Priest Lake

We headed up to Priest Lake for the day to spend some time with Khalid and Susan!  It was a very fun day playing in the lake and the beach.  The kids had a blast roasting marshmellows and making s'mores while telling "scary stories" by the camp fire.  We just love spending time with the Shirzhads! 

Pre School Orientation

Tonight we went to Matthew's school for Maggie's pre school orientation!  It seems like only yesterday we were going there for Matthew *tear*. (This is the very same orientation that we met the Daley's!!)  She got all dressed up in some of her new "school" clothes and was so excited!  There are 10 kids in her class and she has the same teacher that Matthew had.  It was very exciting and I am happy that she is happy.  She didn't want to leave but I assured her that Tuesday was the day she would be coming back! Yipee:)

A Few of My Favorite Things!

So I usually don't do this but I wanted to share a few of my favorite things that I purchased at the Nordstrom sale.  These jeans are by Wit and Wisdom.  They were called jean leggings and I tried them on just to see if I would like them and I ended up buy two pair (in two different sizes).  They are some of the most comfortable jeans I have ever worn.  They do feel like leggings but obviously are jeans(no I haven't resorted to the pajama jean yet!) and have the structure like jeans so that way you are all held in.  Also, I am not at my ideal weight after Peter (no nursing does NOT make the weight fall off for me:)) and they are actually cute!  I got them for $40 but would have paid more for them!


I bought this dress in blue and tan and it wasn't on sale.  I liked it but wasn't thinking I would LOVE it for $44.  The saleslady sold me because she said I could nurse easily in it but just unbuttoning the top...ok I thought, I will buy it.  Well I am so glad that I did because I LOVE this dress.  I love it so much that I bought this color too! (I am currently wearing it).  It is cute, easy to wear, it is very easy to nurse in without taking down your whole top and it is pretty flattering because of the elastic waist.  I wear these so much that I sometimes have to think when I see people often "did I wear that last time I saw them?"

I just wanted to share a couple of good gems that I had come across.  I kind of like it when people do it and I find the same joy in the product!  Nothing like a real life recommendation right?!

Peter's Girlfriend, Lucy

Peter was able to hang out with his girlfriend, Lucy, on Friday night!  Ahhhh so adorable:) We explained it wasn't appropriate to punch her!!

Swim Lessons

We just wrapped up two weeks of swim lessons.  I decided to do them at the local pool near our house.  I was so happy with this decision!!! They were roughly at the same time which was nice because I didn't have to be there forever or wait in between.  Maggie was in a class which was a step above me being in the pool with her and I was nervous that she wouldn't like it but she ended up loving it!  The very last day she put her head in the water which is a HUGE step for her.  She normally hates water in her eyes and is scared of showers but she did it and then couldn't stop!  I was really proud of her:)

Matthew had a good experience as well.  I ended up putting him in a level that was maybe slightly too difficult for him.  He was sort of in between levels but I decided that he needed the challenge!  We didn't quite get to the pool this summer too much so he didn't get much practice before lesson time but he rose to the occasion and really was doing well by the end of the week!  I was really proud of him as well and he was jumping off the diving board and going down the slide:)

More Pictures

I made a concerted effort today to take some pictures and download some off of my phone to post!  Here we are:)

This is the cake I helped Jackie do for the 50th anniversary party

Maggie takes random pictures of stuff all the time including herself...thought I would share!

I promise he smiles.  He kind of gives me a wtf look a lot!!!

Brotherly love!  That is the beginning of his smile!

Peter was super pissed in this picture!

Pensive...

Snuggle bug.  The way he is leaning makes him look like a super chunk!

Folks, We have a smile!

Man alive!  I need to get back to blogging!  I have been seriously MIA.  I can't even remember the last time I logged on to my computer.  (Well actually, it was last week to buy a dress off nordstrom.com in a different color than the one I bought that day when I went to the sale:))  Anyway, I have been busy I guess but I feel bad because I don't really have a ton of pictures:(  You know what they say, the third one gets shafted!  Haha!  Anyway, I have been just taking it all in.  The snuggles, the nursing, the noises, the growth and yes the smiles!  I almost cried when we smiled yesterday officially!  He loves it when I whisper "hey Peter" softly to him.  It is the cutest thing ever!  He is a snuggle bug.  I find myself putting the baby Bjorn on everywhere because he will sleep and be still if I have it on.  I wear it in the grocery store (which if I have all three is much easier!) and I wear it at home when I need to get stuff done.  So where to begin...I have officially moved him into his crib.  He just seems so much more comfortable in there.  That means I am sleeping in Matthew's room right now.  It actually works out ok.  Matthew goes to bed in his own bed and when I am ready to go to bed, I move Matthew into our room.  Peter is getting up a couple of times a night and we have a good routine going.  I feel better about not waking Chris up and I think we are all sleeping as well as can be.  The other two have been taking swim lessons this week.  They are doing so well and I am so proud of them.  Matthew thinks he is an Olympic diver after watching it all on TV so he did a flip off the diving board yesterday (shaking my head).  But I am very proud of his skills.  I put him in a class that was maybe slightly challenging for him but he is rising to the occasion.  Maggie is in a class without me so I am very proud of her.  She seems to love it.  Chris has been off this week again which is awesome and he and Matthew have been working on his soccer skills.  They go out every night after dinner and kick the ball around.  I am so proud of Matthew's skills and happy that they have something in common.  School begins in roughly 3 weeks and I am so excited!  I am excited to get back into the routine of life!  Maggie is signed up for ballet again with Ms. Talia and she is super excited!  I am happy that she has found an activity that she loves to do.  Other than that, I did do a couple of cakes last week...I know I know what was I thinking but the first one was for Chris' aunt and uncle.  They celebrated 50 years of marriage and Chris' cousin came over and helped me so it was not that bad.  The second one was a groom's cake for a wedding and it was really fun to do:)  They are really into kayaking so they wanted something to do with that theme.  Anyway, I do have to say that sorry Amy, the maternity clothes are gone and you are way smaller than I am anyway so I doubt they would have fit you:)  (does that mean #2 is on the horizon...?) and I still have the letter you sent me to introduce yourself when we found out we were roommates!  Ahhh the memories:)  Miss you!!  Here are a few pictures that I do have...

This is Peter's friend, Miles

Sorry it has been a couple of weeks:)

Wow some of you are probably wondering what happened after I left you hanging with a heavy post...well I can assure you that I am doing well!  Thank you for the kind comments in person and on the blog.  It has been rough at times but I am doing better day by day.  Where to begin...

Chris had his turn to have a week off and let me tell you: IT WAS AMAZING!  I will admit I am the first to "complain" when Chris is getting on my nerves and needs to go back to work but I will in all honesty admit that he was a HUGE help and I was really sad when he went back.  We had the best week doing absolutely nothing.  Chris did the dishes and cooked dinner.  He played with the older two kids and let me rest.  He played endless soccer with Matthew and took him to tennis camp every morning, then he would go by Starbucks and deliver my coffee to me.  It was glorious!  I appreciated him very much. 

Last Wednesday, it was operation "Make Siri feel less like a schlump".  I didn't plan this but it just occurred.  First, I went in for a cut and color that I had scheduled 4 months ago.  I was ready.  I had been begging Jill for a year to just chop it off but she was resistant.  Well off it came!  I caught her at a weak moment and she chopped off a good amount.  Such a good amount she donated it:) I absolutely love it.  It is light, it is easy to do and I am not wearing a pony tail anymore.  Nope no more pony tail.  I am wearing it curly and it literally takes me 20 minutes from shower to completely ready which includes makeup!  I am a new woman again!  After the hair appointment I went to Nordies to pick up a few items at the sale.  Peter and I had a great time trying on all sorts of clothes.  I needed to get out of maternity clothes for my own sanity.  I found some really cute transition things that made me feel great and looked cute.  I think these two things have helped life me out of my funk and made me feel better about myself!  It is amazing what it can do!!!

This has been my first week on my own and I was scared but I am figuring it out slowly.  I have gone to tennis every morning with all 3 and made it on time, I have been to the grocery store and Costco!  I have found that the baby bjorn is what Peter must be in for the stores and the other two can be in the carts with bribes.  (For Costco it was the hot dog/soda combo.) So far I am hanging in there:) 

Here are some pictures from the baptism.  Thank god Alex's (Agatha's fiance) dad had his very nice camera and took some pictures.  I didn't even take one:)

Peter continues to be a great baby.  I mean don't get me wrong it is not like he is sleeping through the night or anything, but he is very predictable for a baby.  He only cries when he is really tired and wants to be held or is hungry.  He is adorable and on the cusp of smiling.  He loves Matthew and Maggie very much and is so snuggly!  I promise I will try and take more pictures soon!!

We did a double baptism with Bennett.  See that bun on me...bye bye:)

That is Peter's God father, Eric in the back.  Mr. Banks, STM's principal, did the baptism. Seriously love that man!

Uncle Tias getting some snuggle time!