bedtime routine

jank:

thanks for your amazing bedtime stories.

kate loves it when you tell her a 'kate-story'.

especially if it involves princesses and toots.

[downside of preschool- your kid learns about and becomes obsessed with bodily functions]

someday our little girl won't be begging us to stay by her bedside 'one more story? puh-leeeeze?'

or manipulating us into tucking her in again 'see? my blanket came off? and i'm cooooooold!'

or fake crying because she needs one more drink of water 'but i'm fiiiiiirrrsty!'

we'll look back with a chuckle at all her sneaky tricks.

and we'll remember the 'kate-stories' and how much kate giggled and how sweet she was.

[remind me to read this post when kate is 14 and rolling her eyes non-stop at me because of how uncool  her mom is]

thanks for being such a great father.

we are so lucky to have you.

the sea.

jank:

thanks for taking a random thursday off from work.

spending the day with you and the girls was wonderful.

living in yuma has it's downfalls,

being 2.5 hours from san diego is definitely not one of them.

thanks for the great day.

love,

bug

[more photos to come... in 5 years [give or take 3 years]. because that'll probably be when i can find time ;) ]

teaching me to ride

bud the scooter-

it has been decided that because i am no longer packing heat [aka pregnant],
it's time we become well acquainted.

and so a few nights ago when jank came home from work at 530 pm instead of the usual 630/7ish
[ugh i hate his schedule]
we packed up the kiddos and headed to the nearest empty parking lot.

and there it was decreed that i love you.
you're quite fun to drive little bud.
although i still hesitate to go faster than 30 mph.
and i don't dare go more than 10 mph when kate is with me.
[and isn't kate's helmet the funniest?! we like to call her the bobble head]

and this is what happens when you have a kid who declares 'i have to poop!' and you are no where near a bathroom.
thank heavens for the toddler potty and the plastic sacks i keep stashed in my trunk for moments just like this.
pretty sure this picture will make me laugh for years to come.

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waiting...

miss kate-

as i sit at the computer and type, you and your dad are running around 'the loop'-
your happy shrieks and laughter fill our home.
and i'm choking back tears.
ugh, pregnancy hormones.

we spent the whole day together and i've kissed you and held you [uncomfortably] on my lap as much as you would allow.
i feel silly for being so emotional about my impending induction tonight.
i'm full of nerves and excitement and worry.
everyone assures me it's normal to stress about adding a new kid to the family.
everyone says we'll adjust quickly and soon i'll never remember what it was like to just have one little one to love.
i hope it's all true.

aunt BB asked me tonight what i'm most worried about.
baby E's health, you, the pain and a 4th degree tear were my answers [in order of importance].
i'm sure everything will be just fine and i'll look back and laugh at how worried i was.
but until it's all over and done, i'm just going choke back the tears and hold you extra tight.

i love you little one.

love,
mama.

****update: my induction has been put on hold until there is a room and a nurse available in L&D. [apparently everyone else's body knows how to go into labor on it's own]. it's possible i will be 'on call' all night and may not get in until morning. nana has been dispatched to chili's for chocolate molten lava cake****

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right this moment kate is [loudly] singing her abc's instead of napping

things that make me happy:

new chocolate-chocolate donettes. 

we've already eaten 3 bags this week.

probably shouldn't admit that.

lots of hot-air balloon sightings in yuma.

and never-ending blue skies.

yuma sunsets/sunrises are rumored to be some of the best.

wish pictures could capture the beauty b/c they really are amazing.

so many things to love:

1. my appetite for cheeseburgers is back.

2. we have an 'in n out' here.

3. we're eating outside!

4. jank's wearing an 'in n out' shirt while eating @ 'in n out'= awesomeness

this little girl makes me so very happy.

wish i could bottle her sweetness and share with everyone.

plus, her hair is all sorts of out of control lately and i've given up.

the mullet wins this round.

the dollar isle @ the bullseye.

animals that make noises...

a galvanized bucket for diapers...

chip clips...

done and done.

painting the crib has allowed me time to sit and think.

it's been therapeutic for me and allowed me time to analyze my pregnancy anxiety attacks.

i've never really had anxiety attacks before but by-golly am i having them this month.

palpitations and racing thoughts don't make for a good time.

i've analyzed it down to a few issues--

1. our family is in a really good place right now and as wanted and loved as this new babe is, i just don't want to rock the boat.

2. labor. labor. labor. delivery. delivery. delivery. ugh! enough said.

finally[!] getting christmas decor put away.

kate had to hug and kiss and say goodbye to every single ornament.

kinda annoying, mostly awesome.

things that make me grumpy

being told by my OB that i no longer have a due date.

i now have a 'due range' spanning from feb 8 through feb 18.

baby girl is doing great-

she's just consistently measuring 1.5-2 weeks behind schedule and since i never had a period to calculate an exact due date from... i now have a 'due range'. bleh.

kinda shocked that i didn't cry at all yesterday after being dealt that blow.

although i did say the f-word and threw the fly-swatter at the dryer.

jank got after me for that one-

but aren't i a teensy bit justified??

10 days were just added to this waiting game.

i like black and white. and timelines. and countdowns. and finality.

so now what do i do?

i'm totally making a yellow cake with chocolate frosting.

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just popping in

hope everyone had a great Christmas.

ours was wonderful [and over too quickly]

this is kate Christmas morning as we headed outside to check out what santa brought her.

someone was a little spoiled by santa this year-

i fully blame jank. 

he has no self-control when it comes to his little girl.

massively huge blog update coming shortly....

overstuffed with pics of our katers.

because, well, she's just too darn cute.

until then...

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another overload of pics

and now a series of mini-letters:

dear pregnant body of mine:
we're almost there.
only 8 weeks to go.
we're doing well; gaining some weight and growing a healthy little girl.
she's measuring 2 weeks behind schedule but that's not surprising.
[i just don't think this body is engineered to make big babies]
i'll just have to keep eating cookie dough every night and drinking hot cocoa every morning while peanut watches monsters inc.

dear yuma weather:
i think i love you [now that it's not 115 degrees]
we decked the halls this past week and didn't once have to worry about mittens or boots.
our christmas tree is up and sparkly.
the palm trees outside are full of white twinkle lights.
it was wonderful to decorate outside without freezing our hands.

dear christmastime:
thanks for bringing me one of my favorite things- twinkly trees.
and for kate's favorite book right now- the night before christmas.
oh how i love snuggling her tight and reading books with her by the light of her little christmas tree.

our elf on the shelf finally came and has been named 'elfie'.
[that's what you get when you let a 2 yr old name the keepsake]
kate talks to elfie all day, every day and tells him if she's been naughty or nice-
it's hilarious to watch [i'll have to video it]
our advent calendar is finally done-
kate unwraps a christmas book each night which we read all snuggled in on her huge bed.
smelling kate's freshly washed hair and rubbing her back and face while jank reads to us is my idea of heaven.

dear kate:
i'm so glad i get to teach you important things like how to dip your french fries in your ice cream.
our lunch dates make me smile.
on the flip side, your ability to cause chaos makes me insaaaaane.
you were so proud of this mess and got mad at me when i cleaned it up.
but it did give me the opportunity to weed out some of your toys-
how did you get so many??

regardless of your actions, i love you completely.
you make me smile everyday and that is enough.

dear jank:
thanks for all you do [laundry, dishes, diapers....]
thanks for all the foot massages.
thanks for not playing racquetball tonight so we could spend time together before i have to work 4 in a row.
and thanks for taking kate on night-time scooter rides to see the christmas lights-
you are her absolute favorite person and mine too.
i love you.
thanks for loving me.

.

new toy

to my new best friend [iphone 4S]-

oh boy do i love you.
thanks for all your awesome apps-
like the 8mm camera app that i used to shoot this video.
i think i'm just a tab obsessed with it.


now if only i could put you down at night and get some sleep....


.

i married a good man.

jank-

i love you because you do the dishes.

i love you because you're an amazing father to our little girl.

i love you because you always rub my feet and tell me i'm beautiful.

i love you because you're you.

see you in the morning.

.

it rained. again. and it was lovely.

mr jank-

how about for Christmas we get you a real grill?
y'know, one that doesn't require you to squat as you cook.

it'll probably be safer for the kid too.


ps. thanks for cooking us yummy cheeseburgers. it's the first time since we found out about baby #2 that a burger actually sounded and tasted good. a success!

pps. congrats on only eating a single patty instead of a double. told you portion control wasn't too tough to conquer. [this from the woman who eats an entire cake in 2 days] love you.

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public parks are crucial when living with a toddler in a 900 sq foot apartment with no yard

liberty park,

i told myself that during this last utah summer i would branch out and visit more parks than just sugarhouse park.

but sometimes i get stuck in a rut [and new/different playgrounds frighten miss kate] so it took me awhile to visit you.

but i'm sure glad we did.

today we packed the picnic basket full of semi-healthy food and spent the evening enjoying the gorgeous weather.

jank and i both agreed that your park is one of the prettiest we've ever seen.

the lake, the rolling green hills, the trees... it all added up to a picture-perfect outing.

for dinner kate had grapes, water and chips.

and then she played with her bubbles for about an hour.

pretty sure my child is in love with summer.

thanks for the perfect picnic,

the jancers

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two letters today-- ambitious or lazy?

doesn't that face just scream 'i love animals! more dogs please!'

dyson, copen and hagen,


sorry kate froze in panic whenever any of you walked within 10 feet of her.
don't feel bad.
it's not you, it's her.
eventually we'll get a dog and she'll get over her fear of animals,
but that day is at least a year or two [or ten] away.
so until then, you guys will know her as 'the little girl who cries a lot'.
we apologize for this.

sincerely,
kate's mum

i don't think jancer or i ever stopped eating. we have a problem.

jank,


well, i survived.
[thanks to large quantities of pepsi, twizzlers, sour patch kids and s'mores]
i'm daring to call it the best camping trip to date.
driving back to g+g hansen's house at night was genius.
while you all froze in your tent [can't believe it snowed],
katers, your mom and i were toasty warm in a house.
it was the perfect plan-
all the good stuff about camping [campfires, 4 wheeler rides, family and nature]
but none of the grossness [not showering, shivering in a tent at night, eggs for breakfast]

thanks for making me go and for loving me despite my inability to love camping.

yours always [even when you haven't shaved in 4 days and smell like campfire smoke],
bug


ps. huge thank you to my galoshes. i've had them for about 5 years now and love them more each year. people like to make fun of them, but my toes are always warm and dry [a must when it rains all. day. long.] and they're mint green. you can't beat that.

.

but really, is bath time a chore? i think not.

jank-

usually we split up the apres-dinner chores [cleaning up dinner and bathing katers]
i like the quiet that comes with cleaning the dishes.
you like to spend extra time with kate.
it's a win-win.....
normally.

last night the kitchen looked like this:

roast, mashed potatoes, gravy and green beans and garlic bread.

oh and cherry coke zero.

i decided it was too much for one person to tackle.
[i'm such a slacker]
so i relocated to the bathroom floor and played on my phone while you bathed miss kate.

still loves water being poured on her head. seriously. loves it.

i really feel that you got the raw end of the deal.
especially since you did the majority of the kitchen work also.
but then i remembered that i know all the songs/words/noises on every elmo dvd we own [all 3 of them!]
and i decided i had logged enough elmo hours to justify being lazy last night.

thanks for helping me.
sorry we didn't get caught up on survivor.
the bin laden coverage was just too interesting to turn off.
maybe we can watch boston rob kick some butt tonight??

love you
bug


.

another rainy day

Ruth's dinner

[a note about a no-bueno day turned bueno]

take one rainy morning,

add a husband who needs a ride to work at 0730 [way too early to be out in public],

throw in a stolen car,

and you've got a not-so-happy kayla.

but surprise that lady with a unexpected hole in her husband's schedule,
which allowed for breakfast in a trolley car turned diner,
located on a winding canyon road [oh how i love canyon roads],
add to that hot cocoa and a plate piled with bread and butter,
and you get a very happy kayla

thanks ruth's diner,
you certainly didn't disappoint.



ps. miss kate's bedhead/jammies/golashes combo also made my day. she might have stayed in those jammies until dinner time. i'll never tell.
.

no pants day

sweetzers:

kate, i need to apologize for all the weird and random things we call you.

sweetzers is the nickname of choice lately.

i have no idea where it came from.

it just popped out of my mouth one day and it stuck.

you don't seem to mind but i'm sure we're only about a year away from the day you say-

'mooooom, don't call me that!'

anywho, today was a good day.

reasons listed below

1. your hair fit into a pony. hurray for growth [too bad you still have some bald patches]

2. we had waffles and fruit for dinner. 

3. your dad returned from the VA at a semi-respectable hour and you guys wrestled.

4. you didn't wear any pants for half the day [personally i think this was the best part]

the end.

.

a better day than the one before

corner bakery and cafe-

jank said he was 'souped out'-

guess that means i should quite making it three times a week for dinner

thanks for a great lunch today.
soup was just right on this cold, windy, cloudy day.
and seeing jank for an hour was perfect.
he was stoked to see peanut since he didn't get to see her yesterday.
by the time he came home at 8, she had already been asleep for 45 min.
that kid was tiiiiiired and craaaaanky from skipping her nap yesterday.

today, we're doing much better thanks to you.
going out to eat has to be one of my top 5 favorite things to do-
that's kinda sad huh? i should say exercising... but that would be a lie.

3 seconds after i took this picture, water was everywhere-

ahhhh life with a toddler

peanut ate a super lunch consisting of one roll.
and then was so tired from her eating frenzy that she passed out in the car on the drive home.
she didn't even wake up when i accidently choked her while trying to unwind the scarf from her neck.
no harm done, she's now sleeping peacefully in her crib....
or is she passed out from the choking???
guess we'll find out in an hour or so when/if she wakes up.

thanks for the yummy food.
and for the cheesecake brownie.


 love, 
a much happier kayla


.

still loves to swing

dearest most favoritist month-

march, i love you.

and not just because it's my birthday month 

[i'm shocked i haven't mentioned this yet! it's already 8 days into the month!]

i love you because of the hope you bring.

the promise of warm weather, flowers blooming and birds chirping...

nothing is better than spring.

easily my favorite season.

enjoying the sun. nice face janky

i love wearing my mint green rain boots.

and sweaters and trench coats.

i love how the sun feels on my face and seeing the snow melt.

this girl always has a smile on her face. i love that.

i'm so glad you're here mr. march.

i was getting really sick of miss february.

she's boring.

well hello tiny preggers! any day now......

update:: i wrote this a few days ago when it was spring. now it's winter again and i'm ticked. go away snow! we don't like you anymore.

in like a lion, out like a lamb.....

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a sleepover at grandma's

G+G Hansen-

thanks for watching our little peanut this weekend while jank and i worked back-to-back shifts.
we're sooooo glad she was an angel for you-
it sure makes it easier to ask you to watch her again....
how about next weekend?
ok, not really-- but maybe in march???

i'm still laughing about how she pointed at her bed and asked to be put to sleep at 730 pm.
[we've trained her well!....or maybe she just inherited my love of sleep]


thanks again for all you two do for our family.
love you guys.



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