Weekly Wednesday Recap

So I have a little bit to catch up on from the last few weeks. I'll just start by posting pictures and then talking about each one.

On Monday, November 30th, it was a free day at the aquarium. We went last year when it opened and it wasn't too crowded at all. Scott had to work, but I figured I'd head out there around the same time again. I got to the aquarium 10 minutes after it opened and it was already packed! There was a long line outside where last year there wasn't a line at all. I found a parking spot and really thought about if I wanted to wait and go in or not. It was super cold out and trying to get Kylie to wait in line is nearly impossible. Kylie was super excited to see the fishes, so we headed over. Kylie doesn't have any snow gear as it hardly snowed last year to warrant buying some. While waiting, she played in the snow, but got pretty cold and wet from not having a warm hat, gloves or coat. We waited for 30-45 minutes before we got in. Surprisingly, once we got in it wasn't that crowded. We were able to check out each section and Kylie had a lot of fun. Her favorite section was the sharks, but she also loved the South America section. We stayed for an hour and by the time we were leaving, the aquarium seemed more crowded, so it was a good time to leave. Despite waiting in line in the morning, Brita tried to go late in the afternoon and the crowd was much larger! So, I'm glad that we went when we did.

Love Jordan's face in this picture!

I put Jordan in his crib one morning and went into my room to do something. Next thing I know, Kylie has climbed into the crib with him! It was cute to see her excited and wanting to hang out with her brother. She was sure proud about being able to climb up in there.

The week before Thanksgiving, Scott's parents held a Thanksgiving dinner for family. Becky was in town from Vegas and Scott's aunt and uncle (Skousen) and his cousin's family (Rich Greer), along with a neighbor were also at the dinner. Scott had to work, so he showed up to the dinner late, but it was yummy food and Kylie had fun running around with her cousins.

These two pictures are from a time that Kylie and I headed to Scott's work to have lunch together. She loves the fountains that are outside and we spent at least half an hour playing around the fountain and trees.

Dad & son

Thanksgiving was spent with the Omer family again. There were two different types of turkey (one deep-fried) and about 8 dozen rolls. All the food was delicious and Kylie had fun running around with the other kids. It's hard to put into words just how thankful I am to my Heavenly Father for providing me with the life that I have. I know that part of it is because of decisions that I've made, but it is because of Him that I have Scott, Kylie and Jordan in my life. They are so special to me and I am glad that I have them to be thankful for this year.

Missouri Vacation Days 5 & 6

On Sunday, we hung out at my dad's house all day. My dad and Roberta wanted a family picture, so we took some just in their backyard with Kyle and Brianna's camera. It is too bad that Scott wasn't able to come out and be with everyone. He was certainly missed. After pictures, Kylie ran around outside for a bit and got her energy out. She wasn't able to run around outside right away and that's why she's not very happy. That girl loves being outside and loves to run. Future cross-country star? I sure hope so. Heavy persuasion to do it will be used once she gets to high school. ;)

Dad took Aaron to the airport and we searched for some quiet activities for the kids to do. Roberta pulled out the play dough and Kylie loved it! She doesn't really make shapes with it, but she loved pulling it apart and rolling it out. It was fun to see her enjoy it so much. I think the most favorite toy in the house was Roberta's pull-up bar. All the kids loved pulling and swinging on it. More game playing into the night and then we headed off to bed.

Andrew & Rebecca left early Monday morning and we all needed to be out of the house by 10am. I headed off to the airport at 11am while Kyle and Brianna weren't leaving until 5pm. Dad had a hard time finding a parking spot at the airport, so he parked in a handicap spot and we rushed inside. Security was more stressful here because Jordan was hungry and he started crying as I was standing in line at the belt. I couldn't feed him because I wanted to wait until they checked the breast milk, so there wouldn't be any concern about me feeding him and them taking the bottle away. Once we got through security and found a seat, things calmed down. We didn't wait long to board and Kylie was much better at not yelling to get out of the stroller. This flight, we did have a layover in Denver and needed to get off the plane. The flight to Denver was fine and we had enough time in Denver to get some lunch and for me to pump. I love that the Denver airport has a top level where it is quiet and hardly busy at all. I went up there and was able to find a corner to pump without worry. I also was able to get Aladdin downloaded onto the Ipad and Kylie watched that during the layover. I stated to get a huge headache during the layover and that made it difficult for the flight to Utah. Kylie was great and fell asleep, but I was feeling so exhausted. The whole vacation and lack of sleep finally caught up to me. I hated arriving at the furthest gate away as I was just ready to see Scott and get in the car to go home. Once I found Scott and his dad, we headed to the car and Scott took care of me at home. I collapsed on the couch while Scott took care of the kids. It was so good to see him and have his help. A week without my husband is doable, but I wouldn't do it again unless it was truly necessary.

 A few other notes about the trip:

Exclusively pumping is hard to do while on vacation. Every day we went somewhere and while I always brought my pump with me, it was hard to find a time and private place to pump for 20-30 minutes. I always had enough food for Jordan, but I didn't like not pumping as often as I should. Exclusively pumping is hard, but it's worth it to me that Jordan gets breast milk.

Everyone was a great help with Jordan and Kylie, but I have to give a major shout out to Kyle and Brianna. Not only did they let Kylie sleep with them for a few nights, but they helped get her dressed, take a bath and feed her. Brianna wanted to hold Jordan all the time (probably something about being pregnant herself--congrats again guys!) and I love that he is okay with anyone holding him. Since Kylie had a little bit of a hard time being on vacation, the extra help was a life-saver. Kylie took to Kyle quickly and he was a great substitute for Scott. She was always asking where Kyle was and would sometimes listen to him better than me. It's a blessing to have family that's always willing to help.

The trip was worth the effort it takes to travel with two kids by yourself. I love getting a taste of where I grew up every year and I hope that we are able to do it as long as we can. Thank you dad and Roberta for getting us out there and for being wonderful grand-parents to Kylie and Jordan. I'm glad that Kylie got to spend more time with you and get to know you better. Hopefully it won't be another year before she sees one or both of you again.

Missouri Vacation Day 4

Saturday was an active, busy day. The morning started off with playing a kickball game at the park. Everyone walked to the park and Sharlynne was kind enough to play with Kylie at the park while I played kickball. It was nice not to have to worry about Kylie being in the way and possibly getting hurt by someone. It was fun to be outside and get a little exercise in.

Kylie wanted to hold my hand on the way over to dad's house. Melt my heart!

After kickball, we all had lunch and then played games and relaxed until it was time for the football game! Kyle, Brianna and I also went to Dick's Sporting Goods and purchased our Kansas City Royal's World Series t-shirts. They had quite a selection and it was amusing to me to see that there were still quite a few people buying those shirts. My aunt Kathy helped Roberta watch the littlest kids while the rest of us went to the game. I wasn't able to spend a lot of time talking to Kathy which was a bummer, so hopefully next time I'll be able to converse with her more.

The football game was a blast! There was a decent number of BYU fans there, but we weren't in the section that had the majority of them. We had excellent seats near the 30-yard line and about 28 rows back. The surrounding Missouri fans were nice and we didn't get any heckling at all for cheering for BYU. Sadly, BYU lost to Missouri, but the game was close. Both teams did not play their best, but being able to cheer and have fun with family was the best part about it. The kids especially loved to cheer as loud as they could for BYU and did well during the 3-hour game. All my siblings (and mom) went to BYU (including Kyle and Rebecca), but I went to BYU-Idaho, so while I would cheer for BYU in sports, I never felt like a true fan. Now that Scott is attending BYU for his masters, I feel more confident in cheering for BYU.

Missouri Vacation Day 3

Friday was an up and down day. Andrew and his family wanted to go the Harry Truman museum, so they did that while the rest of us headed to Union Station. Aaron had come into town late Thursday night, so he was with us. Union Station used to be a train station and we spent some time looking at a small train display that was there. Kylie was semi-interested in the trains. After that it was time for lunch and we just ate at the small restaurant that's inside the station. The service was a little slow which made it difficult to keep Kylie happy as she was hungry. It was amazing the difference in her attitude once she got food in her tummy. After that we went to the science museum, Science City, that's inside Union Station. This is where the down part of the day happened. The museum is very fun and interactive. Most museums are still a little over Kylie's head in activities, but this one had quite a bit for her to participate in. I was so excited for her to check everything out. She did well for the first part of the museum, but when we got to the space shuttle portion, she had her meltdown. There was an activity she wanted to keep doing, but there were other people coming to check it out. I tried to talk to her about taking a turn and then being able to do it again, but she wasn't having it and started crying. She started to become inconsolable and I sat and held her on a bench for at least 10 minutes. I know it wasn't less time than that. It was hard to just sit there while she was screaming her head off in a public place. Besides a bathroom, there wasn't a quite corner to go sit in while she calmed down. It was past her nap time, but I think that just being on vacation and always on the go caught up to her. Once she calmed down, I just let her wander around and check out whatever area of the museum she wanted.

She loved these play dinosaurs.

After the museum, we headed back to my dad's house. We didn't even get out of the parking lot before Kylie fell asleep. The museum is another place that if I lived near, I would get passes to and visit often. It really is a fun museum. Once home, we all hung out and waited for Roberta to bring home barbecue for dinner! Kansas City bbq just can't be beat and it was delicious. Again, we played games until it was time to go back to the other house and go to bed.

Now, I can't remember which night it happened, but in talking with Brianna and Kyle, we decided to try having Kylie sleep in their room. When Jordan would wake up in the middle of the night to eat, I would stay up and have to pump. I would need to turn on a light to see and it was just bright enough that it would wake Kylie up and she would stay up until I was done. So if she slept in Kyle and Brianna's room, she wouldn't have that middle of the night disruption. It seemed to work the rest of the vacation and I was so thankful for it as Kylie seemed to do better throughout the days. I was also able to get better sleep with only having one kid in bed with me instead of two. 

Missouri Vacation Day 2

Let me start out with saying that vacations with a 2-year old are hard! Especially when your husband is not with you to help out. This two-year old still needs a nap and was not able to get one at her regular time and because of that, meltdowns ensued each day. It made it seem like Kylie is this unruly child that I can't control, which was frustrating to me as she has some outbursts at home, but not as often as they happened out in Missouri.

We never had a set time to start each day, but my dad came and picked us up around 10am each day. I am not really a morning person (even more so with a baby), so it was nice to get up and not feel rushed. Thursday was the day we all hung out downtown at Crown Center and Hallmark. We all gathered in the van (everyone fit because Roberta was working and Aaron wasn't in town yet) and headed down there. We first stopped by Hallmark where my dad works. We walked through the building and he showed everyone where his office is. I remember visiting him a couple of times when I was younger on 'take your daughter to work day'. Since he works at Hallmark, he gets a nice discount on merchandise, so we headed to the store to look around and pick out some ornaments for Christmas. I was also able to get a baby book for Jordan. Kylie picked out the genie from Aladdin as her ornament and I didn't like what they had for a boy's first Christmas, so I waited on Jordan's.

After shopping, we headed to Crown Center for some lunch! We ate at Fritz's restaurant. It's a train-themed restaurant where a small train comes and delivers your food. A new feature is that you order what you'd like from picking up a phone at the table (at least I think. I can't remember phones there when I was younger). Then you wait and watch for the train above your head to come around and drop your food off on a small platform which then lowers down to your table. I remember going there a couple of times while growing up and it is a fun atmosphere with not too bad of food either.

A little hard to see the train, but you can see the platform hanging down where your food rests.

After lunch, we walked through Crown Center and to Kaleidoscope. It is a free arts and crafts place, but you do have to get tickets and the next time to go in wasn't for another 45 minutes. Luckily, the weather wasn't horrible and we walked around outside. The ice skating rink was open and we contemplated on doing that as an activity, but it can get costly and I don't know how I could do it with a baby.  I didn't take my double stroller anywhere we went. It was large and there wasn't much space in the van with everyone in there. My dad had a small umbrella stroller that we brought and then I just carried Jordan. Sometimes it was hard for Kylie as she just wanted to explore, but we needed to keep up with everyone, so I had to keep pushing her along. The times she resisted were times that she was put in the stroller, so we could keep up. She hated it and was not a happy camper. While waiting outside, I decided to keep her in the stroller so she wouldn't run away (she's fast!) and/or play in the fountain. I let her out when we went to Kaleidoscope and hoped that she would have a good time. She had fun, but wasn't very interested in the arts and crafts aspect. There were small areas that were tunnel-like with buttons inside that made noise. That is what she loved the most. I convinced (okay, forced) her to color on a paper that would become a puzzle. There were so many fun things that she loves to do at home, but anytime I tried to show her, she resisted and threw a fit. It was way past her nap time and she didn't get a good sleep, but it was tiring trying to deal with her. I remember going on field trips to Kaleidoscope when I was younger and it was the coolest place ever! Anything you made, you could take home with you. I love that this place is free and I wish there was something like it out in Utah. If I lived close to Kaleidoscope, I would probably go there once a week.

Decorating the Christmas tree!

Sharlynne was wonderful with Kylie the whole week. Kylie has fun with her.

She would not hold still for a good picture at Kaleidoscope, so this is the best I got.

After Kaleidoscope, it was time to head home. Kylie fell asleep in the car on the way there and when we got to dad's house, I put her in his room to sleep. We just hung around the house the rest of the evening (from what I can remember. Maybe there was some playing in the backyard?). Roberta cooked some delicious meals while we were out there and the house was not short on food either. The cookie jar was always stocked with cookies and there was always something to snack on. I can't remember what we had for dinner this night, but I know it was good. We spent almost every evening playing games while the kids played or watched a movie. Kylie was constantly asking dad to put a movie on for her. When it was time, we headed over to the other house and headed to bed.

Missouri Vacation Day 1

Man, I have been slacking on the blog and there is no excuse for it! I need to write about the Missouri trip before I forget everything that happened. Usually on vacations, I write down what happens each day on the Ipad, so I won't forget any details to blog about when I get home. This time, I just completely forgot to do so. It could be because I was taking care of two kids by myself and was exhausted by the end of the day (which is when I usually type out what happens). However, here we are almost a month later and let's hope I remember everything.

I flew out to Missouri with the kids on Wednesday, November 11th. I did my research to make sure that everything would run smoothly at the airport. My father-in-law, Dean, kindly dropped me off and helped me check in my larger suitcase. There were no problems at security it was easy to walk through the entire airport (my gate was on the other side of where security is) with the kids in the double stroller. Even if I hardly use the double stroller, it was worth the purchase just for the flights there and back. There was only about a 30 minute wait before they started boarding, but Kylie did not like being strapped to a seat, especially when she saw a child her age wandering around. That was hard to try to get her to calm down from being frustrated. I was able to check the stroller and car seat at the gate and then found some seats way in the back of the plane for Kylie and I. I wanted to make sure that Kylie had a window seat, so she could have the opportunity to look out the window. She loved pulling the shade up and down. Since Kylie had a hard time sitting in the stroller, I was worried about how she would do on the plane. Kylie did really well and only had a small outburst when she did realize she was stuck and wanted to get out. Jordan was an angel baby and slept the entire time. The flight out there had a stop, but it did not have a plane switch. So, when it stopped in Phoenix, we just stayed on the plane and waited 10 minutes until the other passengers got on. It was a great opportunity to let Kylie out and walk up and down the aisle. She wasn't too happy though when her time was cut short and we had to head back to our seats once people started boarding. I had brought the Ipad in her small suitcase, but the movies I thought were downloaded weren't working and needed internet. Luckily, there were a few games she could play that didn't require internet. On the way to Kansas City from Phoenix, I unbuckled Kylie for a few minutes. She had slid down onto the floor and the next thing I know, she is throwing up! I quickly grab the barf bag out of the seat next to me and started cleaning up with wipes. I felt so bad for my poor girl! She quickly fell asleep and then awoke to throw up one more time. When we met up with my dad, Kyle and Brianna, the poor girl was so out of it and just wanted to go to bed. I still don't know exactly why she threw up. It could be because of the little turbulence we had, it could be from looking at the Ipad (the only time I really get car sick is if I read in the car), or it could have been something she ate. Either way, it was a sad sight to see and I'm glad I had an understanding lady sitting next to me.

After we got my suitcase, we headed out to the giant 15-passenger van that dad rented for the week. It was huge and barely made it under the parking garage limit. Haha. We drove straight to the house and I changed Kylie out of her clothes and into some pajamas. Only about 10 minutes after we arrived did Andrew and Rebecca arrive. All of their kids, except Alena, stayed with dad and Roberta. It was offered for Kylie to stay as well, but I felt better having her with me. We had some dinner and then headed out to the bowling alley to see Roberta play in their bowling league. Roberta was so happy to see us and loved showing off the grandchildren. We didn't stay for too long before heading back to the house. My dad then drove us to the house we were staying in. They had rented a small house for us to stay in, which is great as there wasn't enough room at their house for everyone.

It was a cute little house, but it was old and the wooden floor were very creaky. The room I was in had bunk beds and a pack in play. I wasn't sure how the sleeping situation would work with Kylie as I didn't want her to fall off the top bunk, but I didn't want to have to keep climbing up and down either. The pack in play was set up for Jordan though, so Kylie couldn't sleep in that one. Luckily, the house had one and so I set that up for her. Sleeping was a bit of a struggle that week. First off, Kylie is tall and climbs over everything, so I should have known that she would just climb right out of that pack in play. Also, she could open the door anytime she wanted as it didn't have a door knob cover like at home. So, any chance of getting her to sleep was pretty much squashed. It ended up with me sleeping with Kylie and Jordan in the tiny bunk bed (for the first few days). It worked and we got sleep, but not restful sleep.

It was a long day, but everything turned out well. The flight went great (even with Kylie throwing up) and going to the bowling alley was fun. The vacation was off to a good start.