Holiday Update

Being far away from home means that we miss out on spending time with some of our family! And that means... holiday photo update extraordinare! 

Let's start with good ol' Fall/Halloween. We went to Berry Patch Farms to look at pumpkins. Its a cute little rural farm just 15 minutes from our house. They had a hay-ride to the pumpkin patch and the kids went coo coo for pumpkins! They had the most adorable tiny baby pumpkins which Eli and Holland both loved gathering and we ended up just buying a couple of those at about $1 a piece. I loved seeing the vast variety of pumpkins! They had a little playground and petting zoo too.

This is at a park (which name escapes me) that is a well hidden gem just 5 minutes from our house. It's more of an outdoorsy park with biking and hiking trails, a walking path, picnic tables, and a river that you can kayak/canoe on. I'd love to do that one day! The kids love just running around and finding a perfect stick to carry around.

I did "unicorn buns" for Holland's costume even though she just wore the hoodie the whole time. Still cute! I love that she's gotten accustomed to me doing her hair and will just sit patiently. People ask me all the time "How do you get her to sit still?!" And I say.. "I make her. And now she's used to it." Haha.

A woman in our ward took professional pictures (for fun). I'm so glad she did! Holland was adorable as a unicorn and Eli was diggin' his getup. He loved the gadgets that came with it and people thought the band-aid was for special effect, even though really he had gotten a scratch on his forehead. It just worked out perfectly. You can't tell, but I'm wearing one of those skeleton shirts that has the baby skeleton on the stomach area. Not very many people noticed, but a few did and wished me congrats! It was the first time we ever announced it publicly (other than family). One friend even told me she was early pregnant too! 

Holland had such a good time that night that she had the biggest meltdown of her life when we got home (I also blame the candy and the late hour) When I took her buns out her hair had beautiful tight curls! This was post-tantrum, if you can't tell by her red and swollen face.

Mesa Temple Lights with the fam. One of my favorite Christmas traditions and of course the kids had a blast.

Ben's farewell talk Sunday. Love being together with family!

Went to see Christmas lights with some friends. It was really cold and fun and actually the first time either of them had the opportunity to sit on Santa's lap. They both declined. Haha.

Helping mommy decorate the tree! As soon as we got back from AZ, we got a tree pronto stat, so we could enjoy it long enough before it was time to leave for Texas. The kids were so enthusiastic about helping me and were having the time of their life. I love having holidays with these little munchkins! They are like kindred spirits, with their awe and excitement over all things Christmas! We decided to relocate the tree this year. Last year we had it in the kitchen in front of the bay window, but I wanted something cozier and more homey. I loved this spot much better!

I hope this video plays properly! This is on our way to Texas. Even since this recording, she has gotten better at singing along. She also sings along to "Do You Want to Build a Snowman?" like a pro. Also, when the lyrics 'let it go' come on and she's waving her hands like that, it's because she's imitating Elsa as Elsa waves her hands and creates her castle. It's hilarious. We don't watch this movie very much, but Holland loves the songs. 

Some dark photos from Daniel and Jess's (Jess'?) mini-reception. Holland was being a charmer and loved dancing with anyone who would have her.

And this Eli.. standing in the corner at the temple.. picture courtesy of James who thought it was humorous. 

Cute picture of the cousins, excluding Avery, Emma, Rory, Jackson, 

This dress was so ridiculous but Holland made it look so cute! I french braided her hair on both sides and pinned it together in the back, leaving a few curls out. Her hair stays amazingly well if I hairspray it enough! The suspenders and bow tie were given to all the little boys and Eli looks so dapper. 

Christmas Eve in Texas.

Nearly all the stockings. Each stocking holder is hand picked by Uncle Tom (who is the Headrick's version of the real thing, Santa himself), based on each persons personalities. Eli and Holland got their own this year. Eli's is a cute, mischievous elf and Holland's is Minnie Mouse. Tom loves all things classic Disney and he is thrilled with Eli and Holland's love for Mickey and Minnie Mouse. Tim and Debbie Headrick stocking holder has always been Santa Clause and Mrs. Clause, and this year Santa handed out the same, vintage, Hallmark, never been opened Santa and Mrs. Clause from like, the 80's, to every married couple. It was so great! Oh, and Tom, I mean Santa, doesn't mess around!! When he knows what candy you love, he goes all out. Last year I got Tom (who is also a black licorice lover) some Venco licorice chalk because I wanted to share the goodness with him. And so this year he surprised me with 4 bags of it in my stocking. I was so impressed! He's the perfect Santa.

This is Christmas Eve when Grandpa Headrick was reading The Night Before Christmas while we were waiting for Santa to arrive.  

I know this is a terrible shot of Christmas morning but I am AWFUL at taking pictures in the moment. So much so that it is one of my New Years Resolutions!! Holland's wearing "Mrs. Clause" version of these pj's and Eli is wearing Santa clause. It was adorable, for the record.

Opening my brand new beautiful iPhone!! Bigger and better! Still in gold. Thanks James! I had my other phone for over 3 years so I think I deserved an upgrade, if I do say so myself. 

Christmas nap.

Fun in Texas!

A close up of the kissing booth. This was so hilarious to me. I love their personalities.

And last but not least, this was supposed to be our Christmas card.. but the Costco's here are dumb and take two weeks to process your order. Which means I would have had to order at the beginning of December.. and who has their life put together like that?! Also, for the record, that same day, out of curiosity, I uploaded my Christmas prints at the mesa Costco and they would have been ready the next day. So.. it really is my Costco's fault. 

Love,

The Headricks

Just a dab.

Hello there! It's been a few years!! I am greeting you from Woodstock, Georgia, in my bedroom, at the desk, on the computer, listening to my kids play t-minus two minutes before the best part of the day: NAPTIME.

lololololololololololol....just kidding. Not really. You get it.

Our regular day time routine goes like this:

Wake up. The kids stay in bed until about or 8:30 or 9, until mommy or daddy can't take Holland's whining anymore. Again, just kidding. Only sometimes.

Breakfast. Usually cereal, one sweet, one non-sweet. Or Eggo's (one of Mommy's favorite crappy treats) or sometimes cream of wheat, if they're not being too cranky and I can make it before they melt down from starvation.. But usually cereal. Holland, Eli and I have a mutual preference for Lucky Charms.

Get Your Vitamin and Go to the Playroom aka "Candy and mom forces us up to the playroom which we are always reluctant to do but always have the time of our life."
We usually stay and play in the play room until lunch time. One of Eli's favorite things to do is to find dead ladybugs by the windowsill and squeal like a little girl. Holland likes the stuffed animals and they both enjoy the play kitchen and play food. One of MY favorite things that they do is, on their own, pick a couple books and go sit on the daybed together in silence while occasionally exclaiming something exciting they see in the book.

12:00 Lunch and TV time. This is when I have a window to get things done! I try to limit their screen time to 2 hours a day but usually it's more like 3 MAYBE 4 depending on the day. At least there's a goal, right? Holland and Eli have pretty different tastes when it comes to appetite. Yogurt is always a winner for both, but Eli loves sandwiches (almond butter and honey/jam) and granola bars while Holland does not really like bread and opts to eat cheese, lunch meat and berries, and as much as I will let her have (she's a real porker.. my girl.)
Lately their favorite things to watch are Curious George, Care Bears (from the 80's.. James grew up with it and I found it on DVD on Amazon), and the Secret Life of Pets. We've also been enjoying youtube clips of Moana songs.

2:00 NAPTIME. Like I aforementioned, it's a special part of my day ;) Holland still naps every day, but Eli naps about every three days. He stays in his room regardless, and is allowed to play quietly with his toys and books for the allotted two hours. He has a clock that will turn green when he's allowed to come out (for morning time and nap time). It's a good system. I'm not gonna lie, its going to be a sad day when this schedule changes! I've gotten spoiled for sure.

Between 4 and 5 they wake up and then it's kind of a free-for-all while I either plan and make dinner, do some chores, or lay down because baby boy is tiring me out.

Dinner is at 6 and there has been nothing consistent since I've gotten pregnant. Thank heavens for Costco and pre-prepared/frozen meal options. My favs are their pineapple and bacon fully cooked chicken sausages, chicken nuggets, taquitos, pulled pork, potstickers, and frozen veggies.

Bath/shower time commences and then bedtime is about 8:00 and thats our day!!

We also like to go to the library (they have a train you can read on), the park, grocery store and of course Target. We have loved Target this past year around the holidays because we all love looking at decorations (they actually kind of lose their minds with excitement.. I have videos to prove it) for Halloween, Christmas, Valentine's, and St. Patrick's Day (Eli has a very personal, deeply-rooted, love for the color green).

So, that's us! Between the meltdowns, the scuffles, and the disagreements, Eli and Holland have a genuine love for one another and are good buddies, and I love watching them grow together.

Poor, poor, sweet boy

This little guy had shots today. Not a happy moment for either of us. I have rarely heard him cry like that. Actually, the only other time I've heard that weak, heart-wrenching cry/whimper was when I was cutting his nails and accidentally pinched the skin pretty hard. I felt absolutely horrible. I make James do it now.
So anyway, he's been pretty fussy today, poor thing. The nurse said that the shots can make his legs hurt and even cause a fever. James and I were going to go out on a date today because its our two year anniversary {of being together, not of being married} but after hearing his pitiful cries and knowing he'll probably be in some pain, we picked up some baby tylenol and decided to stay home with him and take care of the little guy. And I'm so glad we did! He would cry whenever we put him down and has slept so much better in our arms. I love him.

Yesterday, I sat by a very tender-hearted woman in church. I was holding a happy Eli in my lap, his head swiveling from side to side {he's still working on those neck muscles and such}. He stops when he sees her face looking at him, and starts grinning from ear to ear. You need to understand something--Eli's smiles are the BEST. They are the gift that keeps giving. He's just this little heavenly being that has so much love in him. Anyway, when he smiles, he rEaLLy smiles. He makes eye contact and his eyes light up and make the best smile crinkles and he has a huge open-mouth grin that spreads from ear to ear. From there, he'll either stick his tongue in and out, raise his eyebrows up and down, or crinkle his nose. It's the big Shabamm when he does these all at once. Anyway, this kind lady got his very best grin, for like 2 minutes straight! Some tears started rolling down her face as she smiled back at him and she said something that really touched me. "They do so much more for us than we do for them." Simple, but so true. Sure, I devote all my time and energy taking care of him, nurturing him, feeding him, cleaning up after him, playing with him, holding him and so much more, but I don't feel any bothersome-ness about doing it. And that's because.. it's him. It's my sweet little boy. My little being that is still so close to heaven. His smiles fuel my energy. It's so easy to love that little face and to kiss those smiling cheeks and to snuggle that squishy little body. I'll hold him until my arms hurt and my back aches. Which I have. I've never been this exhausted and this happy.

Wow, I think that's enough for today.
I always have to give a shout out to my awesome husband. He's always right next to me, enjoying and experiencing these same things. He spoils me so much with his love and willingness to help.

Baby love!

I'm in babylove.
I have a baby and he's aaaaaaall mine.
Metaphorically speaking of course..
James also calls dibs.

I've heard a lot of people say "just wait until he can actually respond to you." Or "It gets soo much better after 4 or 5 months." Or even "Newborns are boring, but it gets better."

People these days. Haven't you ever heard of finding joy in the journey?
Well, the thing is, I don't even have to find it. It freakin finds me, I'm so joyful.

I love watching him get taller.
I love seeing his belly acquire more chubs.
I love noticing his leg rolls get juicier.
I love watching him blink. I really do.
I love the shapes his mouth makes.
I love it when his nostrils flare.
I love it when he stretches I can pick him up and he keeps the stretching position midair, with his legs curled under him, his lil' booty sticking out, and his arms stretched out like Superman.
I love his Grandpa face.
I love having staring contests with him.
I love his toothy {toothless} grin.
I love that he farts like a man.
I love his laugh. (Which has only been in his sleep and sounds like rapid, loud intakes of breath, with a open-mouth smile of course.
I love it when he places his tiny hand on my chest or arm.
I love that he LOVES hot showers.
I love his buttcrack. I really do.
I love his coos.
I love watching him stretch out his feet and toes. Yes, he stretches out his toes.
I love that the only dominant feature of mine he has... Are my eyebrows.

Now... Does ANY of that sound boring to you? I think.....definitely not.
Get a load of this character:

Just an update.

So I don't really have any new pictures.. They can ALL be found on Facebook and Instagram AND photo stream. Check it ouuuut.

An update: I'm a little sad.
     I don't have any pictures of me, James, and Eli together.
     We didn't have enough extra money to have Eli's newborn pics taken.
     He's getting bigger and bigger every day! Whaaaa
     I'm dreading his circumcision cause I don't want him to be in pain.

Sad, sad, sad.

On a happier note,
     Eli's progressing great! He's gaining weight, he's eating pretty good, and he's slowly but surely getting on a good sleep schedule. Plus, he's freaking adorable! He still LOVes his baths and makes the funniest facial expressions. I'd like to think he recognizes me. He calms down at my voice [not always, but usually] and stares at me like he KNoWs me ;)

I've accepted that if Eli doesn't want to be awake, he WILL NOT be aroused. Cold water, loud noises [James yelling in his face], tickling, pulling up his eyelids, sitting him up, NOTHinG works. So, during the day when he needs to be more awake, I do what I can. I open all the blinds, turn on the tv, and don't alter them when he falls asleep. That way he'll associate those things with the daytime. Then at night, around 8:30, 9, I dim the lights, turn the tv low or off, and give him a warm bath, cuddle him, feed him, swaddle him, and then sure enough, he's out for a good 4 hours. Last night he woke up only every three hours so that was awesome. There's been minimal crying at night as well so that makes it all a little easier!

I must give a huge shout out to James. He's such a wonderful husband. He's extremely helpful and supportive. I would have gone crazy by now if it weren't for him. I'm serious.. Plus, him and Eli look so good together.

ThUs.

Let me start by giving an update of the last week or so.
Last Saturday morning we made the drive from Boise to Rexburg. James had to pull some strings with his company so they would let him work from home for the following week so that we could pack up all of our stuff at our apartment and move it to Boise.
So this last whole week we've been cleaning and packing. It's amazing how much stuff we have! 20 boxes and 15 garbage bags later.. I'm exhausted. Not to mention the deep cleaning! Every nook and cranny dusted and wiped down, every surface scrubbed and some serious chemicals floating around in the air.
Speaking of which... I know this may sound strange.. but I find myself LOviNg the smell of cleaning supplies. I inhale those chemicals with pleasure, people. When really I should be wearing some sort of mask to avoid those toxic fumes. Mmm, but those lemon scented clorox wipes... the blue pine-sol that smells like laundry detergent.. the foaming bathtub cleaner that saturates my nostrils with artificial lemon smell.. and the best, most embarrassing, one... the febreze-scented trash bags that smell like, you guessed it, lemon.
Oh well. My baby's gonna be defected because momma loves her lemony fresh.

We found out on Friday that we couldn't move into our new apartment until Wednesday, when originally we thought we could move in on Saturday. Apparently the previous tenants had completely trashed the place and the managers were replacing the carpet, the bathtub, repainting the kitchen and the upstairs, and redoing the kitchen countertop. This is good/bad news. Awesome news because the complex is pretty old and when we saw what the apartments looked like we thought it looked a little, little, ghetto. Idaho ghetto. Not Arizona ghetto. {shout out to Rachael, who knew exactly what I meant} So with the news that the carpet was being replaced and not just cleaned, and that we would get a new paint job.. we were happy campers and will be living in probably one of the nicest apartments in the complex. Plus, we're paying over $50 less for rent every month than we were at our last place. Aside from that, we're just praying that they won't keep pushing back the move-in date cause we're leaving Friday morning for Christmas in Ohio. And there's no way we can keep the moving truck for another week and a half at $40 a day..

Anyway, now we're back at the lovely Wrights' home for a couple of days. We love being with them and they seem to love being with us. They're extremely generous and are a very loving people. I feel like I haven't portrayed them enough to my family. Their names are Dru and Bridgette Wright, they have four sons, ranging from the ages of 29 to 18. The eldest is married to a lovely gal named Jenna and they one adorable daughter that is almost exactly Logan's age. Dru is a lot like dad in that he has a silly sense of humor and thinks he's funny ;) Bridgette is so genuinely sweet and nice and is always fussing over me to make sure I had enough to eat and that I'm warm enough. She's always doing things for other people. They ordered a cake from their favorite bakery for our anniversary for crying out loud. Just really thoughtful. James grew up in the same ward with them back in Ohio and they love to swap memories. Here's some pictures:

This is Dru and Bridgette with their youngest, Seth.

Obviously at Disneyworld.

So jealous.

P.s.- I know she looks like she could be in her early thirty's but she's almost fifty.

I know.

This picture is a couple years old. Zac, the one holding the dog, is James's age.

I'm loving this glorious holiday season!! A great thing about staying with an established family is they celebrate Christmas like I'm familiar with! Putting up and decorating the tree, playing Christmas music whenever possible, watching Christmas classics, and lots of cookie baking. It makes me a little less homesick.

I'm happy to say that James and I are getting back on our feet financially. It's a real blessing to be able to pay monthly bills without being in the hole or having to borrow money. We're really grateful. Perfect timing too! The Lord has a plan.

Well, that's all for now! I miss my family in Arizona dearly and I'm always believing confidently that we will make it back there one day.

Oh wait. I just realized I forgot to do a baby update. Especially cause if I don't, Rachael will find a way to kill me from a thousand miles away.
So. I had my last doctor's appointment in Rexburg on Thursday and I am diabetes-free!! Yay. Everything's looking good and healthy. Even though I've gained thirty pounds already?? That's just weird to me I guess. But anyway. My bump is getting bigger and HOLY cow-- he moves sooooo so much! I can feel his every move it seems like. It always astonishes me. I just stop what I'm doing and concentrate on feeling his movements. It's so cool. And I'm proud to say that I'm pretty sure he knows whether it's my hand or someone else's hand. He seems to know, anyway. Cause he looooves bumping my hand to say hello :)

Boise and other adventures.

I'm sick of adventures.
I'm ready for some nice, calm, peaceful, old-fashioned predictability.
The last six months have been a whirlwind of change.

• No more school.
• Found out we're having a baby the same day James lost his steady job.
• New job in Boise.
• Going back and forth from Boise and Rexburg (5 hour drive.. not some easy feat.)
• Balancing the thought of getting an apartment here in Boise or waiting for James to get a new job.

^^ That's a funny one there. James applies and has applied to so many jobs that we both feel like a new job offer is right around the corner. But we've been crossing our fingers for about five months now. A little discouraging sometimes?...Maybe.

So here we are in Boise. In a constant stand-still. I try to count my many blessings every day as I sit here and.. wait. And wonder. Will the baby have a nursery? Will we really be in Boise for longer than we hope? How long is it going to be till we are back on our feet? And why.. oh why.. are we here? Why can't we just sell all our stuff, move our butts to AZ, live with my parents, and James's job can be hunting for one every day. That actually sounds wayyyy more peachy to me than our situation right now.
{sound good Mom and Dad?} ;)

Moral of the story: Kids, don't go to college. Clearly it's a waste of time.
Just kidding. I'm just sad right now.

On a happier note, I love being pregnant! I'm exiting the easy second trimester, and starting to merge into the not-so-pleasant third (and last!) trimester. My back is starting to hurt more and more, the areas surrounding my growing tummy are getting more sore, I'm itchy, and I get an uncomfortable, upset stomach randomly. Food is still as tasty as ever though. I thoroughly enjoy cereal (specifically cinnamon Life, Oatmeal Crisp, and Honey Bunches of Oats. Which, in my opinion, aren't the most unhealthy cereals to be craving.), Costco muffins, and whatever dinner meal that comes my way.

I'm 25 weeks now but I don't have an up to date picture. Here's a pic from a couple weeks ago.

P.s. My boobs look really small but trust me... they are NOT.

The day before Halloween, James and I went to a cute lil' pumpkin farm that was close to where we are staying. They had a giant corn maze, hay rides, delicous food, a petting zoo and other various activites. We just went for the hay ride and delicious food :)

In random celebration of my halfway 20 week mark, we went to see a movie and went to a restaurant that I picked. It's called Bar Gernika and I found it because it had been on Diners, Drive In's, and Dives, so it had to be good.. right? Semi-right. I had a lamb dip and James had a pimento pork sandwich. Both were just alright but the rrrrreal goodness were these little croquettas. I'm still not sure what exactly they were but they tasted like battered, deep-fried balls of seasoned mashed potatoes. May not sound very good, but trust me, they were delicious.

Another night, we went to Cost Plus World Market, just to look around. I love that place. And i've passed that love onto James. I need to take a picture of the giraffe mug I got sometime cause it is to  DIE for. 

So James and I were sitting in Sacrament meeting and all of a sudden I spot this boy, a few rows up, that has an uncanny resemblance to Wyatt.

Eh, eh? What do you think Rachael? It was creepy. So James took a couple pictures while the little girls next to us looked at us like we were a bunch of creeps.

Here's little Paris (the Wright's granddaughter) that I was holding during Sunday School. She's the cutest thing.

Well that's all folks.