Busy Busy

Returning from Holiday mode is always a challenge.  I'm not sure if the overwhelming feeling is due to carrying a child or if it's because I have too much to do....I'll blame it on the kid.  Maybe I'll blame it on both of the kids.  Little Holland is a busy toddler and loves to explore...anywhere but our house.  She gets pretty board so I try and get her out of the house at least once a day.  Aside from visiting her dad at work, Holland's favorite things to do are play with her friends and go to the mall.  I let her play around on the little rides (hopefully she'll never figure out that they move if you put money in them), in the toy store and wander the halls.  The thing seems to hate the most in life is being buckled into her car seat.  If anyone knows of any good tricks to help a toddler actually want to get into a car seat without a bribe or having to bend them PLEASE LET ME KNOW!  I try and praise her for the times she get's in it willingly, but those times are few and far between.  In the mean time, the bending and bribing will go on.

It's unbelievable to see what changes little Holla is making.  She's saying, or trying to say, more words.  Yesterday's "thank you" was "doo doo".  Today's "down"  was "dow" and I think she even tried to say "keys".  I love being able to communicate with her.  She says "yeah" or "no" often times when we ask her a question and it's so stinking cute!  I even like her little, petite voice.

We went to my parents for Christmas and had a good time reconnecting and I enjoyed having that old familiarity of being home.  I really felt a need to be back with my parents for the holidays and it was well worth it. My parents are so loving and make me feel special to them.  I guess I've missed that special parent child bond lately. Jaret and I have been overloading ourselves with school, work, basketball coaching, parenting, job searching and interviewing, church, and so on.  I think we both really feel the weight of life on our shoulders right now.  In spite of that weight I feel like something is holding us and our spirits up.  We're very hopeful for the future.

For Christmas Jaret got me an Ipod Touch!  I've loved it and am already addicted to using it.  I know because it decided to stop responding yesterday for no reason.  The store didn't have any new ones in stock so I have to wait to exchange it.  I LOVE LOVE LOVE having a little video camera on it.  I feel like I can take some decent video of Holland for us all to enjoy later on.  The other cameras have either had terrible sound or will only take 30 second segments.  I love being able to access the scriptures, internet, kill time on bus trips by playing games, and using the calendar and notebook.  Jaret surprised me with this fun gift because he got a Christmas Bonus and Award at work that took care of the whole thing!  He's a good husband.  I got Jaret some well needed clothing and a fun little helicopter that he seems to love to piddle around with in our front room.  Holland has supposedly been a little victim of the propellers a couple of times.  She's a curious one.  So, Holland loved her little gifts.  She got a little couch that she lounges on, a "laptop", and a stroller and a Dora doll.  It's pretty cute to see her so excited about things.

On January 3rd, we found out that we're having another girl!  Jaret is already worried about the teanage years but we're very excited and have been trying to figure out the perfect name.  After a lot of looking at maps and trying new names out on each other we've finally come to a name that just may stick.  I think we're going to name our new baby girl "Brooklyn Mary Laurence".  There are some pretty cool things about Brooklyn, New York and we like the sound of the name.  They've got the Brooklyn Bridge and the Brooklyn Botanic Garden.  Anyway, I think it's fun.  As for the name "Mary".  There are several Mary's that are virtuous women to look up to.  It will be fun for her to relate to those figures in the scriptures and hopefully pattern her life after them.  I asked Holland where "Baby Brooky" was today and she pointed to my belly.  It was pretty cute.  She has no clue how here world is about to change...I don't think I have a clue either.

The belly is growing and so are the aches and pains.  I don't remember last pregnancy as well as I thought I would, but I'm pretty sure that I have more head aches and I waddle.  If I waddled with Holland it was in the last month.  Everything feels so loose and sore this go around.  Jaret trys not to make fun of my duck walk, but I'm pretty sure I look funny.  I think the heart burn is starting earlier than I remember as well.  I don't even want to think about the sugar/gluecose test I have to take next week.  Uuuugh.

Welp, I've rambled on enough.  If you got this far, good on ya!