Visitors in June

June brought us back to business as usual. We were back to our regular routine patiently awaiting the visitors we would have coming this month. Get excited, they're good ones. 

Stephen loves to hang out with Rory in the morning before work. This is when I caught him doing his hair and Rory's at the same time. She doesn't have much to work with, but their twinning totally cracked me up. 

Rory now pulls the water bottle from my mouth when she is ready for her turn. Which is always. 

 We got to do a little swimming at our old apartment complex with my friend Emily.

Are you sure this water's sanitary? It looks questionable to me.  

Everything must get in my mouth!

Rory has discovered puffs and she gives them two thumbs up, five stars, 10 out of 10!

She loves golf balls and hates getting her nose wiped. Thus, this picture happened. 

I'm starting to have to barricade things. Look at her blurry little hand, always on the move!

When I need a little break I put Rory in the jumper- she can jump now!- and turn on a show. Her favorite is anything with music and girl loves Ed Sheeran.

The first weekend in June was when our first visitors arrived! Clayton, Stephen's best friend, and his girlfriend Alicia came to Gilbert for the weekend for Alicia's friend's wedding and they were able to stay at our house. We didn't have a ton of time with them, but it was enough to get some delicious food together and to remind ourselves how much we miss seeing Clayton every day. It is so fun to have such good friends. 

We took them to LoLo's Chicken & Waffles because that place is delicious and also a little hilarious. Alicia had been once before and could only remember they had delicious blue Kool-Aid so she and Clayt went all out. The Kool-Aids were delicious and also HUGE. 

She is my daughter

Now I'm hungry just writing about it...

And then the very next weekend we had a visit from my bestie Madalyn! She had a break in her work schedule so she was able to hang out with me for THREE WHOLE DAYS and it was glorious. We ate so many delicious things. Plus she showed up with gifts! I am currently obsessed with this T-shirt she brought for me. I wore it to Girl's Camp (for the one day I went) and girls kept being like "Hey, cool shirt." and I actually really did feel like a cool mom.
Mady flew in Wednesday night, but I got called to be a Beehive adviser the Sunday before she came, so I picked her up from the airport, drove home, put Rory to bed, and said, "Hey, glad you're here. Please watch my baby. Kthanksbye." And she did it gladly because she's the best. I got back from Mutual and we chatted and ate Edward's S'mores pie until we were too sleepy and full to continue. Verdict: It was yummy, but very sugary (and coming from us that is saying something) and we prefer our Marie Callendar's Chocolate Satin Pie.

The first day we just hung out and around the house and chatted for the morning and it was bliss. And then Stephen came home early from work because apparently the universe was celebrating my half birthday or something, and so we got to hang out with him. Then Stephen watched Rory while we went out and did some shopping. That night I took Madalyn to Fluff It for gourmet s'mores. Madalyn's was a mint marshmallow, with chocolate ganache, on a chocolate chip cookie. I got a vanilla bean marshmallow with Nutella and peanut butter on a peanut butter cookie. Both were A+ delicious. And so so messy. Is there anyone in this world that can eat s'mores without getting them all over their face? If so I am interested in taking lessons. Please and thank you. 

Mady also helped us further indoctrinate our child, which is really what a best friend is for. GO COUGARS! 

 The next day we went out shopping, but only after stopping by Sodalicious for a little sustenance. We got two cookies and a scotcheroo, because we're both watching our weight- HAHAHA jokes. Verdict: Inventor of the scotcheroo you are invited into our exclusive best friend club and also I think I love you. Peanut butter Off the Rails (Nutella frosting) is as delicious as it sounds. The chocolate cookie was also amazing, and Mady said during the holiday season they put peppermint frosting on them which she fins to be a little too much and I thought sounded just about right, so I'll get back to you on that one.

After a long day of shopping, we put Rory down and left Stephen at home and went and found ourselves some yummy Mexican food. Madalyn went for the Chicken chimichanga and proudly finished the whole thing because it was delicious and she is a lady. I got pork enchiladas with sweet potato sauce which I did not finish because 1) I wanted to be able to eat that meal again it was so good and 2) I only made it halfway through dinner before I started thinking about that S'mores Pie sitting in my fridge. 

Mady and I are always horrible at taking pictures when we are together because we are always busy talking and/or eating, so I hope you can see that this entire write up is a HUGE point for me in the adulting category. Let's be real though, nothing makes you feel more like a mom than saying, "Let's take a picture!" 

We redboxed the movie Arrival on the way home and watched it with Stephen, and YOU GUYS, I guessed the ending of that movie like halfway through and that is going on my gravestone because it was a very big deal for me. Cool mom and a genius. Wow. 

Us and future us??? 

 On Saturday we took Rory swimming at the community pool. We weren't there for long, but it was cute while it lasted and that's really all that matters right?

Saturday night we went out to Oregano's for dinner and tried not to think about the fact that Mady would possibly ever be leaving us. Stephen and I shared the Ziti with Meatballs and I am writing this down because I always forget what I like there, even though everything I've tried is delicious, but now I've got it in writing. I like the Ziti. We ordered a pizookie even though we had but three Nothing Bundt Cake bundlets earlier in the day to eat for dessert. But we only bought ONE pizookie so I was actually like super impressed with us. We got half chocolate chip half Salted caramel and it was WHOLE-Y delicious. See what I did there?  

Rory sat in a high chair for the first time and it was maybe the cutest thing that has ever happened to me. She ate her puffs for a while very happily. Then she people watched for a bit. Her favorite thing to do was find a server and lock eyes with them as they passed by our table. Inevitably, as they would walk by they would say to her, "You're so cute!" At which point she would smile and look away shyly and then find another server to stare down. This baby is just the coolest.

This head not pictured guy sitting at the bar behind Rory was speaking kind of loudly during our meal so he kept catching Rory's attention. She would strain her neck around to try to see him or lean back in her chair so she could get a good look at him upside down. When he got up to leave he said, "Well, you are not the cutest thing ever. I have not fallen in love with you at all." It totally warmed my heart and I keep thinking about it. I hope that Rory will always be so sweet to people and good at making friends!

Madalyn had to leave early Sunday morning, but we were all too full to eat our Nothing Bundt Cakes- rookie mistake. We tried to redbox another movie, but couldn't find anything good. We tried searching for iZombie season 3 episodes, but instead stumbled upon all the seasons of Pushing Daisies which Mady and I love because we are soul mates and Stephen had never seen before! We ended up watching 3 or 4 episodes. We had to multitask though because we were busy finding Mady potential Arizona husbands on Mutual (Tinder for Mormons) so that she can move next door to us. Don't even get me started on how fun/ addicting those apps are. We haven't found 'the one' yet, but we're not giving up hope. 

Right before we went to bed, we went ahead and taste tested the bundlets because it was absolutely necessary in order for us to get a good night's sleep. We got Red Velvet, Cinnamon Swirl, and Lemon Raspberry. They were all delicious. Stephen likes the cake, but thinks that the frosting is way too much. I like it all, but see his point on the frosting. My rankings were Cinnamon Swirl, Lemon Raspberry, and then Red Velvet. I did not happen to stand on a scale after Mady's departure and I think that was for the best. 

I love Madalyn, and she is the coolest for being my friend and loving my baby and hanging out with me when she has a well-deserved break.

And then life got back to normal and I had to start eating salads again. 

This is Rory at Walmart sitting in the cart for the first time. Notice the nursing cover overlaying the cart and every soft thing I could find in my diaper bag shoved in around her because I was terrified. I also walked around slower than the majority of the senior citizens in the store because I was so afraid of jostling her or something. She LOVED it. I couldn't get her to sit up straight because she could get a better view of the action like this: 

 She employed the same technique she had learned at Oregano's and stared other customers down until they told her she was cute. This is a picture of her doing exactly that to a single man.

Rory is getting more mobile by the day and loves to pull herself up on to things. She doesn't get to her feet most times, but she proudly sits up on her knees and reaches for whatever it is she is after. I love that her going after the iPad just makes it look like she is SUPER in to my fitness DVD. 

I never manage to get a picture with her in it, but my friend Emily is always good for a weekly swim/ lunch date. She knows the best places to eat and then she and I sit and chat in the pool while Rory floats alongside of us. Emily is the best. And Rory is pool tolerant- most days. 

Stephen's First Father's Day! All he wanted was a new wall mount for our giant TV so that it will not topple down on Rory when she starts pulling herself up on things and for me to master his mom's lasagna, which I attempted but did not succeed. A lame present, a disappointing meal, and this guy still had a smile on his face? Yep, he's a real dad now. 

Our good friends, the Bartons, had a baby boy that had Trisomy 18. Little Michael only lived for 11 hours, but his life completely touched and changed mine and many others. Rory and I were able to attend a beautiful service with friends and family. I will never forget Sarah singing "Come Thou Disconsolate" with a strength and beauty like I've never seen before. The Bartons have been pillars of light and strength for everybody amidst their own tragedy, and I am so grateful for their examples. This is Rory and their daughter Rebecca playing at the luncheon afterwards. These girls are almost exactly a year apart. Rory thought Rebecca was the coolest and Rebecca thought it was naptime and she was ready for this baby to quit following her around.

With Rory's newfound mobility I have had to get really creative with ways to keep her busy and contained so that I can do things like shower. This bath tub play pen worked SO well. About twice. And then she was over it. But it was adorable while it lasted. 

Thanks to Stephen I was able to go to Girl's Camp for one night and one day. He took the day off work and I headed to camp Tuesday night with two other leaders. It was so fun to get to know the girls a little better and I had a blast. Obviously, Rory and Stephen did too. 

Rory has now decided that she will no longer sit quietly in any church meeting. Little did I know, the foyer is a kid haven and church has never been cooler. We both loved it. 

Last, but not least. this is Rory pooping in her bouncer and I die laughing every single time I look at this picture. The struggle is so real, baby girl. 

It's Gonna Be May

To celebrate the arrival of May, Rory mastered a new trick. She started scooting backwards to get where ever she wanted to be. She started next to me and the toy and ended up there. It's hilarious to watch because she can't really control where she ends up so she scoots and scoots and scoots and then just looks around like, "Yep, I guess this will do." 

I just love this picture because Stephen and Rory are two peas in a pod in the mornings. This is their, "Isn't she so annoying with all the picture taking?" face. Priceless.

The first weekend in May Courtney and her kids flew back from Grenada! Curtis just finished up his schooling there and they are headed back to the states to find out where he will go for rotations. Courtney and the kids came up two weeks before him so he could concentrate on finals. She ended up booking a flight that had an overnight layover in Phoenix so it was basically the happiest day of my life. 

I ended up deciding to go work at the Team Dane Spokane event, so I worked it out that Rory and I got to join them on the second leg of their trip as they flew to Seattle. Unfortunately there's a rule that you can't have more than one infant in a row on a plane because there are not enough oxygen masks so I ended up being zero useful to Courtney. Dean, that cute little stinker, had had ENOUGH of traveling from the day before (and who in the world could blame him?) so it ended up being a LONG flight for Court. Just to give you an idea, it involved Dean going "boneless" in the aisle forcing Courtney to hand her baby to the stranger seated next to her, and also Dean knocking down people's drinks as she finally got him to walk down the aisle. That kid...

Three car seats in the back! And Dean already in tears. Oh how our sister time has changed haha. 

 My mom picked us up in Seattle, but she had the wrong time for our flight so there was a little extra waiting time. Dean was DONE by this point, and really we all were, so by the time we got in the Suburban to drive three hours back to Moses Lake he just sat in the back and wailed. And wailed. And wailed. And wailed. Until he eventually fell asleep, which was awesome. That poor sweet kid.
This is how the girls felt about his crying:

Once we made it to Grammy's house things got considerably better for everyone. Rory and Quinn got some good cousin stare time in.

Rory sans bow, Quinn sans pants

Rory's backward scooting starting to get her in some precarious situations. 

We stayed in Moses Lake for one day, and then Kristy picked Rory and I up to bring us to the Team Dance event. It was a crazy weekend. Kacey hired two babysitters to help at the event and watch Rory. They loved Rory. They loved her so much that they just wanted to keep her up to play with them instead of letting her nap. But also there was so much going on that to expect Rory to step away from the fun and sit in a dark room by herself and go to sleep was just really too much. I was busy at the judge's table, but the few times I was able to walk around in the lobby where she was with the baby sitters I got to hear people talking about the adorable baby and feel sneakily flattered and prideful. She got zero naps, but she had lots of fun. 

Rory in the sound booth (at like 10:30 pm) 

mesmerized by the dancers

We shared a hotel room with Kristy who was just the absolute best. She made Rory laugh so hard, and she helped me with everything. Turns out I don't do working mom very well, but Kristy was there to pick up my slack. She's the best.

finally back to the hotel room for some sleep

 On the last day of the competition I went in the break room and held her during the awards and she went right to sleep. It was short-lived as everyone kept coming in and out of the room to pack up.

By Saturday night we finally got packed up and out of the auditorium by 10:30-11:00 pm. I had to get Rory back to the hotel to sleep, but we still hadn't eaten yet so they dropped me off at the hotel and offered to bring something back for me. While Rory was sleeping and I was waiting for them, I started worrying about our travel plans for the next day. We were originally supposed to drive to Seattle with Kristy in the morning (5 hour drive) and then fly back to Phoenix and get in around 11 pm. I was so worried about Rory doing all that considering she hadn't taken a decent nap in about 4 days. So last minute, I decided to just book a flight out of Spokane, and Kacey aka the greatest employer on the planet, totally covered the cost so willingly. She is the greatest. So Kristy came back with food for me around midnight, and I had to be up at 4 to drive with the other judges to the airport. It was crazy. Also, Kristy brought in the food and she was like I'm not really sure what's in here people just handed me leftovers. There was a large Styrofoam cup and I asked, "What this?" Kristy said, "I dunno, someone must have got a milkshake." So we are talking about the competition while I'm eating and I go to take a drink of the milkshake only to find out it was a giant cup of ranch dressing. Luckily y nose figured it out before my mouth had to, but that could have been a very unpleasant surprise. 

So I woke up at 4 and got to the airport and made it home by 10:30 am. It was incredible. Rory slept pretty much the entire time (which she rarely does anymore) she was that exhausted. I was so so so grateful for Kacey sitting on that plane. And then we had a whole day with Stephen!

sleepy flying baby

So one of my adulthood goals was to be the person that made delicious and beautiful holiday treats, and something that I really want to master is caramel and chocolate covered pretzels. For Mother's Day, Stephen and I decided to make a little treat for our home and visiting teaching families, and oh my heavens, I completely underestimated the amount of work these would take. They were delicious though, and I feel almost the same amount of pride looking at these pictures of pretzels as I do when I look at pictures of Rory.

The finished product. So much pride. 

So much pride. 

Stephen went out of town for a work training for a week, so Rory and I had a girls week. I do my online teaching job while Rory is still asleep in the mornings and Stephen is around to get her if she wakes up, even though she usually sleeps until I finish teaching at 6:30. So she waited until Stephen was out of town to wake up at 5:00 am! I let her sit in her crib for as long as she could stand it, but then ended up having to go grab her during my last lesson. So, this is my cute team teacher Rory. 

She's getting so good at actually playing with her toys. Her favorite is her bouncer, even though she mostly just stands there- she hasn't entirely figured out the bouncing yet, and this mirror on her play mat. Girl loves her mirrors. 

Another thing she loves? My water bottle. As soon as she figured out how to drink out of it it was like she just could not get enough. This water bottle was her motivation for her to start scooting forwards and not just backwards. Well, the water bottle and my phone. She loves them both equally. 

John's annual golfing trip with his friends brought him to our neck of the woods so we got to spend a little time with him. Rory loves Poppap. She smiles SO BIG every time she sees him walk into the room. 

Funny story: I get a voicemail one day from a company I didn't recognize saying they were calling to schedule a delivery. I figured it was a scam and ignored the voicemail. The next day I get a call from the same company trying to schedule a delivery and I told them, "I didn't order anything from you." The lady said, "You didn't order a TV?"  and I said, "No I did not order a TV!" I was so confused because I'd never heard of a scam like this before. I was hoping I hadn't said anything that could be recorded and used to get away with fraud. Well, the next morning I get a call from my dad. He said, "So this company is telling me you refused to accept the TV I sent you?" My dad had sent us some money he owed me with a note that said, "The interest is coming in a couple days. Get excited/" To him, that reads, "I got you a new, huge, TV." Just your basic miscommunication. Luckily they did not charge him again for the second delivery and the new TV is a big hit in our house. 

For Memorial Day weekend we headed to Moses Lake. Stephen got to play in my dad's annual golf tournament and I got to eat fair food at Spring Fest so it was a successful trip for everybody. Everybody but the Nielsens were in town for the weekend so it was a fun little mini reunion. 

Rory was a fan of getting her own seat on the plane. And of baby Madden.

Rory at Moses Lake Spring Fest- totally digging it

Swimming at great grandma Earl's. Rory loved the pool. 

glasses cred- Angie B!

Baby equivalent of shaking hands

Stephen, Quinn, and Rory

Stephen left to go back to work on Monday and I stayed an extra three more days. While I was in town I was able to help throw a bridal shower for my friend  Caitlynn who is getting married at the end of July. It was such a fun reunion with some of my dance friends, and an awesome night of celebrating Caitlynn who really is just one of the sweetest girls I have ever met. We decided to do a paper flower backdrop and YOU GUYS these flowers took me half my life time to make. The end result was so pretty, but you would have never guessed the amount of effort that went into creating this little table. It was seriously insane. 

Chocolate and Vanilla truffle cupcakes, white chocolate dipped Biscoff cookies, macarons (not made by me-hallelujah), and various chocolate dipped strawberries. 

close up of the cookies because they were brushed with luster dust so they were gold and sparkly and so so cute.

 Like I mentioned, the shower food and decorations took so so much work that we were in the kitchen for an entire day, basically leaving our babies to fend for themselves. Well it turns out that Rory got a taste of Quinn and she liked it. As soon as I would put her down she would use her newly honed scooting skills and beeline for where ever Quinn had been set down and then proceed to try to eat her face. At one point in time we had all gotten really distracted in the kitchen and suddenly heard Quinn crying. I looked around the flower backdrop to see Quinn crying, her face covered in saliva, and Rory on top of her smiling guiltily at me. Proud mom moment. Sorry you are so darn delicious little Quinny.

Overall, May was a great month so we will end with a baby fist pump. Oh yeah!