One Month

We have survived a whole month today!!  Between a hospital transfer, NICU visit, brain scan, chiropractor, physical therapist, witch doctor, ER, MRI and a cocktail of various drugs, I am finally able to cuddle my sleeping baby...not just cringe in pain for the ten minutes I can handle sitting to nurse him. 

Reed's diagnosis: He's a perfect little healthy newborn.

My diagnosis:  depends on who you ask.  The MRI shows bulging discs in my low back and I have an appointment with a spine specialist next week to hopefully heal this for good.

This month has been the hardest, most physically painful, horribly emotional, humbling 30 days of my life.  I'm hopeful that the clouds are starting to clear.

Day 2

...and I'm already behind...

But technically this is day two of the little man's life.

Reed Benjamin Arnold

Born July 24th

Weighing 8 pounds of perfect

Day One

Sooo...I'm back.  I was hoping to post a day one picture of our new baby boy today and start a year of blogging again.  July is a good month for making resolutions, right??

Well...the world has different plans for me.  We've been at the hospital all day being induced because I was just so scared  I wouldn't be able to deliver another gigantic baby.  The little man is just too cozy inside to want to move.  Well, I'm being optimistic when I say cozy...he could be not moving down because he's humongous like his sister.  Either way, I'm spending my first night away from my Avery without a new little one to cuddle.  They finally turned off the pitocin to let me have a nights rest and I got some real food...if you can call it that...but I missed my girl so much when I picked off the cherry tomatoes from my salad.

The last two hours on the drugs were really moving and actually made me progress...it was horribly painful...like body shaking, whimpering pain.  I've forgotten...labor is not for whimps...and I think medically induced labor has got to be worse!

Here's to a better tomorrow...with a Happy Birthday I hope...Pioneer Day could be a great one.  I'm feeling a little like a pioneer anyway, maybe it's meant to be.

Ready to go back.

Tomorrow. Let's go back there tomorrow. We spent a long Memorial Day weekend in Monterey and had the best time.

 I've been glued to my computer the last two days doing Primary stuff but I took a little break and found a bunch of pictures. I'm ready to go back.

 Like, yesterday.

Actually, I never wanted to leave.

Dennis the Menace Park. Best park ever & free! We spent two days at the Aquarium and although it was pretty amazing, Avery could have spent two days at the park.

Houston...

...We have a problem. Home-girl can reach the water on the fridge.

She was playing with the broom in the kitchen and the next thing I know, the water is on. Brian and I looked at each other, panicked, and then laughed. It reminded me of the day I could FINALLY open the fridge by myself. I must have been really young but I can vividly remember the olive green fridge with the snack door and the moment I opened it for the first time. I don't have many other memories of being a kid, but the independence of food whenever I wanted was apparently important enough to make an impact. Maybe I should be concerned.

Preschool Crashers

So "Buff" invited us to the zoo with her preschool this past week. "Buff" is Avery-talk for Steph. I think it's pretty hilarious. Avery's pretty well spoken for 20 months, but there are a few words that are not even close. "Buff" is one of them. It makes me laugh every time. ANYWAY, we had a fun time. We were there first thing in the morning and it was a perfect day. We had alone time with the giraffes which are always a highlight of our VERY sad zoo.

She wasn't so sure about the monkeys.

Miss Muffett found a spider. Kinda creepy.  She's totally into climbing anything and EVERYTHING and there were stairs to climb--so i snapped a shot.  Wish it was the baby kangaroo cut-out instead.

By far her favorite attraction at the zoo. I preferred watching the river otters. They are new at the zoo and super cute. Avery, however, could have played in the truck for awhile. Happy it was out of order. I vow to never put a quarter in one of those machines.

Thanks Buff! We love you!

For the Birthday Boy

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So, we meant to drop by, but I didn't think you'd like pink eye for your birthday, so we'll keep our germs to ourselves. Hope you had a good one!

Blogging to Brag

Hi folks--anyone still reading this? I have about 25 posts in the making, but apparently none have made the cut. I do just have to document my little genius. I mean really, she just turned 20 months and can almost count that high?!? Crazy! She is quite the little smarty pants. Sometimes TOO smart for her own good....and mine. She's been counting to three for awhile, but this was too fun not to watch. Her face is so cute when she hits the water!

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One day she surprised us just kept counting right past 3!

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And well, she doesn't quite have her 'teens' in the right order, but she almost has the right number of them. haha

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Seriously Neglected

I have nothing exciting to report. That's why my blog has suffered. I have still been taking pictures of Avery. Unfortunately they won't earn me a Mother-of-the-Year award. Shucks. This calling has taken over my life.
I started out super motivated and included Avery in everything I did. If I was making lists, she got crayons and paper. If I needed to write an e-mail, I'd let her have a sheet of stickers. Phone call: piano time.





That lasted about half a day and was reduced to Avery running wild. She hunted down cleaning products, climbed in toy drawers and emptied multiple wipe containers.







I just watched. And took pictures....while the ulcer continued to eat away at my stomach lining...or maybe that's the bag of cinnamon lips I just finished. Oh well.

I learned

two things today:

1. I need a bigger bag.

2. I sweat when I'm nervous.

That's right. I've been called to be the Primary President of our church ward. Which, normally would be exciting...but I've got 107 primary children, 31 in nursery and 14 more coming in this year. So, I guess I learned three things today:

3. I need stronger deodorant.


I took pictures of my terribly neglected child this week. Her entertainment consisted of pulling off about 20 sheets worth of stickers, coloring in her chair right next to me at the computer and Berenstein Bears. She's watched more bears on TV this week than in her whole life combined. Yikes. Hopefully it'll get better.