Nursery Time

Wendy's nursery is finally finished! It only took me until 31/2 months after she was born to add all the finishing touches. We painted the walls blue when we moved in (it was the one room that Julia & I gave Ryan freedom pick the paint color). I know it's supposed to be a boy color, but I just loved the white, pinks, & light blue combo. And it turned out to be the most soothing color in the house (so good job Ryan).  

*my inspiration: penelope crib sheets by pottery barn

(hate birds in real life, love them everywhere else)

*LOVE my crib, from WALMART of all places

Special thanks to: Ryan for assembling all the furniture, Walmart for having a crib that looks just like the one I like at Pottery Barn for $5oo less, and Heather S. & Elder G. for letting me borrow the green dandelion painting to go with the orange one. Without the 4 of you, this nursery would not have been possible. 

Williams Beach House, Round 2

*thank you nicole thompson for the cute blue bathing suit!

Wendy's week of 1st experiences:

*1st earthquake

*1st time being baby-sat all day by gma lamb

*1st giggles

*1st ferry ride (to balboa island)

*1st trip to the beach

*1st bike ride

Wendy was a BIG HIT at the beach house this year. Her cousins were absolutely IN LOVE with her! (Ruby was a little too in love with her, if you know what I mean). I loved watching them try to make her giggle. 

*best cousins

There were so many highlights of the trip: the girls bike ride, ryan getting to come out for the day (major treat with the hours he's been working lately), family walk to the same ice cream shop we go to every year (the cute little asain lady who works there knows us and crocheted a beanie for Wendy), AND FINALLY... playing scattergories with Bobbi! (we were laughing so hard Celestial almost pee'd her pants), the letter was "A" and her list looked something like this:

Apple sauce

Art Appreciation

Arkansas

Animal Habitat

Hunny 

Heat lamp

"Hey You!"

Hair extensions

Harry and the Hendersons 

...It was really late, so we were all a little slap happy. But I really need to thank Bobbi for making silly mistakes in all the games we play. You keep things fun. 

3 Months of Wendy!

*don't make fun of me for doing a 2nd photoshoot...

*...I learned a lot from my mistakes in the first try...

*...and these ones came out way cuter

This week, every year, Ryan's family rents the same beach house in Newport. They've been doing it for over 20 years. It's right on the sand and so much fun! We go to the beach, ride bikes along the boardwalk, and play games every night. Last year, my mom came out for the day and we had to get rescued by the life guard after getting caught in the rip tide. 

THIS year, we celebrated Wendy's 3 month birthday! She looked so cute in her little bathing suit (I wish it came in a size fat-new-mom). The pictures sounded like a good idea, but Wendy doesn't really like the sun, so she came out all squinty. Oh well. Still cute.  

Introducing the 3 Month Old Wendy:

starting to giggle 

loves to blow spit bubbles and raspberries

now spends mondays with gma lamb & tuesdays with gma williams 

too big for 0-3month clothes

intrigued by the mirror

holding her head up like a 4 month old

My Mom, The Organizer

My Mom has, what some people call, a RED personality. She is a go-getter and a leader. She has no problem taking charge, in fact, she enjoys every minute of it. She stands up for herself and those around her (i.e. quitting for her sister, as her sister, over the phone- because their voices are identical and my aunt was afraid of her mean boss).

Now, a secret about my personality: I'm a closet slob. Literally. Come to my house and you will see a very tidy place that is (in my opinion) well decorated and very put together. But open a closet or a cupboard, and heaven help you for the avalanche of crap that is about to come crashing down on you!

After having Wendy 10 days early & not getting around to organizing my closets and shelves, my wonderful mom came over and spent the day organizing my life. I was so thankful. I just watched her go, almost with tears in my eyes (might have been the post-pardum hormones) thanking her. It was just what I needed at that moment. So naturally, when she saw the state my garage was in, she decided she was going to spend her whole thursday fixing this mess Ryan & I had got ourselves into.

*walk-way through the crap

(just so we could get the the washer & drier)

*kinda blurry, but you get the idea

*8 hours later... TAH DAH!

Thank you mom.

Philadelphia

The west coast is the best coast, but the east coast has history! I had so much fun in Philadelphia this last weekend. It was my first time there. All the girls in my family (including Wendy) flew out there for Andrew & Nina's wedding. I LOVE the east coast. It's so lush & green, and you just don't see that kind of 18th century detailed architecture around here. 

*LOVE park, Philadelphia

I loved the nostalgia of being in the same buildings & walking the same streets as our founding fathers did. Especially so close to independence day. I've never been a history buff, I'm more of a math/science nerd, but I really enjoyed learning a lot about the history of our country. It made me so thankful for all the people who suffered to make this a free country, and proud to be an American (something that I think is not appreciated by a lot of people today). 

*old city hall

*horse & buggy ride through downtown philly

Highlights of the trip:

horse & buggy ride/tour of the city

awesome food & dancing at the wedding reception

drive through Valley Forge National Park

my wonderful baby who was so good on every plane ride

trying a real philly cheese-steak for the 1st time

tour through Betsy Ross's house

seeing fire-flies for the 1st time

The Not-So-Highlights of the trip:

missing my husband

cancelled flight trying to get home, stuck in the airport all day with a baby

being nauseous with the flu the whole time (not fun on a plane)

having a baby on a plane 

lugging around crap for both me and a baby 

not working t.v. on a 6 hour flight

(and to think, i used to enjoy flying)

 

Wendy's Blessing Day

I'm thinking her eyes look blue, what do you think?

Our Little Family

our BIG family

thank  you nessa for the amazing pictures

I should be packing for my flight to Philadelphia in the morning, but I just had to share these pictures of Wendy on her blessing day. She looked just like a little doll. My Grandma Witten made her beautiful dress that looked like something right out of anthropologie, one of my favorite clothing stores (if I could afford it). My Grandma Lamb gave her the cute little locket and the ring was something my dad wore on his blessing day, so she was pretty much a living heirloom that day. It was so special. Just like Whitney told me, "There's nothing like having your worthy priesthood holder husband bless your child." So true. 

P.S. Thank you mom for saving the day and throwing together a great lunch in the park for 75 people. You really took all the stress off my shoulders. It was because of you that I was able to relax & enjoy that day.

The not so quiet life of MRS. Whispers

"I just don't know what goes on inside that head of his," is not something you are likely to hear someone say about my husband. Everyone knows exactly what goes on in his head. That is because he has no filter. As soon as he thinks it, the words are out of his mouth. 

I don't have a lot of new Ryan stories, mainly because I hardly see him lately. He leaves for work and gets home from work when I'm in bed (it's 10:40pm and he's still not home) so I'm sure his friends at work have better "Ryanisms" than I do right now. But waiting for him to get home, I started thinking about a very random-ryan conversation we had last week. THIS is the kind of stuff that goes on in his head:

Ryan enters the bathroom after I finished... um... using it.

Ryan: Why does girl pee smell so bad?

Me: Excuse me?

Ryan: Girl pee. It always smells way worse than boy pee.

Me: ALL pee just smells like pee. Do you think your pee smells good or something? And, for that matter, how many girls' pee have you smelled in your life? You don't even have any sisters. (starting to get a little defensive)

Ryan: I just remember being a little kid and every time I went into the bathroom after a girl...

Me: Like who? 

Ryan: I don't know. Like my mom. But every time I went to the bathroom after a girl just pee'd, it always smelled really strong. 

Me: You are so weird.  

So apparently, Bobbi & I have stinky pee and the boy's bathroom smells like roses.