Happy Birthday Seth!

Yesterday Seth turned 27. We spent the whole day up in Raleigh so we did most of our celebrating on Saturday. We did whatever he wanted (read: eating, playing video games, and taking a trip to Home Depot.)

In honor of Seth's birthday, here are 10 things that maybe you don't know about him.

1. Everyone thought he was a stoner in high school because instead of paying attention during class he was either finishing up his homework for the next period or sleeping. Everyone was very surprised to learn that he made straight A's. (I know. It irks me too.)

2. To go along with the sleeping in class story, he perfected the art of sleeping while sitting up and not bobbing his head. He also had a mini pillow that he would pull out and use all the time during class. I believe during one class it even progressed to him pushing some desks together so he could sleep on the chairs, using his mini pillow and his coat for a blanket. The teacher finally called him on that last one.

3. He was on a rock climbing team when he was a teenager and once scaled a wall using only his arms. 

4. He likes to know how things work (everyone who reads this blog should know this). On his mission, since he didn't have access to the internet, he kept a little notebook full of things he wanted to look up once he got back. The only one I remember is "how do the nozzles on gas pumps know when to stop."

5. One of his favorite movies is The Labyrinth. I have watched it twice with him and I will never get those hours back.

6. He does not know how to read music.

7. His friends tease him that he was born with tennis shoes on because he almost never walks around barefoot or even in flip-flops.

8. He is really cheap. On our second date he took me to Subway. I didn't find out till later that he thought he was taking me to a classy joint. He didn't find out till later that I was about as impressed as if he'd taken me to McDonald's and told me to order off the dollar menu.

9. His nickname is "Ol' Snake Eyes." Yes, his friends actually do use this name for him. No, there is no story to it. Unless of course you count Seth wanting a nickname and his friends coming up with "Ol' Snake Eyes" as the story, which totally breaks all the rules of nick-naming, in my opinion.

10. He thinks it's hilarious to use text speech in real life. (Or "IRL" as Seth would say, before giggling to himself.) Which is ironic, because he never uses abbreviations when he actually texts. His favorite thing to say is "b-t-dubs" (as in btw, as in by the way) because it is an abbreviation of an abbreviation.

Happy Birthday Seth! I love you!

The Beach Again

Last weekend we met up with Rachel and Isaac and their kids at the beach.
Guess which baby really enjoyed it and which didn't?

Yeah. I'm pretty sure H ate more sand than T even allowed to get on her. (These two are six days apart btw.) H also liked to run headlong into the ocean while T watched incredulously from her towel.
Seth wasn't with me for her first go-round at the beach and I guess he didn't believe me when I told him how much T hated it, so he had to see for himself.

Yep. Still hates it.

On the plus side, she did go in the ocean and not scream about it - a small miracle.

But I'm gonna guess this was her favorite part of this trip.
We have another beach trip planned for later this summer. Think she'll enjoy that one?

11 Months (yesterday)

It seems odd that exactly a year ago I was 8 months pregnant with you. And that you will be a year old in just a month's time.

You are outgrowing your little baby chunkiness and turning into a big girl and it makes me sad and happy at the same time.

You took your first steps all on your own this week! I've yet to capture it on video.

You have 5 teeth, almost 6. For a while there you were my vampire baby with only your bottom two teeth and your two canines but no front teeth. Seth called you his snaggletoothed baby. Your front teeth are coming in now though.

Your favorite food is graham crackers and Seth and I are also not allowed to eat freezee pops without sharing with you. If you don't want a food you pick it up off your tray and disdainfully throw it over the side. It is a very annoying habit.

You are super clingy. Seth or I have to be around or you burst into tears. At night you only want me to put you to bed. I like the attention but I'm hoping you grow out of it...

You talk a lot. You are always babbling on about something. I am trying to teach you signs as well but mostly you just clap when I sign to you.

We have only been in our new ward a few weeks but I'm pretty sure everyone knows you by now since you  like to crawl everywhere and be really loud. Last week I made Seth take you to priesthood and it was the first time I've gotten to sit through a whole relief society without taking you into the hall.

We are both loving the fact that you have your own room with a real sized crib. Your sleeping habits have gotten so much better. You go to sleep without crying now, take two 90-minute naps every day and sleep through the night. I am LOVING it.

I love you T. Happy 11 months!

Space

We have a nice big house, T has her own room with lots of toys and books in it, I've got toys and books for her in the living room, she is an expert crawler and can go wherever she pleases, and yet she chooses to spend most of her time here:

Right. under. my. feet.

Half of the time I think "Awww. I'm her favorite and she loves to be near me." The rest of the time I'm thinking "You have the whole house to play in, why do you insist on being in the same square foot as me!?"

It wouldn't be so bad except that she has developed a new talent of screaming constantly for the pure pleasure of it.

I'm really hoping she gets tired of that new skill quickly.

Of course she's not always underfoot.

Sometimes she crawls into my nightstand and can't get back out.

Happy (Late) Birthday to Amanda and me

This year, for the first time in 6 years, Amanda and I actually got to spend our birthday together. We met up in Richmond at my dad's house.
And it was awesome.
And I took no pictures.
But there was Cheesecake Factory and Men in Black 3 and pool-partying and an IHOP "Power Breakfast" (as my father lovingly calls them) and a night out without the girls and lots of laziness.
And then I had to come home with a teething baby. Happy Birthday to me from T.

"Get with the program mom. It's all about me."

All right. This is a totally lame post but I couldn't let my birthday pass without some mention of it.
Even if it is a week late.