The Wells

Dear Ella { 6 Months }

2012-02-03T11:49:00.000-08:00

Dear Ella,

Daddy and I still can't believe we've had you for 6 months! In 6 more months, you'll be 1 and I'll wonder where my baby went. You still sleep 12 hours a night but last night, you slept for 13 straight hours. I should've taken advantage of it! You wake up with a smile on your face but if we let you play in your crib too long, you make sure to let us know you're ready to get out. I put you in our bed to drink your bottle so I can get ready and Baxter makes sure he is right next to you. You like to play with his fur while you eat. He's so nice and patient with you, even when you pull on his fur or his ears. Now that Daddy is home, you hang out with him all day. He plays with you and watches Mickey Mouse Clubhouse with you. You're too young for TV but that's your favorite show! You laugh and giggle as soon as you see and hear Mickey!

Since you're having fun with Daddy, your naps haven't been too regular, but you always make sure to let him know when you've had it. I promise that we'll work on that...

As much as you love your bottle, you now love baby food! Apples and Chicken, and Oatmeal with Bananas & Apples are your favorite. You're not so fond of Mixed Vegetables or Carrots and it took you a little bit to like Sweet Potatoes and Corn. You're a pro at eating and dive for the spoon every time you see it. We know you're ready for another bite when you hold your mouth open like a baby bird. You're pretty funny Ella Bella! Your favorite toy is probably your Baby Einstein Bouncer. Once you remember that you can bounce, there is no stopping you!

You're all smiles when I come home from work and I absolutely LOVE it! You smile and laugh and it makes my day so much better. I love to play with you and snuggle you at night. It still breaks my heart to put you in your crib while you're crying when it's bedtime. Sometimes I secretly rock you to sleep... Sometimes you giggle in your sleep. Our monitor catches it and wakes me up so I always go in to check on you...only to find you still asleep but giggling! You must have some fun dreams!

You love your cousins and all of your grandparents. You've been trained that if you cry, someone will pick you up. You don't like to play alone so we make sure you can see us - even if it's across the room.

We love you so much and are so thankful every day for being able to have you in our lives! You make our family so much better and you definitely light up our lives.

Feeding Ella

2012-01-18T07:56:00.000-08:00

A couple of weeks ago, we gave Ella her first bite of rice cereal. Her Dr. didn't want her eating anything until she was 6 months old, but we felt that she was ready. We give her some spoonfuls every couple of days and she absolutely loves it! It took a couple of bites to get used to but she did wonderful with it!

After she got used to the cereal, she kept diving for the spoon! Steve and I got a kick from it. Over the last couple of days, she's been trying some pears along with some apple-flavored puff snacks. I got the puff snacks to help her with her pinching and grasping and it's definitely improving. It's so fun to watch her learn new things!

She has also learned how to hold her own bottle and, I'll be honest, I'm in heaven over it. She likes to play with her bottle when you feed her but now that she holds it she has to pay attention to it.

And since my baby has NO intention of sitting on her own, she chills out in the bumbo and in her boppy to help her figure it out.

She's not naked...

Busy...

2012-01-10T21:04:00.000-08:00

I've been a little busy in our house and at work. I'm trying my darndest to get our home organized so it's easier to keep clean. With Ella being more and more mobile, it needs to be pretty clean. I'm also trying to keep my resolutions in order. I rarely make resolutions but this year...I needed them. To help keep them, I made a blog to track my progress! If it's out there for others to see, then maybe it will help and I'll stay on top of it.

It's been pretty fun so far and I've actually learned a couple lessons already. Kind of putting myself and my weaknesses out there but it's a step and at least I recognize it. One step at a time...

Christmas 2011

2011-12-29T16:29:00.000-08:00

Christmas was so much fun for us! It was busy...and it was long...but it was so fun!

We were able to sleep in for as long as Ella let us and we opened a few presents. She doesn't really understand what's going on but it was fun to watch her.

After hanging out at our house, we went to Steve's mother's house for breakfast and so we could talk to Elder Wells. Steve and I were the first to talk to him and I L O V E D every second of it! I'm really close to him and miss him like crazy. We used to talk about everything and I really liked his girlfriend. When he left, I had to say goodbye to him AND Shelby and that was tough on me. Anyways, while at Grandma & Grandpa Duckett's house, we opened more presents and found out that Ella really likes wrapping paper. Like, really likes it. She threw a tantrum when I took it away...

Chester, Diane's cat, jumped into a gift bag and everyone thought it was funny. Steve joked about taking him home...nope!

After the Duckett's, we drove over Grandma & Grandpa Haymond's. Colby was supposed to call around 1 and we got there shortly afterwards. It was fun to talk to him too! Since I get to "talk" to him most weeks through email, I didn't take long on the phone. Rian wanted to talk to him so I let her :) We watched Austyn and Linzi open their presents and then the grandkids got to open theirs. Rian was very willing to help open presents! She also couldn't wait to go outside and ride her new 'pink princess bike'. While she was outside, Lola and Ella were playing together. Ella's trying to keep up with Lola but it isn't working yet...

Onto the next house!

After Grandma & Grandpa Haymond's, we drove to Highland to be Grandma Ali & Poppa Jim - Steve's dad and stepmom. We had a wonderful dinner there and Ella got to play around with her uncles. She doesn't see them too often so it's always a treat when she gets to see them. And they spoil her with attention :)

Playing with Uncle Scott

Surrounded by her Uncles and Daddy

Uncle Jeff got her to sleep!

After a quick cat-nap, Ella was entertained by Poppa Jim and he did an amazing job! He had her laughing so hard!

Playing with her new toy

We left our home at 9am and returned at 9pm...it was a loooooooooooooooong day for all of us and I'm so glad we had the next day off to recuperate from it all. We enjoyed Ella's first Christmas and we're both looking forward to next Christmas since she'll love it even more!

Ella's Blessing

2011-12-19T09:19:00.000-08:00

We had Ella's blessing last night at Steven's dad's house. We only invited my family and his family so we kept it small and (somewhat) quiet. I had EVERY intention to sew her dress. I wanted that to be special for each of our kids. But I learned quickly that I don't like to sew sleeves...can't sew sleeves...and that organza is really hard to sew on...it's slippery-er than minky! So on Saturday, Austyn, Linzi, and I ventured out to look for a blessing dress. I got the style and design I had envisioned but I wanted ivory...not white. Oh well!

Her blessing was amazing and I loved the gifts and talents that she was blessed with. We love our little Ella Bella!

Ella & Lola playing

Grandma & Grandpa Duckett with Ella

Grandma & Grandpa Haymond with Ella

Ella chewing on 'Sophie the Giraffe'. She loves that thing...

Our little family! And Ella is totally hamming it up!

Meeting Santa

2011-12-19T07:25:00.000-08:00

Last Wednesday, I took Ella to meet Santa at Thanksgiving Point. He was with FotoFly so we were able to get some good pictures too! And she didn't cry when I gave her to Santa :) What a good girl!

Dear Ella { 4 months }

2011-12-06T21:02:00.000-08:00

Dear Ella,

Yet another month has gone by and we still can't believe it! You are talking more and more everyday and have now started spitting and blowing raspberries. It makes Daddy and I laugh every time! You giggle at everything and love being played with. If we let you, you would play with your toy gym all day long. You cry when we take it away and giggle when we lay you under it.

You are currently a sleeping rockstar! You go to sleep sooooooooo easily now and sleep 12 hours straight. Bedtime is between 7-7:30 and you usually wake up shortly after 7. I don't need to set an alarm for work in the morning...you're usually right on time! You still have to have your snugglies with you at all times and definitely know when they're not around.

You love everyone! From your amazing baby-sitter, to family members, to our ward members, you're always happy as long as you're being held by someone. That makes it hard at home when Daddy and I both have things to do :( You roll all over the place and stick everything in your mouth. You usually try to "talk" when something is in your mouth and it's pretty darn funny.

You keep us constantly entertained and we can't imagine not having you around. We miss you when you're away or while we're at work and love watching you grow! We love you so much!

Thanksgiving

2011-12-06T20:40:00.000-08:00

We were 'scheduled' to be with my family this year for Thanksgiving so that meant taking a trip to Logan! We left around 10am and stayed for as long as we could. Ella was well taken care of and spoiled with attention while we were at my grandparents. She didn't do very well on the car ride up and back...so it might be a while before we try that again...

My Aunt Darla and Uncle Roger were able to meet Ella and Steve spent some quality time with my dad :) Austyn and Linzi kept Ella entertained and even got her to sleep for a little bit!

My cousin Courtney holding Ella and her son Tayson reaching up. Cutest kid ever!

Ella with Linzi and my cousins, Morgan and Lauryn.

My adorable baby girl! Even her bib says so...


I LOVE this picture! Ella has to go to sleep with her snuggly AND her minky blanket so we bundled her up and she fell asleep. About 10 minutes later, she woke up just like this!

Someday...

2011-11-30T14:05:00.000-08:00

I've been slacking again on here but this time I have a better excuse. My laptop took a dive so I got a new one...and it doesn't have photoshop...so all the pictures that I have taken over the past 2 weeks need to be edited before they can be posted. Hopefully that changes tonight and I can catch up properly over the weekend!

Update...again...

2011-11-16T20:06:00.000-08:00

Wow...I suck at blogging... Lately, when I get home, I want to go to bed :) Steve and I have both been super busy. He was in St George last week for work and I've been working and taking care of Ella. She can be a handful lately! I'm trying to take more pictures of her but I really only take them of her sleeping - she just looks so cute!

She fell asleep one morning playing on her gym...

Sleeping on her Boppy...before we started sleep-training...

And we got some snow a couple of weeks ago!

Halloween

2011-11-01T19:03:00.000-07:00

We weren't planning on doing anything this year for Halloween - we don't even pass out candy since we never have trick-or-treaters - but that changed at the last minute. I threw together a dress for Ella and made her a black felt Witch hat and she went as a Witch!

The weekdays are super busy for us so we visited our families the Sunday before, on the 30th. We stopped at Grandma & Grandpa Ducketts first, then Grandma & Grandpa Haymond's, then finally at Poppa Jim's & Gramma Ali's. We had lots of fun and Ella actually kept her hat on for most of the day.

Dear Ella { 3 Months }

2011-10-26T20:50:00.000-07:00

Dear Ella,

You are now 3 months old! Daddy and I can't believe how big you are and how much you've grown. The past 3 months have flown by; it's hard to remember what life was like before you arrived. You keep us busy and you learn new things every day. Now that I've gone back to work, you go to Tiffany's house and you love it there. Mommy and Daddy love that you are well taken care of and we know you're in good hands.

Speaking of hands...you can't stop sucking on yours! When did this start?! Your hands are always in your mouth and you're usually smiling as you suck on them. You are still sleeping ok. I'm trying to wean you into sleep training and you've been doing pretty good. You are down to 1 feeding (on a good night) a night and now wake up 'talking' to yourself. As long as we follow your routine, you're a pretty happy baby during the day. You take a nap at 10am like clockwork but your afternoon nap is hit & miss. We don't like the 'miss' part...

We are so happy you're apart of our family! The sometimes-sleepless-nights are well worth it. We can spend hours sounding silly and pulling funny faces just to see a single smile. You've laughed a couple times and can almost roll from your back to your tummy. You make our lives happier and we love you so much!

Having Fun

2011-10-11T17:17:00.000-07:00

We like to think that we're having some fun around here. Steve and I are enjoying Ella and definitely appreciate her a lot more right now.

A few weeks ago, Steve was laid off and then abruptly sent to St. George to work. Ella and I were on our own for 5 nights of the week and it was tough. To help get through our tough month, I went back to work at Plentiful Pantry. I work Monday-Friday, from 10am-4:30pm. It was a little hard to leave Ella during the day but I have to be honest...I love having a little break every day where I don't need to worry about being a mom or a wife. That sounds terrible now that I've said it! Ella stays with a family friend during the day and seems to enjoy hanging out with friends.

I'm trying to get better at taking more pictures of Ella. I'm really good at only using my camera for my Etsy shop :) The other night I was cleaning and could hear Ella babbling to herself while sitting in her Bumbo. As soon as she got quiet, I got suspicious and found her asleep! I'm not kidding, this little girl was OUT.

Over the weekend Ella got a little fever and still has a slightly stuffy nose. Now, after eliminating symptom after symptom, we've decided that she's teething or preparing to teethe. Either way, we've discovered teething tablets and we're all in heaven! After a rather loud and fussy Sunday, I gave her the first dose and she slept all night for 11 hours straight! Too bad it didn't work the next night :( Oh well.

She's starting to smile more and more and seems to do it the most early in the morning or right after her bath. I have yet to get it on camera but I'm working on it! She will smile until she seems the camera and then she's fixated on it...

Yep, we're in love with her!

2-Month Visit

2011-10-02T22:25:00.000-07:00

This past Friday (Sept 30th) was Ella's 2-month 'Well Check'. Her doctor declared her "perfect" and I agree! Her stats show that she is above-average and still has a big head :) I told him that she can already roll over and that she sleeps (normally) 8 straight hours at night. He said she's acting like a 4 month old and asked if I wanted to start sleep training...um, no, not right now. We talked about her reflux and he wants me to try a generic brand of formula (Gerber, Good Start, Parent's Choice, etc). He said Enfamil and Similac are known for having a lot of additives that actually upset babies' tummies. We switched her that night and she's actually doing a lot better! Less fussing, less spit-up, and she's much happier. She also received 5 immunizations...1 oral vaccine, and a combined 3 shots in her legs. I'm pretty sure I did better than she did...I didn't cry...she screamed so loud that the entire office and waiting room heard her! It took almost 10 minutes to calm her down and then she finally fell asleep for a few hours. I made sure to keep up on her Tylenol...

Her stats:
Weight: 12.02 lbs (77%)
Length: 22 3/4 inches (64%)
Head: 15.5 inches (64%)

For the last few weeks, I've been trying to convince Steve to pierce Ella's ears. When he actually listened to me, he agreed to do it and said we should do it the day of her well check appointment. After Steve got home, we took her to Claire's and picked out the smallest 14kt white gold earring we could find. We settled on the 3mm size and the girl got started. I had Steve hold her still and he started to feel like we were abusing her! The girl was quick and did a great job and Ella did pretty well. As soon as it was over, I grabbed her and quieted her down while Steve paid. She stopped in a matter of minutes and was much happier once she got a bottle.

We love how she can't mess with them right now and love how they look!

Getting her ears prepped


Her bling! After she received her bottle...

All tuckered out after her long day.

{ 2 } Months

2011-09-26T19:23:00.000-07:00


Ella - 2 months old!

Sleeping 8 hours a night. Mostly from 9-5...mom's super happy about this!

Wearing 0-3 month clothes but the waist on her pants is still really loose.

Wears newborn-size shoes.

Likes wearing headbands but it's probably because she can't pull them off yet.

Powerful kicker! The girl has some legs!

Started smiling last week but she only does it in the mornings.

Used to be a really good napper until mom ruined her routine. Now she cat-naps.

Currently drinks 4-6oz of formula per feeding.

Absolutely LOVES her swing. It's a lifesaver and definitely worth the money we spent.

Still has a 'lazy suck'. Pacifiers are bittersweet in our house - she loves them but we're sick of constantly putting them back in her mouth.

She's discovered her voice and her tongue. She is constantly sticking her tongue out and 'talking' to us.

Loves being in the car or having her car seat rocked.

Starting to fight going to sleep.

Rubs her eyes when she is tired. That's my favorite.

Hello?

2011-09-22T17:37:00.000-07:00

We're still here...promise.

We've been fairly busy around here or it at least seems like it. Nothing exciting but here's an update on our little family:

Steve: Employer laid him off right before Labor Day (awesome) and we've been waiting for them to call him back. Since he's willing to travel for work he was recruited to work in St. George and will spend the next few weeks down there. He had his first day there today and seemed to love it!

Ashlee: I was enjoying my time at home until Steve was laid off. My old employer heard the news and called me to come in for a few more hours a week. Since then, I've been working almost every day for about 6 hours a day...Ella comes with me and it's definitely been hard. Her routine was thrown for a loop and she hasn't recovered yet. That makes for long work days...

I'm still trying to get my jewelry shop back up and running. It's slowly coming a long and I'm trying to get my name out there. Hopefully soon!

Ella: The one you all really care about! She will be 2 months old on Monday...I teared up just by typing that. I miss her snuggly newborn self but I'm super excited to wake up every morning and see what she'll do. She loves to 'talk', stick out her tongue, and she still rolls over. She's been a great night-time sleeper (8:30-4:30!) but her naps have suffered since going to work with me. She fights sleep so I can't wait until we start sleep training. She LOVES her snuggly and that's a fairly new thing. Only over the past few days has she been attached to it and it now goes everywhere with us. We absolutely love her and can't imagine life without her anymore.

And since every post needs a picture of Ella, here's a picture of the way she sleeps. If I don't put her in a swaddle-wrap, then she holds her hands like this. Too cute!

Rollie-Polie Ella

2011-09-12T19:25:00.000-07:00

She did it! On the 8th, Ella rolled from her tummy to her back!

I put her on the floor for some 'tummy time' and walked away for a second. When I came back, I realized that she was on her back. I didn't believe that she had rolled so I tried again and sure enough, she rolled over again.

This has made it fairly hard for tummy time however...now she either screams or rolls over...making tummy time completely useless.

Missionary Danny

2011-09-08T22:37:00.000-07:00

Steven's brother, Daniel, left yesterday on his mission. I don't know if it was the pregnancy hormones (that's the excuse I'm going with) or my relationship with him (we're really close) but I'm pretty sure I cried 85% of the day. Unlike with Colby, I was actually able to be at the Provo Temple with my in-laws and get a proper goodbye.

Both sides were able to be there-including both step-parents-and his girlfriend even surprised us by coming. After taking pictures, we started walking down to the MTC. Since they have a big family, they knew they wouldn't be able to fit in 1 car and that's all the MTC allows. Well, they also don't allow you to walk down! A Provo Policeman kindly told us that they only allow cars and we scrambled to find a car big enough for immediate family and I quickly said my overly-tearful goodbye. In the end, he arrived at the doors with the biggest smile on his face. We're so proud of him and the decision he made to ultimately go and serve in the New Jersey Morristown Mission. I made him promise that if he's ever in Hoboken, that he better visit Carlo's Bakery for me and sample some of their pastries. I'm hoping he overnights some so I can taste them myself!

Elder Daniel Wells & Steven

Chris (step-dad), Danny, & Diane (Steven's mom)

Grandma Wells' looking proudly at Danny...I love this picture...

Grandpa Wells, Danny & Grandma Wells

Bothers! Ben (the youngest and tallest), Danny, & Steven

Alison (step-mom), Danny, and Jim (Steven's dad)

Ben, Danny, Jim, and Steven

Ben, Danny, Diane, and Steven

Danny shaking goodbye to Shelby (his girlfriend)

Ella getting one last long look at Uncle Danny

Elder Daniel Edwin Wells

Proud Parents

I love this last picture...as we were walking down, Ben put his arm around Danny and they continued to walk down like that. They've always been best friends and were even in a band together. I'm fairly certain that we're all really worried about Ben. He was kept super busy afterwards and we've been checking in with him making sure that 'he's ok'. Good kids...

Labor Day Weekend

2011-09-07T16:44:00.000-07:00

My little family had a pretty busy Labor Day Weekend. We had plans every day so here's a recap:

SATURDAY

Steven had plans to go boating at Utah Lake with his Uncle and some cousins. Since his grandparents live at the original Saratoga Springs, they also invited us to swim at the 'hot spring pool'. I thought it would be fun to take Ella there for her first time swimming since they don't use a whole lot of chemicals in it. Well, Steve and I spent too much time on the boat and Ella decided to nap the afternoon away so we didn't get much swimming in.

The view from the back of the boat.

Steve tried wake-boarding and knee-boarding and did really well knee-boarding! Then we got the tube out and went tubing.

SUNDAY

On Sunday, we drove to Logan. I've wanted to get Ella up there to meet my grandparents as soon as possible and we thought the long weekend would be good. On our way up, we stopped in Brigham City and saw the temple under construction. It's beautiful!

{ source }

We enjoyed a few hours at Grandma & Grandpa Wolfley's house, watched a movie, had some snacks (garden veggies & fish sticks) and we were on our way!

MONDAY

Labor Day started our week of 'goodbye' in the Wells'/Duckett family. Steven's brother Danny was called to enter the MTC on September 7th and the 5th (Monday) was his good-bye party. We had good food, BINGO, prizes, music, and lots of family. It was a good send-off for a good kid!

Elder Daniel E. Wells

His band, Schroeder, playing their very last 'show'.

We had a great weekend and Ella was such a trooper throughout all the events! We're still trying to get her routine back.

{ newborn } pictures

2011-08-29T16:31:00.000-07:00

I had plans to schedule a newborn photo shoot for Ella. Those plans never happened. I don't like to schedule things and then wait for my appointment....I like to be able to get things done when I think about them. I have absolutely no patience and I still haven't learned any.

Anyways, back to Ella. So Britanee told me about FotoFly and decided to check them out. I looked at their schedule and found out that I could get in the next day so I scheduled an appointment! We went in today and walked out with our pictures! They have several indoor settings including a brick wall and a couple of actual warehouse/garage doors. The photographer we had was great with Ella. I originally scheduled an appointment during her nap time so she would be sleeping but she had other ideas. She was awake the entire time, was fussy for most of the appointment and really didn't like any of the positions that she was in. I was really surprised by how they turned out!

Here is my favorite :)

1 Month

2011-08-26T15:36:00.000-07:00

I seriously cannot believe that one month has come and gone. I don't want to believe that my newborn baby is now 1 month old!

Here is some info on our beautiful Ella:

She no longer fits in newborn clothes but isn't quite big enough for 0-3 month clothes either.

Sleeps pretty decent: goes to bed around 8:30, wakes up around 2, then wakes up again around 5. If I'm super lucky, we both go back to sleep until 8 or 9.

We are starting to get into a routine. I love routines and schedules so this makes me super happy.

She is no longer breastfeeding which is bittersweet for me.

As soon as Daddy gets home, she's the perfect child. It doesn't matter how fussy she has been ALL day, she immediately changes and is perfect for Steve as soon as he walks through the door. Needless to say, I've come to love him getting off work at a normal time.

She loves her bouncer and I'm terrible at letting her nap in it.
Baxter is incredibly protective of Ella and has to always be right next to her. They've become best buddies and he tries to nap with her all the time.

These past few weeks have definitely been a learning experience for all of us. I've lost count of all the times I've called or texted my mom or Britanee to ask them if something is normal! We just love her and can't wait to experience more of her 'firsts'!

Best Friends

2011-08-23T20:52:00.000-07:00

Baxter loves to be close to Ella.

Even while she's sleeping.

Ella & Lola

2011-08-20T06:50:00.000-07:00

Ella and Lola are 2 months & 1 day apart and they had yet to 'meet' each other. Last week (Aug. 12th), I drove down to Britanee's after Ella's dr appointment and they were able to meet for the first time. My mom and the girls came over too so we were able to get a picture of Grandma with all of her babies!

All 3 grand-daughters! Ella, Grandma, Lola, & Rian

2 Weeks

2011-08-14T16:02:00.000-07:00

I can't believe our Ella is 2 weeks (almost 3 weeks) old! She has brought so much more into our lives and we love her so much.

She had her 2-week-check up this past Friday and we apparently have a big-headed baby:

Weight: 7lb 7oz (18%)

Height: 20 inches (32%)

Head: 14.5 inches (66%)

We've been trying to adjust to having her here. Night sleeping hasn't been terrible but I would love for her to sleep longer. Baxter seems to like her more and more. When she's crying, he tries to see what is wrong or runs to me like I didn't hear her.

Breastfeeding has been the hardest learning curve for both of us. I met with a Lactation Consultant at her check up and it was determined that she has a 'lazy suck'. When I would feed her, she would eat for about 35 minutes and then be hungry again in an hour. I was to the point where I cringed every time she latched and I was hating feeding time. I thought she was just falling asleep but we had the same issues with a slow-flow bottle - it would take her 45 minutes to swallow 1.5oz. It's basically been determined that she developed it at the hospital and there really isn't much we can do to fix it. For right now, I'm pumping as much as possible and taking fenugreek to help with keep up my milk supply. Since we switched her to a medium-flow bottle, she's been MUCH happier! She sleeps longer (I got 5 hours the first night!), is less fussy, and much more content.

Home!

2011-08-05T13:39:00.000-07:00

We've been home for a week now and we're still adjusting. Ella sleeps fairly well through the night - she goes down around 10, wakes up around 2, then wakes up again around 5. Sometimes she sleeps longer but her longest stretch is always when she first goes down. I've been waking her up every 2 hours during the day to eat and we're still working on the breastfeeding...

On Monday, Steve's grandparents came over really quick to meet Ella. She is their first great-grandbaby.

Pictures from home:

She did this all on her own.

She usually sleeps on our chests like this. It used to scare me that she couldn't breathe.

Bright eyes

Bath time! The spongebaths in the sink weren't working so well...she would 'kick off' from the sides of the sink so she gets to hang out in her tub from now on. Her cord hasn't dropped off yet so she doesn't get to sit in too much water but it's working out better.

Hospital Pictures

2011-07-31T08:04:00.000-07:00

After our families got off work, a lot of them drove up to the hospital to see Ella. She's the first grand-baby and great-grandbaby on Steve's side so they were all pretty excited to finally meet her. She is also the first girl in Steve's immediate family and already has her uncles' wrapped around her finger. Who am I kidding...she has us all wrapped around her fingers.

Grandma Diane & Grandma Jeana

Proud daddy!

Grandma Wells & her new great-granddaughter

Grandpa Wells & his new great-granddaughter

Britanee & Rian stopped by and Rian couldn't wait to hold her.

Grandpa Jim stopped by with Uncle Danny and fell in love with Ella

Meet Ella

2011-07-29T12:14:00.000-07:00

*** I've been trying to finish this post since Tuesday but we've been a little busy over here... ***

On July 26th, our small family went from 2 to 3 and we have been over the moon since.

I've been fairly miserable these last few weeks of pregnancy. I had gotten my hopes up when I was first checked and told that I would deliver within the next 2 weeks. Those 2 weeks came and went and I was still feeling hot and fat.

I had started working from home and Steve had Pioneer Day off so I thought it would be a great time to have a baby...Ella had other ideas. After the weekend came and went, I had tried everything to induce labor - EVERYTHING. I decided to try some castor oil again Monday night (July 25th) but woke up without having a single contraction. I went back to bed and shortly after felt an awkward 'pop' and knew something was up. I got up, started making Steve's work lunch and suddenly doubled over in pain with a contraction. My water started leaking and I felt like I was wetting myself with every contraction. I finally made it back to our room while Steve was waking up and told him that I thought my water had broke. I'm surprised he understood what I was saying - the pain was so bad that I couldn't stop crying. He rushed us both down to the car and got us to the hospital in 4 minutes. I don't think the front desk nurse believed that I was in labor and took her sweet time getting us admitted. Once she finally walked away from the desk, she noticed how bad it was and went a little quicker. I was taken to Room 1, immediately checked and told that I had dilated to 6.5.

My water broke at 5:35am

I told Steve at 5:45am

We got to the hospital at 5:59am

I was finally taken to Room 1 at 6:15am

Dilated to 6.5 at 6:25am

After I was checked, I wanted our moms there so Steve called both of them and informed them that I was in labor and Ella would be here around noon. I had to have 2 rounds of antibiotics thanks to Group B Strep so we weren't planning on her arriving soon. I received my epidural and could finally stop crying and breathe. My mom showed up shortly after and I was checked again. I had dilated to 9.5. That was around 7:45am so I had progressed quickly! Steve's mom showed up while we were waiting for our doctor. I don't remember the next couple of hours too well....my doctor showed up and I think I pushed for 30-40 minutes with a mom on each side. Steve was excited to help deliver Ella so he was right next to Dr. Loewen. In between pushes, we were telling stories and jokes and then Ella arrived!

Steve handed her to me, cut her cord, then she was taken away to be cleaned up. He stayed with her the entire time and then brought her over to me for skin-to-skin.

After we were both checked out and I received a stitch, we were taken upstairs to our room, #317, and Ella was taken to the nursery to get some tests taken. She was brought back and given a bath in our room and she absolutely hated it! She liked the warm water rinse, but hated the actual sponge bath.

After her bath, we finally got to love, hold, and enjoy our new baby girl!

Introducing

2011-07-28T05:09:00.000-07:00

Ella Rainn Wells

July 26, 2011

6lbs, 14oz 19.5 inches 10:16am

{ 39 weeks }

2011-07-23T20:09:00.000-07:00

I feel like our family blog has turned into a pregnancy blog. Too bad there's nothing else to update everyone on! I'm now 39 weeks and so over being pregnant. It's hot, I can't cool down, and I now have 'third trimester nausea. I only get sick at night but there have been several nights where I'm throwing up all night. I think I prefer morning sickness...at least it's easier to bend in the first trimester!

As of Thursday, I'm now working from home. I can no longer fit in any of my office clothing so I figured it was about time. So far, so good. I work when I feel like it and could definitely get used to it! I picked up the last of Ella's things this past weekend, packed the hospital bag, packed the diaper bag, and checked to make sure that her car seat is installed properly-it totally was! I've been finishing up last minute projects and am hoping she'll make her appearance before they're all finished :)

I've always thought she would arrive on July 25th so we'll wait and see!

{ 38 weeks }

2011-07-15T18:01:00.000-07:00

Life is definitely uncomfortable right now! Have I said that we're ready for her to get here yet?! We're so ready that I actually tried Castor Oil last night...still no baby and not a very fun experience. Castor Oil + Greasy Mexican food is NOT good. Last week I was 2cm dilated, yesterday I was 3cm (almost 4cm)/90% effaced. My next appointment is Monday and I'm hoping that I'm a 4.

I'm super scared that she's going to weigh 10 lbs when she's born. Don't ask me why but I'm really fearful of that!
My wardrobe is VERY limited right now and I feel like nothing fits.
I have 1 pair of flip flops that still fit.
I can't wait to wear a pair of heels again! My old jeans and a pair of heels :)
Steve doesn't quite understand why I can't go to the hospital and be induced. I've tried explaining that being miserable isn't a valid excuse. I think he was more disappointed than me to find out the soonest an induction would be is August 6th.

Boys' Night

2011-07-03T16:21:00.000-07:00

I'm sure I've said this before, but Steve comes from a family of 5 boys...4 brothers...no girls. Even though we live pretty close to 2 of his brothers, we usually only see everyone at family gatherings.

With that said, he really wanted to get them all together during the holiday weekend so that they could have some fun before Danny leaves on his mission. Since Danny's birthday is July 2nd, all the boys came over this past Friday (July 1st) and 3 of them slept over. They played plenty of video games, ate a ton of pizza, and went through 4 cases of soda. In the morning, we had waffles and eggs to celebrate Danny's 19th birthday. The boys even cleaned up after breakfast was over!

L-R: Ben (5th), Scott (3rd), Danny (4th), Steve (2nd), and Jeff (1st)

Colby's Farewell

2011-06-26T19:54:00.000-07:00

Colby doesn't enter the MTC until July 6th but he had his farewell today. He gave a wonderful talk and even included an Abraham Lincoln reference! After Sacrament meeting, we headed over to my parent's house for a buffet lunch. I'm sure it wasn't supposed to be a typical buffet, but I swear the options were endless and everything tasted amazing! I was able to catch up with some family members and friends who I hadn't seen in quite a while.

Surprisingly, as emotional as I have been, I made it through the day without shedding a single tear. I'm sad to see him go and would love for him to meet Ella beforehand, but I know he's needed in the Midwest...they need him more. He will be a marvelous missionary and we are so proud of him and the choice that he's made to serve a mission.

Colby holding Lola for the first time! She just stared at him :)

And then she quickly fell asleep...

Enjoying lunch! The Duckett's (Steve's mom and stepdad), me & Lola, Steve, mom. Britanee and Brian are in the back.

Haymond grandkids and great-grandkids

Grandma Haymond & Colby

Siblings!

Haymond 'children'

All the Haymonds!

And while the cameras were out, I figured Steve and I needed a picture too!

{ 35 weeks }

2011-06-25T16:30:00.000-07:00

I never thought we would make it to 35 weeks, but here we are! I had an appointment yesterday and am measuring right on. My blood pressure has gotten higher but my protein count hasn't. My weight is currently 170 lbs...I was hoping to stay under that number but I'm pretty sure the snowcones and Twix aren't helping... I'm starting to feel elderly and Steve has to help me with quite a bit. Getting out of bed takes 5 times longer if I don't have help. Taking Baxter outside for Potty Breaks take the wind out of me.

She's still moving around quite a bit but tends to stay still whenever someone wants to feel her - mostly Grandma Diane! I guess she's a booger that way. She's making her way lower and those low kicks definitely tickle. Gear-wise, we are ready for her to come and don't know if we can wait 5-ish more weeks. Preparation-wise, I'm sure we'll never be 100% ready but we are trying. I've been working with IHC and their Financial Dept to get everything cleared and as much discounted as possible.

Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies

2011-06-22T20:27:00.000-07:00

I love cookies and Oatmeal Chocolate Chip are my favorite! At my first baby shower, my manger Kelly made some and just about everyone there requested the recipe. They are seriously SO delicious! So for everyone who wanted the recipe, here you go:

Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookes

2 Cups Brown Sugar

2 Cups White Sugar

2 Cups Butter (do not melt...)

4 Eggs

1 tsp Salt

2 tsp Baking Soda

2 tsp Baking Powder

2 tsp Vanilla

4 1/2 Cups Flour

4 -5 Cups Oatmeal

1 12oz pkg Chocolate Chips (I used the Hershey's kiss kind so there were chunks)

Cream first 4 ingredients together. Add the rest and mix well.

Bake at 325 degrees for 13-15 minutes.

*Chopped nuts optional

They are seriously so easy and this recipe makes between 5-7 batches - no lie! I got 3 batches out of half the batter and I made them fairly big. Enjoy!

Baby Shower #2

2011-06-19T15:10:00.000-07:00

My mom, along with Austyn & Linzi, threw Britanee and I a joint baby shower yesterday! It was a "shower" for me and a "sprinkle" for Britanee. We had so much fun and both babies were completely spoiled. Since they'll be about 2 months apart, we received a lot of the same (or similar) clothes so they can be dressed as twins. I think Britanee and I will have more fun with that than they will :)

Here we are!

I'm telling a story about something...but I can't remember what it was about. I think I was explaining that my wedding ring no longer fit anymore...

Twin dresses!

I was seriously so excited about this Boppy! My mother-in-law, Diane, got it for us and I had wanted it for so long! It has a minky/cuddle slipcover and 3 pockets along the edge. I was so happy!

She also brought Rian her own 'Punzel Doll and she did not let that Barbie go...

A baby monitor from Steve's grandparents

Clothes!

Twinny outfits

I cannot wait until Ella can wear this sleeper - it's too cute! I was showing Rian all of the clothes that Grandma had purchased for Ella. We're still working on 'who' Ella is...

I absolutely love this flannel blanket! This blanket was made by my Aunt Diane and it's made to mimic a chenille blanket. It has 4 layers of flannel and the bird flannel is actually my favorite fabric design ever. She didn't know this, but the pink/orange version was going to be the base design in the nursery. I think Steve is secretly hoping that Ella hates it so he can enjoy it...he wants a bigger one all for himself!

I didn't realize how many pictures were in this post, but I apologize! I am so incredibly grateful for the gifts that we received and am so excited to finally use them. We have plenty of clothes and she will be the best-dressed baby in Salt Lake. We have a few more essentials to pick up but then we'll just be playing the waiting game.

Almost Done...

2011-06-16T19:33:00.000-07:00

I'm 99.9% certain that my "project list" will never be completely crossed off but I have finished a few more.

I finally got around to making a few hooded towels. I found some pretty cute light purple terry cloth so towels were a must!

I had also purchased a Samsung Tablet and needed a case for it. There was no way it was going in my purse without some protection....this zipper pouch was pretty simple and fits the tablet perfectly.

And lastly, I actually started AND finished the Diaper Bag. I've had this pattern for months (I actually thought it was a purse before I was pregnant) and realized that it was a Diaper Bag and Changing Pad pattern. I finally bought the fabric and cut everything out and then it sat....I decided yesterday that it either needed to be finished or I needed to find a good bag. Since I was not about to go shopping, it came down to sewing. I made a few changes: double ruffle on the front & back, magnetic clasp, and 2 key clips.

There's 8 pockets on the inside - 4 large and 4 small - and they took up most of the sewing time. It was ridiculous....

The Changing Pad has 2 pockets on the inside for diapers &wipes and can roll up.

I have a couple more shower gifts to make for friends and then I think I'm hiding the sewing machine for a while....

Baby Shower #1

2011-06-12T16:53:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, my wonderful Manager threw a shower for Ella & I. All of the women from my office were there along with Grandma & Amanda Wells, Britanee & Lola, Brittany Barnes, Austyn, Linzi, and my mom. Brittany happened to be here visiting from Arizona and came! I was so excited!

Kelly (my manager) made everything she served including my favorite Chicken Salad, Chicken Wings, Key Lime Cheesecake, Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies, and Eclairs. To say it was delicious is definitely an understatement! We played a couple games that were fun and challenging - a crossword puzzle and then a paper bag game where you had to guess what was inside.

Then we got to the fun part :) After opening all of the wonderful gifts, this little girl will definitely be the best-dressed baby around.

(My camera-man was a little too close to the action :)....)

The cutest little dress from Grandma Wells - it even has a tulle underskirt!

A picture frame that even has a hippo on it! I was a little excited over the hippo...

The socks have light pink skulls on them! Seriously too cute!!

In case you can't read it, the bib says, "Born to be Spoiled". Steve laughed so hard when I showed it to him. This girl is already spoiled and she isn't even here yet!

Thank you to everyone who came!

{ 33 weeks }

2011-06-12T16:33:00.000-07:00

I swear, it's getting harder and harder to move every day. I'm definitely waddling and I feel like I can barely make it up the 3 flights of stairs to our apartment. I still have quite a few projects to finish before she gets here-including the diaper bag-but I feel like we're 95% ready. We just need a carseat and then we'll feel 100% ready.

I had an appointment last Thursday (6/9/11) and her heart beat is strong and sturdy. I'm measuring 1 week behind and either gained 1 lb or lost 1 lb...I can't remember...My doctor is still watching my protein count and said it was a titch higher this week but not high enough for complete bed rest. My skin is still really itchy but at least it's not Cholestasis. Nothing seems to work though to stop the itching and I'm slowly trying to get used to it.

I took Steve baby shopping last night and he immediately took to the glider section. He's now decided that an arm-chair glider is a must so we'll see what happens there. Funny story: As I was looking in the girl's clothing section, he shouted for me to look over and see what clothing he had found. The poor guy was in the boy's section and wondering if I liked the outfit he had found! I laughed and told him that he was in the wrong section but we could get the outfit for later if he would like.

Danny Wells

2011-06-11T08:23:00.000-07:00

A couple of weeks ago (5/25/11), Steve's brother Danny had his Court of Honor. He actually earned his Eagle Scout almost 1 year ago, but the ward mentor was too ill to attend. The 2 boys decided to wait so he could attend the Court of Honor. Honestly, I can't remember what Danny did to earn his Eagle...or the other kid for that matter...but the Court of Honor was great. Most of Steve's family were on hand to witness it and quite a few sat in the 'Eagle's Nest'.

Steve, Dad, Danny, & Ben

Exactly one week (6/1/11) after his Court of Honor, Danny also received his mission call! I guessed he would be going International and I think Steve guessed that he would be going to Canada. We were both wrong :)

I love the look on Shelby's (his girlfriend) face! She showed how we were all feeling.

Elder Wells was called to the New Jersey, Morristown mission! It's the top half of New Jersey and I've already told him that if he's ever in Hoboken, I would LOVE to have some Cake Boss sent!

He leaves September 7th and we're so excited that he'll be able to meet Ella and get to know her before he leaves.

What a proud dad!

{ 31 weeks }

2011-05-27T06:54:00.000-07:00

I feel huge.

I'm at the uncomfortable stage and my entire body itches. I thought it was due to my skin stretching but then I was losing sleep over it...and my doctor had me tested for Cholestasis yesterday. Until we find out what's going on, I've been told to take Claritin during the day, 2 Benadryl at night, use Aveeno Lotion AND keep up with oatmeal baths. I get tired just thinking about all that...

Other than itching and exhaustion, I seem to be doing fairly well. I am still supposed to 'keep my feet up' when possible and I can't lift hardly anything (laundry baskets, trash, groceries, push the vacuum) thanks to my lovely hospital stay a couple of weeks ago. The housework has definitely been pushed to the side and, I'm embarrassed to say, it's starting to show.

But what really matters is that Ella is still healthy and growing. She is either a runner or gymnast and rarely stops moving. She hates when I have my laptop on my belly and kicks at it until I move it. I think she might have a jealous side too...while I was holding and snuggling Lola yesterday, she kept kicking at her bum and I'm pretty sure Lola could feel it - she made a funny face every time!

Only 8-9 more weeks and we'll get to meet her!

Baby Lola

2011-05-26T20:04:00.000-07:00

Baby Lola was born yesterday and I got to spend a couple of hours with her, Britanee, Brian, and Rian today. I love seeing how excited Rian is about her sister 'Yoya'. Too cute! I snuggled with her and rocked her and today definitely made me a little more anxious for Ella to arrive. I've always told Steve that it will feel real once Lola is here since I'm 9 weeks later.

Britanee and Lola - March 25th

Me and Lola - March 26th

I didn't want to leave! She was just too cute and tiny. I know everyone says it but I always forget how little newborns are. It always amazes me!

Ella's Room

2011-05-19T08:59:00.000-07:00

I can almost officially say that Ella's room is finished! I'm sure we'll keep adding some things here and there and I do still have 2 small projects left, but I still consider this room complete. I promised I would put pictures up but it's been raining and dark so they aren't the best quality.

When you first walk in our apartment, her room is immediately off the right. The rocking chair and crib are the closest for my sake.

I knew I wanted a Jenny Lind crib but I wanted a gray one. That meant either settling for a white one or starting the long task of painting of it. The shipping manager at my work gave us his crib and a high school friend gave us the rocking chair. I switched the colors of the room MANY times but finally decided to use the same fabric that I used for her quilt. Lots of purples, grays, and blues.

I definitely changed the paper lantern mobile and I like this MUCH better!

On the other side of the room is the changing table. I'm still looking for a low 6-drawer dresser but I'm having a hard time finding one that I love that's also in our price range. So right now we have this:

A paper lantern IKEA lamp and embroidery hoops help balance out the other side of the room

We hung out in there last night for the first time and had some fun. Steve would like to have one of his guitars put in there so he can play it and for her. It's been fun to feel her while he plays, she loves it.

Winner

2011-05-18T06:21:00.000-07:00

Almost 2 weeks ago, I commented on a blog post for a giveaway. The item was a Bugaboo Bee Denim 107 stroller and I figured, "What do I have to lose?" So I entered. A couple of days later I received an email saying I had won! I was speechless. I never win anything...no exaggeration! I told myself that I would believe it once it arrived at my work and sure enough, it arrived this past Monday.

It was super easy to put together and everything clicked together. The seat can be picked up and moved to a rear-facing position and the handle bar height adjusts easily. For some reason, that excites me quite a bit. I absolutely love it and am so glad it arrived free of charge!

Nursery Peek

2011-05-09T09:11:00.000-07:00

I would love to say that I'm almost done with the nursery, but I can't officially say that. Most of it is part-way done but I did finish a couple projects over the weekend.

The rocking chair is done! I did not want a glider - I either wanted a real rocking chair or the big armchair gliders. The real rocking chair was more in our price range since it was given to us for free by an old high school friend. It was re-painted, the seat was re-finished with a mint cuddle fabric and the 2 pillows were added. They were literally finished this morning. The quilt on the back is Ella's quilt. I would like to make one for each of our children and her's actually inspired the rest of the room.

By the way, I L.O.V.E the gray crib!

And I've officially finished the paper lantern crib mobile. Since we can't paint our walls, I knew I needed to add color somewhere so a paper lantern mobile was perfect. I saw this nursery and fell in love so I tried my best to replicate it. It didn't quite work but I still like it. I got the lanterns from thepaperlanternstore.com for a total of $26.00 and the tissue paper came from Xpedx for $6.00. They all hang from a dowel that is firmly secured to the ceiling.

Hmmm, on second thought, the tissue paper pom poms look super funny...they might be removed later.

That's all I have so far! I still need to finish binding the crib bumper (the skirt is finished) so I can tie them to the crib and I have the changing table that is a constant work in progress. Hopefully they're done soon so I can focus on the rest of the house. Steve has told me that our room is next...he's hoping I'll have the same neurotic motivation to finish ours and the living room before July.

{ 28 weeks }

2011-05-06T09:04:00.000-07:00

Goodbye 2nd trimester, hello 3rd trimester! I never thought I would get this far...it seemed so far away last November. Ella's nursery is almost done - I'm hoping I can finish the crib bedding this weekend. I finished her baby quilt about a month ago and ultimately decided to use the same fabric for the rest of her room. I can officially say that, never in my life, have I spent more time, stress, and money on a single room in my house. I also never thought I would have this much blue and gray in my little GIRL's room, but hey, it looks great. Her room will be the only 100% finished room in our entire apartment. Now to finish the rest of the apartment...

Sleep is completely undependable at this point. Unless I take a Tylenol PM, I wake up at least 3-4 times a night.
My congestion is getting worse with each passing day and can really alter my mood or give me a headache if I don't stay on top of it.
My energy and motivation seem to have ran off together somewhere. I know it's normal, but I'd really like to have at least one of them back.
Most of my food cravings are gone. I really only crave ice cream, steamed veggies, and fruit. I'll take it!
Oh and did I mention I just won this baby? I'm kind of freaking out.

{ 26 weeks }

2011-04-24T07:12:00.000-07:00

Only 14 weeks to go!
I feel huge and uncomfortable but I'm pretty sure that will get worse :)
I waddle
Sleep seems to be hiding most nights. The other night, I couldn't get comfortable and didn't fall asleep until after 4am...just to wake up with Steve at 6.
Ella is definitely more active at night and in the mornings and it's still the weirdest/coolest/most awesome feeling ever.
Baxter already seems to know who is in charge. If he is laying on my stomach, he'll move as soon as she kicks him. He's also extremely protective over me - just ask Steve.
Motivation is seriously lacking in everything
I registered at Babies R Us this past Friday and I had WAY too much fun. It might just be my new favorite store!
Our 2nd room is all cleaned out and finally unpacked (thank you Steve!) so the decorating can begin!

Indecisive

2011-04-20T18:13:00.000-07:00

I can honestly admit that my worst characteristic is my indecisiveness. I hate making decisions, I usually come to regret decisions, and if I purchase something and don't use it right away...it tends to go back to the store. Even though he's never complained, I'm pretty sure it drives Steve absolutely nuts.

So what is my problem now? This:

Remember when I loved it, had to have it, and was so happy that I had finally settled on a theme/set? Yeah...about that...it's now being returned. I was rocking in our rocking chair early this morning (couldn't sleep) and listing everything that I still needed to do for Ella's nursery. I started staring at the bedding and realized that I actually hated it. I really didn't like the way it looked with our gray crib and the crib was staying! Steve gave me the permission to return it (thank you Amazon!!) since it was still in the packaging and I started my hunt again. I wanted something with purples, yellows, and pinks and I'm not finding any sets like that. However, I found some fabric that I think would work and Steve likes it too:

The animal print will be the bumper and the leaves/strips will be the skirt. The purple brick will be binding and ties and the pale pink dandelion will be inside the bumper. I decided to keep the crib sheets white, just in case. I'm going to keep some of the room accents in the yellow and orange colors.

I think I'm happy now :)

Happy Birthday!

2011-04-14T06:44:00.000-07:00

I turned 24 yesterday and celebrated with my family. Steve had to work long hours so I treated myself to my favorite breakfast:

Mmmmmmmmmmmmmmm!

I headed down to my mom's for lunch with the girls and we ate at Rumbi. Thanks mom!

How can you say no to a face like this?

Right before we left for lunch, Colby's mission call arrived so we made plans to head to Ephraim that night. My dad got off work at 3 and Austyn, Linzi, him, and I headed down while Britanee, Rian and my mom drove separately. Colby gathered his friends and opened his letter...

He's been called to serve in the Oklahoma Tulsa Mission and we couldn't be more excited for him! Steve served the exact same mission and said it's a fairly 'safe' mission and you don't feel too out of your element. He's been warned to study up on his Bible knowledge though! He enters the MTC July 6th so he will barely miss meeting Ella but we'll keep him close.

We had a great time in Ephraim but I was so happy to finally be home and see Steve. We postponed my birthday dinner to tomorrow so we'll have more time to celebrate.

{ 24 weeks }

2011-04-08T08:29:00.000-07:00

We're finally over half-way there, only 16ish weeks left! It dawned on me yesterday that I have about 3 1/2 months left and I started to panic a little...or a lot. I hurried and ran to the nursery and made final decisions about it. The crib mattress is definitely our next purchase along with spray paint! I'm still trying to figure out what color the crib will be, but I know it won't be cherry or white.

Other than that, I'm feeling pretty good. Here's what's going on:

Did I say I'm feeling pretty good? Because I am and this is the best I've actually felt the whole time!
My occasional heartburn has turned into full-fledged acid reflux. Ouch! I feel like my purse could be a pharmacy with all of the bottles I have in there.
Sleep is getting more difficult. I'm waking up more and more but that could also come from no longer sleeping on my stomach.
I still have cravings but I can eat more and more of something that I'm not craving. In the beginning, I could only eat something that I was craving or it would make me sick...probably more mental than anything though.
The congestion is all still here and now topped off with my spring allergies. Let's just say that nasal spray is my BFF right now.
My back pain is minimum! YAY! I know it will get worse again, but I'm loving that I haven't had issues in a few weeks!
I'm having more and more clothing challenges :) With each day, less of my clothes fit so getting dressed has now turned into a 30 minute ordeal. I'll have to change that this weekend...

And now a picture! It's been 5 weeks since the last one so I figured I was due for a new one:

What's Happening

2011-04-04T09:13:00.000-07:00

The day after my last post, we moved apartments so we've been a little MIA....Qwest decided we must not be important customers so they're taking 10 days to get out here and flip our internet switch. I was actually desperate enough over the weekend that I trekked around our entire building flipping every switch I could find!

Anyways, a little catch up over the past 10 days...

March 25th - Steve and I celebrated our 1st wedding anniversary! Since he is still not working, we kept it low key but still went on a date. We're both home-bodies so going to an actual restaurant takes effort :) We celebrated at Macaroni Grill and ended the night by seeing 'Paul' at The Gateway. Stupid movie but it kept us somewhat entertained.

March 26th - We've moved! We were renting a 1-bedroom but since our lease was up and Ella on her way, we decided to stay at the same complex and are now in a 2-bedroom apartment. We absolutely love it! We received brand new carpet, new counter-tops, new paint, and a new refrigerator. It's literally twice the size as our last one yet I can't seem to find a place for everything....quite a few boxes still need to be unpacked!

March 30th & April 1st - I was lucky enough to be able to take a few days off work and watch Rian while Britanee was away in Vegas. We had SO much fun (I think...) and I don't have a single picture to show for it! Grrrrrrrrrr....Honestly, we didn't really do much. We watched 'Tangled' quite a few times because she kept begging to watch "Pincess Apunzel" and I couldn't say no to that! We ate yummy happy meals and played at the parks and then went to Grandma's house. She definitely kept us both busy!

April 3rd - Conference....I've never been so excited! We didn't get to catch the Saturday sessions but we were able to view both Sunday sessions. I have to say, the afternoon session was definitely meant for Steve and I. It felt as if every talk during those 2 hours was directed towards us and we soaked it all in. Richard G. Scott's talk happened to be my favorite and I hope to read it over and over when the Ensign comes out.

Other than those, we're taking things day by day. Steve is still not working and I'm starting to lose my patience with it. It's a great job and fabulous opportunity but these surprise 'breaks' aren't fun and the unemployment is nothing compared to the actual paycheck. In hopes to help, I've started jewelry again and listing on etsy. I'm definitely not happy with them but what can you do? I've also been trying to use up my fabric stash and sew some maternity clothes but it's definitely not going my way. Have you ever tried looking for Maternity sewing patterns?! I've found one company that makes them and they only have 4 options - woohoo.

I just realized that this post isn't very positive and upbeat...so sorry! Maybe next time.

Dear Steve,

2011-03-25T01:03:00.000-07:00

source

Happy Anniversary!

Quilts

2011-03-22T20:41:00.000-07:00

I did it! I completed a quilt, all by myself, from start to finish! I think I may have a new obsession though...

This one is a simple strip quilt - quick and easy but so fun. I made it for our living room to add some color but now Steve would like one, I have one in mind for Ella, and I want one for me.

Baxter even loves it and sometimes claims it for himself.

Here's the next one...Steve's might be last...

Never-ending Projects

2011-03-21T12:55:00.000-07:00

I always have a long list of 'do-to' projects. Right now, they range from painting furniture (outside of course!), to sewing, to cleaning & organizing. I sometimes think that's why Steve and I fit so well....I always have something to do and he ends up entertaining himself with movies and games...we're real homebodies if you can't tell.

Anyways, my weekend didn't start out so well and I was under strict supervision to avoid standing. I took that opportunity to sew a few things. I have 2 quilts coming up so that's another post for tomorrow, but I made a few clothing items-for me!

I've needed a new dress for church since I usually wear skirts. I'm not getting the hang of pregnant bellies and skirts (unless they're maternity skirts) so I decided to go with an empire waist dress. I took this shirt that was now too short:

I found just enough mustard yellow stretch poplin (it stretches!) to wrap around my waist and some elastic. I pleated the front so it will last longer with my belly. It looks ok as is, but I prefer to wear it with a belt :)

It really isn't as bright as the photo shows....

I also bought some pre-ruffled fabric a few weeks ago and it finally came on Friday. It's a pain to cut and sew, but it's knit so it stretches too! I got a light gray and a purple, but the purple looks more gray to me :(

I'm pretty sure the gray one is my favorite...

On to the next project...my Urban Outfitters duvet!! YAY!

Big Ideas

2011-03-14T14:52:00.000-07:00

Quick update: This is my 100th post-yay! I'm now 20 1/2 weeks-halfway! Steve is currently waiting for more ironwork work...prayers are greatly appreciated right now :)

In the past couple of weeks I've finally had more motivation. Call it nesting, call it adjusting to no sleep, I don't care...I'm just so glad it's back right now! I'm ready to take on bigger projects and successfully finished painting my dining table & chairs, along with a rocking chair that we received for Ella's room. Now I want to move onto our room but I was struggling with choosing more colors.

Let me explain. Currently, we have a king size bed that is still stuck on the floor. I hate it. But, even on the floor, it's still a pretty high bed so I tend to forget about it until I try to vacuum under our bed. We have our old black tv stand in there since it really is a bookshelf and an antique dresser that needs a little love. I love the dresser and can't wait to repaint it and add glass knobs-it will look so cute! Our bed coverlet is from Target and in my favorite color combination but it's hard finding a nice color to go with it. They were also sold out of the shams so our bed looks a little 'off' when it's made.

{source}

I would love to put our down comforter at the bottom but it needs a new duvet cover. I found this and think it's pretty close to perfect!

{source}

It looks like a fairly easy project too... And then I need the curtains to go with it...

{source}

I think I'm getting carried away. Anyways, I think I've finally decided on a light blue to go with everything. I think I'll start using it as an accent color and go from there but I'm not sure...I'm really good at starting projects, but I tend to need a push to finish them. I think this is what I've decided on:

We'll see how long it sticks this time....

{ 19 weeks }

2011-03-07T12:05:00.000-08:00

Technically I'm 19 weeks and 3 days today...I was 19 weeks last Friday but who's counting right? I took this yesterday because I feel like I've literally popped over the last week or two:

I'm mostly proud to say that I still fit in those jeans :) YES!

I feel like I'm already waddling but I think that's because of my back pain. If I don't push it, my back pain is manageable (yay!) but my allergies are getting worse. I normally have Spring allergies so compound that with pregnancy congestion and I can definitely have some "not nice" days.

I had my 20 week ultrasound today and everything looks great! It was fun to see Ella kicking and swatting at the wand, she was pretty restless. Her measurements are spot on; she measures exactly at 19 weeks and 2 days, so just 1 day behind. I loved being able to count all her toes and fingers (10 & 10!) and see the brain and heart chambers pumping. The specialist double checked that she is indeed a SHE and even found her little ovaries (TMI?).

Only 21 more weeks!!!!!

Modcloth L O V E

2011-03-02T18:52:00.000-08:00

It's no secret that I love Modcloth. I love their website a little too much but I really don't like their prices. I found this little black sweater with 3 layers of lace and I needed it...I had to have it!

And since I don't have a single ounce of patience, I had to have it now. I have quite a few black sweaters so I went with a different colors and used 3 different types of lace. I happen to like mine much better and received quite a few compliments at work!

don't mind the wrinkles...

Happy Birthday!

2011-03-01T07:04:00.000-08:00

My handsome hubby turns 26 today! He spent most of the day working but I did let him pick where he wanted to go for dinner ;) He decided on TGI Friday's and made the waitress swear she wouldn't sing to him. It was a pretty relaxed night but we'll have a super busy weekend!

Happy Birthday Steven, I love you!

Advice?

2011-02-27T13:45:00.000-08:00

I'm not gonna lie, my pregnancy has been fairly easy. I had migraines and allergies in the first trimester, now I'm dealing with back pain and allergies during my second trimester...not too bad huh? I've also been able to stay in most of my clothes. I've always loved empire-waist tunics and dresses so those were my "go to" items.

However, I have a dilemma now.

I feel like I have literally POPPED in the last week or two! Case in point, my favorite Sunday dress no longer fit this morning...crap...my shirts are now tighter and more uncomfortable...my favorite jeans still fit though. So here's my dilemma: what do I wear?!?! I know I'll eventually be in Maternity jeans (I'm hoping for crops) this summer and I'm ok with that. I'm more worried about skirts or dresses (that will only be worn 15-ish times) and tops.

I love re-creating some of the fun seasonal things I see but I'm not seeing anything fun for Maternity this Spring. I keeping seeing tops and skirts like these that I'm literally drooling over (thank you Modcloth):

Seriously...I need that black cardi...

So I need some help. Does anyone have any suggestions? Any essentials that helped you? I've searched the web for ideas but none of them really seem like ME. I like to wear ruffles and lace and I'm not finding a lot of that.

Crib Bedding

2011-02-18T12:45:00.000-08:00

Here's 2 things about me you may not know...I am incredibly indecisive and I come from a remarkably creative family. I'm also a very specific person and if I've settled on something, I HAVE to HAVE it! With that said, I knew picking out bedding would be difficult and require lots of searching. I found this bedding at Target, only to see that it was backordered (until May!) and then found this bedding that I LOVED.

Since I couldn't decide, I debated sewing the bedding. It's actually fairly easy, just a lot of fabric and straight lines. So I found this bedding and immediately wanted to re-create it. Poor Steve is now sick of hearing about colors, patterns, and looking at what I "love"...he knows it won't last. After picking out the colors and fabric I wanted, the total came to $110...before shipping and sewing time...so it was back to the drawing board I went!

I decided to check one more time on the very first bedding set that I wanted. I couldn't find a single website that the set for sale. And then I checked Amazon....and they had one left! The best part? It was marked to $127 instead of $200.00. YES!

The bedding is now on it's way to me and I can't wait for it to get here! I love the colors, the patterns, and the flowers look easy to replicate. Steve likes the colors the most and I love how bright it is.

One purchase down....several more to go...

Weekend Sewing {Pt 1}

2011-02-15T13:31:00.000-08:00

I kept myself busy this past weekend! With Steve working and lots on my mind, I was able to get a lot of sewing done. I cut out enough fabric to make 5 dresses, but only finished 3...I was lazy enough to not want to change the thread color so they weren't finished...

The dress on the far right happens to be my favorite fabric ever and Steve's favorite dress. He asked me if Ella could just wear these dresses...um, no.

I also wanted something easy to do, that way I felt more accomplished with the mess I made, so I made a few burb cloths. These burb cloths are made out of hand towels and fat quarters, are so simple & easy, and I got 2 out of each! The umbrella ones are backed with charcoal gray terry and the pink/cream ones are backed with white terry.

I found the tutorial for those here and am planning on the bibs this weekend!

Cost of Valentine's

2011-02-14T13:07:00.000-08:00

I thought this was pretty funny...

Via: Online Accounting Degree

Weekend Sewing

2011-02-11T09:44:00.000-08:00

Steve and I have been discussing clothes for our little girl all week. We tend to be on different pages but the one thing we agree on are dresses. He would love to see her in a dress every day! What's even better, infant dresses are incredibly easy to sew, don't take up much fabric, and can be made without a pattern (if you're so inclined).

I have TONS of fabric (yay for girly fabric!), quite a bit of elastic, and an amazing pattern that literally takes 1 hour per dress. Sweet! How cute is this?

You can find the pattern here.

Since I'm still loving the yellow and gray theme, Ella's first dress will be made of these fabrics:

I have more of the yellow so the dress 'bodice' will be the chevron stripes and the gray dandelions will make up the puff sleeves. I can't wait until it's finished tomorrow!

While looking for these pictures, I stumbled upon this GORGEOUS Japanese fabric! It has a Parisian theme and I love it. I'm trying to justify $15.95 a yard though...but every little girl needs an Eiffel Tower in their life...

{source}

Nursery Ideas

2011-02-07T20:39:00.000-08:00

Now that we know what we're having, nursery ideas are flowing! Nursery projects won't officially start until we're a little further (just to make sure...) but now I have concrete plans. Since we'll still be in an apartment, I can't paint the walls and have to base everything off bright white paint...ewww... but these are the colors I've decided on:

Did you notice I said, "I've decided on..." Yeah, Steve's letting me run with it. Sweet!

Anyways, the furniture will be the light gray and the main colors will be pink and green. Yellow and Blue will be accent colors and I'm still deciding on Purple. I've never been a 'Purple Person' so we'll see.

I have all of the fabric choices picked out (the power of Etsy!) and I picked up Amy Butler's "Little Stitches for Little Ones" tonight. It has patterns for all the crib bedding, changing pads, 3 diaper bags, pajamas, tunics, dresses, toys...it's such a fun book.

Oh! And her nursery WILL have an owl...I promise you that...probably one like this http://www.u-createcrafts.com/2011/02/adorable-owl-softies.html.

{ 15 weeks }

2011-02-05T23:05:00.000-08:00

Yesterday marked the 15 week mark! Only 5 more weeks to half way - YAY!

This is me at 15 weeks and 1 day:

I definitely feel a lot bigger than I look, that's for sure.

Steve and I made the decision to find out the sex early. Our 20-week appt is March 7th and Steve won't be able to make it so I made an appt with Fetal Fotos in Murray for today. We originally went in at 11:30 but Baby was being a stinker and wouldn't move it's knees. It waved, boxed, changed positions, but kept the knees up close. We were sent home and told to come back at 2:30 to see if anything changed. Here are the only poses Baby would give us:

When we came back, Baby had definitely flipped, but decided to bring the umbilical cord with it! We had a different tech and she was wonderful (they both were). She kept jiggling and poking and proding and soon enough, we got the perfect picture...

We are so excited for a little princess to join our family! Steve is a little nervous since he's never grown up around a girl, but he's excited and knows she'll steal his heart.

I've already started shopping and now have a list of sewing projects...surprised? We've decided on Ella Rainn Wells as her name and love it!

{ 13 weeks }

2011-01-24T09:11:00.000-08:00

Don't you hate it when I don't update? I do...

This past Friday marked 13 weeks pregnant for me and we couldn't be more excited - 2nd Trimester here we come! So far, so good, I don't feel like I can complain too much because I've had it pretty easy. The first 12 weeks did include migraines, exhaustion, and nausea...but I was rarely sick. I still have allergies but Benadryl and Flonase have worked wonders. I can wear contacts again!

However, I'm fairly certain that I'm now the pickiest eater on the face of the planet. If it doesn't sound good, I will not and cannot eat it. Workday lunches are the worst! Leftovers DO NOT sound yummy and the close food joints have all been overly used :) I'm having to get creative now while also thinking of something for my "3'oclock snack". Sometimes I feel like all I do is think about food!

This past weekend was definitely a new experience for me. I don't know if I'm nesting or becoming motherly, but I only want to bake, cook, clean, and decorate. I can't get enough of it! I spent Friday night cooking Green Bean Casserole, baking Banana Bread Muffins (from scratch!), and then cooking a batch of Chicken Enchiladas (from scratch!). Steve certainly had no complaints about all the food!

We think we're having a boy. I'll be 200% shocked if we find a little girl in there...we can't even agree on a girl name...and since we both don't know what patience is, we will most likely find out earlier than 20 weeks-maybe at 16 or 18 weeks.

1st Doctor's Appointment

2011-01-03T20:21:00.000-08:00

Steven and I had our first appointment today at 3:40 and met with our doctor. I am so glad we picked her! We love her and she's hilarious. It doesn't hurt that we're pretty funny too....anyways, I had miscalculated my weeks and am only 10 weeks (booooo) along instead of 11 and our due date is actually July 30th, not the 29th.

IHC gave us a pretty fun gift bag and 'What to Expect When You're Expecting'. They checked my weight (145 lbs) and Steve said, "Wow honey! You're tiny!" I married a good man....now he just needs to keep saying that for the next 7 months :) The sweet nurse could tell I was nervous for the 'fun' part of the exam and walked me through everything. The doctor then came in and got to know us a little better. She asked us where I worked and, lo and behold, she loves Plentiful Pantry products! She didn't know they were in Salt Lake so she was excited about that. She asked me how I was feeling and Steve asked her if there was anything I could try (other than Tylenol) for the migraines that I'm having and she immediately prescribed me something. I love it...I might keep taking it afterwards....

During the exam, she noticed the lymph-nods in my throat were rock hard and enlarged. She asked about allergies, I told her usually in the springtime but then that I had been congested for the past few months. She laughed and said, "Sweetie, do your eyes itch too? Do you sneeze? That's allergies." Oops...so now I have allergy medication and I can breathe again!! Now the smell-sensitivity will be even stronger!

Lastly, we got to do an ultrasound and hear the heartbeat. The baby was waving and kicking while the heart sounded strong. YAY! We ended up coming home with 9 ultrasound pictures and Steve was very protective of them....

My scanner is busy at the moment so a cell phone picture-of-a-picture is the best right now

The blood work was very last and we had to go to the hospital next door for that. Definitely not my favorite part and I forgot how much blood it takes to fill 7 vials. The nurse was great and said she would let my husband know that I deserved steak afterwards. It must have worked because we ended the night at Texas Roadhouse. Sweet!

We are so excited and this appointment kind of solidified it for us. We thought we had some names picked out, but Steve can only come up with boy names and I can only come up with girl names :) So far we have Liam Stewart for a boy and Alivia Jae, Ava Jayne, and Harlow Jaymes for a girl...my favorite right this second is Harlow but we have another 30 weeks to decide for sure.

2010

2011-01-01T20:38:00.000-08:00

What a great year we had! We had our bumps and bruises, but we had a fun time making it through. Here's our little recap:

We were married in March, moved back up to Salt Lake and got into a routine. Steven took the last couple of semesters off to enjoy the married life and is debating if he wants to keep up with nursing or switch majors.

We haven't traveled as much as we wanted, but we did make it to St George for our honeymoon and to Phoenix for the Goo Goo Dolls concert. We loved Phoenix so much that we have decided we will live there...eventually...

My day job and etsy shop have kept me extremely busy over the last year and I love it! I'm trying to make The Mustard Seed Co my day job so we'll see how that continues.

We found out we were pregnant the weekend before Thanksgiving and can't wait for July to get here! Steve is excited to be a dad and you can already tell that Baxter is jealous-and very protective.

Steve was laid off right after Thanksgiving which made us both super nervous. We've made it so far on one income and I've still enjoyed every one of my cravings!

We started 2011 by taking it easy and enjoying some relaxation. Going back to work today wasn't the highlight of my 4-day weekend, but it's called work for a reason right?

We wish you all the best and hope you have a happy and successful 2011!

Holiday Parties

2010-12-13T17:12:00.000-08:00

The 11th was pretty busy here - a work party at Plentiful Pantry and then we hustled down to Springville for the annual Haymond Christmas Party.

Plentiful Pantry enjoyed a yummy catered lunch from Madeline's and a gift exchange. After all the festivities, the karaoke started! No, I DID NOT join in, but I had a great time watching. Our Shipping Manager, Colby, along with our Warehouse Manager, Luis, decided to duet together.....their choice song was Celine Dion's 'My Heart Will Go On'. Let me just tell you, I have never in my life laughed so hard in 60 seconds. I WISH my video of it had worked, but it didn't.

Once we got to G&G Haymond's house, we enjoyed some yummy ham and to die for meatballs. Seriously, I could have finished off the entire crockpot of meatballs - they were that good! We then started playing BINGO and each won some fun prizes. Meanwhile, Grandma was holding Madison and she decided that she wanted some of Grandma's Diet Coke.....

What a funny girl!

We all had a good time. I love getting together with everyone around the holidays!

December Babies

2010-12-06T16:55:00.000-08:00

I LOVE that my dad's birthday and Rian's birthday are 1 day apart! It makes the celebrations so much fun!

We were invited to have dinner with the Haymond's on the 4th (dad's birthday) and Rian got to open a few presents with grandpa. He was thrilled to receive Twilight Eclipse...

Then Rian got to open a few of her presents. A book from Grandma, a letter from Linzi, and a Peppermint Hat!

After presents, it was time for cake and ice cream! YAY! Rian helped Grandpa blow out his candles:

The next day (Sunday, Dec 5th), we headed back down for more cake and ice cream and to hang out with some family. Austyn and Linzi made the cake :)

Happy Birthday Dad & Rian!!

Thanksgiving 2010

2010-11-28T17:36:00.000-08:00

This year, we decided to have dinner with Steve's mom and then dessert at my parent's. Unfortunately, it didn't work out that way. We enjoyed a scrumptious dinner at the Duckett house with all of Steve's brothers and his step-siblings. It was definitely a full house!

(l-r) Jeff, Danny, Steve, Scott, Me, Ben, Diane, Boston, Chris, Koy, Brittany, Brigham, Arianne, Dustin, Brittney, & Carson

The feast! The turkey was 27 lbs....whoa....

We decided to tell Diane and Chris that we were expecting so immediately after dinner, we headed to Steve's Aunt & Uncle's house to share the news there. After eating some dessert, Steve lined all of his brothers up and announced that next year they would be uncles. They were all a little excited:

I was hoping that we would be able to make it to my family's for dessert but that didn't happen. We stayed too late and I ended up falling asleep.

Next Christmas

2010-11-27T16:22:00.000-08:00

A few years ago, I started a tradition of purchasing an ornament every year. I prefer to do it the day after Thanksgiving while most ornaments are still in stock. Then I come up, put up the tree, and put all the ornaments on. I explained this to Steve and said it was something I would like to do for our kids every year. While we were shopping today, I found perfect ornament that we WILL be purchasing next year!

{source}

We found out about a little over 1 week ago that we are expecting! We are due July 29th and are 6 weeks along. So far, so good! I'm feeling pretty good - just really tired and congested. I have a backache every night but my headaches come and go. No sickness yet!!! I'm crossing my fingers.....

Arizona: Day 3

2010-08-30T20:39:00.000-07:00

Last Saturday was the day! Steve had waited 3 long months for this day and was more than excited for 7:00pm to roll around. After a downer of a morning, we actually had a fairly busy day and met up with my best friend Brittany and her boyfriend. We ate at a place called Macayo's and I was actually surprised by how yummy their food was. Good choice BABs!

Immediately after lunch, we ran back over to Great-Grandpa Adams' house. He had called earlier and told me that he wanted me to take all of Great-Grandma Adams' fabrics and patterns. I can honestly say that I don't think I've ever seen so many vintage fabrics and vintage patterns in one place. I was completely honored and excited that he trusted me to take good care of it all!

We hurried and dropped Baxter off and headed to Dodge Theater. Since Steve and I have the best of luck, it was raining while we were driving. I'm not talking 'Utah Rain'....I literally couldn't see the road. It rained so hard I honestly thought we were going to slide off the road (you can laugh now). But we made it safely and were anxious for the concert to start.

A band called Green River Ordinance opened up and we were impressed! We bought their cds afterwards and waited in the long line to meet them and have them autograph the cds. Steve couldn't believe how nice they were and I couldn't believe how tall they were!

After meeting GRO, we headed back in to watch Switchfoot. I'm not a huge fan of the band, but the lead singer seems genuine. In a couple of their songs, he headed out to the audience and sang in the middle of the rows.

This is not zoomed...he was only about 7 rows in front of us...

Trying to wait patiently....

Finally, at 9:00pm, the Goo Goo Dolls rushed on to the stage and the real concert began. I looked over at Steve and he was grinning from ear to ear. It was amazing! They were amazing and the concert was one of the best I've ever been too. The audio was perfectly clear and they sang all of our favorite songs.

Oh, and John Rzeznik is really nice to look at....that didn't hurt either....

The light show was incredible!

The finale!

I had a couple videos from the concert that were perfectly clear but stupid blogger.....I gave up after 1 1/2 hours of waiting....

Arizona: Day 2

2010-08-28T12:21:00.000-07:00

While we were visiting in Phoenix, we knew we had to see Great-Grandpa Adams. Steve lost his Great-Grandma about a year ago and we didn't know how much longer Great-Grandpa had. Great-Grandpa was so excited to see us and he wanted to show us everything! Steve started looking at his photo albums and he told us story after story! He loved being able to share all of that with us.

There were quite a few pictures that Steve wanted to take with us so we some pictures of pictures.

Great-Grandpa Doug & Great-Grandma Frona

Great-Grandpa Doug on the right, with his AT&T bosses/engineers

Steve's mom Diane and her brother Ray when they were kids.

Before we left, we knew we needed pictures with Great Grandpa Adams

{Steve, Great-Grandpa Adams, Me, Baxter & Grandma Stewart}

{Steve, Great-Grandpa Adams, Me, Baxter & Grandpa Stewart}

Arizona: Day 1

2010-08-28T11:57:00.000-07:00

Steve and I decided to take a trip to Phoenix Arizona at the end of August. The Goo Goo Dolls were coming to Phoenix and happened to be Steve's favorite band. Since we have family down there, we figured the trip wouldn't be too bad and we could stay the weekend. We drove down Thursday morning and absolutely LOVED the drive! It was beautiful and 4 faster-we decided that we'll always take US-89 instead of I-15. I got ourselves lost once...in Levan....but it didn't last long :)

Crossing over the Glen Canyon Dam into Page

After stopping in Page for some Jack in the Box, we turned off at a 'Scenic Turnout' and looked out over the Grand Canyon. We wanted to look at the Navajo Jewelry they were selling, but didn't have any cash...

We left around 10 am Thursday morning and arrived at Grandma and Grandpa Stewart's around 9 pm (Utah time...). Mapquest said it should have taken us 10 hours, but it took us 11 after stopping 3 times and eating.

So far, we're loving it here!

Still Nothing....

2010-07-29T21:31:00.000-07:00

Still nothing new with us. Are you surprised? I hope not! This is what my life has come to:

In the past week, I've had 6 brides request custom necklaces for their wedding-black, lime, tiffany blue, ivory, navy blue, you name it. The bad news is their weddings are all by August 14th. Needless to say I've been busy! It's been great and my goal of working from home is becoming more of a reality every day. I came to the realization the other day that if I'm praying for this goal to happen and working on it, that I need to be working on other things in order for it to happen. Like stay at church, participate in church, be a good person, stay positive....get my drift? Well I'm working on it. Every day is a new day and that goal will be reached by the end of the year!

Since I've been extra busy, Steve has had to keep himself preoccupied. His life is currently all about this:

He's in awe of the army and military right now.

Steve is also starting school in August so he'll be even more busy!

Baxter is doing a whole lot of this:

(not him, but this is his bad behavior)

We can't keep him out of anything! He chews mostly my stuff with the occasional sock of Steve's. If there are clothes close by (clean or dirty), he's usually rummaging through looking for something.

Right now we're working on not chewing and not barking. It's not looking so good....

Much Needed Update

2010-07-15T12:39:00.000-07:00

Ok ok....here it is!

It's been almost 1 month since I last blogged....... but who's counting?

I don't have a single picture to post. Not one. In fact, I only 4 pictures from July 4th. Our first Independence Day together and I have 4 pictures to document it. Nice Ashlee.

So here's a quick update about us:

*****

Ashlee: Swamped! Absolutely swamped with Etsy orders, Bridal orders, Custom orders....you name it. The housework is starting to be ignored...... My full time job is getting busier as we just started our show season. I love it when it's busy-the days go much faster! I'm also super excited to drive to Arizona in August-whoo whoo!

Steve: Working crazy hours. Seriously, I've complained about our work schedules since day 1 and the only good thing now is he has the weekends off. He's trying to get ready to go back to school in August. We were hoping for Utah Career College, but it looks like he is going back to SLCC. The good thing is it's cheaper....the bad is it's longer....ugh....

*****

Other than that, we're pretty lame :) We're total homebodies, so we're usually chilling at home. Well, Steve is chilling at home, I'm usually procrastinating on orders.

That's it for us!

XOXO

ModCloth Skirt

2010-06-16T10:18:00.000-07:00

I heart ModCloth. I really do!

I've been a huge sewing obsession lately. I know I'm not experienced or wonder woman for that matter, but I feel like I could sew myself a wardrobe if it really came down to it. I see something I want, can't afford it or it's not modest enough, so I end up making it. I tried to organize my side of the closet last night and discovered I have a total of 12 skirts....seriously.....who wears 12 skirts? I don't think I've ever owned 12 skirts at one time....until now. My most recent addition to the skirt community is this:

It happens to be my favorite and I based it off of this skirt found at Modcloth:

My favorite part was the lace detailing. Even though it's $39.99 (a price I'm willing to pay), it was way too short for me. I went on the hunt for the perfect fabric and remembered that I had this pattern:

Simplicity M5591

So I went to work and after 1 1/2 weeks, I finally finished it Monday night!

I almost wore it work yesterday....almost.....

New item?

2010-06-10T15:02:00.000-07:00

Are you sick of looking at the Modcloth Dress yet? I sure am! I don't have any family updates right now...Steve is great...I am great....Baxter is great....we're all great! If you know me, you know I always have a project going on. This is something that Steve is continually trying to used to, especially when I don't clean up....but, I have been working on a couple of new items to bring to my Etsy shop, The Mustard Seed Co.

Here is the first item, a slouchy Hobo bag:

I love this one! It turned out better than I thought it would...I had quite a bit of trouble turning it, but did pretty good. What do you think? Something I should really bring out? My next item is also a purse, but it's not 100% finished yet....patience.....

Modcloth Inspiration

2010-05-31T08:46:00.001-07:00

I was cruising Modcloth the other day and found this adorable dress:

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I was thisclose to purchasing it...even after I saw the price....but then I remembered a couple of things. I had a dress that I bought at Target on clearance for $5. I think it was originally a swim cover up but I actually bought it for the fabric. I totally thought I could tear it apart and use the fabric for something else. I also had a peasant top that I bought at Forever21 a few months ago.....and it still had the tags on it....it dawned on me that I could try and replicate the same type of dress. Even though I liked the green and teal combination, I knew I could find something to go with the dark pink.

The dress even had a drawstring at the empire waist....just like the one I wanted!

So I chopped off the top of the dress, right above the drawstring and cut off the bottom half of the shirt:

And I sewed them together, right above the drawstring. The dress was also too long for me so I cut it right above my knee and added a band of purple fabric at the bottom.

Here's the ending result! I absolutely love it and have worn it twice since I made it Saturday morning....don't worry, it was washed in between.

The dress at Modcloth is $54.99. My dress cost $18.89!

Target Dress $5.00

Forever21 Top $11.90

Purple Fabric $1.99

Graduation

2010-05-28T09:48:00.000-07:00

***PICTURE OVERLOAD***

Steve and I were lucky enough to be able to attend 2 high school graduations yesterday-my brother Colby had his at 12:30 and his brother Danny had his at 2. I absolutely love graduations, from Kindergarten to Junior High to High School to College, I seriously think they are fun to go to. We started the day at BYU's Marriott Center for Pleasant Grove High School's graduation and it reminded me of my graduation (5 years ago today by the way....). They announced that Principal Jess Christen (also my principal) was leaving PGHS after 11 years. He was great! I think he announced that 95% of the class was graduating that day...that's amazing! Colby received his diploma and we headed outside for pictures. I love how big the Marriott Center is outside, it's not too hard to find a nice place for pictures. Colby is headed to Snow College this fall and it just won't be the same without him. I'm so proud of him for everything he has accomplished and for the next step in his life!

A Capella Choir performing

The honor students and Student Council sat with the Administration; the faculty sat in front and the graduates sat in the front bleachers

Austyn and Linzi looking slightly bored

This kid sounded amazing! He sang a song from Les Miserables

Rian kept busy and entertained. She might be starting a fairy/princess collection like Boston's car collection...

Principal Jess Christen addressing the graduates

Colby walking out to accept his diploma

I got teary-eyed....all the graduates moving their tassels to the right....officially graduated!

Colby with his diploma-he worked hard!

Dad, Colby, Mom-proud parents!

All the kids still at home....that changes this fall....

The Haymond Family!

Colby & Grandma Haymond

Colby & Grandpa Haymond

The Boys-Brian, Colby & Steve

Rian, Brian, Britanee, Colby, me & Steve

Austyn, Colby & Linzi

Colby & Mom

Colby & Dad

Is he not the cutest Uncle!? Look at her smile!

After pictures, Steve and I hurried over to Utah Valley University for Danny's graduation. We got there just in time to hear him sing with the A Capella Choir. My pictures all sucked in the arena so you don't get to see those....but Danny is headed to UVU this fall in hopes to get 2 semesters under his belt before he heads out on his mission. He's such a great guy, I have a lot of respect for him!

He did it!

Hugs from everyone!

Steve's dad and stepmom: Jim, Danny & Alison

The Wells' Family: Jim, Uncle Mark, Grandpa Wells, Danny & Grandma Wells

The brothers (minus Scott): Jeff, Steve, Danny, and Ben

The Wells' boys: Jim, Jeff, Steve, Danny & Ben

Jim, Jeff, Steve, Danny, Ben and Diane

Proud mom! Danny & Diane

Grandma & Grandpa Stewart with Danny-they drove from Arizona to be there

They decided to mix it up a little bit....Jim, Grandpa Wells, Grandma Stewart, Danny, Grandma Wells, Grandpa Stewart, and Diane

Proud parents! Jim, Danny, and Diane

Friends!

Congratulations boys!! You made it and have your whole future in front of you!

Remember who you are and be the person you want to be.

XOXO

Baxter Wells

2010-05-25T13:29:00.000-07:00

On Thursday night, I announced this on facebook:

Yes, I could have said that differently....I did it on purpose. We are not pregnant, but we had decided to add this to our family:

{Photo taken with my phone, sorry for the horrible picture}

Meet Baxter Wells! This cute little Shorkie is the newest addition to our family. So far, he's been great! He sleeps great, he loves being in his kennel, he rarely barks, he's trained and has only had 1 accident (at my mom's) and he loves being with us! He is Steve's little buddy while I'm at work and my shadow while Steve is gone. He's a good 'Guard Dog' if you can call him that.

Itsy-bitsy.....yellow polka dot....

2010-05-19T08:51:00.000-07:00

I have such a great husband.

Hands down.

This past Friday, he not only survived 2 hours of shopping, but he survived 2 hours of fabric shopping....at 2 different fabric stores....without a single complaint. A trooper I'm telling you!

At one of the stores (Joann), I found this skirt pattern that I fell in love with:

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A professional looking skirt! It's not A-Line so I was nervous. Then my fabulous husband pointed out the silhouettes at the bottom: Slim, Average, and Curvy pattern pieces! I took it and ran with it. It was easier than I thought it would be, but it still took longer than I was hoping. It does have 2 pleats in the back so I'm blaming my time on them.

I was kinda thinking gray fabric with white polka dots but couldn't find any locally (I'm impatient so I didn't want to order any online) but I found this really cute bright yellow fabric with white polka dots.....

If you don't look too closely, it actually looks really good. I impressed myself!

And most importantly.............it fits! No adjustments! And I love it with my new navy tops.

I am still on the lookout for gray fabric with white polka dots....

My 1st Anthro shirt!

2010-05-18T08:53:00.000-07:00

So I was cruising Anthropologie yesterday and came across quite a few inspirations. One of them was this shirt for $78.00:

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I love it! I love both the nautical and Parisian feel to it! The ornate shoulders, the stripes, the half sleeve..........heaven...........

I thought, this would be so easy to recreate and I could do it tonight. So I did!

I went to Ross immediately after work and picked up this shirt for $8.99:

Then I drove across the strip mall to Joanns and picked up this lace for $15.99 a yard (I got 1/3 yard):

It was the fanciest and most detailed lace trim I could find and the panels were pretty easy to trim.

All I did, was cut apart the lace panels and trimmed them. I pinned them to the shirt shoulders like crazy and then started sewing! I used a ball-point needle since my shirt is knit and it worked out great.

Ok, ok, so I finished at 9:00 last night (I was working on other projects too) so the lighting isn't the best, but it works for now. I love it and plan on wearing it this week!

First Skirt Project

2010-05-17T13:17:00.000-07:00

So this past week, I've been feeling pretty crappy. I don't want to work on new shop pieces, I don't want to clean, I definitely don't want to cook.........I don't know what's going on! BUT, after lots of sleep and water, I woke up Saturday ready to take on the day. Too bad my hubby didn't wake up until after noon, but that gave me lots of "Project Time". I used it all up by sewing 2 skirts...cuz I 'needed' more....

The first one came from DownEast Outfitters. Britanee and I slipped in real quick before we had dinner with Teresa and I showed it to her. I told her how bad I wanted it and, like the great sister she is, said, "Do you know how easy it would be to make that?" So I did! When I make another one, I'll definitely make some changes, but I love this skirt. I wore it all day Saturday and want to wear it work all Summer long.

DownEast Basics, $26.99

Mine, $6.00

I'm totally making more this weekend! Perfect to wear for the summer!

Mother's Day

2010-05-13T09:40:00.000-07:00

This past Mother's Day was a day that Steve and I had been looking forward to. He had actually requested work off and we couldn't wait to spend the day with our moms. We spent the afternoon at my parent's and just relaxed. Steve gave guitar lessons to both Linzi and Austyn and they sounded pretty good! We then went to the Ducketts to have dinner with Steve's mom, Diane and spend time with them. While Steve jammed out with his 2 youngest brothers, Diane and I spent the evening upstairs working on her blog and Danny's graduation announcement. Chris' blog is still under construction....

I only have pictures of Linzi and Steve with guitars, but I think both girls had fun.

Kelsy & Brienne Erickson

2010-05-11T09:05:00.000-07:00

My cousin Kelsey married his longtime girlfriend, Brienne Roney, on May 8th at the Salt Lake Temple. I am so so SO happy for them! They had their wedding dinner the night before at Magleby's at Stone Ridge and it was beautiful. My Aunt Diane did an amazing job with it!

Sorry mom! I did my best to keep the light out!

The Roneys and Ericksons watching the wedding video

The day of the wedding, we had Austyn and Linzi spend the night and Britanee and Brian dropped Rian off. There was definitely a lot of girls in our 700 sq ft space! Poor Steve......

While we were watching 'The Frog Prince', Rian decided to play dress up. She grabbed my cardigan and put on every one of my rosette necklaces. She looked like a 'Casino Grandma'!

We later headed up to the Temple for pictures and waited for Kelsey & Bri to come out. They both looked stunning and her dress was absolutely gorgeous!

It was such a pretty day and the Temple always looks amazing!

Their reception was held later that night at Springville Art Museum and it fit Brienne perfectly.

They had a tree at the entrance with fabric rosette pomanders, yellow flowers, and rock crystals.

Their cake looked so delicious!

We love you Kelsey and Brienne! We wish you the best!

2010-05-06T12:57:00.000-07:00

It's been almost forever since we've last seen each other and we finally got together last night. I had so much fun with Britanee & Rian and Teresa & Boston. That Boston kid is absolutely adorable! As we were walking to the car, he told Teresa that Ashlee makes him happy.....I'm pretty sure that's what he said...if not, I'm sure pretending he did!

We all met at Olive Garden in American Fork, ate yummy food, then piled into my car and went to Britanee's house. From there, Rian and Boston ate popcorn while they watched Cars and the girls caught up on each other's lives and made jewelry. So fun!

Boston! I took one and he kept asking for more. Teresa-I'll email the full pictures to you soon!

Miss Rian being a ham for the camera

After we ate our yummy food

We definitely made sure to get a good picture this time!

2010-05-03T09:14:00.000-07:00

From my buddy Deyton. I love getting pictures from that kid!

Three Things

2010-04-29T07:42:00.000-07:00

Three names I go by:

Ashlee
Ash
Ashlee Mae
Three jobs I've had:
Weinerschnitzel {all through high school baby!}
Salt City Candles
Plentiful Pantry

Three places I've lived:
Las Vegas, Nevada
Pleasant Grove, Utah
Salt Lake City, Utah

Three favorite drinks:
Diet Coke
Berry Propel Water
Fresca
Three TV shows I watch:
Glee
One Tree Hill
Marriage Ref

Three places I've been:
Seattle, Washington
Minneapolis, Minnesota
Bend, Oregon

Three places I'd like to visit:
England
France
Hing Kong

Three favourite old TV shows:
Care Bears
Power Rangers {I was always the pink one!}
Recess
Three favourite dishes:
Chicken Enchiladas
Taco Pizza {Papa Murphy's has one right now!}
Creamy Peas {I'm still trying to master that one...}

Three makeup products I cannot live without:
Kat Von D Tattoo Concealer {best concealer around}
NuSkin tinted moisterizer
Clinique Lip Gloss

Three things I'm looking forward to:
Memorial Day
Graduations {2 in the same day}
Seeing family next weekend

People I'm tagging:
Britanee {even if you don't like blogging!}
Brooke
Austyn

But really, anyone who wishes to be tagged should do this!

Need Inspiration

2010-04-28T07:44:00.000-07:00

My house has a lot of color in it and I wouldn't have it any other way. I think color makes people happy! Plus, since you can't paint the walls, color definitely makes it interesting. Anyways, I had a few questions as to wear I looked for inspiration for my home and it was mostly 3 places: Peacock Feather Events, Anthropologie, and Etsy!

*****

Elizabeth from Peacock Feather Events has an eye for color and I love going to her blog. Plus, she has a thing for shoes...I think we could be BFFs one day....Aren't her choices gorgeous?

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Anthropologie. 'Nuff said. All of their items are stunning and swoon-worthy.

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Etsy has {literally} thousands of sellers with amazing home decor items. Even if you don't buy, look around. I guarantee you find inspiration there! If you don't....keep clicking. All I did was type "bright" in the search box and came up with these:

1. pillow 2. mug 3. frame

4. frame 5. flowers 6. pillows

7. clock 8. frame 9. coasters

Polaroids

2010-04-27T07:35:00.000-07:00

I found a Polaroid "developer" on a blog and instantly downloaded it. It's SO completely addicting!

I wish...

2010-04-26T15:45:00.000-07:00

...I could hear this right now

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