No Pictures

Today I am starting to work on my goal. [That goal was mentioned in the post just before this one.] So, in order to pick back up in the blogging world, I will have to begin with the basics! These basics unfortunately do not include pictures. The reason being that my computer has finally charged its last charge, blinked its last blink, and heated up its last heating... If any of that makes any sense at all. Basically, it no longer works! So words will have to suffice for today.

Our little family is doing great!!! Austin is still loving the whole Computer Science thing at ASU, I am enjoying my part-time job at Chase Bank, and we are both trying to find as much time as possible for our much-needed family time.

Ryker seems to be enjoying his life! He spends his days eating lots of baby food, drinking less and less baby milk, taking short naps during the day, playing with Mama and Dada, and getting into trouble all throughout the house. He is 11.5 months old and is ready to be considered a real grown-up. He is very capable of walking and will complete a whole lap around the room aided by only his walker... However, when it comes to going solo, he becomes completely afraid and sits right down. He will get it eventually! We have the utmost faith in him. He now weighs 22 pounds and continues to be in the 95% for his height. He is going to be one big kid! Dada is already trying to instill all different kinds of sports in him.  Mama doesn't fight it.

As for the baby growing in Mama... He/she is doing great also! We find out in less than a week what the gender is. Any guesses? As a couple, we have absolutely no idea this time around. With Ryker, we knew he was going to be a boy before we even got pregnant with him! This second one still remains a mystery until Mama's 20 week appointment next Thursday. There will be an announcement for that. So, stay tuned! Changes/similarities in pregnancy from the first to the second:

<> Acne. With Ryker, I was never reminded of my teenage years! :] My second pregnancy has brought in a constant five months of acne. It is quite funny actually; and it is a little trademark of our second child. I love it!
<> This second pregnancy has been very similar in that I have only been nauseous until about 12:00pm each day. I am very blessed that it has never been accompanied by vomiting or anything of that sort. As the same as before, I somewhat have control this nauseousness with the help of more food. :]
<> Heartburn. With Ryker, I did not experience heartburn one time! I know, I was very fortunate. My second pregnancy has brought some extreme amount of heartburn pain and some not so extreme. Thank goodness this only happens on rare occasions!
<> This second pregnancy has brought along the same cravings. When pregnant, I have not craved very many sweets. Yes, I will enjoy some here and there, but the thought of ice cream or chocolate actually makes me feel sick! Can I tell you how happy this truly makes me? :] As with the first, throughout this pregnancy, I have craved more meals. I guess people call it "salty" cravings. My husband loves this craving. I believe I have made more homemade-recipe-calling meals in the last five months than ever before. And let me tell you, this has benefited everyone.
<> Sleep? What's that? I don't know if it due to the fact that I now have a baby in the house, and I didn't before, but I have not been able to sleep this second time around. I wake up almost every hour. These alone times are priceless though. Since I am still early along, I can only feel our baby move really well when I am completely calm and it is completely quiet. This is our bonding time; which is much needed because there is never any quiet time during the day over here!

I think that about sums up what is on my mind as of now. I am surprised I wrote this much... And shocked that Ryker is still sleeping!

Again, sorry for the lack of pictures. As soon as I figure out how to upload some to our desktop/tv, I will enlighten the blogging world with some wonderful images!

Have a wonderful weekend, friends!

Lunch Break

Here I am. Sitting in the break room during my lunch hour, bored. I am thinking about my husband. My son. My unborn baby that is nesting quietly inside of me. Then I think about our family blog. The one I haven't touched in months... I NEED to blog again. I documented everything during my pregnancy with Ryker. I need to do that with our next one. And the next one. And the next.

Even with this crazy life I have, I will blog. Through family time, homework time, work time, and cleaning time, I will find some "me" time to blog. Sound good? Me too. And that, my fellow readers, is my goal. But for now, I must concentrate on eating this very delicious lunch that my very generous co-worker bought for our entire office. She is the best! Have a wonderful day everyone!

PREGNANT

I AM PREGNANT!♥

My sweet husband and I are going to have another baby!

It is happening again.

And we are announcing it the same way on the blog. :]

AND we could not be any more excited about this news!!!

We know without a doubt that we are very fortunate enough to be able to bring another baby into this world.

It is hard explaining our feelings at this time.

There is just nothing better than family; and we are so happy that ours is able to keep growing!

Last time we announced the pregnancy, I was about five weeks.

We waited this time... To be sure.

I am about 10 weeks.

We will know the actual due date after our first ultrasound this upcoming Monday.

Our little Ryker will be about 16 months old at the time of my due date.

This is the way we had always hoped it would happen.

We would love to have all of our kids close in age; so being pregnant right now is a dream.

We cannot wait for Ryker to have a new, little, best friend!

But for now, we wait!

...

And yes, the blog has re-opened.

We edited some items, and changed the url address.

So, for those of you who have links on your blogs with our old name, don't forget to change it!

Our new name is:

onourbucketlist.blogspot.com

...Because everyday we get to live a wonderful life; the main theme to our bucket list!

My Thoughts

It seems that nowadays, parents are so eager to push their kids away –
“Let them cry themselves to sleep.”
“Put them in their own bedrooms starting at only a few months old.”
“Don’t let your baby get used to being snuggled to bed.” Etc.

For me, I want to keep my child as close as possible… because one day, they will want to be an independent teenager. And that is the time when those parents who once pushed their kid into growing up too fast will wonder where their snuggly, dependent child has gone.

I don’t know about you, but I am holding onto these moments as long as possible; no matter how much more work it may seem to be.
I am taking advantage of what I have now.

I can proudly say that I believe in spoiling your child... with love.

Tuesday is a Work Day.

I don't have much time to blog this morning...
But maybe I will when I get back from work tonight. Maybe.
So I will wish you a happy Tuesday and will see you later tonight. Maybe.

Loves,

Pool Day

Ryker's first pool experience happened a few weekends ago at a family party.

Austin and I knew he would love the pool.

This is due to the fact that he fusses every time we take him out of the bath.

However, he was unsure about getting in the big bath... at first.

Then, he became super fascinated with the water.

Then, he really enjoyed the water. :)

[Fascination...]

Ryker has been swimming a few times since; and has grown to love his new, big bath.

But for his first experience, it was still kind of cold, so he spent most of his time on the sideline with the girls.

...While the rest of the boys were busy playing some water basketball.

Ahhhh, what fun Friday evening we had.

We look forward to having many more pool parties during the rest of the summer!

A Married Sister!

As many of you may know, my little sister was sealed to the love of her life in the Mesa, Arizona Temple on April 22, 2011.

Yes, I am late on posting this... but I had to do a tribute to the cute Newlyweds!

They are too precious.

Who would have thought that one blind date would lead to a beautiful marriage?!

The whole day was wonderful, the company was great, and the sealing ceremony was priceless.

Congrats to them!!!

Unfortunately, our pictures from the day are limited.

But below, we do have a few good memories that we were able to capture.

[The wedding photographer let ME use his other real camera to help him take pictures during the family shots!!!]

Our pictures of family are unfortunately limited, but our pictures of Ryker extend a great deal.

We do love our babes more than anything.

 We are so happy that our family is getting bigger and bigger.

Just wait until you see the new, little addition that has been added to my side of the family as of late...

Maybe in our next post... :)

Watch Out...

Baby on the road...

Ryker is lovin' driving these days...

Pretend driving that is.

Have a fabulous Saturday!

Ode to Our Home!

Remember this?

Well, it is time to do an 'Ode to Our Home!'

From July 2010 - May 2011, we were fortunate enough to have stayed in the home of my amazing parents!

We are so grateful that they were very willing to let us take up some of their rooms a time.

It was because of them that we were able to save enough money to buy our new home!

We are blessed!

So, to continue on with the tradition, here are some lovely pictures of the wonderful "loft" we were able to find comfort in.

Living Room: 

Hall Closet:

[I didn't take a picture of the hall...]

Our Personal, Spacious Bathroom:

Bedroom:

Ryker's Area:

Homework Area...:

So there you have it!

Now... on to our new home!!!

It's Time.

We feel that it is now time to show the world our new home.

No, we have not officially bought it yet.
Yes, the home is off the market and the 'For Sale' sign is down.
Therefore, it is on its way to being ours.

We walked through it again today.
Ah, it was amazing.

Quick story:

The home is a foreclosure; meaning that we buy it "as is." We cannot ask for the seller to fix anything or add to what to is already there. When we first looked at the home, the microwave and oven/stove were missing. The previous owners had removed them... leaving nothing in return. We accepted this in the beginning and began budgeting for these item; adding a fridge to the list.

After a few weeks of believing that we would have to put money into buying kitchen appliances, we got a call from the Realtor of the home. She said that the bank had just put a stove in for the FHA loan. We were super excited and headed to the home right away to see our brand new beauty. To our dismay, it was not there. We waited for them to install one... And waited some more... Nothing.

Then, yesterday morning our amazing Realtor and I were talking on the phone and she told me the best news we could have heard that day. Waiting for us in our new home was not only a beautiful, brand new, gorgeous oven/stove, but a beautiful, brand new, gorgeous microwave as well!!!!!

We could not be any more happy by the fact that we get completely new appliances! We are very blessed. Everything is going so well for this home and we are feeling very grateful [knock on wood].

Okay, okay, so without any more stalling...

<> 3 bedrooms

<> 2.5 baths

<> Two-car garage

<> Large Kitchen

<> Cute patio

<> Single-family home [not connected]

<> No yard work

<> Community pool/spa

<> Huge community playground

 <> GREAT area

<> The perfect starter home

We cannot wait to begin this new chapter in our lives!

New Employer

For those of you who know me, you know how much I love being around kids.

[Our son most of all.]

I have been a nanny/babysitter for many families now, and have enjoyed every minute of it.

There have been multiple opportunities that have opened to me... and for that, I am forever grateful.

And of course, bringing Ryker along has always been a bonus for this as well.

However, at this time in our lives, my husband and I feel that it is best for me to begin working outside of the whole nanny thing.

So, without further adieu, we would like to announce my new employer...

Starting Wednesday, May 4th, I will be an official teller at the second largest bank in the world.

Pretty cool, huh?

This job comes with a lot of possibilities.

AND a lot of benefits for only a part time teller.

My hours are beyond perfect.

Working only three days a week is such an ideal job; for such an ideal pay.

Our little family is going to majorly benefit from this new change.

It will be very, very, very, very hard leaving Ryker for three days during each week...

BUT, I am so very happy that Austin will have the opportunity to spend all of that quality time with him over the summer.

Bring it on, CHASE, we are ready!

Per Requests...

It has been a very busy month. -That is my excuse for not journaling/blogging.
Instead of giving you a single post full of excuses, I will give you multiple posts full of excuses.
For today, I will begin with the first 'busy' excuse.

...

As many of you may know, Ryker carries with him some allergy problems.

These problems have caused him to be on this special formula.

We all thought that this formula would do the trick and would solve his horrible allergy reactions.

The supposed, 'miracle worker,' did improve some of his painful issues; except for one.

His body rashes.

When our poor baby hit this point [above], his pediatrician recommended him to an allergy specialist.

At the appointment with the specialist, Ryker was given some tests in order to see what he is allergic to.

[Playing with toys while waiting for the tests to work their magic.]

 [Of course he had to leave a little present on the bed for the doctor... spit up.]

[The big red spot means he had an allergic reaction.]

[He was not happy that Mommy made him get poked more than a dozen times.]

So, you may now be wondering what Ryker's clinically diagnosed allergy is.

And the answer... egg whites.

Yes, egg whites. That is all.

The best part is that he will grow out of his this allergy. Phew.

We are so very grateful that all of the tests came back negative for peanut oil, wheat, meat, etc.

Hmmm... now you may be wondering why our baby boy has rashes if he is only allergic to egg whites.

I mean, it is not like we are giving him an egg every day!

The truth is that Ryker's skin is just very immature.

The best way to explain it is that his skin was just not fully developed at birth; causing him to be super sensitive.

Luckily, he should grow out of this sensitivity too.

The doctor did give us some amazing solutions, though.

This cream is amazing.

They make soap, lotion, sunscreen, you name it!

Of course, it is a bit on the pricey end... but we are willing to do anything to get rid of our baby's itchy rashes.

In addition, to get rid of his itchy scalp, we now use:

Again, it is higher priced, but this shampoo really works.

In less than a day, Ryker's head was itch free!

We absolutely love these two products and would recommend them to anyone who has children that suffer from the same symptoms our sweet baby suffered from.

Ryker is now completely rash free and is loving every minute of it [because we know, right??].

Well, there you go readers!

We hope that you all enjoyed our much-needed update.

Because we know we did.

Five!

Today, our little guy is five months old!

Can you believe how fast time has gone???

But then again, it feels as though Ryker has been in our lives forever.

We love him so much!

<> He loves his toys. He is finally at that age where he can entertain himself.

<> He is always chewing on his foot... just his right one.

<> His laugh always makes everyone around him stop and stare at his cute, little face.

<> He never, ever sits still. We love that!

<> He is continually in the 110% for his length. We love our basketball/volleyball/football man!

<> He is always hungry.

<> He has started and has successfully eaten: rice cereal, squash, carrots, sweet potatoes, and corn.

<> He only does short, power naps. This is because he always wants to know what's going on. He never misses a beat.

<> He still has Momma's blonde hair and blue eyes.

<> He babbles constantly.

<> His acid reflux is still pretty bad. He spits up at least three times after each feeding. Sometimes it goes up to eight.

<> He loves acting like a big boy. Sippy cups, filled with water, are his new favorite!

<> He loves everyone.

<> No matter what sort of pain he is in, he is always smiling.

<> He is the happiest baby around.

<> He loves, loves, loves when we read him books! This is the only time we can get him to sit still!

<> He loves when we brush his teeth.

<> Rolling around is his new favorite thing. He love always ends up on his tummy; even though he hates being in that position.

<> He loves going on walks with Mommy!

<> He is slobbering like there is no tomorrow. Teething gel is Mommy and Daddy's new best friend.

<> He likes to be held... all the time.

So, there we have it!

There are so many other 'Ryker Traits...' We could go on and on!!

Anyways, Happy Five Months Baby Boy!

We love you!

Back to Blogging...

It has been exactly two weeks since I have created a post.

The reason...?

There have been many other things occupying my time, brain power, and computer usage.

...

I will not jumble everything in one post; for that would make it seem as though each thing is of little significance.

So, I will begin with the heaviest distraction [from blogging] first.

And this is, searching for a home.

...

I have mentioned a few times that we are planning on moving into our very own home.

Believe me, this plan is definitely in the works.

Austin and I have looked at about a billion homes [both online and in person] with our beloved Realtor.

To our surprise, we immediately fell in love with the very first home that we saw.

But before making a quick decision, we decided to view a few more homes first.

This was the biggest mistake we could have made.

Without knowing this , we ended up putting a bit on it about a week later.

The home had been on the market for 80 days with no lasting contracts.

To our horrible luck, another couple decided to put their bid in on the exact same day that we put ours in.

I cried.

We waited a few days to hear the devastating verdict [and to see who won the bid].

Disappointment set in when we found out that it wasn't going to be ours.

We feel better now; knowing that this place was not the right one for us at this time.

...

So the search continued...

And continued...

And continued...

Until we finally found a home with the perfect location.

...

The home itself is not as... ideal as the first one, but is the one that makes the most sense for us at this time.

We put an offer in on this house two days ago and are pleased to announce that it was accepted by the Realtor!

However, since it is a foreclosure, the offer now needs to be accepted by the bank...

We are a bit nervous about this one because we offered significantly less than the asking price; since it was a bit above our price range.

So today, we wait.

We pray that this is the right place for us.

Austin and I feel good about it so far; even though it needs new flooring, kitchen cabinets, toilets, etc. [the house itself is in excellent condition... it just needs a good makeover!].

...

So here it is; our new beauty [yes, the front yard will be re-done as well]: