Birth Order of Children

MATERNITY CLOTHES
1st baby: You begin wearing maternity clothes as soon as your OB/GYN confirms your pregnancy.

2nd baby: You wear your regular clothes for as long as possible.

3rd baby: Your maternity clothes ARE your regular clothes.

PREPARING FOR BIRTH
Ist baby: You practice your breathing religiously

2nd baby: You don't bother because you remember that last time, breathing didn't do a thing.

3rd baby: You ask for an epidural in your in your eighth month.

THE ONESIES
1st baby: You pre-wash newborn's clothes, color-coordinate them and fold them neatly in the baby's little bureau.

2nd baby: You check to make sure that the clothes are clean and discard only the ones with the darkest stains.

3rd baby: Boys can wear pink, can't they?

WORRIES
1st baby: At the first sign of distress--a whimper, a frown--you pick up the baby

2nd baby: You pick the baby up when her wails threaten to wake your firstborn.

3rd baby: You teach your three-year-old how to rewind the mechanical swing.

PACIFIER
1st baby: If the pacifier falls on the floor, you put it away until you can go home and wash and boil it.

2nd baby: When the pacifier falls on the floor, you squirt it off with some juice from the baby's bottle.

3rd baby: You wipe it off on your shirt (if that!) and pop it back in.

DIAPERING
1st baby: You change your baby's diapers every hour, whether they need it or not.

2nd baby: You change their diaper every two to three hours, if needed.

3rd baby: You try to change their diaper before others start to complain about the smell or you see it sagging totheir knees.

ACTIVITIES
1st baby: You take your infant to Baby Gymnastics, Baby Swing, Baby Zoo, Baby Movies an d Baby Story Hour.

2nd baby: You take your infant to Baby Gymnastics.

3rd baby: You take your infant to the supermarket and the dry cleaners.

GOING OUT
1st baby: The first time you leave your baby with a sitter, you call home five times.

2nd baby: Just before you walk out the door, you remember to leave a number where you can be reached.

3rd baby: You leave instructions for the sitter to call only if she sees blood.

AT HOME
1st baby: You spend a good bit of every day just gazing at the baby.

2nd baby: You spend a bit of everyday watching to be sure your older child isn't squeezing, poking, or hitting the baby.

3rd baby: You spend a little bit of every day hiding from the children

SWALLOWING COINS (a favorite)
1st child: When first child swallows a coin, you rush the child to the hospital and demand x-rays

2nd child: When second child swallows a coin, you carefully watch for the coin to pass.

3rd child: When third child swallows a coin you deduct it from his allowance!

Pregnancy Belly--22 Weeks

I don't know how people document their belly growth weekly...I really don't see that much of a difference in just one week, so I do it, kinda..monthly. Here I am, photo courtesy of my buddy Josh Barnes (the manager of Downeast Home in Draper where I work for like 8 hours a week!) in front of this really weird piece of furniture we just got in...

Again, the object of the photo was to not show any double-chin-age... It's sad nowadays, I mean, my hair looks awful in this picture, but as long as I don't have a double-chin, I'm totally okay with it. That is when you know things are bad!

Anyway, getting fat is fun!! I think I need to eat lunch now... (but don't worry, I brought TOTALLY healthy stuff today)

New Hair Do...

Been meaning to post the fact that I got some lighter highlights. I told Natalie to make me look like Jessica Alba... :) I also told her to not make me look like a "tiger..." My dad mercilessly teased my sister, Michelle, for her "tiger" hair over the 4th of July. He also has said my hair is 'too dark'...why do I care, right? But I thought I'd lighten things up a bit...

She's in THERE!!

So I just have to announce that yesterday, I was just sitting at my desk at work, minding my own business, and all of a sudden, I feel two teeny little "flutters" "kicks" or whatever you want to call them, just beneath and to the left of my belly button!! My doctor said that even if it seems like "gas bubbles," it wouldn't be if it's below the belly button--it's the baby, because the "bowels are pushed UP." I also felt a few little flutters that night as I went to bed!! YAY!!!

Now, I know I'll be like "STOP IT!" after a while, once she really starts kicking, but hey, it's exciting NOW!

Fresh Black Bean Salsa

So, this is one of those crowd-pleaser foods I make when I want people to think I'm a good cook or something...little do they know how simple it is :) This is seriously HEAVENLY for anyone who loves salsa--especially the FRESH kind...not the cooked--cooked isn't quite as good as fresh salsa, I think!

It's always best to make this the day before--it tastes better as it all marinates in the dressing! And seriously, when I haven't had green onion, I've done regular onions, and that's good too, or red onion... this recipe is REALLY FORGIVING if you don't have everything :) (If you don't like cilantro, you could use parsley instead)

Dice:

4-5 large tomatoes

1 small bunch green onion

1 small bunch cilantro (they come in huge bunches, so I usually just do half, but it's perfect if you're doubling the recipe!)

Rinse and drain:

1 can shoepeg corn...this is hard to find, I hear Albertson's has it though (it's white corn)

1 can yellow corn
1 can black beans
1 can chickpeas (garbanzo beans)

Add:

1 packet dry italian dressing

6 oz. rice vinegar

1/4 c. olive oil

salt & pepper to taste

Also, very important--BEST if eaten with the Tostitos "hint of lime" chips...yummm!!! You also may have to double this, since it goes fast!

All About my Honey...(and a little..ok a lot about me too...)

1. What is his name? Jordan Dewey Taylor (but I'm a dork, so I never call him Jordan...I call him Honey, Honey-Bunny, Homem (that's "man" in Portuguese...he calls me "woman" so...), and a lot of other even more embarrasing ones I won't scare you with :)

2. Who eats more? I probably consume more calories throughout the day, since his "hunger mechanism" doesn't work...at ALL. He's never hungry... I'm the one STARVING every 30 minutes... BUT, in one sitting, he can usually eat more--depending on whether he really likes it. Most of the time we're about the same.

3. Who said I love you first? He did. I think he said, "You know I love you." And I said, "I love you too." It was sweet :)

4. Who is taller? Jordan--barely, when I'm wearing heels though. He's 5'10 and I'm 5'7.

5. Who is smarter? I'm smarter at...popular culture, celebrity garbage, you know...that kind of stuff...oh, and spelling! But he's DEFINITELY more book smart in general. I married him so when my kids need math or science help past the 2nd grade, I could tell them "go ask your father" haha... His ACT: 32, My ACT: 24. Yeah, pathetic.

7. Who does the laundry? Me, totally. But I'm ok with it, unless it piles up, which is what has been happening lately. Now, if I could just get him to put away his clothes...

8. Who sleeps on the right side of the bed? I do if you're facing the bed. But since he works graveyard now, I sprawl out!! I've never understood women when they say "I just can't sleep when my husband isn't home..." man, I have better sleep--the bed ALL to myself!! :) (sorry honey, I really love you anyway--but I also know you feel the same way about the bed space!)

9. Who pays the bills? I do now, and yeah, now they actually GET paid, haha...sorry honey :) ONLINE BILL PAY is the BOMB. Love it.

10. Who cooks more? I do, but when Jordan does cook, he's better--especially at meats, like pork loin and salmon--his specialties! But let's face it--Sunday and Monday, I cooked dinner both nights--that's like a miracle, twice in a row! I keep telling him I'll be better about cooking when I'm a "stay-at-home-Mom."

11. What meals do you cook together? Hmmm....cooking together usually happens when our invited friends are about to come over and I need a hand--then he basically does the rest, while I clean up...haha...and then he'll take the credit for the whole dinner. But since the main course is usually done by him I don't complain too much!

12. Who is more stubborn? Jordan DEFINITELY. I always "give in" first. But even though I feel like a weakling at the time, I realize that he will be chastised and I will receive blessings in heaven when all is said and done. haha. (that sentence might have just caused me to receive "humble pie" chastisement...doh!)

13. Who is the first to admit they're wrong? Totally ME. Same as above. I'm also more apologetic--I'm quicker to apologize, but he takes longer to get over things, and according to him, is "more sincere."

14. Who has more siblings? I do. There are 5 girls, 2 boys total in my family. His family consists of 2 boys, 3 girls.

15. Who wears the pants in the relationship? Yes, we fight over the pants. BUT, as stated above, I'm the one who gives in all the time...

16. What do you like to do together? Go to movies, go on walks in the neighborhood at night, play Rummikub (ok that's what I like to do!), play Speed Scrabble with family or friends, go camping (ok that's what HE likes to do!), but most of all, go to Mexico and hang out on the beach!

17. Who eats more sweets? Totally ME. In fact, on Valentine's Day, birthday, etc. if he gets me chocolate (like a box of Sees chocolates--I usually request them for Valentine's Day because, as I always say: "flowers die, but chocolate always stays with me--on my hips") I give the box right back to him, and have him ration it for me--I'll ask him for one every day...otherwise I could eat them all in one sitting--ok, maybe two sittings :)

18. Favorite sweets? Mine are gummy bears and anything chocolate. His are...gosh this is hard bc he really doesn't care that much about food in general! I think his are Reeses Pieces and Peanut Butter Cups. Favorite desserts: Mine is cheesecake probably, his is Better than Sex Cake. He is crazy--doesn't like cheesecake!

19. Guilty pleasures? For Jordan, depends on when you ask really--he goes through phases. I'd say the number one guilty pleasure though, is his computer addiction--what he does on it--that is where he goes through phases. He much prefers the computer over TV or...anything else really. For Me, let's face it--TV. BUT I have started reading a lot lately!! Probably the #1 embarrassing "guilty" show I watch is America's Next Top Model. :)

20. How did you meet? We met at work, at Wright Engineers in Las Vegas. I was in marketing and he started there as a drafter (CAD design).

21. Who asked who out first? Well, the night I broke up with my boyfriend at the time, I sent him a text...we went out like 3 days later--but HE asked :) He was waiting in the wings, BUT I just was FRIENDS with him until I broke up with the other guy, but I knew Jordan had the hots for me :) haha... The sad part is, the other guy I dated also worked at the engineering firm, so we wanted to keep Jordan's and my first date a secret, considering... but then, Jordan took me to PF Chang's (my favorite restaurant!) and who happened to be THERE??? Jordan's boss, his boss's wife, one of the partners and his wife...cat was out of the bag! I guess people may have said, "yeah, Janessa only likes to date guys she works with..." at least we got married!

22. Who kissed who first? OK, in all of my dating "career" I have never kissed a guy first. BUT, on our second date (I know, I know...) Jordan seduced me and I kissed HIM because I thought he was too shy or something... BUT later on he told me he was playing a little game to see who could hold out the longest. Pathetic that I gave IN TO THAT!!

23. Who proposed? Jordan of course, but I'd made him promise he'd marry me, before that :) It was at the Venetian Hotel in Vegas--it was a Wednesday night, so I figured something was up, even though he kept telling me that we were just going to dinner (I think he actually told me we were going to MC DONALDS of all places!!) BUT, when we ended up at the world-renowned French restaurant, "Le Bouchon" I knew this wasn't the usual date! Also, considering before we ate, he'd scheduled a 1 hr. pedicure/massage at the hotel spa (that was, he told me later, the window of opportunity for him to call my Dad to ask for my hand--Jordan always does things way in advance, as you can see :) haha) that was also a strange indication this wasn't the typical night out. Then, after dinner we went on the gondala ride--but he didn't propose there, because that would be WAY too cliche :) Then, we got gelatto, of course, and he took me back, outside to where there were trees with twinkling lights, right at the Venetian pool. There, he proposed. He was so nervous, it was cute. And he gave me a little Walmart ring since we hadn't shopped for anything yet. It was the best!! Considering my Dad proposed to my Mom years ago in the Cottonwood Mall parking lot, I have to say that I was SPOILED! I love you honey :)

24. His best features? Gosh, there are so many, I mean, I DID marry a supermodel, what can I say? :) He's so cute in many ways, but...well, this may be "TMI" but my favorite feature of his is his cute little bum. There, I said it.

25. His best personality traits? Well, he is so kind, caring, and will really bend over backward to do anything for anyone. Oh, and he's also REALLY good with kids...they just flock to him--better than I am by a long shot! He is also very sweet to me--especially since I'm getting fat with this littly baby!! Honey, I love you :)

In the Spirit of the Olympics...

Ok, this video is HILARIOUS. Enjoy!
(I have been enjoying the Olympics these days, but man, this may be more entertaining even...)