the Pecks

Our Christmas Card!

2010-12-02T18:21:00.000-08:00

Most Wonderful Time Christmas Card

Make a statement with Shutterfly Christmas photo cards.

View the entire collection of cards.

So a while back I shared with you about how great shutterfly is! Well recently, we received 50 free stationary cards - which was perfect for the holidays! Here is our end result! I am telling you...Shutterfly is seriously the way to go for all of your photo projects! It is very user friendly and the end project is always amazing! Plus you have a great memory that becomes a keepsake! So make sure you check out www.shutterfly.com to see all of the projects they have to offer!

Emma...the toddler

2010-11-11T15:54:00.000-08:00

We are at such a fun stage with Emma right now! She is learning so much, so fast! Every day there is something new to add to the mix. Yesterday, she was holding her baby doll and rocking it and going "shhhh" - such a sweet little mommy. It's hard to think that when I was pregnant, I wasn't stressed about having a newborn. I was really looking forward to that because I thought newborns sleep a lot and you don't really have to entertain them. But I was super concerned about that newborn turning into a toddler. I questioned what I was going to do all day to entertain a toddler. And surely there would be no rest because I would be constantly chasing the child down. Boy - did I flip flop. Sure newborns are so sweet and cuddley but for me it was so stressful. And now my sweet toddler is so fun and it is absolutely amazing to watch her learn and try to figure out things.

But with the sweet toddler comes the world of meltdowns and not getting exactly what I want right now. It's hard to believe that Miss Emma can become a completely different person when she doesn't get what she wants or she is told to wait. This is when the fun of parenting begins. And believe me it is so hard to not give in because there is a balance to - Mommy has to teach you a lesson to How much does a 15 month old really understand. When we give in, we are teaching her that when you throw a fit you get what you want right now. And when we don't give in it is the thrashing of the teeth! But Bobby and I want to raise Emma to be Christ centered and to not be an entitled and selfish human being...so the balance of parenting begins. Just because you want goldfish for breakfast doesn't mean you get goldfish for breakfast - we are going to eat our yogurt and fruit! However, if you finish your breakfast, then you'll be rewarded with some goldfish!

So all in all we are loving this time with Emma and teaching her new things (we even love the meltdowns!). But if you think about us, please pray that Bobby and I do our best in raising Emma to be what God wants her to be.

Shutterfly

2010-10-22T21:50:00.000-07:00

I was introduced to Shutterfly (www.shutterfly.com) by my sister-in-love, Katie. She had done her wedding album through this website and it was easy, fun to do (especially when you are a control freak like me), and everything I have ordered came out with great quality! Since that first introduction, I have made our wedding album on Shutterfly along with yearly family albums, gifts for moms and grandparents, graduation announcements and so much more. I think this year I am planning on making my holiday cards through them - they have some great options and some great prices as well!

Check out this link www.shutterfly.com/cards-stationery/christmas-cards just to see all of the cards they are offering this year! I seriously cannot pick a favorite because they are so cute but it definitely gives me something to look forward to when taking our Christmas photos this year and pairing them with one of these cards! I mean look at this card www.shutterfly.com/cards-stationery/cards-stationery/no-mistletoe-necessary-christmas-5x7-folded-card?sortType=1&storeNode=93476 - how stinking cute is this!?!?!?!

Not only are there just Christmas cards there is a wide variety of stationary www.shutterfly.com/cards-stationery at Shutterfly - they offer something for everyone and you seriously won't be disappointed!

Right now, Shutterfly is offering 20% off all holiday cards just in time for the Christmas season. Just click on this link www.shutterfly.com/cards-stationery and it will direct you to the site where you can get your promo! This is a great way to not only send cards to all of your friends and family but to create lasting impressions for years to come!

Ring Around the Rosy!

2010-10-22T10:53:00.000-07:00

So Emma started singing this song a few weeks ago and it was probably after we had only done it a handful of times - it is seriously amazing what kids pick up on. But she was so cute yesterday singing "Ring Around the Rosy" and spinning in a circle all on her own! Enjoy!

Quite the Vocabulary!

2010-10-16T07:32:00.000-07:00

So when we are walking around church, people are pretty suprised when Emma says "Hi" to them. People often looked bewildered and go, "Look! A talking baby!" It's awesome but we are pretty proud of the words that Emma says. Here's her list:

1. Hi - Which is really the favorite word
2. Dada - sometimes Daddy now
3. Mama - sometimes Mommy now
4. Ball
5. Dog
6. Baby
7. Bear
8. Bubble - A new favorite which she also refers to the moon as a bubble
9. All Done
10.Up
11. Down
12. Wa (or water)
13. Papa
14. Dana
15. Uh-oh
16. Bye
17.Nose
18. Eye
19. No
20. Yes
21. Book
22. Shoe
23. Roll it

I'm sure there may be a few more that I might be blanking on but at her age babies really only need to have down 5-10 words and she's got a good 20 under her belt! She can also sign: More, Please, and Eat. It is so fun trying to teach her new things! Right now we are working on body parts and she has mastered eye and nose. For eye, she'll practically poke your eye out if your aren't careful. And then for nose, she definitely sticks that finger up her nose! Our little girl is so much fun to be around and she is such a blessing to our life!

Backyard Project

2010-10-08T16:15:00.000-07:00

Last weekend, Bobby and his parents spent the weekend preparing our backyard to put sod in. They had to chop up all the wood from the patio they took down, rototill the backyard, and then level it. They seriously got so much done!!! Hopefully in a few weeks we'll have a nice and cozy backyard! I can't wait to let Emma run around while I sit on the patio, sipping lemonade and reading a good book!

Piggy Tails!

2010-10-02T20:13:00.000-07:00

We did pig tails for the first time today and Miss Emma looked oh so cute!

Transitions

2010-10-01T10:46:00.000-07:00

At this moment I am trying to tell myself it is not the end of the world because it isn't. We just found out last night that the lady that watches Emma during the week can no longer do it for us. We have a few weeks to figure something out but then that's it. We love where she is at right now - she is at an in-home day care and the family has really taken her in. It was a great when Emma was little and we were all transitioning with me going back to work. And now...we have to find something else. We have a few options out there but for some reason it just feels like a ton of bricks just dropped on my shoulders. I can't see the plan right now but I know that God does. I need to stop freaking out and trust that God knows what is best for our family. So please be praying for us as we make a transition to find somebody else - whether that means enrolling Emma into daycare or someone else opening up their home and family to us. Thanks!

The Judgement Police

2010-09-30T20:28:00.000-07:00

From the time you start telling people you are pregnant - everyone...and I mean EVERYONE has their own 2 cents to put in. And I get a lot being that I work at a church and everyone has something to say about my parenting style (I'm kind of wishing I could turn all those cents into real money...because I would be rich and could stop working!!!). But what I don't get is even though you are encouraged to do what is best for your child that if you don't do something a particular way - then judgement is passed. And that truly frustrates me to no end. Everyone has an opinion on how long you should breastfeed, whether or not your child should be vaccinated, how many naps per day your child has, whether you cosleep, cry it out, or rock to sleep, if you work or stay at home, how you discipline, etc, etc. There is an argument to practically everything that comes along with parenting.

But as mothers, don't we know best that every child is different and not one is handled the same way? I've had my fair share..."oh I would never do that with my child" and end up doing it! So instead of giving the side eye, we should be encouraging one another on how we are raising our children.

My hope for Emma is that she will grow into a God-fearing woman and learn to love the Lord with all her heart mind and soul. What difference does it make if she takes one nap or two naps? It doesn't! But if Bobby and I decide that she needs one nap instead of two - then so be it!

Sorry for my rant today - I guess my point is this - If you are a mother and you are reading this, let's do a better job at encouraging one another. Sure it is fine to give your 2 cents (because believe me you...I have given my fair share) but if someone decides to pass, let them. There is good reasoning behind it and they are doing what is best for their child. As long as the child is healthy, happy, and thriving in life - then let mom and dad make the decisions for what is best for their child.

I promise this weekend to update with a super cute Emma picture because we do have quite a few of those!

Fun @ the LA County Fair!

2010-09-18T20:21:00.001-07:00

Last Friday - we all hopped in the car and headed to the LA County Fair to enjoy some much needed time as a family, to eat a lot of food, and have some fun too! We all got a kick out of the boards where you put your face in them - we had way too much fun with these!

And who wouldn't enjoy a super yummy frozen treat. Katie got a frozen banana, Tim got ice cream, and I got chocolate dipped cheesecake! Yum!!!

The princess house was by far the girls' favorite place to play. They could play dress up and play house! It was every girl's dream - mine and Katie's too!

My little princess!!

Even Kendal joined in the fun!

Emma loved the petting zoo but it made me so nervous. There were goats everywhere and they were quite intrigued with Emma. And then I was obsessed about Emma not putting in her hands in her mouth - boy was that fun!

Emma really loved the pig races!

I love this pic of our family!

Tuckered out after a busy day!

My Breastfeeding Journey

2010-09-17T16:19:00.001-07:00

Way before I was married - I always thought breastfeeding was gross and disgusting and there would be no way that anyone could ever get me to breastfeed. I just don't think I was around a lot of breastfeeding mothers growing up and never quite understood the difference between formula feeding and breastfeeding. Well when I got married and became pregnant - my opinion vastly changed and I knew that this was something I wanted to do. And I set a goal to breastfeed my baby for at least a year. I was scared and nervous because you hear all the horror stories of it hurting, of your milk never coming in, or just never get the hang of it. But I was determined to make it work - and I read all the material that was placed before me and I even drug Bobby to a breastfeeding class when I was in my third trimester.

Well once Emma was born - we had the hardest time in the beginning. I guess I became one of those horror stories but with a happy ending. We had serious latching issues from the get go. And even though I had a lot of support - it was difficult. I don't know if anyone recalls the story of us going to the breastfeeding clinic and me telling the nurse to shut up after she told me to have a great day after she told me that I should try formula. Oh that was a fun day but I sure made my husband proud of me! But I also had a great pediatrician who in the pediatric world is known as the breastfeeding nazi! I also had my awesome mother-in-law who I could just ask, am I doing this right? And to encourage me that through my hormonal and sleep deprived state that I was in fact getting it right. And then above all, Bobby was seriously so supportive through the whole process. Waking up with me during night feedings to hold my hand or rub my back when I was in excruciating pain. Or just telling me what a good job I was doing in providing food for our daughter.

If I recall correctly, it took us about 2 months for everything to FINALLY work naturally. I think the biggest issue was in the beginning we never got the latch down right and realizing that they gave me the wrong size shield at the breastfeeding clinic to help with our latch - which ended up doing A LOT of damage!

Well then I went back to work full time when Emma was 9 weeks old and that put all the odds against us. I then entered the world of pumping....bleh! I soon realized that I could not pump enough milk to make up for what Emma was eating while I was at work. And boy did that leave us in a lot of tears, fenugreek, mother's milk tea, blessed thistle, some more tears, and anything else that might help me produce more milk. When Emma was about 6 months, we had to start supplementing a little formula. She only had to have 3 formula bottles a week and the rest was my milk. But I remember mixing those formula bottles just being so hard for me and just the stress while I was pumping to try and produce enough for my sweet baby girl (which the stress probably did not help at all!)

Well 13 months and 5 days later - I can say that we are still going strong and in the process of weaning. We are down to 2-3 feedings a day and I no longer have to pump at work (HALLELUJAH!). But I can tell you what a big advocate I am of breastfeeding and how important it is to surround yourself with support.

About a week or so ago, I probably received such a great compliment from my friend and another lactation consultant. When my friend, Michelle, found out she was pregnant last year and decided she wanted to try breastfeeding, I told her that I would help her through it and would help her do whatever it took to help her to be successful in feeding her little guy. So right before he was born, she was asking my advice and I was giving it all to her. I was seriously afraid that I was going to overwhelm her but she reassured me that she wanted to be as prepared as possible. Even after Gavin (Michelle's little guy) was born, I kept giving tips and suggestions for how to tackle certain nursing problems. Well when Michelle went to the lactation consultant for help and relayed what I had already told her to do, the consultant replied that it must be great to have a friend who was an expert at breastfeeding. You have no idea how great a compliment that was to me - after everything I had been through in the beginning (the tears and the joys) - I have come out on the other end as an expert. As every nursing mommy does! You just learn to roll with the punches and adapt as necessary. Breastfeeding can be a difficult journey but it has the biggest rewards in the end!

Thanks for reading about my journey - it's funny how in the start of it I wanted nothing to do with breastfeeding and how in the end, through my experience, I have become such a big advocate for it!

Reasons you fell in love with your baby(and out of love with your old boyfriend)

2010-09-17T06:57:00.000-07:00

I saw this cute little article in Parenting magazine last month, written by Deborah Skolnik, and thought it was so cute that I just had to share! So here are the top 10 reasons you fell in love with your baby (and out of love with your old boyfriend):
1. His endless babbling
2. He loved snuggling in your bed - but always wanted to go back to his own crib after
3. His way of spending hours roaming around the house naked, his poochy belly hanging out
4. The wet, sloppy kisses
5. He was content to lie quietly and gaze at his navel as you did all the housework
6. His birthday gift to you was simply a wilted flower
7. His idea of dancing was to bend his legs and bob up and down with goofy, self-congratulatory grin.
8. His smell
9. You could always count on him burping right after he finished a meal
10. The fact that he'll never, ever love anyone as much as he loves his mommy

Watermelon Girls

2010-08-27T14:12:00.001-07:00

The week of Emma's birthday party our good friends from Grand Rapids came to visit their family that lives out here in cali and we got to join in the fun. They have a 5 month old daughter, who is an absolute doll! It was so nice to catch up with them and it feels as though their time up here just went by way too fast.

The mommy's with their babies :)

Well my sis-in-love, Katie, and I thought it would be fun to get the 3 girls matching outfits to do a little photo shoot in. We had sooooooooooooooooooooooooooo much fun shopping and ended up at the Crazy 8 store in the mall and found these adorable watermelon outfits, which really fit each girl's stage and personality!

Then the photoshoot itself was quite the little adventure, especially when you have a 2 year old, 1 year old, and a 5 month old to cooperate at the same time. It really made for quite a few fun photos!

My favorite pic of the 3 girls - and completely echos what I said above....this was quite the adventure!

Although Dana is looking all pouty, I thought this picture was seriously adorable!

Karis was really into Emma's shoes! Such a girl!

Sweet Karis!

Then we gave Dana some watermelon to try and get her to sit but then Emma wanted her watermelon and Dana wasn't sharing!

So we got Emma her own chunk of watermelon and Dana got up and walked away!

My watermelon girl!

We already miss you, Jeremy, Grace, and Karis and we can't wait for you to visit again soon! Who knows maybe we can try the photoshoot thing @ Christmas....can we say reindeer outfits....or elf outfits....the fun we will have!

The Ladybug Party!!!

2010-08-24T19:52:00.000-07:00

On August 14th we celebrated Emma's 1st birthday party with all of our family and friends. We had a great turn out and were completely blessed by our loved ones! As you can tell we had a ladybug theme and it was so much fun decorating and getting ready for the party! Just wanted to show a few pictures of the decor!

Cake table - I made Emma a ladybug smash cake and everyone else received polka dot cupcakes. Also, on this table are cute little party favors for the kids. I found the pails for $0.60 a piece - the favors were stuffed with all things lady bugs (erasers, magnifying glass, stickers, bubbles, candy, and a fun sippy straw.

Emma's smash cake I made. I made the body and the head with pyrex bowls and used mini oreo cookies for the spots.

Close-up of cake and cupcakes.

The banner I made using the cricut.

Emma's monthly pictures displayed as flowers.

Birthday girl with her mommy

Daddy tossing the birthday girl in the air

Emma kept clapping as she was eating the cake

She really enjoyed the black frosting which was chocolate frosting and I am pretty sure that the chocolate frosting was what made her tummy upset for the next few days (can we say hello to our first vommiting experience....:(

Hosing the girl off in the pool! Which she loved!

The aftermath of the cake

All clean!

Opening presents - she really enjoyed the cards and the tissue paper!

All in all it was one great day!!!

Happy Birthday Emma Rose

2010-08-14T07:34:00.000-07:00

So this week I have definitely been a little nostalgic! And it is so hard to wrap my brain around what to write for a one year post because I feel as though I have so much to share about my girl but don't want to get all mushy gushy (I'll try to land somewhere in between :) ) So here we go - On Wednesday, I kept thinking a year ago today I was in labor and then the morning of Emma's birthday I was so weepy! I can't believe she is 1! Bobby and I have learned so much about ourselves and each other and about Emma! We are so thankful that the Lord has blessed us with her - she one awesome little girl and we can't wait to see what she will become. Our biggest prayer for Emma is that she grow up to love the Lord with all her heart, with all her mind, and with all her soul - anything else after that will be great!
The other thing I am so proud about is that I nursed Emma for one full year! We had a really rough start but my goal was to nurse her for a full year and we did it! It felt impossible at times, especially with working full time and having to pump but we did it. I know that I could not have done this without the loving support of Bobby - he was my cheerleader when I was so frustrated (especially in the beginning!) but he loved and encouraged me the whole way through it!

Here we are ago - one year ago right after she was born

Here we are a year later - celebraing at BJs!

The celebration started on Emma's birthday where we went out to dinner with Grandma Kim, Uncle Matt, Uncle Russell, Grandma Hank, and Papa Tim. We all went to BJ's and boy was it yuuummmyyyy!!!!

Opening her present from Grandma Kim!

Emma is absolutely smitten with her Uncle Matt - she lights up whenever he comes into the room!

Emma drinking her "wa"

Our little family! :)

We also had some one year pictures taken of Emma to commeorate the moment - there are so many cute ones but here are a few of my favorites that were taken by Bee Zion Photography:

And then to finish the birthday celebrations we are having her ladybug birthday party today! The cake/cupcakes are baked, the decor is just about finished, the food is almost cooked, and now all there is left to do is CELEBRATE!!!!

Vacation

2010-08-07T06:57:00.000-07:00

This year our family vacation was so needed! As a family, we rarely get a lot of time to spend together so 4 whole days was amazing! It started on Sunday, after I got all of the grove kids shipped (i mean sent off) to camp, our family headed to Vegas! Emma fell right asleep on the way but only slept for 30 minutes and then she was up for the rest of the trip. So I sat in the back entertaining - reading books, singing songs, feeding her snacks. We made it to Vegas in record time and this year we were staying at The Mandalay Bay. Now Bobby and I are not really into the "strip" scene - we don't gamble, party, drink, or go clubbing. But the Mandalay Bay has a great pool and rooms and we were able to get a great discount. We got to stay in a one bedroom suite which was a great idea in theory - we have our room and Emma had hers. So once she went to bed - we could hang out without having to tip toe around the room. Which worked the first night and after that the little bean, started not feeling good. Which then turned into her sleeping in bed with me and Bobby sleeping on the couch.

Our master bedroom - such a comfy bed!

The Bathtub - it was so big and so relaxing to just soak in at the end of the night.

Our Living Room (aka: Emma's bedroom)

The Maid even made Emma's bed! It was so cute!

The first night we were there - Mom, Russell, Matt, and Matt's friend, Jake, met us at our room and we all went to dinner at a cafe in the hotel - it was great! It was nice to spend time with them and watching our little girl try all sorts of new food. Boy can our kid pack it down! Pretty much everything we put in front of her - she inhaled!

The next day, was super busy! We got up and ate breakfast and then headed out to Boulder City to see grandpa. Of course, Emma fell asleep 10 minutes before we got there, so we drove around and actually went to go see where Nanny's grave was. This was quite a special moment for me, as I had never seen it before. And I didn't expect the wave emotions that hit me, when I saw her grave. She lived such a great life and left such a great legacy. We told Nanny all about Emma and told Emma all about Nanny. We had Emma blow kisses and say "bye bye" to Nanny - which was really cute.

After that, it was time to see grandpa. The last time I had seen him was in January and he had not been doing so well. After I left in January, I was fully expecting to have to come back to Vegas in a less than a month to attend his funeral. But Grandpa is a fighter and he completely turned it around! It was so nice to visit with him and hear all of his stories from the past. Grandpa thoroughly enjoyed Emma and kept commenting on how he had never seen a baby as active as she was - it was too cute! Then Emma sat on her grandpa's lap for the longest time. And what was neat was that she wasn't squirmy or anxious to get down - she just sat there as content as could be. She checked out Grandpa and she totally dug the buttons on his electronic wheel chair. We could have probably given it 10 more minutes and she would have probably figured out how to drive the thing!

Emma with her great great grandpa!

Checking out Grandpa's cool wheelchair

Having a sweet conversation with Grandpa

After having a nice visit with Grandpa - we were off to go to the hotel again and get ready to go to the Shark Reef at the Mandalay Bay. Bobby had been wanting to do the Shark Reef for as long as I could remember and we had originally wanted to go to a show in Vegas but didn't see anything that appealed to us that was in our price range and that wasn't raunchy. So we decided on the Shark Reef, which mom and Matt joined us for. It was a little bit too crowded for my taste but the look on Emma's face was priceless. Her finger was going crazy and pointing at everything and she kept saying "that, that" wanting to know what everything was.

Grandma Kim pointing our some fish! (Notice the finger pointing)

Look at that blow fish (again note the pointing finger)

Looking @ some fish (again pointing finger) - do you think our girl loved the aquarium or what?

Family pic! Emma was too busy looking at the Sharks to take a picture

Bobby and Matt touching the sting rays

Staredown!

And here are some of the creatures we saw that day:

Shark

And another Shark

Jellyfish

Pretty Blue Fish - I'm sure Bobby knows the technical name!

Pretty yellow fish - Again, I'm sure Bobby knows the name :)

Blowfish

When we were done with the Shark Reef we headed down to the pool to cool off. Of course, Emma loved it because she is our little water baby. Then after the pool - we cleaned off and went to dinner at The Yard House - which Bobby and I had never eaten at before (and we have one in Riverside!) and it was sooo good! We will definitely be visiting the one in Riverside on our next date night!

When we got back to our hotel room that night - we all crashed. We were seriously so tired and packed way too much into our day. That night, Emma was up almost every hour crying. I think she was just so tired and when she doesn't nap, she usually doesn't sleep well at night either. And then the next day she woke up to a full blown runny nose and watery eyes (poor stinking allergies!)

So that morning we took it easy. And then at about lunch time - Grandma Kim and Matt came to hang with Emma so Bobby and I could go and enjoy some couple time. It was seriously so hard to leave Emma that day. I knew she didn't feel good and I just wanted to sit and cuddle with her but I knew Bobby and I needed them time to be together too.

We headed over to The Venetian's Spa and really enjoyed some relaxing couple time. Both Bobby and I received massages and they were AMAZING! The lady that did my shoulders - seriously worked out all of the tension in my neck, head, shoulders, and back! I wish she could move in with me! After our massages, we went to dinner at California Pizza Kitchen and seriously just enjoyed time as a couple and focusing on each other.

Long hallway at the Spa

It just radiates - come and relax!

When we got back to the hotel after eating dinner - we joined Mom, Matt and Emma at a cafe they were eating at that was overlooking a pool at The Mandalay Bay. There we discovered that Emma received her first goose egg about 10 minutes after we left. She was cruising the coffee table, turned funny, and crashed. I guess it had to happen to sometime and boy are we never going to let Grandma live that one down! :)

Then the next day - it was back to good ol' Riverside! We had a great trip but we definitely learned that on our next vacation we need to schedule a day to do NOTHING!!! We barely had time to relax this trip because we wanted to pack everything in. But all in all it was a great time had by all!Here are a few more pictures to make your day:

Look mom - no hands!

Emma snuggling with Daddy

Emma's 1st Taste of Cake

2010-07-31T22:14:00.000-07:00

Tonight we had a photo shoot with our friend Kendra for Emma's 1st Birthday and I wanted to get some pictures of her with a "smash" cake. No one could have ever expected her to do this.....

Summer Splash 2010

2010-07-31T21:21:00.000-07:00

Vacation Bible School (or as we call it at our church - Summer Splash) was a HUGE success this year! It was amazing to think that this time last year I was 8 months pregnant and doing my best to not stress out in fear that it would induce me into labor. It is amazing how fast the year went by. Well this was the first year that we didn't borrow or buy a curriculum but it was written and designed by people at our church. From the graphics to the skits to the activity books - everything was AMAZING!!! It was a lot of hard work but it paid off when there were 1,030+ children happy at one time. And what made it even better was that 38 children made decisions to follow after Christ and we raised over $2100 for our Outreach project. God is so good!

Our Staff

Emma joined in the fun too!

We really love each other - or we were just trying to get Holly wet!

Out on the field where we got SOAKING wet on Friday!

Showing some love to Lorrie!

My dear friend, Tiffany...I don't care what your dad says about you! Just kidding!

Grandma Kim came down for the week to help out with Emma! Which was seriously amazing! It made it so easy to just focus on the event at church knowing that Emma was in such great hands! In this picture they are completely matching - red bows and all!

Emma and I with Jana Alayra! I seriously love her! She does our family night concert each year and does a fantastic job of getting all of the kids excited!

All in all it was a great year and I can't wait until next year which I'm sure will be here before we know it!

Emma turns 10 & 11 Months

2010-07-30T16:53:00.000-07:00

So obviously she didn't turn both 10 and 11 months in one month - the mom is WAY behind on blogging! July was a whirlwind month with Summer Splash (our church's VBS that hosted over 1,030 kids!), getting kids to summer camp, vacation, working, and just catching up as a family. While I get caught up on blogging, I just wanted to share my pics of Emma from her 10 month and 11 month birthdays.

It is so hard to imagine in just a few short weeks, my sweet little girl will be turning 1 year old! Man - this year has flown by and she has changed so much! We are in full planning mode for this sweet girls 1st birthday party which is going to be a ladybug theme! So hopefully I'll stop being a slacker and post all of our fun stories for July and give you detailed pics of when this little Miss turns 1!

Happy 4 Years!

2010-06-25T10:20:00.000-07:00

This past Wednesday, Bobby and I celebrated 4 years of marriage! And my oh my has the time flown! We have changed and grown so much over these past few years. This is one of the few years that we have not had to go to a wedding on our anniversary but work for both of us has been pretty crazy for us. I am in preparation for our summer splash where we have over 1,000 kids signed up and Bobby has also had really busy days at work. So after putting Emma to bed on Wednesday night - we had brownies and martinelli and enjoyed some nice conversations. It was a perfect little evening!

Happy Father's Day!

2010-06-21T21:44:00.000-07:00

Just wanted to write a post dedicated to Bobby. He is such an awesome husband and father and I am so thankful for him everyday! He works so hard to provide for our family and on his days off he stays home and watches Emma so that I can go to work. And Emma just loves her daddy! When he walks in the room her little face just lights up! Emma really loves it when Bobby throws her high in the air and when gives her hugs, kisses, and snuggles. Here are some pics of Emma and Bobby on Father's Day. The picture above is Bobby holding Emma for the 1st time!

Happy Father's Day, Bobby! I love you!

Like Father, Like Daughter

We are in the 2 digits now! Happy 10 Months Emma!

2010-06-19T06:57:00.000-07:00

Last Saturday (June 12th) Miss Emma turned a whopping 10 months old! She is getting too big too fast! And it is amazing to watch her learn something new every day! Her big things she has accomplished this month:

Pulling herself up to stand (in her crib and on the coffee table)
Giving a stuffed animal "loves" - we say give the bear loves and she pulls it up to her chin and swings back and forth and sometimes goes "ah" (awwww)
She has mastered putting the shapes in the shape sorter - for awhile we thought it was just a fluke but when she is getting the right ones in a few times in a row it is definitely not a fluke
She says "bu-bye" while waving
She yells for Cassie, da da da daaaaaaaaa (our dog)
Army crawling - she can't seem to get the concept of crawling on her hands and knees. She can get up on all fours but then when she wants to get to something she throws herself on her belly and she starts dragging herself across the floor!
Sleeping through the night - without even waking up to nurse! This has been AMAZING!!!!

Emma is such a fun little girl - that loves everyone! She is such a joy to have in our lives and we thank God with giving us such a precious and sweet little one. Please enjoy our 10 month pictures we took - these are definitely getting harder and harder to take with her being more mobile. So I've been giving her a toy to just hold on to - which keeps her still but you don't get to see that cute little face! Enjoy! :)

Giving the bear "loves"

Hi! Mr. Bear!!!

Trying to crawl off the chair to get to the wrist strap on our camera!

Oh no you didn't mom!!!

Happy girl!

The look she is giving this fish is priceless!

Love this close-up!

Totally into everything!

An unexpected motherhood trial

2010-06-16T17:46:00.000-07:00

When I found I was pregnant my biggest fears were breastfeeding (would we get the hang of it, would it hurt), would I make it through labor (would I have to have a c-section, would my water break in public), how was I going to handle the sleepless nights, how would Bobby and my relationship change. There were a lot of unknown fears that I wasn't sure I would know how to handle and if I would get through them without pulling my hair out. The good news to report is we worked through them and I still have a full head of hair. :)

One thing I did not expect at all was how isolated I would feel as a mom. I feel that all of my friends my own age don't understand my life as a mom now - when I am finished with work I would rather spend my time with my family than go out and catching the latest movie or sitting over coffee or a smoothie and just talking. And then I feel as though I don't fit in with other moms because we don't have kids the same age. I feel that I don't really fit into any category. I know part of it is my fault because I don't even try to make connections with other moms or the friends I had before Emma came because I just want to spend time with my family after I get off work and when I am off on the weekends. And when I do spend time for myself I am faced with that "mommy guilt" - I have just been away from my baby all day and now I am going out again without her.

Other moms who are reading this - how do you get past this? What are some things you do that have helped you to make connections with others. I am thinking about joining the MOPS at our church and really hoping it works with our work schedules. But I am in need of ideas!

Swimming, swimming in the swimming pool...

2010-06-11T14:37:00.000-07:00

...when days are hot, when days are cold,

in the swimming pool
breast stroke, side stroke, fancy diving too!
Now don't you wish that there was nothing else to do! But...

Sorry for the little song - I am reminiscing of camp days of when we would walk to the pool and sing this song with the kids. You would start replacing each word with a hand motion until you got to the end and you sung the song completely silent! So fun!

Well I am singing this because Emma started swim lessons today. It is a mommy and me class where they sing songs and it is basically just helping the kids get used to being comfortable in the water. Not only does it get them comfortable with being in the water but with the games they play and the songs they sing it is also teaching the kids about water safety - how to get in and out of the pool, what happens if you fall in (sung to humpty dumpty sat on a wall), how to float, etc. Swimming lessons is something I wish I could have done when I was kid but we never really went to the pool. And since living in southern cali - knowing how to swim is REALLY important. We had a ton of fun and Emma really loved being in the water.

This picture is of her in the bath tub but it is still cute!

Happy Memorial Day!

2010-06-02T16:34:00.000-07:00

This Memorial Day Weekend was awesome for The Pecks! Bobby and I both got to spend Sunday AND Monday together - having days off together have sadly become rare and far between. So we were so excited to spend time together as a family. On Sunday, we got to go to church as a family and then lunch. Later that day we just hung out with Bobby's parents and mooched dinner (of course!).

Monday we worked around the house for a little bit and then went on over to Katie and Kendal's where we played in their awesome back yard. We enjoyed playing with Andy and Dana. And Emma even got to go swimming for the first time!

Emma hanging out with Grandma Hank!

Andy looking as cute as can be!

Papa Tim with his grandkids!

Dana & Emma playing in the kiddie pool!

Andy looking cute again!

Bobby nailing Andy with the beach ball!

Emma enjoying the pool!

Emma really liked hanging out on the slip n' slide!

After playing in the water for a little bit it was back home to get some naps in and to get cleaned up. Then we all went out to dinner for Tim's birthday at Lucille's Smokehouse BBQ. Most of us had never been there before so didn't know what to expect but it was seriously DELICIOUS!! It had a very southern feel for it and everyone really enjoyed what they ate!

After dinner - we all needed naps but instead we headed back to Tim and Nancy's house for some birthday cake! And we of course needed to take pictures of Emma and Dana who were in matching outfits (please note the hair clippies I made them too!!!)

All in all it was awesome weekend filled with lots of fun with family!

My Clippie Creations

2010-05-29T17:07:00.000-07:00

So I just wanted to take a few minutes to brag about myself and how I've started to make little hair clippies for Emma. It all started around Easter when I was looking at one of my favorite websites, etsy.com trying to find a hair clippie that matched Emma's Easter dress - and either I couldn't find anything I liked or it was way more than I wanted to spend on a hair clip. So I googled how to make hair clippies and found that is actually fairly easy!

I absolutely love the clippie I made to match her Easter Dress - it was so cute!

And here's the one I made for Memorial Day/4th of July

Poor Baby...

2010-05-25T08:54:00.000-07:00

This was much of my night last night - snuggling with my poor sick baby. Her fever got up to 101.8 but finally broke this morning. As much as I seriously love the snuggles (which are rare and far between these days) I am really hoping that her fever stays away today!

Happy 9 Months Sweet Baby

2010-05-22T09:50:00.000-07:00

On May 12th Miss Emma turned 9 months old! It is so hard to believe that she has been on the outside as long as she has been on the inside. Where has the time seriously gone? Can you believe we are already thinking about her 1st birthday party??? Ahhh!!! Some of her tricks right now include: clapping when you say yay, waving bye-bye, army crawling, and just being as sweet as can be. Here are her traditional pictures we take every month on her month birth day!

Our 9 month photo session started out like this because I took the brush out of her hands. She is definitely in that stage of when you take something away she does not forget it about it and she'll let you know that she is not happy that you took it away!

But luckily it turned around pretty fast!

It is definitely getting more difficult to have her sit still on the chair - she wants to go everywhere!

Such a happy girl! And that bear is still shrinking!

Don't worry she didn't pull herself up there by herself but Emma is really starting to love to stand. And is constantly trying to pull herself up onto things!

Emma doing push-ups!

Emma isn't quite crawling on her hands and knees yet - she gets to about here and then goes to her tummy. However, she is army crawling and can get to a toy that is out of reach.

Scrub a dub dub - lil' emma in the tub!

2010-05-22T09:33:00.000-07:00

Ever since we transitioned Emma from her baby bath tub to the sling in the "big" bath tub she has loved taking baths. She likes playing with her toys and trying to get a hold of the cup and wash cloth that I use to bathe her. Well about a month and half ago she got just too big for her sling and I thought we would give it a go in just the "big" bath tub. She loved it of course but was slipping and sliding from end to end. Bath time went from an enjoyable time for both of us to quite the stressful 7-10 minutes.

I remember when I was registering before Emma was born and saw this thing called a duck tub and thought it was the biggest waste of time and space ever. However, when the bath mats won't attach to your tub because it is textured and your child keeps diving into the water to try and suck on the wash cloth you've placed under her behind to prevent her from slipping - this seemed like a somewhat good idea. So I found it at Target for $11 and it is seriously one of the best things I have purchased as a mom. It is like a mini swimming pool for our bath tub. Not only does it keep the water warmer for longer but the duck also quacks! Emma loves it, mom loves it so we are all good. Enjoy a few pictures from the other night of Emma enjoying her bath!

Wordless Wednesday

2010-04-28T10:56:00.000-07:00

Sweet Dreams

2010-04-16T17:28:00.000-07:00

So ever since Emma was born she has not liked to be rocked in a chair to be put to sleep but to "bounce" to sleep. I swear that is how I got below my pre-pregnancy weight was bouncing this dear child to sleep. I never ever thought the day would come when I could lay her in her bed wide awake and she would fall asleep on her own. I thought I would be the only mother on the planet who would have to bounce her 3-year old to sleep.

So for the past month or so - Kim, who watches Emma while Bobby and I work has sworn that she can lay Emma down and she would fall asleep on her own. I seriously thought she was lying because she DID NOT do that at home. She would just play in her crib or scream and scream and scream! Well for the past week or so I have been able to lay her in her crib wide awake and she has gone to sleep on her own. Well for most of the week she would just scream but after 10-15 minutes she would be sound asleep. And then for the past 2 days - she has not screamed one bit! She has gone down willingly!

So part of me is missing bouncing my sweet baby to sleep and watching her drift peacefully to sleep but the other part of me is glad that we are coming out of this phase. And an even bigger realization is that my tiny baby is growing up :(

Here is a picture of Emma this morning snuggling with her glow worm! It's just too cute for words!

Just swingin' around

2010-03-19T10:36:00.000-07:00

This past Tuesday - I decided to take the day off (thanks Pastor Kerry) so that we could spend a much needed family day. Bobby and I have opposite work schedules so that we can be home with Emma as much as possible. Which is nice because we save money on childcare but a bummer because I love time together as a family! So on family day we did some much needed sleeping in and a little bit of light cleaning. We then headed over to Costco and Home Depot! Then later we took Miss Emma to the park for the first time and she got to try out the swings and boy did she love it! She loved looking around at all of the kids but man did she like swinging. Hope we get another family day in the near future!

Happy 7 Month Birth Day Sweet Baby!

2010-03-12T16:59:00.000-08:00

7 months with our sweet girl has sure flown by! I can't believe we are already in the second half of the 1st year of her life. Some new things she has been doing lately:
1. Rolling from back to tummy has been mastered
2. Sitting all on her own!
3. Eating like a champ. We've gone through all the veggies and are now starting on the fruits

We are still waiting on some teeth to break through but I feel that she has seriously been teething for months now! Bobby and I are so in love with our little girl and are so thankful to the Lord for entrusting her little life into our care!

Trying puffs for the first time. It is almost like she is saying, "What the heck did you give me Mom???"

Ice Cold Celery really helps with teething!

Look how much she's grown

2010-03-10T10:08:00.001-08:00

Can you believe Miss Emma is going to be 7 months on Friday?!?Look how much she has grown!

Is it just me or is that bear shrinking???

This Crazy Life of Ours

2010-03-09T18:07:00.000-08:00

So it has been well over a month since I have blogged but that is just because I haven't had time! Life sure does keep us busy! Let's see in the past month, Bobby has stayed at the same store! Praise the Lord! He did get the opportunity to work at the Fred Hall show in Long Beach all week - which he absolutely loved! But Emma, Cassie and I sure did miss him. He would leave early in the morning and not get back until we went to bed.

Last week Emma had her 6 month check-up and is weighing in at 15lbs, 10oz and is 27 inches long. Her growth has slowed down a little bit, which the doctor says is normal. Lately, we have been really concerned about Emma and her allergies. It seems that every time it rains she has been getting a runny nose and a cough. Well a couple of weeks ago, her cough was getting worse and worse, so we took her in to see the doctor. They noticed some wheezing in her chest so they gave us an inhaler to give her. And it has definitely helped. She gets 3 little breathing treatments every day and the funny thing is she really enjoys them! Here is my sweet baby and her little treatment.

As for me, I am still trying to figure out the balance of being a wife, mommy, and employee. And boy it is a hard juggling act. Who would have thought that my dream job would be a stay at home mom! Hopefully one day! Well that's all for now - Miss Emma just woke up! But before I leave let me leave you with a sweet picture of my little girl when we went out on a walk last week in the beautiful weather that we had!

Happy Valentine's Day!!

2010-02-14T07:41:00.000-08:00

In honor of Valentine's day here is a little sneak peak of the photo session we did with our friend Kendra Holybee yesterday for Emma's 6 month pictures....

Rice Cereal Adventures!!

2010-02-04T10:44:00.000-08:00

So for the past few weeks, Emma has been so interested in everything we eat. She seriously watches the food we eat as it goes from our plates to our mouths. We really wanted to follow our pediatrician's advice and wait until she got closer to 6 months. Well this past week, we decided we are only 1 week away from her being 6 months old - so we gave it a go and Miss Emma loved it! At first she was confused about the consistency but then she was so eager to take another bite. Here are a few pictures that captured the night:

Looking so big in her high chair before her first bite of cereal!

Taking a taste...hmmm....

Let me show you how it's done Mom!

The aftermath...More Please!

Emma's 1st Christmas

2010-01-23T14:29:00.000-08:00

So I know it's January and I am just now posting about Christmas but it has been a little crazy around here. We enjoyed a lot of family time around the holidays which was so nice. My mom and brothers came down to spend Christmas with us and it was so nice to have them here! Emma was seriously smitten with her Uncle Matt and he was getting her to smile and do her little laugh so much. Here are a few pics of the day!

Opening presents with Grandma Kim

Emma definitely got into the paper :)

Matt secretly wanted Emma's Princess Fishing pole

Andy showing Emma how to open the 1st present

All smiles with Grandma!

She was seriously in love with Uncle Matt!

In love with her new puppy, Violet, that Santa brought her.

Our happy little family!

4 Months Old!

2009-12-19T11:50:00.000-08:00

So there are so many fun pictures this month and is hard to just pick a few! So I will do my best to limit the amount of photos but there are no promises!

It's so hard to believe that Emma is already 4 months and about to experience her first Christmas. As I was looking back at some of the pictures that we took of Emma as a newborn it is already so hard to believe that she used to be so tiny! When we went to the doctors a couple of weeks ago she was just under 13lbs. We go back again on December 30th for her 4 month check-up, so we'll see how much she has grown. The past couple of days she has been having a little growth spurt - which affect her so much. She is so fussy because she is exhausted from all that growing but the only way she'll sleep is if she is being held. We also think that we are starting the teething stage. She is drooling a lot, gumming on everything and everything goes in her mouth!

Some other fun things that Emma is doing is that she is just starting to laugh. It's too cute - you almost have to scare her first and then she really gets going. She is still in love with her fish mobile and any kind of rattle...actually make that anything you put in her hands.

Bobby and I are so excited to start Christmas traditions with Emma this year. Even though she is still too little to remember anything, it is so much fun to start. Blessings to you and your family this holiday season and please enjoy the pictures below of our little girl in her 4 month photo shoot!

A little grin!

Standing so big and shaking that duck rattle!

Push-ups to work on her neck and back strength

You gotta have the bear for comparison with how much she has grown!

All smiles!

Again, do you see how much she has grown!

Like I said everything goes in the mouth!

Merry Christmas!

2009-12-14T19:36:00.000-08:00

May your family have a joyous holiday season and keep in mind that this is when our Lord and Savior came to this earth! Be blessed! Here are some Christmas pictures that will make you smile!

I promise Cassie was not mad - it just looks that way!

Peck Family Christmas Photo Shoot!

2009-12-05T13:52:00.000-08:00

So a few weeks ago we went with the lovely Kendra Holybee to take some family pictures. We went out to UCR's botanical gardens and I think we got some great shots! We had a lot of fun hiking all thru the garden. The kids had fun playing with leaves and sticks, plus it is always nice to spend time with Kendra - we never get to see her anymore! Here are some of our favorites (sorry it's a little excesive but it is hard to just choose a few!) And if you want Kendra to take some pictures of your family just leave me your e-mail in the comment box and I'll make sure to send her info to you!

Our Favorite!

The Pool Family

Peek-a-boo! I see you!

The caption for this should read: "Okay, daddy I guess I won't date until I'm 30 and married...aw man!

Oh boys - reinacting a Ben and Andy photo taken in previous years.

Nancy & Tim with their grandkids

Our Family :)

Kissy! Kissy! And Baby makes 3!

Cousins!

Andy & Dana!

So much to be thankful for!

2009-12-01T19:38:00.000-08:00

So this time last year we had just moved into our home and found out that we were expecting a little baby! My how the year has gone by so fast and we have been so blessed through it all. I am so thankful for my healthy family and how God has provided us with such loving and supportive family and friends. There seems to be so much tragedy around us right now and so many people struggling financially but our family is healthy and Bobby and I both have jobs that we love. Here are some sweet pictures of Emma's first Thanksgiving! She did great. We went over to Bobby's Aunt Julie's on Thursday and I was really worried that Emma wouldn't nap well but she slept 3 hours and did great on the hour car ride there and back. Then on Friday we had dinner at Bobby's parents house.

Ok I can't figure out how to turn it the other way - for some reason the blog turned it the wrong way...Hmmm...so if anyone knows how to fix this let me know. With that said, this is Emma Thanksgiving morning and so sad for turkeys everywhere!

Happy Thankgiving everyone!

Mom - it's time to eat!

The tryptophan has kicked in!

She's found her voice!

2009-11-28T17:24:00.000-08:00

When Emma was about 5 weeks old, she was all into cooing and just carrying on a conversation with you but for about a month she stopped doing it. Then on Thanksgiving, she started all over again and we are absolutely loving it. It's like she found her voice and is having so much fun just talking to all of her toys. I especially loved it this morning when I woke up to her cooing in her bassinet at 5am! Here's a short little video of her cooing at her toys and mobile! It's just too cute!

Just Land...

2009-11-21T16:03:00.000-08:00

So let me start off this post by saying how thankful that both Bobby and I have jobs during this rough economic times. We have so much to be thankful for!

Well about 3 weeks ago, Bobby got news that he would be transferred from the Corona store that he worked at to the Chino Hills store. Keep in mind that the Corona store was 4 miles from our house and the Chino store was 20 miles. It was pretty frustrating at first because they didn't really give Bobby a choice and not that much notice either. When he arrived at the Chino Hill store, they didn't have a lot hours to give Bobby so they decided that Bobby would be working at the warehouse in Bernadino too. Bobby was fine with that because it was a little change of pace. Well then we find out over the weekend that Bobby would be transferred back to the Corona store again. But before he could even report there, he was transferred back to the warehouse. As of right now, I am not really sure where Bobby is working but I know he is (I think he is at the Corona store today!).

All in all it has been a rough couple of weeks - just not really knowing where Bobby is going to be the next week. I am so thankful for my husband and all that he does for his family. He has been so flexible during these crazy transitions and I really feel that he is impressing those that are over him and seeing that Bobby is there to support the company. So pray for Bobby and our family because every new transfer means trying to figure out child care and my schedule as well. It's a crazy time but we are so thankful that we are both employed!

Emma's Baby Dedication

2009-11-18T18:02:00.001-08:00

This past Saturday, we had Emma dedicated at our church. This was a time that we as parents demonstrated that we were going to raise our child to know the Lord and to pray for her sweet little life. We were so blessed by all of the family and friends that came to support us - it meant so much to us. The ceremony consisted of a little sermon, a beautiful song (that seriously made me tear up) and the dedication of 7 babies. Below are some pictures of our little girls dedication.

Surrounded by those that love us!

Praying for our family

One cute girl!

The whole family!

Us with The Warrens - our dedicating couple. During the ceremony, we handed Emma over to Susan and Kerry, which represented us giving Emma back to God. The Warren's have such a big influence in our lives and we were so thankful that they were able to be Emma's dedicating couple!

Cousins! Oh the fun we'll have when Emma is older!

3 Months Old!

2009-11-12T20:21:00.000-08:00

Today our beautiful little girl turned 3 months old. It is hard to believe that 3 months have flown by. It is amazing to look back at Emma's newborn pictures and see how little she was. She still is little but she has grown so much in the past 3 months. When we went to the doctor 2 weeks ago, she was weighing in at 12 lbs and was 24 inches long. She was in the 75th percentile for both weight and head circumfirence. But she was off the charts in length!

Emma's personality is definitely developing as well. She really is a mellow baby but when she is mad, man will she let you know it. She is so alert and loves just looking at people and talking to you. We just love making her smile - it really does make all of your troubles melt away. Emma also loves when you sing to her - anything and everything.

When Emma was born it really helped me to understand Christ's love for us - but even now as she continues to get older, I am understanding the depth of Christ's love for us even more. We just love our little girl to pieces and can't wait to see what the Lord has in store for her little life. Enjoy some pictures that we took of her today.

Emma next to her bear. Can you believe her bear used to be bigger than her?

What are you looking at Emma!

Practicing tummy time

Talking to her little lamb

3 Months Old!!!

Fun @ the Halloween Party!

2009-11-07T13:07:00.000-08:00

Mommy - can I try this yummy crunch bar??

Caught red handed!

Grandma's little Tootsie :)

Here are a few cute pictures of Emma from Halloween night. We enjoyed a fun night at the in-laws and their Halloween Party. Everyone was supposed to come dressed as a dead celebrity - so we Lucille Ball, Anna Nicole Smith, Heath Ledger, and the list goes on. Emma just went as her cute little self :)

Where do you use your debit card?

2009-11-06T18:01:00.001-08:00

So Bobby and I just recently went through some not so fun adult experiences. This past Monday morning, I was checking our bank account because I had to pay all of our bills this week. I noticed that our balance was low and thought maybe the church forgot to pay me. As I looked at the transaction details, the 1st three transactions that pop up are ATM withdrawals totaling almost $1500! Withdrawals we definitely did not make.

To make a long story short - somehow Bobby's old debit card was compromised, meaning that they somehow duplicated his card (which he had shredded a couple of weeks back) and got his pin too. So when we filed our 1st claim with the bank - they denied it because whoever used had Bobby's debit card had his pin number and it worked the 1st time. I had to go down to the police station and file a report and then we had to file a 2nd claim because the fraud agent said that it was suspicious activity on our account because we don't take out that kind of money at an ATM.

Luckily, the bank accepted our 2nd claim and we were reimbursed the money. But let me ask you, how many times do you just give your debit card to someone and they walk away with it (at a restaurant) or they turn around and swipe your card. Be extremely cautious where you use your card. This was not fun to go through. And we are so thankful for Bobby's parents who were able to front us the money so that we could pay our mortgage and not overdraft our bank account.

Being an adult is no fun sometimes but it is life and I know that both Bobby and I have learned a HUGE lesson from this! So please learn this lesson from us and be extremey careful where you use your debit cards!

Trunk n' Treat 2009

2009-10-31T11:37:00.000-07:00

Well Trunk n' Treat went off without a hitch last night! Thousands of people flocked to The Grove for candy, bounce houses, and a whole lot of fun! We are completely exhausted today but here are some pictures for you to enjoy of the night.

Our Tootsie Roll!

Having some cuddles with Grandma Hank before Trunk n' Treat started.

Where Emma hung out all night - asleep in my wrap (have I said lately how much I love this thing!). Little does Emma know, she helped find lost children, check on the candy stash, and help out the Trunk n' Treat vendors.

Andy and his cool, glow-in-the dark booger!

Such a cute little penguin enjoying her lollipop

Grandma Kim came down to visit and play!

Nancy & Tim and their "Pirates who don't do anything" trunk!

This was sooo cool! One of the two helicopters that landed!!

Playing with Daddy

2009-10-20T09:03:00.000-07:00

So Bobby took this sweet video of Emma while I was at work yesterday. She is just too cute!

Going to miss this smile all day long....

2009-10-17T11:45:00.000-07:00

So I know the past couple of months have been all about Emma but that is the big thing happening in our lives right now. This coming Monday - I head back to work and I am definitely having mixed emotions about it. On one hand - I am so excited to get back to work because I love love love my job and the people I work with. It will be nice to have some adult interaction and to talk about something beside poopy diapers. But on the other hand I am so going to miss being at home with Emma all day. She just lights up my life and I would give anything in the world to be a stay at home mom. But with the economy, buying a house, and school loans, I have to work so we have a better life. That's what I have to keep telling myself - even though I am away from my beautiful baby girl - I am working to provide a better life for her. So please be in prayer not only for me this coming Monday as I head back to work but also for Bobby as he learns to be with Emma all by himself. If there are any working moms out there reading this - I would love to hear any advice you have. Thanks!!

P.S. Don't you just love the above picture of our little Emma. Her daddy took this the other night and it is our first smile that we have caught on film! She is just precious!

2 Months Old!!

2009-10-15T18:34:00.001-07:00

It is so hard to believe that our little girl is already 2 months old and it is amazing to see how much she has changed already. She is definitely getting better at holding her head up and she loves for us to let her stand on us (while we support her of course). Miss Emma is definitely a social butterfly and loves to sit and talk your ear off. When it is just her and I in the car, she gets mad that she is in the backseat all by herself and can't see me so she can tell me what's on her mind. Instead, she yells at me - it is just too cute!

Emma's motor skills are also improving - she is starting to have more purpose when moving her arms and legs to reach for a toy or for your face. Another big milestone we reached is that she has slept through the night (in her own bassinet) for the past 3 nights - here's hoping that we stay on this track and that it isn't a fluke!! Here are some pictures I took of her on her 2 month birthday!

Here's Emma with her teddy bear - she is now bigger than he is rather vice versa :)

This is her talking to me! She has so much to say at such a young age...should I be worried???

Loving her little feet!

Emma Meets her Great-Great Grandpa

2009-10-10T11:03:00.000-07:00

This past weekend, Bobby and I took Emma to Las Vegas to not only visit with Grandma Kim and Uncle Matt but to also meet her Great-Great Grandpa for the very first time. I was really worried how Emma would do on the trip because her moods can be pretty unpredictable right now. And last week, she would have a melt down every single time I would put her in the car seat. You know how most babies like to fall asleep in their car seat, well not ours, she is a little social butterfly and wants to know everything that is going on. We left Friday morning after her first feeding and she slept until about 2o minutes outside of state line. Every time we would pass a rest stop or a city it - she slept right through them. Once we got to stateline we fed her and changed her and were able to get back on the road to my mom's house.

We had such a great time showing her off to our Vegas friends and just spending some good quality time with my mom and brother. Here are some pics of the weekend:

Chilling with Grandma Kim!

Playing @ Grandma Kim's house.

Meeting my good friend from high school, Katie!

Getting licks from Dodger (who was completely torn with Emma but he did so good and was so gentle with her!)

Meeting Aunt Diane & Uncle AJ!

Sunday morning we got up and went to North Valley Fellowship, which is such an amazing church, and let Emma meet our church friends. Then afterwards we went to lunch with Grandma and Grandpa Leder. Before heading back to Riverside, we drove out to Boulder City to spend time with Grandpa and for him to meet Emma. We were really glad that Grandma and Grandpa Leder were there too because we really wanted to capture this special moment on film with having 5 generations together. Grandpa was completely smitten over meeting his great-great granddaughter for the very first time and it really was an amazing moment. I know Emma won't remember it but we took lots of pictures to share with her. Grandpa had such a huge impact on my upbringing and really influenced the walk I have with Christ and truly demonstrated how a husband is supposed to treat his wife. The only things missing were having Russell and Nanny there (whose 1 year anniversary from her passing is coming up this month).

Meeting her Great-Great Grandpa for the very first time.

5 generations

Loving on Grandma Kate

Grandpa Leder sure has the touch!

On the way home, Emma did great again and slept from Boulder City all the way to Barstow. Woke up to eat in Barstow and then slept the rest of the way to Riverside. We had such an amazing time and we are really hoping that we can make a lot more trips out to Vegas in the near future!!!

All tuckered out from a busy weekend!

Our Little Monkey

2009-09-23T17:49:00.000-07:00

So after Emma's 20 week ultrasound, Bobby's mom, was interpreting the baby's measurements for me and we noticed that Emma's arms were slightly longer than her legs. So just to tease me Bobby and his dad starting saying that our baby was in fact a monkey. At the sound of that, mixed with some pregnancy hormones, I started to cry thinking my baby was going to be freakishly abnormal. Well now that Emma is out of the womb she really does have really long arms - so the nickname has stuck. To prove that Emma really is a little monkey, at my 6 week postpartum check-up we had Emma take a picture with my doctor and she curled her little toes around his finger, just like a little monkey!! :) But you know what this toe power means - she will defintely be able to pinch people with her toes just like her daddy and Grandma Hank!!!

Go Grove Green!

2009-09-21T18:09:00.000-07:00

So this happened a while ago but Bobby's summer softball team brought home the championship in their division. Bobby has been playing softball through the church for the past couple of years and it has been a great way for him to connect with some of the men in our church and to get injured about once a season (love you babe, mean it!). Please notice Bobby's leg oozing with blood in the above picture - let's just say he plays hard and takes one for the team.

We miss you Grandma Kim!

2009-09-18T13:44:00.000-07:00

Here is a little video of Emma especially for her Grandma Kim! We can't wait to see you!!!

1 month old!

2009-09-16T17:52:00.000-07:00

This past Saturday, Emma turned 1 month old! My little girl has gotten so big already. We put her on the kitchen scale a couple of weeks ago and she was up to about 8lbs 10oz! Emma is starting to try and coo and you can tell she really just wants to strike up a conversation with you. She has some nights where she will sleep about 4 hours through the night (mommy is really loving that). We are still loving our little girl and cannot imagine life without her anymore. It is amazing to me how much your priorities change when you have a little one. Here are some pics we took of her on Saturday!

She just loves her daddy!

2009-09-11T10:05:00.000-07:00

Bobby is seriously such an amazing daddy! This is one of my favorite pictures of them together!

Dress from Grandpa & Grandma Leder!

2009-09-05T13:40:00.000-07:00

This picture is especially for Great Grandma and Grandpa Leder who gave our precious little girl this adorable dress. Just wanted to show you guys how cute Emma looks in her little dress - I think it is one of Mommy's favorites :)

Sneak Peek of Emma's 1st Photo Shoot

2009-09-02T10:10:00.001-07:00

On Sunday night our good friend, Kendra, came over to take some pics of Emma and our new little family. Here is a sneak peek she gave us. Can't wait to see the rest!

1st Bath

2009-09-01T16:06:00.000-07:00

Don't worry it hasn't been 3 weeks since we have given Emma a bath. Her umbilical stump finally fell off a week after she was born and I just thought these pictures were just too cute to pass up!

Getting ready....

Definitley not loving it....

All better in daddy's arms!

Welcome Emma Rose!

2009-08-27T18:10:00.000-07:00

So I know this a couple of weeks coming but we welcomed Emma Rose into the world on August, 12, 2009 @ 3:10am. She weighed in at 7lbs 9 oz, and was 19inches long. She has been such a joy in our lives and we have been loving every minute with her!!

For those out there that are interested in our birth story here it is...

We went into our doctor on Monday, August 10th because we were now 2 days late. He told us if we wanted to induce we could. I told him that I was fearful of having an c-section with being induced because I really think that babies won't come until they are ready. For some reason my body was just having a hard time going into active labor. I had been in early labor all weekend but nothing that would warrent going into the hospital - I had pretty much been miserable the whole weekend. When listening to our fears, he also reminded us that if we waited too long then our baby could get to big to come out vaginally. So we decided to induce.

On Tuesday morning, we called Labor and Delivery to see if there was any room for us to come in to be induced at 8am and there was. When we got there, we got all checked in and they wanted to monitor me for a couple of hours to see what my body was doing on my own before they decided the route of induction. At my appointment on Monday I was still 1cm and 50% effaced, when we checked in @ the hospital I was still 1 cm but now I was 80% effaced. So the doctor decided to start me on pitocin. At 10:30, the pitocin was started and now the waiting game began. I was doing pretty good on my own. And sometime after lunch, I started getting contractions one on top of the other - with no resting in between. I told the nurse that I definitely wanted to be in line to get the epideral because I knew that labor would just keep getting more and more intense.

Just hanging out while they are monitoring our labor!

Emma's heart beat and what contractions look like on paper.

Around 3 or 4pm I got my epideral and it was definitley heavenly! The only thing I hated was the feeling of my legs being asleep and not being able to move them at all!! About a half hour after the epideral my blood pressure went dangerously low. That was a really scary moment for us because all of a sudden nurses are coming in and having me turning every which way and putting oxygen on me. The baby's heart rate also increased because of the medicine they were giving me to make my blood pressure go up. Once they got my blood pressure under control, I was on oxygen for the rest of the labor. But boy did our baby hate it when I moved into different positions.

After that scary moment, the nurse came in to check me again, and told me that I was almost a 5 and my water "accidentally" broke (we think she did it on purpose to get labor going). When the doctor came in to check me around 8pm, he said that the day nurse was way too generous and that I was really only 3 cm. That was awful! I thought I had made all this progress, but nothing was really going on. And then to top it off my vein stopped accepting the IV and pitocin so I was not getting any fluids. Again, our baby started showing some signs of distress. At this point I was beginning to get pretty fearful that a c-section was in our future. But through a lot of prayer, and them finally getting my iv in right, everything got back on track.

At about 10pm the night nurse came in and told me that I had progressed to a 6. And I asked her if I was a real 6 or a fake one and she said you are definiltey a conservative 6. So for the next couple of hours we just rested and then at around midnight the hard labor started. I could definitely feel the baby moving down and if felt as though the epideral was not working at all. I could not stop shaking and was in so much pain. Bobby's favorite line during this part of labor is when I looked over at him and said "People actually choose to do this more than once!?!?!" At around 2:30 am the nurse came in to check me and said that I was at a 9 1/2 and that I had just a lip of cervix left. About 5-10 minutes after she checked me, I got that urge to push. So the nurse had me doing a few practice pushes - after I finally got the hang of what I was doing before I knew it the doctor was in and getting dressed.

Bobby coaching me right before we start pushing.

I pushed for about 15-20 minutes and when they layed my sweet baby Emma on my chest - I realized that that was why people actually went through labor more than once. It was amazing to hear her cry and I seriously was in unbelief that I had actually pushed her out! I did have to have an episiotomy and that hurt like crazy when the doctor was stiching me up. At one point - I was saying ow ow ow that hurts. And my doctor asks - are you just feeling pressure? And I said - no it is SHARP!! So I got a nice little shot of lidocain which definitley made it better!

Love this moment! It's a girl!!!

Emma's big debut!

We did it!

I love this picture of Bobby admiring his new baby girl!

Daddy holding his little girl for the 1st time!

Mommy with her little girl!

Our new family!

For the next couple of hours, Bobby, Emma, and I just got to spend time in the labor and delivery room just resting because there were no nurses available in the nursery to look over Emma (there were 22 births on Tuesday!) so we just got to rest and admire our beautiful little girl.

I was moved to my postpartum room at around 6am and definitely felt like I got hit by a bus! But when they brought Emma to me and we just layed there resting and me admiring her - it was like all was right in the world.

The most amazing feeling about being a mom is when Emma just looks up and stares me and I just sit and stare at her amazed that she is my daughter and that the Lord has entrusted me and Bobby with this beautiful gift to raise into a beautiful young woman who fears the Lord and lives to be a blessing to others.

I definitley could not have done this on my own and am so blessed with the support I receive from Bobby. He is totally in his element as a dad and both him and I have found a deeper love and appreciation for each other now that Emma is in our lives. We also have such an amazing support system in our family and friends that we could not have gotten through the first few weeks of Emma's life without their help. So a BIG THANK YOU to all of you who have blessed us tremendously - we love you and thank God each and every day for you!

Michelle & Jonathan Get Hitched

2009-07-20T10:39:00.000-07:00

Michelle is one of my dear co-workers who I seriously love working with! We always have so much fun in the office together and she really has such a powerful testimony. This past Saturday Michelle married one of the nerds, I mean guys, in the tech office. Here are some pics of their beautiful day!

Michelle's son, Ethan, walking her down the aisle. Oh man did the tears start flowing!

Such a beautiful cake made by the lovely Susan Warren.

She definitely shoved it in his face!!

Tori dancing with her new dad!

Mother-Son Dance

Who let Ellen hold the Money Dance Bag?? Lunch anyone??

I seriously love working these ladies!

Baby Shower!

2009-07-15T18:56:00.001-07:00

On June 27th the "grandma's" threw us a baby shower! It was so much fun and we were truly blessed by all of the stuff we got!

Me with my beautiful cake

And now for the belly shot. I was 34 weeks and now I am 36 weeks (almost 37!!)

A beautiful cake made by the ever beautiful Susan Warren!

All the amazing ladies!

Tiffany loved the sniff the diaper game...all I have to say is GROSS!!!!

The BFOTB loved this game too!

Seriously love Alli's face in this picture!

Opening up some gifts!

Just some of the loot we received....

Thank you so much for all of you who came - we are now ready for this baby to come...now we just need to find a place for it....

Our AMAZING STAFF!!!

2009-07-06T10:31:00.000-07:00

Photo is courtesy of Bob Adams

Yee Haw!! We had an amazing week of Summer Splash (aka: VBS). We had 1000ish kids on campus and lots of kids made decisions to follow Jesus!! Fun was had by all!!

Calm Before the Baby (a.k.a. Our Anniversary Getaway)

2009-06-19T18:15:00.000-07:00

Early this past Saturday morning - Bobby and I headed to Vegas for a much needed getaway! Our first stop was to see my great-grandpa. He was looking great but bummed because his electronic wheel chair is not going as fast as it once did (the nurses slowed it down because he bumped into something - even though he denies it). We just love talking with Grandpa and hearing about all of his stories. He is so excited to be a great-great grandpa and we cannot wait to introduce him to Emma or Michael once she/he is born :)

We stayed at my mom's house on Saturday night and hung out with them Sunday. We attended her church, North Valley Fellowship, which is such an awesome church! Then we let them come hang with us at the pool at Red Rock. Matt brought along his best friend Jake - and these boys (mine included) hung out in the pool for 2 1/2 hours!!! While the boys tried killing each other - my mom, the best friend, and I just hung out and talked. It was so relaxing!!

The beautiful pool @ The Red Rock!

What the boys did for seriously 2 1/2 hours!!

Favorite picture of the boys that day!

Once we kicked the family out of the pool - it was time to start our alone time in Vegas. We stayed at the beautiful Red Rock Hotel and Casino. Which was perfect for us - it isn't on the strip but it is a GORGEOUS hotel!!

Bobby relaxing on our comfy bed

You could watch TV in the bathtub!!

The view of the strip from our room. This picture does it no justice!

On Monday - we ate breakfast at the cafe they had in the Red Rock, hung out in the pool some more, and then got a couple's massage and relaxed in the Spa. It was AMAZING!! They had a belly pillow so that I could lay on my tummy, which was weird at first but definitely felt good!

Relaxing in a cabana by the Spa Pool. It was cold in the pool but the best part was that there were no kids :)

After the Spa, we got ready to go to dinner & then to go see The Lion King Broadway Show @ Mandalay Bay. The worst part of our trip was that we planned to go the steak house @ The Red Rock which was compared to Ruth Chris Steak House - which Bobby absolutely loves. So we go down there at 5pm, when our hotel book said they opened, and they didn't open until 5:30pm and the hostess was snooty about it. We were kind of bummed but decided that Claim Jumper would be a nice substitute.

After dinner, we went to The Lion King, which was sooooo good and a show that we both really enjoyed!

Outside the theater waiting to go in.

I am so excited to go see this show.

Bobby is really excited too - he's just acting manly!

Baby's 1st Broadway Show - can't you see how excited he/she is :)

The curtain @ the theater - don't worry they let us take the picture!

Waiting for the show to begin

Bobby and I had such an amazing time together and really enjoyed every last quiet moment because we realize that these will soon be over. And we were even more excited to hear that Grandma Kim will watch our little one so we can have a night alone again. I think we will definitely have to take her up on that :)

And last, but certainly not least - a belly pic for all those belly pic stalkers out there :)
32 weeks, 2 days

31 weeks, 1 day

2009-06-08T18:51:00.001-07:00

So our baby is kicking his/her heels up in utero and having a blast inside me! I am starting to realize I have to be more cognizant of the faces I make when the baby kicks me really hard or makes some funny movements in my tummy. This past weekend, I think I scared one of our kids volunteers to death when I grabbed my stomach and let out an "Oh" as the baby rolled around. She thought I was going into labor! But nope, just having some funny movements going on on the inside. Which serioulsy amazes me every day that there is this beautiful life growing inside me. I can't wait to meet our little one and see what he/she looks like and what their personality is going to be like.

Also, yesterday our little church threw Bobby and I a little baby shower and we got some of the cutest things. The people in our small group are so generous and definitely set us up with a lot of practical things we are going to need for our little one. One lady even made us the cutest baby quilt with turtles - it is adorable! As soon as they send me the pictures, I will definitley have to post some of those.

We also got our crib today! My good friend from work is letting me have hers - so now all we have to do is set it up! Well D-Day is less than 9 weeks away! And it will be here before we know it!!!

Russell Leaves for Japan!

2009-06-05T23:36:00.001-07:00

This past Monday, my little brother left with his ISP team to travel to Japan! I am so excited about the many adventures he is going to embark on and the lives he is going to touch! At the send off I definitely started crying (I'm blaming it on hormones but I think I was having a proud big sister moment!!) Here are some pics of him getting ready to go!

Friends from Vegas (Gary & Ben) who were traveling thru Riverside!

More friends who cam to help send Russell's team off!

Me and my little brother who is taller than me (P.S. I am 30 weeks in this pic! Only 10 to go!)

Russell and his team mate, Kevin, loading the vans to head off to the airport!

And they are off - see you in 3 weeks little bro!!

An Update on us!

2009-05-29T20:06:00.000-07:00

Well sorry for the lack of posts lately but really not a lot has been going on on our end. We are busy trying to get our house ready for baby. Bobby has been working a lot of time on the back yard and trying to get that together. He's run into quite a few problems with tree roots and sprinkler systems but he's making progress.

Other than that we are just enjoying these last couple of months where it is just the two of us. :)

Picture of us camping last year in the Sequoias :)

Makemebabies.com

2009-05-14T15:39:00.000-07:00

So apparently this is waht our baby is going to look like in a few years!! This web-site was way too much fun and you should check it out!!

26 weeks 5 days

2009-05-07T08:33:00.000-07:00

Well our baby is currently starting to do lots of acrobats and I am definitely feeling more and more movement every single day!!

Officially Done with School :)

2009-05-03T23:10:00.000-07:00

Well this past Friday, I graduated with my Master of Arts in Counseling Ministry and it seriously feels so surreal to be done with school. But as I sat there listening to the ceremony (trying to drown out the mayor who was a terrible speaker by the way) I realized that I could not have accomplished this degree without the full support of my family. There were seriously so many nights I had melt downs thinking that this degree was impossible but Bobby was always there to reassure me that I could do it! And then the countless words of wisdom that I received from my mom, Bobby's parents, and Tiffany. I am who I am today first and foremost because of our AMAZING creator and for a family who supports me in everything I do. I love you all and I cannot thank you enough for your prayers, words of wisdom, and constant support. With that said - here are some pics of the evening :)

Getting my hood!

Trinette & Steffanie - the other girls in counseling ministry

Love my hubby - he's awesome!!

My mom and I :)

Me with the best friend!

Me with the family!

With the Peck side - where I am looking pretty dang pregnant by the way! YIKES!

Carol, Kenji, Bobby & I

Grandpa & Grandma Leder came out for the ceremony too!

So did my Uncle, Aunt, and Cousins!

And you have gotta love the Warrens :)

So much to look forward to in the future! I can't wait to see what it brings :)

24 weeks and 4 days

2009-04-24T23:29:00.001-07:00

Here's our ultrasound that we had on Wednesday - the baby is 24 weeks and 4 days in this picture. I love to see how much the baby has developed since our last ultrasound at 19 weeks. In the 19 week ultrasound, there was mainly skeleton - now we are seeing something that looks like a baby!! :)

In this picture, my father-in-law is convinced the baby is a girl. Who else would sneak a hershey bar into the womb?!?!

And so it begins....

2009-04-24T14:54:00.001-07:00

While I was at Target yesterday, I walked past the diaper aisle and figured it was time to start stacking up on what will become a staple in our household. So here it is - the first pack of diapers to enter the Peck household - one of many more to come!

Belly Magnet

2009-04-16T19:14:00.000-07:00

So in this picture I am 23 weeks and 5 days - I cannot believe how close and how FAST August is coming. Our little one will be here before we know it! So lately, I've been getting a lot of belly rubs at church. I guess I've really popped out these days and that it is getting pretty obvious that I am indeed pregnant and not just gaining weight. But seriously, last night at church people see my belly and just need to rub it. It is like a magnet is pulling them towards it. It's fun and so far it has only been people I know - so I really don't mind. It will be interesting to see how I react when a stranger decides to rub my belly - I might just have to rub theirs back!! :)

Oh work....

2009-04-07T16:57:00.000-07:00

So we are still pretty undecided about what to name the baby if we have a boy. So my boss decides to send out this e-mail to our staff in hopes of trying to help us out :)

Hey all,

We are having a contest to name Amanda’s baby. Please submit your boy name and girl name to me. Amanda will be the judge and the judge’s decision is final. Contest ends May 1. Other rules and restrictions apply. Contest not available in Connecticut, Hawaii or Puerto Rico. Grand prize winner gets a week long vacation in the mountains the week of July 19-25. Runner up will receive a bag of Tootsie Rolls. No purchase necessary.

Please play responsibly,

Kerry
Pastor – KIDS Quest
The Grove Community Church

If you too would like to play - just leave your suggestions in the comment box and I'll make sure they are entered :) Oh the fun I have at work!

Taking a look back...

2009-04-03T13:25:00.000-07:00

So this picture above I think was taken in Fall 2005 by Lauren Pollard who did all of our engagement pictures. I can't believe how far we've come since that day. Gotten married, moved 3 times, new jobs, experienced sickness, stress, laughter, we've bought a house, gotten a dog, found out we were pregnant, bought a new car - and those are just some of the big highlights. So much has happened in between too. Thank you Bobby for being my best friend and love of my life. Just imagine what the next 4 years are going to bring - yikes!!!

Our New Car!!!

2009-03-31T07:51:00.001-07:00

So we were blessed this year with a tax return that would allow us to buy a new car for our family. We were looking for a small SUV and something that would work for not only the new baby on the way but that was good quality and last us for a while. Last night, we bought ourselves a 2006 Ford Escape. So far we love it. However, Bobby and I both agree that buying a house is way easier than buying a car. But here are a couple of pictures! :)

Please pray for our dear friend Dave Rooney

2009-03-29T17:01:00.000-07:00

Dave Rooney is a dear family friend to us - he has helped us out in more ways than one. Not only is he a blessing to our family but his entire family is. Last Sunday, Dave was taken by ambulance because his organs started shutting down. Right now he is fighting for his life. Please go to this web site (http://www.getwelldave.com/index.html) and check out the whole story and to stay updated on his status. We love you Dave - we are all praying for you and hoping you will get better soon!

Missing this face...

2009-03-28T20:47:00.000-07:00

So Bobby has been out of town this week working at a fishing show for Turner's in Del Mar. I am soooooo glad he is coming back tomorrow - even though he frequently torments me - I still love him and miss him like crazy!!!

A great (and creative) game for kids to play!

2009-03-25T06:39:00.000-07:00

So I'm not sure if it was myself or Pastor Kerry (I'm blaming Kerry!) who came up with this game but it basically goes like this. Give each child a styrofoam cup and a pair of children's scissors. Then instruct the kids that with using the cup and the scissors they are to cut the grass and fill up their cup. We didn't let the kids pick up grass with their hands. And make sure you play on especially windy days so the kids have no chance of getting a piece of grass into their styrofoam cup!!! Whoever fills their cup up first - wins!

So yesterday, at KOAM (Kids on a mission), this is the game we played with our 5th and 6th graders - don't worry we told them not to run with the scissors...safety is always first!! :) And we thought that they would rebel in less than in a minute. But not our kids, they layed on the lawn in the play yard and meticulously cut grass and put it in their cup.

And Kerry and I are sitting there laughing so hard (I almost peed my pants!) because we can't believe that the kids would actually "play" our game!

I love our kids at the Grove, especially our KOAM group. Thanks guys for being good sports and giving Pastor Kerry and I the best entertainment we've had in a long time. Next week we promise to play the best game ever!!!!

Twilight DVD Out Today!!!

2009-03-21T20:28:00.000-07:00

So this morning I made my bi-weekly venture out to Target. I had some other things I had to buy and secretly in the back of my mind I was hoping that they would have the Twilight DVD on the shelf. As I walked into Target this morning, there were tons of people with Twilight in their basket and it was pretty amusing. To me what started out as research for parents became a sad, sad obsession. :) Oh well - let's see if I can convince Bobby to watch it tonight!!!

P.S. We have reached the halfway mark of this pregnancy! 20 weeks today and the baby is supposedly the size of a small cantelope...YIKES!!

19 week ultrasound

2009-03-19T09:02:00.000-07:00

So yesterday Bobby and I went to see the ultrasound tech to get a fetal anatomy scan (level 2 ultrasound). At this ultrasound they measure all of the baby's body parts and organs to make sure everything is developing correctly. The baby is looking great and is developing well. We were both suprised to find out that we get to come back in 6 weeks for another ultrasound to check that the baby is still developing on schedule. At first this comment made me worry a little bit but thank goodness I have a mother-in-law who can figure out the ultrasound measurements they gave me for my doctor and the baby is right on target.

Although, it was tempting to find out the sex - knowing that it was right there - we held out! But the good news is that the baby is developing well and is weighing in at a whole 11oz!!! Here's a pic from the day :)

19 weeks, 4 days - On the right, you can see the head facing towards us (you can see the eyes pretty distinctly) and on the left the feet are all curled up over his/her body!

18 Weeks Today

2009-03-07T19:53:00.000-08:00

Today I am 18 weeks along and I am feeling pretty good! I'm starting to feel some movement but it is only when I am resting and paying attention. Can't believe we are almost to the halfway mark....

Here is the 18 week baby bump :)

According to babycenter.com - our baby is the size of a bell pepper this week!!

In Loving Memory of Kyle Rae Sweet

2009-03-06T15:30:00.000-08:00

Please be in prayer for the Sweet family this week. Beloved wife, mother, and a beautiful woman of God passed away on March 5, 2009 losing her battle to stage 4 ovarian cancer. She was diagnosed with stage 4 ovarian cancer in February 2007 and never once complained but was always a light for God and bringing glory back to him.
Although, I haven't seen her in years, I got to spend a couple of summers with this family and she was truly an amazing woman and will be missed. Please pray for the family as they make arrangements this week.

Oh Hormones!!!

2009-02-27T12:17:00.000-08:00

So I have never really been much of an animal person. I always tolerated dogs and cats but never really understood the attachment people got to their pets. When I married Bobby, I knew once we got a house that we would eventually get a dog. Once we got Cassie he kept telling me, just wait we're gonna turn you in to a dog person before you know it. Well Tuesday night, I was helping comfort Cassie as Bobby was administering her ear medicine. And when she started wimpering the tears started flowing.

Then on Wednesday at work I started talking about Cassie and just started crying. I'd like to blame it all on hormones but I have to admit that I am starting to love our little pooch! And with a face like that who wouldn't???

Baby Appointment Update

2009-02-26T15:14:00.000-08:00

Yesterday, we had our monthly baby doctor appointment and everything went great. We weren't able to see my doctor because he was out of town but we did see the other doctor in the office who would deliver our baby if my doctor is unavailalbe and we absolutely loved her. We think we like her better than our actual doctor!!! She took more time with us and really let us listen to the heartbeat and took the time to answer all our questions. We just love hearing the swoosh swoosh of the baby's heartbeat and knowing that everything is going great!
We have another ultrasound in 3 weeks - we could find out the sex of the baby if we wanted but we are going to wait until our little one is born!
As for me - I'm feeling much better this week than last week with that sinus infection. My energy is starting to return but my lower back has been killing me, especially when I am on my feet for a long time. But other than that both baby and mommy are healthy and doing well!!

Feeling a little foggy

2009-02-20T12:04:00.000-08:00

So this past week Bobby is getting ready for his Wallbanger tournament that he is hosting and I have been as sick as a dog (and Cassie is sick too). On Monday afternoon I got this awful sinus headache that would not be relieved with anything that carried on through Tuesday and Wednesday too. After calling the doctor's office on Tuesday, they were saying there was nothing I could take besides Tylenol, benadryl, and the use of a humidifier. Well Wednesday morning I woke up in tears because this headache had gotten worse and would not go away. I called the doctor again, explaining that it had gotten much worse and they decided I had a sinus infection and prescribed some antibiotics. Today I am still feeling yucky and achy but not as bad as I did earlier this week.

Also, on Wednesday Bobby took Cassie to the vet to find out that she has an ear infection and has probably had it since before we had her - poor thing. So both of have been hanging around the house napping and keeping each other company.

As for Bobby he has been so busy getting ready for this tournament that is coming up on Saturday. I think he has 40 teams signed up and Bobby is pumped!

Motherhood Fears

2009-01-31T20:29:00.001-08:00

Ever since I could remember, I've wanted to have children. I love being around children! They truly brighten my day and put a smile on my face. I love holding newborns who are fresh and new. So when Bobby and I decided to start our family - I was estatic and he was too. But now that this baby is getting bigger and this pregnancy is sinking in - my brain is starting to panic. Am I ready to be a mom? I mean seriously, will I be able to handle the sleepless nights and the care for a child 24 hours a day, 7 days a week? I know that God will be by my side the whole way but there are still those doubts in my head.
This weekend I watched my 3 year old nephew and my 1 year old niece - whom I love to pieces! And my niece was just having a really bad day but I couldn't do anything right in her eyes. She just kept crying and crying and nothing I did consoled her. I know that our child will have those moments but will I be able to figure out what to do? Don't get me wrong I am so excited for this baby to come into Bobby and my's life but I'm just a little scared. As we are getting hand-me-down newborn clothes I can't imagine caring for a newborn and not being able to hand it back to it's mother when it starts fussing.
For those mom's out there -did anyone else feel like this or I am seriously crazy and hormonal?!?! Any tips you have would be great!!

He's growing up way too fast!

2009-01-23T18:56:00.000-08:00

So I'm sure he'll kill me for putting this up here because it probably reduces his cool factors but this just has to be said! My brother Matt and I are 10 years apart, so I got to help raise him and over the years we have become pretty close. I remember when he graduated from kindergarten - I cried! How pathetic is that! Taking care of Matt probably really helped to prepare me for when I enter the world of motherhood in 6 1/2 months. But it is so awesome to see how he is growing up to be a young man! I wish he lived closer than 4 hours but I absolutely love the time I get to spend with him when he comes and visits. I love watching him and Bobby beat each other up and play Gears of Warhead and Guitar Hero to all hours of the night. And I seriously can't believe he is turning 14 in May, has already had girl friends (which is so unfair by the way!) and starting high school this fall!!! I love you Matt and it is so exciting to see you grow into the man that God wants you to be!

Matt & I @ Disneyland this past New Years :)

Our 1st Baby Picture

2009-01-03T21:44:00.001-08:00

Here is our first picture of our baby! We love this fuzzy little blob already :)

Happy Birthday Dana Grace!

2009-01-03T10:25:00.000-08:00

Last year on January 2nd around 11pm our niece Dana Grace was born into the world. She was a petite little thing when she was born and she is still petite today. This past weekend we celebrated her 1st birthday and all of us cannot believe that this little angel is 1!!

Dana's personal birthday cake! So Cute

Checking out the new toys!

Loving her quilt that Grandma Hank made her!

Playing with the tea pot set from her Aunt Amanda & Uncle Bobby.

Dana with her mom, Katie, and the beautiful (and adorable, like always) cake she made

We're....

2008-12-26T15:24:00.001-08:00

That's right! Bobby & I have a sweet little bundle of joy headed our way August 2009. We are both estatic and can't believe that we are going to be parents in about 7 months! We're also excited to share our journey with you along the way :)

Cassie - our new friend!!

2008-12-21T19:17:00.000-08:00

Please meet the newest addition to our family - Cassie! Cassie is an 8 month old lab that was rescued by a lady that my mother-in-law (Nancy) met at work. This lady didn't have any more room for another dog (she has 5) and plus, she was locked up in her kennel all day. Nancy knew we were looking for a dog of our own - so she asked if she could bring Cassie home for a trial run. Cassie has the sweetest demeanor and is already potty trained and has all her shots - plus, she was free!! So far we love her death and it is fun having her around the house - unless, we forget to put her out and then she happens to poop but we're working on that! She is also great around kids - another HUGE plus! So our big yard is finally getting put to use with a dog that needed room to run!!

A Nice Evening @ Home...But wait....

2008-12-19T09:59:00.000-08:00

So Bobby's parents came over last night to help decorate our Christmas tree. We are so late getting up this year because we have just been so overwhelmed with many new life adjustments. So after we got our tree up, we sat around with Bobby's parents and talked for a while until they left to go grab a bite to eat. Afterwards, Bobby lit a fire in our fireplace and we were snuggled up on the couch just watching a movie. Not even 2 minutes in to enjoying our movie and our fire alarm starts blaring. So I run over and start fanning the fire alarm with my hands while Bobby opens all the windows and turns the lights back on. Come to find out all of the smoke from our fire place is not going up the chimney but into our living room! So the lesson learned kids - make sure your fireplace flu is open before lighting a fire. Second lesson learned - marriage is not as romantic as the movies make it to be but definitely twice the adventure and fun!!

Please pray for the Lamberths

2008-12-14T16:32:00.001-08:00

http://prayforthelamberths.wordpress.com/

Getting Settled

2008-12-11T19:21:00.001-08:00

So Bobby and I are in the process of getting settled in our new house. We picked-up some furniture from my great-grandparents house this past weekend so we are still trying to get the new stuff in and the old stuff out. In the meantime, I have been doing my best to finish up this semester at school (half a paper to go - and I'm done for the holidays), both of us coming down with a cold, and having a leaky sink (bummer). So I hope to post more pictures soon....
Until then -

A True Blessing...

2008-12-01T18:47:00.000-08:00

Anyone who knows me, knows that I ABSOLUTELY hate moving - with a passion. I think I have such a diversion from it is that because the last time we moved, the stress of moving caused me to get really sick. The week leading up to the move, I was super nervous that we wouldn't get everything done and I kept praying to the Lord to give me peace and diligence to pack. I had a few weak moments but I knew that God would provide.

At 10am on Saturday morning, about 20 people showed up from my little church to help us with the big move. These amazing and hard working people had everything out of our apartment in 50 minutes!!!! It was amazing to see how fast they cleared everything. Once we got to the house, I seriously stood at the door and directed traffic - the crew had everything unloaded in about 30 minutes. By the time everyone was done, my house was almost completely unpacked! It was the biggest blessing I may have ever received in my entire life!! I couldn't believe it! God has blessed us with an amazing Little Church family who we don't know if we could live without. These people love God with all their heart and live each day to serve others.

Later that day, more friends and family stopped by to help us get situated. God has truly blessed us with amazing family and friends who care about our marriage and our lives! I want to give a big shout out to Nancy (my mother-in-law) - who helped me clean the new house, pack the kitchen, cooked lunch for the movers, and is still helping me unpack. I also want to give a shout out to my mom who drove 4 hours to be here for the move and to help us unpack and who bought us a new washer and dryer!

Thank you God for providing!

We're...

2008-11-21T17:04:00.001-08:00

OFFICIAL HOMEOWNERS!!!!

Our house closed this afternoon and we are estatic!!! Just wanted to let everyone know :)

Amazing Simple Home Remedies

2008-11-19T16:11:00.000-08:00

I received this at work and it made me giggle...

1. IF YOU'RE CHOKING ON AN ICE CUBE, SIMPLY POUR A CUP OF BOILING WATER DOWN YOUR THROAT. PRESTO! THE BLOCKAGE WILL INSTANTLY REMOVE ITSELF.
2. AVOID CUTTING YOURSELF WHEN SLICING VEGETABLES BY GETTING SOMEONE ELSE TO HOLD THE VEGETABLES WHILE YOU CHOP.
3. AVOID ARGUMENTS WITH THE FEMALES ABOUT LIFTING THE TOILET SEAT BY USING THE SINK.
4. FOR HIGH BLOOD PRESSURE SUFFERERS ~ SIMPLY CUT YOURSELF AND BLEED FOR A FEW MINUTES, THUS REDUCING THE PRESSURE ON YOUR VEINS. REMEMBER TO USE A TIMER.
5. A MOUSE TRAP PLACED ON TOP OF YOUR ALARM CLOCK WILL PREVENT YOU FROM ROLLING OVER AND GOING BACK TO SLEEP AFTER YOU HIT THE SNOOZE BUTTON.
6. IF YOU HAVE A BAD COUGH, TAKE A LARGE DOSE OF LAXATIVES. THEN YOU'LL BE AFRAID TO COUGH.
7. YOU ONLY NEED TWO TOOLS IN LIFE - WD-40 AND DUCT TAPE. IF IT DOESN'T MOVE AND SHOULD, USE THE WD-40. IF IT SHOULDN'T MOVE AND DOES, USE THE DUCT TAPE.
8. REMEMBER - EVERYONE SEEMS NORMAL UNTIL YOU GET TO KNOW THEM.
9. IF YOU CAN'T FIX IT WITH A HAMMER, YOU'VE GOT AN ELECTRICAL PROBLEM.

DAILY THOUGHT: SOME PEOPLE ARE LIKE SLINKIES - NOT REALLY GOOD FOR ANYTHING BUT THEY BRING A SMILE TO YOUR FACE WHEN PUSHED DOWN THE STAIRS.