Baby Dos

This past week was a busy one. I was supposed to have my Police Academy class on Tuesday night, but we got pounded with another foot of snow so they cancelled class. Unbelievable! But it gave me one more night home with my family so no complaints from me. It took me an hour and 45 minutes to drive home that night - with most of that time spent just trying to get out of the Level 3 parking lot! I guess I wasn't alone in my unprepared state for yet another winter storm. I am so glad that the snow they were predicting for Friday missed us!

I was so excited for my ultrasound scheduled for Wednesday morning, but I arrived at the doctor's office to find out it had been cancelled. Bummer...for several reasons. Oh well, I just had to be patient and rescheduled my appointment for Friday afternoon. I guess I would rather leave work early on a Friday than go in late on a Wednesday after all.

Casey and I met at the doctor's office Friday to finally get a peek of our little one. It was so exciting! The sonographer was able to get the photos she needed - thankfully he or she decided to flip at the last minute so she could see the face, although I would never complain about getting to come back again for another ultrasound. It is having to reschedule the 15-minute check-ups that are annoying.

The first photo I love, the second is a little too skeletal and creepy for me but I still think it is cute how the hands are pulled up to the face. She said everything looks good and the baby is measuring within a day. Whew! The baby was very active and it was cool to be able to feel the kicks and see them on the screen at the same time. It is hard to believe I am already halfway through this pregnancy. Where has the time gone? It is going to be August before we know it.

I've been having spring fever lately and thankfully warmer weather is headed our way this week. It is supposed to be 75 on Tuesday!! This has been the longest winter ever and I am ready for a change of scenery. Not only with the weather, but my looks as well. I had to take the leap and get my haircut after my ultrasound on Friday. I tried out the Aveda salon in downtown Longmont. I love their products so I figured I should get my haircut there as well. I think I have a new favorite hair stylist...

Before

After

I love the new cut - I was ready for something different and it was taking me too long to get ready in the morning. I know it sounds ridiculous, but spending more than 15 minutes on my hair each AM is just too much! Plus, it gave me an excuse to buy new product too:)

Ian is settling in nicely to the "tremendous two's" - I prefer the word tremendous over terrible. Don't get me wrong - some days are terrible and seem like they may never end, but I can't look at them all that way. Some are tremendously awesome and others are tremendously difficult. I guess it all depends on how you want to view the situation. He is doing great though! He is so independent and isn't afraid to tell you what he is thinking. He does a great job saying thank you (we are working on the please) and loves to help around the house. He is mildly obsessed with the vacuum and the garage these days - which can lead to full on tantrums when we are trying to get out the door in the mornings. But we are thankful he wants to help out so much because we are definitely going to need this little helper in a few months! He also loves Jello (as you can see below) and pancakes - I think he would lose his mind if he were to eat them together!

Here he is trying to pick up chicks in Target with his beer goggles:)

On a different note, the Simply Bulk Market has arrived in Longmont and I couldn't be more excited! I have walked past these windows for months anticipating the day I could get inside and check it out. It is absolutely wonderful and something the residents of Longmont should take advantage of. They have a wonderful selection of items - it is snack heaven for me! They also have several options for natural household cleaners, detergents, treats for your pet, etc. If you live in Longmont (or nearby) you should definitely check them out...you will not be disappointed!

Happy Spring!

Alas, spring is here! We couldn't have started off the spring season without one last reminder that winter wasn't over yet. Last Thursday, we received about 5-7 inches of snow. It was pretty, but made for an annoying commute on Friday morning. The good thing about snow storms this time of year is that it all melts away quickly. By Saturday there was little trace of the storm that blew through.

We started off the weekend with music class. Miss Kelly is back and we couldn't be happier - the class was packed! It was wonderful, complete with bubbles and stamps. Ian's favorite!

After class we met Maggie at our house and headed to Ft. Collins to watch Casey compete in the NACUFS Culinary Challenge. He represnted the University of Colorado - Boulder at the 2010 Continental & Pacific Region Conference and Culinary Challenge. He has been preparing for months and it was finally time to show off his skills!

This conference is held all over the region each year, so we were fortunate that this year it was so close to home. Each year they have a main ingredient that is to be showcased and this year it was Portobello Mushroom, all the competitors are aware of the ingredient ahead of time. Back in January, Casey had to compete against 2 of his peers to gain the spot at the competition. His winning recipe was Portobello Wrapped Pork Tenderloin with Vegetables sweetened three ways. Not only are you judged on your food, but also your overall skills in the preparation of the dish. There were 12 competitors this year - he was joined by chefs from CSU, Oregon State University, Stanford, South Dakota University, San Diego State and University of California - Berkeley...just to name a few. The event was held on the CSU campus in the Ram's Horn facility. It was so fun to watch him in action (way more fun than watching me coordinate benefits, trust me)! We enjoyed cheering him on and were nervously awaiting the announcement, which didn't come until late Saturday evening.

Casey came in second place! He scored a silver medal and a gift card. Not bad for his first competition. The winner hailed from CSU, so it was kind of cool that he could win on his home turf and it was the university's first win. I am sure this will be the first of many competitions for Casey. All of his hard work paid off and we couldn't be more proud of him!

Maggie did an awesome job being my photog at the event, as well as, helping me rangle in a 2 year old on the loose! Thanks, Maggie. Below is a slideshow of the event. Enjoy!

Casey celebrated his 36th birthday on March 4th. We were pleased to have his parents visiting us that week too! We did some celebrating, but mostly hung out around the house. I was feeling a bit under the weather so I wasn't the best known hostess. We had some good weather so it helped that we could get outside a bit. Ian stayed home from daycare on Friday to hang with Daddy, Grandma and Grandpa. They had a lot of fun! Ian was determined to take Daddy's motorcycle for a spin - all he needs is a helmet that fits!

Saturday morning we took Grandma to music class with us. While there, the boys were preparing for their kegerator project. I bought Casey a keg conversion kit for Christmas, but we hadn't scored a used fridge yet. He got some spending cash for his birthday and it was a done deal. Doug helped him craft this beauty and now he can enjoy tap beer whenever his heart desires! I will too...just give me a few months.

Sunday we decided to take our first trip to the zoo. We were hoping for nice weather like Saturday, but we weren't so lucky. The morning started off pretty cold actually, but by early afternoon the sun was out. Thankfully! Ian's buddy Ella was also at the zoo with her Mommy. They enjoyed hanging out together. Unfortunately, we weren't able to see the whole zoo because nap time was rapidly approaching and we had to factor in the 45 minute car ride home too. It all worked out and everyone enjoyed their time.

Grandma, Grandpa and Daddy took Ian on a train ride around the zoo. Short and sweet, but I think everyone enjoyed themselves. I stayed back to guard all our stuff because I knew I would be able to take Ian again in the future.

After the train ride it was time for lunch. We hit up the snack area to fill up our tummies. Ian is chillin' in his new shades from Uncle Jon.

Grandma and Grandpa had to head back to WI last Monday. It was a nice visit and we hope it won't be too long before we see them again. Ian spent a couple of days looking for them around the house before he realized they were really gone. Cute and sad at the same time.

This past weekend was pretty chill. We had to take advantage of the nice weather on Saturday, so after music class Ian and I came home to help Daddy with yardwork. Our backyard has been severely neglected since we bought our house. We raked the entire backyard, but are still left wondering what to do next. Atleast Step 1 is done. We were all wiped out after raking, so we took naps. I was still sleeping when Ian woke up from his nap so I let him hang out for a few minutes while I woke up. I heard him giggling and havin' a ball - I had to check it out. This is what I found when I went into his room!

He had Luv Monkey propped up next to him and they were just hanging out, having a grand time. It was so adorable!