Is It October Yet?

We had two exciting things to celebrate this month, I really wish I took more pictures, but I didn't.

2-year anniversary- like everyone else in the world (or so it seems based on facebook status updates), Jason and I also got married in August. The 31st marks 2 years together! Jason had class until 7 so he came home during his break in the day to have lunch together. We went to Macaroni Grill. I know it's nothing elaborate, but honestly, does Macaroni Grill ever fail to be amazing? Quite frankly, no. It's the bread. Anyway, since Eli came along for the "romantic" celebration (we don't really have a lot of babysitting options out here yet), it was even more amazing because they have the paper table cloth that I don't have to worry about him getting dirty, plus he could color on it... He too was impressed with the bread. All in all, it was a nice little lunch date. When Jason got out of class he brought some delicious dessert home, I think it was white chocolate bread pudding or something. Yum! That's about all, we're kind of lame.

Then we realized it was Labor Day weekend... No school on Monday! We thought since we didn't do much on our actual anniversary, maybe we should go to Orange Beach here in Alabama and spend the weekend. Unfortunately, it's a five hour drive plus there was a tropical storm coming. It would probably be expensive to find a hotel there too. We then decided to hit up the other (non-stormy) coast instead and for only 3 more hours of driving, we could stay with Jason's parents in Myrtle Beach. Jason hasn't been to the beach in two years and he hasn't seen his family since Christmas, so I think it was a nice little break for him!

Sorry my finger is in the way, it was so bright out I couldn't see what I was filming.

Tip: the best way to keep a happy baby at the beach is with junk food. I recommend Chewy Chips Ahoy or frosted animal crackers (you know, the one with the sprinkles). I know, I'm a bad mom.

It seems like everyone's number one priority here in Alabama is football, so we're trying to start Eli while he's young.

He was kind of a ball hog

Jason and Grandpa Glover showing Eli the waves... they got a little far out for my comfort.

After lots of playing, Grandma Glover took Eli home for a nap while we stayed a little longer. We all fell asleep in our chairs. I woke up first though and was able to get this funny picture.

As you can see, the weather was perfect! When we got home to Alabama there were fallen down trees, power outages, flooding, and one of our windows was even broken from the tropical storm! I'm glad we made the last minute decision to leave town!

Jason's Birthday: This time next year I'll be married to a 30-year-old! Yikes! After 8 months of dating, followed by 2 years of marriage, Jason and I had yet to celebrate one of his birthdays together! So sad. Well, we had our wedding reception two days after his first birthday together, we were very busy preparing and my friends and I had to make cup cakes on the night of his birthday. Then last year he went to Australia for work. So I was really excited to do something special this year. Unfortunately, he had a hospital tour all day and was really tired afterward. Plus, Eli and I were going to Florida the next day and had to get ready. So, maybe next year will be better... I did wake up in the middle of the night and decorated the house though. I got him a Panera bagel in the morning for breakfast (I know a bagel sounds like a lousy effort but he hates breakfast... he does love bagels though and I felt obligated to at least get him something). I made a Tollhouse pie too (it's his mom's birthday tradition for him). We went to Firehouse Subs for lunch because it's free if you show your ID on your birthday, and then he wanted a Mellow Mushroom pizza for dinner so we got that too. It was delicious but kind of expensive for not a lot of pizza... I guess this birthday involved a lot of eating. His presents were Friday Night Lights DVD's (it's his favorite show) and an IPhone (thanks to his parents who contributed to half of it). That's all. Basically, I didn't set the bar very high this time around, but I have all year to think of how I'll make his 30th birthday the best ever. Again, I wish I took pictures...

Finally, NO, it's not October yet. But almost... October is the best month ever! The weather is not too hot, not too cold, the leaves are changing and nature is at it's most beautiful, at least in Colorado, we'll see what Alabama has to offer. Not to mention, Halloween is the best holiday. This is a matter of fact. I love haunted houses, pumpkin carving, pumpkin bread/cookies/pies/seeds and ALL things pumpkin-realted (it is my favorite food), scary decorations and most of all, CANDY!!! It's basically an obligation-free holiday because you don't have to spend a bunch of time or money buying presents, preparing giant feasts or really doing anything but just enjoying it! My sister's birthday is on Halloween and she loves it. All in all, I love October. I have been anticipating THIS October with great excitement for the past 9 months and it can't come soon enough! I can't think of any way to make the month better than welcoming our baby girl to the family. Naturally, I was a bit frustrated when my October 18th due date changed so many times and even snuck into LATE November, but thankfully, all is well as I have now been scheduled to be induced on Halloween! Granted, I could deliver early but either way, it's October! This is especially exciting because I may be having my baby on my sister's birthday and she is expecting her next baby on MY birthday. Of course it probably won't work out that way, but it would be neat.

The "Tot Spot"

Last weekend we took Eli to a kiddy museum called the McWane Exhibit. It has 3 levels of interactive science exhibits catered to kids of pretty much any age. Plus, it has an IMAX! We decided to buy a membership because it pays for itself after only 3 visits and I figure, we could just stop in and let him run around for a while on a rainy day... not to mention, it will be a totally different experience for him at his age and maturity right now in comparison with a year from now. The exhibits are apparently always changing too. Anyway, he had a fun time.

Just for the record, yes, he does own shoes and we begin every venture with them on. He just screams his head off and refuses to move an inch until we take them off. So, sometimes we let him run around like a little ragamuffin while I cringe at what kind of nastiness could be accumulating on his feet... Jason says he's a little boy so I better get used to it : (

There were baby sharks and sting rays to pet but he wasn't really into it.

There was a chamber you could go in where the wind got to the speed of a tornado. The glare made it hard to take a good picture though...

He really likes to push his stroller instead of riding in it these days.

Inside a bubble.

The "Tot" Spot. Eli loved it here! He was so excited when we set him down that he took a look around, threw his arms up and screamed in excitement. He was so overwhelmed it took him a few minutes to figure out what to do with himself.

Eli trying to make a friend... or steal his toy. Either way, he was rejected.

Random Things

Sorry in advance for the lack of cohesion in this post...

This is a cleaning product that looks like a large bar of soap, my mother-in-law told me about it and apparently it only costs 97 cents at Wal-Mart (I don't know that for a fact because she bought it for me). This little bar is amazing! I frequently use Spray and Wash or Shout to get stains out of our (mostly Eli's) clothes, or even spills on the carpet, but I feel like with a messy little boy I'm going through bottles of this stuff like crazy and it's not the cheapest... so I tried this Fels-napha bar on some stains and it worked great! I then tried it on some stains that had already been treated and washed with Spray and Wash but never came out. Wouldn't you know it, they came right out with Fels-naptha! Then, Eli recently spit up some blueberries on the carpet, we had just moved in and I didn't have any carpet stain remover. I was panicked that the stain would never come out so I improvised and gave Fels-naptha a try. Although this product is made for treating clothing, yet again, it did the trick! I just wet the edge of the bar with water and rub it onto the stain, then rub it in with a wet cloth and either let it sit for a while before throwing it in the wash or, if you're using it on carpet just scrub it really well and voi-la! I think one bar might just last forever as I use it almost daily and still have most of it left, so for 97 cents, I'd say give it a try!

VS.

Once again, our annual Costco membership was up for renewal and while we usually just renew it without thinking twice, this year we thought, maybe we should give Sam's a try? If you're like us and have considered switching from Costco to Sam's, I would advise you not to. If you have a Sam's membership instead of Costco, you don't know what you're missing! Simply put, Costco is WAY better (in my opinion) and although the membership is more expensive (a measly $10 more per year), their prices are MUCH cheaper. If you buy your produce from Costco, in addition to being organic without the added cost of most grocery stores, it is MUCH better quality. I will say one good thing about Sam's, they have giant bags of Sister Schubert frozen rolls- if you have not tried these, again, you don't know what you're missing!

3 days. 2 weeks. 11 months.

I was recently looking through Eli's newborn pictures, I guess just to reminisce of how exciting it is to have a new little family member. It occurred to me that he looks nothing like he did when he was born. His hair even seems to be turning blonde. I think that's common, but still kind of weird.

Marital Conflict: A speaker came to one of Jason's classes and advised the students that if they want a successful career and they don't already play golf, they had better start. This is apparently important among the Corporate American world. So, Jason decided to pick up golf with a bunch of guys from his program. Among all the suits, dress slacks, shirts, ties, shoes, computer and phone (these two because his old computer and phone were through his work) he's had to acquire for school, now they want him to pick up GOLF? Like, the most expensive sport EVER. Anyway, I told him that's a pretty expensive sport to start playing on top of tuition... he said it's an investment in his career. I complained that I want to have expensive gadgets/clothes and hobbies and write them off as an investment in my "career" too. He said he wants to go to Florida next week and hang out on the beach. He then reminded me that I've spent a combined 2 of the last 12 months on various vacations, mostly without him, and that next week Eli and I are headed to Florida, once again, without him. In conclusion, the grass isn't always greener. Touchė Jason. I attribute his greater wisdom to the fact that he's MUCH more advanced in years ;)

IPAD- Well, if golf helps Jason's career, I think an Ipad would help mine. There are interactive games and storybooks, in addition to shows and movies I could download for Eli, making any public outing much more pleasant. I want one. Think I could convince Jason?

That's all.

Sweet Home Alabama

We made it! Safe and sound, I might add. Birmingham is a beautiful city, lots of green, rolling hills, very friendly people (I think we're in a great ward, too) and so far the weather hasn't been too hot at all! Although, it's been a bit hazy. I asked someone where the sun was and she said it's always like this... That, I'll definitely miss about Colorado! One other thing, there are absolutely NO sidewalks here! I mean NONE, anywhere! I guess people don't walk or jog in the south and coming from Colorado (where every street is not only equipped with a sidewalk but also a bike lane... which of course, are nowhere to be found here either), this is devastating to me. My only form of exercise consists of a long walk each morning during which I am able to be very productive and achieve three things at once: Scripture study via my ipod, exercise and a little sun tan. Not to mention, Eli simultaneously takes his morning nap... walking is really the only exercise I can do at this stage of pregnancy plus, it keeps me from getting all swollen and immobile. I'm pretty sure it's one of Eli's favorite things too. Now, I have no idea what we'll do with ourselves in the morning. On the bright side, I can cancel my plans to purchase a double jog stroller which, by the way, are SO expensive!

Dallas: the drive out here took about four days on the road, but we stopped and spent three days in Dallas with Jason's Aunt Cindy and Uncle Dave. Their entire family lives within an hour of them so we got to see a bunch of Jason's cousins too, some of which I hadn't even met yet!

Jason's cousins: Chris, Heidi, David, Erin and their son Jacob.

Erin, Steve, Melinda and their daughter Zoe, Jared, his girlfriend Jordan and Alex.

It was literally 110 degrees the whole time we were in Texas, fortunately they have a pool in the back yard! With the exception of eating and sleeping, we pretty much didn't get out the entire time we were there.

I think Eli's new favorite food is stuffed shells.

Aunt Cindy had a little tint that she set up for Eli, he loved it! Between the tint and the little dog, he was entertained for hours.

Getting Settled: We LOVE our new home! It's a very spacious condo that is quite an upgrade from our old apartment. We are having a fun time acquiring some new furniture and decorations to fill all the extra space. We've pretty much completed the very long and awful unpacking process, too. The only problem is, Eli's room is PINK! I don't remember noticing that at all when I came to look at the place last month... whoops! Needless to say, painting is pretty high on our to-do list.

Little Boy Update: Eli had his 1-year appointment last month weighing in at 17 pounds, 28 inches. Officially ON the charts, less than 3 percentile but we'll take it! Also, after nearly 2 months of taking steps he is finally walking. It seemed to be a very long process for him but I'm relieved that he's gotten the hang of it and now I don't always have to carry him. I shouldn't complain because he's so small but he sure feels heavy paired with my growing belly! Anyway, I think he likes Alabama, we have a nice pool that we go to most days and I think I'll get him in swimming lessons soon. There are a few kids in our ward that are around his same age too so hopefully he'll make some friends!

We set the infant swing up in preparation for the little girl, Eli decided it's his new favorite toy. I guess he still meets the weight guidelines so I let him play on it for now, but I'm not sure it's actually going to last until the baby arrives!

Also, the little guy has taken a liking to soccer. He was kicking this ball around the apartment all morning and then as soon as I tried to record it he got distracted by something else, figures!

Baby Girl Update: Our little girl is still cooking... My original due date was October 19th but is now November 7th. She keeps measuring behind schedule though so, who knows what to expect? At least she seems to be healthy and well in all other aspects. We're naming her Kyah. We thought it was pretty original but according to everyone, it's not. There is even a Kyah in our new ward. How have I never even heard of this name before? Oh well!

College Boy: Jason started school yesterday! He likes everyone he has met in his program so far and is very excited for the next few years. Apparently at this time next year, he'll begin the application process for his residency the following year. It's weird to think that in just 1 year we'll already be making plans to move somewhere else! Anyway, the program will be very time-consuming in that he will have different obligations (conferences, events, volunteering, etc.) that he'll have to be at throughout the course of the program. His class schedule isn't too bad though. Something kind of strange is that he has to wear professional attire everyday, including slacks and a tie, no jeans! Also, on Mondays and Fridays he has to wear a suit! It's a far cry from his construction days. I thought that was so funny because when I was in school a lot of people showed up for class in sweats!

That's all for now.