My Good Outweighs My Bad

It's been a LONG day, a day full of yelling at the dog who's barking at the cat and biting at the baby (yes, he's 2, but he's still 'the baby'), and yelling at the cat for whining because the dog won't stop barking at him or biting at him or bugging him all together, and yelling at the baby because he's mad that I took away the DS, or won't let him watch Flushed Away (for the 4th time today), or hitting the dog (for the seven hundredth time today)-with a hanger, a paint stick, a (wet) paint brush, a movie, a toy, a bat, a wii remote, a you get the point. It's also been a day of about 15 work calls in between everything, touching up the paint, more work, cleaning (not that you can tell by the pictures I'm going to post), unpacking, changing diapers, feeding the 3 kids (S hates when I include the dog and cat as one of the kids, but what do you expect, I do all the same things for them as I do for the human child; feeding, cleaning, chasing, crying over, etc.) doing laundry, folding laundry, hanging laundry, putting laundry away and so on. Don't get me wrong, I've found 'me time' somewhere in this 14 hour day where I've checked my facebook, paid my mortgage (first time!), played with my bank account trying to figure out how we can afford a new bed (S says he's sick of sleeping so close to me, which, surprisingly, doesn't hurt my feelings, probably because I feel the same way), read way too many blogs (design blogs, craft blogs, crazy mom blogs, etc.), made cookies (which ruined my diet, but I feel justified because I halved the recipe, although it was because I didn't have enough oatmeal for the full recipe) and took an hour nap. Anyway, by the afternoon, after I'd read about 25 pages of FML through out the day, I was feeling pretty crappy (not solely because of FML, but the dog and the baby and the cat and the house were making me crazy!), so I deleted the FML app from my phone, read my scriptures for the day, and decided to think positively. I've been trying to think of all the things I have to be grateful for, which is an incredible amount of things, and I feel better. Still slightly crazy; in between 'counting my blessings', I still had to yell at the dog, shut off the DS, listen to the baby scream because the DS was shut off, finish touching up the paint, etc. And to make matters worse, I just about finished the blog and deleted a TON of stuff on accident, so here goes a second round. Anyway, It's been so long since I last blogged, so I thought I'd share my grateful list, mainly because it shows a lot of what's been going on over at the N house. So here it goes (in no particular order):

The Baby

Yes, he's climbed up onto the counter (notice the chair pushed against the sink used as a stool), and when he realized he got caught, he starting doing a little dance for me up there. This is mid dance move. He's hilarious! Yes, he did step on the dogs head almost crushing her skull multiple times today (despite being told 'no' multiples times as well), but when I put him in time-out for it, he looked at me with the cheesiest grin (which S says is the same one I make when I'm 'in trouble'). How can you resist that cuteness? Hard to stay mad! At least the cat is happy that he's getting a break from Tyson torture time!

Well, we finally bought a house! I know, we've been talking about it for ever, but we finally did it and we moved in about 2 weeks ago. We're totally loving it, and SO grateful. It's the perfect house for us. It was in great shape when we moved in except for the walls. They needed paint REALLY badly. So here's the before and after photo's of the front door entry area:
Okay, so it's not the same angle, but hey, it's close. I guess I could have moved that large bag of trash in the middle of the photo, huh. That bench is going upstairs because there isn't quite enough space for it (where it would have gone perfectly had there been enough space). That green viney looking thing behind the glass banister (yes, the builder put glass in the stairway. Most stupid thing EVER! Really, what were they thinking? Now I get to windex it daily from finger prints and dog slobber, not to mention how ugly it is). Anyway, the green viney thing is just a sheet covering up the mini crib that we are storing upstairs. Why it's parked right there in the middle of the walkway going up the stairs, I'm not sure. S only made it halfway up the stairs, and for an unknown reason, he did not take it to it's proper resting place. And I'm not strong enough to carry it the rest of the way. Anyway, It's wrapped in the sheet because we are not planning on using it anytime soon (No, I'm NOT pregnant, and I know you're thinking 'what kind of mormon mom has a 2 year old, but doesn't have another, or another one on the way, and is (gasp) still using birth control? Well, that kind of mormon mom is me!) Okay, so back to the house. It took us 3 weeks, yes 21 days, (today being the 21st) to finish painting the downstairs (well, the great room and kitchen). Why, you ask, did it take so long? Well, apparently cleaning all the walls, painting the whole ceiling, and painting all the walls and all the trim takes a very long time. And, it's a pain in the...We painted the walls a light blue, which we thought would be much more gray, but we're still very happy with the way it turned out. We also painted the ceiling a brighter white (which really brightens up the room), and the baseboards a brighter white as well. I'm sure nobody will ever be able to see the difference (aside from the blue, I mean), but it's us that we're worried about here, not everyone else. We're moving on to painting the upstairs next. We have all the supplies, just need to find the time.

The Kitchen
Oh, how I love my new kitchen! It's large and I love the layout. Here's some before and after photos:
I bet the only difference you can see is all the crap on the counters in the after photo. The walls are now blue though. I know, our appliances aren't matching. The house had black appliances already in place except for the fridge (apparently I'm the only person in the world that likes white better than black), and we were given the white fridge by a dear friend. So, no matching appliances for us. Anyway, love love love it. I've been doing a lot of cooking in it, and I'm thoroughly enjoying it!

The Husband
So, when we moved into the house, the garbage disposal was broken. He fixed it, which saved us at least $100. The AC broke (okay, it didn't break, let me explain), and he figured out what was wrong. It had something to do with the breaker, I really don't know for sure what. But, with out him, I would have had to hire someone to flip a switch. He's also put a ton of work into making our house beautiful. He works so hard for our family, and he's an incredible dad and husband. Also, he's the hottest guy I know (I know what you're thinking, he's the hottest guy you know too ;) Plus, he gave me this (which is next on my list):

The Dane
Okay, so I have many reasons to post about her. First off, S absolutely did not want a large dog. But, because he loves me so much, and he knew how happy it would make me, he let me have Scout. Okay, some may not see her as a blessing, but let me tell you a story. A week after we got her, she got terribly ill. She had Parvovirus (aka Parvo). Dogs will die from Parvo without treatment, and a lot of times they'll die with treatment. We had to give her medicine hourly, give her fluids (yes, through a needle), and try to get her to eat. Although the treatment cost us a small fortune, we were SO thankful when only 3 days later she had improved enough to start eating again (She went 4 full days without eating a thing, except for the two syringes I force fed her full of disgusting egg, cottage cheese, watery mush). Her recovery time was very quick, and we were so thankful that she did recover (a large percentage of dogs die even with the best treatment). She is also the best puppy I've ever met. She potty trained very easily, she listens fairly well, and she LOVES Tyson, and S and I. And we love her too!

Those are the big blessings, now here are a few other things:
My iPhone. Seriously. I. Love. It!
Brushing my teeth right after I put Tyson to bed because it actually stops me from snacking while I wait for Scott to get home. I also love the quiet alone time I get for that little bit, but I do miss S!
My family. Okay, they are a 'big one' too. They're seriously great, and I couldn't have a better family! (This includes in-laws and extended family)
Hot Dogs. And the fact that they're Tyson's favorite food. They are the easiest thing I can make for him, and he actually eats them!
Costco. Addicted lately!
The fact that S actually likes me to get my nails done. Well, he's fine if I don't, but he likes the way they look, so he doesn't mind me spending the money on it. Awesome, right?! It's a great break from life, too!
Lake Powell. I can't wait to get away for a full week with family and no phones! I know I said I love my iPhone, and I do, but I will enjoy the break!
My Cat. I didn't want him to feel left out. He gets jealous very easily.

Anyway, tomorrow brings a new day. It will be a great day, and I'll still have lots of things to be grateful for. I truly feel blessed, and I'm incredibly happy with my life. I feel like one of the lucky ones.

Happy Halloween!

Scott and I Halloween night.

Tyson taking off to Trick or Treat by himself. We had already gone up and down two streets, but he wasn't done yet!

Grandpa taking Tyson around again.

Grandpa and Tyson dressed up.

Yes, his face is dirty. Scott let Tyson get into the candy BEFORE pictures because he was grumpy.

"I'm a big boy!"

Cutest pirate ever!

He left that earring in the whole night! What a good boy!

Photo Shoot

Here are some photos from our shoot with Jennifer Hughes on 8/13/09. They turned out real cute! Tyson is a stud!

And The Worst Blogger Award goes to...

I know, I know, it's been forever. I just wanted to write some quick things on what Tyson has been up to lately. I'll just make some lists to make it easy for all to see.

Things He's Doing:

-On Tyson's 1st Birthday (May 20th), he blew out his own birthday candle.

-Tyson learned how to walk backwards a few weeks ago, and he thinks he's pretty hot stuff!

-Tyson is very good at teasing. Ask him to come, and he walks backwards away from you, with a sly smile. I can't help but laugh.

-He learned how to climb the dinner table chairs and he does this for about 2 hours a day. He also climbs up on the table and walks around, much to my dismay!

-Tyson has fallen and made his mouth bleed 3 times in the last week. I should start saving for veneers.

-Tyson LOVED riding the sea-doo at Lake Powell. He even fell asleep on it!

-He loves swimming. He jumps off the kiddy step in the pool for us to catch him, and he even counts '1, 2, 3' because that's what we do. You can't really understand it, but we know that's what he's doing.

-He also does not mind putting his head in the water. He thinks it's funny.

He finds sneezing hilarious.

-He also finds burping and 'passing gas' hilarious too (thanks to his dad!). He makes pretend noises and laughs and laughs. Thanks Scott.

-Tyson has been mimicking all of our sounds lately, very cute. He's pretty good at it too!

-Tyson LOVES the cats. Indie is the only one that lets him snuggle, so he lays all over Indie and kisses him and even pulls his tail, and Indie allows it. Tyson also loves to throw balls at the cats. The cats don't really appreciate it.

-Starting about 3 days ago, Tyson has been sleeping in until 7am. HOORAY! He also goes to bed earlier (anywhere between 9 and 10). He used to go to bed between 10 and 11 and wake up between 5 and 6. So, I'm stoked. He's also down to 2 naps. He was doing 3 until Lake Powell messed up his schedule. I'm good with 2 though, because apparently it means he sleeps longer at night. Needless to say, I feel great in the mornings now!

-Tyson still loves music. As soon as we get him in the car, he starts dancing because he knows we play music in the car.

-Tyson also loves to sing. It is the cutest thing ever!

-His favorite show is still Imagination Movers, and whenever we say those words, he runs to the TV in preparation.

-Tyson says 'hot' all the time and blows on his hot food. He even says 'hot' about the cement outside.

-He loves 'playing' the wii. He sees us swinging the wii remote around, so now he'll find anything (a tv remote, a random toy, a flashlight) and swing it around while facing the tv and he grunts and groans as he swings, like it's really tough to play wii. (Don't know where he gets that...;)

He blows kisses when it's night time and whenever we say blow kisses. Love it!

Words he's saying:

Mama

Dadda

Amma (gramma)

Umu (up)

Hah (hot)

Ball

Oww (out)

Nanana (no)

Dahg (dog)

Heather insists he says her name, I've yet to hear it

Kiten (Kirsten)

Kiiy (kitty)-he used to say that, he regressed

more - on occasion

uh, oh, eeh (1, 2, 3)

Words he's signing:

More

Please (his personal favorite)

Milk

Cookie (Grandma taught him that!)

Help

Want

Eat

No

All done

Hi (waves)

Bye (waves-differently than 'hi' though)

Teeth and Ears

Tyson got his first tooth last Friday! I would post pictures, but Tyson will not allow us to get a good look at it, so there is NO way we are going to get a picture. I've only actually seen the tooth twice. He really only lets us feel it, and refuses to open his mouth in a way to let it be seen. We went to the doctor today, and she confirmed he's going to be getting two on top and the other bottom one as well very soon (very swollen gums). That's why he's been so slobbery!

Poor Tyson has been sick since Sunday. He was fine all morning on Sunday, and it was Scott's turn to take him to Priesthood, and by the time we were out, Tyson was burning up. We thought it was because he was teething, but we weren't sure. We brought him home, took his temperature which was about 102, and gave him some tylenol. He ran a fever that whole night, so I set my alarm every 3 hours to give him tylenol (because his fever was getting up to 103.7). By the morning, he was doing much better, so we didn't call the doctor (thinking it was the flu or something). Then Monday night, he got a low fever and was a little fussy. He had a hard time sleeping, but not bad. By Tuesday morning, he was fine. So, still didn't call the doctor, thinking it was just a virus (I feel really bad about it now). Tuesday night (after the doctors office was closed), he got a low fever again, and would not sleep or drink his bottle (he usually loves his bottle), and was really fussy (for Tyson, anyway). We kept a really close eye on him that night (he slept in our bed with us), and we called the doctor as soon as their office opened this morning. They got us in right away, and it turns out he was a horrible ear infection on the right side. Poor kid! He was just such a good boy, we didn't know how bad it was. He's now on antibiotics, and he's finally snoozing (it's a miracle, after his lack of sleep the last 24 hours). He also finally took a (small) bottle this afternoon. He'll be fine in a few days, I just feel like a horrible mom for not taking him in sooner!

January Pictures

Here are some pictures a lady in our ward took of Tyson back in January. They turned out super cute!


Tyson LOVES to bang on things. He's going to play the drums someday! This is his favorite too, a pie pan! It's REALLY loud!


Mommy giving Tyson kisses.


Trying to make Tyson laugh (I think he was getting grumpy by this point in the shoot).


So cute!


Tyson and Daddy. Tys loves sitting on our shoulders.


Shoulders...again.


I like this one a lot!


And this too! I think it's my favorite.


The family, Tys and Mommy's hand, and Tyson looking so fly in his fur hoodie.


He looks so great in this one!

Swinging!

I took Tyson to Scott's work (he works at an elementary school) for lunch on Friday. We thought we'd try swinging. It was his first time, and he LOVED it! He laughed (his scrunchy nose laugh) and put his arms up like a 'big boy'. It was a lot of fun.





He also went down the slide with daddy. He liked it, but not as much as swinging.


Yesterday, Scott and I went out for a date and left Tyson with our friend's Rhiannon and Jeremy. When we got back, Rhiannon nonchalantly said "Tyson took a few steps tonight." Scott and I were like, "What??" We had some frozen yogurt (Tyson loves cold treats), so we bribed Tyson with that. He took 8 steps towards the frozen yogurt! What a big kid! I can not believe it, nor am I ready for it! He's only 9 1/2 months! Crazy kid! Sorry, no pictures yet. He's not feeling well today, so he hasn't tried at all today. Next time he does it, we'll get it on camera to show everyone!