Heritage Park: June 16th

I think June is my favorite month of the year. I neglected a few posts in June, thinking I would "do it later," but ended up never doing it until now. I'm such a procrastinator. We had such a lovely month this past June, spending time with the children, doing activities we don't normally do, and Brad and I getting some alone time, too.

Brad and I have been married 5 years now. We celebrated our 5th wedding anniversary on June 17th. Part of our celebration was taking the kids and Grandpa North to This is the Place Heritage Park in Salt Lake City on June 16th. Brad and I went there on one of our very first dates, back in July 2005.

We were so happy Grandpa came with us. The first place we decided to visit was Mary Fielding Smith's house, way at the east end of the park. It was a nice little hike getting up there. The view of the valley was gorgeous!

After visiting Mary Fielding Smith's house, the kids began throwing rocks in the stream by the house. This is something Lizzy LOVES to do. She had fun throwing rocks, and goose poop (much to my disgust), into the stream.

Later we headed to the school house. This was Scott's and Emma's favorite place to visit when they were younger. The kids loved drawing pictures on the old-fashion slates.

Lizzy of course LOVED the farm animals. She loved riding a horse, petting the goats and lambs, and seeing the piggies. She also got to pet a very friendly brown ox.

Scott and Emma loved panning for gold and making Indian necklaces.

Lizzy's favorite activity was riding on the trains. We rode three trains total, and she loved every single one.

This is what Lizzy looked like on the way home. Poor little girl was completely knocked out.

The Highlight of My Day: June 2011

Something good happens each day. Here's what happened in June:

Wed 6/1/11: Today was my 20-week ultrasound. I was anticipating the news of my baby's gender, but the little guy (or girl) wouldn't show us the goods! Legs were folded together. Oh well! At least we know the baby is healthy and strong.

Thu 6/2/11: My Emmy-girl needed her stepmother tonight, to hug her and comfort her, and give her good advice. I love the bond I have with her. She's such a wonderful, special, loveable girl, and I love being a mother-figure in her life.

Fri 6/3/11: Today we celebrated my wonderful husband's birthday! We had lots of fun, too. Scott did not have school, so we took him out to lunch. Then we picked up Emma after school and visited with her teacher. We stopped at Barnes and Noble for the kids. We played croquet, watched some Batman and X-Men, and had cake and presents. Then Brad and I went on a date to Virg's, took James home, and went to buy some X-Men tickets.

Sat 6/4/11: Brad and I got to go on a "real" date today! We went to see the new X-Men movie and left Lizzy to spend time with James and Marilyn.

Sun 6/5/11: Brad and I taught Scott and Emma how to play "Forbidden Island." We had fun! It's a great game.

Mon 6/6/11: My little unborn baby made me laugh out loud today. It felt like the baby was doing somersaults in my belly. Kicked so hard I saw my belly and shirt move up and down.

Tue 6/7/11: Lizzy had a little piano mishap today. She knocked my wedding picture off the piano and made a big deal about it. "Fell down! Fell down, Mama!" I helped her put it back up and she was very grateful. While I left the room she said very dramatically, "Oh man. Oh man, Mama." I found her shaking her head, looking at the wedding picture. I couldn't help but laugh.

Wed 6/8/11: Watched some more Pride and Prejudice with Bradley tonight. I love that movie, and I love watching it with my husband.

Thu 6/9/11: My beautiful little girl turned two years old today! Happy Birthday, Lizzy! We went out to eat at Fransisco's tonight, then we went to the park, came home and played in the front yard, then we had ice cream for dessert. I put a candle on Lizzy's ice cream and we sang Happy Birthday to her. She loved blowing out the candle!

Fri 6/10/11: Brad, Lizzy, and I had dinner at Valley Park in Taylorsville tonight. Lizzy enjoyed going down the slides and swinging. We went to Toys R Us after dinner and picked up Lizzy's birthday presents. We got her a rocking horse and a farm puzzle.

Sat 6/11/11: Today was Del Sol's annual Lagoon Day. We took all three kids to Lagoon and had a wonderful day. In the evening, the Bruce-Clan and Clarks came over to celebrate Lizzy's birthday. We played Forbidden Island and Catch Phrase. Lizzy loved blowing out her candles and showing off her new rocking horse.

Sun 6/12/11: Lizzy said her first 4 word sentence today. She said, "I want some more!" She wanted more juice. I was also very impressed with Lizzy going to Nursery today. When we got to the door, she didn't even turn to look at me or say goodbye. She walked right in and began to play. I was very happy!

Mon 6/13/11: I enjoyed Family Home Evening with my husband and baby tonight. We watched X-Men 2 (Lizzy had fun saying, "Scary," but not really meaning it), we played outside in the front yard, and we had some yummy ice cream.

Tue 6/14/11: Scott and Emma made the kitchen look beautiful today! I like them home during the summer!

Wed 6/15/11: Emma and I had lunch with Papa today, after Emma's therapy appointment. Lizzy came with us, too. Brad liked having lunch with his girls.

Thu 6/16/11: Today was Heritage Park day! Grandpa North came with us, too. We had a fun-filled morning riding trains, petting farm animals, and looking at historic buildings. In the evening, Brad and I had a fantastic time on our romantic getaway. We celebrated five wonderful years of marriage!

Fri 6/17/11: After spending a fantastic morning together, Brad and I took Scott and Emma to the Harman's in the evening. We did some chores for Marian, then we had pizza and played Nerts. Scott and Emma enjoyed building Legos and watching AFV.

Sat 6/18/11: Went back to the Harman's again. Brad helped Marian and Gordon clean their large fish tank. Lizzy and I cleaned some furniture. Scott and Emma watched TV and played Legos some more.

Sun 6/19/11: While I enjoyed Father's Day and we did lots of nice things for Brad, the highlight of my day was seeing Lizzy sit on her big brother's lap during Sacrament Meeting. It was the cutest sight in the world! Scott was showing her how to draw things on her magnetic board and Lizzy was fascinated. I have no doubt in my mind that Scott will be a fabulous father someday.

Mon 6/20/11: Scott went off to Scout Camp this morning. We decided to go get Slurpees and hang out outside together for FHE tonight.

Tue 6/21/11: I had a great time bragging about Lizzy during her 24 month doctor appointment today. Her doctor was very pleased with how well Lizzy is growing. Lizzy now weighs 29 lbs., and she's 35 inches tall. She's in the 93 percentile for her height. She's a tall girl!

Wed 6/22/11: Homemade chili tonight! Emma's favorite!

Thu 6/23/11: Lizzy had a fever today, which made me sad, but the Tylenol I gave her tonight really helped get her back to normal. She was very happy to feel better.

Fri 6/24/11: Fazoli's for dinner tonight! Lizzy looked adorable with her new white hat on. She had many admirers.

Sat 6/25/11: We got to go swimming with Aunt Marian today! Lizzy had a fun time going in and out of the pool.

Sun 6/26/11: All five of us drove up to North Ogden to attend Jacob Loveless' 1st birthday party. Jacob is such a smiley baby! You can't help but smile when you look at him.

Mon 6/27/11: Scott is on the way to getting his toes cured! YAY! He has some severe infected ingrown toenails. The boy never complained about them, so we didn't know how serious they were until he started going around barefoot. I'm glad it's finally getting resolved.

Tue 6/28/11: Lizzy gets so excited when we go to the library. Tonight she screamed out, "Lizard! Lizard!" at the top of her lungs, right when we entered the *quiet* building. Her favorite part of going to the library is saying hi to Draco, the pet lizard. She also likes making a stop at the drinking fountain and picking out a book to read.

Wed 6/29/11: Lizzy decided to dress up really cute to go out today. She wore her new white sunhat, her pretty colorful lei, and she had her new homemade purse strapped on her arm. She had an unusual assortment of items in her purse, too: a model car, a phone, a scrunchie, and a doggie treat. Who knows why she needed a doggie treat.

Thu 6/30/11: Scott is healing up! It's amazing what a little soaking and antibiotics can do. Next step is going to see a podiatrist.

Lizzy's 2 Year Stats

Weight: 29.25 pounds, 79% for her age.
Height: 36 inches, 93% for her age.
Head Circumference: 19.3 inches, 86% for her age.

24-Month Lizzy
Lizzy has completely left babyhood now. If I were to describe Lizzy in 4 words, I would say she's a confident, athletic, energetic, and intelligent toddler!

Little quirks:

• Lizzy knows how to say over 50 words now! I cannot keep track of them anymore.
• Lizzy loves to take naps and go to sleep at night. She still takes a 3 to 4 hour nap every day.
• Lizzy has a thing for horses now. She loves horses, just like her mama.
• Lizzy says, "Mokee" instead of "Miko" when addressing the dog. The nickname has caught on with the entire family now.
• Lizzy knows how to make animal sounds. She can mimic horses, cows, dogs, cats, pigs, sheep, goats, ducks, chickens, and even bees and guinea pigs!
• Lizzy can say all the numbers up to 10, but she often mixes them up and skips some.
• Lizzy likes to count to 5 or 10 before she runs across a room.
• Lizzy has become more self-reliant. She can open doors that are closed, open lids to forbidden objects, throw garbage away, clean up messes, open yogurt and fruit containers, fetch her own utensils, put away her own utensils, get out of the bathtub by herself, dry herself off with a towel, turn on every light in the house, and remove all of her clothing (including diaper).
• Lizzy is still obsessed with shoes.
• Lizzy can NOT stand messes! She must clean all the messes she makes. She loves washing tables and dusting furniture.
• Lizzy still calls belly buttons, "butts."
• Lizzy likes to sing and play the piano at the same time. She loves music!
• Lizzy loves to sing "Happy Birthday" when she blows out candles.
• Lizzy loves spotting "planes' and "big trucks" whenever we go driving in the van.
• Lizzy still dances at the end of family prayers.
• Lizzy loves watching "Gilmore Girls" with Mama. She gets so excited sometimes, she runs through the house shouting, "Girls! Girls!" She also likes watching "Simpsons" with Papa.
  

Teeth: All her baby teeth are in now, except for her right incisor. For some reason that tooth is being very stubborn.

Her favorite foods and drinks: chocolate milk, peaches, watermelon, chips, cherries, fruit cups, grapes, fruit cups, noodles, spaghetti, eggs, apple sauce, apple juice, hash browns, ice cream, and hot dogs.

Her favorite games and activities:
Catch and throw balls with Grandpa and Papa.
Read and sing with Mama.
Playing outside!
Throwing rocks in ponds, rivers, and streams.
Opening and shutting doors.
Spending time with Scott and Emma.
Visiting relatives.
Riding her rocking horse.
Blowing bubbles.

New Phrases:
"I want some more," "thank you, Mama, thanks," "I fell down," "please help," "I go bye-bye," "I naked," "oh man," "I love you," "I want chocolate milk," "I found it."

Another cute little quirk:
Lizzy loves saying hi and bye to random objects. For example, she says, "Bye-bye, hot, bye-bye," when she blows out candles. She just recently learned to say, "candle," which sounds more like, "can-nole."

Her favorite books:
Mr. Brown Can Moo, Can You? by Dr. Suess
If You Give a Mouse a Cookie, by Laura Numeroff
Are You My Mother? by P.D. Eastmen
The Perfect Pet, by Margie Palatini

Her favorite songs: "Open Shut Them," "Daddy's Homecoming," "Happy Birthday," Popcorn Popping," "My Hands," "B-B-Bubble," "Itsy Bitsy Spider," "Twinkle Twinkle Little Star." She can sing almost all of "Happy Birthday" and "Twinkle Twinkle Little Star" by herself.

Here's a clip of (almost) 2 Year-Old Lizzy:

5 Years Of Marriage

Half a decade ago, I became Mrs. Bradley North. It's hard to believe five years have come and gone!

Storytime with Papa

"A father can be a vital force for good in a child's life. When he sits with his child to read and takes an active role, he gives a priceless gift that no one else can give." Teri Harman.

There was an article on KSL.com the other day (you can read it here) about the importance of fathers reading to their children. My thoughts immediately went to Brad, and how devoted he is to reading to his children. Almost every single night he reads to his daughter, Emma. I love watching them together, her head resting on his shoulder, while they read Harry Potter side by side. Emma follows along with him as he reads aloud, which has definitely played a part in her reading development. I love the way Brad uses a large range of voices as he transforms himself into each character using the sound of his voice. He makes a great Hagrid and a very distinct Hermione. Sometimes I laugh when I hear him read.

Brad makes reading fun for Emma. He makes those few minutes with her every day something special and meaningful. His actions demonstrates that he loves her, and she knows it.

I am so grateful to be married to such a kind and devoted husband and father. Scott, Emma, and Lizzy are truly blessed to have such a wonderful "Papa" in their life. Scott respects him and follows his example, Emma admires him and loves bonding with him, Lizzy thinks he's the most wonderful person in the world.

We love you, Papa! We hope you have a wonderful week and a very Happy Father's Day!

Pumpkin

Emma says the new baby's nickname should be Pumpkin, since he or she is an October baby. I was hoping to call the baby either Ellie or Davy by now, but since Pumpkin likes to keep his or her legs crossed, a nickname will probably be best for now. To tell you the truth I was getting tired of saying "No-Name" all the time. Pumpkin is so much better.

My Two-Year-Old

It's hard to believe the time has gone by so fast and Lizzy has officially left babyhood. She's now a full-blown toddler, and she's definitely acting like it. She is a smart, funny, energetic, independent, and confident little girl. I love it when she says, "Thank you, Mama. Thanks." Or when she sings "Happy Birthday," or "Five Little Monkeys." She brings so much joy and laughter in my life. I love her snuggles and kisses. I love her soft light-brown curls, and her big beautiful eyes. She has one of the cutest smiles I have ever seen, too. She is definitely one of the greatest highlights of my life.

Happy Birthday, Lizzy-Girl!

This video was taken on Saturday, June 11th.

Girl or Boy? I Want to Know!

I had been looking forward to June 1st for a long time. I was anxious to find out if little baby No-Name was a girl or a boy. Unfortunately, the little guy (or girl) was in breech position and had his or her legs crossed the whole time during the appointment. The ultrasound technician gave up quickly, and told me I would need to come back on another day. I was bummed, to say the least. I tried to console myself by saying at least I know the baby is healthy, which is ultimately the most important thing. Still, it would have been nice to find out the gender.I was planning on buying Lizzy new sippy cups this weekend, and I was debating whether or not I would buy pink ones or blue ones, since the cups would eventually be the new baby's, too. I should probably be safe and just buy blue ones. After all, there is nothing wrong with blue, except that I like pink so much better!

My next scheduled ultrasound will be on July 5th. Hopefully, No-Name will relax a little and show off the goods. I'm crossing my fingers that legs will be uncrossed next time.

Happy Birthday, Papa!

Today we celebrated Papa's birthday! We had lots of fun, too. Scott did not have school, so he came with Brad, Lizzy, and me to Hires for lunch, then we picked up Emma after school and visited with her teacher. We stopped at Barnes and Noble on the way home, and Emma and Scott got to use money they earned from awards at school to buy books and Legos. While Lizzy napped, we played croquet, watched some Batman and X-Men movies, and had cake and presents.

Happy Birthday, Papa! We love you!

The Highlight of My Day: May 2011

Something good happens each day. Here's what happened in May:

Sun 5/1/11: Lizzy stayed through all of nursery! YAY! I stayed home from church today, because my little gummy bear was making me feel sickly, so Brad took Lizzy to nursery. Maybe I should have him do it every time. Lizzy was so happy to see me when she came home today she screamed and shouted, "MAMA!" Very cute. Then she began singing to me songs she learned in nursery and showed me her new finger puppets of Joseph Smith. I loved how enthusiastic she was.

Mon 5/2/11: Today we made our annual Mother's Day cards for Scott's and Emma's great-grandmas and Grandma Whitcomb. We do this every year, and it has become a wonderful tradition. Lizzy got to help this year drawing on the cards. She loved that.

Tue 5/3/11: I got a great report back from my liver doctor today! My numbers are back to normal, and I lost quite a bit of weight despite my being pregnant. That made me smile.

Wed 5/4/11: I felt my little baby move this morning while I was lying in bed. The sweetest little thing!

Thu 5/5/11: Brad, Lizzy, and I flew to California to visit my family in Long Beach. My parent's took our family and the Montgomerys to dinner at Don Jose's for Cico De Mayo. I loved seeing Rachel's big pregnant belly.

Fri 5/6/11: We played at nearby parks, visited old friends, went to Trader Joes, and had dinner at Soup Plantation. I loved spending time with my family.

Sat 5/7/11: Rachel, Craig, and Dad joined the three of us at Heritage Park in Cerritos. I took prego photos of Rachel, and Lizzy had fun going on the slides and saying hi to the ducks. In the evening, my mother hosted Rachel's third baby shower. I enjoyed seeing friends and neighbors, and watching Rachel open her darling baby gifts.

Sun 5/8/11: I had a wonderful Mother's Day with my mother this year. We went to church at Long Beach First Ward, then we had a yummy Mexican lunch at home. Rachel and Craig joined us in the afternoon.

Mon 5/9/11: It's nice being home again, but I miss my family in Long Beach. Grandpa North took us out to lunch at Virg's after he brought us home from the airport. I loved seeing Sushi when we got back to the house-- she missed us.

Tue 5/10/11: Husband had good legal news today. I'm optimistic everything will turn out great in the end.

Wed 5/11/11: My kids surprised me by liking my salmon dinner tonight. I've never had such positive reviews over fish before. It was nice.

Thu 5/12/11: Lizzy knows how to sing quite a few songs now! She knows how to sing most of "Twinkle Little Star," "Happy Birthday," and "Batman." She also knows some of the words to "Itsy Bitsy Spider," "Open, Shut Them," "Popcorn Popping," "Be Still," and "My Hands."

Fri 5/13/11: I went to my doctor's appointment to hear my baby's heartbeat. Lizzy had fun flirting with the doctor. In the evening, Susie arrived! We went to Sampan for dinner, then we headed to Gardner Village and the Jordan River Parkway. Lizzy had fun throwing rocks in the river.

Sat 5/14/11: We went to Thanksgiving Point this morning and had a great time at Farm Country. Lizzy loved all of the animals, especially the cows and horses. She got bit by a hungry sheep, but enjoyed feeding the lamas. In the afternoon Scott and Emma arrived. We had a yummy dessert after dinner at Leatherby's.

Sun 5/15/11: I enjoyed having Susie come to church with me today. I LOVE having my sister in town! After church, Susie's friend Michelle and her family came over for a short visit. We went to Bruce and Loralee's house in the evening after dinner.

Mon 5/16/11: It was sad saying goodbye to Susie today, but we are happy we will see her later in the summer. Today I got done some laundry and helped Brad out. I love my husband.

Tue 5/17/11: It was pretty funny watching Lizzy run through the house wearing nothing but her diaper, yelling, "No clothes! Naked! Naked!"

Wed 5/18/11: That little unborn baby of mine is a little acrobat! I love feeling all of the little thuds inside me. So precious!

Thu 5/19/11: While Brad went to the store this evening, Lizzy and I had some special mommy/daughter moments. First, we talked about going to see the farm animals last Saturday. Then we sang "Old MacDonald" and a few other favorite songs. Then we played "This Little Piggy," danced to some music, and then snuggled on the bed during some quite music. While we were snuggling in bed I whispered in her ear, "Lizzy loves Mama." And she giggled. It was so sweet.

Fri 5/20/11: It was nice having Scott and Emma spend a Friday night with us! I love them both very much.

Sat 5/21/11: The five of us went to Marilyn's house tonight to see two new guinea pigs. Lizzy was so excited to see them! She kept saying, "Pigs! Pigs!" Scott seemed to love holding "Alpha" the most.

Sun 5/22/11: Emma and I spent some time together sewing and crocheting. Emma has her own artistic way of sewing, which I think is both unique and beautiful. She made her cousin Kaylie a pillow.

Mon 5/23/11: We played "Apples to Apples" tonight after coming home from the library. It's fun being able to play as a family. Scott and Emma won first and second place.

Tue 5/24/11: Brad went to the U2 Concert today. I stayed home and enjoyed playing outside with Lizzy and picking lilacs. I missed Brad when night came, and couldn't fall asleep, so I stayed up watching the finale of "Dancing with the Stars."

Wed 5/25/11: I spent the whole day with Brad! I enjoyed watching the videos he took at the concert and looking at his photos. My camera takes great videos.

Thu 5/26/11: Ice cream cones tonight with Brad, Scott, and Lizzy. Lizzy looked like a little chocolate vampire when she was done. She had brown streaks going down her face.

Fri 5/27/11: I enjoyed spending time with my Emma-girl tonight. Didn't do anything special-- just hung out at home. She is such a sweetheart.

Sat 5/28/11: Got a cute haircut today, and a cute blouse! But the highlight of my day was definitely spending time with Bradley. He is wonderful!

Sun 5/29/11: We had three YSAs show up to Sunday School today. Brad was thrilled to teach his lesson.

Mon 5/30/11: Today we celebrated Memorial Day and Grandpa North's Birthday with our extended family members. Brad's cousins, Craig and Jason, came with their families, as well as the Harman's, the Bruce Clan, and Marilyn & James. But the biggest highlight of my day was getting the news that my sister, Rachel, gave birth to her son, Eric, this morning at 9:45 am. I'm thrilled to be an aunt again!

Tue 5/31/11: Brad wrote me a love note today while he was at work. I love being in love with my husband, and I love him loving me back. He is such a sweet, smart, caring, and creative man. I love being married to him.