I'd Rather Be Pregnant...

Call me CRAZY...but I REALLY REALLY enjoy being Pregnant...

I know most people think I'm INSANE. Even my doctor raises an eyebrow at every appointment, when I tell him that I'm feeling GREAT! I know that I'm SO SO SO LUCKY to have good pregnancies & if I felt like the majority of women do when they are pregnant, I know I would feel differently. But for SOME REASON, I have had 2 good pregnancies(knock on wood...my next pregnancy I will prob be sick the whole 9 months!)

WHY do I LIKE being pregnant???

I don't really know, except that I'm REALLY HAPPY when I'm pregnant. I don't think about myself, because there is ALWAYS another little life on my mind. For 9 months I don't worry about what I look like & it is OKAY when I step on the scale & I've put on weight! I love this feeling, because I tend to be hard on myself & get down about my appearance, but when I'm pregnant...it doesn't cross my mind. I LOVE feeling the baby kick & squirm around inside me. On top of that...I get to skip that "lovely time of the month" for 9 WHOLE months(sorry to all my male readers...haha...oh I guess that is just my husband!) YES...if you MUST KNOW...I would RATHER get really ugly stretch marks, fat ankles & an achy back...than have my period every month! Which secretly is the reason I nursed Parker for almost a year! 9 months + 1 year of not worrying about that lovely time of the month=Bliss!!!

Besides...after all the days of not feeling great, hormones going wild, achy joints, stretch marks, gained weight, swollen ankles & MORE...you get THIS as a reward...
And THAT alone...is enough reason for me to put up with being pregnant for 9 months!

With 2 months left to go, I feel grateful that I've felt this good...because if you ask me in another month + 25 days...I might not feel this great & I want to remember this feeling!

Can I wait another 6 months?

I LOVE General Conference weekend!!!

Chillin in my pj's all weekend & listening to uplifting speakers...what could be better?

Priesthood Session is always FUN as well...because all the girls get together & have fun while the boys are busy listening to more uplifting-ness:)

We decided to hang out @ Grandma's house during the session & we ordered take-out from one of our FAVORITE places...Aloha Kitchen. YUMMY!!!

Parker especially loved the cupcakes we had for dessert! :)
It actually COOLED off enough for the kids to play outside!
I love this picture of Parker & Mia...going on a little "Cousin Date"!

One highlight of conference was listening to Elder Corbridge's talk because he was Matt's MISSION PRESIDENT in Chile! Last April's conference, we were excited to hear his name announced as a new member of the Seventy & then yesterday, even more excited when they announced that he would speaking in the Saturday afternoon session. It brought back great memories for Matt to sit & listen to him & it was fun to hear the person that helped mold my hubby into such an AMAZING guy!

MHS Volleyball

Brings back memories...It has been FUN to watch my little sister Heidi play Volleyball this season!
She gets better every time I see her play! I really miss playing & it has been fun to cheer her on!

The BOYS decided to come to this particular game & watch Heidi...
I'm just glad Matt was able to watch Parker so that I could actually WATCH the game.
Usually I have Parker with me & I just chase him up and down the bleachers the whole game:)

Tanner, Mason & Powell...covering their ears, while watching the clock countdown so the buzzer wouldn't hurt their ears:)

KEEP PLAYING HARD HEIDI!!!

Birthday...Postponed....

Another year has come & gone & I am another year older and hopefully wiser...but not likely

My birthday started off right at MIDNIGHT...when I am usually snoozing away...
but UNFORTUNATELY, my baby got SICK:(

Tuesday afternoon Parker's voice sounded a bit raspy, but I didn't worry much. I put him down for his nap & he took a nice long nap, but woke up with a fever. He was a good sport that night, played with his toys,etc, but you could tell he had a cold or something coming on. He went right to sleep around 8pm...but woke up around 10pm, unable to sleep. Poor guy!
He was having the hardest time breathing & was burning up & there wasn't much we could do except cuddle & kiss him. His breathing was raspy, he had a bark-like cough & a fever & sounded congested...so I diagnosed him with croup...You may now start calling me Dr. Allen if you'd like. Matt was nice enough to get dressed and head to Walmart as it neared Midnight & bought a humidifier to help him breathe. Meanwhile, Parker & I hung out in the bathroom with the shower running on HOT...breathing in the steam. Sidenote: If you sit in a HOT, STEAMY bathroom...while holding a little boy with a 102 degree fever , while he holds on to his HOT blanket...you will SWEAT...a LOT!
Matt returned & we took turns rocking him, trying to get him to sleep & Matt finally succeeded:)
We crashed in bed as Matt sleepily...but sweetly said, "Happy Birthday"

My plans for Wednesday were quickly cancelled, as I could CARE LESS about my Birthday & ALL I WANTED was for Parker to feel better!!!

Parker had croup last winter & we took him to the doctor & they told us they couldn't do anything for croup. Just treat the symptoms individually. Tylenol for Fever...Humidifier for breathing,etc. SO I didn't really want to take him in, BUT he got worse throughout the morning & the poor kid just LAYED around & was SO LETHARGIC. He would literally take a few steps & just lay down wherever he was on the floor & rest.

SO...I made an appt. & took him to the Doctor.
As we were walking down the hallway into the room...a Doctor passed by & HEARD Parker's "Darth Vader" breathing & immediately stopped, turned around, followed us in the room & said, "Someone has a nasty case of Croup" Then he turned to the nurse & wrote down some orders for a breathing treatment to be ordered while we waiting to be seen by the doctor.

The breathing treatment was TERRIBLE! Parker was SO mad & did NOT want to let me hold that mask up to his face. The nurse helped me pin his arms & legs down, while we forced the mask to his face & he SCREAMED & SCREAMED & SCREAMED his raspy cry. After about 5 minutes of non-stop struggling & me about to break into tears...he CRASHED. He was absolutely exhausted & his eyes closed & the remaining time was much easier.

After the Breathing Treatment, the Doctor came in & confirmed the Croup Diagnosis & ordered him to have a Shot of Steroids(which woke him from his deep sleep in a MAD fit) & gave us a prescription for some liquid steroids for the next few days. I was so glad I took him in, because he has a BAD case of croup & it could have gotten worse if left untreated.

--------------------

I did forget to mention that when I left the house to take Parker to the Doctor...I walked outside to find THIS...

...and THIS...

2 of the SWEETEST people thought of me on my day & one decorated my car & left the sweetest note & another decorated the front of our house & made me feel so special...despite the fact that all I could think about was my sick baby!

The afternoon was better, Parker actually left my arms & played a bit. I let him have ALL the toys he wanted at once(which creates a HUGE mess...but he loves it!)
We enjoyed a RELAXING day at home & I appreciated all the phone calls, emails, texts, ect that reminded me that it was my Birthday! :) THANK YOU!!!

Matt was wonderful & brought home take-out, since we decided the originally planned "Birthday Dinner Date" was out of the question.

That night I got a YUMMY surprise on my doorstep...Delicious Chocolate Cake!!

...and in case that wasn't enough to satisfy my sweet tooth...Matt & I drove to Krispy Kremes & got my FREE DOZEN DOUGHNUTS for my birthday:)
They even wrote on the box!

After Parker went down for the night, I met up with some of my girl cousins @ Nielsen's, (because one of my cousins was in town from Utah) and it was SO fun to visit & enjoy a YUMMY Concrete at the same time. I REALLY needed to get out for a bit, since it had been a LONG day! The Nielsen's employees did a great job of embarassing me by singing HAPPY BIRTHDAY & they gave me Fresh Peach Cobbler w/Vanilla Icecream...it was DELICIOUS! A perfect end to a difficult day.

Being a mom, while your child is sick has got to be one of the HARDEST things in the world! BUT...I'm happy to report he is doing MUCH better now & we might even try to get out & celebrate & have our originally planned DINNER DATE tonight:)

I can't WAIT...

... for PARK WEATHER!!!
Yesterday we took a QUICK trip to Snowflake with my cousin Belinda:)
She was driving up & back for a funeral & Parker and I decided to tag along, so she wouldn't have to drive alone.
She dropped us off at this PARK & headed off to the funeral...
and Parker & I were in HEAVEN!!!
As soon as we pulled into the Parking Lot...he spotted the Basketball Hoops & started saying "Shooby! Shooby! Shooby!" Which translates to "Shoot It" which is what he says for Basketball.
As soon as I got him out of the car, he took off RUNNING to the court, never even looking back to see if I was coming. He is OBSESSED with Basketball AND had just been in the car for 3 hours...so was READY to PLAY!!!

The weather was ABSOLUTELY PERFECT! Not hot, not cold...with a little breeze!

Thank goodness I grabbed this ball at the last second...because he PLAYED & PLAYED & PLAYED with it! He especially enjoyed rolling it up the slides & watching it roll back down into his hands:)

He didn't know what to think about the rocking Dinosaur:)

I hung out in the grass in the shade most of the time & he would stop by every now and then for a snack:)

Yes...that is his blanky (or "baby" as he calls it) that he is dragging in the sand. Good thing we have 2, so we can rotate washing them:)

THANKS BELINDA for letting us spend the day with you!!!

It made me SOOOOOOOOOO EXCITED for it to COOL OFF, so we can go to the park EVERY DAY!!!

Brooke White Concert

We went to the BROOKE WHITE CONCERT Saturday night
& had so much fun!
She put on a FREE CONCERT @ the Mesa Ampitheatre & accepted donations for a charity. I went to the Relief Society Broadcast with my mom & sister-in-law Julie before the concert. If you didn't get a chance to go...LISTEN TO Elder Uchtdorf's talk...because it was AMAZING. Loved every second of it! Ok...so after the broadcast, a bunch of my cousins decided to meet up at the concert & sit together & while from this picture you may think it was a GIRLS NIGHT OUT...there WERE some hubbies that came too!

My dad (well his work) was one of the 3 sponsors of the concert(the other 2 were City of Mesa & Milanos Music) so here he is...presenting a gift from the MESA CONVENTION & VISITORS BUREAU & saying a few words...
I cheered loud for him! :)

Parker stayed up for the FUN & had a lot of fun hanging out on the blankets, listening to music...and EATING of course!

Brooke did a GREAT JOB...even though the opening act was longer than her time on stage. I think she was pretty exhausted(she just finished the American Idol tour last week), but she sang some great songs & we had a lot of FUN!
Here are some of my cousins & FRIEND Amy after the show:)

After the show, my dad took us all backstage to "meet" Brooke & get our picture taken with her.
I think Parker thought she was HOT...he couldn't take his eyes off of her:)

Matt's sister Aimee getting Brooke's autograph & Matt's brother Tanner & wife Chaya waiting in line for a picture:)

Sidenote: Many of you know that I knew Brooke from ELEMENTARY school, but I haven't seen her in YEARS. Before the show, my dad took me backstage to see her & it was so fun to talk to her & catch up a bit. She said she is SO READY to go home(this concert was her last hoorah after the Idol Tour) but said she did have a lot of fun on the tour. She is going back to CA to write & record music & says within a year she will have a new album out. She didn't know that I married Matt, so that was fun to tell her & watch her mouth hang open...which is usually what happens when people find out we got married :) I'm so happy for her & the success that she has achieved...I just hope she is able to get some rest & ENJOY some time with her husband for awhile after being on the road for so long!

We love you Gavin!

Gavin's funeral was this past Saturday & while it was a tough day, everything was beautiful. Bethany's friend made the CUTEST sign in sheets, my brother Rob framed some GORGEOUS pictures, my sis Kylie made DARLING programs(above pic was the front of program) & all of the talks/music were PERFECT. I still can't quite comprehend what my cousin & her husband are going through right now, but I hope & PRAY that they might find some peace and comfort at this time. I appreciate all of the phone calls, comments & offers of support at this time...very thoughtful to think of me & PLEASE continue praying for Bethany & Andre and their children during this time. I'm SO GRATEFUL to know that Gavin will be reunited with his family again someday. I can't even IMAGINE dealing with this trial, without the knowledge of
FOREVER FAMILIES!

Like Father...Like Son

The other day Matt said,
"Parker is OBSESSED with Basketball. It is getting kind of extreme..."Hmmm....
I wonder WHERE IN THE WORLD he gets it from???

Gavin Charles Sprague
October 6th, 2007-September 22, 2008

It is with great heartache that I tell you that Gavin's life here on earth has ended. Please, Please continue your prayers for their family. What a blessing that Bethany just recently took all of these adorable pictures of Gavin. Please pray that they might find comfort at this very difficult time. I'm at a loss of words right now & just sick to my stomach & only find comfort in the knowledge that this isn't the end.

I'm sure my Grandma & Grandpa Brinton are SMOTHERING him with kisses right now...

Looking for Something to do....

Remember BROOKE WHITE from this last season of American Idol!?!

She is coming HOME to MESA & putting on a concert on Saturday, Sept. 27th @ 8pm @ the Mesa Ampitheatre!

It is FREE!!!
Make it a date night or a Girls Night Out...

...and support a LOCAL STAR!!!

Split Second Decision

I decided to leave my husband...
for 24 hours :)

I ran some errands Friday morning & we got home & I was thinking about what to fix Matt for lunch & I decided to check my email...
My mom had written a quick email to say they were leaving to drive to the Ranch & coming back in the morning...

I picked up the phone & called Matt.
I told him I REALLY REALLY REALLY wanted to go.
I LOVE the ranch & we weren't able to go up over Labor Day weekend & I wanted to take Parker up once more before it was too cold.
Matt is AMAZING & he agreed that it would be fun for Parker & I to go...even though he would miss us:)

I called my mom.
I think the phone call went something like this:

Me: Ummm...so you are still home?
Mom: Yes, dad is on his way home from work to get me.
Me: Well...I was just wondering if...well...are you still going to the Ranch?
Mom: Yes...do you want to come?
Me: YES! Is that ok?
Mom: Of course. That would be fun.
Me: Are you sure? We aren't crashing yours & dad's romantic get-a-way?
Mom: {laughter} we would love for you to come.
Me: Ok!!!
Mom: We will come by & get you.

And so we left...

Nothing better than a McD's icecream cone while driving to Flagstaff :)
The minute we got there, Parker was climbing ALL OVER the place! He was in HEAVEN!

Helping give Grandpa the eggs for breakfast Saturday morning

Eating...more like destroying his breakfast.

Heaven for a Boy=As many sticks & rocks as you could ever want, all in one place!

He was SO HAPPY to be OUTSIDE & not sweating & covered with mosquitoes!

My WONDERFUL mom & dad were SUCH GOOD SPORTS to let us crash their road trip!
They really are SO AMAZING & I was so glad they were willing to let us tag along!
THANK YOU! THANK YOU! THANK YOU!

Parker couldn't get enough of Grandpa & Grandma!

Running down the cinder pit with Grandma:) Over & over & over again...

Wheelbarrow fun with Grandma!

It was a fast trip & Parker was a good sport to drive in the car for so long, but it was WELL WORTH IT! It was SO NICE to feel COLD WEATHER for once & Parker didn't have to be cooped up inside all day!

...but we sure missed "Daddy"!!!

Asking for your prayers...

Meet my cousin Bethany & her

amazingly cute family!Her youngest son, Gavin, has been through battle after battle over the past year & has been waiting for a liver transplant for months. {Many of you were able to help support him in an icecream social fundraiser a few months back} He has recently taken a turn for the worse & is currently in the PICU. I know the amazing POWER OF PRAYER is real, so I'm asking for your prayers for this family. Most of all I think Bethany & Andre need to feel comfort at this time & I know they can feel our prayers. Whether or not you know this family...please keep them in your prayers...it will be greatly appreciated.

Thank you!

For updates on Gavin, go HERE

Called to Serve

We get together every month with my mom's side & dad's side(different weeks) and have FHE together with all of our cousins. I love this tradition...it is so much fun to see our relatives every month & watch our family grow & grow & grow!

This month for PHELPS FHE...we had MISSIONARY NIGHT!
It was a lot of fun. Every Returned Missionary in the family set up a table with mission pictures & souveneirs & food for everyone to taste. We had SO many tables & there was a LOT of good food to try!

Matt's table didn't get as much attention as the "

Here is what we brought "from Chile"...

COMPLETOS
Basically a HOT DOG...with tomatoes, guacamole, ketsup & mayonnaise!
Matt said this is VERY popular in Chile!

Then some of the RM's told a FUN STORY & BORE THEIR TESTIMONY about their mission experience. We TRIED to get the kids to hold still for this...they did a pretty good job(even those hiding under the stage) :)
And just because they are SO CUTE...my adorable nieces, Gemma & Hallie...trying some of the mission food!