Ready or not...

...baby number two is on it's way!! (let's hope we're more on the ready than the not side :)

Doesn't he/she just look so cozy in there....



I am about 15 and a half weeks pregnant and I'm due around December 30th!  Another winter baby!!  Briggs and this baby will be just about two weeks shy of two years apart.  Watching Briggs around other little "baby"s is so cute and gets me excited for him to be a big brother.

So, if it has seemed like this little blog of mine has been a bit neglected for a few months now...I guess you now have my excuse :)  The first trimester was a bit rocky and most afternoons and evenings were spent lying on the couch feeling quite nauseous.  Now, however, as I get further and further into my second trimester, things are looking much brighter!  I'm getting more energy back and the nausea seems to be fading quickly!!! (something definitely worthy of three exclamation points)

Now, with that exciting news on the table, I will try and give a few tidbits showing what we've been up to the last few months...



This is what most Tuesday and Friday mornings look like at our stake center.  A bunch of ladies from our stake (and some from others) get together and play basketball in the morning twice a week.  We often get quite the play pen line up across the stage :)  It's been such a great thing for me to be able to get some exercise and social interaction a couple times a week!  And whether or not it looks like it in this picture....Briggs usually enjoys himself as well! 

I'm pretty bummed that I'll have to be taking an extended break from basketball quite soon (due to my growing belly) but I'd say it's for a pretty good cause.  I am planning, however, to rejoin them next winter with two little ones in tow........oh boy, deep breaths :)

Ever wondered what trying to get a live bird out of a wood stove might look like?  Well, this is what it looked like at our house.  We had a bird make it's way down our chimney and couldn't get back out.  We tried to just leave it be for a few days hoping it would either make it's way back out, or....you know, do itself in.  Anyway, after two days of endless fluttering and scratching noises (sometimes even waking us up in the middle of the night) we decided we had to take matters into our own hands!

I tried to be brave and help Blair for a bit, but when our brilliant plan started to go south, I was quick to flee to the bedroom.  I was picturing a wild and crazy bird taking my eye out.  Long story short, our plan didn't work so well and the bird knocked itself a little silly flying into our window and Blair had just enough time to throw a bucket over it and take it outside.  And don't worry, Briggs was safely asleep in his room.


Lets just say there were some tense moments in the Eyre household that evening!  But all's well that ends well :)



Blair pride and joy!  Blair has practically taken up residence out in the garden this year :)  Whether it's weeding, watering, pruning, or just admiring....he's definitely put a lot of time and love into this garden.  We have somewhat of a nightly ritual where we all walk out the the garden and see what's changed since the night before :) 

I can't say there aren't nights where I wish he'd come in from the garden before dark, but I think he has found a true passion/hobby and I'm glad that he loves it so much.  Considering it's his first time growing a garden of his own, I'd say it's going remarkably well.  I look forward to all of the fresh produce we're going to be eating over the coming months!



Along the same lines, I can't say how grateful I have been to have a yard this year.  Having lived in apartments our whole married lives, being in a little house out in the country with our own yard has been SO NICE!  Especially where Briggs is concerned.  He's definitely got his daddy's genes and there's no where he'd rather be than "side" (outside that is....in Briggs lingo). 

The top pictures are of an evening when I was gone and Blair was "watching" Briggs.  Don't get me wrong, I am not afraid to let Briggs get dirty (I am a country girl you know), but I think I might have intervened before it got to that point....maybe :)  His muddy/snotty hitler-esque mustache, drooly/muddy beard, and dirt caked clothing definitely take the cake for his dirtiest of adventures yet!  But....as you can tell....he was LOVING every minute!  And....I didn't get home until Blair had bathed the boy and cleaned up the remnants...the only real evidence were some dirty clothes in the laundry and some priceless pictures!  How can you get upset at that :)

We also got the chance to hitch a ride with my parents over to my sister Jenny's house in Battle Ground, Washington.  Blair had never seen where they lived and it was a fun weekend visit!  While we were there we went to the Portland Zoo, and I loved it.  I have never been to a zoo (well since I was like 3, and I don't remember that at all) so I totally felt like a giddy little kid seeing all of those amazing animals in person for the first time!!  I look forward to the next time we go (especially since the lions were no where to be found in their display that afternoon....I have to see some lions!!)

We recently returned from the Gilbert family reunion at Ensign Ranch.  My parents were in charge this year and they did a great job.  It was the first family reuinion without grandpa and he was definitley missed, but he and grandma's legacy is definitely amazing!

There were a lot of fun activities (like the water slide and rope swing pictured above), good food, and most importantly a lot of catching up with the cousins!  We all grew up working on the farm together almost like siblings, so it's especially fun to see everyone and see how everyone's families are growing.  I'm bummed I wasn't very vigilant with my camera so the pictures above are about all I have from the reuinion.  We did take a picture with the WHOLE clan though, and when that gets circulated around I'll have to post it and document just how amazing my grandparents legacy really is! It's amazing what two people getting married and having a family of their own can eventually turn in to :)

And just a random one of Briggs.....cause I think he's pretty cute :)

This little video is evidence of Briggs' many songs!  He has developed the habit of singing and we love it!  His singing is usually acommpanied by a bit of dancing/swaying and he usually likes to immitate the ward chorister as well by leading with his hands.  It's not usually any recognizable tunes, but they're beautiful to our ears anyway :)

And sorry for the poor quality of the resolution on these videos.  In order for my stinkin' slow internet to upload them, I make them pretty low res! But hopefully you can still see them alright?!?

And finally, if you're still with me...this is a little video showing Briggs love for "kittys".  We've always had the one cat around our place to catch mice, and recently we had a couple of kittens for a week or so that we were taking care of until we gave them to my parents (who are also desperately trying to take care of a mouse situation!).  Anyway, I am not much of a cat person, so I don't love it when he handles them too much, but as you'll see in this video, he really loves them!  So, I kinda pretend I don't see it sometimes so he can enjoy himself....and then I thoroughly wash his hands and face as soon as we're inside :) 

Oh, and by the way, no cats were seriously harmed in the making of this video....sure, maybe they lost a couple of lives, but they've got plenty others left :)

Well, there you have it, a bit of the latest and greatest from the Eyre household :)