. Bevan and I went to go visit the family today, and they actually moved both babies into one incubator. They were cuddling and sleeping together- it was the most precious thing I have ever seen. Bevan is a VERY proud uncle- and has spent much of his time at the hospital the fast few days. After seeing Mara's babies, he is VERY VERY excited for our own and claims to have "baby fever."
We can't wait until Mara and Gus get to bring the two of them home so we can actually hold them!

Baby Update

2009-03-17T18:25:00.000-07:00

So today Bevan, Parker ( hehe) and I had an appointment with the doctor. We literally waited for 50 minutes( mind you, 50 minutes past the scheduled appt) just to see the doctor for 2 minutes at the most! However, it was a good two minutes. We heard her heartbeat again, and "my uterus" ( this phrase grosses Bevan out. I wonder if he actually knows what happens when I give birth?) is measuring right on schedule. I also found out I am 28 weeks, NOT 27- which means I am now in my SEVENTH month. Needless to say I had a panic attack when the nurse told me that.
I have also gained a total of 15 lbs... :/
I realize that gaining weight is part of the pregnancy package...but its just hard to see it continuously go up every month- especially when I was 10 lbs over my desired weight before I got pregnant. But oh well, I just hope I only gain about 10 more lbs before this all over and done with.
But I'll stop whining now and share some interesting facts about Parker at 28 weeks of fetal development...
*She can now open and close her eyes
*She now sleeps for 20-30 Minutes at a time
*Her eye color has been determined, but may change
*She weighs about 3 lbs and is 2-3" long

Have a good St. Pattys day!!
♥

Three years!

2009-03-11T21:28:00.000-07:00

SO today is Bevan and I's 3rd anniversary! Sadly- we are spending it apart due to obligations of work and school and the EXACT opposite schedule we have on Wednesdays.

We literally have not seen each other in about about 26 hours- so we have done nothing but talk and text at least 25 times today to try and feel united on this day we were married three years ago...

On my drive down to school- I told Bevan how upset I was about not being able to see him-and if I could I would skip class or not go to work I would do it in a heartbeat- but unfortunately I couldn't miss either of them today. But being the sweetheart he is, he told me not to worry because our "real celebration" was going to be on Friday when we go out to dinner and spend the whole evening together. Although I knew he was trying to be positive- I was still really bummed and resentful when I got back from school and had to go back to work. That was until I walked into my office and saw these...

So in honor of him, and in honor of being married for three years- I would like to share my top three moments of being married to Bevan C. Burnell:

#1- 3/11/06- It would have to be our wedding day! That day was literally the best day of my life. We were both sooo happy and euphoric- I just wish I could live that day over and over again. Then to top it all off, we left our wedding at 4 PM- opened presents at his mom's house, and then two hours later we were on the road to SLC to catch our flight to Paris. That entire week was...indescribable. To be in alone in a romantic city with your new husband, operating off of this... high you've never experienced before- it was truly amazing. I remember just being in a daze that whole week.

#2 06/4/06- I will never forget this day.

It was a Sunday afternoon, and we had been married for about three months. It was really nice outside, and neither of us had any major plans going on- so we decided to take Thor to Gem lake to swim. We spent the whole day playing with Thor in the water. Afterward, we were walking around- holding hands- and trying to get Thor to dry off so we could leave. We were walking up this hill heading back to the car when he suddenly stopped. He had this intense look on his face- and I thought something was wrong with the way he was looking at me. And then he said, "Thank you. Thank you so much, Jessica. This is everything I have ever wanted my entire life."

#3- Pick ALMOST :) any day in the last three years- Especially those days when it's just the two of us, hanging out at home, playing with ( or making fun) of our dogs. Or when we just sit on the couch, and talk about our day- and share funny stories of what happened at work or school. Or when I make dinner, and we sit and eat it in front of the TV watching FRIENDS re-runs that we've seen a million times- but still laugh at anyways.

I love you beeznatch! Can't wait for the next thirty years...
♥

I think someone may be spoiled....

2009-03-05T09:02:00.000-08:00

These are some letters I made for Parker's nursery- although we don't have a nursery yet! Of course they are pink/brown/cream- which is the color scheme I want to do for her room.

These are some blankets that I either made, bought, or her Grandma Anderson (Bevan's mom) made. This is not even half of the blankets and quilts she has.

This is the beautiful quilt Grandma Anderson made. I picked out the fabrics and she put it together. I'll have to take a picture of the whole thing because it really is beautiful- and its different- which I love. I took this picture because I'm obsessed with her name in the corner- it makes it special just for her.

And this is the other blanket her Grandma Anderson made. Its an homage to our two dogs and cat. The picture doesn't do it justice- its really cute in person.

Three months late...

2009-02-23T18:43:00.000-08:00

I was going through my camera, and found these two pics of some of the crafts I created for christmas...so I guess you'll have to enjoy them now that its almost St. Patty's day.

These are christmas blocks I made for my Mother in Law and sister in law. I also made some for myself... :)

Now this craft was my favorite...it was a Cupcake Count book I made for my sister in law and her twins.
Now that I know my baby is a girl, I'm going to have to make one for myself!

Prego Pics

2009-02-23T15:46:00.001-08:00

About 5-6 weeks:

* Don't mind how dirty the mirror is...Bevan and I had been painting in there and apparently didn't clean it...whoops.

About 16 weeks:

23 weeks:

This was taken today at 25 weeks, two days:

* At 25 weeks, I have gained about 10-11 lbs.
* I have heart burn like no other...
* And my body has moved fat ( or gained fat) to my sides, so I now have love handles...
But on the bright side, the second tri has been SO MUCH more enjoyable than the first. She moves around like crazy and kicks pretty hard, especially at night and at 3 o'clock in the morning when Bevan gets home. I have tons more energy, I feel good almost all of the time, and I can eat like a normal person without having the threat of getting sick if I didn't eat every 10 min!
Despite the heartburn, love handles, and constant kicks to the belly button- I feel lucky to have such a smooth pregnancy thus far. It's been a great experience.

A very cool find...

2009-02-13T14:11:00.000-08:00

krazycouponlady.blogspot.com

I came across this really cool website that lists all of the promotions/"couponing" opportunities at certain stores. They mainly focus on Albertsons & Target. But anyways, they show how to save the most amount of $ possible- and this blog is maintained by stay at home moms that are interested in getting a bang for their buck!
If you are on a tight budget, or just like receiving "free" stuff/ items on a discount...check out this blog!!

I sure do...

2009-02-11T16:09:00.000-08:00

love my husband. Sometimes, I think back- and can't even believe we have been together for almost SEVEN years. That seems so long- yet I can remember our first "date" as if it were yesterday. We watched Finding Nemo on Sept. 24, 2002 at his moms house, and then went for a drive. I think we stayed out until about 1 AM driving around talking. I remember once we drove all the way down to Rexburg and back just so we could be together and talk. We have been through so much together and its always amazing to me that we still continue to grow close. Each time we grow closer and closer, I think, "Wow- this is the closest we will ever be..." and then I am proved wrong with the next amazing moment. He is absolutely my better half- and the one who keeps me grounded.
These are just a few of my favorite pictures.... ( sorry if you've already seen them or if I have posted them before.)

Our daughter and I sure are lucky to have such a great husband and father.
♥

Finally!

2009-02-08T15:01:00.000-08:00

So after much debating, many veto's (think Friends), and a lot of discussion- Bevan and I have finally named our baby girl!
We are looking forward to the arrival of Parker Mae Burnell in four months!
By the way, Bevan is very proud of the fact that he came up with this name himself! And I am to tell anyone who asks that it was all him... haha :)

Bevan's "first"

2009-01-28T12:34:00.000-08:00

So I am not writing this blog because its really life changing, or interesting to anyone else besides Bevan and I. But I am writing this because I never want to forget.
This morning at two o'clock when Bevan came to bed ( his work schedule has changed dramatically) we were laying there talking about what to name our little girl. Like usual, his hand frantically searched under the covers until he found my protruding belly, where he finally rested his hand. In the middle of telling me his "great idea" of a name (which wasn't great...haha), the baby kicked me squarely in the stomach- which I had been used to now for about a week. However, this was Bevan's first time ever feeling her move. She proceeded to kick several times, each of them coming after he would speak. His reaction was so funny, that I'll never forget.

B: What in the...?Is she moving?
J: Um, yes.
B: Woah.....WOAH...HOLY CRAP!!!

From that point on, he spent from 2:30am-3:00am trying to feel her kick again. I realize that this is not significant because everyone knows the baby moves in the womb. However, it was significant for us. It was the first time Bevan really experienced what I had been feeling for a month now. It was the first time Bevan really felt connected to her. It was the first time I had ever seen Bevan so in awe since I had gotten pregnant. To me, it was our first real night as a family.
And I never want to forget it.

The results.

2009-01-20T19:00:00.000-08:00

The countdown begins

2009-01-19T17:33:00.000-08:00

In 19 hours, and 26 minutes, Bevan and I will FINALLY find out the sex of our little baby. I........... CAN ........NOT ............WAIT! I have to get up REALLY early and go to work, then go to school, and then back to work. But after THAT- we find out the sex!
Seriously- it's been driving me CRAZY not to be able to properly plan and prepare for this baby. I'm not one of those people who can do the "neutral" green/yellow/white thing.
In addition to finding out the sex, the doc will also do all of the "fetal growth" checks, and make sure he/she is developing correctly. More than wanting to know the sex, I want to know that everything is fine and healthy with the baby-because that's matters most. It's really scary being in this position, and having no control over his/her development- I never really understood why pregnant mothers freaked out about this kind of stuff until now.
Well, wish us luck...

Boredom

2009-01-15T15:44:00.001-08:00

Today, while wasting 5.5 hours in Pocatello waiting for my next class to start-
I came across something kind of cool. It's a website that allows you to customize and create your own signature....aka- a trend in the blog world. See example at the end of this post-it's what I came up with because I was sick of scrolling through all the different fonts (see, I told you I was bored.)
Just go to www.mylivesignature.com

Also, I created my own cupcakes cookbook by stealing recipes and AWESOME ideas from iheartcuppycakes.com- Its on my blog list on the side.
Holy crap that girl is creative!
So I printed off 97 pages (take that ISU!) of pictures and recipes of some of the coolest cupcakes I have ever seen. If you love cupcakes, you should visit this site!
(Also, if any of you want the document I created complete with pictures and recipes, let me know. I saved it just in case! And you don't have to print it... I just did because ISU keeps raising their tution, and I feel it's my right! :) )

2008-2009

2009-01-10T20:38:00.000-08:00

I saw this on someone's blog and thought it was kind of cool- so if any of you want to steal this idea- feel free!

Achievements of 2008
*Celebrated our 2 year anniversary
*Got pregnant
*Put our home up for sale
*Completed another year of school
*Went on vacation
*Bought Bevan a new car
*Saw lots of family we had not seen in a long time!

Goals of 2009
*Have a beautiful and healthy baby- an easy delivery would be nice too!
*Sell our home
*Buy a bigger home
*Buy Jessica an SUV ( Bevan doesn't agree with this goal!)
*Graduate college!!!!!(Only 4 months and counting)
*Get a job in the health care industry where I can work just a few days a week
*Celebrate our three year anniversary
*Celebrate Bevan's 27th and Jessica's 25th Birthday (Yikes!)
*Have many family gatherings with all of the new babies! (There are going to be 4 new babies on Bevan's side of the family)

2008 was a good year- but it definitely had its ups and downs! I am looking forward
to 2009 because it's going to house my greatest accomplishments- having our baby and graduating college!

Ride Along

2009-01-10T20:29:00.000-08:00

One of the main reasons I decided to make this blog private was because Bevan also works part time as a police officer in a local town. He had to work there last night and asked if I would be interested in doing a Ride Along.
My first question was, "Can we make out in your car?" And he said NO! Can you believe that!?!?
Even though he shot me down- I decided to go anyways. I was only with him from about 8pm-11pm because I had to get up early and go to work the next day- but it was still a fun three hours. We pulled over two people ( both women..haha), roamed the streets, and listened to the busy police calls of surrounding areas. I heard calls ranging from someone reporting a registered sex offender to someone calling and complaining about a car alarm going off!
It was a good time and extremely informative, and I wish I had pictures to show- but along with making out- it was against the rules!

My husband the Star Wars nerd

2009-01-03T20:28:00.000-08:00

You gotta love him.
I think this was when he was doing his impression of a gay storm trooper.

Baby Update

2008-12-30T18:47:00.000-08:00

In baby news...
My newest food craving is a little bazaar...

Yes, those are pickled jalapenos. I really love them right now. Especially with tortilla chips and cheese. I can't eat them all the time because of the lack of nutrition the chips and jalapenos have. AND they give me horrific heartburn which carries through the night and the morning.

Also, I can now feel the baby almost all of the time. I can feel him when he moves from one corner to another, but it's not as distinct as I know it will soon become. I can only feel it from the inside, so unfortunately Bevan has yet to feel it. It's interesting to feel him move- most people describe it as "butterflys" but to me it feels like when your on a roller coaster, and your stomach drops. Other times its just pressure. The little stinker likes to spend a lot of time on my right side-which is when I feel pressure the most.
I'll have to post pictures soon because I'm actually starting to show.

Stanton and Lani get hitched!

2008-12-30T18:36:00.000-08:00

I know, I know- I really suck at updating this thing- so Im trying to catch up.

The day after Christmas- Bevan's brother ( the second oldest in the family) Stanton was married. It was a small and intimate ceremony at a local LDS church with just family. Bevan was the best man, with the youngest brother Grayson as another groomsman. Unfortunately, shortly after the wedding, the married couple had to drive down to Utah, where Lani lives, and Stan had to catch a flight back to Hawaii ( he's in the navy.)
We wish them the best of luck!

First Day

2008-12-29T17:13:00.000-08:00

Ok, so I am going to take the next few minutes to brag about my incredibly talented, brilliant, and sexy husband.
Today was his first official day as an E.R nurse. To the average person, that doesn't seem like a big deal-but in the nursing world- it is.
Almost all hospitals require that nurses have their RN, and several years experience before they are allowed to work in an ER. However, Bevan only has his LPN. There are only a handful of hospitals in the US that have "bent the rules" to allow LPN's to work in an ER, and even fewer hospitals that have let an LPN work in a Level 1 Trauma ER, which is what EIRMC is.
The Director of the ER saw how smart, and witty, and talented Bevan was- and asked him to come and work for them. Although they are willing to break the rules for him, they still asked him to go back to school and get his RN- which he is willing to do- and they will pay for 80% of it.
I went and met him this evening with a pizza in celebration of his first day- and we got to talking about how lucky we are. How many people can say that they only have to work three days a week, full time, at a job they love?
The baby and I are very lucky to have a husband and a father who is so smart-and has a job where he can spend four days a week at home with his family.

It's Official

2008-12-10T14:59:00.000-08:00

We are going private. I know I threatened this a few months ago- but I have come to terms with the fact that I really need to do this. Bevan is not comfortable with this blog in the first place- but having it made private puts his mind at a LITTLE ease. So, from the last time I threatened this- I have Talia, Meg's, and my grandma Cheley's e-mail addresses. The rest of you have until Wed. Dec. 17th to either leave me a comment with your email or send it to me at : jessicaburnell@gmail.com
Anyone who does NOT send me their address in the form of an email, or a comment will NOT have access to our blog.
Thank you.

The baby.

2008-12-10T13:54:00.001-08:00

So I think today might go down as one of the strangest, yet greatest days of my life. I had another impromptu ultrasound- and not even from my own doctor!
I went with my sister in law Mara to her big ultra sound appointment where they measure the twins' body parts, make sure everything checks out- and determine the sex of both babies. I went because I wanted to be supportive of her & gus, and I wanted to learn what to expect later on down the road. Needless to say, it was extremely interesting- and very cool!
Well after Mara's ultrasound, the doctor heard that I was also pregnant- and he asked if I wanted to take a look at the baby. I felt a little weird just because this was Mara's big day- not mine...but with Mara's blessing- I hopped up onto the chair.
And without further ado- I give you....the Baby Burnell.

The first picture up top was measuring his heartbeat- 149 bpm. The second two are what the baby did after the doctor shook my stomach to get the baby moving. Needless to say, I don't think the baby was very happy to startled from his peaceful nap. But that's okay...it was still really cool to see him ( or her) moving and thrashing around.

This picture is actually my favorite- you can see his little budding ear with his nose, mouth, and eye. He (or she) also has their little legs crossed- SO CUTE!!

My new best friend.

2008-12-09T16:04:00.001-08:00

I am obsessed.
Of course I have to have it toasted so the meat gets cooked through- because pregnant people can't have cold lunch meat!!...Or beer, or sushi, or cigarettes... Who knew pregnancy would stop you from so many things? :)

Tagged

2008-12-06T17:59:00.000-08:00

I was tagged by my dear friend Megan.
A--Attached or Single: Attached to the love of my life. :)

B--Best Friend: Bevan- and Mindy even though we hardly see each other anymore!

C--Cake or Pie: cake...Im not really a pie person.
D--Day of Choice: Sunday, it's the most relaxing.
E--Essential Item: Bee Kissed Mint Lip Balm...Im pretty much addicted to this stuff.
F--Favorite Color: brown, pink, green
G--Greatest Accomplishment: Probably my education
H--Hometown: I claim two- Idaho Falls and Liberal
I--Indulgences: Pepsi or coffee though I can't have much of either right now.
J--January or July: July- January always reminds me of dark & cold days.
K--Kids: Baby Burnell is on the way... :)
L--Life is incomplete without: my husband.
M--Marriage Date: March 11, 2006
N--Number of Siblings: Holy crap how many do I have now...? JUST KIDDING DAD( i love you.) I have 5 siblings.
O--Oranges or Apples: Oranges AND apples. I love them both.
P--Phobias or fears: losing a loved one.
Q--Quotes: "I haven't failed, I've just found 10000 ways that don't work."
R--Reason to Smile: The little baby B. My dogs make me smile a lot too.

They sure are crazy little rascals.
S--Season: Spring- when it's not too hot and not too cold. You can roll your windows down with the sun shining- and its almost perfect.
T--Tag 5 Friends: talia, audie, mara, nick, vandy
U--Unknown facts about me: I hate hate hate hate winding up the cord on the vacuum.
V--Very favorite store: any type of craft store or cooking store.
W--Worst habit: Popping my knuckles
X--X-ray or Ultra Sound: ultrasound...I'm starting to become a fan of these!
Y--Your favorite food: Chicken Caesar Salad or Taco Pizza!
Z--Zodiac: Aries

Retraction

2008-11-24T20:03:00.000-08:00

About three things I was certain.
Edward was a vampire.
A part of me thought Edward was really sexy, and I knew exactly how dominate that part was.
And I was unconditionally and irrecoverably in love with this movie.

I take back all of the negative stuff I said. I have seen the movie three times now, and it gets better and better each time.

Review of Twilight

2008-11-23T07:28:00.000-08:00

Ok so if you have not seen the movie, and plan on it...you should stop reading NOW.
Last night, my mom, sister, and I FINALLY went to see the movie ( two days after it came out was a little long for me) and I have to say that I have mixed reviews. If I was to follow that weird thumb rating those movie guys do...I would say one thumb up, one thumb down.
For the negatives...
*Their cinematography was really strange. It was like a low budge film company tried REALLY hard to make it a high budget film...but it fell short. There were some parts where the actual image on the screen was just weird...like what a documentary looks like. Its hard to explain...if you guys have seen it, you'll know what I'm talking about.
* Whoever cast Jacob and Jasper should be fired, ESPECIALLY because of Jacob. When he came on screen...laughter literally rang out through the theater. It was bad.
* Bella also fell short. There was a little bit of bad acting...but that is just one girls opinion.
*The climbing and running kind of bugged me. It was a little hokey, but I can't think of a better way they could have showed it...so I guess this complaint gets canceled out.

Now for the positives( which I would say this movie had more positives than negatives)...
* They did a FANTASTIC job on showing the intensity and devotion Edward has for Bella. In some parts, it actually gave me butterflies.
* They also did a great job on showing their love for each other...a lot of the key scenes between them was exactly how I had imagined it when I read the book.
* They did a great job on casting Emmett( Holy crap this guy was HOT!) and Alice and Dr. Cullen.
* Robert Pattinson did a great job as Edward. I know there are going to be a lot of people that disagree with this...but holy hell that guy is sexy. The way he talked, moved, and interacted with Bella was a lot like I had pictured it in my head while reading the book. At times he was a little awkward, sorta funny ( whether he meant to or not), and he did a great job showing the kind of love that exists between him and Bella.

Although I had mixed feelings when I left the theater, I will still see it again, and I will probably own it when it comes out on DVD. The best advice I can give on seeing this movie is : don't expect everything to be exactly like the book. And form an opinion for yourself, not based off what other people have said.

...there are no words

2008-11-21T16:53:00.000-08:00

This probably has to be one of my favorite moments on the best show EVER...

A week of good deals.

2008-11-17T17:25:00.000-08:00

So this past week at work, I have come across some AMAZING deals. It's all been baby stuff...which makes me think it's some sort of sign.

1. The booster seat.

I found this Safety First booster seat at work for only FIFTEEN DOLLARS!! It was originally about $110...and it comes with all this fancy stuff. I realize I won't actually need this for a while, but with it being almost 200% below cost- I couldn't pass it up. I also scored two more of them for my sister in law who is having twins!
It's kind of masculine...so if we have a girl- I'm going to have to find a cover for it- or just let her sit in a boy seat.

2. The diapers

It was kind of weird that I found these diapers. They were returned- and sitting in an odd aisle. Since my job requires me to pretty much know everything- I knew that they were something we no longer carried- which usually means they mark them down to get rid of them. So I bought this box of 216 diapers for SEVEN BUCKS! They were also somewhere around 200% below cost...and everyone keeps telling me that I will only need ONE box of size 1-2 diapers because the baby will grow so fast. Well, now I have my box.

3. I found a Carter's two-piece red & white outfit for $2! I didn't take a picture of it...but its actually the first real outfit I have bought for the baby. The pants are cargo, and the shirt says "Daddy's Hero" & has a fire truck on it. If it turns out to be a girl...well...if any of you get pregnant again- you should expect an outfit from me!

Exciting news

2008-11-17T17:08:00.000-08:00

Holy crap its been a long time since I have updated anything on here! It's been damn near a month! I would love to blame it on the daily grind of life, being too busy with school and work...but really, it's because I'm lazy.

************************
Last week Bevan was offered a job to work full time in the ED ( It stands for Emergency Department...which is the E.R to us "common folk." However, Bevan insists on calling it the ED...which irritates me.) The amazing thing is that almost all ER's require nurses to have their RN- which Bevan does not. He only has his LPN but since he is an incredibly brilliant & talented nurse, they are willing to let him bypass the rules (temporarily) and work solely in the ER. I say temporarily because they are sending him back to school! He will most likely start in January, and in about a year and a half- he will have his RN. Another great thing is that they will be paying for 80% of his schooling, while working around his schedule. He will actually have a pretty decent schedule, have more hours per pay period, and make more money. He is slightly irritated and bummed out that he has to go back to school- but he knows the opportunities that await him when he's done.

******************************
Bevan and I are also getting everything in order so we can sell our house! Although we currently live in a 3 bedroom house, it is simply not big enough, especially with our expanding family. We don't really need more bedrooms, we just need more storage space. We are looking at a house in Shelley that was completely remodeled and is across the street from some of our good friends- but we are also keeping our options open. So if you know of any cute houses for sale, let me know! ( It has to be at least 3 bedrooms...)

**********************************
This week I will be busy with the Festival of Trees! This year I am actually selling about 70 items- which are the newborn hats, toddler hats & the headbands. I also made up some really cute treat bags. So if you guys live in IF- you should go and support the festival! It officially started today, but it had odd hours- but the regular hours start tomorrow. It will be from 10AM-10PM all the way through Friday. I plan on being there as much as I can- so I hope to see some familiar faces!

Surrounded by idiots

2008-11-04T13:04:00.001-08:00

So coming down to the main campus in Pocatello on election day was a big mistake. I am literally surrounded by liberal "because it's cool" college students. Here are just a few examples of some of the things I have heard today:

* "I'm voting for Obama because Palin is an idiot. She graduated from Univeristy of Idaho. That would be like me running for President."

* "When McCain was taken during war...like...he was captured for a few years during some war- I can't remember what its called- but you know what I mean. He was beat so bad that he HAS to have brain damage. I don't want someone with brain damage running the country."

* "McCain is so old he's only going to live for like another year. I know it."

*" Have you ever heard Palin speak- she's illiterate. She uh says stuff like 'uh, and stuff.'"

I'm pretty sure my head is going to explode.

Unexpected Ultrasound

2008-11-03T18:47:00.000-08:00

So today was Bevan and I's second appointment with my OB-GYN. I must say the second visit was a lot simpler, funner, and more exciting than the first. Since I am now 9 weeks pregnant, and after reading several pregnancy books- I knew that the baby now has a heartbeat- and I figured it was this appointment we would get to hear it.
Well, I was right.
As soon as we got there, he pulled out the sound machine, and for several minutes tried to locate the heartbeat- but couldn't. Trying to not think the worst-and hoping and praying that everything was alright- the doc said we were going to the ultrasound room "to make sure everything was okay." By this time, I was nearly in tears trying REALLY really hard not to freak out. But five minutes later- Bevan and I were staring at our unborn child with a heartbeat that was racing a mile a minute. It was literally- the most amazing thing I had ever seen.
We saw his little eyes, and his big head- and the most amazing thing of all- was how BRIGHT his heart was- and how big it was compared to his body. It was truly amazing.
All in all the appointment lasted maybe 15 minutes- and as soon as we walked out the door- I was kicking myself for not getting a picture from the ultrasound. But really we were both in too much shock & amazement to actually think clearly.
I guess we'll have to wait for 11 more weeks!

Check it out!

2008-10-25T16:17:00.000-07:00

So today at Recipezaar I am Chef of the Day!!
Just go to www.recipezaar.com and you can see my shiny white face-and look at all my recipes/recipe reviews/etc. However, I am only going to be on the main page until 12 PM tonight.