Ava's Birthday

On Father's Day, we went to Jen and David's house for Ava's 2nd birthday....some fun pics! Samuel is getting SO BIG! He is only 4 months old and he is already practically Claire's size!!

Princess for the day

Classic Ava smile

Samuel--gonna be a hottie!

Claire and Samuel--they're practically the same size!!

Ok, very cute smile here...had to post :)

This is Grandpa Taylor's favorite--the "fly away" picture :) To me, she kinda resembles a hummingbird, you?

Walking is one of her favorite pastimes...ok with these pants on, and the way she is shown here, she kinda looks like she's in the military, ha!

Look Alike

Ok, I think Claire might be a good mix, judging by these baby pictures...

The "Janessa" Smile

The "Janessa Grin"

The "Jordan Grin"

The Jordan "wide-eyed" look:

The Jordan "excited" look: (mouth makes the same shape...crazy)

Time for Solids

Claire is now eating solids. Check this out:

She likes the typical foods babies like: sweet potatoes, bananas, pears, peaches, etc.... rice cereal, oatmeal (with the fruits in it). We did try to feed her GREEN BEANS the other day. I wish I had her FACE on camera!! Her eyes became really wide and she had a look of TERROR on her face, like "Mom...what are you trying to DO...KILL ME???" Seriously, it was like I gave her arsenic or something. We'll have to work on those green beans. Maybe mix them with carrots... Any advice is definitely appreciated! What's really crazy though is that she likes.......drum roll..... PRUNES. Yes. My child. It was so funny! She couldn't get enough of them! That was good bc she was constipated and needed them. They came in looking like chocolate cake batter (yeah, that's what they look like...NOT what they taste like!) and went out looking the same, actually, in her diaper the next day! Definitely digestable but totally GUH-ROSS!!

She still needs to open her mouth wider, so we're working on that. Still likes to suck on the spoon, ha ha... Since this video she has gotten a lot better and we have switched to the plastic bibs--omigosh, SO much better--the kind with the little pocket that catches stuff! I have also started MAKING baby food!! I know, I'm seriously a domestic goddess. I just use the wand and puree carrots, green beans (the poisonous stuff she CAN get enough of), sweet potatoes, peaches, pears, and frozen peas (yeah, in baby food they use the canned variety--GROSS).

Flower Child Outfit

So, since Claire is so tall, her pants often fit width-wise, but not length-wise... so I was at "Material Girls," this amazing not-your-grandma's-quilt store in South Jordan, and got the idea from a pattern I saw, to do this:

Not that I needed a pattern :) And I'm not even good at sewing (in fact, don't look too closely, or you'll see my mistakes!)... Anyway, the lady at the store gave me the idea to raw stitch one of the flowers onto a onesie to match, and it turned out SO CUTE!!! I can't wait for Claire to wear this...then in 20 years be like "Mom, WHAT were you THINKING when you dressed me in THAT?????" Yeah, likely to go out of style before other outfits, (wait, may not even be in style NOW) but I don't care :) haha!! I love it!

My next project will be an actual quilt! Stay tuned :)

NOT Loves.

Followup to this post. Might enjoy doing this one even more...

-Having no money at the mall (thus, don't go there...)
-Not being able to eat chocolate for every meal
-Liberals (incl. Obama, Pelosi, Reid, Gore, Stupid Press Secretary-whatever his name is?, Michael Moore...and all the Hollywood idiots who think these guys are going to better our country after it's totally bankrupt (wait, it already is), as they throw money at this stupid global warming bunch of bull, making Al Gore even richer, Obama look like the "chosen one," all while turing our country into the new-and-NOT-improved Soviet Union) Ok...I'll stop this rant now....
-The salad dressing bottles that don't have the funnel thing, and you end up having salad dressing soup for dinner
-Shaving my legs
-Orange and brown and yellow and green together as decorating colors (throw up.)
-Paying full price for a movie that TOTALLY stinks in the theater (ie: Meet Joe Black, Big Fish and plenty of others)
-Regrowth

-Realizing the economy isn't getting any better
-My HOA
-Little boys who pee on my house.
-When I lie to Jordan about how much I spent at the store (Lowe's at least!!) on flowers/plants for the yard by telling him $10 less (because I felt guilty I'd spent double what we'd agreed upon)....and he calls me and says "Honey, your lying doesn't work when you leave the RECEIPT in the car!!!" AH!
-Cellulite, flab, fat
-And, to top it off....dieting.
-My messy living room
-Scrambled eggs sans cheese...gross.
-Claire crying in the backseat because she's tired of being in the car and not being able to calm her down
-Bland food that really needs SALT
-Forgetting to take the garbage out to the curb until I hear the truck the morning OF and run out in a bath robe (technically it's my loving husband's job...but he forgets at times)
-Doing my hair
-Adam Lambert (very talented but grosses me out)
-Facing the facts
-That some of my closest friends have a hard time getting pregnant
-Taking my face off, brushing teeth, flossing, etc. before going to bed--I wish I could just snap my fingers and have it all happen
-Asking the shoe salesman for a size 10. And I'm not even that tall.
-That I can't dance
-Recently not having cable, and therefore no O'Reilly Factor :(
-Bad pictures of me
-That I can't sight-read (piano music) worth a DARN.
-That I can't redecorate my house every 3 months
-Singing alto.
-Getting that heavy carseat in and out of the car a million times a day
-Not fitting into certain jeans in my closet
-Zits
-Stretch marks
-Criticism
-Checking my voicemail
-Eating pumpkin pie without whipped cream all over it

I'm a Little Teacup!

So I brought Claire to the office on Friday...she was really tired becuase before I got there, I went to lunch with some coworkers for Wendy Thomas' baby shower--and we were out in the sun. Nothing drains a baby like SUN! SO, in hindsight, thinking I'd go into the office, send a few emails, and pass her around with no problems was wishful thinking... we were out of there pretty quick and she fell asleep right when I got home....

But before this, the HR ladies and my boss, Sydney, wanted to conduct a little "photo shoot" with Claire in a teacup planter one of them had just gotten...they even put up a background! (she was wearing purple and white and the teacup and background were red...so I B&W'd them because it looked... well not very matchy...)

"Mom, I'm about to tip over..."

"Ok here's a smile for you...just one"

"Ok you've had your fun, I'm DONE!" (and tired...)

Brazilian Party!!

Rachel (the "baba") & Claire & Me...

On June 12, my parents had a Brazilian party at their house. It was SO FUN! Our dear friends from Recife, Brazil, Ana Marcia and Cleto Oliveira were in town on their way to serving as Mission Presidents of a mission in the central part of Brazil--I don't even remember the name of it, but it's near the capitol of Brasilia :)

I went with one of my best buds, Rachel, as her husband is in Iraq and mine was at work :) It was really funny though because when we came in, she was holding Claire...and anyone who would take Claire for a few minutes would always give her back to Rachel...so Rachel figured they thought she was the NANNY! :) (Which in Portuguese is: "baba"-accent on the last syllable)

Kika, her cute baby, Olivia, me, and Ana Marcia

We had so much fun reconnecting with the Oliveiras, and with the Jacksons, Carol Thomas, Elder & Sister Hillam, and the Jacox's we knew in Sao Paulo. And then one of our missionaries, JB Richards, in Recife, with his wife, and of course, Kika and Trevor - Kika, we knew from Recife, but she now is married and lives here and is one of my best friends in the world :)

My mom made "Feijoada," the typical black beans and rice dish, and we had mousse de maracuja (passion fruit mousse), pao de queijo (cheese rolls), and of course, Guarana to drink! It was heavenly!! Oh, and Kika made the best pudim (Brazilian pudding/flan type thing)...yummm...if you don't like the texture of flan, you'll like this kind! (in fact, Kiquinha, will you post the recipe on your blog??)

It was so fun!!! I told my parents to do it again...actually, make it an annual thing!! I'll be sure to bug them about setting a date next year!

Fired from Ebay.

Anyone who knows us fairly well knows that my husband has PLENTY of things going on....all the time. There are always projects (things to build, things to fix, things to do for others that usually include building or fixing) and things to sell on EBAY at our house. Jordan has a hard time getting to them all. SO, lately, I have tried to lend a "helping hand." Little did I know it would be a "hindering hand."

So, Jordan bought a large hard drive for a killer deal ($50) at his new favorite store, Fry's Electronics, in Vegas, and sold it on Ebay for $99. He asked me to ship it. I thought I was doing him a FAVOR when I wrapped it in white envelopes and USPS packing tape at the post office prior to sending. The post office worker said they didn't have brown paper to wrap it in and suggested this amazing alternative! Unfortunately, I told Jordan how I wrapped it, and well, he wasn't happy (he has 100% positive feedback, and a little "stunt like that" could possibly lower it!)...BUT at least I shipped it to the right person and address......

NOT so with the next Ebay sales.

Jordan sold a pair of Diesel shoes he had laying around since his modeling days where he'd get free stuff. Then he had a pair of traditional oxford Bostonians he wanted to get rid of. Both sold, both I was supposed to ship. I did. Just, well, to the wrong places.

Diesel guy send him a nastygram about how he got these UGLY Bostonians instead of those trendy Diesels. Jordan called down from the stairs when he read it: "JANESSA!" I knew I was in trouble right then and there (click here if you're wondering how I knew)

Later I told him I was sorry and that now I know that I have to ship things to the right people and that presentation was very important.... I would do better. He simply replied, "No, you're done." "You're fired." "I can't risk it."

Fired. By my own husband. Pathetic. He still loves me though...in a very non-business sort of way.

Loves.

*My child
*My husband
Rainy days
Brownies with ice cream on top
Texting (GREATEST invention ever, besides the BLOG)
So You Think You Can Dance
Talking to Becca a hundred times a day
Buying the same clothes as Natalie on a regular basis
Turquoise jewelry
Sydney & Gavin-isms
Rummikub
Christmas Eve
Digital Cameras
The O'Reilly Factor
Mosiah 2:41
Whipped cream
Claire's pink toenails

The Ensign's Latter-Day Saint Voices section
Kid-to-Kid
Finding answers to all of my random "wonderings" on the Internet
Roller coasters
A clean kitchen
Sleeping in
MAC Makeup
America First CU's online bill pay
Baby Mama
Costco...everything
Diet Pepsi (caffeine-free, mom :)) & Black Cherry Fresca
Being a "Mommy"...even at 3am
Prayer
Singing with my sisters
My mattress
My husband in the act of cleaning... :)
Bachelor/Bachelorette night with the girls
People that laugh at my jokes
This face:

"Extracting" a blackhead (I know, I'm gross)
Kneader's french toast breakfast
Gospel Doctrine Class on Sundays
New jeans
Celine Dion
Air conditioning
My friend, Rachel for keeping my company while Jordan works nights
Beach in Mexico
In the Toilet: American Idol Fashion blog postings
My Homedics alarm clock that projects the time on the ceiling!!

Thanks Juliann for the idea for this post :)

Edited by Jordan @ 8:30am 06.22.2009 *Just had to put the two most important at the top. :-P

LOVE This.

I'm already obsessed with Taylor Swift's "Love Story" song...but THEN I saw THIS on my friend Amberly's Hair Salon Blog...Ahhhh... TRUE LOVE now, seriously.

Yard Sale-ing

Today was a blast. We had a multi-family yard sale in my community and seriously, we all got RICH!!!! I can totally buy a mansion, pay off my debts, and take a cruise to Europe with my earnings...all in the economic downturn too!

Ok fine "I wish," but we actually didn't do too badly! I was able to sell all of the "high-ticket" items, like two train sets for $70 (!) and a bike and our old coal BBQ grill. Overall, I made like $130-ish. It was fun. We should have a community yard sale every year!

But we MUST ban crazy thieves. So, Rachel Den Beste and I yard-sale'd together, and she had a SUPER UGLY RUG (who KNOWS where she got that beast!) that she was selling: $2. Well, this lady picked it up, put it under her arm and started walking off!! I nicely went over and said, "Oh were you interested in the rug?" And she said yes and paid up. So, I wasn't sure she was a thief just yet....

BUT THEN, I talked to my neighbor Brad, and apparently, he "caught a shoplifter" taking one of his wife's expensive purses from the for-sale items! I asked if it was a hispanic lady, and he said, "yes" and went on to tell me that she picked up the purse, put it in a RUG that was under her arm, and then high-tailed it to her car!! He followed her and she ended up buying the purse! But I can't believe the NERVE! Crazy people out there.

Anyway, I got super fried, and Claire got some sun too--ALTHOUGH, I put SPF 50 on her! We were just out in the sun a long time, from 9-12 (yes, I was late to my own yard sale...but Jordan was late getting home that morning and I needed his help!)

And yes, we had Wendy's.

The Stand-Up

Ok, so here's a fun thing that Jordan likes to do with Claire (and now I do with her too). He gets her to sit and then stand (with help for balance) and she's pretty good at it!

It's so cute because once you say 1......2.........3........she KNOWS what's coming and already starts flexing her stomach muscles to sit up and then stand up. So, in this video, that is not very apparent...she was kinda slacking, but she makes up for that in the fact that she's being SO silly and "talkative."

These are just the best and most fun moments we have with Claire so far!

Couldn't resist...

My honey and my baby. This is when I'm getting ready for work in the morning, and Jordan is still not wanting to wake up (on his day off) and Claire is already awake....

Fun Times at the Pool

It was almost Claire's FIRST time at the pool this past Saturday! She loved it! We were there for about 1.5 hrs. and that was plenty for her--in fact, she slept in my arms on the walk back to the house.

My sister-in-law, Jessica, niece, Ava, brother-in-law, Jade, and Jessica's friend, Nikki, also joined us. It was fun! Here are some SUPER CUTE pics! (sorry Jade, none of you......but you were great with Claire btw.! - he doesn't really read my blog...)

OK, this has got to be THE CUTEST picture of Ava and Jessica!! You're a BABE, Jess!

Ok, so Claire would NOT look up. Oh well. She's still cute :) Hands in mouth.

Jessica, Ava, Nikki, and Claire with hands in mouth again...

And the bathing beauty... with hand in mouth the whole time again of course! Yep, eating gross pool water. Creating lots of antibodies for sure :)

And outside of the pool--looking very...bald!