I celebrated my 29th birthday last week. The first of many 29th birthdays, I'm sure.

Actually, although I honestly am not looking forward to hitting the big 3-0, I hope that when that time comes I'll embrace it with grace and enthusiasm. In interviews all the "older" movie stars always tout their 30s as being a wonderful time of self-awareness, personal growth, and botox renewed confidence. Maybe I will feel the same as I say good-bye to my youth and my metabolism. But I regress, I am still in my twenties (for another 360 days) and very much looking forward to the next year as I wrap up what's been an incredible decade.

I was so humbled as my family and friends poured out the birthday love. I was touched by each-and-every facebook message, the dinner out with my girlfriends, the flowers from my my sister and brother in Spokane, the singing message from my in-laws, the phone calls, the gifts, the cards.

Especially this card. BEST CARD EVER:

Inside: "Go give 'em something to gossip about"

(Thank you, Meg. 2013 Cruise for sure!)

 God has blessed me with an incredible community of people - near and far, young and old - and I hope never to take them for granted.

My husband also made my birthday wish come true by taking Landon and I to Disneyland.

When I was a child I used to feel sorry for my parents at Christmastime. My sister and I had so many gifts compared to their few packages of tee-shirts and socks. But now that I am a mother I understand: there is absolute JOY in watching your child delight in something; which is why I wanted to take our boy to "the Big Castle where Mickey Mouse lives." And it really is 10x more fun seeing Landon grin ear-to-ear on the teacups then actually riding the teacups themselves. I had the most amazing birthday experiencing my son's intoxicating happiness. And you know what amazes me, the fact that God feels the exact same way about me. He delights in me when I enjoy HIm and the gifts, experiences, and blessings He has given me. Humbled & Amazed.

If you are inclined you can click here for more Disney pics

14 weeks

13 weeks
and still tired

Today am 14 weeks and 3 days. I've finally hit the second trimester and feel as though I've joined the world again. My energy levels are up, most of my weird food cravings/aversions are over (although I still desperately wish it was okay to eat french fries with every meal. yummmmm. Never before have fried potatoes tasted so feakin' good.) and the nausea has passed. This pregnancy has been SO different than my first:

- Nausea. I had very, very little morning sickness with Landon. Like maybe 4 days of slight tummy upset. This time I had nearly 6 weeks of near constant queasiness. I only lost my cookies once but I felt as though I was suffering from a constant hangover, and the only thing that helped was eating at least every two hours and eating lots of fat and grease. And not the good-for-you fat either: the bad, fried, coat-your-mouth-in-film kind of fat.

- Food Aversions/Cravings. With Landon I couldn't stomach chicken or eggs and I craved citrus and spicy Mexican food. This time I couldn't stomach vegetables (except those fried potatoes!) at all, until two weeks ago when I got a major craving for salads. Meat hasn't bothered me and I've craved breakfast foods - eggs, sausages, bacon, waffles, bagels, pancakes, etc. - more than anything else. And I've wanted to dip everything in a deep frier. Thank goodness we don't have one.
With both babies I've craved ice-cold coke.

- Exhaustion. It's been bad this time and for weeks I've gone to bed before 9, but I have to say I was actually more exhausted with Landon. Being in front of a computer last time allowed me to think about just how tired I felt while this go-around I've been too busy chasing my 2 year old.

- Skin. Landon gave me beautiful skin. This baby is causing pimples. (That's okay baby; I still love you.)

- Bloat. Pop me with a pin and I'll go twirling around the room. I have been sooooo much more bloated this time around. It's finally easing up a bit.

- Asthma/Allergies. Both pregnancies have exasperated my allergies and my asthma which is a bummer.

- Emotions. The first trimester of my first pregnancy brought out my mean side. I felt negative towards everyone: everyone was annoying and I was incredibly anti-social. This time I've still been a bit anti-social, mostly b/c of the queasy tummy, but I've been incredibly weepy. The tears flow much, much more freely than normal and my skin seems to be paper-thin these days.

I've had many friends guess that I'm having a girl since my pregnancies have been different, but I'm just not certain. I was absolutely sure Landon was a boy from the moment I found out I was pregnant. These days I can't seem to decide. One days I'll be convinced I'm carrying a girl but the next day I'll switch. Landon's no help. He insists the baby is his "sister" but if you ask him if the baby is a girl or a boy he always says "boy". (And no, we've already checked for twins!) I guess we will just have to wait a few more weeks to see.

out of commission

Dear Blog Friends -

I am so sorry I've been out of touch lately.

All i can say is that I've been:

E-X-H-A-U-S-T-E-D

I usually blog while Landon naps but lately this is me 2.5 seconds after I put him down:

Make-up from earlier today courtesy of two episodes of "Go Diego, Go!"

But one day my energy shall return!

Hopefully soon.

And while I can't promise my brain will stop being mush

(Baby Brain is real!) I will try to write some words again soon.

Meanwhile, please enjoy a few pics of the two cutest trick-or-treaters to ever hit the streets.