Whats new

I feel like we have been so busy! I guess with 2 children it may feel that way. 

Presley started Preschool! Woohoo! She goes 2 days a week for a few hours and absolutely loves it!

 ( first day of Preschool)

As for the little man, I love him. Seriously could he be any cuter? Noah is getting bigger by the day and is starting to smile and jabber( a little). I love when they start responding to you. It makes it all worth it. 

 

 He sure was a happy boy at Jumpstreet the other day. Presley loved jumping on the indoor trampolines too. The other picture was when I was rolling my tongue and he was so intrigued by it.

 We needed to get out of the house just Presley and I so we went on a quick date after Zach got home to QT for some Freezoni's. When I told her she could get a treat too she replied "oh Mom, I love it when youre nice." I felt awesome. Seriously the kid is so spoiled.

Presley hates getting her hair fixed. She pitches a huge fit but it gets in her face if I don't. Im a queen briber. Note to self, Green pringles have magical powers and she will let you do french braids.

Noah's Blessing

 Zach was able to give Noah a beautiful blessing this past Sunday. Almost everyone was able to attend ( We missed you Annie and Mary). I am so grateful for our family. We have such a wonderful, supportive family.

A sweet lady from our ward wrote down a few blessings Zach gave Noah

*To be a worthy Priesthood holder
* Look to and follow his rich heritage
*gain a testimony of his own
* know things that are right
*know that any faults he may have can be corrected through Jesus Christ's forgiveness
*prepare to enter the temple
*see the example of his family
*respect women/girls as Heavenly Father will ask
*know that your parents and sister love you

and lots more

Noah William

He's Here! Noah William was born 7/15 at 3:34 am. Dr. Beck had stripped my membranes earlier in the week and I would get contractions pretty close together for about 2 hours and then they would go away. I ended up getting my membranes stripped 2 more times and the same would happen. I wasnt having any contractions but my water broke on its own at 1:30am. After getting Presley where she needed to be Zach and I arrived at the hospital at 2:15am and I was already dialated to a 7. I was in terrible pain and it seemed like the nurses were moving so slow. Finally after what seemed like forever going through Admitting and then Trioge they rushed me into a Delivery room where I was already 9cm and fully dialated. My body was moving faster then my doctor so the were eager to give me an epideral hoping it would slow me down just enough for Dr. Beck to arrive. About 10 nurses were running around trying to get everything ready for Dr. Beck and for Noah's arrival. At this point I am trying really hard not to push and Zach was getting a little queesy. My Mom and sister were there for support for both him and I. Dr. Beck finally made it as the Anesthesiologist is rolling out of the room. My legs were numb and my contractions were tolerable at this point.It was time to push. About 2.5 contractions later our little Noah was born. No tearing and no Episotomy.

We are so in love with him. He is super chill and totally adorable. He is eating like a champ and gives me 3 hours between feedings at night. We have already gone through 3 packs of diapers because the kid pees and poops like crazy. Presley is adjusting well to Noah and has been such a good helper. I feel really good for having a baby a week ago. We love our little family so much and are so happy Noah has joined us.

34 weeks and counting

  Here is a little Instagram upload for ya!

Its hot but we've been trying to stay busy. I'm trying to play and pack as many activities I can this month for Presley because next month we are going to have to slow down a little.

Presley is my little companion. She always wants to go places with me even if her Daddy is home. This particular picture she turned to me at Target and said, " Mom take a picture of me looking into this mirror." She is quite the funny girl. We laugh constantly.  Since its been a little unbearable heat wise, the fans have been going. Zach showed Presley how her voice changes when you talk or sing into the fan. Now I hear everything in Darth Vador voice.

Ive been working on a few projects before Chief comes. My cousin Jami showed me this tutorial of painted onesies and of course I had to try. I love how the turned out. So different. So fun. I want him to wear them RIGHT NOW!

 I finally painted my kitchen chairs. Its only taken me a year and a half. I dont know what happened but one day I was hanging curtains and then all of a sudden I'm  off to buy paint. Nesting maybe?

 Zach and P got hit with a bug a couple of weeks ago. Luckily I was able to avoid it. Both were pretty pitiful. Its always so funny to see Zach go from and adult to a child when he is sick.

 My Mama is a working girl right now so we don't get to see her as often as we used to. Fridays have been designated "Mimi Days". Presley really enjoyed The Firm Workouts she did with my mom last week. Her arms are looking more toned. ;)

 And here it is. The bump. 34 weeks and counting. This was taken last week and I can guarantee Im larger this week than last. My only complaint is I wish people would stop telling me how large Im getting. Its obvious to me. Im feeling pretty good. Im starting to get a little swollen usually at the end of the day and depending on how much Ive done that day. Things are starting to get a little more uncomfortable but Ive been going to the chiropractor and that seems to help.

Chief's room

When we found out we were having a boy I had a really hard time deciding what direction I wanted to go with for his room. Girl things I know, boy things... not so much. Since we cant decide on a name for this little guy I started calling him Chief. Then thanks to pinterest and Lay Baby Lay I decided to do a Native American theme. Here was my inspiration.

Heres how it came out! I really wanted to put in the map of the railway but due to cost found this picture of the Grand Canyon at the beloved Ikea. In the last month I have probably been to ikea maybe 10 times. Im really happy with the outcome. I actually made the leather mobile pictured above but have yet to hang it. Or should I say Zach. He is such a good sport. Ive only had to bribe him a few times.

I still have hopes for this wall with the Buffalo tapestry. It needs more but until I can find what Im looking for it will just have to stay like this.

Sometimes I just go in his room and sit. Im so excited for him to come I can hardly stand myself.

For Annie

Blogger is so different!!!  Has it really been that long since Ive posted? Well its about time I posted something! Its Hot. I cant seem to keep my pregnant body cool. Sweat is developing in places it never has before and I cant believe its only going to get hotter. Ive considered packing up and moving to Alaska for the next 6 months. Presley is keeping cool though. Today after walking through Wal Mart trying to get ourselves a blow up pool Presley says, "ugh, mom its too hot. I need to cool off in my pink pool." She picked the pool out herself. It HAD to be pink.

Presley has really loved having her cousin Ellie here. After Dance on Tuesday Ellie usually parties with us for a few hours. Last week we went to the Splash pad with Aunt Mary and this week we hooked up the sprinklers in the front yard and ran around filling up buckets and watering all the plants. Im so happy they get along!

Presley is obsessed with everything Pink, Princess related and sparkles. She refuses to wear "boy clothes" aka shorts, pants, and t-shirts. It has to be a dress or tutu skirt and if its spinning capabilites are not up to par then forget about it.

Heres the bump. Saturday will mark 29 weeks. I wish it was 39 weeks but I keep sending positive thoughts into the universe that he will not be born on his due date July 21 but rather by the 7th. 38 weeks is long enough, right? 

Dr. Beck and I are totally on the same page. Presley was a large baby for 37 weeks so we will see when it comes closer. I am so ready for him to be here. I cant wait to kiss on him and have a little boy in our home. The nursery is almost done as soon as it is pictures will follow. Other than a little Anemia this pregnancy has been quite easy. I didnt die like I did with Presley and my blood pressure is excellent at this point. Hopefully everything stays this way. Im becoming more uncomfortable but I cant really complain.

I have a boyfriend

Its official. I have a boyfriend. We are super happy to have a little Boy come into our family. I cant wait to meet him!

25

There is something about Balloons that make me so happy. I dream of effortless flying about bringing joy to everyone. I had a birthday On Sunday. I turned 25(enter moans and groans here from you and me ) I feel like I am so much older and wiser now. I mean I'm 25. I'm nearly 30. Even though I have had enough gray hair to classify me as a 70 year old I am just 25 years of age. Ive been reflecting on all the things Ive done in my 25 years of living. Ive laughed, Ive cried, Ive peed my pants in various places not on purpose, I'm a mother to almost 2 children, a wife for almost 6 years, Ive graduated from college, Ive bought 2 cars, I get to teach 2 of my favorite things in the world, Ive traveled, Ive been to Disneyland at least 70 times, I was born into and married into 2 of the greatest families in the world and then list goes on. I am one lucky girl. Of course I dont just party on my actual birthday. I party for days! Eating was definitely involved. Thank you to those who made the day so wonderful!

She's never been good at keeping secrets....

My mom STINKS at keeping secrets. This will be her second offense telling everyone she knows before we go to the Dr. to make sure everything is fine. Well my friends, Im having another munchkin!Isnt he cute!? I say He because I just KNOW its a boy! :) There is a 50% chance its a girl but Im pretty convinced its a boy. We are beyond excited. We've been trying for quite sometime and now its finally happened. I have been surprisingly okay. I was worried I would go to the Dr. and he would say there was no baby because I wasnt worshipping the "porcelain god" like I had with Presley. Im on Zofran because I did start but I didnt hesitate to call Beck and get some drugs in me as fast as possible. Everything is totally normal. Baby's heartbeat is perfect and its developing right on track. Im due in July, which could be the death of me. Im pretty sure I will be beached at a pool almost all summer. I can hear it now, " Mommy I didnt know Walruses were allowed at the pool. " Sweet mercy!

Well Hello there!

Hello! (echo, echo echo)

Good news! We're still alive! After I pulled up our blog today to go read everyone elses, Zach asked," we still have a blog?" Yes, indeed we do. Although it has been months(2 to be exact) since my last blog post we have been staying busy.

Presley is obsessed with the Phoenix zoo right now. She asks almost everyday if we can go. Thanks to my parents being zoo members and getting free tickets we have gone a lot. Sometimes by ourselves, sometimes with friends. Her favorite thing about the zoo... wait for it.... is the carousel. :) That girl could ride the carousel all day if I was willing to fork over the money, cash, dow, but I'm not, so we settle for 1 ride and the little girl is content.

Thankfully after countless hours of me pushing and Presley swinging, the swing has broke.

It was a bit chilly this morning so she insisted on having her polka dot blanket. This photo was taken approximately 5 minutes before said swing came tumbling down. Luckily no one was hurt and Presley asks almost everyday if her "daddy will fix it." Does this make me a bad mom? Im not kidding, she will literally swing all day!

We were the Flinstones for Halloween. My costume stunk. Zach and Presleys were awesome.

Yes that is a REAL dog bone in Presley's hair. Zoey was kind enough to let P borrow it for the night.

Hopefully I can get my act together and we can all be blog friends again!!! I promise to blog more if you promise to read it. Deal?

Bearizona

A few weeks ago as I was sitting at the Car washer I came across a poster advertising a place called Bearizona. It looked really interesting so I made a mental note and went on my way. A few days ago my sister in law mentioned this place again. I don't know if it was due to extreme exhaustion or crazy pills but I decided to take Presley up to Bearizona in Williams AZ to see the Bears. Yesterday Jami and I braved the 3 hour drive up with a 5 month old, a 2 1/2 yr. old and a Birthday girl who turned 4 yesterday. On the way up Penny didn't sleep, the DVD players broke, slushies were being spilled and the Mamas were exhausted. But we did it. We went, we saw, we conquered. Or so we keep telling ourselves. Overall Bearizona was pretty cool. The animals were literally right outside your car. Its amazing seeing them up close. We saw Bison, wolves, Black Bears, Burros, Sheep, Goats, Hawks, and Racoons up close. I was kind of disappointed that it wasnt bigger. We drove up for 3 hours to drive through the Wildlife Park in about 15 minutes and experienced the at Walk Around area for another hour and a half or so, to turn around and drive home 3 hours. I'm pretty sure the girls liked it. Their faces when they could see the animals so close was priceless. So worth it.

Shake Your Groove Thang

Westwood High Schools Homecoming 2011 and 50th Anniversary.

Yes, that's my Dad. He was the star of the parade and Halftime show. You all know now where I get my sweet dance moves from! He and I worked very hard on his John Travolta 'Saturday Night Fever' dance moves. Hours and Hours... Okay 10-15 minutes. Presley could hardly stand it that her Pompa was on a float without her. She kept saying, "Hey that's my Pompa!" He was so nice to throw lots of Tootsie rolls her way. She loved it. Can you believe I didn't even get a picture of Presley, Grace and Penny in their special Homecoming attire? They looked SOOOO cute!

Labor Day Weekend

Zach, Presley and I were able to go up to Cedar Haven, Mom and Dad V's home away from home in Showlow. I have been dieing to go up so when this long weekend came up I was eager to head up to Showlow. It was just what we needed. We headed up on Saturday after my dance classes and spent Sunday and Monday morning with Mom and Dad V. They have been working really hard on getting Cedar Haven and it looks so good. On Saturday we had a BBQ with Dad V's new grill and watched a movie. Sunday after church and some much needed nourishment they took us up to Greens peak which was spectacular! It was so beautiful and green. Presley loved that there were cows and horses everywhere she looked. Dad V would stop and name the ones close enough to the car and Presley thought it was awesome. Every cow was a mommy or a baby cow and she would say how cute it was. We loved being in the cooler weather and loved being able to spend time with Mom and Dad V.

When you gotta go, you gotta go

Ive been quite the slacker when it comes to blogging lately. Hopefully I can get it together and then I can get my blog friends back.

We have been battling Pee here in the Vance house. Last week we unsuccessfully attempted to Potty train Presley. In 1 hour she peed in 5 different pairs of underwear. She didnt even care. If I wouldn't have been there hovering over her she wouldn't have even told me. We would sit on the potty, read books, drink juice, talk about everyone who went potty in the toilet, sing songs, etc. She could careless if Nana and Baca, Mom and Dad, Grace and Jami, Mimi and Grandpa all went to the potty in the toilet. She would sit on the potty and then as soon as she got up would run into the corner and pee. It even got to the point where she wouldn't even sit on the toilet at all. Not even her Princess potty. So I threw in the towel. Were going to just wait it out for a while. And if she is 5 years old and cant start kindergarten because she isn't potty trained then we have seriously issues.

In other news its seems like I am not potty trained either. Last night after teaching dance all day I got home to a locked house and Zach and Presley were no where to be found. Since Zach is in Young Mens I naturally thought he must be at the church for his Mutual activity. I drove to the church to get keys because I had taken his car to work that didn't have house keys on them. This whole time I have to go to the bathroom EXTREMELY bad, like I had been holding it for atleast 2 hours. I hurried into the church, grabbed Presley, grabbed Keys and headed out to the car. All of a sudden I could feel the tingling of a sneeze coming on. It came, it went, and I peed my pants. Completely peed my pants. My dignity now resides in the church parking lot. It gets better. I had forgotten to give Zach his keys to his car and now my pants were soaking wet. So I sat on a grocery bag home, ran inside to clean myself up and drove back to the church to give him his keys. Ridiculous.

Zach uses the toilet like a champ. He has had no accidents. Presley and I are so proud of him. :)

5 years and counting

5 years ago I married this handsome man. I couldn't be happier.

Summer Fun

WE ARE ALIVE!!!! We have just been playing summer away. Since its so dadgum hot outside we mostly have been basking in the sun at the public pools. This last week we ventured out to the Phoenix Children's Museum. Presley loved it. There was so much for her to do. At first I think she had sensory overload but quickly took action. She darted from place to place, smiling and laughing.





We also went to Jumpstreet with some friends. Seriously this place is amazing. It cost me $4.35 for Presley to jump on huge trampolines and bounce slides all day. Plus the added bonus of being inside with air conditioning. She loved it. I loved it. We will be going back for sure!

San Diego

Zach came home a few weeks ago from work and proclaimed he needed a vacation. I agreed a 100% with him. We decided San Diego would be our destination. OH. MY. GOSH. It was so nice. The weather was amazing. We took Presley to Sea world and she loved it. Our only problem was Presley wasnt taking a nap like normal and was exhausted and at about 6 pm everyday had a completely breakdown. We were also getting rid of the Pacifier this weekend too so it became a little challenging to say the least. Other than that we had a great time! Ive already asked Zach when we could go back. 115 degrees? No thank you.

LGO

Last weekend Jami, Spencer, Zach and I went on a little date night to LGO in Phoenix. I had never heard of it until Jami had mentioned it and mentioned all the "blog celebrities" that loved it. I was sold. As we waited for our table(happening place) we strolled around the market next door. I was already on a high just being on a date with Zach with some fantastic company but when Jami called out my name and began showing me these...

Yes please! I was giddy. I mean giggling giddy. I began every tactic I knew bribing Zach into buying me these. It hit me... " Ill bake more cookies for YOU with these awesome measuring cups and spoons." He was sold.

Im pretty much in love with LGO. The wings, the Pizza, The atmosphere,THE DESSERTS(giant ding dong? yes please). Zach loved the salted Chocolate Chip cookie. Much to my dismay ;) My babushkups were cracked on the bottom so I need to go back. Darn.

Matryoshka Nesting Dolls

Ive always loved Russian Nesting Dolls but lately Ive been looking online for some art work to put in our house and found this.

I LOVE IT!! Hazel Nicholls, be still my soul.

I also love the above picture. I think Im going to put it up in Presleys room.

If you come over and see my house covered in nesting dolls. Take me to therapy.