The Howe Fam

Christmas Photo Shoot

2009-12-04T14:26:00.000-08:00

Photos courtesy of the lovely Jordan Lydia (Shaw) Grimmer. She's amazing.

Blast from the Past

2009-11-24T16:48:00.000-08:00

I was searching through our pics today, trying to find the hundreds of photos that mysteriously disappeared when Will installed Windows 7...when I stumbled upon these gems.

The weekend we got engaged. Good times!

Taking in the views at Lake Tahoe during our honeymoon. I had strep throat- not fun.

Will and I celebrating our first anniversary! May 2006
You can barely make out the nastiness that was a Wymount cinder block wall. Ick.

Jen, you're probably going to kill me, but I just couldn't resist posting a picture of you with blond hair! And look at Sydney- so little! This was 3 1/2 yrs ago.
Will and Josh that same day.

Celebrating Willard's graduation. He really, really wanted to walk with long hair-the ultimate BYU rebel. And he definitely stood out as the only Masters in Accountancy grad with Jesus-like locks.

And finally, a picture of Will and I on the day we first met. (can you spot us?)

It's funny to look back on where we started and where we are right now. Life sure throws you some curve balls, doesn't it? Luckily, we've kept our sense of humor through it all and just keep on trucking.
Btw, this is what I see out my window every morning.

Only now, the mountains are snow-capped. It's beautiful.

2 years old?!

2009-11-05T22:24:00.000-08:00

My baby is officially not a baby anymore! I can't believe it. Though I do believe that the terrible twos are REAL and a force to be reckoned with. Here's what Fal's been up to lately...

-She loves to draw circles (though she refers to them as o's) on absolutely everything- balls, books, cabinets, windows. We've had a lot of cleaning up to do, as far as that goes...
-Yo Gabba Gabba is still at the top of her list. Fallon loves to sing the songs from YGG and dance and dance, with her Toodee and Brobee dolls of course.
-Will encourages Fal to draw on herself- he thinks it's funny. I, on the other hand, do not feel that way...because I am the clean-up crew! Her arms and legs are always covered in marker or pen and she loves to show off her creations.
-Nursery is a breeze these days. Fallon runs right in yelling "Toys! Toys!". She loves it!
-She counts everything! Though, anything beyond 3 is usually extremely inaccurate, it's neat to see her beginning to understand numbers.
-Fallon can climb out of anything. She's been climbing out of her crib for a while now, and has just recently learned how to climb out of a pack-n-play. The other day she crawled out of the shopping cart, and today she climbed out of her highchair. Why did my daughter have to be an escape artist?

My cousin Jordan took some gorgeous pics of Fallon yesterday, for her birthday. It was 60 degrees, sunny and lovely. Today it has rained nonstop. Oh, Washington and its silly weather.
Anyway, Jordan did an amazing job- I can't get over some of these pics!

Cruel Summer

2009-09-02T10:28:00.000-07:00

The Howes have been pretty elusive this summer, my apologies to all of our dear friends. It's just been a jam-packed past few months. We've been able to spend alot of time with family, which has been nice. Buuuut, driving from the Mexican border to the Canadian border was not so nice. And now our poor car is definitely feeling the burn (2 break-downs in the last month!).

Anyway, we have finally settled down for the rest of 2009. I'm going back to school to finish my degree- yay! Since having Fallon, there hasn't really been a time where I've felt like returning to school was an option, really. It's hard work being a mom. But right now, Heavenly Father has blessed me with the opportunity to just do it- there's a college 3 blocks from my house and Fallon is finally done nursing. So, I have NO excuse!

Pictures from our most recent trip to my family's mini-reunion.

Our venture to Utah to see my brother off on his mission to Macon, GA. We miss you, Joe!

Our crazy friends, The Brownsteins, spent a weekend in San Diego and we joined them at the SD Zoo. Poor Rebecca was really pregnant, and the zoo is pretty dang big, so she opted for a wheelchair- despite its extremely embarrassing backing-up beeping (you know what I'm talking about...BEEP...BEEP...BEEP-like a garbage truck or something). I think it was a wise move, except I still can't believe that they charge you for it!
Here she is in all her wheelchair glory...work it out!
Will took it for a spin...
Where else can you see a cheetah going for a walk?

On the Fallon front, she has recently befriended her shadow. They sing and play together and have a grand old time. Maybe it's time to find a playgroup...

Also, Fallon has learned how to climb in and out of her crib. Nap time can be a little tricky, since she likes to climb out, grab some toys, throw them in her crib, and then climb back in. Repeat an infinite amount of times.
But I must say, I love that she can run into our room in the morning all by herself. The first thing I hear is: "Mom! Mom! Mom!"
I love it.

Fear-mongering...

2009-07-24T14:41:00.000-07:00

...has led me to this cute and useful site:

Food Storage Made Easy

It has great lists and advice that make food storage and emergency preparedness very approachable. I usually get so overwhelmed with all the different options and the urgency of food storage, that I never really follow through with creating a viable food supply. Anyway, I made a promise to myself that this time will be different!

PS This is what reading The Road does to you.

The Road

2009-07-21T10:55:00.000-07:00

Have any of you guys that have read The Road watched the movie trailer for it? The movie official release date isn't until Oct. 16, but I've been obsessing over it.
In college, I was NOT a Cormac McCarthy fan. I had/have great respect for his talent and ideals, but just didn't float my boat. The Road is the exception. Amazing. Beautiful. Horrifying. Read it!!
Anyway, here's a link to the trailer. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hbLgszfXTAY

What do you think? Will it do the book justice? (Of course not...) Will you see it? (Hello? Viggo Mortensen! Yes, you will!)

We've been....

2009-07-18T22:54:00.000-07:00

abusing our membership to here...

eating these....

relaxing here...

addicted to this...
(I am, at least. Unless Will's been digi scrapbooking behind my back.)

I wish you could have stayed San Diegan...

2009-07-07T20:55:00.000-07:00

Best Independence Day ever.
We seriously had such a blast taking full advantage of the "patriotic" spirit of San Diego.

We started our Fourth by hitting up the Coronado parade.

We adore Coronado. It's a lovely peninsula that people refer to as The Island, since you have to take a bridge to get there. The beaches are gorgeous and they have a super cute downtown. There's also a naval base, so it reminds me a little bit of growing up and living "on base".

Fallon emphatically waved to each parade participant.
"Hi! Hi! Hi! Hi!" over and over...it was sweet.

Pretty sure this horse has extensions...

All that waving is exhausting...time for a break!

Coolest part of the parade- bagpipe band!

After the parade, we ate some delicious mall Mexican food (it wasn't really delicious...). What business does Chipotle have closing up shop...ever? Has the government decided to commandeer the Mexican food industry already? Maybe we should ask the fast food czar- I'm assuming one has been appointed...

Anway, after stuffing our faces, we headed to La Jolla Shores- right down the street from the previously posted La Jolla Cove. Probably my favorite beach in the San Diego area. Very kid friendly and you don't have to walk a mile in the sand like other beaches (ahem, Coronado, I'm talking about YOU).

Wait, there's more!!
We finally solidified our San Diegan status and bought memberships to the zoo. Yay for us! Today we stopped by for a quick visit, which wasn't really quick at all. Have you ever seen Labyrinth? Ya, pretty sure the SD Zoo planning committee was watching Bowie in all his spandex glory while constructing the lay out..."Oooh! Good idea, Jareth! Create an unsolvable maze. Hmmm..."
Love it anyways.
(Because I dropped a dime on those passes, for heaven's sake.)

Apparently, this bird doesn't mind being chased.

Shh...sleeping Panda.
Look, even their awkward sleeping positions are cute!

Daddy-daughter love

The rumors are true!!

2009-06-28T20:34:00.001-07:00

Cafe Rio opens first CA restaurant

Exploring

2009-06-27T07:43:00.000-07:00

Last night we decided to push the limits of Fallon's bed time and stayed out till 9:30. Whoaaa, I know. Crazy, huh.
After a stop at the nearest Joann's super store (total disappointment, btw), we headed to La Jolla cove.
Oh my goodness, it was love at first sight. Gorgeous, gorgeous, gorgeous beach.
It has an underwater park- which apparently is a marine refuge where they've placed artificial reefs to attract marine life.
You don't see that everyday in SoCal.
If you're ever in the San Diego area, check it out.

This is what it looked like last night...stunning!!

Reunited at last!

2009-06-23T23:03:00.000-07:00

With my sewing machine, that is. After a two month hiatus, we've decided to rekindle our love.
Luckily, Fallon has grown out of all her 12-18 mos clothes and is finally entering the world of size 18-24 mos. She gained 3lbs in the last month alone! (I suppose that's what happens when you substitute breast milk with string cheese.) Anyway, the point is she is in desperate need of a new wardrobe, so I've been having a fun time creating one for her.
Here's the lastest:

This one's for me...

On a sidenote, I fiiiiinally organized my craft/sewing area. I use the word organized loosely...as you can see.

Why does it take so much gosh darn time to find a place for everything?

Photo Sesh

2009-06-15T21:15:00.000-07:00

Looong overdue...I bring you these pictures from Will's wonderful Mother's Day gift: a photo shoot with the AMAZING Abbey Kyhl.
Really, she was fabulous. Thanks Abbey for being so patient with my whiny, finicky baby!

Get ready to die...

2009-06-10T10:06:00.000-07:00

My Vintage Vogue

What up world?

2009-05-30T22:31:00.000-07:00

I've been MIA. Apologies to my dear friends! Fallon and I flew "home" to Washington to stay with my parents while Will attempted to sell security systems in Texas. Things haven't really gone according to plan (Will decided door-to-door sells just wasn't for him- and who could blame him, really?). So Will flew back to San Diego early while Fallon and I are still taking in the (mostly) gorgeous Seattle summer.
It's been lovely having my entire family together before my brother goes on his mission to Macon, Georgie (woo hoo!). It's so funny how easily we slide back into our familiar roles- even though it's been years since all six of us have lived together. Sometimes it's a frustrating feeling. But right now, for some reason, it's relaxing and comforting. Maybe because I just went through an extremely stressful move and things are still settling in back in ol' SD? Or maybe it's because I value my family so much more since I've become a mother?

I find myself doing the same things I did 10 years ago. Talk about deja vu.

Being a mom, it's really difficult for me to make time for myself. This trip has made me realize that I need to be more in touch with who I am as a person, as Natalie. Not just as Fallon's mother, which is an amazing calling but can't be the only facet of my life.
I played tennis in high school. Almost every day in college. But haven't touched a racket since Fallon was born. Luckily, my bff and doubles partner in hs is home for the summer, so we've been tearing it up on the courts. Haha! If by "tearing it up" I mean playing like old ladies... then yes, yes we have.
And I've loved every second of it.

My point is, it's been nice to get back to my roots. Ya know what I mean?

At any rate, Fallon is having the time of her life. She loves Nana and Grandpa, Aunt Kat, Uncle Joe, and Aunt Caz. Not to mention the always entertaining Jack, my black lab "brother"- seriously, my dad calls him his second son. Weeeeird.

PS You guys, this is where I grew up/my parents currently live. Seriously in the mountains. Now you know why I have no cell reception!

Fun in the Sun

2009-04-23T16:03:00.001-07:00

Pasadena:

(Of course all the kids end up playing in the shower. Waaay more fun than the pool, right?)

San Diego:

*I have great shot of Fal laughing hysterically at Sydney while they're both splashing around in the shower. However, Rebecca's booty is in 40% of the picture- and I know enough to respect a pregnant woman's need to not have her behind posted on the internet. Although, it really is a cute behind. :)

Mission Move: Successful

2009-04-19T10:12:00.000-07:00

The Howes are now officially San Diego residents! Wednesday (the official move date) was quite possibly the longest/worst day of my life. Besides, of course, all the other moving days of years past. We packed, cleaned, loaded, drove, unloaded, unpacked, and then stuffed our faces with pizza (that part wasn't so bad).
We are probably 75 % moved in. I feel like that last 25% is the hardest and least exciting stuff to unpack. You know, random papers that apparently we need to keep, winter clothes, decor that I'm too lazy to put up. Yadda yadda yadda.
Can I just tell you how much I love our apartment? I had almost completely forgotten what it looked like, I mean we checked it out over a month ago. When we first arrived Wednesday evening, I anxiously walked through the door and then breathed a sigh of relief. It's perfect. For us, anyway. It's actually an old 1920's home that has been converted into a duplex- we are on bottom, our neighbors are on the top. All the door fixtures are original. There's a built-in hutch in the dining room (that's another thing, we have a dining room!!) and a built-in bookcase in Fallon's room. Original hardwood floors, that could use a little work but at least you can't tell when Fallon colors on the floor... Aaand a clawfoot tub that I can't stop taking baths in.
Not to mention we're just blocks from downtown and the most amazing Mexican and pizza joints you can imagine. Downtown San Diego is SO different from downtown LA. There's no traffic. It's clean. It only smells when you walk by a coven of homeless people (do you think "coven" would be the correct collective noun? They're very similar to witches, aren't they?). The downtown actually reminds me a lot of Seattle's, but with a completely different type of people and much warmer.

Aside from so far truly loving SD, I miss all my Pasadena gals!! You guys are all so amazing and I'm so grateful to have had my life enriched by you. My new ward has some stiff competition...

Wasting the time away....

2009-04-19T09:36:00.001-07:00

I love decoraing and redecorating and always feel the need to reinvent our decor everytime we move. So, needless to say, I've been doing a lot of browsing/shopping/research, as I tell Will. He never believes the research line.
Here's some stuff I've been coveting....

Check out these gorgeouss pillows. I just can't get over their prettiness.
From the etsy shop Hettle.

For all you Death Cab fans out there...
From Scarlet Beautiful

I bought this print for our dining room. Sufficiently religious without scaring people off.
From Persimmon and Pink

Embroidered linen in a vintage frame=BEEEEAUTIFUL!

Both from Nea

That's all for now. Fallon's chewing on scissors.

2009-04-12T17:50:00.000-07:00

HAPPY EASTER, EVERYONE!

Week in Review

2009-04-08T10:02:00.000-07:00

-My mom and little sister came to visit. It was wonderful having them here and taking them on many LA adventures. Thanks again for coming! We miss you guys.

-Fallon decided she didn't really like having my mom and sister around. Sooo she screamed. A lot. It was really annoying. Especially when it lasted 2 hrs straight on the way home from Sea World. I guess Fallon didn't get the memo that she's not 6 weeks old anymore...

-Checked out Sea World before we officially become San Diego residents and absolutely LOVED it! Shamu, you and the Sham Slam are amazing. I'd like to add that in 6th grade I did a research paper on manatees, so I'm pretty much an expert. I love the sea cow. Also, my 12 yr old sis has a chronic fear of heights, something that wasn't made known to me until our roller coaster cart left the dock and she started having a panic attack. It was pretty hilarious. See, Caroline? I told you we wouldn't DIE.

-I barfed 3 times on our trip to Olvera Street. Good times.

-Packing. Packing. And more packing. Probably the most fun past-time I can think of.

-Fallon is only eating Goldfish now. I don't really care anymore, as long as she's eating something. What's the deal with these kids that have to be forced to eat? Who on earth doesn't want to eat?? I didn't stuff my face for 9 months to gain 60 whopping pounds and birth a child that dislikes eating. She's definitely not from my side...

-The best/worst typo of all time was found in the Daily Universe (BYU). Link

-Fallon thinks everything is a doggy and barks a lot in response. Especially at our honey bear.

-We are moving in exactly a week and I'm kind of freaking out. It's happening so fast. I'd really really like to keep the friends that I have. I don't wanna make new ones! Blah. I feel like we're in a really good groove right now. I have my regular eateries, know all the backroads, there's a ton of kids Fal's age, and I LOVE my gf's!
We just found out our ward meets at 9. So, it looks like we'll be keeping our records in Pasadena...(jk?) We are moving to a really amazing area of San Diego called Golden Hill. It really closely resembles Pasadena in a lot of ways. Although, I still haven't found a grocery store, which concerns me...fyi the Mexican market down the street doesn't count. We don't really eat tripe or menudo at my house.
Friends, you have to come visit me! The zoo's like right by my house. Don't make me beg. :)

Bathing Beauties

2009-03-25T20:16:00.001-07:00

The weather has been so gorgeous lately, so pool days have become a regular event. And we are loving it! We have such a fun group of girls in our ward and it's so nice to have a little pool-side chatting and snacking session.
Last week, unfortunately, Fallon found the Doritos. Need I say more? 16 month old + Doritos = huge mess.
Here she is at the beginning of her gorge-fest.

Notice there are actually two Doritos being consumed, PLUS one on deck. Her mama raised her right...

Sachia was kind enough to throw Fallon in the tub with her adorable little girl, Sienna. Fallon looooves Sienna, so of course bath time was a blast. How cute are these girls??

Summer is off to a good start!

2009-03-17T14:34:00.000-07:00

On Saturday, we went to Santa Monica to visit some friends and check out the Kaws exhibit. Will went solo to the exhibit's opening day last month, and after hours of waiting in line, didn't get in. He was pretty bummed since he absolutely LOVES Mr. Brian Donnelly. So we finally decided to venture down to Gallery Row. I'm not really a huge art fanatic, but I do like Kaws. Tell me what you think...

(Sorry, Harm and Kyle. )

We also discovered that Fallon is an equestrian in the making.

Yesterday, we hopped around San Diego trying to find something, anything!, that we both felt good about renting. It was really depressing how little was actually available, at least in the areas we'd like to live. We still have a month or so until our lease is up, so we're just keeping our fingers crossed. :)

Fallon and Will traipsing around San Diego

Great Odin's raven!

2009-03-06T21:53:00.000-08:00

What: The Howes are moving to San Diego (AHHHH!)
When: Mid-April
Why: Business opportunities (you'll have to ask Will...apparently I don't explain it to his liking haha)
Where: Downtown-ish. We haven't exactly found a place to live...yet. BUT we are pretty resourceful- kinda like all those bums on the beaches of Hawaii. :)

I don't want to reflect too much about it, otherwise this last month or so will seriously just be torture. We are so sad to leave all our dear friends! I'll probably write a super sappy post the as we near the big move, but until then it's better to, in the words of Ricky Bobby, "bury it deep down in there and never bring it up again."

While we're on the subject of Will Ferrell, I'll leave you with this gem (I'm sorry, I couldn't resist):

Mmm. San Diego. Drink it in, it always goes down smooth. Discovered by the Germans in 1904, they named it San Diego, which of course in German means "a whale's vagina".
-Ron Burgundy

We love lunch with friends

2009-02-26T08:41:00.000-08:00

In-N-Out:

What's it gonna take for you to build some play areas? We love you so much, and nothing can take that love away. Buuuut, sometimes we go to McD's so the chillins can blow off steam in the grody ball pit and slippery (presumably from grease) tunnels. Sorry.
Forget using nursing as a diet aid, it's hard enough to feed yourself while a screeching toddler is just waiting to destroy everything that enters HER in-reach-zone. Don't even ask me how many ounces of Diet Coke have splattered your floors. I know, if Diet Coke isn't safe, nothing is!
So, just make life a little easier on us moms. Please, at least construct a tunnel or two so we can eat a burger in peace...ok, half a burger.

Fallon's mom

So long...

2009-02-19T18:20:00.000-08:00

Street Fighter 4 came out on Tuesday, which means I am officially a gamer widow. So long, quality time with Will! We had a nice run, didn't we.

Fyi: This happens a lot...basically whenever a huge game is released. NCAA Football, Halo(s), Guitar Hero(s) (which I didn't mind, that one is an FHE activity in itself), Skate... So don't feel too sorry for me. :)

Also, did anyone else have a crush on Ryu when you were 10? On that note, I'd like to add that playing Street Fighter on SNES when you're in 5th grade is totally acceptable...don't judge.

2009-02-14T21:51:00.000-08:00

Will and I thought we'd be clever and celebrate Valentine's Day on Friday- you know, that way we'd beat the rush. Hello?! Friday night dining vs. Saturday night dining= extremely similar...Valentine's or not. We learned that the hard way.
Will had some business in West Hollywood, so we decided to venture beyond our regular restaurants and try something new. Maybe trying to eat on Sunset Blvd. at 9 pm wasn't the smartest idea!! Everything was seriously packed. So, we ended up eating at the oh-so-exciting El Torito. Yum!
Funny story: We pulled into the El Torito parking lot to discover the restaurant only had valet parking. Thinking it would cost $10-15 we drove off. As you can imagine, parking in downtown Burbank on a Friday night is impossible. We drove around the block a billion times, and after a little bickering, finally found a spot several blocks from El Torito. BUT we saved ourselves a few bucks...or so we thought. While we walked inside the restaurant, we noticed a sign that said COMPLIMENTARY valet! Boy did we feel like geniuses.
We had a fantastic time on our date. It's so nice not to worry about changing diapers or ensuring that the silverware is at a safe distance from Fallon...
Our first Valentine's Day together was 4 years ago. We'd been dating for exactly 4 months (our first makeout sesh/date was at my friend's bday party on Oct. 14 hehe). Will bought me a heart keychain from the BYU Bookstore and we dined at TGIFriday's...we were high-rollers back then. When I went to bed that night, I discovered he had left a box of chocolates under my pillow. What a deliciously sweet end to the day.

Hope everyone had a fabulous day spent with the ones you love!

What a Loooovely Day

2009-02-11T12:39:00.001-08:00

Last week our laptop crashed. We have a desktop in our garage (don't tell the thieves that stole our junk Vespa and forgot to check for anything else...) but it gets so cold out there that I only use it when I'm sick of my fingers and would rather lose them to frostbite...which is never. It really sucks not having a functioning computer. I was very productive this last week though, which I'm sure had absolutely nothing to do with the lack of internet. :)
Right now, Fallon is standing in her crib, banging on the wall, and telling me in baby talk that she'd rather not nap right now. Sorry, Fal! Mommy is a little tired of peeling cheese off the carpet and putting all the dirty clothes back in the hamper after you've decided to play hide and go seek in there with the money you found in my wallet. Not to mention eating an Arrested Development DVD (please work, please work!) and tearing a knob off the TV stand.
Is it possible for the terrible twos to start at 15 months?

Sick Baby and WA

2009-02-05T23:05:00.000-08:00

The title says it all: Fallon was sick and we visited my fam in Washington...pretty self-explanatory.

Fallon had a fever off and on for a few days. It' s so disheartening to see your little baby so sick! I hate when my spunky little girl is replaced with a lethargic crab apple. However, I did get a lot of sewing and cleaning done due to her sleeping 20 hrs in a single day.

Blankie and a cup of cheese work everytime!

Fallon and I had a lovely time visiting my family in good ol' freezing Washington. It was so nice spending time with the people I love the most and yet see the least! It was ridiculously cold and really made me appreciate our gorgeous California winters- you know, where you can unroll the car windows, wear shorts, and spend all day at the park...
Anyway, here's my mom and the Fallonator:

Fallon and my little sis, Caroline

Fallon and her kinda-cousin, Josie, peacefully sharing a chair at my cousin's yummy rice pudding shop, Pudding on the Rice. If you're ever in Provo or Portland, check it out!

PS Just so you non-So Californians don't feel too bad about yourselves ( :) ) it rained cats and dogs today! We were out and about and got caught in the rain so we decided to have a little fun in the car...i.e. eating the steering wheel and taking pictures. Try it sometime.

An Average California Night

2009-01-25T23:53:00.001-08:00

You know how it is up in Southern Ca, 75 Degrees in the wintery day, freak icestorm at night, it's just how we do things.

Enjoy the icy pics, I think I should submit these to the City Hall they're so rare!

Summer in January

2009-01-15T23:27:00.000-08:00

This past week or so it's been pretty dang warm here in LA. Today it reached 90! It was a great day. We hit up our friend Sachia's pool and Fallon had such a blast. She loved sticking her face in the water, which was actually pretty funny/scary. Sadly, I don't think this newest floatie will last long, she tried climbing out of it every other second! Fallon refused to get out of the water, even when her teeth were chattering and her lips were purple. At some point, I feared hypothermia and weathered quite the tantrum! Oh, stubborn child of mine.

Project Time

2009-01-09T19:42:00.000-08:00

This past week I've been playing catch up with things I intended to do in November, but were pushed to the sidelines by that dang craft fair (also known as INSANITY).

Made a pillow for the chaise in Fallon's room...the pink one- pillow, not room :)

Did a little artwork above our bed to match a lampshade that I love.

Today I refashioned an old pair of Fallon's jeans. I love the color- I've learned that gray denim for toddlers is pretty scarce. The quality of these pants is awful! H&M does make super cute clothes, but there's definitely a reason they're so cheap. Anyway, thought I'd turn 'em into a cute skirt for Fally.

I appliqued a black heart on the behind, but Fallon kept running away from me when I tried to snap a pic of it...so use your imagination I guess.

Hopefully this week I'll be just as productive...it all really depends on how dramatic/demented the Dr. Phil episodes will be. Obviously. :)

HAAAAPY NEW YEAR!

2008-12-31T19:59:00.000-08:00

Some enjoyable tidbits from 2008:

-Discovered that Fallon will only eat (willingly) cheese, corn, and spicy foods

-Went to Hawaii for the first time and absolutely LOVED it!

-Surpassed my goal of nursing Fallon through the first year. I feel so blessed to be able to bf Fallon this long, and I hope we can at least make it another 6 more months or so. It’s been an amazing experience to bond with my little girl through such a natural and loving medium.

-Spent our 3^rd anniversary in Vegas, baby and all. I’m not gonna lie, Café Rio had a very heavy influence in picking LV

-Moved into an actual house, complete with a dishwasher. Ooh la la!

-Heath Ledger as The Joker

-Fallon learned to walk. I don’t care what anyone says, life is 80x easier without having to carry a frustrated crawler around town. On a side note, I’m watching about 18 toddler harnesses on eBay…

-Will & I went as Blondie and Jim Morrison to the most elaborate and fun costume party ever

-Played dozens of games of Scrabble with my darling hubby…and beating him almost every single time (jk, Will is fiercely competitive so I absolutely have to gloat when I win…)

-Speaking of dozens, I reignited my love for Arrested Development with a long overdue series marathon

-Will and Fallon have formed the sweetest daddy-daughter bond, they are so cute together.

-Someone so graciously took our junky Vespa off our hands…the joke’s on you, dirty thieves!

-Tropic Thunder. Watch it...if you can handle the R-ness...it's pretty dirty but Tom Cruise is insane!

-Winter 2008= grrrreat! What was it? 73 today? So nice.

-We've really loved having so much family visit us. Fallon is so blessed to be loved by so many people.

Happy 2009 everyone!!

Long Overdue

2008-12-17T12:36:00.000-08:00

Just some vids I've been meaning to put up...mostly for the relatives that don't get to see Fal that often. :)
The first video was taken a couple months ago when Sydney's mom, Jen, was in the hospital giving birth to their new little baby girl, Ellie. Fallon absolutely LOVES Sydney...as you can see.

For all the fam members that haven't seen Fallon as a toddler, here's a vid of our walking talking baby.

Unique Los Angeles will be off the hook

2008-12-10T19:04:00.000-08:00

This weekend I will be
here
Wondering what on earth we (Rebecca and I)
were thinking
I mean, they require press kits
Whaaa...?
I just poked my thumb with the same needle
In the same spot
At least 5 times
I bled on a burp cloth
That I spent a really long time putting together
It better be worth it
Just sayin...

And next week I will sit on my comfy couch
(instead of on the plastic Ikea chair in the craft area)
And watch all my Tivo-ed
Dr. Phil and Will & Grace episodes
And not do a dang thang.
Sorry, Fallon.

Please stop by and say hello, if you can!
Chocolate and Diet Coke are welcome.
:)

best day ever

2008-12-05T14:17:00.000-08:00

Did I really just buy organic raspberries for $1.49?? AAAAND blackberries for $.69? (not organic, but still!!) You betcha! I definitely plan on eating them for every meal from now on. Why not?
One of the many benefits of living in lovely Altadena, is that I basically live around the corner from Super King Market. It's kind of like a Mexican version of Whole Foods. I would say it's the "best of" as far as Mexican markets go: no large open jars of mayo (Renae! I know you feel me on this grossness!), warm milk, or half-eaten burgers lying around (when we would go grocery shopping in Cancun, I seriously saw 5 or more almost-finished burgers wedged in the most random places)...while still selling ridiculously cheap and fresh produce (and economy-sized jars of hair gel) and employing the nicest most helpful people.
How can their produce be so cheap, you may ask? The answer is they charge $3.50 for a can of soup and $5 for Lean Cuisines...which, if you didn't know, is ridiculous.
I love my neighborhood market.

Shenanigans

2008-12-01T12:29:00.000-08:00

This past week, my sister made the trek from good ol' P-town, UT to spend Thanksgiving with us. It was great to see you, Kat! I miss our Sunday dinners and random meet-ups at BYU. I was going to say that I miss eating Cafe Rio with you, but I mostly just miss eating Cafe Rio- it really has nothing to do with you. :)
Anyway, Kat and I decided to make Thanksgiving dinner all by ourselves. It was a great undertaking, but we did it! And quite well, if I might add. Cooking the turkey kinda sucked. Why does it have to take so freakin long? But it was all totally worth it in the end. Thanksgiving tastes so much better when you've actually slaved for hours in a sweatlodge of a kitchen preparing the food. Fallon was extremely unhappy that I couldn't hold her and make pumpkin pies at the same time. Case in point:
I guess Katrina was a little upset too?
Fallon changed her tune when she partook of our delicious feast...
On Saturday, we returned to Will's roots and spent the day frolicking at the beach in Ventura.
Took a couple family pics for the Christmas card (to make all you out of towners jealous of our lovely beaches, of course! lol)

Kat showed it off for the surfers...

And then Fallon decided to lend Katrina a helping hand.

All in all, the Howes enjoyed a jam-packed, super fun week! Happy Holidays everyone!
Oh, and will all our dear friends and relatives please leave us their addresses? I ordered waaay too many Christmas cards and would love to get rid of as many as possible. :) You can also email me at natjhowe at gmail dot com. Thanks guys!

walking and photo shoot

2008-11-15T23:36:00.000-08:00

Fallon took her first step a couple months ago, but hasn't really been interested in making walking her sole mode of transportation. If it ain't broke, don't fix it- and crawling like a spider monkey apparently has been working for her. These past few days, out of the blue (weellll, maybe not out of the blue- this last week my mom and I had been really trying to give Fallon some walking practice...I mean, come on! Mama needs to give her arms a break!), she's been walking a lot more. Today she was playing with a friend from church the same age who's a great walker. Not wanting to be left behind, Fallon would stand up and take several steps, stop and sit, then do it all over again. It was cute to watch.

Fallon and I had a mini-Max and Magnolia photo shoot. It's so hard to get a good pic at this age...at most ages actually. She would either tear off the headbands...
or make a mad dash for the street.
I love this girl.

We Rocked the Vote!

2008-11-05T06:44:00.000-08:00

Yesterday (and deep into the night) was an amazing and slightly disappointing day, for me. While Will felt completely comfortable flipping a coin to decide his preferred presidential candidate, I had a more difficult time choosing. I'm glad I voted for the candidate that I did. 'Nuff said. I was touched by both of their speeches, it was nice to see what I thought was the real McCain. And Obama, of course, delivered a well-written and well-rehearsed speech...I liked it. :)

I love the anticipation of voting. I love walking through the door, seeing my name on a list full of people who are actively taking part of this democracy. I love the "I voted" sticker. I seriously flaunted that thing like a new pair of jeans. Especially since it got me some free Ben & Jerry's. Yum! Fallon, on the other hand, only loved it until we approached the booth. Maybe she was nervous, it was her first time voting after all. Or maybe it was the wacko voting next to us who bombared the volunteers (poor sweet ladies) with the dumbest questions. Ex: "Sooo, where do I put the ballot? In here? Does it matter which way?" Yes!!! It really matters which way!
This morning as I blog, Prop 8 is up 52% to 48% with 95% of precincts reported!! WOO HOO! It passed! I'm not gonna lie, we had our doubts at times. It's always been super close in the polls, and we knew it'd come down to the wire. I'm positive that Heavenly Father was working his magic at the polls yesterday. We did all we could do, and it was enough. What a relief to have the issue settled.
The Prop 8 battle has really shown that a lot of people (at least in LA) have a gross misunderstanding of "human rights". Do you really think it is a basic human right to marry someone of the same sex? Just as sure as you deserve freedom and sustenance, you deserve gay marriage?
"All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights. They are endowed with reason and conscience and should act towards one another in a spirit of brotherhood." (United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights)
If you act against this conscience, even the social conscience, some rights may become inaccessible to you. I understand that some people are predisposed to homosexual tendencies, but they consciously make a CHOICE to act on those inclinations.
I don't mean to offend, but this has been gnawing at me forever.
Anyway, hope everyone had a positive voting experience!

Halloween is MUCH more fun when you have kids...

2008-11-01T09:31:00.000-07:00

The Howes had a frightfully fun Halloween...muahahahaha! :) Fallon absolutely loved wearing her ladybug costume, obviously.
She was stinkin' cute though. That's why we went trick or treating, to show off her cutness...definitely NOT to get candy for us.
Will insisted on taking a picture of us by one of our three Yes on 8 signs...he's pretty hardcore.
Actually, before last night we only had one yard sign up. I suggested taking it down so no one would egg our house...I don't know, maybe I'm a little paranoid. In response to my concerns, Will grabbed our other signs and stuck them in the yard. AND we didn't get egged. Yay!

Here's Will and Fallon vegging on the couch, enjoying a nutritious and delicious dinner of candy.
A couple days ago, Fallon's friend Charlie had a super fun Halloween-birthday party. Fallon had a blast chewing on pumpkins and playing with her friends. I'm so glad that she's finally entering a stage where she can interact with other kids, it's fun to watch.

Fallon's newest hobby- speaking jibberish on the phone to an imaginary person.

Interesting Article

2008-10-29T00:43:00.000-07:00

Wonder what the war in heaven was like? Watch California this fall.

(it's a link)

My Little Pumpkin

2008-10-27T00:31:00.001-07:00

We went to the Pumpkin Festival on Saturday and had a blast. Although Fallon can definitely enjoy these types of activities more than ever before, there still isn't much she can do. I was really surprised by her lack of response at the petting zoo- I guess grody goats and pregnant pigs just don't do it for her. We mostly hung out at the pumpkin patch, to Fallon's enjoyment. She loved trying to walk ON the pumpkins (which is really difficult, if you're wondering) and using them as her drums. She and her cute little friend Ellie even had a dance party! It was so adorable.

Also, I don't have the energy to compose an actual rant, but just wanted to let all you out of state Prop 8 supporters know that we can definitely use your support. It's getting pretty hairy down here!

Teeth

2008-10-14T07:37:00.000-07:00

Why didn't anyone warn me about teething? Ya, it's been going on for a while now. But it's only getting worse and I'm pretty sick of it at this point. Fallon was 5 months when she started teething. Let's see, that means I had a good solid 2 months of normal, good baby before the teething monster appeared.
(I say 2 months because it's been decided by many of my mom-friends that your real baby- not the fake one that cries all day and otherwise just poops and sleeps- doesn't really appear till around 3 months or so. Am I right or am I right?)
Back to the lack of caution...People warn you about projectile vomit, diaper explosions, crawling/destroying babies, breastfeeding issues, never sleeping, yada yada...the list goes on. BUT I don't remember a lick about teething. Maybe I just tuned it out because I was like, teething? Gimme a break. It's just getting teeth! How bad can it be?

Oh, it can be bad.

Fallon has 8 teeth. Each one has caused me many sleepless horrible, awful nights. Each one has given her a fever, complete with a crusty, snot-covered nose. Which make for a pretty pissed off mom and baby. Not a good combo.
But this one is a doozy. It's a molar. I think that's all that needs to be said.

Also, Fallon flipped out of her crib yesterday. I heard a loud thud, and walked in to a crying baby sitting on the floor. Wha?? At least she landed on her bum.

Silly Fally Wally

2008-10-08T10:14:00.000-07:00

For the longest time, I've described Fallon as a spunky little girl. She's cheerful. She's spirited. She's definitely determined. But one meaning of spunky eludes her- showing courage. A brave baby Fallon is not. She usually prefers to crawl on concrete. The "rugged" terrain of our little patch of grass makes her a little uneasy. She has never enjoyed the slide or swings. To be honest, they totally freak her out. Notice Fallon's death grip (and impending motion sickness) during this not so fun swing ride.
Yesterday morning, Fallon was getting her daily Yo Gabba Gabba fix while I was trying to clean. I noticed she was playing with Will's shirt and somehow managed to actually put it on! It was cute, but not sure if we'll make this a regular outfit.
I made a Republican elephant onesie for Fallon. Will told me she couldn't wear it out of the house because she may not actually be a Conservative...
As Fallon's first birthday approaches, I've been reeling over how fast this past year has gone. My little baby is aaaaaall grown up! I know, she's not really- but it feels that way. I've been praying that she starts walking soon. Don't tell me it only makes things more difficult, because there is no way it can be worse than holding a crawling, wiggling, BITING baby against her will so she doesn't lick the nasty floors of every single place we go.
We'll end on a positive note.
Moving next week! Yay!

We're Outta Here!

2008-09-30T12:40:00.000-07:00

Well, not out of here, as in Pasadena...but out of HERE, our apartment. We couldn't leave our amazing ward if we tried...also, Will still has that stupid dealership (which is the main reason we're staying in the area...) I can not even begin to tell you how excited we are to move! We got a super good deal on a house in Altadena- to rent, of course- with a HUGE backyard and this cool mechanism called a dishwasher, that actually does the dishes for you? :) I seriously can't wait.
I'm a little sad to say goodbye to Singer Park and the pot-smoking bums that like to yell about Vietnam. Not to mention our neurotic neighbors who STRONGLY dislike people "messing" with the landscaping (apparently, walking on the grass is a no-no...) And no more quick runs to Dona Rosa or 21 Choices. Sad.
However, we will be closer to The Hat and Carl's Jr., which is a huge plus. I realized a lot of the pros and cons of us moving hinge on eateries. You know, you really have to think about this stuff as a nursing momma. I swear, I have waaaaaay worse cravings now than when the little one was baking in the oven. Is this normal??
Anyway, did I mention we don't have to pay for laundry? That's right! The house comes with a washer and dryer. I'm seriously dying in anticipation of not having to cough up eight bucks on laundry day. ever. again. When we lived at Wymout, I felt totally ripped off paying $. 37 to dry a load. If I only knew....
The move date isn't for a couple weeks, and we can't wait! Can you tell?

2008-09-11T09:29:00.000-07:00

The past two Fridays Max and Magnolia has been lucky enough to steal our friend/Suburban Martini boutique owner's booth at the Monrovia Street Fair. It was an awesome opportunity and we had a great, albeit sweaty (blech!), time. If you So-Californians haven't checked out the Monrovia Street Fair, I understand...it's a pretty small farmer/flea market-ish event. BUT now that you've heard about it, you definitely have to check it out. It's an awesome Friday night family activity. The tri-tip sandwiches are amazing, the funnel cakes are deliciously greasy, and who can resist literally dozens of Max and Magnolia onesies? (I have to admit that the word "dozen" always brings Tobias and the dozens of never-nudes to mind...haha)

Also, I have to add these adorable pictures of Fallon. She cleared out the lowest shelf of her bookcase and crawled right in. I caught her nonchalantly flipping through her books. She's already a literary genius! Right? That's what this means, right?!
So cute!

By Popular Demand...

2008-09-07T21:29:00.000-07:00

2008-09-02T23:20:00.001-07:00

Hello everyone in the blogosphere!

Just wanted to let you know the Howe fam is still alive and kickin! We've just been super busy trying to figure out the direction our lives need to take. I guess you could say we're kinda at a crossroads. Or will be, when Will's dealership sells...
In the meantime, I've been working on making grips and GRIPS of onesies for Max and Magnolia, the latest Howe (and Brownstein!) business venture. My buddy Rebecca and I have been sacrificing our "mommy time" for our line of baby onesies and accessories, and loving every minute of it. It's been a great experience thus far, and luckily we've been well-recieved. Family and friends coupon code coming soon!
Anyway, that's the gist of our current doings. More to come, I promise. :)

The Wait is Over...

2008-08-06T07:21:00.001-07:00

The 4th installment in the Twilight series, Breaking Dawn, was released last weekend. I pre-ordered my copy from Amazon, so for the past few days I've been self-banned from the internet to avoid any spoilers. I know myself, and my self likes to indulge in a little spoiler every now and then. Seeing the word "spoiler" with asterisks on either side actually MAKES me take a looksie. It's kinda like a literary peep show. I guess that makes me a literary voyeur... Anyway, I received my copy on Monday and last night, in the wee hours that could be considered morning, I triumphantly closed Breaking Dawn. Finished. Relieved. Satisfied.
I absolutely loved it. Eclipse wore me down a bit- I really didn't like much about it. One word about sums it up: unnecessary. But this, my fellow Twilight fans, was sooo worth the wait. Definitely more mature content than the previous three books. Although Ms. Meyer does a great job of keeping things in check. That's pretty much all I can say. Vague, I know. But I just couldn't live with myself if I gave anything away!
I'm so surprised that the average Amazon customer review is only 3 stars. I mean, really? Was it really just a mediocre book?
There is one thing that does bother me though. I think it's probably the reason so many fans are disappointed with the story. And I can totally see their point of view. BUT "it" doesn't define the entire book, imo. Oh, I so wish I could vent... Book club anyone?

For the Fallon Fans

2008-07-30T23:35:00.000-07:00

In addition to chewing on DVD's and licking the floors, Fallon absolutely loves clapping. She's getting pretty good at it too (but seriously, how hard can clapping be? although, she does miss sometimes...) Caught it on video for all those craving more Fal-Gal footage. BTW, I filmed it sideways. I know...way to go, Natalie. Maybe stretch your neck a bit before watching?

EARTHQUAKE!

2008-07-29T15:49:00.000-07:00

So today at like 11:40 we had the great privilege (psych!) of being in an earthquake. It started as a 5.8, but I think the latest measurement is a 5.4. Scary, huh. I mean a 5.4 is ALMOST a big one (Northridge was a 6.8...) I was in my bedroom getting my phone when suddenly it sounded like a semi was driving through my kitchen. The house started shaking, a few pictures and wall hangings fell. My momma bear-ness kicked in and I totally had a freak-out moment: (envision me francitcally yelling at Will) Where' the baby? Grab the baby? Do you have the baby? I sounded like a complete fool, I'm sure. Apparently, in older buildings it is recommended you get under a table or something. Well, we decided to test the strength of our doorways...and it worked! We survived!

Ugh! Rant Alert

2008-07-17T07:55:00.000-07:00

I feel like death right now. I forgot how it feels to be truly exhausted. You know that feeling...the one where your mind works at a glacial pace, your bones feel like rubber, and your eyelids seem to weigh 2 tons each? Yep, that one.
I remember when Fallon was a newborn and I reached the pinnacle of my exhaustion: seriously contemplating if I could pee my pants cause my tired limbs wouldn't budge. The only thing stopping me was knowing that I'd have to clean up the mess. Oh, what a sad little person I was.
The past few days have been tumultuous, to say the least. I literally (maybe a tad figuratively) have to hold her all day or else huge freak-outs ensue. I mean, even putting her in the highchair to eat is an ordeal...so you can probably imagine how peaceful bedtime has been of late. She's been waking at least four times a night. And no matter how hard I try or how long I wait, she refuses to fall back asleep unless I nurse her for a good 15 min. WTF??
Ok, so I'm sure her two canines coming in probably have something to do with it, but she's been teething for about four months and it's NEVER been this bad.
They say that babies developmentally revert when they're on the verge of another milestone. Sooo, I'm thinking that Fallon will start speaking in sentences tomorrow... or maybe she'll finally start reading?
All I'm sayin' is, it better be a big one...

She's playing in a pool of vomit right now. For some reason it strikes me as cute. Aaaaand now she's trying to eat it...I guess that's my cue.

Fallon Gets Around

2008-07-08T19:36:00.000-07:00

Please excuse my annoying video voice...
Fallon usually just rolls to where ever she'd like to go, but last week marked a turning point in her mobility. Enter the funky army crawl. Not the most efficient, but at least she can see where she's going now. This week she already has significantly less head injuries. :)
So, what to do with wires now that she moves at lightning speed? We have a cable wire that runs along the side wall of our living room, completely exposed and perfect for Fallon to chew. I tried taping it to the wall- of course her super-baby strength quickly foiled that bright idea. I guess staples? Any suggestions?

I Once was a Sasquatch

2008-07-06T21:09:00.000-07:00

Two weeks before Fallon was born (a week overdue, mind you), I reluctantly was the subject of a maternity photo sesh. I have seen many a portrait of pregnant women, and while some can look very chic and modern, most are so unoriginal and a bit tacky. We've all seen 'em... mother's hands forming a heart on her belly, mom wrapped in flowy fabric with hair blowing in the "wind", etc.

Example A

Anyway, in an effort to avoid the cliche poses AND concrete evidence that I once was a beast, I really, really didn't want to waste my time with pregnancy portraits. However, my very persuasive friend convinced me to let her friend take a few pics of my gigantic belly. He's an amazing photographer, but apparently not as good at Photoshop- observe my swollen face and dimply thighs. Note to self: never let anyone photograph me 9 months pregnant ever again...NEVER.
Cut to eight months later (today) when I finally saw some of the shots...three to be precise. Aaaaand I actually kinda like them! They're growing on me, I think. I mean, I'm no Demi Moore a la Vanity Fair.... but not too shabby.

P.S. I just had to add this picture. I shrieked when I saw this!! Not only does she look amazing, but I swear her hips are actually dislocated! And that outfit! Fellow moms, can you even imagine? Seriously, what the f?

This is the kind of mood I'm in...

2008-06-27T21:06:00.000-07:00

God Says Yes to Me

Kaylin Haught

I asked God if it was okay to be melodramatic
and she said yes
I asked her if it was okay to be short
and she said it sure is
I asked her if I could wear nail polish
or not wear nail polish
and she said honey
she calls me that sometimes
she said you can do just exactly
what you want to
Thanks God I said
And is it even okay if I don't paragraph
my letters
Sweetcakes God said
who knows where she picked that up
what I'm telling you is
Yes Yes Yes

Random Hawaii Pics

2008-06-25T12:51:00.001-07:00

I Heart Hawaii (but who doesn't?)

2008-06-25T11:20:00.000-07:00

Fallon with her min lei

We have finally returned from our extremely fun Hawaiian vacation! I would've posted earlier, BUT the overly clean and always prompt LAX lost Will's suitcase, which, incidentally, was mostly full of my stuff...including lap top and camera. They Fed Ex-ed it to us...seemed a bit unnecessary, but oh well.
Anyway, it was our first trip to Hawaii ever, and by the end of the week we were trying to justify moving to Oahu. Rent's about the same (some places it's much lower), gas is cheaper, yet grocery costs are outrageous! My Diet Coke addiction would be our ruin. So that was the deal-breaker...
We stayed at my uncle's house in Waimanalo, about a half hour NE of Honolulu and only 70 ft or so from the actual ocean. It was lovely being lulled to sleep by the waves...plus it made Fallon's nap time relatively easy.
Best Parts of Hawaii Vacay:
*Meeting Wally Amos, founder of Famous Amos cookies. LOVE his cookies! The perfect snack size. :)
*Waimea Bay- insanely gorgeous, calm enough that I could take Fallon in the water with me.

My sister, Kat, and Fallon at Waimea

*CRAZY games of Wise and Otherwise- an old family favorite gone very, very wrong. Renae, you would've appreciated this one: An old Estonian saying "A good buttock..."
*USS Arizona memorial- the audio tour was amazing! I loved it, even though Fallon blew raspberries and screeched throughout the entire movie.

*Laniakea/Turtle Beach- a resting spot for Hawaiian green turtles.When we went there were tons of turtles, a few onshore and many more swimming in the ocean. I'd seen sea turtles before snorkeling in Mexico, but never that many at once and so close! It was amazing.

My brother crossing the red rope surrounding
the b asking turtles, such a rebel

Worst Parts of Vacay:
*Surfing- we had really cheap, old boards and every time I'd sit up and use my legs to turn around the board would cut me!! I had the craziest rash on my inner-thighs...not fun. Plus, I got motion sick from paddling so much. From now on I'm sticking to boogie boarding...
*Will's terrible sunburn...and I mean terrible. The first day he went windsurfing for 4 hrs w/o sunscreen, not a wise decision to say the least.
*Fallon's about to crawl! Ahhh! We are so not ready for an extremely mobile baby.

Boredom=crafty?

2008-06-06T09:20:00.000-07:00

The past couple days I guess I've been really bored, cause I've resorted to filling my time with crafts...and that NEVER happens. I'm definitely not a crafty person, but I spend a lot of $ on barrettes and headbands for Fallon and I figured if somebody else can make these cute hair things why can't I? So I've tried my hand at felt bows, and I think I did a pretty good job, if I might say so. You'll have to excuse the pics, my model was a little squirmy. :)

I heart Photoshop

2008-05-27T19:53:00.000-07:00

I was way into digital scrapbooking for like a month. Unfortunately, I had to stop because I'm a Photoshop moron, thus my scrapbook pages all looked the same. Sure, I can tilt a picture or even crop...but that's really about it. Case in point:

At first glance, kinda cute page right? Notice how all I did was crop and tilt. That's all I've got. I'm a one (two, really) trick pony.
So, Photoshop and I had a falling out, but today I decided we should be friends again. Aaaand I discovered another tool: blur. Watch out world, I'm a three trick pony now! My latest and greatest creation:

Today was a BOMB day

2008-05-20T15:43:00.001-07:00

Fallon and I had a blast today (as the title indicates). We ventured to Seal Beach with Rebecca and Sachia, where we met April and Danielle. It was a little chilly and misty...that's the last time I believe Sachia when she tells me it's supposed to be 78 degrees! :) It did warm up a bit though. And the AWESOME Mexican place we found made up for the May gray.
The babes enjoyed themselves...overall. Max looked super cute, ahem, macho in his board shorts. Fallon definitely agreed. She likes Max so much she wanted to share binkies, which is Fallon's version of making out.

I don't think the make out sesh went too well...

I also learned that Fallon is a sand-eater, especially when she falls over and gets a nice yummy mouthful of it!

I think we might become Seal Beach regulars. It's super clean and well-maintained. Plus, there's a Cold Stone nearby! Mmmm. Oooh, and the waiter at the restaurant definitely thought we were all hot mamas. I actually think he may have said that...right before Max was blessed by an old Irish priest.

Anniversary Adventure

2008-05-15T18:38:00.000-07:00

Will and I were married May 13, 2005- Friday the thirteenth, actually. (As my sister toasted, "on such an unlucky day I can think of two people gettin' lucky tonight!" Several guests asked me if she was a little tipsy...) Come to find out, my friend Rebecca and her husband Mike were also married on May 13. How fun!
I technically met Will at my friend and roommate's birthday party. We were in the same single's ward at BYU, but somehow managed to evade introducing ourselves for a month and a half. Though, we did sit by each other in Sunday School our first Sunday of the school year. He asked me if we were in the right class, I coolly told him I didn't know.
To make a long story short, at my friend's party Will totally came onto me (ok, ok, I may have flirted back...) and we "talked" till 5 am. We were married 7 months later. He's my best friend and I'm so lucky to have him in my life. Anyway...
We decided to take full advantage of Will's self-employment and run away to Vegas for a couple days, Fallon in tow of course. It was a spontaneous "mini" trip and we tried to spend as little moola as possible, but visiting The Forum wore on my resolve. :) I mean, the Baby Gap sale was practically untouched! How could I not??
Our first stop in Vegas was good ol' Cafe Rio. Mmmmmmmmmm!! There were at least three cars with Utah plates parked out front...I think everyone in there probably went/goes to BYU. You know zoobies loooove us some pork salad/burritos enchilada style!
The highlight of our trip was the Dolphin Habitat and Secret Garden at the Mirage. At $15 a ticket, it wasn't exactly a super cheap activity, but it was great fun and I'm glad we went. So basically it was like a Mexican zoo...which is SCARY! I'm talking no concrete partitions or little moats preventing the wild animals from eating you alive. Although, they did have fences-- which I can not say for the Xcaret zoo (Mexico).
The white lions were definitely the crowd favorite. Probably because they were both feeling a little frisky, if you know what I mean. And if you don't, you do now:

As you can tell from the pic, we were literally 7 or 8 feet from the lions and what looked like a "sturdy" chicken wire fence was all that separated us from being their lunch. Though, I don't think they were interested in eating...We were also super close to a snow white tiger named Apollo, who looked like he had a short temper. The other animals were sleeping, therefore kind of lame.
Fallon was feeling the Las Vegas energy and didn't fall asleep till 10, her usual bedtime is 7:30...so it was a long night to say the least. Although, she looked super cute rocking her new sunglasses.

All in all, it was a fun little change of pace and a great way to celebrate three wonderful years of marriage.

Gone Baby Gone

2008-05-06T09:10:00.000-07:00

Will, remember the good ol' days when you weren't in Tennessee but were home with me? Sigh...Those were good times. And I miss them.

"Come back, daddy...come back to us."

It's all in the jeans

2008-04-30T22:11:00.000-07:00

Much to Will's dismay, the gradual post-prego weight loss has reacquainted me with my dear old friends, the stacks of premium denim buried in the back of my closet...hidden so my fragile pregnant self wouldn't stupidly try them on...repeatedly. (surely not expecting them to actually fit over my badonkadonk! seriously, I had quite the shelf...) Zippers were broken, finger nails were chipped, seams were ripped, and body dysmorphia was addressed. And just when I thought I'd be doomed to sweatpants forever, the little babe popped out (maybe not "popped" out...) and the fat/swelling could finally disappear! Right? Right?!?! You mean the fat doesn't immediately disintegrate? The water filling my appendages and face doesn't just magically evaporate? Wha??
Ya, that's right. It sucks. It's a long process, and it's awful. I'm only now, almost 6 months post-partum, starting to even remotely feel like myself again. Blah. But I digress...
My jeans. Oh, how I've missed them! And though I had to face the cold hard reality that there is no way I'll EVER wear a size 26 again (or would want to, really), meaning bye-bye to a couple favorite pairs, I'm really just happy to wear jeans buttoned and zipped securely and comfortably, without worrying about a stupid maternity panel or the consequences of bending over.
Due to denim euphoria, I just bought the MOST impractical jeans ever: Diesel Matic. Check these puppies out.

Not quite mom jeans, huh. These are so long and tapered that you absolutely have to wear them with heels or it looks...interesting. Can you imagine me rocking these with stilettos while carrying a 20 lb. baby? Ummm...ya. Not happening. What in the world was I thinking?
They sure are pretty though.

Tell me Whyeeee

2008-04-24T13:35:00.000-07:00

**AI Spoiler Alert (for those of us who tivo)**

Okay, so I know a ton of people love Brooke...and she definitely is cute, sweet, genuine, "authentic" as Paula says EVERY single time. But, how is it possible that Carly went home instead of Brooke?? Carly can actually sing! While I just think of Brooke as trying really hard so we THINK she can sing. Does anyone else agree with me in this crazy American Idol world?

My Mom Still Takes a Binky...

2008-04-22T21:33:00.001-07:00

And more fun pics. Are you happy now, mother?? lol :)

This time is for real...

2008-04-18T12:57:00.000-07:00

A- Attached or single: attached

B- Best Friend: I think I have lots of people I would call best friends...Will, Harmony, Katrina, Christine, Jessica, at times my mom, love LOVE all my Grimmer-cousins

C- Cake or Pie: Tough one…pie? Ummm…ya. Pie.

D- Day of Choice: Thursday

E- Essential Item: burp cloth in every room and sunglasses

F- Favorite Color: green

G- Gummi Bears or Worms: chocolate covered Gummi bears

H- Hometown: Darrington, WA

I -Indulgence(s): greasy Mexican food, napping every chance I get, and buying cute over-priced jeans in my pre-prego size (finally! but not without a little muffin top, I must add)

J- January or July: Living in Cali: January…Living everywhere else: July

K-Kids: Fallon Magnolia and little Truman, who isn't here yet(the only other name we agree on)

L-Life is incomplete without: family, close friends, good books, Diet Coke, the Gospel, the beach, ice cream, and that perfect pair of jeans

M- Marriage Date: May 13, 2005

N- Number of Siblings: 3

O- Oranges or Apples: apples for sure, much more portable

P- Phobias or Fears: talking to people I don’t know and looking like an idiot in public…I have a lot of social fears, I think.

Q- Quote(s): “Let the rain kiss you. Let the rain beat upon your head with silver liquid drops. Let the rain sing you a lullaby.”- Langston Hughes
“Happiness is not found, it is made.”

R- Reason To Smile: I’m alive for heaven’s sake! Plus, I have the cutest husband and sweetest little girl.

S- Season: Spring

T- Tag Five: Renae, Niki, Linne, Leslie, and Laura

U- Unknown Fact About Me: I want to teach! I'll be going back to school soon for a teaching certificate. If things go according to plan...

V- Vegetarian or Oppressor of Animal: I’ve been known oppress animals every now and then

W- Worst Habit: picking at things…

X- X-Rays or Ultrasounds: ultrasounds are much more fun (except for that gooey crap they slather on you)…x-rays are usually not a good thing, in my experience

Y- Your Favorite Food: Did you have to ask? Café Rio pork salad/beef burrito fo shizzle.

And a Fallon pic for the road...

Fally loves her food

2008-04-15T11:07:00.000-07:00

We started Fallon on solids yesterday. As Borat would say, it was great success! She'd been trying to mooch off my food for a while now, and she's been sitting up pretty well, so I thought why the heck not just give it a whirl? I'm actually really excited that we have a new activity to consume our time. There's only so many books you can read, games you can play, silly faces you can make before you literally run out of things to do...(that's when Mr. TV the babysitter looks pretty enticing). To all the mommies anticipating/fearing the solids stage, it's not as scary as everyone (mostly books and doctors in my experience) makes it seem. I was totally freaked out about it, but we all survived! And it's one thing you can't really be bad at...I mean, the kid's gonna eat eventually right? Oooh, and I love that making baby food is so darn easy.

I just couldn't resist...

2008-04-12T22:38:00.001-07:00

Two posts in one day? What??!! I know...but these chubby, baby legs pics were just too good. We went to the beach today, it was Fallon's second time actually. The first being with my mom and sisters on a very cold day with a too-small hat that wouldn't even fit on my Fal-gal's head...It was a sad day for her. Today, however, was super warm and her hat fit perfectly. We even got a little exposure-free nursing done (pretty rare these days). Yay!

Me and My Moby

2008-04-12T00:24:00.000-07:00

First off, I have to give a shout out to my mamacita who came to visit at the beginning of the month. I promise I will post pictures!! They're on our laptop which is at the computer doctor getting fixed...so I'm not trying to hide all evidence of your existence, like you think. :)
In the meantime...
I am so in love with my Moby wrap! It is truly the most amazing and useful purchase I've made for mommy-hood(obviously besides a boppy, duh). We have a Bjorn, and I know tons and tons of people love theirs, but I just could not get into it. For me, the Bjorn rates low on versatility and comfort. So, I bought a Peanut Shell. Definitely more versatile, but Fallon only liked to sleep in it. And, let's be honest, I do not wait all day for Fallon to nap just so I can carry her around with me during my "alone" time. Unfortunately, Fallon has been in the "mommy can't leave my sight or she will never come back" stage for the past few weeks or so. Incidentally, baby-wearing is pretty much the only option at this point. And after some research and many recommendations, I caved in and bought a Moby. OMG! It is everything I was looking for in a baby carrier and more. Functional, comfortable, flexible, compact (when folded), and surprisingly easy to use. Fallon loves it, and I could even nurse her in it! It seriously doesn't get any better than that. I have never once felt back pain while wearing it...which boggles my mind. If they were cheaper, or were I a seamstress, it'd be my signature baby shower gift.

P.S. Dana, you may notice that Fallon is always representing joon bug baby in one way or another...we may just be your most loyal fans :)

(Not) Kissing Cousins

2008-04-01T22:54:00.001-07:00

Dear Renae and Chris (and Gunnar too),

We love when you visit us and really wish we could see you more often. Like, really wish. Fallon said she really liked when Gunnar patted her head. But she wonders why he frenched everyone but her...?
Anyway, I heard that LA is cooler than NYC. The weather's better, it's a shorter flight to Hawaii, and if Fallon and Gunnar are going to be BFF we have to figure out a better arrangement. Basically, we are inviting you to move in with us. Our sectional is pretty comfy, and Fallon wouldn't mind sharing her crib. Feel free to mull it over. We love and adore you, Peterson family!

Much love,
The Howes

Yay for Easter!

2008-03-23T22:23:00.001-07:00

Even though Easter is almost over, I thought I'd be a little festive and send a resounding Happy Easter into the universe. So...Happy Easter!
Fallon usually takes 3 naps a day for about an hour each. Today she slept for 45 minutes total (I love church, but sometimes it can really put a damper on things...like naptime). Needless to say, she was pretty pissed by dinner-time, which especially sucked since we were at our friends' house. Ugh! I definitely think babies have a "where/when would be the worst possible place/time for me to freak-out" sensor, and Fallon's works extremely well. Although I have to say, (based on Niki's theory) 3 months really is the magic age. I swear, at 12:00 am, Feb. 5 a switch was flipped and suddenly I had a fun, interactive, and somewhat predictable baby. All of a sudden I felt like I really could be a mom, and a good one at that, if I might say so myself. It really is a great feeling. I'm going to take a moment to brag about my little sweet cheeks because I'm a mom (remember?) and that's what moms do. Anyway, she sits! Yay! She hates tummy time so much that we do a lot of "sitting time" and I'm thinking she's going to be more of a scooter and less of a crawler. I was so excited to use Baby Legs to protect/cute-ify her chubby legs while crawling that I bought several pairs...and it better have not been for nothin! BTW, we might start solids this week, just to try it out and see how she reacts. Any advice?

My Day is Shot

2008-03-20T10:28:00.000-07:00

I had a dream I was married to Jack Nicholson. ewwwwwwwwwwwww Now I'm going to be thinking about it all day and it's seriously grossing me out. There goes my day!

Super Lame

2008-03-19T00:13:00.001-07:00

I've had absolutely nothing to blog about this past week. So, what else to do but tag myself? Yay for me! Anyway, enjoy the self-imposed tag.

5 things I was doing 10 yrs ago…
1. Sneaking out to meet my sophomore boyfriend. I was in 8th grade, and he was probably wasted most of the time.
2. Sneaking out to party it up with older classmen (I did a lot of sneaking out back then, sorry Mom!)
3. Playing fierce games of mission with all my siblings and cousins
4. Reading tons of Dean Koontz and Mary Higgins Clark books
5. Hanging out with my Siamese twin, Miss Harmony Perrault

5 places I’ve lived…
1. Juneau, AK
2. El Paso (Ft. Bliss), TX
3. Ft. Knox, KY
4. Darrington, WA
5. Provo, UT

5 things I did today…
1. Walked to Whole Foods
2. Changed millions of diapers
3. Scrapbooked some Christmas pics
4. Did the dishes
5. Called the pediatrician- I’m pretty sure there’s something wrong with Fallon’s neck, but they remain unconvinced

5 things I need to do…
1. Feed Fallon
2. Get some shut-eye
3. Sort through all the cute clothes Fallon can never wear again
4. Buy tickets to Hawaii!!!
5. Train Fallon to sleep in her crib

5 things I’d do with a billion dollars…
1. Buy a DOPE house- maybe La Canada style?
2. Get extensions
3. Buy my parents a new house
4. Go to Hawaii…oh wait, I already am! :)
5. You know, do something charitable…

5 bad habits…
1. I love picking at blackheads- gross, but so much fun!
2. Will says I have a bad habit of criticizing him…whatever, he’s just too sensitive :)
3. I drink too much Diet Coke
4. Let the laundry pile up!
5. Leaving on all the lights in our apt.

5 things you don’t know about me…
1. I have a freakishly long tongue
2. I have patellar subluxation in both my knees. Basically, the angles of both my femurs and tibias are such that they cause my kneecaps to dislocate. It happened a lot playing volleyball in high school and hurts pretty dang bad.
3. My name is Natalie, and I am addicted to DENIM! Still waiting to fit comfortably into all my pre-prego jeans…and it’s killing me.
4. Will and I made-out the first time we ever met…NCMO turns marriage?
5. I used to have a crazy crush on Rob Lowe. Like, CARAZY! In high school, I decorated my volleyball stats folder with pictures of his fine self. My coach thought I was weird (Renae, tell me what right Mr. Powell has to think I’m weird?)

I tag everyone who is reading this and can't think of anything to blog about. Just like me.

oh...my...gosh

2008-03-11T20:35:00.000-07:00

Any Project Runway fans out there who caught SNL on Sat.? Funniest SNL sketch. Ever. Ok, that's a bold statement. And I don't really mean it, but this skit is pretty dang hilarious. Christian Siriano was definitely the highlight of this past season. He's one endearing fashionista/o...I mean, he doesn't even own a bed because he spends all his money on clothes! How cute is that? So fierce/ferosh.

Cupcake Fever

2008-03-08T22:38:00.000-08:00

I have been assigned to make cupcakes for this week's Enrichment birthday celebration (yay!). So today I've been doing some experimentin' with recipes and decorating techniques. First off, I've never in my life decorated a cupcake/cake with fancy schmancy piping and such. I'm all for slathering some Duncan Hines frosting on Duncan Hines yellow cake, easy and mess-free. Today I learned that going the extra mile to make goodies from scratch is totally worth it! But only if your baby is fast asleep and you're not exhausted...which really almost never is the case, am I right or am I right. Anyway, I'm so proud of my cupcakes that I decided to share their splendor with the world.

My first try EVER! Not including my other "first tries" that sucked.

Pretty cluster of drop flowers

The few cupcakes left...including a tasty blackberry-stuffed cupcake...mmmmmmm

By the end, both of our tummies were very upset

She's a prodigy!

2008-03-06T15:55:00.000-08:00

Um...probably not. BUT I am super excited to see Fallon "learn" something, besides where food comes from and that her hand makes a great chew toy. She has always been fascinated with this toy...it has a wheel that you spin, the sides light up and it plays really annoying songs about animals or letters. When it's not in action, Fallon likes to unleash hell. And now, I don't have to rush over and spin it every two seconds because she learned to do it all by her cute little 4 month old self! Yay!!

Mommy-daughter time...

2008-03-01T21:29:00.000-08:00

is my favorite time! I think I'm obsessed...

There Will Be Injustice!

2008-02-28T10:32:00.000-08:00

It’s been nearly a week since the Oscars and I’m still bitterly upset. Before I incriminate myself, you should know that I usually try really REALLY hard not to watch R-rated movies, but this year I indulged my carnal nature. I mean, this was an amazing year for film. How on earth could I possibly miss out on all the silver screen goodness? In my defense, the R-rated fest didn’t really begin until around Christmas. Apparently, there’s something about celebrating the birth of Christ that just screams “abandon your goals”.

Anyway, thanks to Will’s spectacular pirating skills, I saw ‘em all. (Don’t we sound like upstanding people? Pirating R-rated movies and THEN watching them! Sometimes after stealing/watching a good indecent movie, we’ll rob a bank or set a house on fire…) Sweeney Todd, No Country for Old Men, There Will Be Blood, Atonement, The Assassination of Jesse James…the list goes on (but don’t worry, only for a couple more movies.) And you know what? For the most part, I really enjoyed them all. Like I said, this was an amazing year for film. HOWEVER, There Will Be Blood was a magnificently raw epic that will remain unparalleled for years to come.

I have a huge, and I mean massive, chip on my shoulder that No Country for Old Men took home Best Picture. Don’t get me wrong, it was good. Really good even. But in a year full of good movies, the Best Picture has to be spectacular. And for me, this was not NCFOM. TWBB was earth-shattering. Granted, they are very different types of movies and both do have amazing character performances. In the end, TWBB outdoes NCFOM just enough to deserve the Best Picture (in my opinion, of course).

Will and I have been arguing about this for weeks. Before the Academy Awards we would wager and banter about whose fave would win. He thinks NCFOM is the cat’s meow, while I’d like to hit that cat with my car. We knew Daniel Day-Lewis would win Best Actor, that was a given. I’m telling you, his portrayal of Daniel Plainview is the performance of a lifetime. Ol’ Daniel Day-Lewis always gives it his all, doesn’t he? Almost grudgingly, I have to give Javier Bardem kudos for a great job playing the extremely creepy (and poorly coiffed) Anton Chigurh.

Anyway, this is my cry of injustice! And I needed to get this unhealthy resentment off my chest. Thanks for listening!

Photo shoot!

2008-02-25T14:23:00.000-08:00

We have a cold that just does not want to leave our family alone! So today Fallon and I didn't do much...which basically means I just took tons of pics of her cute little tush. These are especially for the g-mas- enjoy, Nana Linne and Grandma Joy!

Feeling a little down?

2008-02-23T10:07:00.001-08:00

Then check out this site...it does the trick every time. My day suddenly becomes much brighter when I am reminded that there are many, MANY people with greater issues than mine.

passiveaggressivenotes.com

Fallon's pensive yet relaxed look

2008-02-21T21:26:00.000-08:00

Our Bundle of Joy

2008-02-21T21:23:00.000-08:00

Oooh baby, I was bound for Mexico...

2008-02-19T18:51:00.000-08:00

So today Fallon and I attended the daytime Enrichment activity at Descanso Gardens in La Canada. It was super fun, except for the GROSS weather. Why did I have to wear my cute, and semi-new, satin flats? Actually, where I'm from (Washington) it would have been considered a pretty nice day (a light drizzle is always cause to celebrate!)And yet, after living in Washington for most of my life, I don't own a single umbrella. We "locals" are just immune to the rain I guess.
Anyway, as an escape from the weather, I've been reminiscing about our family vacation to Cancun a couple years back...sigh, it was AMAZING!! We actually stayed an hour or so south of Cancun in a more remote location- which was great, as we were able to see the less touristy/spring-break side of the Yucatan. A must-do in Cancun is visiting all the Mayan ruins...I can't even describe how breath-taking they are. My favorite was the beach-side village of Tulum. It wasn't as magnificent as other ruins (like Chichen Itza) but it had a peacefulness to it that was truly awe-inspiring. And don't even get me started on the beach!!! Basically, they film all the Corona commercials there (maybe, maybe not...). But it was on the Discovery Channel's "top 100 places to visit before you die". See, it really is good enough to be on TV!

I miss you Cancun! Maybe someday we'll reunite... (although flying there with a kid probably ain't happenin!)

Will and I at Tulum (told you it was good!)

on a cliff overlooking the beach (Tulum)

our backyard

some ruins at Tulum

getting our volleyball on in the aforementioned backyard

Laughter is the best medicine!

2008-02-12T20:54:00.000-08:00

Here's our little giggle-bug! She's been such a riot lately, laughing at the smallest things...who knew babies were so entertaining? It's been a blast watching her grow and develop into a REAL baby, so chubby and sweet.

Utah Trip

2008-02-07T13:15:00.000-08:00

We made the trek to UT this past weekend to visit family/friends while Will accumulated some jeans for his bidness. We really had a blast- aside from the gross weather and poor Fallon's little cold. Growing up in Washington, I thought I really loved the variations in weather from season to season, especially the crisp cold of Christmas-time....winter wonderland and all that jazz. However, since moving to California, this whole sunny winter thing has really grown on me. I'll die a happy woman if I never have to trudge through dirty slush (always soaking the hem of my jeans! grrrrr) or have my meticulously straightened hair be ruined by snow ever again. Here's some random pics from the trip. Enjoy!

Fallon and her Aunt Emily

Fallon's puffy jacket did a number on her cheeks

We had an insane blow-out in the car while I was feeding her...I mean INSANE! All over me, the boppy, the seat...yuck! How could I be upset when this is how she looked at me afterwards?

Fallon and Aunt Katrina at Cafe Rio

The Haywood kids (sans one)

Rolling Over For Real

2008-01-31T13:34:00.000-08:00

Yesterday was the first time Fallon rolled over intentionally. Yay! It was super exciting for me, but she (and Will) didn't mind so much... Since I was really egging her on, using our special edition Tickle-Me-Elmo as bait, I took tons of pics. I just realized that I'm missing a picture of the end result! How sad...

*imagine picture of Fallon on her back with an extremely confused look on her face*

My little trendsetter...

2008-01-28T22:54:00.000-08:00

Fallon post-diaper change by Will...yes, those are her pants under her onesie. Everybody's doing it.

Pregnancy Amnesia

2008-01-23T22:45:00.000-08:00

When Fallon falls asleep on my chest, I can't help but think about being pregnant. It still boggles my mind that this little girl (though a much smaller version) was actually INSIDE my body. I'm not gonna lie, I liked being pregnant when I looked like this:

But I absolutely abhorred being pregnant when I looked like this:

I wish I appreciated pregnancy more while it was happening. It was just sooooooo easy to let the super crappy parts- heartburn, swollen ankles/feet/wrists/fingers/face!, aching back, jabs to the ribs, being large as a house, and on and on... (truly an endless list)- eclipse the wonderment of the miracle of life. Anyway, I guess it really doesn't matter much now since I a) am not pregnant anymore (YAY!!!!!!) and b)appreciate the "miracle of life" every time I look at my little Fal-fal (as Will calls her).

thrush + gas = SUCK SUCK SUCK

2008-01-19T23:49:00.000-08:00

Soooo in case you didn't gather from the title, Fallon hasn't been feeling too well of late. She's definitely having some issues, bless her little heart. However, the terror (as I like to call it) doesn't usually strike until around 9pm or so....which is great cause the majority of the day she's a peach. That little girl is such a morning person! She smiles and smiles aaaaall morning. I like to think it's cause she missed me so much when she as sleeping. : ) Anyway, we've been struggling with thrush for the past month or so and it just doesn't want to leave us alone. We've tried that yucky violet stuff that gets EVERYWHERE, nystatin, and some other anti-fungal creams. Anyone have any suggestions? I'll try anything that doesn't stain Fallon's face (and everything it comes in contact with) bright purple (yucky violet stuff).
Why does my ward start at 9 am?? Only the elderly enjoy going to church that early, dangit. Those of us with little chillins should have our own ward that starts whenever we feel like showing up. And then we could have a decent mother's lounge that doesn't smell like urine and have mystery stains all over the place (something other than that matchy-matchy 70's aqua/mint color would be nice too.) Sigh, a girl can dream... P.S. what sleep meds can I take while breastfeeding that wil ensure both Fallon and I sleep through the night?? (J/K)

Fun times at the park

2008-01-16T22:50:00.001-08:00

You can't escape Fallon!

2008-01-15T01:28:00.000-08:00

This morning, Will took Fallon for a bit while I slept (what a great way to start out the week!). Apparently, they had a mini-photo sesh... BTW, every time Will dresses Fallon, he puts her in the same onesie-- and it's by far my least favorite one, it makes her look like a boy. Which -I think- is the exact reason he does it!

Can't sleep so... I'll BLOG!

2008-01-13T02:33:00.000-08:00

Soooo it really sucks not being able to sleep when you FINALLY have the chance. Fallon's been sleeping away for the past hour and a half and what have I been doing? Everything but getting some shut eye- which is really gonna hurt tomorrow. That's what naps are for right?

Anyway, I kinda forgot I started this awfully neglected blog. I'm finding I don't have the patience for this stuff...which is silly cause blogging is rather simple. Blame it on the temperamental hormones (like everything else)?

Fallon is just over 2 months old and she's already turning into quite the diva. She has to eat exactly the moment she wakes up, she wants to be held all the time, she pulls my hair, and she won't even clean up her own vomit! Sheesh... :) Seriously though, she is such an amazing little girl and I wake up everyday giddy that I get to spend it with her. This past week or so she's been sucking her fist/thumb like it's nobody's business and it makes this really loud, pretty gross, slobbery sucking noise. We were driving home from the Beverly Center today and Will and I had a moment of disgust- it seriously sounded like two 14 year olds (probably both with braces) sucking face in the back seat. We quickly recovered and cooed over how adorable it was...as parents do.

And my most favorite picture ever!
Daddy time:

Blessing Day

2007-11-27T23:11:00.001-08:00

Last Sunday, the 25th, was Fallon's blessing day. Will did such a great job, he gave a beautiful blessing. We almost made it through sacrament meeting without a meltdown (I was silently praying the entire time!). Fallon just couldn't hold out the last ten minutes...oh well. I guess every baby has its moments! I realized that going to church with a newborn is not for the faint-hearted- I was seriously terrified the whole time! From what I hear, it only gets better. (I'll keep my fingers crossed)

Fallon in her adorable blessing dress

Nana and Fallon before church

We're Blogging!

2007-11-19T23:10:00.000-08:00

The Howe family has decided to join the mass of bloggers! Mostly just to share with the world the arrival of our adorable little girl Fallon, but also in an attempt to keep in touch with everyone ("attempt" is the key word...). Anyway, just a quick update-- Will and I (plus Fallon) are living in Pasadena, CA and loving every minute of it. He and his friend just opened a car dealership and things are just starting to take off. The biggest news of late is, of course, Fallon Magnolia Howe. She was born on Nov. 5, 2007 at 11:07 am, exactly one week overdue- the little bugger. She weighed in at 7 lbs. 14 oz. and was 20 in. Fallon is the most delightful little baby and almost sleeps through the night, which still means only 5 hours at the most. That's all for now, it's time for my nap!