Ahhh...Christmas Time

Christmas time is in full swing and Jayla is definitely in the spirit. Blake was like Jayla last year in that when its brought up he's excited for Christmas. Jayla doesn't have to be reminded Christmas is coming. She has her list memorized and is prepared to give it when anyone asks. She wants a Princess Piano the most. Before when I asked Blake what he wanted for Christmas he would say, "Princess Piano!" He now says a Super Why computer. I think the older the kids get the more fun Christmas will become. Something that I need to think about is what kind of traditions do I want to start with my family. One that I started is that each child gets a new ornament every year and also one for the family. Daniel grew up as a Jehovah's Witness so he is no help in this area but I think I would like my kids to learn about Christmas traditions in Uruguay. I need to do some research. A lot of times I get stressed thinking about getting ready for the holiday (especially now when I only have one present and Christmas is less than two weeks away) but I try to make myself relax and enjoy the music, the lights, the decorating, and the special candy, oreos, and hot chocolate that come out this time of year. I hope that I will always enjoy Christmas more than I'm stressed out about it

Our ward Christmas party was last week and Santa Claus came to visit. Jayla was so excited and laughed and clapped when she saw Santa enter. Blake was excited too until it came time to go up and sit on his lap. Jayla was thrilled to talk to Santa and tell him what she wanted but Blake refused to go near him.

Jayla was able to be in the Christmas play the Primary put on and she got to be a sheep. She was just supposed to follow the sheperds around and didn't know any of the songs because she's still in nursery. But in this picture you can (kind of) see that she's tryng to sing along. At the end of the play Blake was really tired and started throwing a tantrum so I had to take him out. When I was able to peak in the play was over and they were getting ready to say the prayer and Jayla was running around up on stage. I thought, "Oh, what do?" Blake was still screaming his head off so I didn't know if I should take a screaming kid in during the prayer to get Jayla down or just to let her run around. I figured that it was better for Jayla to run around because Blake has some pretty piercing screams.

I hope that we all have a joyous holiday season and can enjoy more than worry and be grateful for all that we have and for the birth of our Savior and always enjoy giving more than getting.

Mini-Vacay in Las Vegas

Last week we took a quick trip to Las Vegas. We decided to take the kids with us this time and it was quite the experience. Blake got a fever the night before we left so he slept almost the whole way there. But the fever stayed throughout the trip. Poor little guy. He was a pretty good trooper though. We stayed in the Luxor hotel and our room was in the pyramid so when you stepped out of your door you could look over the railing and see all the way down to the first floor. Daniel is a little afraid of heights and we found out that Jayla is too but Blake is like me and he loved looking over.

The Luxor didn't have a heated pool but next door at Excalibur had one. It was a warm 65 degrees and sunny so it was a perfect day for swimming. Jayla was in heaven and despite Blake's fever he had good time too.

I'm glad that I had a maternity swimsuit so I could go swimming too.

In Excalibur at the entrance is Spongebob and Blake and Jayla freaked out. They just kept looking up at him in awe. It was hard to get them to look forward so I could get a picture. You can see that I didn't quite succeed getting Blake's full attention.

It was fun to walk around at night and look at the lights. Jayla and Blake never complained because there was so much to look at. We rode the tram, saw the lions at MGM, watched the fountains at Bellagio, and of course hit some good buffets. It was nice to be able to get away for a while and I appreciated that Daniel took some time off for us and himself.

Hair

About a month ago I finally braved it and cut Jayla's hair. This was the first time I'd cut someone's hair like this and it didn't turn out that bad. I decided to try giving her bangs. At first I wasn't sure if I liked it but then I decided I did and now I think I'm going to grow them out. I think I prefer her with no bangs but this was good for a change. After I cut Jayla's hair she started calling it her Dora hair. I also gave her a trim which turned out a little lopsided but I didn't want to even it out because then her hair would have looked shorter and Daniel would have known that I gave her a haircut.

Mr. Blake's hair is getting long and Daniel is so opposed to getting it cut so I'm trying to find a way to comb his hair. Here I was trying the look of Zac Efron on 17 Again. Hopefully I can convince Daniel to let me cut his hair or it will soon grow out of this awkward stage.

And I had to throw in a bathtime picture because they're just too cute. They have recently discovered the shower and they love it much to my relief. It was getting really hard for me and my big belly to give them baths.

My Fairy and Superhero

These are some pretty cute kids if I say so myself. They were so excited for our ward's Trunk or Treat night. For those of you who don't know a trunk or treat is where you line up cars and give out candy from the trunk of your car. Some people get really creative and decorate their trunks. Our ward has the best activities. After the Trunk or Treat we go into the gym that has been decorated with balloons, streamers, pumpkins, and all sorts of Halloween decorations and we eat. Every year we have chili and hot dogs and yummy desserts. After eating we then have activites for the kids like the fishing game, bean bag toss, and a little craft. It's a pretty fun time.

I love this picture of Blake! My little Superman is just too cute. I even sprayed his hair black to be more authentic. I was chasing him around the house with the can because he didn't like it very much but he sure looked cute when it was done.

When we bought Jayla her fairy costume she wore it for three days straight. I finally had to hide it so she wouldn't get it dirty. For her hair she wanted it done like Princess Aurora. So we put curlers in her hair the night before. I'll be posting those pictures later. Then the next night we fluffed it up and I put it a little fairy make up on her and she thought she was the prettiest thing. And I would have to agree with her.

Here the kids are with their friends Annie and Ben and their mom Melissa at the Trunk or Treat. You really notice Blake's black hair in this one.

Every year one of the members always uses this guy to hand out the candy and every year Annie and Jayla are hesitant to take the candy. In the end the candy wins out over the fear.

20 Week Ultrasound

These pictures are pretty bad quality but I couldn't get the pictures from the disc they gave me to download or upload or whatever. So I just took pictures of them with my camera. The first one is of her face and stomach. Her face is in the upper left hand corner.

This one is my favorite. Here it shows her heart and spine. I was most fascinated with her heart the whole time. During the ultrasound you can actually see it pumping and all four chambers of it. Amazing!

This one is of her feet but it's really bad quality so you probably can't see it but it's a really cute one when you're looking at the real thing.

This one is a shot up her bum with her legs spread out and there's nothing between them, thus it's a girl. Most of the white is nothing but in the middle of the white is Melia's little bum Again, sorry for the poor quality.

I really want to get the disc to work because there's even video of her moving around. I was hoping to post that, so I'll have to try again and see if I can get it working. If you've never been to an ultrasound you are missing an amazing thing. It's so incredible what they can see. They check the baby's heart, spinal cord, stomach, kidneys, brain, spleen, bladder, and even upper lip. I am so bessed to be able to have these technologies and see my baby. I'm even more blessed that she is healthy. Everything on the ultrasound looks good and she's the right size for how far along I am. This is my favorite stage of pregnancy because I feel good, I have energy, and now people can tell that I'm actually pregnant. Oh, and I can also feel her moving around in there more and more. An update on the other kids is Blake is still clueless but Jayla is full of Melia this and Melia that. I can tell that this baby will bring about a lot of questions. The other day she said that when Melia comes out she wants to give her some candy. I told her that she'll only drink milk and went even further to tell her where that milk will be coming from just to see what she would say. She thought it was the most logical thing in the world. It's amazing what kids comprehend when you don't think they will.

Final Soccer Game

Wow! It's been over a month since I've last posted. I've really been procrastinating on it but I'm finally doing it. Jayla's last game was about three weeks ago and it ended on a perfect weather day. In the picture above she is waiting her turn in line to do some drills.

At half-time they would always get fruit to eat and oranges were a favortie because then Jayla and her friend Annie could make orange smiley faces.

Jayla was always nice enough to share with Blake.

Daniel made it to this game and played it a little soccer with Blake. Blake was in heaven, finally he got to play. I think that he's pretty good, too.

At the end of the season all the kids got a trophy and it is now Jayla's most prized possession. She didn't even eat her donut because she wanted to hold her (very heavy) trophy. She loves to show it off to her cousins and grandparents.

Go Jayla Go!

Jayla had her very first soccer game today and as you can tell she was so excited. Her uniform is huge on her but that what makes it cute, right.

This isn't a very good picture. Next time I'll use the zoom but Jayla's the one in the middle of the line. Look how much smaller she is than the other kids. Ha ha! Before the game for 20 minutes they have a little practice and do drills. This was Jayla's favorite because she actually got to kick the ball. She also learned how to throw the ball in and she thought that was way cool.

When the game started she just stood there and watched the kids run around her. I think that she was patiently waiting for her turn. When she finally got close enough to me I told her to go and try to kick the ball. She did much better after that. Poor girl would run so hard to get the ball but she never got it because all the other kids are bigger and faster than her. But that didn't seem to deter her very much.

This is me and Blake on the sidelines. Blake wanted to get in on the action and didn't want to to be stuck watching. Next year he'll be right along there with them. (It looks like I've got a black eye in this picture. Totally an illusion.)

I think it's definitely more comedic than anything to watch them play soccer at this age. I'm so glad that Jayla enjoying it and she's so excited for her next game. I asked her what her favorite part about playing soccer was and she said the snacks. What do you expect from a 3 year old?

Jayla and Blake Are Getting a Sister!

I had a doctor's appointment today and he did another ultrasound. I'm always in such awe to see my little baby and to add to the excitement he was able to tell that it's a girl . He said he's not a 100% sure but to start planning on it. In 5 weeks I'll be having my 20 week ultrasound where we'll be able to take a better look. The doctor said that everything looks great and she's a good size and there are no abnormalities. It is such a relief to hear that! I don't know what mothers-to-be did without these technologies before. Sadly, I didn't get any pictures this time and there were some good shots. I got to see her heart, legs, arms, head, and spine. So cool! She was also moving around so much and it's weird that I can't feel it yet. Hopefully soon. Jayla is so exicted to be getting a sister. It's what she's wanted all along and luckily Blake doesn't care and has no idea what's going on. Daniel and I are having a hard time agreeing on a name. He likes Melinda and Bridget (two good friends of mine have these names and I think there should only be one of each of these in my life) and I like Malia (pron: mah-LEE-ya). What do you guys think? Well, today has been a great day and I'm looking forward to when I can feel that baby kickin' (famous last words).

First Pics of the Baby

Ultrasound pictures aren't the best quality but I still think they are amazing. Even though the baby doesn't look like much I think it's just beautiful. It's always a such wonder to see your baby for the very first time. To actually know for sure that you are pregnant...proof in front of your eyes. Everything so far is fine and normal. The baby is just under 2 inches long and seems to have all the right parts. Speaking of parts, my doctor is going to give me an ultrasound next appointment in 4 weeks and tell me if it's a boy or a girl. I don't have to wait until the 20 week ultrasound! Yay! That was a very nice surprise. I have the same doctor as with my first two children and he never did this with either one of them so I'm excited. I'm 11 1/2 weeks along so I'm almost out of the first trimester. I've been the most sick this time out of all the others. It is lessening now and hopefully will go away entirely. The perk is that I've lost 5 pounds but I'm sure to gain those back later. Blake still has no idea what is going on but Jayla seems to be grasping it. She always talks to the baby and pats my stomach. One time she jumped on me a little too hard and I told her that when she does that she could hurt the baby so she needs to be careful. Then she said, "I'm sorry baby," and gave my stomach a kiss. So cute.

Bear Lake Fun

We made our anual trip to Bear Lake and had so much fun with the fam earlier this month. It was a perfect day to go. It was hot enough that you didn't freeze after swimming but not too hot. I love Bear Lake and will never tire of it. I love when you swim out into the water it's so blue, the water is clear, and you just take a deep breath and enjoy. Jayla an Blake had a blast! They could have played in the sand the whole day. I love Blake's cute little sandy feet.

Jayla sat in the sand for such a long time. She looks a little uncomfortable now. Hee hee.

Jayla had been waiting the whole summer to build a sandcastle.

Blake wanted to eat cookies more than anything else. Don't you just love this face!?

Jayla is in heaven.

Thanks everyone for the congratulations on the baby! I'm at that stage of pregnancy where the morning sickness is kinda going away and there are no other signs of being pregnant so you start worrying that maybe you're not. To comment on some comments on the previous post: Ginger and Brittany, there is no way I'm going to come close to a dozen children. Three sounds pretty good to me. You guys are going to have to pick up some slack with more adorable children of your own. (Ginger, you're excused for a couple of years though) My morning sickness has it's good days and bad days but the thing that is really getting to me is the exhaustion. I forgot how tired you get. When I was pregnant with Blake, in the beginning Jayla was still taking two naps and so I always napped with her which was great. This time whenever I have dozed off on the couch the kids always get into some kind of trouble. Jayla got into the lotion one time and was putting it all over her body and then another time they tried to make muffins. I woke up to them running out of the kitchen with this white powdery stuff all over them. I went to investigate and I found a muffin mix poured into a bowl and then they had been eating it with a spoon. Mind you I probably fell asleep for a max of 10 minutes but they still find ways to get in trouble in that short of a time. I feel like I shouldn't complain though because I knowingly brought this on to myself. It just feels good to be able to share the good and bad moments of pregnancy. My first appointment is coming up soon so then I will have some ultrasound pictures that I will probably proudly post. Yay!

Very Blessed

Some of you might have already heard the news but if not I'm spreading it even more. We are expecting Baby Montero #3 in early March! We are very excited and even though this was a planned one we're also a little nervous. I probably don't realize what I'm getting myself into. We will now be out numbered and I've run out of hands. But I do realize how very blessed we are. I was reading that at 5 weeks the baby is the size of an appleseed. I happened to be cutting an apple for the kids at that time and I just stared at the appleseeds and then to my kids and I was in awe thinking that something that tiny can grow and develop into my beautiful children. It truly is a miracle. I am so grateful that Heavenly Father has blessed me with this incredible gift to create and carry a life.

Summer Days

I love this picture of my little guy! I could just eat him up! For the 4th of July we headed to Tremonton and we had a BBQ at the Gledhill's. Diane like always was a great hostess and we ate a ton of food and then afterwards took a little dip in the inflatable pool.

Jayla loves the water and she had a blast!

I love how well my kids play together. It's not always like this but most of the time it is. And I get so entertained just watching them play and interact and laught at each other.

Jayla was so excited to get the fireworks show started. We did our very own show and they loved watching them in the beginning but towards the end they got a little bored. I'm glad that I didn't trudge them all to a big fireworks show with a gazillion people just so they could be bored. Maybe next year will be better for that and their attention span will be a little bit bigger. So last night was perfect.

They thought it was so cool to be able to hold a firework. I can never seem to get many pictures that portray their enthusiasim so you'll just have to take my word for it.

It was a really great day and my kids were exauhsted at the end of it. They didn't even make it to the freeway before they were asleep. Thanks again Diane and Travis for having the shindig at your place. I hope you all had an equally good holiday.

Finally the B-Day Post

So I'm finally getting around to the birthday post. Jayla and Blake had a really great day playing with their cousins, aunts, uncles, and grandparents. We didn't do anything huge and I didn't go all out with the decorations, cake, or presents but it was still a fun time and of course it is when we all get together.

I love this picture! It's very difficult to catch a smile like that from Daniel on camera.

My buddy

The room looked liked it was Christmas. Jayla's favorite gift was probably her Princess Tea Set and second to favorite was her Dora puzzle.

Blake's favorite was probably everything Spiderman and his Curious George book.

Happy Birthday Jayla!

2 days old

About 8 months

1 year old

2 years old

My beautiful baby girl turned 3 today. How I love this adorable face. Jayla arrived pretty much on time and giving birth to her was the hardest thing I've ever done in my life. My labor was 12 hours long and I pushed for 1 hour before she finally arrived. I was completely changed forever after that moment. I remember exactly how she looked the first time I saw her. The thing that caught my eye first were her big dark brown eyes. I had never seen eyes so dark on a newborn baby. She had just enough black hair and the most gorgeous skin. The doctor had to use the forceps on her but she barely had a mark. She was perfect. Jayla was such a good baby and hardly ever cried and I'm not just saying so because I can't remember. She really was such a sweet, content baby. Oh what the little young person she is becoming. She is so smart! And she has such a caring nature. Some of her favorite things right now are Dora the Explorer, coloring, making crafts, playing at the park, and pretend cooking. She makes me laugh everyday with something she says or does. I'm so happy that she has chosen us as her family. I love you my Sweet Pea! Happy Birthday!