Introducing..

Preston Flint Dyer
7.19.11
7lbs 2oz

Another miracle. A precious little soul straight from God, in the most delicious packaging.

I wondered how I would love 2, and what it would be like, but I find myself struggling to remember what it felt like to only have James. I love this baby as if I have always loved him, and as if there were always 2.

I am smack in the middle of baby euphoria. I am so so happy.

You Know You're Nesting.....

When you forget to buy milk at the store, because you're too busy looking at cleaning products, and filling your cart with:

Everyday shower cleaner, deep cleaner, and CLR
Wood cleaning wipes, everyday spray, and wax/protectant solution
Stainless steel wipes, and deep cleaning spray
3 different kinds of pre-wash treatments for your laundry and Tide Bleach pens
New bottles of hand soap for every sink in the house
Counter-top spray
A new mop
A new duster
And so on....

Then, upon arriving home from the store, you vacuum your garage floor........true story.

We are Surviving

I told a friend the other day that we are surviving, and that sometimes it feels like drowning, but we are making progress!

James and I are taking a break right now, eating oreos, and playing catch.

So, here's the update on the house:
We have painted nearly every room the wrong color once or twice - we're a 1/4 of the way there.
We are no longer sleeping on an air mattress.
The wood floor is IN in the Family room and Living room - still a way to go.
The counter demo/installation is DONE.
The subway tile backsplash is DONE.
We have A LOT of things to finish before we can move all the way in, and we have just a handful of days left to be out of our place.

The update on us:
Last week was CRAZY. I was rear-ended and had to go to Labor and Delivery 3 times to be monitored.
Shane split his knee open, I sealed it up with super-glue, but he still had to go to urgent care for a tetanus shot.
James got really sick, and had to be taken to the emergency room, and it now on anti-biotics.
Shane left for Utah this morning for 2 days to see his Parents off to be set apart and enter the MTC, and will be on a YM High adventure for the remainder of the week. So, any progress on the house/move has been left largely to me.

In the midst of all of this, we have been having a lot of fun spending time with Shane's parents and Dan, Minna, and kids. We have made a lot of progress, and I KNOW we will finish in time - without killing ourselves.

I am excited to show you the progress and transformation....soon I hope.

Did I ever Mention...

We're moving.

Not out of Reno, but down the street. We have been building a house for the last few months, and it's finished. We are closing today or tomorrow. We are VERY excited.

Leaving our home in Provo to live in an apartment (nice as it is) has been hard. James needs a backyard - not a parking lot. The timing of everything is working out quite nicely, although there is a lot of work to do.

We are renovating for the first couple of weeks. I know that sounds crazy. But, to do upgrades and finishes through the builder is Highway Robbery, and we loved working on our Provo house. So, we will spend a little time putting on our finishing touches before we move in, like:

Hardwood Floors
Painting ALL the walls
New Counter Tops
Tile in the Bathrooms and Laundry
Installing a 1/2 Bath downstairs
Wiring new Light Fixtures
and so on..

Did I mention that Shane is REALLY Handy?

He also has to install a Sprinkler System in the back, Lay Sod, and a new Paver Patio, so I can send James out in the yard while I work inside.

It's all very exciting, but also overwhelming. That's how Shane and I roll. We bite off more than we can chew on a pretty consistent basis.

We also have a baby coming in 8 weeks, so the work has to be done, and we have to be in and settled as early as possible

And, we have to MOVE all of our belongings - packing, lifting, loading, unloading, unpacking.....you know...the worst part.

So, I will be slowing down on the blogging. I have to start working FULL TIME on other things. We will be eating a lot of take-out. But, I will probably start again when I am in my sparkling new kitchen, making freezer meals for when the baby comes.

Reminiscing today...

Alright, so this is your typical picture you would expect a silly college girl to take on her study abroad. Everyone takes turns having their solo picture taken in a bizarre pose at some place - like the fountain in front of Buckingham Palace (where this was taken). This was 5 years ago.

This day, I was especially giddy, owing to the fact that I had just spent the day walking around Soho shopping, and goofing off on the Mall in front of the Palace. I bought a vintage Marc Jacobs dress, and ate 2 Magnum Bars - Almond, of course.

My dress...that I will never wear again, because it doesn't have sleeves.

BUT, even though I am a Married Mom, nearly 8 months pregnant, and cannot scamper off spending money on frivolous things in foreign countries with my girlfriends - I can drive over to the nearest Walmart and pick up a box of Magnum Bars, which have just recently been brought to the United States.

And, I can re-live (in my head) what it felt like to be carefree, with a waistline, as I spot and soak the laundry, and eat my chocolate coated ice cream bars.

Bedtime Books

James loves to read. It makes me so happy.

Our night time routine has become VERY important to James. Especially picking out his "bedtime books" and sitting in his "special chair" to read them. Mommy and Daddy BOTH have to be in attendance. Shane and I usually alternate roles - one does jammies and brushing teeth, and the other does "bedtime books" and prayers.

I have to say though, watching these two in the "special chair" reading the books, finding the hidden spider or mouse, and doing the special voices is one of my very favorite things.

In Other News...

My Charming, and Handsome, Multi-talented Husband brought me breakfast in bed this morning. He usually stays far away from the kitchen, and any cooking that might happen there.

However, he made me Delicious, Tender, Fluffy German pancakes today. They were perfect! I was so proud. And, not only that - he made whipped cream from scratch! And my syrup was warm! And, he brought me sliced mangos and grapes, and freshly squeezed juice!

I must have a domineering presence in the kitchen, because it seems that I have been suppressing Shane's inner gourmet. (He also made me braised chicken in Meyer lemon sauce over Linguini for dinner)

Thank you my love, for a wonderful day. You amaze me.

Happy Mothers Day

This day, when this little boy came into this world, during those first few precious moments, I was forever changed. I suddenly knew that the baby in my arms was more important than anything else in the world.

He has brought me more happiness than I thought was possible in this life. And, for all of my failures and tears, becoming a Mother is the most worthwhile thing I have ever done.

Baby #2 will be arriving in 11 weeks and I am so excited to do it all over again.

For all of you Mothers out there, and all of you who will be someday - today is truly a celebration of divine miracles. Happy Mothers Day!!!

Home

I love the east in the fall. We went home for 2 weeks, and we're going back again in another 2 weeks. Shane keeps reminding me that my "home" is in Reno, but my heart will always reside back there.

We went back for Melissa's wedding, and I was able to catch up with some of my favorite girls in the world.

And, we stayed for my Sister Annie's baby shower, which was beautiful - thrown for her by two of my other sisters - a tea party theme. She is having TWINS! One boy, and one girl - Instant Family.

Sydney...

My sister came to visit me last weekend. She drove 10 hours all by herself. Adorable, isn't she?

We treated her to the usual delights of the area. Tahoe was particularly beautiful after a storm.

Tahoe

James wanted to be EXTRA careful.

We were at Tahoe for a Dyer family reunion....we're wishing we were still there.

post script

I've been in the kitchen again. I'm cooking and writing new recipes, which makes me feel at home more than anything else. I'll start sharing soon..

We're here...

And, this is the view from our place every night. There is so much to love about Reno - I have been pleasantly surprised.

I know.....It's Been a While.

So, I thought I was done blogging. But, even though it's hard to get to sometimes, I'm not going to give up. It's been 5 months. A lot can happen in 5 months, so I'll give you a very brief (and somewhat incomplete) summary.

First Haircut

Easter

Cruise to Mexico.

Which was beautiful, and wonderful, and relaxing.

Where I got to play with a LION CUB!!!

We went to Reno.

And Tahoe, which is always incredible.

But, also very cold.

We SOLD our house!! Our first little home that we put our blood sweat and tears into!

Took a trip to San Diego to visit the Penas. James is afraid of the ocean.

We also took him to the San Diego Zoo, but I don't know what happened to the pictures.

General summertime fun in the water-spouting whale pool my Mom got for James.

And, last night, a trip to the Lake with Kerianne and The Welches. James had his first tube ride, and LOVED it.

AND, can't believe I'm saying it, but we are actually MOVING! We're headed for greener pastures in Reno, and Shane is beyond excited to begin working with his Dad. I am excited for some change, and we are all looking forward to a new phase of life.

However, we are going to miss Provo! We have LOVED our time here, and our friends. We have been so blessed! If there is anyone out there from our Provo Family that still checks this blog - We Love You!!! You have made our time here unforgettable!! Thank you!

Just incase you were wondering..

I haven't given up on blogging. I know I have been very sporadic with my posting, but I have been renovating my kitchen - so, no cooking, and I have been traveling, and lastly - there isn't enought space on my computer for 1 more picture. I am looking for an external hard drive, and I need to do some major organizing, but I should get back with more regularity soon.

I Know....

I've been gone from the blogging world for a long time. So, I'm just going to throw up a ton of pictures of what we've been up to, so I can get back to business....or food.

You get the general idea.