Kind of Creepy...

"We don't have one of these, but we really want one. Will someone buy us one?" - Tyler

[ JUST KIDDING! I think this is one of the creepiest things I have ever seen. ]

Nursery Art

I'll admit I've been pretty bored these past two weeks while Tyler is full-time at work. I always thought I'd get to see him more when he was working full-time (compared to both of us going to school full-time) but I actually see him less. Weekends are nice though because he gets off around 3pm on Fridays, and then the weekend seems longer. :)

So to quench my boredom, I've been looking at art prints for Jack's nursery. Because we will be in an apartment, we are limited on what we can do (I don't even know if we can put shelves up or anything). I think his walls are a pale yellow color - fun for a baby room! I started designing yesterday and here is what I came up with. Let me know what you think!

I am thinking they will be 5"x7" prints on a nice white paper, and then with a black frame (shown in the picture). Tyler doesn't like the monkey, but after experimenting I thought it was best to stick with a theme (in this case, a jungle theme). 

However, I have been corrected by Tyler: only monkeys live in the jungle - giraffes and elephants live on the savannas. He suggested putting a lion instead, but I told him I like the uniqueness of the shape of the monkey. I told him all three belong together just fine - like the Lion King. He corrected me and said very matter-of-factly, "Simba only went to the jungle because he was a reject! Look how he turned out! He didn't even think he was a lion!" Oh Tyler, I love you. :)

[ On a side note, Jack is kicking and wiggling around like crazy now! It's so neat to feel him wiggling all the time! Sometimes it tickles. :) Also, we just found out my older sister is having a boy too, so Jack will have a play buddy! ]

Mobiles

I usually think of crib mobiles as plastic, tacky, and - well, that just sums it up: plastic and tacky. But check out this super cute mobile from Jolie Petite Chose in Australia. Definitely out of our price range, but I love the design and the fabric.

On another note, since two fabric stores here in Oceanside have closed down recently, I'm having quite a difficult time finding fabric for baby Jack's crib sheets, etc. I (along with several nearby cities) am stuck with merely one (crappy) fabric store to go to, and it literally has nothing but granny fabrics. Old people shop there for their quilting/making-a-purple-hawaiian-shirt-with-matching-pants-for-my-husband (true story!). Any good resources for more vintage and/or modern fabrics with a decent price tag? (I love fabrics with big prints, and also loving the elephants above.)

Vintage is coming back!

I love that vintage clothes are coming back in style for babies and toddlers. Look at this adorable blazer and these classic cardigans from Old Navy! Hard to resist, eh?

21 Weeks

Many of you have requested belly shots, so here they are! Not the best (it's actually quite difficult to do by yourself with low-lighting so the ISO is way up and they are grainy - sorry) but here they are! 

I think it all depends on the shirt I wear whether or not I look pregnant. I'm wearing a downeast basics black tee in this picture from before I got pregnant, so it's a little tight but it shows my belly better. :)

I got two new maternity shirts for my birthday! Kind of strange when you're excited to get maternity shirts for your 22nd birthday, eh? I'm still wearing my old jeans (see above), which is really nice. I just keep them low below my belly and they fit really nicely, although the legs are quite baggy now. (I think when I was sick I lost weight in my thighs or something because all of my jeans are baggy in the butt and thighs now.)

It's really fun because as time goes on I can feel Jack move more and more. It's kind of an odd feeling though - it started out feeling like an upset stomach (a little queasy - like motion sickness but below your belly) but now his little kicks are becoming more prominent. I try to let Tyler feel them as often as I can, but I have a hard time distinguishing what I can feel on the outside versus what I feel on the inside.

And just for kicks...this week Jack is about 12oz (3/4 of a pound) and the length of a carrot!

Rootbeer Cookies

Here is the recipe for the long-awaited Rootbeer Cookies! It was a struggle to find rootbeer concentrate in Oceanside, but I finally found the sticky stuff at Walmart. You can find it in the spice section with the other extracts. It's McCormick brand, and the bottle is taller than the others. Enjoy!

Rootbeer Cookies

(Makes 3 dozen, but I found with our cookie scoop it made closer to 50 cookies)

2 cups brown sugar

1 c. butter

2 eggs

2 t. rootbeer concentrate

1 t. baking soda

1 t. salt

3 1/2 cups flour

1/2 cup water (optional)

Cream sugar, butter, and eggs together. Add rootbeer concentrate, baking soda, and salt. Mix in flour, adding water if dough is too thick. Cover and refrigerate dough for 1 hour. Bake at 400 degrees for 6-8 minutes. When they come out of the oven, they might not look done, so use the toothpick method instead of your eyes. :) Also, they don't spread very far on the pan - they tend to stay in a very round, circular shape like sugar cookies.

Frosting

The frosting is essential to the cookies. While you can definitely taste the rootbeer in the cookie dough, when baked they lose a bit of flavor. The frosting is light and creamy, and is what really makes the cookies fabulous.

2 cups powdered sugar

1/2 cup butter

1 T. rootbeer concentrate

2 T. hot water

Mix with an electric mixer until light and fluffy. Frost the cookies when completely cooled. This last step is extremely important - if you frost them while the cookies are even slightly warm, the frosting will melt to liquid!

Broken, part 2

Here is Tyler's arm right before they put his cast on:

And right after (what a cheesy smile, honey!)

Memorial Day Weekend

It's probably not much of a surprise to you all, but I'm just now getting around to downloading our Memorial Day picnic pictures! My sister Courtney and her family came down from Lehi to BBQ with us. We had a blast and the food was fantastic!

Here is Baby (well, 17-month old) Benjamin right after eating his first cupcake. He really didn't know what to do with it, so he started out by sticking his entire hand in the frosting!

Needless to say, he was pretty pleased with himself.

Tyler and I went to a mexican market and picked up some delicious carne asada to throw on the grill, along with onions.

The best carne asada I've ever had!

BBQ

Last weekend Tyler and I went to a BBQ Competition (and charity event) with Mom and Dad. Here are the pictures from it, credits to Ben Lobenstein.

Here was our booth, the pink barn in the back.

Here were some of Mom and Dad's walks (4th place Ribs, 8th place Brisket)

This is Harry Soo, one of the sweetest men you will ever meet! His brisket was AH-MAZING.

Here is a sneak peek at Tyler (and his big, blue broken arm) helping Thom

And here are the four of us walking with 2nd place Best Booth and 1st place People's Choice - Most Creative (go peach cobbler!)

Images via Facebook.

An Update!

Yes, the Joneses are still alive! It's been a really long week, but we finally made it to San Diego and Tyler started his internship.

Thank you to everyone who helped us move into our storage unit last week! We literally couldn't have done it without you! Our storage unit looks like a game of tetris, but thanks to the insane packing skills of our friends, it miraculously all fit. We should have a blast getting it all out...

We left on Tuesday (about three hours later than we wanted to, but that's a different story...) and drove from Provo to Las Vegas. We had already planned to stay here a night so I could "see the sights". I'd never stopped here before, and now I know why. The "pirate" show I was so excited about turned to be distasteful and we left it early. (However, props to the fake fire - that was amazing!) I was disappointed with most everything, but I did enjoy having a real bed and walking through the indoor (Venetian?) mall. It had a beautiful canal and the people were much higher class - we enjoyed the fact that no smoking was allowed. :) We left the next morning well rested and ready to be in California. We stopped for an hour at the Primm outlets and got some really classy clothes for baby Jack Jack and some tennis shorts for Tyler. We found that some places had major clearances (overalls for $5 at The Children's Place! What a steal - we bought two pair!)  but others were just so-so. We made it to Oceanside in pretty good time (around 3pm) and settled in for the night.

Tyler started his KPMG internship the next day. Man, they spoil him there! He eats really well there (who doesn't like free food?), and I think he really enjoys the people he works with. Right now he is in Atlanta, Georgia at a leadership conference. He left Sunday morning and gets back late Thursday night. It's the longest we've ever been apart, but at least he is keeping busy and I have my family to keep me company. He visited the Coca-Cola factory this morning and said it was really neat.

We also accompanied my parents at a BBQ competition this past weekend. It was a lot of hard work, but we had tons of fun! We all enjoy the interaction with people. I made a 3-ingredient peach cobbler to hand out to people and it was a HUGE hit. One man told us it was "better than [his] grandmother's cobbler" and wanted Mom and Dad to cater cobbler for him at an event! It was hilarious and rewarding to see the long line that formed in front of our booth for my Dad's (and our friend Thom's) bbq and my cobbler. People raved about it. Dad and Thom competed together and won big too! They got 12th place overall (out of 57 teams - WOW). Dad won 4th place Ribs (!!!!!!) and Thom won 8th place Brisket (!!). To even place and get to walk up is HUGE! Mom even did well - she won 2nd place for Best Booth and we got 1st place for Most Creative People's Choice. We all went home really happy this weekend and I'm really proud of them!
Things have been busy here. I thought they would slow down, but life here at the Ginos home is fast-paced! I have been helping my sister babysit a couple boys down the street, and between that and trying to schedule doctor's appointments for Tyler and I, it's been hectic. The missionaries are coming over for dinner tonight and I was going to make Rootbeer Cookies (sooooo good!) but the funny thing is, I can't find rootbeer extract ANYWHERE! We've checked four grocery stores so far. It's pretty easy to find in Utah, but now that I know you can't find it here, I'm going to have to stock up! I also got my hair cut right before we left - when it's straight, it's at my shoulders. It's pretty dang cute straight (and easy too) but I can't seem to figure out how to wear it curly. Any suggestions? Sometime in the next couple of weeks we are going to try to use our free Disneyland tickets and/or go to a Dodger's game. Anyone want to come with us??

Broken

Unfortunately, life has thrown us a curve ball. It's literally up and down here at the Jones house.

Last week I complained about the cockroaches we have crawling all over our kitchen. This week we were excited about finding out that baby Jack is in fact a boy, and is healthy and well. But tonight we are once again disappointed with life.

Tyler broke his arm.

No, really. You read that correctly. He really broke his arm last night playing soccer. It hurt really bad last night so I made him go to the doctor's today and get x-rays. (Can I throw in a note how much I love and adore the BYU Student Health Center? It is by far the best resource we get here as students on campus, and so many people don't even know it exists. Ten bucks for an appointment gets you any service they can render in the building - ultrasounds, x-rays, bloodwork, you name it. It's all included for just ten bucks, which is the best deal you can ever get as a student!) His x-rays showed that he broke it two ways close to his wrist, but because we have tight time constraints (we are leaving for California on Tuesday) we were referred to an outside orthopedic surgeon at Utah Valley Medical Center for an appointment tomorrow morning. This means A LOT more money, but hey...you've gotta do what you've gotta do.

I'll keep you updated - we're just praying he won't have to have surgery (rods put into his arm). Wish us luck when we have to move on Saturday! Yikes.

Hello, Jack Jones!

We had our first (and probably only?) ultrasound early this afternoon and found out baby "it" is a BOY! We're so excited to share pictures with you of baby Jack's first "appearance". I won't post his "outer plumbing" (as the sonographer put it) online, but just take our word for it. It's a boy. :)

The top picture is his cute little foot (he was extremely wiggly today!) and the on bottom you can see his body and both legs. It was one of the neatest experiences, seeing a little boy moving around inside my belly. Honestly, it was surreal. But finally knowing who is inside me makes so grin. I've been smiling all day! Tonight we went shopping for Jack's first outfit, but found that most baby clothes are pretty ugly. Good thing we tried Macy's, where we found a pack of five onesies that we fell in love with. 

Anyway, welcome Baby Jack to our family!

The Business of Being Born

I don't know if many people actually think about birthing the baby when they decide to get pregnant. I know I didn't. I was pretty set on doing what everyone else does, getting an epidural. If I just got a shot that numbed the pain, I'd be fine right? I wouldn't have to think about the birth until the very end.

But with two sisters and a mother (and passionate two brother-in-laws and a father while we're at it) who are all very strongly advocated toward natural childbirth, I decided to give it a bit more thought instead of fighting them. They all swear by the Bradley method of childbirth, which I am finding is really the only type of birth that involves the husband. Tyler wants to be very involved, and I am grateful for that. Thus, we might do the Bradley method, but we're not 100% decided. I still tend to go back and forth between having an un-medicated delivery and give-me-that-freaking-epidural-right-now type of birth.

As I was doing research (for hypnobirthing, actually), I came across a documentary called The Business of Being Born. I really want to see it! (But we don't have netflix and I don't want to buy it. I think we might get netflix in a couple weeks though when we live with my parents so I can do prenatal yoga, so if I do end up seeing it, I will let you all know!) It's about how the U.S. has turned birthing a child into a business - into a "potentially catastrophic medical emergency" rather than letting it be a natural process. Really, if you think about it, women have been giving birth since the beginning of time without drugs and medical intervention. Women in other countries today still give birth without medical intervention, and live to tell the tale! Think about it. Comparatively speaking, we're wimps here in the states!

I'm not saying for sure that Tyler and I will do the Bradley Method or Hypnobirthing or forgo that beautiful heaven-sent epidural, but as I do my research, the facts tell me the drug-free is the way to go. The statistics I read are shocking - somewhere between 22 and 24% of all births in the U.S. are cesarean births (and most of those start out as epidurals). HOLY COW! I understand if it is medically necessary, but where do you draw the line? And who draws the line? I have a hard time believing that 1/4 of all infants need to be surgically removed from a mother's uterus. Where has the natural process of birth gone? I've been reading several books on natural birth, and the more I read, the more I am convinced. I thought it was all kooky and "hippie" at first (I mean honestly, why would I make the conscious decision to forgo pain relief? Am I an idiot?!) but after research, I am convinced it is all about one's attitude. If you think you can do it, you can. The more I read about the anatomy of the female body, I realize that a woman's body was made for giving birth!

I have to admit I am still undecided. Some days an epidural sounds really nice. But most days, I am convinced (and Tyler is even more convinced) that I can do it naturally. I guess we'll see.



SIDE NOTE:
Thanks to my sisters (Courtney and Mackenzie) for loaning me these books:
I think so far I like Ina May's book the best. She tends to be very optimistic and soothing. I can't wait to read her other book, Spiritual Midwifery.

Season Finales

 image via nydailynews.com

image via here

So I have to admit that there are a few shows Tyler and I watch religiously. Yes, religiously. This list may or may not include 24, Flash Forward, Parks & Recreation, The Office and Glee. (It so happens I am listening to music from Glee right now. And I got made fun of a little for liking it at work yesterday. Yes, I am somewhat of what they call a "gleek".) NOTE: There are a few more we also love: The Big Bang Theory, The Bachelor(ette) (well, I do. I think Tyler will admit it is hilarious to watch) and Chefs vs. City. Wow, this makes it sound like we watch TV a lot. Shoot, maybe we do...

Anyway, a few of these shows have had horrible, horrendous season finales. Okay, I'm mostly referring to Flash Forward, but while watching Parks & Recreation and the Office we had no idea we were even watching the finales. Kind of lame, no? Flash Forward hooked us from the beginning, and as it turns out we are one in very few loyal fans who actually made it to the end. Maybe that's why the ending made absolutely no sense at all. What a disappointment, and now there will be no second season. Sad. However, this short article about it made me chuckle. :)

24 was amazing. Sad, but great. I won't even talk about it because I know most of you haven't seen it, and I can't ruin it for you. Besides, Tyler would make a better blog post about its eight-season + short tv movie saga.


Anyway, I don't quite know what the point of that post was. I just had TV on my mind and am wishing to be anywhere but at work today (not necessarily at home watching TV instead of work, no worries!). Happy Memorial Day Weekend! If you want to read a good article about celebrating it, go here and click on 5/28/2010. Go Daily Universe!

Oh, baby baby

Can I tell you how much I love the Jones family? They really treat me like their own daughter and are so sweet to me! Mom and Dad Jones sent us baby gifts in the mail this week. We received gender-neutral footsie pajamas, with a note reading, "I hope you guys will find out the sex of the baby so we can start sending better gifts. I don't like yellow." His mom makes us laugh so hard sometimes!

We also received a baby sweater from Grandma Jackie. I am so impressed - she knitted it herself! The details are amazing and it really is beautiful.

Thanks to everyone for welcoming baby! We find out the gender next Tuesday (!!!!!) so keep your eyes open because there will be a post! What do you all think - will it be a boy, girl, or perhaps one of each? I think Tyler will be pleased with either - he's just excited at the thought of us having "short, curly-haired children" - hobbit children. Great.

Bryce Canyon

Last weekend Tyler and I drove down to Circleville (pretty much the smallest town in Utah) to visit Tyler's grandma and grandpa. They have senior passes to Bryce Canyon, so we took a little drive and hiked a bit.

Tyler and I hiked to the bottom of this canyon.

Here I am on the way back up. The hike, called Navajo Loop, was straight down (took us 10 minutes) and then straight up (took us about 30 minutes). There weren't any flat resting places for the way up - no mercy! We did find this little viewpoint with shade though, even though it was out of our way. I think I was just disappointed because we had hiked to nothing. Yes, literally, to nothing. We arrived at the bottom and turned right back around to hike up again. How miserable!

Here we are with his grandparents. Knowing there are actually FIVE people in this picture? Priceless. :)

Thanksgiving Point Pictures

Whew! We are long overdue for an update, aren't we?

Here's the dealio. We moved about three weeks ago, and I lost my camera charger in the process. Around that same time, my family and I spent the weekend together, which involved going to Thanksgiving Point. My camera died that day, and I never got around to charging it, and thus my record keeping has failed miserably!

But I'm catching up today. Here are pictures from our Thanksgiving Point trip!

Here was our attempt at taking a picture of all five kiddos.

Obviously unsuccessful because this is what happened two seconds later:




This was Sadie's mood pretty much the ENTIRE weekend. (But luckily Tyler managed to get some smiles out of her!)

Morgan was so excited to touch (and almost feed) the horse!





I was a trooper - I rode the "cow train" with all the little ones while all the other adults stood back and laughed. I somehow managed to choose the smallest cow of them all so I barely fit!

Uncle Tyler finally gave it a go too. :)