Easter

Two weeks behind, as usual. Avery has been teething non-stop and I haven't had a second to myself. A quick, rough update of the end of March:
We finally got the Neon fixed for only $35 thankfully.
Kristen and I attempted Easter photos but the kids weren't being cooperative.

I've been taking nightly walks which are amazing - time to myself + exercise :)
We took Avery to the doctor because she's been severely constipated (an hour of crying and screaming before she can produce a bowel movement) and puking for almost 2 months now. The doctor suspects Avery has an allergy to milk protein (not to be confused with lactose intolerance, they are completely different) so we're trying out soy milk instead. She weighs 23 lbs now.
Steven and I went to a wedding. We got to slow dance and I got a very, very rare view of Steven drinking an alcoholic beverage.

Easter was fun this year. Avery had a blast Easter egg hunting and chasing bubbles. We ate way too much delicious food at my parents' house.

APRIL - a new month, a new adventure.
On the first Steven and I took Avery to the Boise zoo. Oddly enough Avery didn't seem to care about any of the zoo animals, instead she was interested in bushes and benches lol. The high light of our day was getting to feed the giraffes :) Avery was beyond excited when the giraffe ate a piece of lettuce out of her hand. It was a great day.

Tuesday was equally amazing - Steven let me sleep in! He took me out to breakfast and afterwards I went and got my hair done while he watched Avery. A little bit of ME time was wonderful.

Avery's teething situation made a turn for the worse by the end of the week. Steven was put in charge at work which meant he had to go back into work at night to do whatever people in charge of a restaurant have to do. I put Avery down for bed at 8 pm and by 8:05 pm she had thrown up all over herself and her crib. I re-bathed her and we spent the next few hours cuddling. Around midnight she puked again, so again she was bathed. From midnight to 4 am she cried and was inconsolable. I woke Steven up to take over so I could get at least an hour of sleep. He finally woke up around 5:30 am and took over for me. Holy teething baby!

On Saturday I dropped off Avery at my mom's house. I was in desperate need of a nap! Jan called while I was trying to sleep to ask if I would baby sit her nephew Jayden. Her grandmother passed away so Jan and her two sisters were leaving town. I was asked to watch Jayden from Tuesday to Sunday. Although I've never taken care of a (nearly) 5 year old before and the last time I "met" him was when his mother was pregnant with him, I agreed. Jan is practically family and it seemed like I was their only option.

Family dinner on Sunday was okay. We had good food but were forced to watch the Call of Duty world championship instead of a show I actually like. Jan brought Jayden over to meet me. I was told that Jan's sister messed up and scheduled their flight for a day earlier than intended so I had to take Jayden a day early. That sucked because Steven and I had a romantic date night planned but we were forced to cancel.

On Monday we started babysitting Jayden. My mom had the day off so she took Jan and her sisters to the airport then dropped Jayden off at my house afterwards. We didn't want to sit in the house on Steven's day off so we decided to go to Hastings and grocery shopping. When we got to Hastings Jayden hopped out of the car before we had a chance to even remove our seat belts. I don't think he was expecting the height of the Durango because he fell, I asked him to wait to be let out of the car especially in parking lots. We let Jayden pick a Ninja Turtles movie and we got a movie for ourselves. Next we went to Winco to grocery shop. Jayden didn't listen again and tried to get out of the car before Steven had even put it in park. This time however he smashed our door into a brand new Subaru. He put a big dent and silver paint into the side of the car. Just as I was putting Avery into her stroller a woman walks up and gets into the car, she didn't seem to notice the damage, I'm hoping he put a dent into an already existing dent.

When we got back home we realized that although we had an air mattress for Jayden to sleep on, we had left the pump at my mom's house. Steven and I took turns pumping the air mattress up with a bike pump. By 8 pm Avery was in bed and by 9 pm Jayden was in bed. Since Jayden was sleeping in the living room Steven and I were forced to hide out in the bedroom and quietly watch a movie on his laptop. About 20 minutes into the movie Avery starts screaming bloody murder, her teeth were killing her :( I had given her Tylenol and Motrin right before bed but it barely helped with the pain. She stayed up until almost midnight crying non-stop. We never finished the movie and by the end of day one watching Jayden I was completely overwhelmed.

The next morning I woke up at 10 am. I jumped out of bed figuring that Jayden was probably just sitting in the living room starving to death but he was still asleep, everyone was still asleep. I took advantage of being the only one awake (for the first time ever) and got ready without rushing, doing it one-handed, or having a little person cling onto my leg crying because I'm not holding her. It was so nice. Just as I finished getting ready everyone else woke up. Steven let me know that Jayden had wet the bed even though he was wearing pull-ups. I washed his PJs and the bed sheets before we left the house. We took the kids to the Discovery Center, I had never been to the Boise one. Only one room was open because they were breaking down the Body exhibit so tickets were half priced. Avery had a blast playing in the baby area! Jayden complained of being bored and wanting to leave after we had only been there a short while so I still haven't seen everything in that one room, we'll have to go back when he's no longer in our care.

Steven had a golf date with Quinn and two guys from work so we all went over to my mom's house. The course was in Boise but I didn't want to be left home alone with the two kids so Steven dropped me off at my parent's house and picked up my brother at the same time. My dad was having a slow day at work so he was able to help entertain Jayden. My mom got home a few hours later which gave me a much needed second to myself. Jayden started complaining about being bored again so we took the kids to the park. Avery discovered how much fun slides are. She went down by herself about 10 times before I decided to take her home because of the strong winds. We had dinner at my parents' house which was nice because Jayden had eaten 7 times that day already and I cannot keep up with the dishes. The kids fell asleep in the car on the drive home. I was more than happy to camp out in the car all night rather than wake them and have to put them back to sleep - Steven didn't agree and woke them up lol.

Spring is Here - NOT

This week started out on a tragic note. On Wednesday, Steven got a phone call informing him that his great grandmother had passed away. When he got off work we went over to his grandparents' house to offer our support. After a few hours at their house we went to my parents' house for dinner.

The next morning I woke up with the worst headache. Avery was in a terrible mood that day because I spent most of the day laying on the floor in agony rather than playing with her. She spent the day screaming, crying, and throwing tantrums which only caused my migraine to worsen. By the time Avery went to bed I was sobbing like a baby in the bathtub from the pain. It was not a good day.

Friday was a much better day, my migraine was gone! Avery and I picked up my mom from work and went out to lunch. Mom had an Applebee's gift card so that was the obvious choice, afterwards we got coffee. I love our lunch dates :)

Saturday sucked, that's all there is to it. It started out promising - I went to Meridian to hang out with Ashley. Avery went down for a nap the moment we got to my mom's house which meant I got to go shopping baby-free. The trip was a total failure, Ashley and I had gone bathing suit shopping but despite my workout efforts my body is NOT bikini ready. I looked awful in everything I tried on and left the store with low spirits. Avery was still asleep when we got back. Steven called a little while later to tell me that the Neon wouldn't start... I've put SO much money into that damn thing that its ridiculous. Thankfully Steven's dad picked him up and we met them over at his grandparents' house for Grandpa's birthday.

Daddy blowing bubbles

Avery helped herself to some of grandma's cake

Sunday - family dinner as usual :)

Drawing with Quinn and Ashley

Monday was so so busy but the fun kind. My in-laws came over nice and early, Yvette was baby sitting Avery while Steven, Mike, and I went to the gun range. I originally wanted nothing to do with guns but over time I realized that I would rather be well informed and trained should I ever need to defend myself or my family. Between Steven and Mike I couldn't have been in better hands - both have grown up around guns, certified in safety and Steven has his military background. I started out on Mike's 9mm Beretta. We used paper plates as targets and to be honest I'm surprised I even hit it. After firing off a few magazines and hitting the target every time I was comfortable enough to try Mike's .45 1911. It fit awkwardly in my hand and I decided to switch to Steven's XD .45 instead. I had much better accuracy with the .45 which was exciting. Steven put an Osama zombie target and set it at the very end of the range (100 ft) to simulate a mall shooter situation. I was able to put all 5 rounds into Osama's neck and chest!

After a few hours at the gun range we dropped off Mike, then I dropped off Steven at my parents' house - he and my brother were going golfing :) Steven came home a few hours later and we decided a date night was in order. Yvette came back over around 7 pm to watch Avery while we saw Olympus Has Fallen. By the end of the day we were exhausted :)

The next day was pretty mellow. We ran a few errands and I got new supplies for cross stitching - I'm excited to start some new projects.

Avery Quinn - 14 months

Finally All Moved In

I'm sorry for posting so late but we recently moved and it has been hectic. Lets see if I can get everyone updated on the past two weeks.

We began moving on Tuesday the 5th. Steven went to the apartment bright and early to be there when RC Willey delivered our new living room furniture. After the furniture arrived he rented a moving truck and we began a very tiring day. Kristen was kind enough to babysit Avery for a few hours while we moved, living on the second floor has its disadvantages. Moving was exhausting but only took 2 hours. That evening Steven and I slept on a mattress on the floor in my parents' house :)

My mom took Wednesday off to spend the day watching Avery. Steven and I had to be at the apartment by 8 am to wait for our HHG (household goods) to arrive. The moving company told us they would be at the apartment somewhere between 8 am and 5 pm. The day was pretty boring until the movers showed up. We had about 40 boxes/items that were being delivered which honestly is on the very very small side compared to most military families. Steven was in charge of making sure all of our items were accounted for. It was a bit difficult at times because the Koreans who had packed our stuff weren't great at writing in English haha.
My parents brought Avery over at 5 pm. I had made Chicken Stuff (crock pot cream of chicken, chicken breast, and garlic over rice) and we had a nice family dinner in our new home :) I had primarily focused on unpacking Avery's room that day so it was perfect for her when she arrived. Steven and I were beyond exhausted by the time we got to bed.

Our first night in the new place

The first night in the apartment was a success. Avery slept through the night but woke up at 530. Steven was getting up for work at that time so we had some morning family time. After Steven left I put Avery back to bed and we slept for another 3 hours :) I LOVE having my own place again. I feel like an adult again, no longer staying with my parents. Our upstairs neighbors are the LOUDEST people on earth though. They get up around 5 am and don't go to bed until midnight - they stomp up and down the hall all day long.

The first day in our new place was messy. When Avery went down for her nap she threw up all over her crib, blanket, night-night lion, herself, and the floor. She got an early bath and I got to try out our washing machine. When she was feeling better we went up the road to have lunch with my mom at work. It was nice seeing a few of my old co-workers :)

On Friday Avery and I picked up Yvette (my mother in law) from the airport. She brought Avery a toy dog on a leash. Avery walked the dog from the car all the way to Goldy's where we went for breakfast.
That afternoon Avery was cracking me up. We were playing in her room and she suddenly said it was "nigh-nigh" time. She brought me her night-night lion, blanket, a diaper, wipes and even a bottle :) Avery is definitely a girl who knows what she wants.

Walking with grandma Yvette

Living alone is great, living in an apartment is not great. By the time Saturday rolled around I was ready to kill my upstairs neighbors. Every night from 8 pm to midnight they STOMP around the entire house. They've woken up Avery a few times but the big problem is that I can't fall asleep with all the noise. I sit awake (and alone since Steven can sleep through their stomping) until midnight every night. I can't go to sleep until they do, its ridiculous. Saturday was especially bad though, I swear they were lifting the couches and then dropping them, stuff in my house was shaking! I stormed up to their apartment and pounded on the door but no one answered, they probably couldn't hear me over their own noise. I left a note and basically said STFU.

Monday and Tuesday are Steven's weekend which mean they are sort of my weekend too :) On Tuesday Steven took Avery to Goldy's for breakfast so I could sleep in. About an hour later I heard a knock on the door. Avery was standing there holding an iced coffee for me :) She toddled inside, tripped, and spilled the entire drink on the carpet lol. To top it off Steven forgot to bring my breakfast home. No breakfast, no coffee, but a very loving family :)

That afternoon the three of us went to the aquarium. I had never been so it was really fun. Avery touched a sting ray and then licked her hand YUCK!!! She ran around the entire place and closely examining every fish. Avery and I fed the birds before we left. The aquarium employee said most kids freak out when the birds start flying around but Avery was perfectly content. It was a great day!

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Wednesday was absolutely beautiful! Avery and I walked around the apartment complex exploring. We stopped at every park we came across and played, Avery loves the swings. Mitch and his son, Cooper, came over for dinner that evening. Steven had made gnocci casarole, it was delicious.

Avery and Cooper

Kristen, Conner, and Cassius came over for a play date on Saturday. Conner had a blast playing with all the "new" toys and Avery enjoyed following him around. After a bit we went to Ann Morrison park to meet up with a Boise Moms & Tots group. Taush (Kristen's older sister) joined us as well, she brought her son and the little girl she baby sits. Only one mom & tot showed up from the group so I'm glad I invited Kris and that she invited Taush. The kids were running around like crazy and having the time of their life.

Kristen helping Conner and Avery down the slide with Cassius strapped to her chest

When Steven got off work we went to his parents' house for dinner. Yvette, Avery and I went to Chili's to pick up some food, we decided to eat there. Every single thing we ordered had something wrong with it - Yvette's sandwich was missing the cheese and bacon, her sweet potato fries looked they were encrusted with diamonds because of how much salt was on them, I was given the wrong soup, so on and so forth. It was frustrating.

Saint Patrick's Day. I put Avery in a cute little outfit, I wasn't going to this year but figured I don't have much longer before she wants to pick her own clothes. Sunday was also family dinner night at my parents' house. Quinn had to work and Ashley wasn't feeling well so it was just the 5 of us. We had enchiladas but they somehow morphed into a Mexican lasagna - it was still delicious.

Monday was amazing. Steven and I had a much needed date night while Yvette baby sat. We had a double date with Quinn and Ashley at Dave & Buster's. I didn't many tickets but Quinn won 1,000 tickets on his first try! Steven and I managed to earn enough tickets for a head scratcher, cute owl night light, and a little basket ball for Avery :)

The next day was pretty mellow. We went to Plato's Closet to get me a 'new' pair of jeans. I tried on roughly 20 shirts and pants - my self esteem was so low by the time we left the store. I managed to find a pair of jeans but they were a size larger than I normally wear, I really need to step up my workout routine if I want to wear a bikini this summer. That evening was girls' night at Jeca's house. Ironically it was also a wrap party, the wraps apparently help you lose inches around your waist. I didn't participate because personally I think its a load of crap. I did have a really good time though.

Big news happened his week: Avery pooped in the potty!!! I didn't want to be 'that mom' who talks about her kid's bathroom habits but I can't help myself. When she got up from her nap she kept saying 'poop' so I took off her diaper and sat her on the toilet. I was so proud when she actually did it!

Avery Quinn - 14 months

Ok we are finally caught up :)

Baby's First Haircut

Avery got her first hair cut on Monday! Steven, my mom and I took her to 2 B A Kid. Avery sat in a pink jeep with a bowl of animal crackers while the woman cut her hair. The woman styled Avery's hair and even sprinkled glitter in it :D At the end of the appointment Avery got a lollipop and I got a First Hair Cut certificate with a lock of hair. It was a great experience.

Eating animal crackers

and a lollipop

<3

Tuesday was not a good day sleep-wise. I continually woke up throughout the night because I thought I was going to be late for something. Avery got up at 4 am and then again at 5 am. I brought her into our bed where she thankfully fell asleep. Just as I was starting to fall back asleep Steven's alarm went off for work, he accidentally woke Avery up while getting ready :/ It was a LONG day.

Friday morning sucked. Avery woke up on the wrong side of the crib, she was grumpy and beyond clingy. I suddenly lost the ability to put on a diaper correctly because Avery peed through 3 diapers and outfits, then puked all over the 4th outfit... Between Steven needing his work clothes washed every other day (or daily depending on how messy he got) and Avery just being a kid, I am doing a LOT of laundry.

Helping daddy push the cart

Taking an animal cracker break :)

That afternoon was much better because we finally got the keys to our apartment! Avery and I met Steven at the apartment complex to fill out some paperwork and get our keys :D I ran around the apartment taking photos. Avery played with the cabinets, drawers and toilet seat - I will definitely need to baby proof before we move in on the 6th because she smashed her fingers. Steven and I put up Avery's curtains and the shower curtain :) I can't wait to decorate!

Since Steven came to the apartment straight from work we had two separate vehicles there. Steven and Avery took the Durango home while I picked up my mom from work in the Neon. Mom and I sat at Starbucks for a bit unwinding from the day, it was a luxury we don't get often. Quinn's girlfriend, Ashley, was at the house when we got home. The two of us made Quinn a beer cake for his 21st birthday (like a diaper cake but with beer cans lol). It was a fun little project that Ashley found on Pinterest. The project included cardboard, ribbons, candles, hot glue and of course beer.

My mom, Avery and I had a girls day on Saturday - the boys were at the golf course hitting a bucket of balls. We went to Kohls and got about $80 worth of clothes for $13! That evening we all went to Fiesta Guadalajara for Quinn's birthday dinner - he turned 21 this week. After dinner Ashley and I went to the store and got ice cream. Quinn didn't suspect a thing when we walked in with the beer cake, he loved it :)

Browsing the menu

Sunday was mellow. I went to the apartment for a bit and unpacked some boxes, it was nice having some alone time. Steven, Quinn, and Ashley went to the golf course again to hit a bucket of balls while I stayed home with the baby and made chili.

Avery Quinn - 13 months

Blood

This week was a busy one. On Monday we dropped the Durango off at the shop to have the recalled gas tank replaced. The repair was free of course but slightly inconvenient  We were told it would take most of the day to complete but soon got a phone call saying the dealership would need to keep the car an extra day :/ Thankfully we have two cars and were able to meet Steven's grandparents for lunch at the diner that Anne, Steven's little sister, works at. Since learning to walk Avery has become a pain when it comes to sitting still so lunch was not fun for me. After we ate we went to Carter's to get Avery a new pair of jeans, she hit a little growth spurt so her old ones looked like kapris. It turns out Carter's was doing a buy one get one free deal so she ended up getting a few shirts too :)

Being a girl

That evening Steven, Quinn, Ashley and I went to the movies to see the new Die Hard. The son, Jack, is one of my favorite characters in Spartacus :) that mixed with the fact that the theater was empty and we smuggled in a whole bunch of snacks made the evening very enjoyable.

The next day the moving company FINALLY called me back after leaving them countless voice mails  We get the keys to our new apartment on March 1st but our household goods can't be delivered until the 6th :/ That really sucks considering I'm ready to be on my own again. Thankfully my mom was able to take the 6th off because the moving company told me they would deliver our stuff somewhere between 8 am and 5 pm......awesome. At least Avery can stay at my parents' house that day. I wasn't about to force Avery to sit in an empty apartment with no toys or crib for napping for 9 straight hours.

On a positive note, we got the Durango back that afternoon. We went to Walmart after picking it up so I could pick out curtains for Avery's room. The color matches her bedding set and its called: Quinn :) We came home to find a tiny package addressed to Steven. He opened it only to find that it was a Christmas gift he had ordered over two months ago. It was the one thing I asked for - a necklace with his name on it. In all the moving chaos we had both completely forgotten about it so it definitely turned out to be a surprise gift :)

I had a simple doctors appointment on Wednesday. I went to the same clinic I had gone to for 6 years but because I hadn't been there in 2 years (thanks to Korea) the clinic considered me a new patient again. New patients get a 40 minute appointment, minimum, no matter what you're in there for :/ This was troubling news considering my appointment was during Avery's nap time and I knew she wouldn't be cooperative for 40+ minutes. I ended up taking her to Steven's grandparents' house which is terribly out of the way considering the clinic is literally a two minute drive from my house. Even though it was inconvenient  it was for the best. Avery had a good time playing with them and I got a baby-free appointment.

I had simply gone to the doctor to refill a prescription but she spent 40 minutes asking me question after question. At the end of the appointment she suggested that I have a thyroid disorder. She ordered blood work to confirm her diagnosis but I put it off, I knew I would be dizzy and prone to blacking out afterwards and I didn't feel comfortable driving with my child in the car in that state.

I tried to stay off of Google but eventually looked up thyroid disorders. To be honest I thought the doctor was full of sh*t and wanted to put my mind at ease. It turns out I do suffer from about half of the classic symptoms listed, symptoms that I thought were completely random and not associated with anything. From what I read, a thyroid disorder can affect fertility. I spent the rest of the evening laying in bed, depressed, watching foreign films on Netflix.

I was hoping to be back to normal by the next morning but that wasn't the case. I was still kind of down by what I read online. Possible fertility problems is the last thing a baby-fever suffering woman in her 20s wants to hear. I was trying not to get myself worked up until it was confirmed but I ended up moping around all day.

My mom had Friday off which worked out well for me. I was able to leave Avery with her while I went and got my blood drawn. I was very nervous, those who know me well know that getting blood drawn usually results in me fainting, throwing up and recently convulsing. I gave fair warning to the gentleman who was in charge of taking my blood. He seemed kind and soft spoken which was calming. The man used a syringe (much like the ones used for flu shots) to draw my blood instead of the regular thick needle. He asked me to tell him my name and date of birth and by the time I was finished so was he. I sat in the chair for a few moments waiting for the chaos to occur (there have been a few delayed fainting/vomiting/convulsing spells) but it never happened. I was so proud of myself! I managed to not make a fool out of myself AND it was my first time getting blood drawn by myself.

Side story: When I was first pregnant Steven didn't believe me when I told him about how terribly I handle blood work, he even asked if he could record me during. I told him no, thankfully, because to this day that was my worst reaction to the needle. I blacked out half way through the blood draw and apparently projectile vomited all over myself, Steven and (literally) the entire lab room. Two KATUSA (Korean soldiers who were working in the lab) stood idly as I began convulsing. I'm so lucky Steven was there to pull me out of the chair onto the ground and call for help. I woke up on the floor surrounded by nurses and doctors, it was awful. From that day forward Steven has always been by my side whenever I've needed blood work done and taken care of me when it undoubtedly goes downhill.

Anyways, I'm hoping to get the lab results back soon!

On Saturday evening I accompanied my mom to a purse party thing at a family friend's house. We left Avery with the men (Quinn, Steven and my dad) since the party started right before her bedtime. It was a good party but I had trouble enjoying it. I've been suffering horrible insomnia lately, getting maybe 2 hours of uninterrupted sleep a night, and the pure exhaustion caused by it. An hour into the party I wanted to leave and go sleep but of course I laid awake for most of the night :/ Sorry for the lack of pictures this week (really tired) I'll make up for it next week.

Avery Quinn - 13 months old

The Long Awaited Update

So I haven't been blogging, obviously. Since moving back to Idaho I haven't really had the motivation but family members living out of state like the updates.

Steven has been working at Goldy's Breakfast Bistro and although the hours are great (compared to the Army) he's only been getting one day off a week.

Near the end of January I registered for college for the first time in 2 years. The professor had the students sign their name on a sheet of paper for attendance at the beginning of class. I had been signing my married name on the attendance sheet but the college still had me registered with my maiden name. I was eventually dropped for non-attendance because of the name issue.

Avery attended her first birthday party and also kissed a boy on the same day.

Steven and I went on a double date with Quinn and his girlfriend, Ashley. The four of us went to Dave and Buster's, it was a blast. Steven and I hit the jackpot several times, Quinn got the jackpot as well :) I convinced Steven to play DDR with me and the first song to pop up on the machine was our favorite song in Korea: Hands Up by 2PM.

Our unaccompanied baggage from Korea was delivered. The unaccompanied baggage was the small amount of items we were allowed to put on an air plane (the rest of our stuff is still on the boat). We only had 4 boxes delivered but one was full of Avery's toys :)

Steven got his new driver's license. The new Idaho license is really ugly! I'm not looking forward to getting mine.

Avery went to Chuck E Cheese for the first time. The place was awful but she loved the mechanical band that played.

We found our new apartment in Boise :) Its a super cute 2 bedroom in a nice complex. We start moving in on March 1st when our HHG (household goods - the stuff on the boat) gets here.

Avery made her first wish in a fountain.

Steven and I found a really cheap yet very nice 7 piece furniture set which includes a couch, love seat, coffee table, 2 side tables, and 2 lamps.

On February 10th, Avery learned to walk!!! She didn't take a few wobbly steps like I would have expected. Instead she just stood up and walked around like she was a pro.

Avery had her first accident. While at the store she escaped the shopping cart, did a flip, and landed on her back on the ground. I took her to the ER to be safe but she didn't even have a bump or bruise. The doctor said she should be a stunt baby. Steven also went to the hospital (on a different day) after he burned his hand at work.

Avery knows how to do 'lady dabs' which is when she takes a cloth napkin and gently dabs her mouth after eating - it is the cutest thing you'll ever see. She signs 'more' and 'done' when eating, and also waves and says "bye bye" when we go somewhere or when someone else leaves.

My parents have a screen door with a little window that Avery loves looking out of. She'll stand there and point at things and tell me to "look".

On Valentine's Day Avery and I went to Kristen's house. We made a variety of chocolate covered strawberries for our men. Kris and I also took V-Day photos of our kids using props I had made the night before. The pictures turned out so well!

For V-Day Steven got me a HUGE card, Starbucks gift card, bobble and a stuffed bear. I got him a soda stream, sock monkey and the chocolate covered strawberries.

Steven and I went on a date the next evening. My parents were watching Avery so got to have a combined V-Day/(finally getting around to celebrating) our 2 year anniversary. Steven had made a reservation for Chandler's so we both got dressed up for the occasion. The food was beyond delicious, Steve got the Kobe Steak which I could have eaten all day. After dinner we went to Coldstone for ice cream. It was an amazing evening.

Phew, that was a blogful but I think we're finally caught up!

Avery Quinn - 13 1/2 months

Liebster Blog Award

I haven't blogged in a month, I have no motivation to do so. My blog: Little Lyon's Life in Korea is kind of a moot point since we're no longer in Korea. Thankfully a friend and fellow blogger tagged me for the Liebster Blog Award which has forced me to revisit my blog, hopefully this is the kick I need to get back into my groove.

The rules are simple:
- Post 11 things about yourself.
- Answer the questions set by the person who tagged you, and create 11 new questions for those you tag.
- Tag 11 bloggers who have less than 200 followers.
- No tag backs.

In a nut shell

1. I love skydiving. I've jumped (nearly) 40 times but since moving to Korea and having a baby I haven't been able to jump for over 2 years. Its amazing how peacefully falling 10,000 feet can be. I miss it so much and hope to start jumping again when the weather warms up.

2. I was born with Pectus Excavatum (PE), a congenital deformity of the chest. PE caused my heart to be displaced, fainting, impaired respiratory function, pain and a general feeling of isolation and embarrassment. In 2006, at the age of 16, I had the Nuss Procedure done to correct my PE. The surgery involved two lateral incisions (and a third smaller incision to allow for a thoracoscope), a 14 inch metal bar, two heavy stabilizers, excruciating pain, an 8 day hospital stay and several months of physical therapy. Two and a half years later I had the bar removed and thankfully the recovery was much easier. Since then I have been playing an active role in raising awareness about Pectus Excavatum (since its not a well known condition those who have PE usually suffer ill psychological and psychosocial effects). I am also part of a support group for PE that has almost 645 members! Knowledge is power :)

3. COFFEE. I am addicted to coffee (literally). I absolutely HATED coffee until I became a full time college student while also holding down a full time job, I was easily spending over $300 a month just in coffee. Naturally I gave up coffee when I was pregnant with Avery, at first it SUCKED but a few weeks into my pregnancy coffee turned into my main food aversion. The mere thought of coffee made me sick to my stomach until I reached about 38 weeks. I scarcely drank coffee during the 8 months that I breastfed Avery but once she was weaned I was back to being an addict.

4. I over explain things ^ see examples 1, 2, and 3.

5. Avery and Steven are my entire world. I miss living in Korea for the sole reason of it just being the 3 of us.

6. Avery and I are the definition of co-dependent. We are constantly giving each other hugs and kisses. She always wants to be in my arms, and I always want to hold her. I'm contemplating buying an Ergo so I can carry her hands free. I think I might die the first time I leave her for an entire day.

7. I'm terrified of needles. I always have been and I always will be. Whether it be a simple flu shot or blood draw I pass out, throw up and convulse. My fear of needles triggers a vasovagal syncope - this occurs when past of the nervous system that controls heart rate and blood pressure malfunctions (like people fainting at the sight of blood). I often say that the worst part of my labor and delivery was getting the IV. The nurses couldn't get my IV in the first time which triggered my vasovagal syncope, all the alarms went off, nurses and doctors ran, and I was told "not to do that again"...because its completely controllable lol.

8. I'm a closet nerd. I love anime, drawing little comics, writing fanfictions, playing video games, and watching nerdy scifi movies.

9. Cross stitch - I love it! I currently working on a cute (and nerdy) cross stitch that I'm making for Steven. I'm hoping it will be done by Valentines day :) I'm also making a quilt for Avery - I started making it when I was pregnant with her and have yet to finish. Slow and steady wins the race?

10. I love being a stay at home mother.

11. Steven. How can I even put my love for him into words? He goes completely out of his way to make me happy. I have so much fun when I'm with him, its like we're in our own little world. I could not have chosen a better man to marry and be the father to my child(ren).

Eleven Answers

1. If you could have coffee with anyone who would it be and why?

Myself. I love being a stay at home mom but I do end up sacrificing my ME time because of it. I'd love to sit in a coffee shop by myself for an hour and maybe read a book or just enjoy the silence.

2. Tell me about one defining moment in your life.

It would probably have to be the first time I was alone with Avery after she was born. Avery was only a few days old when Steven had to drive 2 hours north and get my mom from the airport. For 7 hours I was completely alone, in a foreign country, with a newborn. Reality hit me hard during that time that I was a mom and this little life depended on me completely.

3. Why do you blog?

I started blogging because my daughter was born in South Korea. I wanted to keep my parents updated on everything Avery related. My parents started sending my blog to my grandparents who in turn also sent it to other family members :) I really need to keep blogging because my out of state family is eager to read more Avery news.

4. If you could only listen to one artist/band for the rest of your life who would it be?

Three Days Grace - something about that band.

5. What is your favorite food?

This is tough because I LOVE to eat. Does coffee count as a food? If not, I'd have to say BBQ'd anything.

6. If you had to come up with a unique tradition for you/your family what would it be?

Well, we have a habit of celebrating holidays early. My husband lacks patience when it comes to gifts (whether he's giving them or receiving them) so we never actually make it to a holiday/special event/birthday before all the gifts are opened.

7. Tell me something that makes you unique.

I've had 8 teeth pulled. The first 4 were taken to make room for my wisdom teeth but there was a miscalculation of space and I ended up getting the other 4 pulled too. Also I busted out my two front teeth skateboarding.

8. What poem or quote would you say applies most to your life?

"Life isn't about finding yourself. Life is about creating yourself." -George Bernard Shaw

9. If you were a coffee shop drink you would be a?

Definitely a Caramel Frappuchino

10. What is your most treasured possession or memory?

Other than  my child, I would say her small stuff lion. While pregnant with Avery I bought her a little lion (named Lionel) and I am now more attached to him than she is.

11. You find a $100 bill on the sidewalk, what do you do?

Put it in the bank, I'm a saver.

Q & A

1. What is the worst lie you've told?
2. If you were famous, what would you most likely be famous for?
3. What is one thing you believe in/support that is controversial?
4. How do you normally spend your weekends?
5. What has been your biggest adventure so far?
6. Tell me your most embarrassing/awkward experience.
7. What is your night time routine?
8. How did/do you know someone is "the one"?
9. What book are you currently reading?
10. When is the last time you were REALLY angry? Why?
11. What's one thing on your "bucket list"?

Tagged

http://lifearmywifestyle.com/
http://jumpdancelove.wordpress.com/
http://oneboyonegirlandtwokids.blogspot.com/
http://myjumps.blogspot.com/
http://thephatmomsblog.blogspot.com
http://neinamaire.wordpress.com/
http://www.blogster.com/nickriggi1
http://laurenssurgery.blogspot.com/
http://koreanarmywife.blogspot.com/
http://nerdyarmywife.blogspot.com/
http://mamainwonderland.blogspot.com/