Just Because

This post is going to be completely random, themeless, a modge-podge of ideas. And here we go...

The last couple weeks Mariah has learned how to say "I love you". In Peter Pan whenever a child would say "I don't believe in fairies", a fairy would die. Every time Mariah says I love you I magically forget one of the many sleep deprived nights with her. It's a beautiful thing. The other night I was making dinner and Chet, who was hanging out on the couch, began to fuss. I told Mariah to talk to her brother because he was sad. She grabbed his hand and then said "I love you". I'm pretty sure my heart melted completely away. She then followed up that tender moment by shoving her cheese stick in his mouth, but just like her mother, she shows love with food so it was very understandable.

This was a big moment. Before then Mariah had only said "I love you" after we had said it or when one of us would prompt her. Chet is the first person that she has expressed that to out of the blue, all on her own. I just know they are going to be the best of friends but there will be times when Chet drives Mariah crazy, and my mom told me today that I had to remember that beautiful moment so I could bring it up when Mariah is not feeling so friendly towards her brother.

Next random story...

Last night I went over to my friend Lisa's house to help her with a project. I brought my Pack 'N Play for Mariah to sleep in because I knew I would be staying there way past her bedtime. By the time we got home Tanner was already in bed. As I carried Mariah half-asleep into the house I struggled a little with the door. Groggy little Mariah reached out her dimpled little hand and tried to ring the door bell. I had to grab it right at the last second. The last thing I wanted to do was wake up the exhausted, in the middle of finals week med student. But the situation made me chuckle. Seemed like something right out of a movie.

And a little bit about the week that I don't ever want to repeat...

The week started out on a Saturday when Tanner hurt his back playing two flag football games back to back on the rock hard frozen ground. The combination of sitting and studying day after day and the impact of running on the frozen ground was too much for his already bad back. He knew the best way to heal as quickly as possible was to do as little as possible. So that meant spending pretty much all of the time in bed. I felt a little like I had three children, one was just very well behaved and potty trained...thank heavens. On Sunday I survived Sacrament meeting and Nursery with Mariah and Chet without too much stress. (which really only happened because I was praying the whole time).
On Tuesday I decided I would make homemade macaroni and cheese. I was grating some cheese quite vigorously because I wanted to get it done before Mariah or Chet needed me and ended up grating my thumb. I've done this before, but usually it's just a little knick. This time was different. I took a whole chunk out of my nail and thumb. It bled like the dickens. I had to have Tanner hobble out of bed to get me a band aid so I could finish dinner, which turned out awful (Kraft Mac and Cheese all the way).

Proof that I'm not exaggerating for once

 After putting the kids to bed I frantically cleaned my house for book club, which only one person came to...so not worth the effort.
But things did start to get better. By Wednesday Tanner was able to get up for a little while and help me peel and core apples for pie while we watched White Christmas. On Thursday I cooked a turkey without completely destroying it and we had Thanksgiving dinner with some wonderful friends (at someone else's house...a tender mercy).

It tasted a lot better than it looked

On Friday we decided to get our Christmas tree. Because of Tanner's back we thought it would be best to get one at Home Depot that already had a stand. It is little and adorable and I don't think I could have loved another one more.

We then skyped with my family who were all at my sister's house in Seattle. It was so great to see everyone and watch Mariah giggle the whole time.
Now that I'm remembering how great the week ended maybe it wasn't so bad after all...
Heavenly Father knows just how to bless me and lift me up right when I need it.

And now I'm going to brag a little about Tanner...

Medical school is stressful and exhausting and all-consuming. I'm sure there are many nights where he would like to come home and shut himself away and just relax. But he doesn't. He is always so happy to see me, Mariah and Chet. Even with the thought of the "next big test" constantly in his mind he manages to have a cheerful attitude while at home. He plays with Mariah and often helps me by doing the dishes or cleaning up the living room. He asks me about my day and lets me talk his ear off. He is a champion husband and father and I am so blessed to be his wife.

We'll Keep Her...

Every parent thinks their child is the cutest...but we know that ours really is. Here are some videos to prove it:

She is reading at 20 months and upside down! Such a smart girl. We just aren't exactly sure what she is saying.

And that laugh...makes up for all the tantrums, restless nights and sassiness that girl dishes out. 

Big Man's First 2 Months

The Chetmeister is now 2 months old! The time has flown and dragged on...if you are a mother you will totally understand what I mean. I keep falling in love with this boy more and more. Here are some things about him at this stage that I don't want to ever forget...

His sweet sweet smiles. They aren't too frequent right now but that makes them all the better.They totally make the late nights all worth it.

His sleep habits. I don't think I'll actually be able to ever forget this. Chet is just a little too crazy about me and can't stand to spend more than two hours at the most without seeing me. So that is why we have already started sleep training, something I thought I would never do with a newborn. Some nights he does pretty good. Others are downright miserable. But I'm surviving.

The way he makes his sister laugh. Mariah thinks it is hilarious when Chet starts kicking. It makes her giggle every time. I love that he is already bringing her joy.

His girth. Chet weighed a whopping 15 pounds at his two month check up. That is more than half of Mariah's weight. She better start packing in the food or her little brother is going to pass her up. Judging by this picture it looks like he already has.

All his hair. Some has fallen out so it isn't distributed evenly on his head, making him look like a friar or a 90s kid with a bowl cut, but I still love it.

He is such a sweet boy and we have loved seeing him get more of a personality each day.

Life With Two...

I spent 9 months wondering and worrying how I would be able to handle two sweet babes only 18 months apart....Well, we're still alive.

But really, it has gone much better than I imagined it could go. But here are some of the many things that I took for granted before becoming a mother:

• Private Bathroom time. I think Mariah would have an aneurism if I ever shut her out of the bathroom, or she would decide to play Ring Around the Rosie with her brother and give him a concussion. I never truly enjoyed my showers from the past. They now consist of a toddler holding the shower curtain open crying and saying "all done" over and over and over, sometimes with the screams of her brother as background music. 
• The making of meals. I often dreaded making dinner, "I have to come up with something to make, thats so hard". Boy I would like to go back and shake myself. Coming up with what to make is the least of my worries. Now I have to make sure Chet is fed and content and protected from his overly loving sister. I have to try everything shy of standing on my head to keep Mariah from clutching my leg, or worse yet, pulling down my sweat pants while I am cooking. And yes, I frequently am wearing sweat pants at dinner time. I often stay in sweats all day long. However, that was going on long before the children arrived. I'm all about comfort. 
• Using Electronic Devices. Mariah is now officially addicted to technology. If I try to quickly check something on my computer she is trying to bang on the keyboard or crying because she can't reach the keyboard. If she sees me with her my i-pod Touch she insists on watching videos of herself and it is the end of the world if I deny her. Same goes for Tanner's i-pad. She just recently has decided that my cell phone is now hers as well. So basically all electronics are put away/hidden when she is awake. Which probably isn't a bad thing. 
• Sleep. Oh glorious sleep. I regret all those nights where I stayed up so late. I took sleep for granted, silly me. Now if I get three continuous hours of sleep in the night I'm elated and feel like I've slept for days. There are those nights when I finally get Chet asleep and crawl back to bed only to have Mariah cry out for me. Those are rough nights. 
• Reading books. I always wanted children who loved books but I think I was hoping for a love of many books not just one. I'm afraid if I have to read Going on a Bear Hunt one more time I might completely lose it. And that is why I have hid it under the couch.

I hope I'm not misunderstood with this post. I love being a mother and wouldn't trade it for any other job. But it is a hard job, much harder than I ever anticipated. One of the ways I deal with stress is to laugh at my situation. I like to follow the advice of Elder Joseph B. Wirthlin, a leader in my church:

"The next time you're tempted to groan, you might try to laugh instead. It will extend your life and make the lives of all those around you more enjoyable."

This is what keeps me sane people, finding the humor in the moment. And trust me, the humor is there, no matter how badly you want to kick your child out of the house or shut yourself in your room and never come out. So I hope you all found the humor in this post. I want understanding and laughter, not pity. 

I love my little terrors and love the person they are helping me to become. 

And yes, at times I consider Tanner a terror...

The Big Sister

My little baby is now a big sister...and 18 months going on 21 years. I can't believe how much she has grown and changed in the last six months! I'm a little burnt out on the whole interview thing so this time I'm just going to do some bullet points. We'll go back to the interviews when she can actually answer the questions herself. (I know it may come as a shock to some of you, but all this time I have just been imagining what Mariah might say to my questions. I know some of you thought we had a child prodigy...we do, just not that vocal yet.)

• Mariah still loves her stuffed animals and doll. Boppa (Grandma Young) got her a little stroller and she loves to take them on walks. She loads them all up and then says "bye" to anyone who will listen. She also likes to wrap them in blankets and give them lots of kisses. 
• Mariah is a talker...we just aren't quite sure what she is saying most of the time. But she is constantly jabbering with facial expressions and intonations. 
• She does have a pretty large vocabulary for her age though. She loves to repeat words that we say to her and usually does a pretty good job of pronouncing them. 
• Mariah does this little speed walk where she pumps her little arm up and down, I think thats her propeller. 
• She loves to say "hello!" to anyone who will give her the time of day. It's fun to see how it makes complete strangers smile. The girl has a gift. 
• Mariah has become a great sleeper, hallelujah! I didn't know if I would ever be able to say that. 
• When Dad comes home from school she immediately begins this awkward little dance with a big grin on her face as if to say, "Oh hey dad! Look at how much fun we've been having." Doesn't matter if minutes before she was hanging on my leg screaming as I cook dinner.  
• Mariah loves going on walks outside. She is very interested in dead leaves and will pick up as many as she can hold in her hand. She also has discovered dandelions and they are a new favorite.
• We have a neighbor who has cats in a pen, she is passionate about her felines, and Mariah loves to go and check on them. It's just icing on the cake when the neighbor's dog kitty-corner to the cats is in the yard too. 
• Her favorite books right now are The Runaway Bunny, Brown Bear Brown Bear, Goodnight Gorilla, and Chicka Chicka ABC. I pretty much have all of them memorized.
• Mariah loves songs and music. She loves Ring Around the Rosy and will say "ashes ashes" and spin around until we start singing the song for her. She also loves the Eensy Weensy spider and tries to do the hand motions for that. She will bring my ipod to me and start singing, that means she wants me to plug it into the i-home so she can dance to the music. 

For the most part Mariah has loved being a big sister. She loves holding Chet's hand, bringing him his binkie, toys, and blankets and even tries to play Ring Around the Rosy with him. She does have her moments though. When I nurse him she gets a little jealous and tries to climb up on my lap. Poor Chet gets a little smashed at times during his meals and I don't get to relax much. She also has been teething so she spends a lot of her time screaming and crying. Poor thing. Needless to say it has all been an adjustment for her but she is handling it pretty well.

Mariah wanted me to put her shoes on Chet. She thought it was so great. 

Little story behind this picture: Mariah gets attached to different things while we are grocery shopping. This day it happened to be the Romaine lettuce. It was all I could do to wrench it out of her hot little hands to buy the stuff. The cashier then handed it back to her, much to my chagrin. Another battle commenced in the car when I tried to take it from her. So she snuggled with it the whole way home. Once we got home I decided she could help me carry it into the house. But she immediately lost interest. Figures...

And to end this wonderful post here is a video of my two favorite Beat-Boxers...

Sorry about my little line in the video...it had been a long night. I think Chet wet through at least four diapers in the span of 12 hours. Never use Newborn diapers on an 11 pound baby. They don't work. 

One Stormy Night in September...

This little blog is our family journal, and since I don't ever want to forget the birth of my beautiful boy I will be blogging about it. If you think that is weird, gross, TMI, whatever... no one is forcing you to read this. And I will still love you.

I woke up Thursday morning feeling like I always did...as if I hadn't slept at all. Three plus nighttime trips to the bathroom will make you feel that way. Since Thursday is my day to watch the little kiddos for exercise group, I snuggled cute babies and tried to teach Mariah how to share (a definite work in progress).

When we got home, Mariah and I went down for our daily naps. We woke up just in time to head over to my friend Chelsey's house for a little lunch date with friends. We had bread bowls with some amazing soup Chelsey had made. Right before leaving Chelsey's house, around 2:00, I felt a contraction. It wasn't painful but definitely wasn't a Braxton Hicks but I didn't think much of it.

Once home Mariah and I played for an hour or so and about every fifteen minutes I was having contractions. I packed a bag for the hospital but kept telling myself that this wasn't the real deal. Still in denial, I tried to put Mariah down for a nap. She was just chatting away in her room so after about 30 minutes I got her up. By this point my contractions were about six minutes apart. I could still do whatever I wanted while they were going on so I wasn't too concerned. But I figured I better let Tanner know just in case things picked up.

I can be somewhat of a procrastinator at times so I hadn't even been to the labor and delivery part of the hospital. I figured it might be a good idea to give them a call and see if there was anything special that I needed to do. While talking to the nurse I told her that I had tested positive for Strep B and she told me that I better head in as soon as possible so they could get me started on the antibiotics.

Tanner was home by this point so we called up my good friend Lisa and she was over in no time and out the door with Mariah. I was afraid Mariah was going to be sad to leave us but she loves Lisa and her little boy Max so much that she was way excited to go.

It was around 5pm  and we headed up to the hospital and went straight to Labor and Delivery only to be told that we would need to walk back down to admissions and register. By this point my contractions were about five minutes apart but I was still walking and talking through them.

When we got back to labor and delivery they hooked me up to the monitors to see how my labor was progressing. My contractions slowed down and I was afraid they were going to tell me everything was a false alarm and to go home. Would have been a little embarrassing. But they seemed happy with what they were seeing so they said I could stay! Hooray!

I was able to get up and move around at that point. With Mariah I had the luxury of laboring for two hours in a car and then being put in a bed flat on my back for the rest of my labor; it was awful. I loved being able to move around during my contractions this time. It made it so much easier.

The doctor then came in to see how far I had progressed. I figured I would be around a 5 or 6 in dilation because I felt so good. I was chatting it up with the nurses and trying not to distract Tanner from his studying. I couldn't believe it when the doctor said I was already at an 8! They brought in an exercise ball for me and Tanner massaged my back while I labored there. The contractions were picking up in intensity but nothing I couldn't handle.

The doctor came in and checked me and the position of little mans head. He said I was at a 9 (yay!) but that little man's head was turned a little to the right, not ideal for pushing. He then attempted to rotate his head (definitely felt like he was trying scratch my brain, not pleasant at all). This caused my water to break and the fun and games were definitely over. I was now at the stage where you feel that death is coming. The doctor wanted me lying on my side so that the baby's head would stay in the correct position. He then told me to let him know when I was ready to push. After suffering through some pretty miserable contractions I decided I was done with that business and announced to the room that I was going to push.

Within seconds they had me in position, Tanner was at my side and it was go time. I had to push for two hours with Mariah but it wasn't painful. This was a completely different experience. Basically, I felt like I was splitting in two. In my head I was imagining this pain going on for two hours and I started to feel pretty disheartened. The doctor and nurses kept telling me that it wasn't going to be long and the baby would be there but I just couldn't believe them. Then Tanner looked me in the eye and said, "he's close, you can do it." I love that man, it brings tears to my eyes just thinking about the confidence he gave me.

After only two more pushes I had the head out and the rest of him just slipped right out...or at least that is how it is supposed to go. This boy has the shoulders of a linebacker and one of his shoulders was hooked under my pelvis. So while I was pushing the doctor was slipping his bear paw of a hand up under his shoulder to get him out. It was all I could do to not shout very unkind things to him at that moment. But it worked! And at 7:30ish pm (sorry not exact on the time) and ten minutes of pushing, baby boy was born.

Words cannot describe that moment. Such overwhelming joy flooded over me as my precious baby grabbed right on to my finger. At that moment all of my pain was forgotten and I was in heaven. Funny how you can feel so close to death at one instant and then so alive the very next. That is labor and delivery folks.

After pushing what felt like a baby calf out I knew he was going to be big. But when they said 11 lbs 22 in I was shocked. We did not have an infant...we had a three month old. Not exactly sure how that happened, or how he fit in there. The boy must have been extremely flexible. Here's the other shocker, even though I had an episiotomy with Mariah I had no tearing with this lugger. I give all the credit of that to my doctor. To all you Kirksvillians, Dr. Boling is amazing.

After Mariah, I always wondered how a mother could equally love multiple children. I just didn't know if it was possible. But it is. This has helped strengthen my testimony of the love that Heavenly Father has for each of us. Thats the beauty of love, it isn't something that gets measured and distributed and eventually runs out. Perfect love can be in a never-ending supply.

I love my sweet little Chet Tanner Crossley and am so happy and grateful to have him in my life!

Mariah's Sidekicks

The other day I decided to go yard sale hopping. Tanner always has this fear that I'm going to come home with a lot of junk which I guess is a valid concern since Kirksville is the capital of junk sales. I'm telling you, this place is a hoarder's paradise.  So as I was leaving he asked what I was looking for. In a somewhat condescending tone I replied, "All I'm going to be looking for is baby boy clothes; that's it, nothing else."

When Mariah and I arrived at the first sale she made a beeline for this purple, sparkly, stuffed horse. It was love at first sight. She carried it around as I kept looking. There was no way I could take it from her; for one thing, it would have broken her heart and another was that it was a horse. I love horses and any opportunity I can get to instill that love in Mariah I take. So we bought it for three dollars and headed on our way.

I went to several yard sales and came home with nothing. No baby clothes, just Mariah's new best friend. Tanner just shook his head but didn't seem to mind too much when he found out how much we paid for it. I threw it in the washer and it came out looking like new.

And I think the horse is growing on Tanner. He named it Steve and now if we tell Mariah to go get Steve she runs and grabs her purple pony. She has become obsessed with music and dancing and will bring my ipod to me and whine until I turn music on so she can dance around with Steve. Doesn't get any cuter than that people.

And then there is her baby doll. Grandma Young got it for her this summer and she was so excited. She didn't want to put it down. Now she will carry the baby around patting it on the back and giving it kisses.

We've been giving her eyedrops and at the beginning she would scream and thrash and act like we were torturing her. I then received inspiration from the Heavens. I got her baby doll and let her "put" eye drops on her baby. She does so much better now.

Giving her baby kisses

It gives me hope that she will be just as loving and gentle with her baby brother. I don't know how she can keep getting cuter, but she does. Sure love that baby girl! 

Our Big Girl

Mariah will be sixteen months next week...holy moley our little girl is growing up! Some big things have happened to her this last month.

The biggest of all, she is walking. Woohoo! Glory glory hallelujah! She started at the beginning of this month and took off like a blaze of glory. All that finger holding finally paid off. And now our backs can take a break.

She loves to wander around the house, chatting up a storm. She dances, spins in circles, and tries to run away from me. Oh dear. Luckily she isn't too fast yet so this pregnant mom can still run her down. She thinks it's hilarious. I'm sure it does look pretty amusing, my running. Now that she can walk she wants to follow the big kids around. She's trying to grow up too fast.

Talking has come with the walking and we're pretty excited about it. She knows how to say hi, hello, mom, dad, baby, uh-oh, ow, bubble, eye...yeah she's pretty much speaking in full sentences.

She still loves books and will bring them up to me so I can read them to her. I'm so happy our little girl is a book lover. I hope it sticks.

She also has a big girl car seat! Which she will use once I work up the motivation to go and install it. For now it makes a great easy chair to read books in.

Mariah has even decided the pool is a pretty cool place. She used to cry every time we got in a pool but maybe because it gets blazing hot here in the midwest she has decided it isn't such a bad idea.

Or it could be her super awesome sunglasses. Surprisingly she keeps them on. And yes, Tanner does have a goatee in this photo. Though I think he is handsome with facial hair, I'm quite partial to the smooth faced Tanner. He had his fun and then was nice enough to shave it off.

Mariah is getting such a cute personality. She loves to laugh and has the best giggle ever. Whenever I laugh she laughs, because she wants to be just like me. The last few days she has decided she wants to try to feed herself. She isn't very good with a spoon and fork but she really likes practicing.

We sure do love this little lady and can't wait to see how she will keep growing and learning new things!

Trip of All Trips!

I took a non-intentional break from the world of blogging. So to all of my avid readers (hardy har) we're back!

Now that I have recovered from our wonderful trip out west I thought I better blog about it before I forget everything.

Tanner had to do a Preceptorship (basically he shadowed a doctor in Kennett, MO) for the first two weeks of break. So I decided to fly out early to be with my family. Mariah wasn't too bad on the flights. There was a lot of screaming and flailing and throwing of things, but I was planning on that so it wasn't too traumatic. The people we sat next to were very understanding as well. Even the man who I sprayed down with my water bottle (pressure changes will do that) as Mariah was having a tantrum. As he had water dripping down his face he said, "well that would make a cool experiment." What a dear, dear man. Then there was the elderly woman who entertained Mariah while we waited to board our second flight. She then offered to help me get off the plane and as I was walking out, she was waiting to ask if I needed help picking up my luggage. A great thing about flying is you often get to see how wonderful people truly are.

Mariah had a blast at my parents. When you're at a ranch with dogs, cats (and kittens), horses, baby calves to bottle feed, chickens, four wheelers, a Grandpa who is constantly sneaking you treats, a Grandma who gives you baby dolls and stuffed animals, sweet cousins, and aunts and uncles who are always doting on you; it's hard not to have fun.

She was filthy and exhausted at the end of every day, a sign of a good time. And this won't come as a surprise to any of you, but this was about all the pictures I got at my parents'...sigh.

Tanner got there a few days before we had to head down to Vegas for my sister Tiffany's wedding. And just because it was in Vegas doesn't mean they were married by Elvis...they were married in the beautiful Las Vegas Temple. A much better option.

Aren't they a gorgeous couple? I am so happy for you Tiffany and Cameron! May you have a long life filled with happiness and beautiful babies! Oh and a little factoid, Tiffany wore my Mom's wedding dress with a few alterations. It was so beautiful. And my mom did the flowers; she is very talented. This picture was taken at the reception at the ranch in my parent's cute little barn.

We weren't able to be there because right after the wedding we were heading up to Idaho for Tanner's family reunion! It was in a big ol' cabin in Island Park. It was so great to see all of Tanner's family. We hadn't seen most of them for at least a year or more. We had so much fun. The only downside was that Mariah was super sick the whole time we were there. I promise Crossley family she is usually a happy baby who loves people.

One night we had family challenges. In one of the challenges, all of the dad's had to have peanut butter smeared all over their face and then their teammates tried to get cheetos to stick to their face by throwing them. It was pretty awesome and Tanner was such a good sport to do it.

His face was smooth as a baby's bottom after this... oh and he tied for first. Whoop whoop!

We then had to build towers with marshmallows and toothpicks. The family with the highest tower still standing won. Tanner had some plan that he wasn't divulging to me so I just ate marshmallows and kept making little triangles like he asked as our fifteen minutes ticked away. By the end we hadn't really accomplished much so we just ended up piling all the triangles on top of each other.

So we aren't architects...oh well.

Earlier that day we went on a little hike, and then went out to an open field and flew kites. Mariah was feeling a little better that day so she even played in the dirt some.

We did a lot of other fun stuff but this is all I got photos of, once again, I really dropped the ball.

But thanks to all who planned this wonderful reunion! It was so great to be together. I love the Crossley family so much and I'm so grateful to be a part of it!

After the reunion we stayed a night at one of my best friend Brynn's house. It was fun to spend some time with her and her cute little kids. The next day we spent  with Tanner's good friend Elliot and his wife Esther (who just happens to be Kaisa's (Tanner's brother Chad's wife) sister.) I don't know if all those paragraphs confused you or not... But that meant we got to spend it with Kaisa and her kids too! Elliot and Esther live at a great house with an awesome playground and a pond with canoes. In preparation for his canoe trip with the scouts, Tanner went on a little jaunt that ended with him falling into the pond and his canoe taking a little trip on its own. I haven't laughed as hard as I did in a long time. Thanks Tanner!

The next morning Kaisa offered to watch Mariah while we went to the Rexburg temple. It was our first session together at that temple, which was kind of special because Rexburg is where it all started.

We then headed up to Star Valley, Wyoming to spend a couple nights with Tanner's other good friend Matt and his family. That place is so beautiful. And no, I didn't take any pictures.

We then headed out for the long drive back to Missoura. Mariah was such an angel for the drive. I probably complained more than she did. Grandma Crossley is a genius and gave me a balloon to blow up in case Mariah had a meltdown. She loved it!

We stayed a night in Ogallala, Nebraska. Tanner put Mariah in the bathroom part and hung up a blanket so she wouldn't be able to see us. She usually sleeps better if she doesn't know we are in the room. We laid her down and within a couple minutes she was peeking out at us behind the blanket. She was pretty pleased with herself.

The next day was again filled with driving. Mariah was such a good girl and only had a few meltdowns. We had some suckers in case of emergency and it gave us  a whole fifteen minutes at least of peace and quite. And Mariah was in heaven.

We made it to Kirksville Monday evening, grateful to be in our own beds again.

Oh yeah, we have a new car! Sven the mini-van. I think that is part of the reason why Mariah did so well on the drive. She could see so much more than she could in our little two door and it was way easier for me to heft my pregnant self to the back to sit by her.

And I have a little confession to make: of all the driving that was done during this vacation, I think I may have driven a total of 1 hour...Tanner drove the rest. The total hours of driving that Tanner logged this trip was at least 63 hours. That man is amazing, especially when he has all the Harry Potters on audiobooks.

Not Just Getting Fat...

Mariah had the honor of making the big announcement on this here blog but I decided I should get to make this one. I might have let Tanner but since his nose is glued to his ipad studying for his last test and finals I thought he would be ok with me doing it.

We are having a BOY! Woohoo! I really tried to think of some cute way to announce it. But let's be honest, most of you knew already what we were having so my natural lazy instincts kicked in. Yes, I am a bum. And I become even more of a bum when I am pregnant.

I did do something cute to announce Mariah, but it wasn't even my idea. Tanner is the creative one around here. I've seen it on Pinterest a lot now, but I know he couldn't have seen it there. He has ESPN to fill his down time; no need for Pinterest. So I'll just show you that!

I'm about that size now, so just imagine a blue bow and we're good! Truthfully, I'm bigger this go-around. I really had to shove my belly out in this picture so that I would look pregnant. Sorry though, no pictures. I'm really not a fan of pictures when I'm pregnant. I took enough with Mariah, I'm done with that.

This pregnancy has been the same as my first so far. Easy-peasy. And no, I'm not just being tough. I'm actually a pretty whiny person. Maybe thats why I have easy pregnancies. Otherwise no one would ever want to be around me. Tanner probably would have said one was enough; I would lose all my friends; doctors would refuse to treat me...you get the point.

We are so excited to be having this baby. It makes it seem more real for me once I know the gender. I love to pat my belly and talk to my "little man". I'm in love with him already! And if anyone is wondering, Tanner is giddy about having a boy. "Someone to carry on the name..." Guys say thats why they want a boy, but I think they just want someone they can wrestle with.

To be honest though, after spending a year with this "sweet thang", I think he would have been just as excited to have a girl.

My Day Off

I was very spoiled this Mother's Day. Tanner woke up with Mariah, fed her and even sucked out her snotty nose. I think I could have slept 'til noon if Mariah's blood-curdling screams didn't wake me up (she is not a fan of the nasal aspirator). This is what I woke up to:

Magically Delicious Crepes (they were filled with strawberries, bananas, peaches, whipped cream and chocolate ice cream. Then topped off with caramel chocolates and chocolate syrup, my man knows me well). And cheesy love notes (in case you couldn't tell, those are cheezits). One of my requests for mother's day was a "cheesy love note" from Tanner. He may have taken me a little too literally. So he isn't much of a romantic, but he sure can make me laugh.

Tanner cleaned the kitchen and made Mariah a lunch while I got Mariah and myself ready for church. After church he made me dinner and a delicious peach cobbler that we shared with friends. And once again, he did all the dishes. He's a keeper.

Mariah gave me a great gift for Mother's day as well. After church she had a little bit of a meltdown so we decided to put her down for a late nap. When I got her up from her nap she cuddled with me for a good ten minutes. It was wonderful. I don't think she could have given me anything that would have made me happier.

I am so grateful for my own mother. She is such a wonderful example to me. I am so grateful for the decision she made to be sealed to my father for time and all eternity in the temple and to have seven children. I know it wasn't easy; now that I have my own child I know just a fraction of the sacrifices she made each and every day. Thank you mom for all that you have done and continue to do!

I'm also so grateful for my mother-in-law. I know that Tanner didn't end up being as gentle and caring as he is and with such a strong Testimony by accident. Thank you momma Crossley for all that you taught your son. We love you so much!

Food Glorious Food...

Mariah loves to eat. I don't have anyone to compare to, but I'm pretty sure she eats more than the average 1 year old. It shouldn't come as a surprise to me, considering how much food I consume but that is a whole different topic. I'm always expecting her to chub out more but she must have a pretty high metabolism (the girl takes after her father in so many ways).

The last few weeks Mariah has changed her eating tactics. I do not steal food from my child. I do not tell her to hurry and eat faster. But if you saw the way she eats, you would probably think that...

It ages me 2 years every time she does this...

A Phase

Like most children her age, Mariah goes through phases. Most of the time I am singing the Hallelujah Chorus at the end of one of her phases, because to be honest, they are often not my favorite. But she recently went through one that I was very sad to see go.

My good friend Morgan watched Mariah for me one day. When I came to pick her up  Mariah was clutching Horton, a little elephant finger puppet, puff flower and all (I'm sure there was a speck as well with a whole who-village, but obviously I couldn't see that). Anyone who knows Morgan has seen her love/obsession/weakness for babies. When she saw me eyeing the puppet she quickly informed me that there was no way she was going to take it away from Mariah. It was her gift to her. Apparently Mariah was in love with Horton.

As Mariah and I left the house I chuckled at what a softy Morgan was and figured poor Horton would be ditched before we even got into the car. But I was wrong. Mariah loved on Horton that whole day and the next few days that followed. I even let her take Horton with her for one of her naps and she fell asleep with her face smashed down on the poor pachyderm. If she hadn't seen him for a while she would grab him and snuggle him up to her cheek. It was pretty heart warming.

Not the best quality photos; I took them with my rinky-dink ipod touch...but her charm makes up for the blurriness.

But as I said before, her love faded. I don't know what caused her to become disenchanted but one day I handed him to her, expecting her little show of love, and she promptly threw him to the ground and began playing with something else. And so it ended.

 I don't know whether I should warn the men she dates someday or not...

It's already been a year?!

Mom: The time has come, and I am still in denial. You are a year old! 

Mariah: I sure am! And let me tell you, the year has flown by!

Mom: It has been a good one, my favorite year to be exact. What did you think of it?

Mariah: Wellll, there were some rough patches where you and dad couldn't figure out what I wanted. That always got a little frustrating. But not enough to keep me down. I've loved my first year!

Mom: I feel like you have changed so much just in the past month. What are some new things that you have learned?

Mariah: I have learned how to throw little tantrums when I don't get my way. I arch my back and scream. You don't seem to like that very much but I think they're pretty fun.

Mom: Lets just say I dreaded the day when they would come. What more positive things have you learned?

Mariah: I love to growl! I growl for everything. Sometimes I scare you and then I laugh because I'm just so funny. I also like to play peek-a-boo with my blankie; that makes me laugh too. I've gotten really good at kisses. I even give my stuffed bunny kisses. I also have been working on blowing kisses. I think I almost have it down.

Mom: You are so close. Once you figure out how to pucker up instead of the wide open mouth kisses, you'll be a pro! Are you a walker yet?

Mariah: I am if I get to walk between you and daddy! But I don't take my time, I just charge forward because getting your balance really isn't that important. When daddy is gone I walk between you and the couch. When you aren't close to the couch I hold my hand out for you so you know to come and play with me.

Mom: Do you still like to hold our fingers and walk around?

Mariah: Yes! Especially when dad goes extra fast. I have a need for speed!

Mom: You must get that from your Grandpa Young. How are you sleeping?

Mariah: like a champ! I sleep all night long! I'm usually pretty good at my naps too. I've decided sleeping is pretty great.

Mom: I'm so glad you figured that out. How many teeth do you have now?

Mariah: Four, my middle top and bottom. I'm a big girl now!

Mom: I won't accept that until you're 25...sorry. Do you like to snuggle?

Mariah: I never thought I would say this but I now love it! Especially when I have just woken up. I love to lay my head on you or daddy's shoulder and sometimes on other people's shoulders. It's just wonderful.

Mom: I couldn't agree more. We've had some warm weather, do you like going outside?

Mariah: It took a while for me to get used to the great outdoors, but now I love it! We've gone to the park a few times and I think the swings are the greatest thing ever. When you try to get me out I cling to the chains and cry and cry.

Mom: I'm so glad you already have things to be passionate about in your life. So I know you've been told this before but you have great hair. Can I show everyone?

Mariah: Go right ahead!

Mariah: Daddy thought my hair looked like Justin Bieber in the last photo. Whoever that is...

Mom: It looks better on you. Well Mariah this has been a wonderful year. Daddy and I are so grateful to have you in our life. You make every day better and more exciting. We can't wait to see how you grow and change each passing day. We love you Mariah Jeanne!

This hurts my heart a little. It seems only yesterday that she was the tiny baby on the left. I didn't think it would all go by as fast as it has but I'm so grateful for this wonderful journey of parenthood. Mariah has taught me so much about myself, my husband, the world and most importantly my Savior Jesus Christ. I didn't realize how big of an impact this precious little baby would have on my life. It really is a miracle the way a tiny baby can teach you more than you could ever imagine. And the wonderful thing is that it has only begun. I know that I have so much more to learn, that my Faith needs strengthening, my pride needs diminishing, and I don't know of a better way to do that than through motherhood. Thank you my Angel Baby Mariah for your little life lessons each and ever day.

The Best Week of the Year!

This week is the Crossley family week. We claim it. I believe that we have every right to it and this is why: April 1st is our anniversary (I know I know, we are such jokers), April 2nd is Tanner's birthday, and April 4th is Mariah's birthday. Throw in Easter and it's the greatest week ever! Crazy? Yes, but we like cramming almost all of our celebrations in one week. We also like to cram all the events in one blog post...sorry.

We didn't do many of the typical Easter things, like easter baskets, egg dying, egg hunts... I justified my lameness by deciding that Mariah was too young to really get anything out of it. We didn't miss the Easter baskets or the egg dying, but Sunday morning was so warm and beautiful that I started to regret not hiding a few eggs for Mariah. I took her outside to soak in some rays and found a wonderful surprise: an Easter egg! The Missionaries from our church had left an egg on the lawn outside our door with a special Easter message inside. Mariah got her Easter egg hunt! Well, sorta...there wasn't much of a hunt but she didn't mind. 

She loved that egg. She kept it in her little hands for over an hour. Oh, and I was very excited to find a dress for her that didn't have any pink on it. Walmart...eight dollars...I love that place. 

Tanner and I woke up early Easter morning to watch the sun rise and read out of the Bible the story of the Savior's resurrection. We are hoping to make that a tradition with our family. Mariah was still in bed, but I just couldn't wake her up, when she is sleeping I let her sleep. You know that saying, "let sleeping dogs lie"? It really should be, "let sleeping babies lie." Just saying. 

There were three babies blessed and someone was confirmed at church. It was the most perfect way to celebrate Easter. I am so grateful for the knowledge that I have that my Savior lives! What a blessing that is. 

Monday was our 2 year Anniversary. I know, long time. I'm just waiting for people to start asking me for marriage advice. We didn't do much because Tanner had a test he had to study for but we did go out to eat at a Mongolian (tasted like Chinese, pretty much was chinese) restaurant.  The waitress was so sweet. I don't think she spoke very much English but she was in love with Mariah. 

Keep it Quiet.This is Tanner, I just wanted to say that I have a wonderful wife and the most gorgeous daughter. I treasure the little moments I get to share wish them. Okay back to my studies. Have a great week!

I left this post up when Tanner took the computer...my husband is the best. I'm so grateful we have each other for eternity. This life just wouldn't be long enough. 

Tanner's birthday was the next day. I got up and made him a big breakfast. I was all proud of my whole wheat pancakes until Tanner cut into them and revealed a nasty, doughy inside. That has never happened to me before....I'm usually such a marvelous cook. Just don't ask Tanner... but he was a good sport about it all. Maybe because there was bacon and Tanner, like most men, loves his bacon. 

Tanner decided the thing that he wanted to do most on his birthday was study all day long. Actually, I don't think that was his top top choice. Necessity may have had something to do with it. But he came home for dinner and the great thing was that the house didn't even smell like bacon anymore! Tanner had his favorite dinner, Hawaiian Haystacks, which are impossible for anyone to mess up. He's a smart man. We followed that up with some angel food cake, strawberries and whip cream. 

I love Mariah's face in this picture. I think this may be her favorite meal too. And yes, Tanner ate that whole thing. I didn't get a picture of him blowing out his candle which really makes me sad. Will I ever learn?

Mariah's birthday was on Thursday. Her very first Birthday!! I was pretty excited. She didn't know what the big deal was. I made her favorite dinner, spaghetti, and some cupcakes with pink frosting. I was so excited for Mariah to get her very own cupcake. I imagined her smashing it all over her face, smiling crazily for pictures, you know, first birthday perfection. But, Mariah was sick. So she wouldn't eat her dinner, or much of her cupcake. Boo.

I can't believe it has already been a year since Mariah came into our family. She is such a blessing and a joy. We love her more than we ever could have imagined! Next post will be Mariah's 1 year interview! Woohoo! Here's hoping I can get it done before the month is over! 

Spring Break

I was debating whether to even post about our Spring Break adventures because it was a while ago. But we had such a great time and I know we'll want to remember it so here goes a massive post...

My mom came during Finals week and it was so wonderful! Any med school wives trying to figure out a time for their moms to come should look into a finals week, just saying. We stayed busy cooking and baking up a storm, making curtains and a quilt for Mariah's room and finally finishing the wreath that was supposed to be for Valentines day. Luckily it goes great in Mariah's room. Of course when I say "we" I mean my mom because she did most of it. My mom even watched Mariah so Tanner and I could go to a game night and a Birthday party. Basically she spoiled us.

The Quilt! My mom did such a great job! 

Mariah had so much fun with Grandma Young too. Sadly, all the pictures we took of the two of them together were on my Mom's camera. Once again, a fail in the picture department.

Early Monday morning we headed for St Louis. Tanner somehow managed to pack our jogging stroller, my mom's luggage, and all of our stuff for the next two days in teeny-tiny little Hiva (thats our trusty, 2-door Chevy Cavalier's name.) Tanner is a packer extraordinaire! We decided a trip to St Louis would be the best with some of our great friends: The Hills, Robertsons and Sagers.

We stopped at a little doughnut shop outside of St Louis and consumed enough sugar and trans fats to last us a year. But it was worth it.

We then went to the Science Museum (not sure if thats what it was called...), anyways there was a lot of scientific stuff and it was free! Thats our kind of fun! Mariah tried her hand at Paleontology but I don't think she enjoyed it too much...

However, she may have a future in Geology, just as long as the rocks are shiny and pretty.

The second picture is Tanner taking a rock out of her mouth. Look at them, can you blame her?

After the Museum we had lunch at a restaurant called Blueberry Hill owned by Chuck Berry. Mariah was a little dear and slept through the whole meal so we could really enjoy it. She woke up with just enough time to have some delicious Macaroni and Cheese. Once again, no pictures. Just imagine it with me.

We then went to the arch and rode the little teeny tram to the top. The view was great, but I think a couple improvements could have been made. For one thing, the ride to the top and back down would have been much more exhilarating if it was turned into a roller coaster...don't know why they didn't think of that. But they had a cool little museum about Lewis and Clark under the arch so that was fun; not quite roller coaster fun, but it was informative.

We then checked into our hotel and went swimming. Mariah wasn't too fond of the pool; she cried the whole time we were in it. But she did enjoy the hot tub...not too sure if the American Academy of Pediatrics would approve, but she was happy.

We then put the exhausted baby to bed and she immediately fell asleep, which never happens. That night we played some games in the Hills' room and got to see a different side of everyone (reverse charades will do that). And I don't mean to brag but we are such big party animals we even had to be told by hotel staff to quiet down. Whoops...

We woke up bright and early to take my mom to the airport, that was my least favorite part of the trip. After that we headed to the St. Louis temple while Mariah stayed with the Hills and Robertsons. The temple was closed for cleaning so we got to clean! Well technically most of our cleaning consisted of hauling chairs and tables, but it was neat to see how great it felt even in the cafeteria. The temple is a wonderful place.

The rest of Tuesday was spent at the St Louis Zoo which, once again, was free. I'm a little bit of an animal nerd so this was my favorite part of the trip by far. I have never seen zoo animals as active as these were. I don't know whether it was the warmer weather but the hippos were practicing their underwater WWE, the elephants were racing around and even trumpeting, and a cougar was pacing and jumping up on the fence.  And then there was a gorilla who tried to attack Marshall and baby Max through the glass. They weren't even teasing him, just looking. I wasn't a fan of that part, after watching Rise of Planet of the Apes I have had a deep mistrust of Gorillas. This just solidified it even more.

Mariah's favorite part was probably the birds. She really paid attention to the Bald Eagle. It was pretty cute. Halfway through the day she crashed and got a really good nap in.

That night Tanner, Mariah and I went to a Blues Hockey game. I felt a little out of place because the whole stadium was decked out in Blues apparel. They were playing the San Jose something or others and I did not see one of their fans. Mariah loved all the flashing lights and would politely clap when everyone else did. I knew she was wondering why everyone was applauding her, but she didn't mind.

Mariah and I were having a grand ol' time until we realized that Hockey is not for the faint of heart... there are three halfs (or thirds? Tanner's slowly teaching me.) Each half/third is 20 minutes long and there are 20 minute breaks in between these halfs/thirds. That means a lot of sitting and watching. Yawn...so we left after the second half/third.

Mariah conked out on the way back to the car and slept the whole way to the hotel.

She looked so peaceful and adorable that I had Tanner take a picture. Little did we know that she was gearing up for a long night.

We booked a hotel through Priceline that was downtown right by the arch on the 28th floor. It was pretty beautiful. But by eleven that night, Mariah was making us think that driving the three hour drive to Kirksville may have been less painful than pacing the floor with a crying baby. She finally crashed about the time we would have arrived in Kirksville. So much for staying another night to get some extra sleep.

Here's the little diva the next morning, catching up on her missed sleep. The one benefit of her long night is that she slept most of the way home. What a little dear.

The view on our hotel balcony. Pretty fancy shmancy for us poor folks. 

If you are still reading this, congratulations! You survived the post of all posts and you are a great friend for sticking with us.