The Haskell's

mr crazy pants

2012-01-26T05:55:00.000-08:00

Handsome Jericho

My little stinker bug is so adorable and oh so naughty. He learns new things everyday and I'm suprised at how much mischief this little fella can get into or create. He is soooo polite. But, usually not at the right times. He says please and thank you about 10 minutes after he received or asked for something. He does get "sorry" right when you ask him to move or say "excuse me". Sorry, sorry, sorry is what he says over and over when I say excuse me to him. He is very stubborn, and LOVES to say "nope". I heard him say "yes" yesterday and he had the most shocked look on his face as if he couldn't believe he said it either.

Since moving he has had some troubles adjusting to his new surrounding and sleeping in a new room. After a few sleepless nights and lots of tossing and turning on the couch with he and I cramped together...he finally started to go to sleep in his room! It has taken the addition of a tv and dvd player so he can watch Toy Story as he goes to sleep, but it does the trick. Unfortunately, (and Dad is secretly so proud) Jericho has discovered how to climb out of the crib. Huge bummer for this momma. Having him caged has been my lifesaver since I work nights and try to get him to nap during the day. So...we are juggling some things. Jericho wakes up anywhere from 1 am to 5 am crying. I get up, and we go upstairs to lay on the couch and watch TV. Thank you Sesame Street. If momma is at work, daddy gets Jericho situated on the couch and goes back to bed :) When it is nap time...Jericho and I have a rest on "mommas bed" and watch "The Santa Clause". I've discovered that Jericho is a very loud sleeper. Snores (Wade says, "just like his momma") and he sucks his thumb with an incredibly loud suction sound. It's adorable, unless I'm really tired :) I have to admit it has been fun to cuddle with him. He has always slept by himself in his crib since he was 3 months old and it's been a long time since I've been able to cuddle with him while he sleeps.

Potty training is my Everest! I'm afraid we will never get it and Jericho will be a senior in diapers. Right now...that sounds just fine to me.

Wade is doing great in school. He has some incredibly hard classes and has been studying like crazy. He will do great and I'm proud of him.

We are mostly moved. Maybe just a few more trips to the apartment to pick up my straggling items. It's such a crazy hard process, but I am grateful to have a nice, quiet house to live in.

p.s. I hate blogger sometimes. Anyone else have issues uploading pics??

We are moving....AGAIN!

2012-01-11T02:46:00.000-08:00

Moving/packing/cleaning.....it all freakn' sucks!!!!

Jericho's buzz collection.....this is after I made a DI pile :)

We are moving...........AGAIN! It's a good thing, it will be for the better, and I'm very grateful. But, I am oh so sick of packing, moving, cleaning, jumping over boxes, rearranging piles, not knowing where stuff is, not knowing where to put things, and the just plain stress of it all!

I have LOVED our apartment and it is bittersweet to be leaving. It is a great place, but oh too noisy for me and my goofy schedule. It has also messed up Jericho's napping schedule and that throws me completely off since my WHOLE WORLD revolves around Jericho's sleeping habits. We are moving to Wade's Dad's home, (Wade's childhood home) until summertime. Wade's dad got re-married and has moved to Logan for the next few months. It will be nice to have a quiet house with a garage and lots of space. I've just got to figure out where to put all of our junk in the meantime.

Wade started school this week and is feeling the stress. I feel bad for him, but know he will do a super job. Hopefully we can get all settled in the next few days and things will go a little smoother for all of us. There is always something to keep life exciting isn't there? :)

Merry Christmas! and...a Happy New Year!

2011-12-26T18:14:00.000-08:00

Jericho and his buzz....just one more to add to his collection :)

I hope everyone had a fantastic Christmas! Ours was wonderful. Lots of toys and time with family. Jericho was so fun this year. He really got the whole Santa thing a lot more and was so excited to see what Santa had brought him and to open presents. He kept saying "Santa Cwause" and "Ho, Ho, Ho Merry Cwistmas". It's adorable. Christmas Eve we were able to go light a candle on Marie's grave. The cemetary was beautiful and it was pretty amazing to see it all lit up. So many people go and decorate their loved ones' gravesites. Then we had some turkey and funeral pototoes with Chelsey, Jared and Haize at our house. At about 930 we went back through the cemetary for another look. We opened our Christmas jammies and blankets and it was off to bed! We got Jericho up around 830 and played and played until 1000 when we went to Matt and Nikki's house for breakfast and more presents. After breakfast it was home for a nap! Jericho just wanted to play, but around 330 he came and layed in bed with me and said "oh so sweepy". It was great to cuddle with him for a little while and he totally fell asleep within about 30 seconds! Later that night Wade's dad and Sandra came over, then we went to visit Grandma and Grandpa Haskell. It was a great day. I just wish it didn't go by so quickly!

Holy Christmas Cards Batman!

2011-12-14T02:54:00.000-08:00

Ok...so, I'm lame and just took a picture of our Christmas card with my phone.

Sometime I will have to post pictures of our fantastic Haskell Gingerbread

House making/ugly sweater party.

It was a hit.

I hope people see our Christmas card and know we are being cheesy, and wearing ugly sweaters. Ah well. I'm pretty dorky...doesn't matter anyway :)

After addressing over 100 of these suckers....I'm kinda sick of seeing my chipmunk face

I hope everyone is enjoying the season!

fun times at work

2011-12-06T23:20:00.000-08:00

I think some of you can guess who this is......

This is what happens when you work the night shift in the ER....

Happy Sunday

2011-12-04T02:13:00.000-08:00

Look how adorable my little Jericho is? I can't believe he is 3 years old! Where oh where does the time go?? He was 3 months old in this picture.

I'm reading a great book recommended to me by a dear friend, Jennie. "Same kind of different as me" by Ron Hall. It is helping me to remember charity, kindness and friendship during this holiday season. I wish and hope that I can be more charitable, giving, trusting, and faithful each and every day. It is my goal.

If you haven't read it....pick it up. It's fantastic.

Only 24 days until Christmas!!

2011-12-01T23:51:00.000-08:00

Jericho - doesn't he look like Ralphie from The Christmas Story??!!

It's that special time of year - can you feel it in the air?!

I love this time of year.

I am so grateful for my little family.

I am grateful for my sister. She is amazing and she has done so much for me. I am very lucky to have her in my life.

I'm grateful for my job and my wonderful friends. It's been 11 years with most of them and I feel so fortunate to have been able to work with them for so long! I started out as a brand new grad in the ER and was immediately taken in and welcomed with open arms. I got married, and everyone came or was involved. I moved to Alaska! I came back and went to another hospital and I still work with the same people! Crazy! I had a baby boy - was on bed rest for months...and they all supported me greatly! I've had some family tragedies and personal tragedies that they have stuck by me like troopers! It's been a goofy, crazy, bumpy road...I am so glad and I can honestly say I count them as my family. We have been through a lot together.

I am grateful for my husband. Poor fella has had it rough with me. It hasn't been an easy almost 7 years with me at all. He has stuck by me, supported me, and loved me through it all. He deserves a special award and a special spot in Heaven :) I love you Wadey poo.

My little Jericho is the light of my life. I can't believe how much I love and adore that little boy. He literally makes my world turn and I don't know what we did without the little fella!

I'm grateful for my parents and grandparents, as well as wonderful inlaws and inlaw grandparents. They have been so incredibly good to me and my little family.

I love you all and am grateful for you in my life!

I hope everyone enjoys this special time of year! Love, hug and let everyone know you care every chance you get!

It's friday

2011-11-18T03:33:00.000-08:00

It's friday. I'm super sick. And...I'm really sick of being sick. It's going on ten days people and I've had it. I'm also pretty sure everyone around me is sick of me too. All I do is cough, snot and sound like a 12 year old boy in puberty. It's disgusting. So sorry to poor Wade. He even slept on the floor in the family room the other night due to my non-stop hack. It's a little embarassing to go to work and talk to people with my hoarse/crackly voice. Poor Jericho was sick last week with a cold virus, but was limping and it scared the daylights out of me. So, I panicked and took him to the Dr to get some reassurance. He had a couple of rough days, but is such a tough dude, he snapped out of it pretty quick.

I am in love with Christmas decorations. My trees are all up, but I'm not done. I want to do so much more. Jericho loves the Christmas trees and all of the snowman/santa decorations we have. I am so grateful for this time of year and feel blessed. Although this has been a pretty trying/difficult past couple of years for us, I am aware of the outpouring of blessings I and my family have received. Plus, I have some amazing friends, family and coworkers and I have felt of their love and support. But....I'm still going to write down my "dream Christmas list". Everyone can dream a little right? I just don't want to sound ungrateful, or greedy. I'm just pretending I'm a little kid writing my Christmas list. So here it goes:
1. 1 million dollars
2. a House
3. Brand spankin New Mac Book Pro - for WADE!
4. Brand spankin new camera and some fancy lenses - for WADE!
5. Brand spankin new vehicle/truck/van - for WADE!
6. New subaru - white, with lots of trimmings - for me and wade :)
7. INTERNET access at my place of residence at all times :)
8. Maid - for me
9. Kindle Fire - for me
10. A kitchenaid- or bosche (sp?) mixer.
11. A whole new set of pots/pans.

Thats all. No big deal. :) Have a happy day people

Happy 3rd Birthday Jericho!

2011-11-04T03:53:00.000-07:00

Today my baby boy is 3! I can hardly believe it. He is an adorable little ball of naughtiness. As you can see - he got into the flour. Apparently, mom needs to pay more attention after night shifts. (it's so hard sometimes) And...isn't he an adorable Elmo with his "po-bo" and his thumb sucking?!

Happy Birthday to my special boy! We will be having a family birthday party tonight! Bring on the cake! I love you Jericho!

Happy Halloween

2011-10-27T23:06:00.000-07:00

Happy Halloween everyone! I have very limited internet access right now and it's driving me CRAZY!! I can't believe how attached I've become to the stupid world wide web. But...I feel so lost without it.
I will have Wade put some pictures on here tomorrow while he has access. I hate posting without pictures. It feels pretty pointless (not that anyone reads this....mostly for me). And..how can I talk about my adorable Jericho and not have pictures??

I had the hardest time finding Jericho a costume. I looked everywhere (ok....not everywhere, but a lot of places) and was unsuccessful in finding Jericho a pumpkin costume. If I actually found one...it was the wrong size. Heaven forbid I try to actually attempt making a costume. So, after some deliberation/frustration I decided on an Elmo costume. Jericho has been enjoying watching some Sesame Street and he does like Elmo. I did his birthday invites as Elmo and his birthday party (only one more week) is Sesame Street themed. Well, it turns out it was a good choice. Jericho has had to wear his Elmo costume every day. We have made many trips to Wal-Mart, the Dollar Store, post office, and Payson Market in his Elmo costume. He loves it. Plus its a great pillow when he gets sleepy riding in the cart :) I wonder if people will still think he is cute when it's Christmas and he is still wearing his Elmo costume....

I swear I am not just being biased, but Jericho is a genius! Jericho and Wade are still doing "homework" before bed on the dry erase board. The other night Wade sent me a text while I was at work and told me how smart Jericho is because he had just learned some new shapes very quickly. The next morning as I was getting Jericho dressed he pointed at his pictures and said "ocagon"! What an adorable smartie pants! He remembered circle, square, triangle, octagon and a heart perfectly. I was beaming with pride. He still loves to count to 12. We are working on getting to 20, but for some reason 12 is his stopping point!

I hope everyone has a superific Halloween. Be safe and eat LOTS of candy :)

My handsome boy

2011-10-05T20:20:00.000-07:00

HAPPY OCTOBER!

2011-10-05T00:33:00.000-07:00

In just one month...my little boy will be 3 years old! I do not know how that happened! I really love seeing him grow and learn....but I just want him to stay my baby forever!

Jericho loves everything. He is so happy and silly. He can throw some mean fits and be a pretty good pill if he wants to. But...I have to admit that I am pretty lucky to have such a sweet boy. He still loves to cuddle his momma. He gives the best kisses and hugs. Jericho loves all things Woody, Buzz, Lighting McQueen, Thomas the Train, and his latest....Lilo and stitch. He can talk pretty well...knows lots of words and can speak in sentences. But...most of the time I think he gets frustrated and wants to talk a lot faster, so he still does a ton of jibberish talk. If he hears any noise in our house he says "whats that?...Daddy??!!" He loves his daddy. Mostly he loves to wrestle and play "get u" with his dadddy. If you will tickle him....Jericho will be your best friend.
Wade has started doing "homework" with Jericho every night. They get out the dry erase board and do counting, numbers, and pictures. Jericho loves it and count to 12 really well! He is also getting better at his colors.
Since it is October...and everything Halloween is out....Jericho loves "punkins". In fact...I think that is what he will be for Halloween this year. So, now I am on the lookout for a good pumpkin costume :)

Life, in general is as busy and crazy as ever. I always think it will slow down...but i don't think it's going to. Wade is doing great in school. He is still working and is teaching a photography class at our apartment once a week for a month. He has done a ton of wonderful family portrait sessions and even did a maternity shoot this last weekend. I am so proud of him. He excells at EVERYTHING he does. Such a superific guy. I feel very blessed and lucky to have him. He does an excellent job at putting up with me.
Work for me is still busy. There are always sick/injured/crazy/drunk/people. Great job security for me...not so good for all of you folks out there in the world.
I ran the Red Rock Relay in September. It was awesome and so incredibly hard! I got asked last minute by a co-worker and I'm so glad I did it. I was pretty proud of my chubby self for accomplishing that....and I just might keep training to keep doing more races. We'll see.

I started some blood pressure medication yesterday. All I wanted was my yearly "girlie" exam (isn't that bad enough??!!) But I left with a couple of new meds, changed from oral birth control to depo, orders for a kidney ultrasound and an echocardiogram. Just a little more than I was expecting or ever wanted.
Apparently, turning 31 this year has sent me on a steady downhill slope. AWESOME! Oh well, gotta keep life exciting I guess, right? :)
Scrapbooking and doing some projects for the ER are also keeping me busy. And...I've tried strawberry freezer jam for the first time ever. I got two batches done and it turned out pretty good. Proud of myself. I am completely void of the homemaking gene.

I will post some pictures soon. Blogs aren't very exciting without pictures.
Have a happy day :)

7-16-11

2011-07-16T06:30:00.000-07:00

My handsome little fella on the swings. Isn't he so cute?

One great thing about funerals, is finding great old pictures.....This picture of Chelsey has to be the best picture ever!! An adorable 3 year old holding a stuffed Alf, and baby doll while flipping the bird?! Epic.

You can see where my Jericho gets his good looks from! Wasn't his daddy the cutest little guy?

Goodbye Marie

2011-07-14T07:36:00.000-07:00

Wade's mom passed away on Tuesday. It was unexpected and has caused a lot of heartbreak and sadness. She was a wonderful person. A kind and loving mother, wife, and friend. She loved cats and diet coke.:) I was able to spend some time with her in Alaska when she came up to visit Wade and I. We hadn't been married very long and I was a little nervous, but we had a great time. We went shopping, ate a lot of food, and had some great talks on the train. I'm so grateful I was able to have that experience and time with her.
Wade has made the most beautiful video tribute to his mom. He has poured his heart and soul into it. I am so proud of him. He loved his mom dearly and was a great son and friend to him. All he wanted was for her to have a relationship with Jericho and to be happy again.
I hope that she is happy now and free from pain and sadness. I hope that she is surrounded by her loving family and enjoying seeing them again.
Craig, Jennifer, Wade, Matt, and Chelsey; I love you guys and am grateful to have such a special family. I am here for whatever you need, anytime you need. Marie loved you all dearly.

Never let an opportunity go by to tell your loved ones how you feel. We all need to remember that things happen quickly and we don't know how long we have on this earth. I love all of my family dearly. I am grateful to them for their love and support. I am also grateful for wonderful friends and coworkers. I always know they are there to help and that they would do anything for me in a second. I am grateful to my loving and generous Wade and my handsome little devil, Jericho. They are my world and I can't express how much they mean to me.

So, until we meet again Marie, God bless and I hope you know how much I loved and appreciated you!

RUN 13!!

2011-07-12T10:10:00.000-07:00

So... after months of training, pain and tons of anxiety...Wade and I finished our first half marathon! It was a goal I set for myself right before I found out I was pregnant with Jericho. Consequently, it had to be put on hold. Fortunately I decided it was time to start training and see if I could reach this crazy goal in March. Wade was a sport to join me. The training for sure paid off. I used to only be able to run 1 or 2 miles and be exhausted or in pain. So for me to be able to run a full 13 miles feels pretty awesome. It was incredibly hard the past 3 miles, but I am proud to say that I finished!
Those last 3 miles I kept telling myself that I would never do another race again! It's kind of like child birth though. You quickly forget and I have already found myself planning on doing another one. Although, I might just stick to 10k's :)

p.s. I have to say thanks to my incredible sister! She brought my mom and niece out and took care of Jericho for us and met us at the finish line. It was a ton of work and I can't begin to express my gratitude to her! I love you sister!!

For a good time: Read this blog!!

2011-06-07T18:45:00.000-07:00

Ok...everyone has got to read this - even if you haven't watched the Bachelorette this season. It rings completely true from all of my experiences! You will laugh your bum off! This chick is hilarious and hit the nail on the head!

The Mormon Child Bride

Unfortunately, not endangered (blogpost title)
http://mormonchildbride.blogspot.com

Enjoy.....:)

Picture OD

2011-05-18T11:28:00.000-07:00

Jericho LOVES to organize the cans out of the cupboard - excuse the poor picture quality, I think you get the idea. I just wish he would organize his toys as well

Jericho's self portrait. He is obsessed with the "camra" and loves to take "ictures"

One of his favorite spots

I like how Jericho is looking at Wade.....

Zach, Jericho and my mom in the background. Camped out on the apartment floor

One of his very messy faces he is usually sporting

A house full of all kinds of toys and he wants to play in the laundry basket....

I LOVE getting Jericho up in the morning to see how crazy his hair is.... It's quite the thing to behold!

He sure does like his "baffs" and he sure can make one very watery mess in the bathroom

Just wanted to post some pictures. Fun little memories :)

update

2011-05-06T00:36:00.000-07:00

For the whopping 2 people who follow my blog.....I just wanted to let you know I survived my fancy EGD/colonoscopy procedure!

I really did freak out over nothing. It was no big deal. The prep was the worst part - as everyone told me it would be. I don't remember any of the actual procedure, which is exactly how I wanted it. I got lots of versed and demerol and had the best nap ever! And...the results were completely negative. Everything looks just dandy. So, I am grateful it is over. And I am glad to know my innerds are just fine! Life can go on :)

Jericho updates

2011-04-27T04:30:00.000-07:00

Jericho is a hoot. He is a busy boy and is super happy. Still loves his "po bo" as you can see and loves his movies. He will sit pretty quietly for a long time watching them and nothing can break his concentration! He loves Toy Story, Thomas the Train, Shrek, Tangled, Lilo and Stitch, Bambi, Little Rascals and Hook. Jericho still sucks his thumb....I don't know how to get him to stop. It's been his self sooth go to and it's helped him be a super good sleeper.

He can say lots of words and says 2-3 word sentences. But, he still does his crazy jabber/jibberish a lot. He can really get going.

When he wants his sippy cup filled up he says "qwinkawup" - loosly translated means fill my drink up. He loves to go for rides in his daddy's van because he can see really good out the window. He gets a little frustrated in the car sometimes, because he can't see as well. He loves books, and for Easter he got his first bike - a trike. He seems to really like it, and I'm sure he will catch on about the whole peddling idea.

He also got some "big boy underwear" for Easter and a little potty. Now, comes the hard part. Mom has to decide when she actually wants to start potty training. Uggh! I'm not looking forward to it at all.

He loves his grandmas and grandpas and says "gamma, gampa" and he really loves his cousins and his Aunt Chelsey and my sister Nikki, "iki".

He hates it when I sing. If I even try to start, he says "no, no, no, no, no!" I try to get a line in of "You are my sunshine" and he gets really mad.

I am so grateful for him and I can't really imagine my life without him. He makes everyday a lot of fun as well as a big challenge :) I love you Mr. Jericho, my little stink bug.

5 years?! Yep we did it!

2011-04-27T01:03:00.000-07:00

This friday Wade and I will celebrate our 5 year anniversary! Yippee for us huh? As Wade said "it's a record for both of us hun!" And yes, he is right!

It's been a crazy 6 years total being together for us!

January 15th 2005 - met on a blind date!

16 months of dating.....I thought he would never ask!

Engaged on February 8th, 2006 at Timpanogos Hospital ER!....It was awesome!

Married in Vernal, Utah on April 29th, 2006!

4 days of travel from Utah to Anchorage, Alaska where we spent May 2006 - Sept 2006

Sept 2006-June 2007 we lived in the best little basement apartment in SpringLake

June 2007 we bought our first home in Payson

March 4, 2008 we found out we would be parents!

November 4, 2008 we welcomed Jericho Wade Haskell into our family!

Spring 2010 we decided to sell our house and get Wade back in school

December 2010 we moved out of our house and into our super cute apartment in Payson

Winter 2010 - Wade is back in school!

April 2011 - Wade has finished his first semester! We made it 5 years being married, having a bazillion challenges, frustrations and some pretty happy and incredible experiences together!

Just think, 6 years ago when we met on blind date, I could have never imagined I'd have such a sweet, handsome and hardworking husband and the most amazing little boy in the world at this time in my life!

It's been crazy, it's been hard, it's been different than I ever imagined, and it's been awesome.

Looking forward to many, many more years with my Wade and our little family! Love ya honey!

#2

2011-04-26T18:52:00.000-07:00

Ok. So friends this may be TMI in this post.....You have been warned!

So, with all the stress that we've had in our little family the past year, I've developed some increasingly troublesome tummy problems. I've always had a very irritable tummy, horrible reflux and issues a 30 year old shouldn't have to deal with. Genetics suck at times like this people. I've got everything crummy you can think of and it came from each of my parents. Now I've just dealt with it and taken lots of medicines to keep it under control. But, I hit a wall about a month ago and it was a bugger. I got to have my first invasive rectal exam!!! Holy guacamole! Now talk about a fun time! By invasive I mean with the proctoscope and those gentle doctor fingers. (actually my surgeon is amazing....super patient and very kind...poor fella has crazy lady for a patient though) See! I told you this was TMI!!! Believe me...this is not easy or comfortable for me to discuss at all. I wouldn't tell Wade what my problems were for a long time and even now I spare most details. I really want him to be able to look at me and still be attracted to me in some way. Somehow it feels as if he knows all these gorry details he will have nothing to do with me ever again :)

Anywho....I was supposed to have an EGD and Colonoscopy a year ago because of all my problems and family hx. My dad has barrett's esophagus which is a pre-cancerous condition and therefore requires every 6 month EGD's. Plus we have horrible cancer hx in our family and that includes colon cancer. Of course, being the good nurse and patient that I am - I canceled. I was/am completely freaked out. I had a total panic attack and thought there was no way I could do it. I didn't want to be sorta ditzy and pulling at things or trying to grab the scope (I know I will). And I can barely tolerate a suppository in my behind.....due to some issues......so how in the H. E. double toothpicks am I supposed to handle a scope? So, I know they give you drugs, I know you are pretty out of it, it's just the thought that has me thoroughly and overwhelmingly PANICKED!!!

Of course the surgeon told me I have to have it done this time - no canceling. So, on Monday May 2, I get to go to the hospital where I work and have my lovely procedure done. Sorry to everyone that has to then look at me every day after that and not laugh thinking they've seen me in all my glory! And poor Wade. I told him he has to come with me and hold my hands down. He just laughs and says, "do I need to paint a bulls eye on your bum so they know where to go?" Ah, isn't he sweet? :)

And don't you worry....I'll give you a full report! Until then, everyone stay on pins and needles - cuz I sure as heck am!

Spring is coming!

2011-03-10T11:40:00.000-08:00

I can't blog without a picture - so here is my handsome Jericho! This is from a few months ago, but it's still cute.

I am so happy it is getting warmer! It is an absolutely beautiful day today and the sunshine makes me so happy! I went to the dentist this morning, and it was ok. Just a cleaning, but it still makes me wanna puke. I thought it might not be such a good day if it started out with the dentist, but it's been super. Jericho and I did some errands and enjoyed the sunshine.

I went for a good run yesterday and then Jericho, Wade and I walked to the park. It was great fun. Jericho loves the swings, has to try each one. And is getting better at climbing everything and going down the slides. This summer will be lots of fun with him.

I hope everyone is enjoying the sunshine and nice weather! Lets cross our fingers that this isn't a tease!

And...my awesomely talented and super fab friend, Jami, is doing senior pictures! Everyone should check her out. She does some amazing stuff! Here is a link to her blog with the special!

http://www.jbroadbentphotoblog.com/2011/03/font-face-font-family-times-new-romanp.html

:)Brynn

What's up?

2011-03-05T20:48:00.000-08:00

This is just a goofy picture of Jericho and I - just after I got back from a run. I'm a hottie huh? ;)

So...I have been trying to run more lately and hit the gym more. It's killing me. I really want to try to do a half marathon and actually signed up for the Hobble Creek Half in July. I figured that 4 1/2 months would give me plenty of time to train. Today I'm feeling like it's not and a little down. I've got 30 big ol' lbs to lose and it's daunting. I exercise all the time, but when you are a full time night shift working mom with a 2 year old....you don't eat so good. It is frustrating. I am up all night, hit the gym before I go home, then I sleep for about 1 1/2 hours before Jericho is up. Once he is up, I have to figure out a way to entertain myself to keep myself awake for a few hours until nap time. Then it's two hours of sleep (maybe - if I can fall asleep) and then we are up again. I try to go for a run, then it's home to do the mom thing, or back to work for another 12 hour night shift. So....you see my metabolism can only be completely screwed. I've had many talks with Wade about this and with others. They always seem to have the same answer..."you need to just eat small meals throughout the day and burn more than you take in". blah, blah, blah.

I have poopy genes if you know what I mean. I know that we aren't supposed to blame everything on our genes and that we can all try to improve things. But...I feel like I'm banging my head against the wall. I exercise and I honestly try to eat balanced. I haven't had any candy, treats for weeks. I've been going to the gym 4-5 times a week, plus 3-4 mile runs 4 times a week. And guess what? Not one ounce, not one cm, not one freakin freckle has come off!!! Pardon my french, but "what the hell??"

Plus...I'm going to be 31 this month. 31!!! So, there's another downer for me. I'm fighting the age thing. You know...once you turn 30 it all goes down hill? I've got horrible arthritis in my joints (thanks genes). My right hand has really been hurting a lot lately. Tendonitis in my right elbow. Horrible gastric/stomach issues. Chronic ovarian cysts/endometriosis. And my left knee completely locked up on me tonight - it scared me to death. I almost called Wade hysterical, but it unlocked after I laid my sorry arse on the floor and gave it some time. I sound like a freakin 90 year old lady don't I? But, because of all these things I have really wanted to try and work as hard as I can to keep myself in shape and to work on my health. But whats the point in trying when I can't even lose a freckle 'O fat?
Anyway, if you are naturally skinny, have good genes or are just plain feeling better than me right now...I hate you. I mean that with love xoxo :)
I'm just very frustrated and needed to vent all that out there. Plus we had a funeral today for a man who was far to young to pass and leaves behind a beautiful wife and 3 young children. It's depressing and scares the daylights out of me. So..Wade has been gone all day doing the photography for the funeral and some pretty amazing service for the family. I am proud of him. I just don't get much time with him or with Jericho as a little family. I'm always tired, going to bed early if I am home. He is always at the gym or on the computer at night, or I'm at work. I LOVE my alone time, but sometimes it's not good for me. I tend to get negative and had bad thoughts....

Cleansing breath....count to 1,0000 and hope that tomorrow I'll feel better about things.

Happy Day!

2011-02-15T11:13:00.001-08:00

Happy Day everyone! Aren't these pictures of Jericho great? Wade is doing pretty fantastic photography....and he is available for personal/family photography if anyone needs family pictures done!!!
We are doing great. Life is crazy, but I am incredibly grateful for my healthy, happy little family. It seems there is always a crisis or complication. There is always a reason to be frustrated or angry. But, I am trying to recognize each day as a gift and at the end of the day I have my family and that is really all that matters, right?
Wade is doing super good in school, I am very proud of him. Jericho is still a happy, busy and sassy little fella. He keeps his momma busy and usually at whits end too :)
Work for me is good. Busy. Nights are still an incredible challenge for me. I don't care who you are, you NEVER get used to them. It really has worked out well though for Jericho.
Our house is closer to selling. Everyone keep your fingers crossed!
I hope everyone had a Happy Valentine's Day! Remember to hug everyone you love and tell them so every chance you get!
P.S. the weather has been crazy warm the past few days....AWESOME!! I was able to go run outside the past two days and it was fantastic. I need spring to motivate me to lose 30 lbs of this mom body!!!

It's January 2011!

2011-01-11T10:12:00.000-08:00

Family Christmas pictures. Taken by the one and only Jami Broadbent...in our apartment

This is one of Jericho's favorite spots. A makeshift bed on the wood floor. And this is the position he is always in when he lays down. Pretty darned cute.

It has been a hectic 6 months and a pretty trying year. I am ready for a whole new year and hopeful that everything will start to look up. We've had lots of changes, and trials and although I know that's what we are here for....I'm ready for life to look up!

My mom had an accident in early October, spent several weeks at the University of Utah ICU, neuro and then on to the rehab unit. She was able to come home on Halloween and we were very grateful to have her home. She has spent the last 60 days at the Uintah Care Center doing Physical and Occupational therapy and will be going back home tomorrow. She has made some improvements and we are grateful for everyone's love, prayers and help with everything from shoveling snow, dinners, to phone calls, texts or emails.
My dad had extensive shoulder surgery the day before my mom's accident in October. It would require 4-6 months of therapy and possibly not being able to work. When mom was in the hospital, dad was very sick himself. But, he stayed by her bed most of the time and has since made a pretty good recovery. We have had so much help and it has in turn helped give him time to heal. He is back to work, and is doing pretty good.
Wade's dad was sick in November, had surgery and ended up in the ICU with complications. He has since made a pretty good recovery and is doing well. We are very grateful. He is a good grandpa and is always there for us.
Wade's older sister has had lots of health problems, surgical procedures the past few months and is need of a specialist in Indiana. We are hopeful and keep praying that everything works out and she gets the care she is in need of. She has a wonderful little family and is adored as a sister, mom, aunt and wife.
We moved to an apartment here in town in December. It is a fun place with a lot of character and charm. It's been an adjustment going from a 4 bedroom house with a garage, so a 2 bedroom apartment :) And, we have had adventures in noisy neighbors and some pretty amazing mariachi music... But it's all for a good cause and hopefully getting us going in a positive direction.
Since I knew I'd be working this Christmas, we spent Thanksgiving in Vernal with my family. It was great to be able to see mom and to see some family. Everyone has spread out more and more and our group seems to be dwindling, but it was still a great time. Grandma Batty had to have knee surgery right before Thanksgiving and spent some time in the care center. So we missed her at Thanksgiving, but she is doing much better now.
We were able to have a pretty great Christmas. As always we were spoiled rotten by all of our family. I had to work Christmas Eve, but was able to spend the day with Wade's family and we had a really fun time. Jericho wasn't too into opening presents, but did like the toys. He was definitely more aware of what Christmas was and is still fascinated by "santa" and "ohmen".
Wade started school last week! He will finish his bachelors degree then apply to Physician Assistant school. He will do an awesome job and I am very proud of him. It's been a hard decision and has come with lots of complications, but again, we are looking for a bright new future!
Jericho is as busy as ever. He has been a trooper through all of the changes and is a happy little fella. He has some tough times and can whine with the best of them, but overall is a sweet and good little boy. Continues to LOVE Buzz and Woody, but we have branched out to Monsters Inc., and a few Christmas movies that he likes. He has quite the collection of Buzz lightyear toys. I can count 6 from where I'm sitting :) He says "Buzz Year" and "and beyond" and will point to his lazer and say "wazer". Jericho is an adorable boy, he is my buddy and I sure do love him.

That's the Haskell updates for now! Enjoy....

TWO years old!

2010-11-03T17:04:00.000-07:00

Two years ago today I started having horrible, awful contractions. My baby boy who I had gone into pre-term labor with at 23 weeks, stayed on bedrest for weeks with, and ended up going 4 days past my due date with was finally deciding to make his arrival into the world. But, Jericho style - we couldn't do it the easy way. At 12:20 AM on November 4, 2008, my baby boy came into the world by emergency C-section. All NINE POUNDS ONE OUNCE!!! Oh what a chubby, cuddly baby he was.

I can hardly believe it's been two years! What an absolute joy he is in our lives. I really don't know what we did before he came along. He makes everyday so special. I love to see his adorable, dimpled smile in the morning. I love to hear him laugh and to tell me things all day long. He is my buddy and I am so very grateful for him.

Happy Birthday to my baby boy!! I love you more than anything!!

Picture mania!

2010-10-04T12:28:00.000-07:00

This is what my kitchen floor looked like this morning after Jericho got into the pantry with the help of some of his toys and did some organizing.

This past Sunday we took Jericho to the aquarium in Sandy. He liked it - all except for the jelly fish. Apparently he has watched "Nemo" too many times...

He LOVES to sit in the recliner and watch his movies. He has to have Polar Bear, his sippy cup and some treats. Oh, and his thumb...

This picture was turned the right way at one point. Isn't he cute?

He really wanted to kiss the goat at the State Fair. He loved all the animals and would tell us the sounds they made.

Jericho adores his daddy. Always following him and doing what he is doing. Loves to wear dad's hats and his sunglasses "sasses"

Jericho and his cousin Haize having some breakfast and watching a movie. Aren't they handsome?

Lots of pictures, and no time to post them all. This is just a very small sampling of the things we have been up to. Jericho is as busy as ever. So sweet and smart. And we can tell that he is going to be "two" soon. He is definitely having more little temper tantrums. He is my little momma's boy still and loves to cuddle, loves his polar bear and his sippy cups and his thumb. He sure does adore his daddy though and I'm glad that they have such a good time together when I am away at work so much. He loves to take apart things and reorganize them. Every drawer or cupboard he can get into doesn't stand a chance. He is still learning lots of words and loves to talk, and it is still a lot of jibberish. He is so much fun and is always keeping me super busy. I love his smiles and his laugh. And in just a few weeks he will be two years old. I can hardly believe it!

My cheeser

2010-09-11T12:49:00.000-07:00

Jericho is growing up too fast. He had a great time at the Onion Days carnival - thanks to Grandpa Haskell's tickets for rides! He and his cousin, Haize, thought they were such big boys riding the rides by themselves. Jericho loved the parade and would point and then clap at everyone going by. He loves to have his picture taken and says "cheese", then does this goofy crazy laugh so we get some silly faces.

He is as busy as ever. Constantly organizing and cleaning out every drawer and cupboard he can. He is obsessed with his polar bear, toy story, woody, buzz, trains, tractors, trucks and cars. He sits in the lounge chair downstairs with his polar bear, a bowl of treats, and his sippy cup and loves to watch both the Toy Story movies. I've tried to expand his movie choices, but so far, buzz and woody are his favorites. Jericho loves to talk. He has learned lots of new words, and tries putting some sentences together. But, he still talks a lot of jiberish, and fast....

He is such a sweet boy and loves to give kisses. He also loves to give hugs - which is him backing up and then leaning into you. He is still a great sleeper and takes good naps - most of the time.

We sure do love him. I just want to squeeze him all the time - he is so much fun and he keeps me on my toes :)

My stink bug

2010-07-23T14:33:00.000-07:00

I just have to say how much I love this little stinker!!! He is growing up way too fast. He is super smart, super busy and can be quite the little fit thrower. But then he can be as nice and sweet as pie. He's keeping me busy!

20 months

2010-07-12T13:29:00.000-07:00

Jericho, July 2010

My baby is 20 months old (and a week or so). It is freaking me out how big he is getting. I love seeing all the new things he can do and the many, many words he can say, and yet, it makes me sad! I want him to always be my little baby boy!

He loves to go outside, ride in the bike trailer,play in the water,playing at the park, and most of all he loves to play with his toys and make messes!

He is a wonderful little sleeper (for the most part). He still goes to bed at 9 pm and will usually sleep in until 9 or 10 am. Then he will take a 3 hour nap every day! It is so great for this mom who works nights. It really has been the only we have survived!

Jericho is saying lots and lots of words. They are of course pronounced in baby speak - but he can say: thank you, please, truck, choo-choo, mama, daddy, puppy, kitty, cracker, cookie, outside, walk, drink, cup, grandpa, grandma, potty, pee-pee, poop, shirt, pants, shoes, mow, lawn, pretty, light, baby and lots of others I can't think of right now. Yesterday he was actually trying to put a sentence together. Wade was mowing the lawn and Jericho was trying to say, "mow the lawn". I was impressed.

He hates loud noises, such as: the lawnmower, weed eater, and the vacuum. He used to love all of these, but now has quite the fit when they turn on.

Jericho loves to be chased and tickled. It's a nightly ritual to be tickled by his daddy and wrestled with. Then he will bring you one book at a time and he wants you to read it to him and then it's off to bed with his famous "polar bear" and his cup. He calls polar bear "po-bo" still and says it very plainly. He has to have him everywhere we go.

He is still a great cuddler and will sit with me and watch a movie for quite a while. He will give "loves" and is such a sweet little boy. He does throw fits and is great at doing a really high pitched squeal, throwing his bear and then himself onto the ground. I guess it's to be expected of a little guy this age.

We have a little potty for him (thanks Broadbents) and are going to give potty training a try. He is still pretty young, but tells us every time he has to go pee or poop and is pretty interested in the bathroom ritual. I guess we will see how it goes.....

He got a haircut the other day and I'm pretty sure Wade is upset with me. He keeps saying how different he looks and he wants his long hair back. He has taken several pictures of Jericho since his haircut, but apparently has deleted them because I can't find any of them.... He looks so much older and he definitely looks different. His hair is super fine and super straight - it was getting a little to "wispy" for me :) Oh well, maybe Wade will forgive me someday.

We sure do love the little crazy man. He is definitely the light of our lives and keeps us very entertained. I don't know what we ever did without him.

crisco anyone?

2010-06-07T18:25:00.000-07:00

We went to Vernal for Memorial Day weekend and we had a great time. I LOVE Memorial Day which sounds pretty morbid. Most of my fondest memories are of visiting my loved one's grave sites, cleaning the graves and placing flowers with my Grandma and Grandpa Batty. I love going to Dry Fork Cemetery and hope to one day (not anytime soon) be buried there.
Jericho decided to get into my mom's cupboards and try rubbing crisco on everything he could get his hands on. He was in heaven for those few moments that mom decided to leave him unattended. He thought he was pretty cool, since Gram's cupboards aren't locked! Good times :)

Talented Husband and adorable baby boy....

2010-05-14T09:17:00.000-07:00

Aren't these pictures amazing? Wade has become an incredible photographer and I am so proud of him. He really enjoys it. Although he says he should just stick to landscape photography because he doesn't have the patience for kids.... he still captures how adorable our baby boy is even in just a few shots. (plus he makes my plethora of weeds look gorgeous) AWESOME!

P.S. I have some fun pictures from the Race for the Cure, just need to get them uploaded. Coming soon...

18 whole months!

2010-05-07T10:44:00.000-07:00

(these pics are from our trip to Capitol Reef a few weeks ago. Great trip. Way too short though and I want to go back for a longer visit)

My handsome boy is 18 months old. It really is amazing how quickly time passes. I don't want my little boy to grow up so fast!

He is such a good boy, but oh so good at getting into mischief. He is so, so busy all day long and I can always hear him just huffing and puffing as he is playing "working".

Jericho loves to get into the garbage can, the pantry and to suck/chew on everything he can find. Stands on his tippy toes to open my kitchen drawers to get to the good stuff, aka; knives. Wants to be able to get into my cleaning supplies and suck on the nozzles. Comes running when I open the fridge. He wants to climb right inside, but usually settles for whatever he can grab as quickly as possible before mom shuts the door. Has started to become fascinated with doors - mostly shutting them and thus trapping himself inside a room, the bathroom, etc. This then causes some incredible distress and mom has to come save him. He is obsessed with our bathroom and wants to achieve the world record time of completely emptying all contents out of drawers and then continue to chew/suck on whatever looks most delicious. Usually hairspray, perfume, lotion, or soap. (I'm concerned about his obsession with "chemicals").

Jericho still adores his polar bear and won't go anywhere without him. We have to take him everywhere we go and everyone at Wal-mart recognizes him with his signature bear. Of course, polar bear doesn't look like a polar bear anymore. He is a very dingy, stinky sad looking little fella. I can't get him away long enough to throw him in the washer for a quick bath. So, you have to avert your nose if you get a chance to be that close to the poor thing.

He loves to be tickled and will grab your hands and put them on his tummy or neck to keep going if you stop. Fortunately for me, he is still a pretty good napper. I can usually count on a two hour nap from him daily, and this means, momma gets a nap too. He is still a great little cuddle bug and will grab his bear, suck on his thumb and come lay his head on my lap or come tug on me if he wants to snuggle. I adore it and I don't want him to ever stop.

Every single day I wake up more in love with him, and I don't know how that is possible. I am so lucky to have such a sweet little boy. If only, he would stay little :(

Jericho's first haircut

2010-04-15T13:13:00.000-07:00

The pictures are in backwards order, but you get the idea! In March, Jericho had his first haircut. Aunt Chelsey was brave enough to tackle the job and she did wonderful!!

Easter and stuff

2010-04-05T09:17:00.000-07:00

Aren't these pictures great? Wade has become quite the photographer and I love these pictures of Jericho!

We took him to the Payson City Easter Egg Hunt. It was FREEZING! But, Jericho seemed to enjoy it. He actually knew what to do and loved picking up the few eggs we were able to get too. (Lots of psychotic kids/parents attacking those eggs!)

Jericho is now 17 months old. He is such a joy to have and I don't know what Wade and I did before he came along! His Polar Bear "po-bo" is still his most favorite thing in the whole wide world. It has become his permanent fixture. We have to take him everywhere, or we have a meltdown. I have looked all over, searched the registered number on the tag and all over the internet with no success for a 2nd polar bear. I've ordered several Polar Bears who look similar, but of course, he is too smart and knows "the real polar bear". So, we have a collection of about 6 stuffed polar bears.

He loves to pretend talk, or should I say, yell on the phone. He wants everything he isn't supposed to have. Loves to open up the pantry door and get out dog treats for Puka and give them to her out the sliding door. Of course, he has to take a lick on his way. He likes to watch T.V which is totally my fault. With my work schedule we have always spent our mornings with momma in the lounge chair watching a movie (ok every season of Friends one gazillion times) since I have usually worked all night. He will sit on my lap with "po-bo" and his bottle and cuddle for quite a while. Then, he will get down and play for a bit, then it's back on momma's lap. I do enjoy our cuddle time. He is a sweet boy.

He is definitely independent. Wants to do everything himself, and thinks he should be able to do anything he wants. We have started with temper tantrums and I sure do not like them! He throws his head back and wails! I usually try to ignore it. Sometimes it's hard not to laugh. Kind of a drama queen. He has started to say more words, but still jabbers a lot. He says, po-bo (polar bear), poop, co-kie (cookie), dis (this), cock (walk - ha ha), peaz (please), jink (drink), ma-ma, da-da. And he can sign "more" and "please". It's rather adorable when he starts rubbing his tummy for "please".

We have a lot of fun with him and I sure do love him. He makes me very happy. So lucky to have my wonderful little family.

Big Boy

2010-03-16T09:49:00.000-07:00

Jericho is 16 1/2 months old. He is growing like a weed and most days thinks he is 16 YEARS old. Very, very busy. Loves to make piles, move piles, take apart piles. Any kind of piles. Diapers, wipes, toys, sacks, shoes. You name it, he's moving it. LOVES to go outside and be Mr. Independent. I am for sure in trouble. Says, "Uh,oh", "Dad", "Da-dy", "Da-Da", "Ba-Bye", "Hi", and once in a great while we get a "ma-ma". He talks a lot, full run-on sentences of pure jibberish. He really thinks he is telling you some great stuff, I swear he's mixing up a few different languages. Pure genius....
Unfortunately he has discovered his nose or shall I say nares? He is often found doing the one-finger salute up the nose. And, because he is nearing the dreaded #2's, he gets mad and grunts at me when I say "no, no"! He will then proceed to put his other hand with the one-finger salute up the other nare. It's adorable.... please pick up on my sarcasm. There are lots of little temper tantrums and whining around here lately. Most of the time, he is the sweetest, happiest little fella. But, then this little monster comes out when he is told not to do something, or if you aren't doing something right. Fortunately, it's not very often. Just wish I knew how to nip it in the bum!
Please enjoy these adorable pictures that the wonderful daddy, Wade, did on Sunday while I was at work. So great.

Jake

2010-03-11T21:00:00.000-08:00

I've been trying for hours to figure out how to post a picture of Jake on here. I have failed. Once I get Wade's assistance, I will get a picture up.

Yesterday around 6:50 P.M. we made the horrible/heartbreaking decision to put our Jake to sleep. All I can say is, AWFUL. Jake, our Alaskan Malamute, was our 11 year old best friend. Wade had him since he was 4 months old and I was able to share the last 5 years of his life. What an incredible dog. He was so special to our little family and truly was our best friend. The worst part is watching Wade deal with this. It has absolutely broken his heart. I know he feels as if a huge part of him is missing. Jake was Wade's best friend and had been with him through some very difficult times. Jake was his constant and loving companion.

Jakey poo, I miss you buddy. I miss you more than I ever thought I would. I always dreaded this time and knew it would be coming. I had truly hoped it would be later rather than sooner. Unfortunately, you had some complications and your big body had developed arthritis that wasn't helping you heal. I know we made the right decision for you. Although you were hurting, you still had that adorable smile on your face. But, now I know you have the smile and are able to run, jump and chase lots of chickens! I know you are with our special Kita lady and that she is so happy you are there. You can get into lots of mischief again together. I also know that there are many happy family and friends who are grateful for your companionship.

I have to say thanks to our sweet vet. She was pretty Awesome. She didn't have to spend as much time as she did, nor did she have to take such excellent, gentle care of our Jake, but she did. She definitely went above and beyond her duty to show us that she was feeling a lot of empathy for our situation. She cried right along with us and that told me that she truly knew what a hard decision this was for us and she was doing all she could to make it as comfortable as possible. I washed the blanket that Jake had been laying on in the garage the past few weeks tonight. I'm going to take it to the vet for them to use for other animals (they are in dire need of donated blankets if you have any way to help, that would be wonderful). I wanted to take a picture of Jake, a treat, and the blanket tomorrow to show them how grateful we are for their wonderful care and treatment. It made such a horrible decision and event a tolerable and more special one for us to know and remember that we were there when he passed on. It was very peaceful, quick and I know he was happy to be out of pain.

Oh, my Jakey boy. I love you so much and I miss you so. My heart aches. I wish I could hear your little howl outside right now. I know others in heaven can and are enjoying it.

Wade, I'm so sorry you lost your best friend. I'm sorry your heart is broken and that you feel so lost. You and Jake were made for eachother and you were meant to have him. He loved you dearly and I know he will watch over you until we can meet him again. I love you honey.

Disneyland 2010!!

2010-03-11T20:21:00.000-08:00

Jericho waving his heart out to goofy, you can't tell, but it was cute

He wanted to grab the brother bear bears!

Jericho LOVED to sneak a sip from gram and gramps drink

Jake and Madison (Andra's kids) grossed out that the polar bear had pooped!

getting ready to go to the airport. Last day with the balloon!

Jericho feeding the dolphins!

The famous Polar Bear and bottle. We were successful and NEVER lost bear!

Jericho loved the Brother Bear playground, but was still a little too young to keep under control!

Jericho and his cousin Jeremy playing with their $12 dollar balloons from Grandma! Holy spoiled!

Had to have a couple pictures of the balloons. They cost $12 a piece for heck sake!

I had to get Jericho some Mickey ears. Isn't he cute?

Grandpa and Jericho waiting for Adventureland to open!

Me, Jericho, Parker, Nik, and Zach waiting to get on Mr. Toads Wild Ride!

Me and my buddy outside Mr. Toad's Wild Ride

Jericho's first plane ride! He did great!

Picture overload people! I actually held back a bit, it could have been worse. We really did have a great time @ Disneyland. It was very gracious and kind of my parents to fund Jericho and I's vacation. They put up with us extremely well and spoiled us rotten. We went to Disneyland for 3 days, then onto Universal Studios, Knott's Berry Farm and then on to Sea World where we were able to meet up with my very good friend, Andra and her adorable kids. It was great to spend the day with them and has been a great way to keep in touch. I will never be able to explain my Disneyland obsession. Only that throughout my childhood I have incredibly great memories there. If felt as if you walked in and all your troubles were left behind. It's such a magical place and I could completely lose myself in each ride. One of my best memories is when we were older and I was actually in college. Mom and Dad took Parker back to the hotel with them and just Nikki and I went running around the park until midnight. It was so great! We just walked right onto the rides, laughed hysterically. I remember having a total giggle fit on Splash Mountain at one point. Then we ate a ton of "Bengal Barbeque" in between rides. It was so much fun to just be there as sisters and to be silly. I will forever remember that time.

Jericho did great for being just a 16 month old toddler. He stayed in his stroller a lot and would point at things and he noticed so much, I was surprised. He saw goofy from across the street and just started waving as hard as he could. It was adorable that he would notice him. He did great on most of the rides and only got a little nervous on Pirates when we'd go down the little hills.

Thanks to my parents and family for letting us come, providing our way and giving us the opportunity to spend the week together. It was a great time and so fun to be there. We missed Wade and it was nice to be able to come home and spend time with him. He was such a great guy and had the house clean when we got home. Oh, that is so nice to be able to come home to a clean place!!! He did say that I could never take Jericho away from him for a week again! He missed him too terribly. So, I love you family. Thanks for another great Disney vacation!!

26 days and counting....

2010-03-04T18:40:00.000-08:00

OK, I'm freaking out. Seriously having an anxiety attack. You know that sick, yucky, something bad is going to happen feeling in your gut? Well, I've got it. And you know why?.... Because I'm going to be 30 years old this month.

You might say that is pretty selfish and silly of me to be feeling this way, but I can't seem to shake it.

I can't really explain my feelings, only that I feel frumpy, old, ugly and as if my body/mind are going down hill incredibly fast. Don't get me wrong, I adore my husband and little boy and couldn't be happier with my little family. But as for my own personal feelings - it's different. There are so many things I need/want to be doing and that I'm not. I feel as if I should have accomplished more or have done something great by now. It scares me to death to think that I, Brynn, the baby of the family am seriously going to be 30! Holy freak!
There's no time left!
I want to have another baby, but not right now. Yet, I'm going to be 30, how much time do my girl parts have before they fall apart or just plain shrivel up?
It's been 16 months since Jericho was born and I weigh more now than when I came home from the hospital - DEPRESSING!!!
I work nights, so I am constantly in my sweats/jammies during the day. I take a shower when I get home from the gym in the morning, but then it's just my frizz ball hair do all day or a hat.
No makeup.
My poor, poor husband.

I always said I would be a Nurse Anesthetist or Nurse Practitioner and look at me, I'm 30. I've been a nurse for 10 years now. I know I'll never make it back to school. Is being an ER nurse good enough? Some days I wonder...

I've wanted to make a difference in the world, ok how about just my community? But, I have seemed too self obsessed, or I just always use the excuse that I'm tired. I don't know. All I know is that I wish that I felt as if I was making an impact on the world, in a good way. Not as if I'm sucking everything dry around me...

I love my baby boy and my husband more than anything. I am so incredibly grateful for them and for their love and patience. I see all of these wonderful women who do great things for their families, activites for their kids, and all kinds of great educational things. Me? I am feeling good if I've got Jericho bathed and fed for the day. Not winning Mother of the Year people! I feel as if I'm failing him in so many ways.

30. It just sounds scarey and I am freaking out. Obviously right? I think I just needed to get that out, so thanks for letting me rant. Sorry, if you actually read all of that. You deserve a medal.

P.S. On a happy note, Jericho and I went with my family to California, it was fantastic. Jericho had a good time and did really well. It was nice to come home to my handsome hubby and the incredibly spotless house. Pictures will be coming!!

My handsome boy...

2010-02-16T09:33:00.000-08:00

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Wade took some great pictures of Jericho on Sunday. 15 months old and he looks so handsome in his church clothes. He is so much fun. Such a busy and happy little fella. Loves to give hugs and talk very loudly on the phone. He acts as if there are just so many things to do and not enough time to do it. He LOVED being outside. I think that as it gets warmer we will be outside most of the time :)

February happenings...

2010-02-10T15:20:00.000-08:00

Our baby boy is 15 months old! He thinks he is 16. I am amazed at how much he learns every day and how incredibly stubborn the little feller is. "No" is still a word he doesn't want to grasp the meaning of. As you can see by the pictures he loves to get into any and all kinds of trouble. Standing on his chair, not just opening and pulling everything out of my cupboards - but climbing in them, pulling everything out of drawers, opening up the garbage can and taste testing all the goodies inside, playing in the toilet, putting every single item he can find into his mouth. He especially loves lotion, soap, hand sanitizer, hair gel and deodorant. He loves to torture Frank (the cat) and one of his all time favorite games is throwing everything out of his crib, pounding on the walls and saying "uh-oh" over and over.

Jericho is a very happy little man. Always smiling and laughing. He LOVES his daddy. He waits for him to come home and knows he is going to be chased and wrestled and you can see how excited he is. All day long he says "da-dy" over and over and over. Whenever we get in the car he starts saying it and if he hears a car go by he looks at me and asks "da-dy? It's rather adorable. I just wish there was a "momma" said once in a while. Unfortunately he doesn't even know how to say it :)
He was super sick a few weeks ago, but as always was a trooper. We had some rough days and we became quite the cuddlers. But he is now doing great and is as crazy as ever. I seriously can get NOTHING done and spend all my time chasing him. I guess it's good for this old lady. In just another month I will be turning 30!!! Holy guacamole! How in the world did that happen? I have to admit I'm having some anxiety over it....

Jericho and I will be going with my family to California on Feb 24th and I am so excited I'm about ready to pee my pants!!! We will be staying for a week and will be going to Disneyland, Universal studios, Sea World, and Knotts Berry Farm. Oh, it's going to be awesome. We will miss Wade, but since he isn't the biggest fan of our crazy Disney obsession I'm sure he doesn't feel like he will be missing much. I know he will miss his little boy though, they are definitely best buddies!

That's all for now. Have a wonderful day!

Fun Pictures!

2010-01-04T15:52:00.000-08:00

Our adorable little cowboy (in Wade's hat he got on our cruise to Mexico)

Wade and Jericho after the Polar Bear Plunge

Wade and his boss, Rich, waiting for the Polar Bear Plunge to start. BRRRR!

Jericho walking!

Polar Bear Plunge!

2010-01-04T15:36:00.000-08:00

My crazy (but very handsome) husband did the Polar Bear Plunge on New Years Day! You might have seen him on the news on KSL even. He's famous!!

Christmas and guess who's walking??!!

2009-12-28T11:15:00.000-08:00

We had a wonderful Christmas. We were able to have Christmas morning at our little house with just us and Jericho was in such a good mood and knew right what to do with his toys. He was super fun to watch. Then we went to Wade's parents and opened up presents with his family and ate breakfast. It was so much fun and of course we were completely spoiled. My mom made me a quilt and I haven't slept without it yet. I pretty much have stayed in my jammies and warm fuzzy socks. I'm not ready for reality. I did have to work Christmas night which was super hard but such is the life of the ER nurse!
Jericho is officially walking!! It's pretty great to see him walking through the house and he is sure proud of himself. We haven't gotten a video of that yet, but we will. He is such a great kid. So happy, loves to give hugs, talk and sing, is obsessed with his daddy and loves to play his dad's guitar. I swear I wake up more in love with that boy than the day before, which I didn't think was possible!!
Thanks to all of our friends and family for a wonderful Christmas! We feel very loved, grateful and blessed. We hope everyone else had a great time and that you all have a very happy New Year!

Family Pictures

2009-11-30T02:51:00.000-08:00

Once again, the incredible Jami Broadbent delivered! She is so good to us and is the most amazing photographer. We are grateful for her and her adorable family. They are pretty fantastic.
I just ordered our Christmas cards and I am super excited!

Jericho's Birthday

2009-11-30T02:43:00.000-08:00

Whew. Wade finally helped me figure out how to get Jericho's birthday pictures uploaded. He was spoiled rotten and we had a lot of family and friends that came to see him. Isn't he the cutest little guy? And, just so you know I almost dropped Jericho's cake when we were singing to him. Seriously could have won some cash with that video.

Vernal Thanksgiving

2009-11-27T16:31:00.000-08:00

Me and my beautiful sister, Nikki

Jericho- looks a little guilty doesn't he?

My super cute Grandma Nera

Handsome Jericho

We were able to go to Vernal this year for Thanksgiving. It was a quick trip, but great to see my family. We had a wonderful dinner at my Grandma and Grandpa Batty's house and as always I ate too much, but still wanted more. Then Jericho needed a nap, so we went back to my parents house and had a little siesta. I ended up watching movies with my sister and her kids and Wade went on a drive to do some photography. We stayed the night and headed back today since I had to work tonight (I'm actually at work, typing this at 5 am the next day. weird huh?)
I am incredibly grateful for my little family. Whoever would have thought I'd be married to such a great guy and have an adorable baby boy?? Not me! I feel very blessed and overwhlemed with gratitude. I am thankful for my parents who do so many things for me and have always been there no matter what. I am thankful for my brother and sister and for their little families. My sister is my best friend. I am thankful for my grandparents and for their examples to me. What exceptional people they are. I am thankful for Wade's family and feel fortunate to have married into such a great family. I am grateful for my Heavenly Father and elder brother, Jesus Christ. What an amazing gift we have in the gospel and the plan of salvation.
I am thankful for a job. One that I really enjoy and people that I love to work with. I am thankful for Wade's job and his wonderful boss who has treated us like gold.
Ok... so I could go on and on but I won't. I just wanted everyone to know that I am thankful for so many things and feel so fortunate at this time of year. I hope everyone had a super Thanksgiving and that you are all looking forward to a very Merry Christmas!

2009-11-10T11:13:00.000-08:00

Jericho with my old mickey mouse ears! They are antiques!

Jericho sitting in his cubbies that his Daddy made for his closet!!

We have some great pictures of Jericho's birthday, but blogger won't let me upload them. So, I need to have Wade work some magic so I can post them. So, these are just some cute pictures that I found today. Jericho is such a happy, happy boy and is so much fun. He is always wanting to be chased and wrestled. Lately he has been saying "uh-oh" and loves to play any game where he can say that. He still ADORES his polar bear and absolutely lights up when he sees him. Tomorrow we are going to the doctor for his one year visit and I am anxious to see how much he weighs. Hopefully he will do ok with all the shots he needs! ;)

BUMBLE BEE!

2009-11-06T17:31:00.000-08:00

Mallie, Haize, and Jericho

I think these are the cutest kids I've ever seen!!

ONE whole year!

2009-11-03T13:13:00.000-08:00

It seems absolutely impossible that my little baby boy is going to be one whole year old at 1220 A.M. November 4th. Totally and completely crazy. I remember the exact moment I started into labor on November 3rd. I had just told Tom I would come in and work half of his shift and not even 20 minutes later, I started having contractions. I had a regularly scheduled dr. appt and while I was in the waiting room, the contractions were hurting pretty good so I thought I'd better find someone to work for me. Luckily Becky was willing and so I didn't have to worry too much about that. The dr. said I was only dilated to a 1 and to just try to tough it out for awhile. He said "when you can't stand it anymore, go ahead and go to the hospital". I wanted to cry then, because it hurt pretty bad. I kept thinking that I was a pretty big wuss and was in for it. I came home and told Wade that we would be having a baby soon and he looked at me kind of like I was crazy. I had him go to the gym and I tried to just pace the house, take a bath and keep my mind off of things, but holy cow! Those contractions were HORRIBLE!!! I was having them every 2-3 minutes and they were pretty intense. Most of the time I was kneeling on the floor or by my bed praying my guts out that I would be able to do this. I didn't want to go to the hospital too soon and not even be dilated. After all of my pre-term labor and previous hospital visits I had learned I wanted to be exactly sure and I didn't want to spend more time there than I needed. Around 7 pm I couldn't stand it anymore and I called Wade and told him to please come home. He came home and we took off for the hospital. I had already told my parents I was in labor when I went to the Dr. appt earlier so they were on their way from Vernal. When I got to the hospital I was dilated to a 4. I was so glad that I had at least made some progress. But boy, did I want that epidural. By 8 pm. I was dilated to an 8 and still no epidural. My contractions were every minute with no breaks inbetween and I was sure I was going to die. I was crying, holding the nurses hand, yelling at Wade and I just kept saying, "I'm sorry, I know I am a wimp, but I can't do this, I really can't". Everyone was so patient with me. I really was the classic screaming woman from every TV show you've ever seen. My mom and dad walked in about this time and I was so grateful to see them. I pretty much squeezed my poor momma's hand off as they kept trying to get the epidural in. Finally after 3 attempts I finally had a working epidural. AHHHH!! Oh, those suckers are from heaven! But my little baby boy wasn't going to fit through my pelvis and I had actually regressed in dilating. They said I needed a c-section and quickly. So, by 1220 a.m. we had our adorable 9 lb 1 oz 21 inch baby boy in the world. He was the cutest, chubbiest and hungriest baby boy! I was so grateful that after all our scares of him coming too soon and then not being able to come he was here safe and sound.
Now, one year later we have the happiest, silliest, most adorable baby boy who is growing up way too fast. He is still so happy, loves to give us his cheesiest smiles, loves to crawl super fast, stand up to everything, pull anything and everything out of any basket, cupboard, box or closet he can find. Jericho loves to read his books and just jabbers as he looks at each page. He is a daddy's boy and adores Wade. I love to see them play and wrestle and to hear Wade sing songs to him. Jericho is always mesmerized when Wade is singing to him and begs for him to do it more. He loves to be chased and will squeal and scream and want you to do it more and more. I love to hang out with him every day and he makes me so incredibly happy. I love my baby boy more than anything and that love seems to grow each and every time I look at him. I am so incredibly blessed and lucky to have my happy, healthy little family.
We are having a birthday party tomorrow night for him. Just cake and ice cream with our family and some friends. My parents and my niece and nephew are even coming from Vernal to see him. I am so excited.

Leaving your blog logged on at work!

2009-10-28T17:36:00.000-07:00

I love ya Brynn! You should never do this cause you know I will post on it.
Your Co-Worker ;)

So cute

2009-10-13T21:58:00.000-07:00

Mallie, Haize, and Jericho

I found this picture in my email that Wade's dad had taken with his phone of the three babies. It was taken this summer and I can't believe how much they have all changed since. But, aren't they sooo cute??!!

Wedding fun

2009-10-13T11:14:00.000-07:00

On Friday October 8th, we went to our friends', Jed and Sarah's, wedding in Manti. It was nice and chilly, but a beautiful day. Even though we were all dressed up and looked adorable, not one family picture!!! Goodness, we are pathetic! Jericho was a very good boy and put up with us hauling him in and out of the car and a day full of driving. Their reception was one of the most awesome ones I have ever been too. It was at a greenhouse and they had decorated it like a "fall carnival". They had a ticket booth at the front and you had to get your tickets to see the bride and groom and then they had several booths for games!! Huge bags of cotton candy, caramel apples, popcorn, etc. So cute and so fun. Very happy for them. They are perfect for eachother!

11 months!!

2009-10-03T18:45:00.000-07:00

Our baby boy is 11 months old today! I can't believe that in just one short month he will be one year old! At times it seems like he just came into our family and yet most of the time I can't remember life without him! He is definitely becoming a little boy. He loves to wrestle and play with Wade. He has the cheesiest little grin and scrunches up his whole face. Wade has been teaching him to do somersaults and Jericho will put his head right down and tuck his little chin and Wade will flip him over. It's so cute, and Jericho is so proud of himself. He loves to be chased and squeals super loud. The past couple of weeks he has really discovered his tongue and is doing all kinds of tricks/sounds with it. He loves to be around other kids and pretty much loves everyone. When Wade or I leave for work he waves bye and we are trying to teach him to blow kisses, but he hasn't quite gotten that one yet. His naps have been getting a little shorter, but he still is super good about just laying in his crib with his polar bear and other stuffed animals and going to sleep. He LOVES that polar bear and just mauls him and sucks on his nose - pretty darned cute.
These are pictures that Wade took of him recently. Yesterday Wade took the pictures of Jericho sucking on our screen door. Apparently it is pretty delicious!

State Fair Fun!

2009-09-17T10:20:00.000-07:00

I love the State Fair. So last Sunday we decided to take Jericho and check it out. It was windy and it sprinkled on us, but overall it was pretty fun. Jericho loved the animals. He acts like he just wants to grab them and eat them. So, enjoy the cute pictures of my silly boy.

09-09-09

2009-09-09T12:34:00.000-07:00

Jericho at his first Onion Days parade

Jericho, Parker and Zach at the pool

I got out my Halloween decorations today. Crazy! I can't believe how fast this year has gone by!
My baby boy is 10 months old! What a happy and fun little boy he his. He is always smiling, talking, and moving! He loves to say "da da", "ma ma" and "wow". It's pretty adorable. He is still climbing my stairs like a mad man, but refuses to learn how to go down. I always find him pulling himself up to everything and now he has discovered "The Kitchen"! He loves to bang the cupboard doors and he has discovered that there are lots of great things to play with inside. So, daddy's job is to put our child proof latches on. And soon! He still takes really good naps and sleeps all night. (except for swiss days, I'll expound on that in a minute). He had his first official swimming experience and loved it. He went to his first parade on Monday for Onion Days and did pretty good. He actually paid attention for the first 1/2 hour which is pretty impressive for this active man. He is getting two more teeth on top, one is almost popped through. I'm totally suprised that he hasn't acted like they have bothered him at all. His cheesy grins are about the best thing in the world and to listen to him all day makes me so happy. Sometimes I get a little frustrated always chasing him around, but when I am gone to work, I wish I was home chasing him around.

My girls weekend was a blast. It just had some speed bumps. I was all prepared with Jericho's playpen and the POLAR BEAR, and every other stuffed animal in the world. But, he wouldn't have it. Apparently, he only wants his crib to sleep in and nothing else will do. We had these super nice rooms at Little America and I was so freakin excited. I'm like a little kid in that sleeping in a hotel is like Christmas to me. I LOVE it, and I was sooo looking forward to it. I know, I've got issues. But I ended up walking the floor for 6 hours with Jericho that first night. I even tried just holding him and laying down, and that didn't work. I had to hold him and stand up. Eventually I got him to sleep, but my poor momma and her snoring woke him up. So, I tried going over to my sister's room and I got in bed with Parker. I think I gave the poor kid a heart attack when she realized there were two new people in bed with her. Jericho only tolerated it for about 5 min then started fussing, so I had to get back up. Oh, it was torture! So I decided that I would just have to drive back and forth from Payson to let Jericho sleep at night. So, that was a bummer. But we did get our shopping in and Swiss Days was great fun. I even drove back up to the hotel to let Jericho swim for a bit. I love hanging out with my girls and it really was a fun time. I can't wait til next year! (maybe it can be a boys weekend that week and Daddy can take Jericho:))

SWISS DAYS

2009-09-02T22:15:00.000-07:00

So, I'm finishing my last shift before I head off to the girls weekend to enjoy Swiss Days, shopping (window shopping for me), eating, and just plain relaxing and hanging out with my girls!! I am sooo excited. We have been doing this for the past few years and I love it. It's just fun to be with my mom, sister, niece and nephew (poor kid gets included with the girls), and this year Jericho is coming too. We will be staying in Salt Lake at Little America and going to Swiss Days up in Midway on Friday morning, then it's just chillin and doing school shopping for Parker and Z after that. We always have so much fun together and I always end up having the best time. I didn't get to go last year because I had just gotten out of the hospital with pre-term labor and was on bed rest. Oh man, I was so bummed. So, this year it's going to be a party. And I am so glad to get a little break from work. Whew, it's been crazy in the ER lately and it will be so good to get away!! And, I'm sure Wade will enjoy the bachelor life for a few days too.
I will be sure to post all about it with lots of pictures next week.

P.S. I've bugged most of you, but for those who don't know or haven't heard. I am an AVON lady!! Yes, yes it is true. I would love for all of you to tell your friends and for everyone to buy some AVON from me. I have a web site and of course you can always email me, leave a comment on here or give me a ring. I would LOVE it!
www.youravon.com/brynnhaskell

Honestly

2009-08-26T15:50:00.000-07:00

So I seriously just made lasagna for the first time (by myself). Yeah, I don't even think that "pathetic" can accurately describe me. I have never been a domestic goddess and since I have basically failed up until now at attempting to be a decent wife, I figured now is as good as time as any to try harder to be better at the domestic tasks (and everything else). I look around me only to find everyone is pretty freakin amazing at being mom's, homemakers, wives, and just plain good citizens. It's quite daunting to know how much work I need to do and how much I truly need to improve myself. I truly feel sorry for Wade. I don't know how he has survived living with me this long. I'm sure he is wondering what in the world he did in his previous life to deserve this. Wow, I don't think anyone really wanted to hear "deep thoughts by Brynn" today now did they? Sorry, I guess I got a little carried away. Lack of sleep will do that to a person.
Now, I am listening to poor Jericho. He has the hiccups and is trying to take a nap. It kinda makes him mad. Don't blame him. I guess I need to go rescue him for a bit.

*** This picture is just another one of the many super-de-duper cute ones taken by The Infamous Jami.

One adorable rockstar!

2009-08-21T18:24:00.000-07:00

These pictures were taken by our friend Jami Broadbent. She is awesome and she did such a good job with Jericho. He was an ornery little fart and I felt bad for Jami working so hard. He was teething, was mad about his sore burned arm and needed a huge nap. But, Jami must be a magician cuz they turned out so cute!! I LOVE them.
P.S. His arm is sooo much better and he now has TWO teeth that have popped through. Super cute.

August fun

2009-08-17T18:40:00.000-07:00

He loves to swing!

Handsome man

Haize and Jericho playin' in the pool

Whew! Summer has flown by! I can't believe how fast time seems to go. Jericho is as crazy busy as ever. I am amazed at how much energy he has and how fast he can go. Always moving, never stopping. I seriously wish I could harness some of his energy for myself. His craziness has gotten him several injuries. The worst being a burn to his arm and leg when he pulled on my curling iron cord and it fell on him. Oh, it was awful. I bawled longer and harder than he did. It broke my heart. He is so tough though. He hasn't acted as if it has bothered him at all. Even with me scrubbing it and putting dressings on it twice a day he hasn't cared at all. He leaves the dressings alone and just sits and watches me clean it. He is always bonking his head or pulling things down on himself. I pretty much spend all day just chasing him. But he is so happy and so much fun. Such a good boy and I am so grateful for him!

9 months and counting...

2009-08-10T13:22:00.000-07:00

Jericho with Dylan

Isn't he all cute sitting on the stairs?

So happy and excited

Mr. Speed Crawler!

So, my handsome little man is 9 months old (and 6 days) He is so much fun and so full of energy! I can't believe how busy and crazy he is. His little body never stops moving. I spend all day chasing him, grabbing him quickly from getting to things he shouldn't, saving him from crashing or falling, and just playing with him. He is getting his first tooth finally. It's started to poke through on the bottom and it hasn't seemed to bother him at all. He loves to sit in his high chair and eat his "treats" (yogurt bites and the puffy cereal stuff). He will sit in there and just squeal and babble as loud as he can. I can't believe how much he has grown and changed and how much he learns every single day. He is so much fun and I love going into his room in the morning to be greeted by his smiling face as he is kneeling in his crib waiting for me to come! I love to kiss and snuggle him even though he now pushes me away. I have been feeling a little down lately and so I decided I needed to do something for someone else. So, Jericho and I took some flowers to see Dylan. It was starting to rain, so we couldn't stay long, but it was good to see the other things people had left and I thought I'd better take a picture of Jericho with Dylan's flowers:)

"P" Mountain

2009-08-03T11:00:00.000-07:00

On Sunday night we hiked up the "P" mountain and took some family photos. Holy! I had never done it before, and it's a killer for an old chubby lady like me! I thought for sure I was gonna die before I got to the top! Then, it makes for gorgeous pictures to have my face glistening with sweat and my hair in shambles. Plus, lets just say, there was a lot of boob sweat going on too. I think Mr. Wade fixed that in the pictures. Thank you honey. Anyway, it was fun. Nice to get out of the house, get some exercise, hang out with my boys and take some great family pictures. Fun memories. And a good way to end my bummer reunion weekend.

Reunion

2009-08-03T10:56:00.000-07:00

Jericho on the 50

The whole family at Zachary's babtism

My little nephew Jeremy

Me, Jericho and the nephews at Dyer Mine - one of my favorite places

So, although our time in Vernal camping was short, we did get a few pictures and activities in. As you can see we were able to go on a 4-wheeler ride to Dyer mine. I love that place. Every year I've been to the McKee reunion we have gone up there. Reminds me of happy times with my dad and siblings. And we were able to get a family picture in (taken by Mr. Wade Haskell himself) at Zachary's baptism. I can't believe he is 8 years old already...
Anyway, next year I'll be more prepared and I'll have a gazillion stuffed polar bears or whatever Jericho's "buddy" is at the time, so no worries!

Polar Bear

2009-08-03T10:55:00.000-07:00

The "damned" polar bear

So happy to have his bear back...

OK, so I learned my lesson. Never, Never, Never leave this house without that stupid polar bear. Jeez. So, we get up to Iron Springs (Uintah mountains above Vernal) for our reunion, put up the tent, blow up the air mattress, get out sleeping bags, pillows, blankets, set up the play pen, have about 4 hours with the fam and then try to go to bed. Gah! Even though I had other toys, his bottle and Wade and I were right there, the kid screamed his head off. He was hysterical! Wade took him for a car ride, got him to sleep, brought him back to the tent and he just started screaming again. Wade and I looked at each other and said, lets just bag it. So, we packed up everything. It was 1130 at night. I was so freaking frustrated I could have screamed. I was throwing stuff and I didn't even want to pack anything, I just could have left it all.... Wade was the one being calm and telling me it was going to be OK. We went back to Vernal to my parents house and tried to put Jericho in the crib. He did OK for about 20 minutes, then he started crying again. I ended up having to rock him for about 30 minutes which is something he never lets me do. I got him relaxed enough and put him back in his crib. He finally went to sleep about 2 am. When he woke up at 7 he was as happy as could be....
So we went to Zachary's babtism that day and then drove home to Payson afterwards.
Long story short - Attach the Polar Bear to Jericho permanently!!!

Crazy man

2009-07-30T00:17:00.000-07:00

*Disclaimer* I apologize for the poor picture quality. These were taken by the mom, not the dad!

So, Jericho will be 9 months old on the 4th. I am amazed at how fast time has gone. It doesn't seem possible. He has been officially crawling for about a week and a half and he is FAST! He still does his belly scoot, but either way he can motate! And of course in the past week he has also started pulling himself up on the furniture to a standing position, and as you can see from the pictures, he started crawling the stairs today. I was sure surprised when I came around the corner to see him standing there. And, he was quite proud of himself. He loves to push and pull on the gait that blocks him from the stairs going to the basement which required a little extra support. I have it tied with some ribbon to the banisters!! (Yes I am white trash, OK?) And, Jericho has had his first taste of cat food. It is a very important milestone in a child's life, right? Well, regardless he got some! I've had to come up with all kinds of creative ways of hiding, or moving things out of his reach. Even then, he has found a lot of ways to get into trouble. I think this mom is in for A LOT of trouble, what do you think?

He really is the happiest kid. He is always smiling and happy. He only gets grumpy when he wants his bottle or it's naptime. He loves to play with his stuffed polar bear in his crib and has to have it to go to sleep. He talks and squeals like crazy and has started to suck on his upper lip. He does it in some different ways and makes some super cute faces. I love to hear him talking in his car seat as we are driving. I can look in the little mirror and just see him talking to his toys or looking at me through the mirror and jabbering. I sure do love him and he makes every day so wonderful. I really love to see his face when Wade walks in the door. Oh, he gets so excited and you can tell he wants to show his dad his tricks. It's pretty darned adorable.

I've been getting everything together to go to Vernal for our family reunion. It's amazing how much work and how much stuff you have to take to go camping with a baby!!! I feel like I'm having to pack up the whole house! Anyway, I hope it's a good trip. I'm excited to see my family and all my aunts, uncles and cousins. Stay tuned for pictures and a complete play by play!

Latest Haskell happenings...

2009-07-22T17:21:00.000-07:00

Jericho rocked to sleep by the soothing boat motions, completely upright, stuck in his life jacket ;)

"Mom, what is this crazy thing you have me stuck in?"

About as adorable as they come!

Wade's very impressive photography skills!!

So we were lucky enough to be invited (and I was lucky enough to be able to switch my schedule around) with the Broadbents for a day of boating last Saturday at Mona Reservoir. They even bought a life jacket for us for Jericho, since we of course didn't have one. The poor kid didn't know what to think of the contraption, but was very tolerant of it. He couldn't move much, so he was pretty content to just sit still. I was very suprised. He never sits on my lap or will just even sit to play with a toy, but he did all day saturday. I was amazed. And after a hot morning of being out on the water, the soothing motion did put him to sleep. So cute. Wade did some wakeboarding and did an awesome job. He had only tried it one other time, but this time he did awesome and was even starting to figure out some tricks. As usually I'm a big bawl baby loser and I wouldn't try wakeboarding. I know, I know. I am a dork. But I am scared of the water, scared of getting hurt and losing my job, then losing our house, cars, etc. So, unfortunately my boring/responsible side comes out and I just can't do it. (Being an ER nurse takes all the fun out of life at times. When you see and know everything that can possibly go wrong, you become pretty paranoid) Jami was so good to teach Wade. She even got in the water to talk him through everything. She says that I have to do it by the end of summer. Hum. I don't know about that. We did get on the tube though. We even did a slow/mellow ride with Jericho. I was nervous the whole time, but he liked it and pretty much just sat still in his crazy life jacket. I was glad to get him off the tube though. I'm so nerotic. Then Wade and I went for a little more adventurous ride. My arms were pretty sore the next day from holding on. I guess I gotta start workin out some more :) Anyway, as always we owe the Broadbents for being our cool friends and for inviting us along.
On Sunday night before I was going to work, Jericho and Wade were going to get in the pool, so I was searching for a hat for Jericho. I found this cute blue sun hat and so we put it on him and Wade took some pretty awesome pictures. I am always amazed at how much he has learned and I love that we have such great pictures of Jericho. He is such a happy and handsome baby boy!
On Monday night we did go to the Tori Amos concert at Abravanel Hall with the Broadbents. We went to dinner at Texas Roadhouse and then on to the concert. It was awesome. Tori is so amazing and I am always more amazed seeing her live. Unfortunately Wade did get sick and had to miss his favorite song. By the time we got home, he had a fever and was shaking pretty bad. Poor guy. As of today he is doing better, so I am glad.
This weekend we have Wade's family reunion and then next weekend we have the Mckee reunion for my family in Vernal. So... I'm sure there will be lots of pictures and great stories to come!

8 months old!

2009-07-06T11:47:00.001-07:00

Can you believe that my Jericho is already 8 months old?! So crazy! He is the funnest, happiest, best baby ever. He loves to play, play, play and is always smiling. Yesterday we went and got him a pool to play in after weeks of talking about it. Wade immediately blew it up and filled it with a little water and he and Jericho went for a dip. After a little shock of the cold water, he loved it. (Daddy loved it too..) Although we probably over did it in the sun that day, I'm sure it will be a great time for us this summer and he will enjoy the pool quite a bit.
He is trying his hardest to crawl. He is sooo close. Rocking back and forth on his knees and can get one arm moving and then he crashes. I'm sure any day he will be off like a flash. Otherwise, he rolls and scoots everywhere he wants to go and can get pretty much anywhere by himself. He is like a monkey and uses his feet to hold his bottle and toys more than his hands. Pretty hilarious to watch. Jericho loves his daddy. His face lights up when Wade gets home from work and walks through the door. It's so cute to watch. I can't believe how much I adore and love him and how happy he makes me. Even though I work nights and am up for most of the day with him, I am happy to be up and going. He makes me smile and he is so much fun to have around. But please baby Jericho, stay little!!!

4th of July

2009-07-06T11:44:00.000-07:00

The Broadbents and us out in front of our house doing some fireworks

Jericho wondering what in the world we are doing...

He LOVES to swing!

I hope everyone enjoyed their 4th of July celebrations! I had to work all weekend, but I decided to invite the Broadbents over on Friday night for a little "pre-4th" dinner and fireworks display. Earlier in the day, I went to a get together with all of my dad's sisters at a park in Orem. Most of my cousins who I haven't seen since I was little were there. It was fun to see everyone and Jericho had a great time on the swings as you can see. Then later we had our sloppy joe dinner with the Broadbent family and we did some awesome Wal-mart special fireworks. Jericho watched in amazement and wasn't scared at all. I'm just glad that the Broadbents will always accept my last minute invitations and that they will hang out with us nerds :)

Our June Vernal Trip...

2009-07-06T11:39:00.000-07:00

Jericho looking adorable in Grandma Ellie's sink...

My beautiful niece Parker and Jericho

My mom and her good friend Verona playing their ukuleles (no idea how to spell that)

Nikki, Parker and Jericho at my parents house

Two weeks ago, Jericho and I took a quick weekend trip to Vernal to see my family. It was a super fast trip, but it was good to see my parents, grandparents, sister and niece while we were there. Mom even threw together a wonderful BBQ at her house just for us coming home. It was lots of fun and Mom and Verona played their ukuleles and we
all got to sing along. They have been taking lessons for awhile and they are pretty good.

Relay and Jericho

2009-06-15T13:47:00.000-07:00

The Relay was a great success. I think they made over $35,000 and had the biggest turnout ever! It did rain and it was a bit chilly, but overall a great time. Thanks to all of my wonderful friends and family who came to support my team and the Relay. It means more to me than you'll ever know! As you can see, my good friend, Noelle, looked super hot as Doc Brown from Back to the Future. And yes, she'll kill me for posting that!
Jericho is such a ham. He loves twizzlers I found out one afternoon when I needed 15 minutes and was pretty desperate for a distraction. Well I found it. And he was only stained a little red for about a day. Wade has been taking Jericho hiking and he loves it. I think he pretty much thinks he is hot stuff riding up so high on his daddy's back. He is still rolling everywhere like a mad man. Loves to squeal and get up on his hands and knees and rock back and forth. I've totally got to go get all kinds of baby proofing stuff for the house. I'm going to be in so much trouble when this kid gets more mobile!

RELAY FOR LIFE!

2009-06-11T14:03:00.000-07:00

The South Utah County Relay for Life is tomorrow (friday June, 12) at Payson City Park. The festivities begin at 5:30 P.M. and go all night until the next morning at 10:00 A.M.! If you are going to be around, please come by. It's a great night of entertainment, food, games for kids and adults, and lots of motivation to fight cancer! So, please come and support a good cause and have a wonderful night out with your family! Look for me, TEAM GOT HOPE? and pray for some dryer weather :)

7 months!

2009-06-08T15:47:00.000-07:00

My gorgeous baby boy. Look at those eyes!

So cute. I can't believe how much he has changed

Can you believe how big that belly is???!!! Only 7 months ago, this was me. Crazy!

So I guess I'm feeling all sentimental. Jericho is 7 months old now and I just can't believe it. Wade has been working on our pictures and getting them switched over to an external hard drive. As he was working on them, I saw some of the pictures of Jericho's birthday. It's so weird to think that only 7 months ago he was born. I was amazed at how different he looks now and that I really didn't remember all that time in the hospital. I guess the drugs, lack of sleep, and the new responsibility of being a parent was a little overwhelming for me. It makes me sad to think that I can't remember the little details though. I can't even remember them handing him to me for the first time. That's so sad! But, through the fog, I do remember some things. He was such a good little baby. Loved to eat and had no problems whatsoever. What a blessing! I remember holding him the entire time we were in the hospital. He rarely made it to the bassinet. I would hold him all night long and just stare at him. I was amazed to think that I had carried him inside of me and that after 9 months, he was here!
Now, he is our busy little beaver and the cutest guy ever! He loves to roll all over the place and is getting better at getting his knees under him. Today he has been practicing getting his knees under him and then rocking back and forth. So adorable. I swear he changes every day and learns so much. He is such a happy guy and loves to just grin and babble all the time. Lately he has been grunting/growling a lot. His face goes bright red and it is absolutely hilarious! Wade and I pretty much just sit around and let Jericho entertain us. He is so wonderful and we are so grateful to have him. I just wish time would slow down a bit. I want him to stay my little boy!

CUTE RANDOMNESS

2009-05-26T11:04:00.000-07:00

Isn't this face adorable?

This was last month at the Tulip Festival at Thanksgiving point.

Wade and me on a 4-wheeler wide on Memorial Day with our awesome friends, The Broadbents

He loves the jumparoo that "The Awesome Broadbents" loaned us :)

This is Jericho testing out his daddy's old cowboy boots. So stinkin cute!!

My baby boy is growing up way to fast. How can I slow down time?? I want him to stay like this. He is so much fun. He loves to talk, and squeal! In the morning and with his naps he will just sit and cuddle his stuffed animals and talk himself to sleep or until I come to get him when he wakes up. Then I get the biggest grin ever! Of course, then he starts to whine cuz he wants a bottle - NOW! He loves his bottles and can hold it all by himself now. He really is proud of himself and it's pretty cute to see his chubby little hands holding his big bottles. Rolling is one of his favorite things and he can roll all over the house. I've got to start baby proofing. I caught him with is fingers playing with an outlet the other day. Oh goodness. He tries to scoot and I think he'll be crawling before we know it. Wade is constantly demonstrating how to crawl in the hopes that Jericho is a "visual learner". He makes our home so happy and I really don't know what I ever did without him!!
Wade and I got to have a little date on Memorial Day. After all of us taking some flowers to Dylan's grave and then to a BBQ at Wade's parents, we were lucky enough to go 4-wheeling with the Broadbents and Jericho stayed with G & G Haskell. It was pretty fun and nice to do something outside. I love 4-wheelers and it was great to ride one again. Of course, Wade wanted to be little bit more wild. He and Jarin will just have to go without the girls for a more adventurous ride ;) After we picked up Jericho we met the Broadbents and their kids in Spanish Fork for pizza. We love to hang out with them and are glad that they will call us all the time. They are pretty good to us. I hope you all had a safe and happy Memorial day!

Relay for Life Yard Sale!!

2009-05-15T15:47:00.000-07:00

Yard Sale tomorrow - Saturday, May 16th - at my house in Payson. Starts at 8 am! It's a fundraiser for my Team, Got Hope?, for the South Utah County Relay for Life. All proceeds benefit the American Cancer Society and local individuals affected by cancer. We have TONS of stuff!! I have so many good friends bring loads of great stuff and I am super grateful. We have furniture, baby clothes, strollers, car seats, jumperoo's, golf clubs, light fixtures, doll strollers, doll blankets, toys, exercise equipment, lot of clothes, and tons and tons of decorations, bedding, and pillows. I think everyone knows I live right across the street from Wal-mart. So please, super please tell your friends and stop on by! It will be a great time for a wonderful cause!

We will miss you Dylan!

2009-05-09T07:58:00.000-07:00

I just wanted to write and say how proud I am of Wade. He has had an incredibly hard week and has come through shining. A good friend of his passed away early Wednesday morning and along side this friend's Dad and the rest of his co-workers they built Dylan's casket. Wade took pictures of the entire process, which included many of Dylan's dad, Travis, lovingly working on Dylan's last resting place. Wow. What an incredible tribute to Dylan's life. I am so sorry for the entire Thomas family, for the RJ Lewis crew and for Dylan's many friends. He was deeply loved and adored. Today is his funeral and Wade has already left the house to go take pictures of Dylan in his casket before the graveside service. I cannot imagine how hard that will be for him and yet he is so happy and willing to do this for Travis. I am so proud and grateful to call Wade my husband. He is a wonderful, thoughtful, kind and genuine man. I love you Wade.

Jericho is 6 months old!!

2009-05-05T16:08:00.000-07:00

On Monday the 4th, my little baby boy turned 6 months old! I can hardly believe it. I'm freaking out to think how fast time has gone. I can hardly remember him being my little baby. He is such a busy, happy little boy with so much energy now. He has the most amazing smile and it's the greatest thing to see. He can now roll all around the room pretty effortlessly. I think he is amazed at himself when he ends up somewhere. He will talk to himself and start squawking and I will find him giving me such a great big smile clear across the room from where I left him. He wants to crawl or walk so badly and I'm so nervous for when he actually gets it figured out. He is so busy now, I'm really going to be in trouble when he starts to motate more! He loves to stand, and will stand at the side of the couch for a long time and do his "tough guy squeeling". He really gets pretty proud of himself.
We had a little "1/2 birthday" party for him and we got him some turtle cupcakes and he loved the icing. He definately loves to eat all of his mushy food and really wants to have whatever we are having. I will take him for his 6 month check up on thursday and I am anxious to see what his stats are! He is a big, chubby, happy guy and he definately has gotten a lot of his momma's genes. He does look like his daddy, has dimples like his daddy, and of course his smile is all Wade, but in the size department, it's all momma.
I knew I would love my baby boy more than anything, but it's so amazing to realize the depth of that love and that it grows more every day. He is an absolute joy to have in our family. I love spending every day with him and playing with him. He makes everything so wonderful and special. I truly love seeing him and Wade together. I seriously get all teary eyed watching them play and laugh. It's so awesome to see my little family grow.
Happy 1/2 birthday to my favorite little boy in the whole wide world! I love you more than you will ever know!

Race for the Cure!

2009-04-30T21:31:00.000-07:00

So the annual Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure is coming up. May 9th in Salt Lake City, starting at the Gateway. These pictures are from last year when I ran with mom as I was about 14 weeks pregnant. Yikes, it was a killer :) Anyway, I've done it pretty much every year since about two years before my mom was diagnosed with breast cancer. Now that she has been in remission for a few years, it's even more important. The experience is amazing and I would highly recommend it to any and all to try. Everyone from the youngest little baby, to the elderly (but so young at heart), to the patient currently battling the disease are there to walk the 3 miles together. Families, friends, loved ones, care takers. It's pretty awesome. So, if you'd like to come join us, please do. You'll never forget it. www.komenslc.org

Happy Anniversary!

2009-04-28T07:52:00.000-07:00

Today is our 3rd Wedding Anniversary and I couldn't be more happy or content. I never thought I'd get married and neither did my family and friends. Everyone thought I'd be an old spinster with a house full of cats. Heck, when I met Wade, I already was.
I am amazed to see how my Heavenly Father has had a hand in all the events of my life and led me to my wonderful husband. I was working at Timpanogos and had known Wade's uncle for a long time. He would often tell me about his nephew, Wade, and how he thought we should get together. Unfortunately the timing was always off for a few years, but it finally worked out and on January 15th of 2005 we went on our first date. It took some convincing and some patience, but Wade finally proposed on February 8th, 2006. Life has flown by since then and I can hardly believe we have our little baby boy now.
I love you Wade more than you will ever know and I couldn't be more happy than I am with you and our little Jericho. You are a wonderful husband and dad and seeing you with Jericho makes me love you even more each day. I didn't think that was possible. So, Happy Anniversary to us. I look forward to many, many, many more!

Happy Sunshine ;)

2009-04-21T14:48:00.000-07:00

Don't you just LOVE all this sunshine?!! It's wonderful! And I love these pictures. After church on Sunday we went for a drive to Eureka and Wade did some practicing with his photography skills! When we got home Chelsey and little Haize came over so we took advantage of the opportunity and finally got a picture of them together. They've both gotten so big and changed so much since we last took their pictures! Personally, I think they are quite handsome!

Happy Easter!

2009-04-13T14:11:00.000-07:00

These are more of Wade's pictures. I love these of Jericho. He is so stinkin adorable! Wade went on a hike yesterday and took some more great pictures. He sure does love his camera, and I'm very glad!
I hope everyone had a wonderful Easter!

My AWESOME husband!

2009-04-06T14:54:00.000-07:00

I just have to give props to my fantastic husband! There are many reasons why I adore this man. Just to name a few; he LOVES me, he puts up with my craziness every single day with NO complaints, he makes me laugh more than anyone I know, his smile can make my whole day turn right around, he is the best daddy to Jericho, he loves to play with Jericho and spends as much time as he can with him, he is so stinkin handsome and he turns me on (wink, wink), he is so kind to everyone around him and is always thinking of others feelings, he is a wonderful photographer, he is a hard worker, and the list goes on and on.
These are some pictures he took this weekend and there are so many awesome ones to chose from. He is learning a lot about photography and is enjoying practicing his new found art. I am so proud of him and I can't even express how much I appreciate and LOVE him!!

5 months

2009-04-06T14:49:00.000-07:00

Jericho is 5 months old! I can't believe how fast time is going by. He is so adorable and I can't believe how much you can absolutely adore and love someone! Every morning when I go to get him out of his crib he gives me the biggest grins and oh, it makes my heart melt! He is rolling over, but only onto his tummy. He has rolled from his tummy to his back once, only I didn't see it. Most of the time he rolls over, plays for about 20 seconds and then he starts fussing for one of us to come roll him back over. His poor arms and legs are just flailing in the air and we keep telling him, "You can't fly mister!" He loves to put everything in his mouth and drools constantly! At one point I thought he was getting a tooth, but then it disappeared? Is that even possible? Who knows, I might just be loosin it. He laughs and talks a lot! He loves to hear his voice and really practices every range of his voice. We laugh at his high voice because he goes so high, he looses his voice for a second. He thinks he is super big and that he needs to stand a lot. Wade will stand him at the couch and he will hold onto it. And he has discovered his toes and feet. He loves to grab at them and to try and eat his toes. So, that means he has started to pull at his socks. I guess I will be looking for lost socks a lot more often now!
And of course, I love that he is a good sleeper. He still wants to go to bed right at 9 and then sleeps all night. It's so nice. And he is a wonderful little napper too - which helps mommy out a ton!
These pictures are of course from the wonderful daddy photographer!!

P.S. The mark on Jericho's right leg is a birth mark. Everyone asks :)

Better late then never, right?

2009-03-30T11:43:00.000-07:00

Ok, so here are some pictures we were finally able to download from our old camera. Yeah!
And yes, you are seeing a cat in the baby bjorn! These are things Wade and I do after Jericho goes to bed. Now that he goes right to sleep at 9 pm, we don't know what to do with ourselves and I guess we are easily entertained. So, poor Frank was put in the baby bjorn after I made the comment that Wade should just put Frank in it and take a stroll to Wal-Mart. Frank is a pretty laid back cat as you can see and didn't mind it to much, although after about 5 minutes we started to get a low growl from him and Wade thought it was best to let him out. (Don't worry, I cleaned the bjorn afterwards).
Then the next pictures are of Jericho's blessing day back in February. Of course, he was a little upset and wasn't going to cooperate for pictures. That's ok I guess. He's still adorable. And my mom took him as soon as we got home from the blessing to feed and rock him. She wouldn't let anyone else touch him because she was just sure he was traumatized from having all those "scarey men starring at him during the blessing". Oh dear. I guess that's what Grandma's are for. And we sure do love her! Jericho is lucky to have such a good grandma to love and spoil him!

CEREAL AND CUTENESS

2009-03-22T19:26:00.000-07:00

Wade has been practicing a lot with his new camera and I love it. Jericho has changed so much and I am grateful for some documentation of this fun time. He is 4 1/2 months and has started eating cereal and green beans. So far, he loves them. Of course we are just practicing for now, but he seems to enjoy the taste. He still sleeps through the night. By 9pm he is ready for bed and if we aren't at home, he gets a little fussy cuz he wants his bed. Then he doesn't wake up until 6 or 7am, has a bottle and goes right back to bed until 8 or 9. Today he didn't wake up until 830 the first time. Wade and I were both a little surprised and I was very grateful since I had worked all night. Those couple of hours can work miracles! He is rolling over onto his tummy, but hasn't mastered rolling back. So, sometimes we do have to go and turn him over in his crib when he turns over and decides it wasn't what he wanted. We do find him happily sucking his thumb sound asleep on his tummy at times though. He has the best little laugh and I am always working very hard to hear it! He really makes me work for it.
Wade is staying busy doing side jobs even though his boss is a little slow with work. We are grateful for family and friends and their word of mouth on Wade's great workmanship. He has done some custom things for several people and they have all been very happy. So... if anyone needs any finish work I know the perfect man for the job!!
I am still working my nights full time and it has been super busy. Even though the economy is slow, there will always be sick people . So, as long as I behave myself (it's hard sometimes) I should be pretty secure in my job and boy am I grateful. We are definately counting our blessings!
I will be going to Vernal on Thursday for a special event. My brother, Travis and his wife Amy will be finalizing their adoption! Jeremy will officially be a member of our family (although I haven't thought otherwise since he was born) and they will be sealed in the Vernal Temple. So, there will be much celebrating and we are very happy for them.
Whew. I got a little long winded, sorry about that. I guess I need to learn to shorten it a bit. Kudos to you if you actually read all of this!!!

A PICTURE!

2009-03-09T17:16:00.000-07:00

Yeah! I actually have a picture to post! It's from Wade's new fancy camera. We are still looking for a cord for the other camera. Oh, the drama.

Anyway, this is of course me and my little man. It was taken today as we were getting ready to leave for a funeral. Jericho was a little stink bug at the funeral. He fell asleep before I could get him bathed this morning and so we had to wake him up to bathe him and get him dressed and that just messed up his whole day. I guess it's good he has his schedule. Just don't mess with it man!

4 months!

2009-03-05T17:17:00.000-08:00

Ok, so I know that these posts without pictures are insanely boring. I sincerely apologize! The camera cord is of course still MIA. Dang it.

Jericho had his 4 month check up today. Weighs in at 16 lbs 8.5 oz and is 25 1/2 inches long! So that puts him in the 80th percentile for weight and 75th percentile for height. He is right on track. I got all choked up when they gave him his shots and tried not to cry. It's so awful to watch him be so sad and to have him look at me like, "Momma, save me!" It breaks my heart! There is also more happy news.... He is sleeping through the night!!! Holy cow, I never thought it would happen. He has been doing it quite often for Wade, but for some reason when mom is home, he wakes up once or twice a night. But two nights in a row he slept all night long while I was here! Once for 9 hours and another time for 11 hours! Wow! Of course the first time he did it, I was up every hour making sure he was ok and still breathing. It was a shock that he was staying asleep! Last night he did wake up once, but he quickly went back to sleep, so it was all good. I'm just grateful that it looks like we are headed toward much more sleep for mom! Yippee!! Now if only I could get him to sleep all day after I work a night shift! Ha, ha, just kidding.

I just have to thank my wonderful husband for all of his great help with Jericho and his patience. I know it is hard to be all alone with him all night long while I am at work and he has done a marvelous job. Because of it, he and Jericho are bestest buddies and Jericho's face lights up whenever he sees his daddy. Thanks honey and I love you so very much!

Also I need to just give a quick shout out to my brother, Trav, his wife Amy and their adorable baby boy Jeremy. They are finally on their way to being a family and Jeremy's adoption being finalized! We are so happy for them!

RELAY FOR LIFE!

2009-02-26T20:39:00.000-08:00

This is an attempt to recruite, ok, beg my dear friends to be on my Relay for Life team this year! It will be on June 12, 13th this year! My team, Got Hope?, has participated in the South Utah County Relay the past two years. This will be our third year and I'm excited. For those who haven't heard of or been involved with the Relay it is an all night event to raise money for the American Cancer Society that will take place at Payson City park . Each team is responsible for having at least one of their team members on the walking track at all times throughout the night. There will be a pot luck dinner, lots of games and activities as well as many motivational programs taking place all night long! It is a great time and a wonderful way to raise money for the American Cancer Society! The theme this year is "Back to the Future" and so everything will be rockin the 80's theme! All ages are encouraged to attend and participate and the kids/teenagers really have a great time since they get to stay up and play ALL NIGHT LONG!
If you or anyone you know would be interested, PLEASE let me know! I am looking to recruit lots of people so we can have a great team this year!
Thanks everyone! I appreciate it!

It's Thursday!

2009-02-25T00:49:00.001-08:00

We have had a lot going on and I haven't had any time to blog about it! So, this might be a long one - SORRY!
Jericho was blessed on Sunday the 22nd. It was a great day and we were very grateful to all of the many family and friends who traveled to share it with us. My dad gave him his blessing and he did a wonderful job. Jericho cried the whole time, but my dad kept going as if nothing was wrong and gave him a beautiful blessing. About 15 men were standing in the circle and so we know Jericho was very well loved and we were very grateful. We had a little lunch at our tiny little house afterwards and although it was crowded, everyone seemed to have a good time. So, thanks to everyone for coming and showing us your love and support. It was a special day!
That night, Wade and I went to a Celine Dion concert! Yee-haw! Now, neither of us are big (or even at all) fans of hers, but Wade's dad had bought tickets that were very pricey and they were going to go waste because he wasn't able to go. So, after he had tried to find anyone willing to go, Wade and I decided it would at least be a good excuse for a date night. Since Jericho was born, this was our 2nd time out without him. The tickets were great - 2nd row back at stage level. I could have touched her! And, of course we didn't take our camera because we are good/law/rule abiding citizens! On the tickets it said that no cameras or video recorders would be allowed so we left ours in the car, and what do you know - everyone had their cameras! We were bummed just because our seats were so good that we could have gotten some pretty awesome pictures. We did end up leaving a little early to get home to our baby boy. Wade's sister and bro-in-law, Jennifer and Chet, babysat for us and we were very grateful. They are wonderful babysitters and Jericho loves to go over to their house. Whitley, his cousin, loves to read to him and he thoroughly enjoys it.
The day before his blessing my family came out to stay the night at the good ol' Comfort Inn here in Payson. I met my sister, my mom, and my niece and nephew in Orem and we drove to Salt Lake to go eat at the Mayan. It was super fun and it was Jericho's first visit there. He seemed to really enjoy it :) Then they all came over to our house and helped set up for the blessing. After that it was back to the hotel to swim. My dad is such a good sport and loves to swim with Park and Zach. I think they wore him out though, cuz he kept telling them to ask their mom if it was time to go back to the room!
Wade is taking a photography work shop from our good friend Jami and he is really enjoying it. We are going to get him a nice camera with our tax refund (yeah!) and he is super excited. I will be posting lots of pictures when I can find my cord for the camera to download pictures. I've been searching for it everywhere with no luck. It's probably right in front of my face!

Happy Valentines Day!

2009-02-14T07:57:00.001-08:00

Happy Valentines to everyone! Just wanted to let everyone know that Jericho is doing a little better. Thursday morning I was worried he was getting worse and took him into the pediatritian. Basically he told me that I was a paranoid/first time mom. Phooey. Anyway, I'm grateful that we can see some improvement, although the poor fella still has quite the cough. Through it all he has been quite a trooper and is still giving us lots of great smiles and talking a lot with his little sad, hoarse voice.
Also, Wade fought in his last fight last night. It was so hard, because I had to decide whether to stay with the baby or go watch Wade fight and leave Jericho with a babysitter. My good friend Noelle and her daughter Elle volunteered happily and were all set, but I decided I'd better stay home since Jericho hadn't improved a ton. Our good friend Shawna also volunteered to babysit so I could go watch, and it was so sweet and thoughtful of her, but for some reason I couldn't stand the thought of leaving him. I was a nervous wreck waiting to hear from Wade though and had his sister text me as soon as the fight was over. He unfortunately lost in the first round and got a good punch to the right eye that left him with a pretty good cut in his eyebrow right as the first round ended. Because he was bleeding so badly, the ref stopped the fight and Wade was ok with that. He says this was his last fight and it had better be! I can't take the stress and worry! I was very glad to see him when he walked in the door at 130 am and to see that he really was in one piece and that all he needed was some stitches. Gratefully my nurse connections helped us out and we have to thank Dr. Bair for stitching Wade up so beautifully! As I left for work this morning Wade has a good size gooseegg over his eye and looks a little miserable. Hopefully little Jericho will behave so they can both get a nap in :)
P.S. Jericho weighs 15 lbs 13 oz!!

I hate RSV!

2009-02-10T11:58:00.000-08:00

Our precious baby boy has RSV and an ear infection! How in the world did that happen?!! Wade and I are so stressed and on the verge of tears every second. Jericho has such a sad cough, hoarse little voice and is the slobber machine. When he coughs he either smiles when he is done, or makes the saddest little sigh. It breaks your heart. Thankfully I have many connections with being a nurse and so I have taken full advantage of those. Thanks to everyone who has helped us and thanks to Wade's Dad, brother and our good neighbor Todd for coming and giving each of us a blessing last night. We needed it and we were very grateful.
As you can see by the pictures we have the sweetest little baby boy, even though he is sick, he is being soooo good. Bless his little heart. Anyway, I am off to go suction my poor baby. Oh I hate it!

UPDATES!

2009-01-20T15:45:00.000-08:00

Ok, so I have lots more pictures I need to add, but this is a start! I added these while my momma was holding Jericho, now I'm at work and trying to type this so I can post it! Life with a baby is definately interesting! I really get NOTHING done! But I am excited cuz I actually cleaned my house today! (Just cuz I had company coming) :) It is quite an experience to try and sing/talk/clap/dance for Jericho and clean at the same time. I'm sure my neighbors are wondering what in the world the goofy lady is doing that they can see through the window!
The first picture is of daddy Wade and Jericho at our Christmas eve party in Vernal. Aren't they adorable!? Jericho looks just like his handsome daddy. The next picture is of my brother-in-law, Ryan and my brother's baby boy Jeremy. Ryan LOVES the babies and he is so cute with them! Next is my brother, Travis with Jeremy. Not a great picture, but it's all I had. Not a very cooperative subject.
The next two pictures are of my chubby little man in his santa suit. As you can tell he didn't enjoy momma trying to take his picture, but he is still pretty darned handsome!
I'm so lucky because my wonderful mom and dad came out today to babysit all the way from Vernal! How awesome is that? I have to take a TNCC (trauma nursing core course) renewal class the next two days and I needed a babysitter. Fortunately Jericho has some pretty fantastic grandparents who are always so excited for a chance to see him! My dad even got off work so he could come! And it's a good thing they did cuz I finally cleaned my house. :)
Stay tuned for more pics! I'll try and be more diligent and get them posted!
P.S. Jericho is now 11 weeks old today! Holy cow time flies! He loves to smile and try to eat his hands and kick his little legs like crazy! He is also starting to wean himself from breast feeding and his momma is super sad! I'm trying to keep him going, but he is preferring the bottle all the time now. :(

Happy New Year!

2008-12-31T01:12:00.001-08:00

Whew! I can't seem to find the time to blog anymore. Jericho is too much fun to play with and also loves to occupy my time by requiring me to hold him in order to avoid screaming fits :) He is getting so big and he is smiling more and more all the time. His smile can make my day! He is also doing a lot of babbling and I know he is talking to us. He changes his voice and makes the cutest little faces.
We had a great Christmas. We were able to make a quick trip to Vernal to see my family and it was wonderful. I haven't been home on the actual Christmas holiday in over 4 years. Being a nurse has required me to work on holidays and therefore I haven't been able to be there. It was so fun to be at our annual Christmas Eve party and Christmas breakfast at Grandma Batty's. I love seeing my grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins, niece, nephews and of course my parents. My brother was even here from California with their little boy so it was great to be able to see them. We were spoiled with gifts and of course Jericho had no idea what was going on! Next year I'm sure he'll be into the boxes and wrapping paper like crazy. When we got back to Payson after our crazy drive in the snow we were able to have a short visit with Wade's family before I had to go to work. As always they spoiled us rotten!
It's amazing how my life has changed in the past 4 years. Life is so wonderful and I owe it all to my wonderful husband and baby boy. Wade has been such a blessing in my life and I am so grateful for him. He teaches me every day and makes me want to try to be the best wife/mom possible. Jericho is my little angel from Heaven and I know he is here to help me be a better person in every way possible. I can't describe how much I love and cherish him!
I hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas and that you have a safe and Happy New Year! I promise to post some pictures soon :)

Baby tag

2008-12-31T00:52:00.000-08:00

1-Where were you when you first found out you were pregnant? In the bathroom at work, supposed to be starting my shift
2-Who was with you? Just me, I usally dont let people in the bathroom with me, haha
3- How did you find out that you were pregnant? I got two pregnancy tests on the way to work as I was 4 days late and was dying of curiosity
4- What was your first reaction to finding out you were pregnant? I had to read the directions on the pregnancy test about 5 times and it was very hard because I was shaking like crazy. So excited and so scared
5- Who was the first person you told? Wade, My husband
6- Did you plan to get pregnant? sort of...
7- Did you tell everyone else right away? didn't plan on it, but at 6 weeks I couldn't contain my excitement and had to tell
8-Was everybody happy for you? YES!
9- Did you go out and celebrate? No, I think we were too shocked
10- Did you want to find out the sex? Yes. I'm not a patient person and I like to plan.
11- What was the sex? ALL BOY
12-Did anyone throw you a baby shower? O my goodness yes. 5!
13- If yes, who? FAMILY, FRIENDS, AND CO-WORKERS!
14- Did you get any outfits at the baby shower that you just knew you weren't going to put on your baby? um, yes
15- How much weight did you gain? about 45 lbs - yuck!
16- Did you lose all of the weight that you gained? unfortunately no, still working on the baby goo
17- Did you get a lot of stretch marks? again, unfortunately yes. I have stretch mark prone skin - bummer
18- What did you crave the most? ICE! Still do. Drives my poor husband and co-workers crazy
19- Did you crave anything crazy? not really. Just couldn't figure out exactly what I wanted
20- Who or what got on your nerves the most? My hips. Boy did they hurt. And boy did I waddle!
21- Were you married at the time? YES
22- Did you have any complications during your pregnancy? Yes. Preterm labor at 26 weeks, short stay in the hospital, then 4 WEEKS of bed rest. So not fun.
23- Where were you when you went into labor? At home
24- Did your water break? No, Wade kept waiting for it to. I told him it probably wouldn't on it's own.
25- Who drove you to the hospital? Wade. And he talked on the phone to his best friend, Joel, the whole time as I was saying some choice words and gripping the door. Fun times.
26- Did you go early or late? Late! It was crazy. I didn't think I'd go late since I had gone into pre-term labor!!
27- Who was in the room with you when you gave birth? Wade and lots of hospital staff as it was in the OR - had to have a c-section.
28- How long were you in labor for? From start to finish - 8 hours
29- Did you have any drugs for the pain? An epidural. After 3 tries it finally worked
30-Did you go Natural or have a c-section? c-section
31- What was your first reaction after giving birth? Absolute amazement and joy. It was awesome to hear my little man cry
32- How big was the baby(s)? 9 lbs 1 oz! I grow 'em big!
33- Did your Husband cry? I don't think so. I was a little (lot) drugged at the time. I do know he was a very proud/excited/surprised daddy though
34- What did you name the baby(s)? Jericho Wade Haskell
35- Does his name have any significant meaning? Jericho is after one of Wade's friends. Wade picked it out as he wanted a unique, but not crazy name. And of course his middle name is after his proud dad.
36- Did you have any visitors? Lots and lots of visitors! Boy are we loved!
37- Did the baby(s) have any complications? Just a low blood sugar, but he was fine
38- How old is your baby today? 8 weeks!
39- When is the next one(s) coming? WELL NOT FOR A WHILE! Momma is still in shock and Daddy says we have to adopt the next one! :)
40-If you could, would you do it all over again? Absolutely. I can't imagine life without him now!!

I tag Chelsey and whoever else wants to play :)

6 weeks!

2008-12-16T13:31:00.000-08:00

Jericho is 6 weeks old today. I can hardly believe how fast time has gone by. Christmas will be here in just a few days! Jericho is so stinkin cute and of course growing like a weed. Unfortunately I am back to work full time night shifts. But, Wade and Jericho are having a great time doing their "daddy-son" thing all night without me.

Happy Sunday

2008-11-30T14:02:00.001-08:00

Happy Sunday! I have been working on ordering some pictures for Christmas so I thought I'd post some. Our friend Jami Broadbent did these for us and she did a wonderful job. A link to her blog is on my page if you want to take a peek at all her fantastic work.
I hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving. We spent ours here in Payson at Wade's grandparents. It was a fun time and of course great food. I wish I had some leftovers about right now though :) We have been having a good weekend just hanging out and being lazy. It's great to just be able to sit and cuddle the baby all day. No wonder he is spoiled huh? He's just so darned cute and really is a good snuggler so how can we put him down? We are still dealing with colic but hoping it will improve. Every day between 3-7 we have a scream fest. Sometimes it doesn't last very long, and others it goes on for a while. Poor kid.
He will be 4 weeks old on Tuesday and I can hardly believe it. Time goes by way too fast! I will be going back to work next Sunday night and I'm so sad. I wish I didn't have to leave my boys! But life must go on I guess.
Well, I hope everyone has a good week and that you are all getting ready for Christmas! I know I am!

3 weeks!

2008-11-25T12:58:00.000-08:00

Today Jericho is 3 weeks old! He is growing so fast. Right now he is sitting on the "boppy" pillow and he is getting his "sleepy eyes" and playing with his hands. It's pretty adorable. Plus his hair is sticking straight up all over - only adds to the cuteness. He is still wanting to eat every 3 hours day and night. I'm keeping my fingers crossed that we start extending the time in our night time feedings! I do love to cuddle with him though. He is the cuddliest baby and I'm so lucky.
My wonderful husband brought me home some flowers and the sweetest card last night. Totally made my day. I am so lucky to have him as my husband and as Jericho's daddy. He takes such good care of us and is so sweet and thoughtful. He has been trying so hard to help me with Jericho so that I can catch a nap and it means the world to me. Watching Jericho smile at him last night for the first time was amazing. I keep thinking that life can't get any better, and it does. I love my Wade and Jericho and I am so grateful for them. I am the luckiest girl in the world.

Jericho is 2 weeks old!

2008-11-19T16:46:00.000-08:00

Jericho had his 2 week appointment with the dr today and he did great. Poor guy had to have his heel poked and mom just about lost it. The tough old nurse who used to be able to start IV's on babies is gone! I will never be able to poke those little babies again! He weighed 9 lbs 13 oz and just over 21 inches. The dr said that everything looked great. Please forgive my photography. Jericho has a sore tummy but I wanted to get a quick snap shot of his handsome self!

Happy Monday

2008-11-17T08:45:00.000-08:00

Whew! I never get on the computer anymore! No time with this cute little man in my life now! I love to just hold and look at him and I am getting nothing done! He is already changing so much I can hardly believe it. I don't like that he is growing up so fast! He will be two weeks old tomorrow! The first picture is of Jericho and his cousin Haize who was born two days after him! We have been wanting to get them together to see the size difference and boy we have a chunky monkey on our hands! Haize was 6 lbs 13 oz and Jericho was 9 lbs 1 oz at birth. Hilarious! The next picture is just one of the many random pictures I take every day of Jericho. My grandparents were able to stop by for a quick visit on their way from Quartsite Arizona to Vernal and we were so happy to see them and glad that they finally were able to meet Jericho. The last picture is of me (in my awesome moo-moo nightgown) with my baby boy. He is so much fun. I have to admit that I am having some baby blues and it is bumming me out big time. I love my baby so much, more than I could have ever imagined. But I still have that sad, depressed, overwhelmed feeling that I would give anything to make it go away. I know that a lack of sleep isn't helping that feeling, but I'm just scared that it won't go away. I really hope that it does. I want to feel nothing but happiness and joy. This is such an awesome time in our lives.

I love being a mom!

2008-11-11T19:04:00.000-08:00

I never thought I could be so happy! I love being a mom. I love missing out on sleep and I love changing messy diapers! Who would have thought? I am loving every minute of mommyhood and couldn't be more in love with my baby boy. He loves to eat and is such a good nurser. I am so grateful. It's as if he was born knowing exactly what to do and took to it like a pro. Wade is an amazing daddy and I love watching the two of them together. It really is pretty amazing how this little person has completely changed our lives for the better. I am a little nervous for my mom to be going back home though. I don't know what I'd have done without her help! She has done so much for us and I am very lucky to have such a wonderful mom who is willing to come and stay with us. Wade wants her to stay forever and is super worried for her to leave. I know we will be ok, it's just a little crazy to think of just the two of us doing this on our own! Well, my little piglet is calling me! I love it!

WE ARE HOME!

2008-11-08T15:23:00.000-08:00

We were able to finally bring our perfect little baby home yesterday! My blood levels had been low in the hospital and it required us to stay and have it checked many times. It is still low but not dropping so they said I could go home & just have another level done on monday! As you can see our baby boy is as adorable as can be! We cant keep our eyes or hands off of him! His dad is over the moon and couldn't be more proud! Wade insists on changing every diaper! (amazing man - I AM SO LUCKY!) And he gave him his bath last night and was a pro! I am doing good just super tired. But I couldn't be more happy or content! I love being a mom - it is the best feeling in the world! Watching Wade with Jericho is so awesome! It always gets me choked up and I am overwhelmed with love. I have been blessed with such a perfect little family and I am so grateful. I am so lucky to have Wade. He is the perfect daddy and couldn't be happier to have his baby boy here. He has totally taken care of me and loves to be involved in everything Jericho is doing. My mom has completely saved us! She has cleaned, cooked and done laundry non stop. She has even helped with some much needed decorating! We are so incredibly grateful to have her here helping us and it makes everything so easy! I'm sure we will have some serious separation anxiety when she has to leave!
Thanks again to everyone for their calls, well wishes and gifts! We are so incredibly lucky to have such wonderful friends and family!!!