Heather&Brian&company

Random Happenings of a Happy Family

2011-08-26T13:46:00.000-07:00

So, I know I facebooked a status that said something like, I'm not going to blog anymore, but I don't know, I miss writing. I wrote a LONG journal entry on our way back from Utah this week and realized there is something really satisfying about posting my feelings/frustrations/conundrums/elations etc. online. Sometimes I tend to be a rather private person, but I feel like blogs are just fun to do sometimes..not all the time or anything. I mean, let's face it, I need to have a life and more importantly, my free time. I always enjoyed writing papers in school(ok not always, but in college, I enjoyed it!) and thus, enjoy blogging about my life. Lately, things have been pretty awesome. Much to my shock and delight, the girls have become much more manageable lately. Just a few minutes ago, I was able to put away the dishes while the girls played together. I kept expecting to hear Keira come crying to me about Avery assaulting her in some manner. But no mommy interventions needed for those 10 minutes or so. Hooray! A small voice in the back of my head is whispering, "Maybe this means you are ready for a third.." But anytime that idea surfaces, I find myself feeling sick to my stomach. Is that rude or what? I feel terrible for thinking that. I do want another child at some point, I think, but the exhausted part of me keeps screaming "NO!" I guess I figure that when the time is right I wont get that sick feeling anymore when I think about pregnancy and having another little bundle. We shall see. I do feel so incredibly blessed to have two wonderful and adorable little girls. They are my oxygen I can't live without.

Random happenings from our lives are posted for your enjoyment. I couldn't resist posting that newborn pic of Keira. She was so small then, I can't believe it. Another picture of Avery and Brian at Zuma Beach was from a couple weeks ago. We had a fun time visiting the Powells down in Thousand Oaks and soaked in the sun and enjoyed our beach time immensely. Another pic of Avery with her boyfriend Beckett was taken at Dodger stadium on Mormon night. Those 2 kiddos are just way too cute. And I think the rest are just random photos I thought were worth posting. Life is good. Peace out.

Diary of a weary mom of 2

2011-02-13T22:58:00.000-08:00

Sometimes when I am reading others' blogs I find myself caught in an illusion. You people have some shiny, beautiful lives out there. I notice that sometimes I am wishing I could be on top of everything and post blogs more often about the wonderful perfect life I lead here with my little family. But let's face it, that is not reality. And I know no one is out there having a perfect life, or even pretending to have one either. But, sometimes, it is so easy to imagine everyone saying the perfect things to their kids, taking them on super fun outings, spending days on end in the sunlight relaxing with their children at their knees...HA! If only..Life with kids is no dreamland. And I don't know why I seem so set on having a perfect life. There is no such thing. I need to just enjoy the time I spend with my kids. Even if it is 4 in the morning and I have to work the next day. I guess I need to just appreciate the joyous moments and realize the hard times will pass before long. It's funny because it seems like one day is heaven and the next is extremely challenging(Avery-cough-terrible twos-cough, cough). Maybe I'll be one of those moms who handles teen years better than terrible two to three years. Who knows. I do know that I am LOVING having a baby again. Keira is so sweet and innocent. She is my precious little ball of joy. Even if she doesn't sleep through the night every night, it doesn't matter. Little babies are just so fun. Anyway, Avery does do some really cute stuff, too. I love her to pieces. Right now she is obcessed with The Little Mermaid. She could watch it all day, I think. I have to limit her TV these days so she doesn't become a TV zombie. I love how I am becomming able to really communicate with Avery, too. She understands so much now. And to be honest, it's funny how seeing other moms in my same stage in life helps me so much. I see them deal with whining and it strengthens me somehow. I know it sounds totally mean, but I kind of like seeing other moms struggle with their kids because it means I'm not alone in dealing with tantrums, whining, etc. There is a way to deal with it. And seeing how other moms deal with it gives me ideas. Well, motherhood for me has been a real roller coaster. But, I am so grateful for all it is teaching me. I know I love my babies and need to enjoy them while they are small. I know, I know! Everyone tells me this time flies by. Here are a few random park pics I thought you might like so you can get a little taste of our family outings.

Thanksgiving, Christmas, and Keira's blessing

2010-12-28T21:44:00.000-08:00

Loved the holidays this year! Avery was so cute on Christmas morning with all her presents. It is just so cute how kids play with toys as they get older and older. Avery's favorite gift was probably her little mini doll/baby stroller. She is obcessed with babies and dolls so the stroller was a BIG hit. I pity the kid who gets between Avery and her babies!

So, now that the holiday craziness is now no longer consuming my every waking moment, I can now catch up on a few things. Today I went a little overboard on cleaning, organizing, laundry, and now the blog. I love getting things done I just wish I was one of those people who love to clean. I love things to be clean but I don't enjoy the cleaning process. I LOVE to organize things though. Anyway, now you all can see the pictures of us over the last couple months. Brian's parents came down for Keira's blessing in the beginning of December. It was so fun to have another set of Grandparents come and dote on the kids. I wish they could see the girls more often. And we went to St. George for Thanksgiving and that is my mom's mom with the girls in their pink leopard dresses above. Love the holidays but I'm kind of glad things will slow down a little now that they are over. Well, not quite over, we still have new year's! Happy New Year everyone!!!

Mission Impossible

2010-11-29T21:26:00.000-08:00

YOUR MISSSION, SHOULD YOU CHOOSE TO ACCEPT IT, IS TO GO GROCERY SHOPPING WITH NOT ONE, BUT, YES, JUST AS YOU MAY HAVE SUSPECTED AND SIMULTANEOUSLY DREADED, TWO BABIES. DIFFICULT YES. IMPOSSIBLE...MAYBE FOR SOME...

I DECIDED THE TIME HAD COME TO TACKLE THIS MISSION. COULD I DO IT??? I WASN'T SURE..

MONDAY MORNING:
WAKE UP. FEED INFANT BABY. REALIZE A SHOWER MAY BE POSSIBLE SINCE BOTH BABIES ARE ASLEEP. SHOWER IN HASTE. GET DRESSED. EAT FIBER ONE BAR. BRUSH TEETH. PLAY/FEED/ENTERTAIN BABIES FOR A COUPLE HOURS. MAKE UP APPLICATION IN KITCHEN WHILE BABIES SIT IN THEIR RESPECTIVE SEATS. PUT ON COAT AND SHOES WHILE BABIES CRY FOR MOM TO RETURN TO KITCHEN. DON BABIES', SHIRTS, PANTS, SWEATERS, COATS, SOCKS, SHOES, ETC. CARRY INFANT CAR SEAT OUT TO CAR WHILE TODDLER BABY RUNS DOWN STREET. PLACE INFANT BABY IN CAR. RETRIEVE TODDLER BABY. CAR SEATS IN READY POSITION. TAKE BREATHER. DRIVE TO TRADER JOES. PLACE INFANT BABY IN CAR SEAT INSIDE MAIN SHOPPING CART STORAGE AREA. PLACE TODDLER BABY IN SHOPPING CART BUILT-IN SEAT. SOMEHOW MAKE FOOD SELECTIONS WHILE KEEPING AN EYE CONSTANTLY ON TODDLER BABY. CONTINUOUSLY STOP TODDLER BABY FROM STICKING FINGERS IN INFANT BABY'S EYES AND MOUTH. SOMEHOW MANAGE TO SELECT FOOD ITEMS. SQUEEZE GROCERIES IN 6 INCH WIDTH BETWEEN INFANT CAR SEAT AND SHOPPING CART METAL BARS. PAY CASHIER WHILE PREVENTING TODDLER FROM GRABBING ITEMS IN REACHING DISTANCE. NO SPACE TO PUT GROCERY BAGGED ITEMS. TRADER JOE'S EMPLOYEE CARRIES GROCERIES OUT TO CAR. ENTER ALBERTSON'S. REPEAT SAME SEQUENCE OF EVENTS AS DESCRIBED IN TRADER JOE'S. EXIT ALBERTSON'S. LOAD INFANT BABY IN CAR. LOAD TODDLER BABY IN CAR. BREATHE. MAKE SURE TO HAVE PURSE IN HAND AND EVERYTHING LOADED IN CAR. DRIVE HOME. REMOVE GROCERIES FROM CAR AND PLACE ON DOORSTEP. REMOVE BABIES FROM CAR INTO HOUSE. PUT AWAY FROZEN FOODS TO AVOID DE-THAWING. FEED TODDLER BABY BEFORE CRYING/WHINING WAKES INFANT BABY. MAKE PB&J WHILE TODDLER EATS BANANA. RUN TO CRYING INFANT BABY. DISCOVER DIAPER BLOW OUT LEAKAGE ALL OVER INFANT BABY. RUN TO CHANGE AND CLEAN INFANT BABY BEFORE TODDLER BABY STARTS THROWING FOOD ON FLOOR. CLEAN HEAVILY SOILED INFANT BABY. RUN TO TODDLER BABY JUST BEFORE SHE THROWS HER PLATE AND LEFT OVER FOOD ON FLOOR. CLEAN TODDLER BABY'S INCREDIBLY MESSY FACE AND HANDS. RUN TO HOLD CRYING INFANT BABY. USHER BABIES IN A ROOM. CLOSE DOOR. FEED INFANT BABY. DIAPER CHANGES TO BOTH BABIES. REMEMBER TO PUT AWAY REFRIGERATED GROCERIES. PUT BABIES DOWN FOR NAPS. PUT AWAY REST OF GROCERIES. COLLAPSE FROM EXHAUSTION.

MISSION ACCOMPLISHED! :D

She's Here!

2010-10-21T12:28:00.000-07:00

Our little girl is finally here! Keira Lee Norton was born on October 15th, 2010 at 9:47 P.M. She was 9 lbs even and 21 inches long! We couldn't believe how big she was! She must be a Norton because Brian and his siblings were all pretty big babies, I've heard. Brian was over 10 lbs!!!

So, here's the story. I had gone in for my check at 38 weeks and my doctor said I was progressing nicely and that I'd probably have a baby by the following week. I was so excited! Then the next week rolled around and I thought I had been having some contractions, so I was excited to go in to my 39 week appointment. (I was hoping I'd go in, and he'd say I was in labor and to go ahead and go over to the hospital) Well, when he checked me, I had little progression and was only one centimeter still. And the baby was still sitting up at a -2 (still very high). So, Dr. Lewis said if it was ok with me, he'd induce me on my due date. I was definitely ok with it!

Wednesday night I was supposed to be admitted to the hospital to get a cervidil placed to prep me for my induction the following day. Wednesday night we were all anxious and excited to get things rolling, BUT when I called in to the hospital, they said that they were WAY too full to admit me to the hospital and that I would have to wait until tomorrow to come in. So, the next day we called in and they said they were still way too full to admit me. :( They said they'd call us if things changed and that we were first on their list of people to call. So, I began doing as much walking and shopping as I could to get things going myself. Unfortunately nothing was working. I hadn't been feeling contractions at all for like a week and I was beginning to think my baby would never come out. She was just content to stay in my tummy forever more. Of course I knew that wasn't the case, but still, I wonder when she would have come on her own if I hadn't been induced. That day (Thursday) I had an appointment with Dr. Lewis and he said I was STILL at a 1 centimeter and -2 and 70% effaced. So frustrating! So, we kept calling the hospital every few hours and it was always the same--too full! It was especially irritating because I asked the nurse what they would do with me if I really was in labor--tell me they were too full?! She said no and that they would have to admit me if I really went into labor. The other thing that was causing me so much trepidation was that I actually needed to get the baby out as soon as possible for the baby's health. I didn't mention earlier that my body was producing antibodies that cross the placenta and when the level gets high enough in my blood, the baby's health could be seriously compromised. It is an extremely rare condition that I had been seeing a specialist for to make sure the baby was ok throughout the pregnancy. Anyways, don't ask me questions about it because it is really hard to explain and you can't even really find information about it online because it is so rare. I hope that didn't make me sound rude by putting that last sentence. So, now you see why the Dr. and I really needed to get the baby out.

Then on Friday, at about 2:30 P.M. they called!!!! Finally! So, we gathered up all our gear and headed out to the hospital. Brian and I couldn't believe we were actually going in to have a baby. It was too surreal. So, they placed the cervidil at about 5P.M. and said for about 95% of patients, the cervidil would soften the cervix over the course of 12 hours. So, we were expecting to spend the night and have the baby on Saturday morning sometime. The nurses let me eat and drink as much as I wanted for dinner, and Brian and I started some card games and stuff to pass the time. Well, when they initially checked me at 5 I was at 3 centimeters, -2(STILL), and 70% effaced(STILL). The nurse said I was having contractions periodically that were pretty weak and insignificant. So, then around 6:30 P.M. I started feeling some uncomfortable contractions. When I told the nurse this, she said that that just meant the cervidil was working and that she didn't think the contractions were strong enough to suggest I was going to have a baby anytime in the immediate future. So, then around 8 P.M., I was beginning to get rather uncomfortable. I was standing up and Brian would rub my back to get me through the contractions. The nurse then came in and said that maybe we'd have the baby by midnight at this rate. She said we could get my pain meds going if I wanted. At that time, I think I didn't want to seem like a wimp, so I foolishly declined. About 15 minutes later she returned and could see the pain on my face and said that she was going to go ahead and prep my for my epidural, as long as I didn't protest. I was glad she just went ahead and got things rolling for me!

The Dreaded EPIDURAL:
Around 8:30 or so, the anesthesiologist came in. Yikes. I just have such a hard time getting epidurals because when I picture that giant needle puncturing my back, I get chills down my spine and shudder just thinking about it. I had had one before so I did have the reassurance of knowing that they don't hurt too incredibly bad. BUT, this time it was different. It seemed like the anesthesiologist was stabbing around in my back for forever. Brian and the nurse kept telling me to relax but I could feel so many jabbing pains in my spine that relaxing was an impossibility. Not fun!!! So, then when he was done, I started to feel a little relief and it seemed that torture wasn't for naught. But then, as I continued to have contractions, I realized I could only feel numbness on my right side. They had my lay on my left side to remedy the problem, but it never worked. I endured that painful, incredibly emotionally stressful, epidural and i could still feel some absolutely brutal contractions.

They checked me and I was at 8 centimeters around 9. Then, around 9:15, I was experiencing the most intense pain of my life. Brian and my mom were there trying to calm me down and tell me to breathe. This did help a little. I think I remember saying some pretty pathetic things like, "I hate life" & "I'm NEVER having another baby."

The DELIVERY:
At about 9:25 I told the nurses I couldn't take it anymore and that I had to push NOW! I could feel so much pressure and PAIN like you wouldn't believe that I just kept saying that. And they wouldn't let me because the doctor was in the middle of a C-section. So, they had to call another doctor to come from home to come in. They told me he lived close and to wait as long as I could. But they said if I couldn't wait any longer that I shouldn't worry because they deliver babies all the time. Well, I didn't want the nurses to deliver me so, I just waited--about 15 terrible minutes and then, another Dr. arrived to save me! She just happened to be in the hospital at the right time to deliver Keira. I'm not really sure why she was even there. The doctor they called from home had still not arrived, so Dr. Kannappan delivered our baby. I really liked her, too. I went to school with her daughter, Aarthy, ironically enough. Aarthy was a genius girl who was in several of my classes at Stockdale High. Her mom said she was in her OB residency right now.

Once she told me to start pushing, it didn't take too many pushes to get her out. When she first came out all the nurses were saying how big she was. I couldn't believe it! I mean, well, I guess I could believe it because it hurt like the devil pushing out that head and shoulders! But once she (and the placenta) was out I felt immediate relief. The kind of feeling I imagine a marathon runner might feel after completion of the race.

The pain was over and my sweet baby girl was in my arms!!! She had huge lips when the set her on me for the first time. I couldn't believe how different she looked compared to Avery. Keira was (and is) so beautiful in a totally different way. I think I was just so shocked to finally see her, that that first time I held her was so special in a way I can't describe. She was mine. My little angel. Having a baby is the most unique and precious experience. I am so glad Brian and I have been so incredibly blessed with 2 absolutely amazing and beautiful girls. Children must be the greatest blessing the Lord gives us in life. I am so beyond grateful to be a mother!! Now I am in mommy heaven with my new precious baby!

Long overdue current photos

2010-10-10T15:23:00.000-07:00

Still no baby

2010-10-09T13:40:00.000-07:00

I am 39.5 weeks along and am SO ready for this baby to come!!! I now know the meaning of uncomfortable. I thought I knew but really I had no concept before last night. I kept waking up out of painful sleeping positions. Not fun. I am starting to think my sleep will surely improve when the baby comes. I mean, at least I can sleep without torturous stomach and back and pelvis pain while the baby sleeps--even if it is a limited amount. Brian has been so busy lately and hasn't been doing a lot of photography lately because of work and school. Although that is sure to change when the new baby comes. He'll HAVE TO take lots and lots of pictures of our new baby girl. Well, I think I'll go shopping now and see if I can't get things moving along. I already went on a walk with Brian this morning. I heard it was helpful to walk with one foot on the street and one on the sidewalk to help the baby come down. Sorry I've been slacking with my blogs!

By the way...we're pregnant

2010-05-04T09:16:00.001-07:00

Hello! So, like most people already know, we are going to have another baby. I am 16 weeks along already. Well, maybe I shouldn't put 'already.' It has been a very difficult and slow pregnancy thus far. I have been feeling like I've had the flu for about 3 months or so. Not fun. And on top of it all, I've had 2 terrible colds these last 2 months. Yikes. Anyways, don't worry about me--I have high hopes my morning sickness will go away in a month or so. Then, I will get to maybe enjoy being pregnant for a minute.

Anyways, Brian and I are extremely excited for this new addition to our family. And we think Avery will be pretty excited to have a new brother or sister to play with. We find out the sex of the baby on May 21st. We are so excited to find out!! Then, the real name choosing shall begin.

Lately Avery is getting really good at walking and she is loving her new little talent. She also loves to dance! Her little dance moves always bring a smile to my face. Today she said a new word: Tigger..lol. She said it more like Tidder, but it was so cute. She attempts words when she feels like it but it seems she never will say a word of hers on command. She only says her few little words when she wants to--not when we want her to. She is discovering her own little autonomy and enjoying herself.

Yesterday we went to Disneyland and California Adventure again as a family. It was a lot of fun. Avery enjoyed the rides but got pretty querulous in some of the longer lines. I noticed a lot of disgruntled parents at the parks yesterday. A lot of jaded, frustrated parents who did not seem to be enjoying their children's tantrums, whining, wandering off, etc. I'll be the first to admit parenting is no easy venture, but I couldn't help but feel like some of these parents had lost some of themselves because they were too busy seeing the hardship of child rearing. I heard comments like: "I'm so mad at you, I wish I could just kick you across the park" or "No! Stop it! What are you thinking?!" "Get back it that stroller!" "You're staying on this leash the rest of the time, young man!" One lady had that disgruntled look but didn't have any kids around her. But I just knew she was a mom who was fed up with her kids. She looked tuckered out, had a stern look on her face, and was walking with a chip on her shoulder. I followed her for a minute or 2 with my eyes only to prove myself right. A minute later, I saw she had 2 kids with the dad pushing the stroller. I turned to Brian at one point and pointed out all the things I had observed. So, we then promised each other we would never turn into one of those kinds of parents. And after that little promise, any time Avery would act up, I would just try to laugh it off. Taking that attitude helped me through the rest of the day. Well, I think this blog is plenty long, so I'd better end it! So, just as Tigger would say--TTFN! (Ta Ta for now) :D

Disneyland and the Beach

2010-03-20T18:39:00.000-07:00

We had some great times together as a family going to Disneyland and the beach a few days later. Brian and I couldn't stop smiling about how cute Avery looked in her little tankini. Even though she is getting big, she is definitely still a baby. (Especially to us) Avery is still crawling right now, but we can tell she thinks about trying to walk sometimes. She just isn't brave enough to actually try it yet.

Today Avery and I had a little girls day out while Dad was working. We went to a bunch of fun stores at South Coast Plaza: H&M, Banana Republic, Gap, and of course, Baby Gap. I LOVE Baby Gap's baby clothes!!!!!! If I could have my way, I would buy all of Avery's clothes and shoes from there. They had these cute little baby espadrilles that were just a little too small for Avery. I was bummed I couldn't get them for her.

Brian and I are preparing for our Spring OCMCO concert. (We are in the Orange County Mormon Choral Organization's professional adult choir) Our concert is March 31st and I am SOOOOO excited for it. It is going to be so beautiful. Our director composed an Oratorio with the text from 3rd Nephi3-17. It is genius!! I absolutely love the music and am stoked we are recording a CD so I can have it for my own personal collection. Well, Avery is getting mad because I'm not playing with her, so I guess I'll cut this blog off. If you want tickets for the show go to ocmco.org.

Busy busy busy

2009-11-02T12:33:00.000-08:00

So, I have been so busy with the stake production lately, I have all but given up on blogging. This will be a simple blog, since I do still have some costume work to do today on my day off. However, I just thought I would post these new pictures taken of Avery because she looks so adorable in them! Avery loves her little outfit Grandma made her. She will be 9 months in one week. I can't believe it! Right now she is about to get teeth # E & F. She has # O & P already. Dental jargon--she will be getting her two front teeth for Christmas after all. Her other tricks include: scooting around a little and pulling herself up to a standing position using my hands. She can say: dada(dad is happy she finally learned that one!), yaya, baba, and mama(her first sound) and she says some "s" sounds a lot, too. Avery is such a happy little baby. This photo shoot was so fun. I'm sure everyone at the park was laughing hysterically at me as they walked by because I was jumping, dancing, and singing to get Avery's attention and to keep her from eating the grass and leaves she was sitting on! We got her to smile a lot using an Elmo book her Aunt Sandy gave her. She loves it when we talk like Elmo and move him so she thinks he is talking to her. It is so cute--Thanks Aunt Sandy!
Lately, Avery has become very aware of the cats. She loves to watch them and touch them, when she can. Moglie has learned to run for it whenever Avery starts to reach for him. But Jasmine is so sweet and a lot of times will let Avery touch her--even though Avery bats at her and pulls her fur out. Jaz is so cute and doesn't really mind it.
Well, I have had so much fun doing this stake play! I have gotten to dance my little heart out and let loose! Although the politics of the play are a bit annoying, I am so glad to have been able to be a part of this musical production.Thank you to my wonderful husband for helping out so much and letting me enjoy this new experience! I love you, my deer! Opening night for Curtain Up is this Thursday!

Almost 7 months

2009-08-30T16:21:00.000-07:00

I know I haven't blogged in forever...so I figured it was time to do so. Avery is at such a fun age now. She is curious as a cat, very happy & giggly, playing with things all the time, and so responsive to the world around her.

Avery has been starting new foods. She is a great eater, I must admit. We have tried: prunes(as seen above), rice cereal, oatmeal cereal, bananas, applesauce, & peaches. I'm not sure which is her favorite, since she eats whatever is given to her without any resistance. Hopefully this remains the same after I begin vegetables!

Lately I have been enjoying having my husband back! While he was taking his class, I felt like I was a single mom--not fun. But now we have been able to go to the beach a lot, hang out with friends, etc. I love my little family so much.

One thing that's new with me is I'm going to be in our stake play. We'll see where I am cast... It is a Broadway medley entitled "Curtain Up." It will be nice to be involved with something new where I can meet new people and perform..lol. I'm not sure how well I can act or dance, but I am sure going to try.

Today at church, I was in awe of how beautiful Avery is. A friend of ours held her for most of sunday school, and I was in mommy heaven just watching our little baby. She was just smiling and playing, loving life. I seriously think she couldn't be any cuter. I could be just a little biased though. :-)

Already 4 months old

2009-06-14T11:47:00.000-07:00

Look at this Daddy Daughter shot. Priceless.

Brian and Sharie look so much alike in this picture!

Baby Avery watching the swim meet
About 2 seconds later she got a little bored.

Zander swimming in his race! What a stud.

Jozie dives in! Look at that form. Impressive.
Eden was soooooo fast. She killed the competition.

Kids are so amazing to me. How they can jump in that freezing cold water on a cloudy day and smile about it astounds me. They must be part fish. I was remembering the last swim meet we went to of the kids--it was last summer and I was feeling terrible. I was maybe 6 or 7 weeks pregnant with Avery and I hadn't told Brian's family we were expecting. Where does the time go?

Avery's latest is kicking sprees accompanied by lots of talking. And she loves her infant seat. She is kicking so hard against that thing; Brian and I worry she is going to bruise her heels! She especially loves to look at herself in mirrors. One of these days we'll post a video of her on here--when Brian figures out how to post just a clip of film on the blog instead of all the video camera's memory.

Gaining Speech & Loosing Hair

2009-06-09T16:14:00.000-07:00

Sunday night I was in the mood to sing. What can I say, I love to sing! In fact, becoming a professional singer has been a dream of mine for as long as I can remember. I used to be embarrassed to admit this. I remember when I was about nine, my mom told some people that I wanted to be a rock n' roll star when I grew up. The people she told chuckled a little at my quixotic ambitions, and I about died of humiliation. Anyways, I'm getting side tracked. So, I decided to put on a concert for Avery Sunday night. I sang to her for probably about 30-45 minutes. And she watched and smiled intently. :-D Needless to say, she loved the little concert. Then, about ten minutes after I had finished singing, Avery started talking loud and long. It was so cute. And she hasn't stopped talking since!! She has discovered her beautiful voice and I'd say, she is going to be a talented little singer one day!

And now to the the losing of the hair...Avery and I are both losing our hair! A lot from me and a little from her. Who knew pregnancy caused baldness? Not me. Apparently I was the last to know. Everyone assures me this is normal and that I wont go totally bald. We shall see. As if pregnancy doesn't leave you with enough physical defacement. This just adds insult to injury.

On a Baby High

2009-05-31T15:34:00.000-07:00

Our little baby enjoying the spotlight in her bumbo chair
Avery is discovering she likes to eat things
Her favorite thing to eat is her hands...delicious!
So photogenic
We went on our first family hike! We trekked up to Inspiration Point and could see downtown L.A. and the coastline all in one shot--very cool. Brian carried Avery in the Baby Bjorn and got a good work out in! Here is Avery and me in our hoodies staying warm. I love this picture!
Look, mom, I'm WAY up here!

So, I figured it was about time for a new blog about motherhood and all its glory. Today I came home from church and was just having the time of my life holding, kissing, and talking to my darling baby girl. She had been SO good at church and then when we got home, tons of smiles and even a little giggle! She is so content and happy to be alive. I had to stop and just think to myself: "Wow, I am in Heaven!" Motherhood is truly the greatest calling on Earth. I never knew being a mom (with the world's best husband at my side) would be this wonderful. Avery smiles at me and I just melt. All my troubles go away when she brightens my day with her sweet smiling face.

I should mention that life as a mom is not all peaches and cream. There are days that go by where I think about how easy life used to be before I had a baby. When I had time to do whatever, whenever. When I could just hop in the car and go to the mall for hours.(this used to be one of my favorite pastimes) And there are plenty of days I wish I had a nanny to help me out and give me a break. But today I can't imagine life being any better. Brian and I are so incredibly blessed to have all that we do. I keep thinking to myself: What did I do to deserve this sweet, sweet beautiful baby? Perhaps, it's my reward for enduring a rough pregnancy. And at church, people are constantly telling us how good she is and how lucky we are. AND, I am almost afraid to type the words for fear I'll jinx it--but I'll just mention that Avery sleeps through the night--usually 8 hours and has a predictable feed, wake, sleep schedule! I give a lot of credit to Babywise for Avery's cheerful disposition and predictable schedule.

Believe it or not, I was thinking... if this is how incredible babies make you feel, then I want to have at least ten kids. It sounds absurd now that I'm typing it out right now, but I was seriously contemplating ten kids less than an hour ago. Although, since Avery is so good, I'm sure my next kid will be a terror as luck would have it. And then, I would probably be so exhausted that I would say: 2 kids--that's plenty! I guess we shall see how it all plays out! But seriously, babies are so special. There is nothing better than holding your child close and kissing them over and over. :-D

Sprinkles Cupcakes

2009-05-16T08:46:00.000-07:00

A bite out of Heaven! Who knew food could be so ethereal. If you haven't tried Sprinkles cupcakes, you have got to drop everything and go get yourself one. They have a store at Fashion Island in Newport, or you could make them yourself by purchasing a Sprinkles cupcake mix from their store or at Williams-Sonoma. My neighbor brought me a couple cupcakes yesterday and they were AMAZING! I never knew a cupcake could be THAT good. I have only tried the dark chocolate with chocolate frosting. Has anyone else tried the other flavors? Which kind is your favorite?

Grandma and Grandpa Norton come to visit

2009-05-04T09:54:00.000-07:00

Happy Anniversary!

2009-05-04T09:37:00.000-07:00

Happy 2 Year Anniversary! I can't believe how time flies. It seems like it was only yesterday that we were married in the San Diego Temple. I made this little cake for Brian and me on our anniversary--gotta love funfetti. It's been the best 2 years of my life by a long shot, and I look forward to many more amazing years to come in the future. I love you DEER!

First Beach Trip

2009-04-20T22:28:00.000-07:00

Yes, we took our little dear one to the beach for the first time!

Avery is getting so big! When I first viewed these pictures I was shocked to see just how much she is changing. For some reason seeing her on film made me realize this. She looks like a completely different baby almost--compared to her newborn pictures.

Look at that chubby belly! So cute.

Mommy's angel. As you can see, she has lost her caramel coloring. Now we see she has Brian and my pale skin--sorry my little one. No more Carribbean tan.

The camera loves her!

Avery loves to stand. I think she likes to be right next to your face to see you better. The last couple of weeks she has been getting so strong. She'll be walking in no time! So crazy.

Avery is starting to love going outside, as well. It is so cool to see her become so much more aware of her surroundings.

Also, just in case you read my last blog, I just wanted to assure everyone that things are getting so much better now. I am starting to be more cognizant of Avery's needs--deciphering what each cry means i.e. the tired cry from the hungry cry. And Avery is much less fussy now when it comes to naptime. YAY! She is back to her angel self. I think she just had a rough couple of weeks and I wanted to gripe about it in that last blog. Babies are the BEST!

Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde

2009-04-12T12:01:00.000-07:00

Lately I have been lamenting about the arduous life of a mother to friends and family. Avery hasn't been her angel self the last week and a half, much to our chagrin. Now I am getting a taste of what my parents went through with me. (They tell me I was a difficult baby--wouldn't sleep unless rocked or bounced A LOT, fussy unless entertained indefinitely, etc.) Sorry, Mom and Dad! But some days Avery has her moments of peaceful cuteness that I just can't get enough of.

Today is a Dr. Jekyll day--full of smiles and coos; yesterday: Mr. Hyde. It is such an extreme. Yesterday crying all day with minimal naptime. Today, no crying(hardly) and easy naptime--knock on wood. I know the lack of sleep was probably the reason for all the crying. But it's her own fault. I tried everything to get her to nap and sometimes even the shoe-in sleep methods didn't work. Like, for instance, a few days ago Avery hadn't slept all day and was incredibly fussy. So I decided to take her for a ride in the stroller. One of those shoe-in methods I mentioned. She never stays awake for a stroller ride, NEVER! But about 20 min. into the walk to the park, she woke up. At first she liked the change of scenery, looking at the sunlight and all the trees enjoying herself. Then about 15 min. later she decided to fuss and root. I was still at the park without any kind of a nursing cover. So I had to (literally) run home (which I am way out of shape FYI), and she cried the whole rest of the way home. Poor baby. I think she was going through a growth spurt and that's why she threw a wrench in my seemingly perfect schedule--she would wake out of her naps early because of hunger. Or so I think...it would be so nice if she could just tell us why the cry.

The last day or so have been much better as far as routine feedings. Now I'm just trying to establish her routine naptimes again. The book I follow--On becomming Babywise--says to not use sleep props like: swings, vibrating chairs, loud fans, etc. to get your baby to sleep. It says they need to learn to fall asleep or back asleep on their own without props. BUT it is so hard to resist these methods because they work wonders. If Avery wakes early out of a nap, I am finding it harder and harder to resist these methods because if I don't use them, she wont go back to sleep and then her whole schedule gets thrown off. When she sticks to her schedule it is baby and mommy heaven..ahhhh, sweet bliss. When she resists the schedule, we both get cranky.

My mom told me not to get too comfortable with any schedule because babies are constantly growing and changing. I know I can't keep her on the same schedule forever, and my book addresses how to change the schedule when baby requires less sleep for example..but no baby follows a book exactly.

I guess what I am wondering is: when do babies start taking just 2 or 3 naps a day? Avery seems like she wants to sleep less which is normal, but she doesn't want to sleep enough. She wants to be awake more but the more I let her stay awake and not go down for her naps, the crankier she becomes as the day goes on. Babies sure are tricky. And if you've made it this far through my little diatribe, thanks for reading :)

On a happier note, I woke up to find an Easter basket downstairs for our family!! A big surprise for Avery and me. Thanks Dear! Happy Easter, everyone!

Attention Overload

2009-04-01T18:36:00.000-07:00

Whoa! It has been a different scene around here lately. I am learning life is getting a lot more demanding when your baby gets bored of just lying there. Before, I could just set Avery down in one of her seats and grab a bite to eat or do the dishes, for example. Looking around the room or out a window would be sufficient entertainment for our little dear. Not the case anymore! Avery needs much more to keep her happy these days. And it's even more difficult for me because Brian is gone from about 4:30 A.M. until about 7:30 P.M. And then when he gets home he wants to relax--understandably so! Brian has a new job he started a couple of weeks ago (for those of you who didn't already know). He works for a company called Shaw Environmental. Brian primarily locates, removes, and eradicates environmental threats ie anthrax, or currently: granade, rocket, and bomb ordinates. Risky business, I know. Not to worry though, he says they take every precaution and he doesn't even consider it dangerous at all. The biggest worry for him is poison oak and rattlesnakes.

So back to my attention overload... I am adjusting to Avery's new stage of life. She'll be 2 months old in a matter of days! So crazy. She changes so much every day. Her hair just keeps getting longer, too! I can almost put her hair in a "spout" ponytail. She likes getting plenty of exercise as well: standing up (with our support, obviously), constantly lifting up her head, and even little scooting motions when she's on her tummy. I think she is getting anxious to be mobile. Also, can I just say--babies sure can poop a ton! Brian and I joke about wrapping her up in saran wrap to always be sure to avoid diaper leaks--a frequent occurrence here. Maybe I don't know how to properly secure a diaper. Brian thinks I don't put them on tight enough. But I swear if I put them on tighter, her circulation will be compromised! My mom said I should get bigger diapers, but I am convinced that is not the case--we have the size one diapers from huggies and they are good up to 14 lbs, I think. No, I'm convinced it's just the volume of waste that's the problem. No diaper could keep in some of her blow out episodes. Maybe I should affix 2 diapers to our baby.

My new life as a MOM :D

2009-03-23T12:38:00.000-07:00

So, I thought I would talk about my thoughts of motherhood so far. Brian can post a blog of his own describing his thoughts--which differ a little from my own. I've decided being a mother is the best job EVER! Sleepless nights, limited free time, dirty diapers all day long, crying spells, and depleted funds--let the party begin! In sooth, it is definitely not "the easy life;" however, all of the many, many chores of motherhood are all a small price to pay for our precious baby. It just doesn't make sense though, I KNOW! Before I was a mother, I was dreading those costs I mentioned above. I thought having a newborn would be cool--mostly because that's what everyone says-- but I thought I would be annoyed that I had to get up in the night, disappointed about my limited free time, etc. I truly thought I would feel more overwhelmed with it all. You may be wondering why I decided to get pregnant in the first place. To be honest, I did have a little bit of a bleak outlook on life as a mother. I just didn't get it. How could mom's enjoy their jobs with screaming babies, rebellious teenagers, and stubborn toddlers? It just did not make logical sense to me. My mom would try to tell me how awesome it is to have kids of your own. She would say that kids aren't annoying when they do those teeth clenching behaviors you experience in sacrament meeting--when they are your own. And I would incredulously ask her: how could that be true? To be completely honest (maybe a little too honest for a blog post), I didn't really like kids before I had Avery. Now is the time you can really be upset with me. Why would I have a baby and not even like kids? My Aunt Robyn, my mom's sister, had a little something to do with it. She had a similar opinion of kids when she was my age. Just like me she didn't like kids all that much. Call us crazy. When my mom was a child, she was always the one who would relish her time playing with little kids/babies, and my aunt never really saw why that was so fun for her. She didn't get it either. But now my Aunt Robyn has 7 children! She said that once she started having kids of her own, she was finally able to see how amazingly cool children really are. And now I, too, view children in a different light. I don't think I'll have 7, but I do want more than just a couple more. Some of you seasoned mothers reading this blog of mine may be thinking I'm a little naive about it all, and you may be right. I mean, I have only been a mother for about 6 weeks now. I don't really know what it will be like in the future, but I am excited for it, nonetheless.
Avery's awake time is so much fun these days! Well, unless she is crying and that's not too fun. She is more excited to see her mom and dad now and has even begun smiling a tiny bit. We just need to try to capture it on film! She usually will smile a little when I come in her room in the morning to feed her. The above and below pictures are a good representation of her typical awake time expressions.

Baby Love

2009-03-07T17:27:00.000-08:00

Avery had her first real photo shoot at the Sundberg's house last weekend. It was our first real outing with a baby and, wow, it is a lot of work getting ready and out the door--especially when we are on our 3 hour feeding schedule. We caught Avery smiling in her sleep here--so precious!

A beautiful friendship in the making. Here is (from left to right): Brinley 6 days old, Kristopher 8 days old, and Avery 3 weeks old. Avery was such a good little girl and was so well behaved and peaceful(as seen above) for the shoot!

Above is Brian when he was a newborn--so cute!
Brian again--I think he looks just like himself here. Cute little guy. :)

Brian with his mom--such big eyes!

Brian again as a newborn. New babies are the best!

All in the Family

2009-02-19T12:55:00.000-08:00

I have been getting a lot of requests for more blog pictures of our baby. So here you are everyone! As you can see here above Avery is not a fan of the camera flash so a lot of times she'll just peek one eye open to look around.

Here she is on Valentines Day with her pink bear in her V-day outfit. Both of which were presents from Grandma Kinnison.

The proud new Grandma
Me and my baby on Valentines Day.

I love this picture. I know I'm a little biased, but she really is one adorable little newborn.

People have been saying that Avery looks like I did when I was born but with Janna's hair. So I thought I'd post these pics and see what you all think. My mom emailed me these pics and now we can see where Avery got all her dark hair. Above are some newborn pics of my sister, Janna--now she had a lot of HAIR! And that's me in the pink with her when I was almost 21 months.

This is a baby pic of my Dad when he was a newborn. He had A TON of HAIR!

This is a pic of my brother Steven--my mom thought Avery looks a little like him.

This is a pic of me at 3 1/2 months old. I really liked that bear apparently :)
Below are some newborn pics of me. My Grandparents are holding me in these pics. Ah memories...j/k...like I remember that. These pics are small but if you click on the picture, you can see the images a little better.

More pictures of Avery!

2009-02-12T09:20:00.000-08:00

Here is Brian burping Avery at the hospital. I love this picture! She reminds me of a cute little baby chick flapping her wings here. :D

She has long fingers like her mommy!

Peeking out of her swaddle just before we left the hospital.

Getting wheeled out with my precious little bundle

So calm and peaceful

Brian with Avery on his makeshift bed at the hospital.

Our little angel

Mom and baby at the hospital

When we came home the cats immediately noticed Avery. Here is Moglie tiptoeing around and trying to smell her. The cats are pretty nervous to get too close to her. Now I think they are starting to get used to her. Avery has been spending a lot of time on her boppy pillow. (as seen above) She just fits perfectly!

Avery's Birthday

2009-02-09T19:57:00.000-08:00

Who would have thought?! Apparently our daughter wanted to come out early much to our surprise. I thought I had so much time to prepare for childbirth, nursery decor, finish reading a couple parenting/baby books...I was finished with work this Wednesday and was looking forward to my time off--being able to prepare and "nest" before the arrival of our daughter. Then on Saturday morning I thought my water had broken and so in I went to just check and see if it did or not. I didn't actually think it had, but I just wanted to make sure so we went to the hospital. When I went in they told me that my water had not broken but that I was dilated to 3 centimeters. They decided to keep me overnight for observation to see if I progressed any and to monitor the baby's heart rate. So the next morning I started feeling some contractions and they told me that I had progressed to 5 centimeters and that I was having this baby even though I was only 36 weeks. I was extremely shocked and pretty emotional at first...I just thought that the baby might not be ok if she came out that early. But the doctor told me that lots of baby's are born this early and perfectly fine. Also, they said that "baby knows best" when it comes to knowing when to come out. Anyways, so the labor was pretty painful to say the least. Luckily, I was able to overcome my huge fear of getting an epidural because without it I don't know how I would have coped with that much pain. Brian and my mom were such a great support for me. I am so glad Brian was so sweet and helpful the whole time. Looking back, I must say: delivering a baby is the hardest thing EVER, no question. Above is me after I got the epidural.

Avery Michelle Norton was born on February 8, 2009 at 8:07 p.m 6lbs. 11oz 20 1/2 inches long

Above is when she was getting checked in the NICU; she is less than an hour old here--they returned her to us pretty quickly once they determined she was breathing fine. She has her mom's long fingers and toes.

She is just the cuttest, most precious baby! We are so lucky.

Daddy's little girl

This is my favorite picture of her--she looks so happy and just SO adorable. I am so glad Brian is such a great photographer! We are so happy Avery is finally here!

Baby Shower

2009-02-01T20:25:00.001-08:00

Well, now I am starting to feel a lot more prepared for when I have the baby! My baby shower was yesterday and I got a lot of fun and useful baby items. As you can see, we set up our crib and I displayed some of the cute stuff I got on and inside it. Brian painted the baby's room a while back and I am still in the process of finishing the bumper pads and blanket for her room. Wow, I think the baby knows I'm writing about her because suddenly she is kicking up a storm in my belly! Anyways, yes, I am attempting to put my novice sewing skills to the test by making some things for the baby. I figure even if they don't look that professional, she will appreciate them just because her mommy made them for her :)
People have been pestering me to post belly pics so here they are! Yes, I know I am quite large--everyone always thinks I am farther along than I really am. I think she is just going to be one big baby--like her Dad! I just found out that Brian was 10 lbs. 5 1/2 oz when he was born!!!! He told me he thought he was a 7 pounder at birth a while back-- how could he forget that he was so huge?! That forgetful husband of mine...
Above--mobile, adorable stuffed bunny, booties, socks, blanket, and a super cute black, white, and pink car seat attachment shade cover.
My boss got me this adorable addition to the nursery--I love it! The fur is so soft, too.
This is one of my favorite outfits--my mom made it. And yes, those are kitties on the dress.
So cute!
Here are some random gifts I arranged on the crib. A cornucopia of baby items, if you will! Once I finish the nursery, I will post more pics to give you all a better view of how the room turns out.

Kinnison Christmas

2009-01-01T22:24:00.000-08:00

Last Christmas we spent with Brian's family and this time it was my family's turn. I was so excited for Brian to be a part of all our family's traditions. I just love Christmas and all the festivities and food--who doesn't though! Well, I take that back; a couple people at my work hate the Christmas season oddly enough. Christmas was especially fun this year for me because I could eat whatever I wanted and not feel any guilt. I've never enjoyed holiday eating so much! These are a couple of the family photos Brian took of all of us. I think they turned out great! The picture above(left to right): Sean, Bree, Steven, Mom, Dad, Janna, Marissa, baby, me, and Brian.

Brian captured all of the Kinnison kids working on a puzzle in our pjs.

This is the spice rack we got for Bree and Sean--she was a little excited I think. :)

My mom made all the girls holiday aprons; Bree forgot hers that's why she's not pictured. We did a lot of cooking so the aprons were a lot of fun. They all turned out so cute--my mom is just too crafty!

Thanksgiving with the Kinnisons

2008-12-23T16:02:00.000-08:00

We spent some time with my family and here are some of the highlights...

Brian decided to try jumping off the roof...luckily someone caught him.

Steven climbed a tree (he was pretending to be Edward from Twilight)

This is Steven, Janna, and me just before the hammock broke due to excessive weight--luckily no one was injured, just some sore tailbones!

Here's Steven jumping over the fence

Air guitar mid air!

And I learned to fly amazingly enough

Brian decided to take some family pics as well. That's the Kern River in Bakersfield behind us.

Me, Bree, and Janna chilling on a rock

An intense game of teatherball!

Brian was a little too into the game

Overall, it was a lot of fun. Right now we are in Bakersfield again for Christmas...we'll post another blog soon.

Merry Christmas, everyone!

25 weeks

2008-11-21T18:56:00.000-08:00

The belly is getting cuter and bigger. It seems that all of the sudden it has doubled in size. It so weird and exciting to think that in less than 4 months we are going to be parents to a little baby girl. We are doing all we can to get prepared for this calling but I don't think anything we do will really get us ready. I painted her room last week when Heather was out of town for a dental conference in San Fransisco. I hope our little girl likes it. We know she will be a great addition to our lives.

Cat or Dog?

2008-11-21T13:35:00.000-08:00

I was sitting down on the couch last week watching a show and our cat/dog Jasmine, brought her favorite toy to me, Moglie's collar. I picked it up and threw it across the room. Leaping from the couch and over the coffee table she pounced onto the collar. She must have received so much joy and excitement from this because she brought it right back to me. I again did the same thing not thinking twice about the fact that she brought it back. After about 4 times or so I realized that our cat was playing fetch like a dog. :) We then played fetch until she had done this as many as 20 times bringing it right back to my side and waited, looking right at me. She then got tired and decided not to bring the collar back knowing that she would have to chase it if it were thrown. So everyday since then she has to get her dose of fetch. Heather and I thought this was a funny story. Has anyone ever heard of a cat playing fetch?

IT'S A GIRL!

2008-10-29T18:07:00.000-07:00

So we found out a couple weeks ago that we are going to have a baby girl and we couldn't be happier. My entire first trimester Brian would refer to the baby as if she were a he. I told him he shouldn't call the baby a he because it might be a girl, and now we see that I was right.

Throughout the pregnancy, I was trying so hard not to care if it was a boy or girl so that when I found out, I wouldn't be disappointed if I didn't get what I was wanting. So when I found out I was having a girl, I started becoming very excited because I realized I get to play dress up, ponys, barbies, etc. all over again with my daughter. I get to vicariously relive parts of my childhood! We are going to have so much fun!

All along Brian has been saying that he wanted it to be a boy, and so, naturally, I assumed that he was disappointed. But, to my surprise, he told me that he secretly was hoping for a girl. Plus, everyone kept telling him how much fun girls are and how special the whole daddy-daughter bond is and so he is just as excited as I am. And this (above) is Brian's favorite outfit for the baby so far--my mom got it for us a week or so ago.

So this is one of the baby blankets my mom made me. Isn't it just so adorable! The whole back side is made out of the same fabric as the border--Super soft and silky pale pink. The baby is going to love it! Thanks, MOM!!!

Yes, we have already started acquiring our baby's wardrobe. Girl clothes are just so much fun to shop for!

FINALLY THE 2ND TRIMESTER!

2008-10-05T20:01:00.001-07:00

Here you can see my little baby bump. I am 18weeks or 4 1/2 months already. The baby is about 8 inches long now and weighs 8 ounces more or less. They have changed my due date to March 8th because of how big the baby is already. I was pretty stoked to have my due date moved up! The morning sickness is pretty much all the way gone. I still get a little queezy if I don't eat in time which seems to happen a few times a day since the baby gets hungry a lot faster than I do. Yes, I've decided that when I get queezy, it is the baby telling me he or she is hungry--since the nausea goes away once I have eaten something with some substance. I say substance because the baby does not like it if I try to get away with just eating a few crackers and juice, for example. Lately, I've been craving egg salad sandwiches on toast, juice, cereal, and sloppy joes. I've found that I have even more food aversions--salsa, onions, garlic, all greek food, or anything with a strong flavor. It seems that most everything I loved before I was pregnant just tastes okay now. This tends to get pretty annoying because I turn to my old favorites a lot only to be disappointed. Hopefully, after I deliver the baby my taste buds will change back to the way they were.
It is so weird having a growing belly! And it is even weirder to think that this is only the tip of the ice berg. Judging by how big I already am, I'll probably be enormous by the time I deliver!

Brian having fun with the leaves

Jumping around at the park :)

Another baby bump pic

Brian standing in front of a huge cactus. So handsome!

More fun with the leaves. Yay for Fall!

Our first ultasound--12 weeks. So cute!

And this is the baby at 15 1/2 weeks. Brian and I thought this was a little scary. Obviously, in real life the baby will be a lot cuter. :)

Our cats are turning on us!

2008-09-13T18:56:00.000-07:00

I think the cats have decided they don't like us anymore. Its seems they feel the time has come for them to put us in our place. We never suspected this and don't know what to do. Take a look at these incriminating photos.

Jasmine has been spying on us from the shadows...

Here she is again surreptitiously plotting to herself...

Moglie actually attacked us!

Our sweet Jazz began to be belligerent too...

Leaping on us even!

I hope you all enjoyed this little blog. Of course the cats are not attacking or anything. We happened to take some rather malicious-looking photos and thought you all would enjoy! ;)

Mammoth Camping

2008-08-31T23:30:00.000-07:00

Well this summer has finally been completed now that I had the opportunity of going camping. I've been wanting to go for sometime now and had a great time out there in the wild. I had so much fun. Heather stayed home with the cats to keep them company and she likes about one day of camping and that's about it so I went alone with some friends from church. The location we went camping in was at Mary lake which is just below Mammoth mt. There were so many beautiful lakes, trees, wildlife, rocks and scenery around there. What a great place to camp.
The whole time we were there we kept hearing about the bears getting into peoples food but never could find them. Finally we heard of a mom and her cub down by one of the other lakes. We ran over to check them out and were able to get some great pics. I even got a little closer then I wanted to. I lost sight of them and ran out into the woods and then all the sudden they popped out from around a corner. I was literally 15 feet away from them. It was a little scary but fun at the same time. I also went mt biking up at Mammoth ski resort with a couple friends too. We all came out alive after we had each taken several spills.
I spent about 12-15 hours fishing and didn't come away with anything. I guess I am not a fisherman. I was even thinking about doing the Bear Grills thing from Man vs. Wild and just catching my food each day. I'm glad I didn't do that cause I would have died. I didn't think catching a fish was that hard but it was for me. Everyone else that went fishing caught one. One lady even caught one with her hands. I think it was almost dead though. I don't know what my problem was. Oh well, next time. Well here are some of the images I captured.

Heathers New Haircut

2008-08-29T23:19:00.000-07:00

Heather decided her hair was ugly and boring. I didn't think so, but when she came home with the new haircut, the new cut was much more exciting and beautiful. Our friend Lisa cut off a couple of inches and cut some bangs for a change up. Heather didnt tell me she was doing this prior to the appointment fearing that I wouldn't approve of the style. I may have been a little worried if she told me but it turned out great so i have nothing to fear. Here is a shot of the new style. This shot focuses on the bangs and her breathtaking face. :)

Sundance Family Reunion

2008-08-27T15:07:00.000-07:00

The kids were playing the Cedar all night long. They were having the time of their lives.
All the Norton girls
The family without a couple of people

The McCraney family
Making a BIG wish
Look how fired up Randy is. He must have blocked me or something
Dad relaxing on the recliner
Just a weird shot
another weird one
I dont know

Nice Form!

What a great dog
A follow through with a smile
A follow through with a weird face
Look at those Abbott eyes
Beau working his magic on Rob
Julie got a cornhole
Such concentration
Great release
A sad child
I'm not quite sure why I am putting captions on all these pictures I never do this and its taking forever. Thats all just enjoy the pics.

Heather and I just got back from a very fun family reunion up in Sundance, UT last week. We had a BBQ with the family, went hiking up to some beautiful waterfalls, went river rafting down the Provo river, ate tons of food, played fun games, laughed our heads off, played tricks on the family, went down the alpine slides and zip lines, and we also broke the news to the family about us having a baby. It was so much fun to be together again. Maybe next time all of us can be there. We missed out on a few for part of the time there. Here are some of the images that were taken.

Us

2008-08-26T22:40:00.001-07:00

Heather was looking at the blog and noticed that we didn't even have a picture of us on here so I have decided to put up a picture of us. She was telling me that everyone probably didn't think we loved each other. That definitely isn't the case. We love each other more than everything. We would be so sad if we didn't have each other in our lives. Here is a picture of our love.

Can you believe it?

2008-08-25T15:09:00.000-07:00

Well we can finally let the cat out of the bag. We have been keeping a secret for the last several weeks. We told my family last week and are now allowed to tell all. WE ARE HAVING A BABY! YAY! We are so excited for this exciting chapter in our lives. Heather is about 3 months along and is going in for her first checkup next week so we will find out really how far along she is. Before we bought the pregnancy test Heather was saying that her stomach was feeling weird, not really expecting the test to show positive we were both shocked when we peaked. I wish all could have seen the looks on our faces. We were definitely surprised. We are so happy and cant wait. If anyone has any tips for us please comment. We need all the help we can get.

US Open of Surfing

2008-07-27T17:42:00.000-07:00

Today I went down to the Beach for the US Open of surfing, (The worlds largest surf competition) and had a great time watching the festivities. Heather went up to Bakersfield for the weekend to hang out with the family while I stayed in town to shoot Laura and Dave Garner's wedding. Overall the weekend went really well with the wedding and the US Open combo. The only think i noticed is that I didnt get any photos of the surfing, I just shot some of the other events going on. Here are some of the images I captured from the US Open.

Lake Elsinore

2008-07-13T14:52:00.001-07:00

Yesterday Heather and I got invited to go boating with some friends of ours. We went to lake Elsinore which is about 45 mins away. What a great lake other than the greenish water. It used to be a really dirty lake but has cleaned up quite a bit since the 80's. I didnt seem to care much. The water was about 85 degrees because it was probably only 14 feet deep at its deepest. We had a great time and here are some of the images from our little trip.

Independance Day

2008-07-08T13:49:00.000-07:00

Well we had another successful 4th of July down here in our part of the country. We had Heathers family stay with us the night before so we could enjoy the whole day at the beach. We had six of us here in our little apartment. Steven and Bree, (Heathers siblings) tried to reserve a fire pit at the beach on the fourth and got there at 5:30am and all the pits were taken. We missed out this year on that, but we did get a nice spot right by the pier where we enjoyed the beach and the fireworks. I started the morning off with the famous Huntington Beach 5k fun run with some of my friends. We had another great time as you can see by the picture. We have done this for the last 3 years and we just have a blast doing it. I just need to get Heather to do it with us with a group of girls. We got the best looks and some great laughs from people.

Texture experiment

2008-06-04T20:49:00.000-07:00

Before
After

I found a picture of my wife and decided to mess around with adding a texture to it. I think it turned out pretty good. Let me know what you think. I think i may be trying this method a little more often because I like it. :)

My website is finally LAUNCHED

2008-05-29T12:35:00.000-07:00

We'll i've been working on my website for the last little while and finally have it all ready and up and running. I hope you all check it out and enjoy it. Let me know what you think. Please inform me if you think something needs to be changed. Thanks

Heather's Volleyball

2008-05-11T20:54:00.000-07:00

Heather got the chance of playing on Bree's (her sisters) club V-ball team this last weekend. She was really excited about playing on a girls net since she always has to play with the guys on a men's net. She crusted quite a few balls and blocked some too. She did really well. I'm very proud of her. Good job babe!

Our 1st Anniversary

2008-04-27T21:54:00.000-07:00

Today Heather and I celebrated our very first anniversary. Heather got a new bike for her anniversary gift so we rode our bikes to church this morning. That was fun, but a little hot and we did look a little awkward in our church clothes. :) We got a couple of honks. Heather is absolutely loving her new bike, she even wants to ride to work tomorrow which is 11 1/2 miles one way. I think she is a little crazy, but she doesn't care what i think. She is starting to get really good at riding, as you can see by her amazing speed in the pictures. We had a nice romantic dinner tonight at the house, rot poast, my favorite Sunday dinner. We ended our first annual anniversary by taking a night bike ride to the park. We had a great time. We sure are having some fun times together. I am so blessed to have such a wonderful wife who loves to have fun with me. We are excited for the many years to come. I love you Heather!!!!!

Happy Birthday MOM

2008-04-25T13:34:00.000-07:00

Well the time has come again for another one of those unwanted b-days. I actually enjoy celebrating my Mothers birthday because it helps me remember what a wonderful mother she is. I honestly couldn't ask for more in a mother then mine. She has spent so many countless years in the service of her church, family and loved ones. I remember when i was in school she would make me breakfast and lunch everyday without fail. Even when i didn't even want breakfast she would still make me one of those great egg and cheese sandwiches for me. She went way over and beyond what she needed to be as a mother. Talk about living your life in the service of others. She is a prime example of that. I am so grateful for a loving Mother and I wish her the very best on this wonderful day of celebration.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY HEATHER

2008-04-25T12:52:00.000-07:00

Yesterday we celebrated Heathers very first birthday as a married women. She seemed to have had a great time. My special homemade pancakes were served to her in bed. Yum yum! They were mighty tasty, I do need to work on the presentation of them though because they looked terrible, but isn't the taste all that matters? We both enjoyed the day off together shopping til we just about dropped. Then to top off the night we got all done up and went up to Hollywood for a nice romantic dinner at Miceli's. I tricked her into thinking that we were going to walk around Universal City walk for the rest of the night. Then I gave her a birthday card with two tickets to WICKED. Her face lite with surprise and excitement. The show was great just as we expected. It seems as though her 25th birthday was a success. :) Now I just need to succeed in 2 more days on our anniversary. Why did i do this to myself? :)