goodbye march, hello april!

So... my lack of blogging lately bothers me. Not that I've ever been one to blog consistently. My lack of a computer makes it difficult (not that I don't use Robert's computer almost everyday)... I guess I just figured that I know how frustrated I get when others don't update their blog; I'm guilty of the same crime. So I thought I would make up for it by posting our favorite March photos and videos (which I may not attempt again until I have MY computer... it takes too long using Robert's computer without any of my software).

Photos:
March began with Joel and I going with my mom and her friend to the "Hippie Gypsy" store down by ASU. No, neither my mom nor I am hippie; my mom's friend Linda is the hippie.
Kicking it in our cool shades.
Even at a young age, he has very particular tastes.
Stocking up
So cute, what else is there to say?
Sitting by himself (he has been doing it for a couple weeks now)
Happy FREAKIN' Easter.
Baby Shower for Lisa and baby Taylor! (I was in charge of all these goodies!)

The baby maker

The headband I made for a diaper cake(To his father's disapproval, my son makes a lovely model)

Joel... the nut

Our Ward's Primary Bulletin Board that I made(ps. It is all HAND MADE from paper. No cut-outs or decals or kits here!)click either picture for better detail

Two fondant cakes I've made recentlyThe red one is our Primary birthday cake.The white and black is one I made for my mom's 50th birthday
Videos:

Everyone loves a laughing baby. I guess that is why we love Joel so much!

He was angry one day, so I put him in the swing so he could learn to deal with it. Within a few minutes of me putting him down, this is what I looked over and saw...My favorite part is how he kicks his feet to propel himself upward...
This video is freakin' hilarious. Robert and I couldn't stop laughing...(notice how Joel listens to my voice but ignores Robert's)
The final video (but a favorite)You may have heard me or Robert talk about it; you may have read us blog about it; now you can finally SEE it for yourselves. Turn your head to the left when you view this video.(it is meant to be viewed as a vertical video rather than horizontal)Enjoy! :)Who knew cats could climb up two-story walls?!

procrastinating

I should finish cleaning my house right now, but I have been finding things to do to delay. Robert did not get the new position, but is content where he is. It would have been TOO much stress for him if he had. Besides, school next semester works better this way. He now has a plan and direction; he would like to be a criminal investigator for the IRS or the like. He thinks it is best of both world: part cop, part accountant.
Joel has finally slowed down with his seemingly permanent growth spurt. He is about 28" long and weighs around 20lbs. If you aren't familiar with averages or whatnot for babies, he is the size of your average 1 year old... at 5 months. Unfortunately, the poor baby has a staph infection on a not-so-pleasant area. It is so sad. Thank goodness for medicine!
My body is slowly progress to the not-quite-sure-if-she's-preggo stage. Looking at me, you might either think I'm 3 months pregnant... or that my stomach is 3 lbs heavier. Other than fainting once (yeah, it was stupid and all my fault), I feel GREAT! Better than the last pregnancy, which was pretty dang easy.
I will upload pictures later, after I finish cleaning. My lazy-time is over for now...

ugh

I know how incredibly concerned everyone is about my computer (well, my pictures, anyway). I regret to inform you that there is a 99% chance that they are gone for good. It looks like the hard drive is what crashed, so... bye bye pictures. Fortunately, I have saved about 1,000 from online. Unfortunately, that means I am losing 11,000. Ugh.
Joel is becoming more fun each day! He flirts with the ladies like it's no body's business! He's an avid thumb sucker and loves to touch EVERYTHING. He started rolling over... and then stopped. He enjoys "talking" and "walking". He is also teething, which isn't so lovely.
I am doing great; I hardly even know I'm pregnant. I haven't really been nauseous or anything. I think it is because I am so distracted by Joel that I don't have time to think about myself. The only reason I "feel" pregnant is my cravings. Nothing too strong yet, but I try to get spicy or sour foods as often as I can.
Robert is diong well. He is still working full time and going to school full time. No rest for him. He may get a new position soon; we'll have to see how it goes.

Me and Joel at Desert Botanical Gardens(they have an awesome glass exhibit!)

photographs

What is a picture worth? A thousand words? How about 12,000 pictures? Would they be worth 12 million words? How about a lifetime of memories? Well, that is what I am about to lose...
It started on Friday. Baby was having a HORRIBLE day. I was trying to get work done on the computer, but he wouldn't have it. I gently placed the laptop on the couch so I could pick up Joel. The moment I stood up, the laptop tumbled to the ground, breaking my thumb drive. I wouldn't have been so upset if I didn't have every Primary document (nearly 100 pages of revised documents) saved on the thumb drive. Luckily, Robert and I were total MacGyvers and disassembled the thumb drive to get to the motherboard. After some tilting and jilting, we were able to con the computer into thinking the thumb drive was attached. I quickly copy and pasted the precious files to Robert's laptop. One problem solved.
Backtrack to my computer. Later, after the drop-incident, I decided to clean off some files and programs from my laptop; I had unnecessary items taking up space. I only deleted items I knew and never used. After the clean-up, the computer began giving all sorts of error signals. I brought it to my dad, who has been able to save every other computer that I have caused to crash. No use, the computer wouldn't even load the start page. Two hours into trying every imaginable thing, the computer finally turns on and the desktop is accessible. At this point, I am repeating "I don't care what happens to the computer, but PLEASE, save the pictures". My dad hooks a hard drive up to my computer and begins transferring 21G of photos. He told me it would take a couple hours, to go home, and call in the morning. Well, this morning I called. The computer crashed in the middle of the night. None of the files transferred over to the hard drive. He is unable to turn the computer on after hours of fiddling with it.
There is a good chance that every picture I have ever taken is gone. I never made a back up; I had been meaning to transfer unused pictures onto DVDs. It is too late. The only photos I have as of right now are the photos I downloaded from my 80+ albums on Picasa Web Albums. I can't describe how bad this sucks. If I could change things, I would rather lose all the documents from my thumb drive. Those can be re-typed. My pictures, those can never be replaced. Take a lesson from me; if you have hundreds or thousands of once-in-a-lifetime photos saved on your computer, MAKE A BACKUP...

bags and cats

Well, the cat is out of the bag... and I am mostly to blame. You guessed it, we're expecting number two! Yes, this was planned. No, we didn't think I would get pregnant again the instant we started trying. Yes, we are crazy. No, we aren't upset. I am almost 6 weeks, so it is still a little early to tell the WORLD (I had a miscarriage about this early on the first time I got preggers). But it already got out enough that I felt that I should be the one to let friends know. Besides, I am getting too excited to hold it in! My due date is the same day that Joel was due: October 5th. If we are lucky, our babies will be a year apart. It shall be fun (tiring, but fun)!

two weeks

I have been crazy busy with my new calling, Baby, and other babies (showers, births, and whatnot). But there have been some blog-worthy events...
First, Bobbi had her baby! Yay! Cyrena Diane was born Jan. 21st at 9:06pm and weighed 7lbs, 15oz. Bobbi's smallest baby thusfar, but her worst labor. I visited the next day; it is so hard to remember Joel being so small (granted, he was never that small, but that young)! She is beautiful.
Second, we purchased a froggie cool mist humidifier for Baby's room. Great Buy. It has helped his skin SO much (he has eczema. lovely). Besides the fact that it helps, it is freaking cute!
Third, my close friend Gina came over one day to visit before work. I miss being in school with her, but I am grateful I graduated all the same. She visited me in the hospital the day after I had Joel. I just had to snap a shot of her holding him again. Um... what swallowed my baby?
Fourth, I went to my friend Erica's baby shower; she is due at the end of this month. It is so crazy! A bunch of my friends have been or will be giving birth within a 2 month period. I feel left out (not really)! Though she is close to her due date, she doesn't look ridiculously big... mainly because her little one has dropped already. Good luck Erica!
Fifth (almost done, I promise), Robert had the opportunity to sing the national anthem with two friends: Rick H. and Jeremy L. They sang twice at an AML cancer benefit, LONDON'S RUN & RIDE. There was a half marathon and a horseback riding event. They did a great job.
Sixth (and last, I swear), Robert and & I were greeted Sunday morning with a rude awakening; someone smashed two florecent light bulbs (the long skinny ones) against the hood of Robert's truck. People are so stupid. Glass covered the hood, windshield, and top of Robert's truck. Though the broken glass came off easily, there was some permanent damage where the imacts were. Freaking MORONS. Blah. But there is not much we can do about it, so whatever.

Holding CyrenaAwesome froggie humidifierGina with Joel at birth and at 4 months

Amanda, Me, Joel, Erica, Tiffany, & Kristi
(Yes, I am short)Robert, Rick, & Jeremy at LONDON'S RUN & RIDEGlow stick baby!Robert's poor truck (click to enlarge)

new

So, as most of you all know, we have a NEW president. I am excited (and I don't care whether or not you are)! But that is not the "new" I am talking about. Nope. Our new is BETTER!
First, I have a NEW calling and can finally talk about it since I am now sustained. Drum roll, please..... I am the new Primary Secretary! I LOVE my calling; I am so happy to be back in Primary! My wards is awesome; the kids are awesome.
Second, Baby has "learned" to make a new noise. It sounds almost like a laugh sometimes. I am not quite sure how he does it, but it is hilarious. Take a look below! There is also a video of him trying to whack his bottle. The poor little guy is concentrating so hard but can't seem to hit it. Among his new sound is another new "trick"; Joel loves to grab my face (on purpose) or phone if I am talking to someone (just ask Robert; Baby hung up on him). While I miss my ity bity baby, I love the personality he is taking on!
PS, At 3 months, he weighs just under 18 lbs. He is almost 3 times as big as Kit and Kristi's little Annelise (as you can clearly see in the photo)!

beans beans the musical fruit

No, I don't have gas.. Yes, I DO have beans. POUNDS of beans. Out my ears... That would make an amusing picture... Here's the story:
MONDAY: I decide to soak and bake beans for soup and whatnot. A lot of my friends are having babies and I figure a nice bean soup would be helpful to overwhelmed new parents. I began searching for the perfect recipe (which I later discard for a creation of my own concoction).
TUESDAY: I pull out my beans. All six bags; black beans, pinto beans, black eyed peas, split peas, navy beans, and kidney beans. I thought myself a genius for wanting to soak them all at once and get them out of the way. I proceed to pour the beans (as you can see below, in an obsessive compulsive manner) into the pot. When I finish separating the beans (yes, I am a freak), I add water. I add just over an inch of water above the level of the beans.
TUESDAY 20 MIN. LATER: I check on how the beans are soaking (you know, since soaking beans need to be checked often). I am a little surprised to see that the level of the beans had risen to the top of the water, but I figure that they wouldn't rise much more.
TUESDAY 20 MORE MIN. LATER: The beans are towering over the pot, threatening to spill over. Panicking, I race around the house, looking for something to move the massive heap of beans into. I don't have a pot or pan or container BIG enough to hold the continuously expanding beans. While running around, I nearly stumble over Baby's laundry basket (with laundry that still needs to be done). Viola! With Joel's clothes now scattering the floor, I go back into the kitchen to dump the beans into the plastic tub; they filled the tub about a fourth of the way. I don't even bother trying to make the beans pretty. I add more water and leave them overnight.
WEDNESDAY: It's afternoon. I'm not very inspired, but the beans DO need to be taken care of. They now fill the tub about half of the way. The water is nearly gone; so low that you can only see it when you dig into the beans. I begin the process of rinsing the beans. I placed 3 cups of beans in a pot on the stove; I placed 3 more cups of beans in the crock pot. I cut up bacon, ham, carrots, celery, and onion. Divide between the pots. Add seasonings and garlic. Resume rinsing the remainder of beans. I may attempt to cook all the beans that I can, but lose interest quickly. Instead, I rinse and bag the rest of the beans. I fill 2 gallon size bags and 3 quart size bags. I lose probably another cup or two to the drain and the floor.
WEDNESDAY EVENING: The bean soup on the stove doesn't turn out as well as the bean soup in the crock pot. Who cares. By this point, it is amazing that I even EAT the beans. Though the beans weren't 100% cooked, the soup still tastes pretty good.
FRIDAY: My friend Kristi (the one who the crock pot bean soup is for) calls and tells me that she wants me to make more soup for her parents. Surprisingly, I am thrilled to make the soup (I want to get rid of the beans).
SATURDAY: I know that I need to make the soup on Monday and am dreading it. I hate BEANS!


By the way, my website Simple by Design is nearly completed (I still need to figure out pricing and ordering). The banner under my header is linked to the webpage. Take a look! If you see anything that you would be interested in me making for you or want to leave a review, send me a message at simplebyleigh[AT]gmail[DOT]com (I didn't link it or write @ or . because I don't want spam mail!) We can discuss prices (I am currently pricing low since I am just starting up).

day of babies

Today has been a great day! I have been able to visit a lot of close friends/"family". To start off the day, Robert played racquetball with his brother, Jess. When he got home, Baby was in such a happy mood. He was smiling and talking for us like crazy. Jokingly, Robert put his ASU hat on Joel. Freakin' cute! I couldn't resist a picture.
Upon finishing a gift, I went to my "sister" Bobbi's baby shower. Even though it is her fourth, a girl in her ward insisted on a shower since it has been six years since she had her last girl. I got a great shot with Bobbi from my shower, so I had to get another shot with her at her shower. Her little one, Cyrena, should be here in about a week and a half.
After the baby shower, I headed to my parents' house to drop Joel off while I visited with friends across-the-street. My friends Kit and Kristi had their baby girl three nights ago. Annelise was born on Jan. 7th at 10:33pm. She weighed 6lbs 2oz! TINY! I can't get over how small she is! For you girls reading this, look at your palm. Your palm is BIGGER than her entire head (I swear it). SO SMALL. But then again, I birthed a hippo, so anything would look ridiculously small compared to him. But Annelise is perfect, healthy, and beautiful. She looks like Kit, for those of you who know them. I am so happy for them.
Today has been a great day.

Future Sun DevilBobbi (Cyrena in belly), Leigh, & JoelKristi with her new babyMe holding TINY baby Annelise!

family photos

So! As I promised, here are some of my favorite family photos (egPhotography). I am VERY happy with how they turned out! I also took a couple pictures of Christmas crafts (upon putting them away). I am contemplating starting a "business" for custom crafts... We'll see how is goes.
By the way, I have only posted a handful of pictures; there are many more in the album (linked above).

Yay for Christmas crafts!
Two of our three trees (yes, Baby had his own tree)
Now for the AMAZING family photos: