GRAYt Expectations

Our sweet baby Jane!

2011-06-28T12:46:00.000-07:00

Savannah Jane Gray was born April 22, 2011 weighing 8.1 and measuring 19.5 inches. She is truly the best baby, if you add up all of the times she has cried since being born it would be less than 30 minutes. She was born with a head full of dark hair and has rocked a mohawk from the beginning, it is super cute!

The morning she was to be born, we dropped Remy off at daycare and arrived at the hospital around 11. Before we did this we had to take a few belly pics with Remington.

I had an amazing nurse all to myself, Amber (if you ever give birth at Riverton Hospital, highly recommend her). I went into the birth of Savannah determined to have a natural childbirth and my nurse was on board. However, my OBGYN wasn't on board.

My nurse tried to talk the doctor into waiting to break my water, but she didn't listen and came and did it anyway. Doing this totally broke my concentration and pretty much after that point I wasn't in the right zone mentally to work through the contractions. I made it to about a 5 and then I had to get the epidural, I felt like such a failure. I think it is hard for other people to sympathize with the failure that a woman feels when she has her mind set on doing a natural childbirth and not being able to do so.

However, the epidural was wonderful once I recieved it. I wanted to go natural with this birth because I had a horrible experience with my epidural during Remington's birth. For some reason with Remington the epidural didn't take evenly in my body. I felt the whole labor on one side of my body and the other side was so numb from the doctors increasing the dosage of medicine to try to numb the side it didn't take on that I didn't get the feeling back on one side of my body for several days post delivery. For this reason I was freaked to get an epidural this time around.

This is where an awesome nurse comes into play. She held my hand and was there with me preparing me mentally every step of the way and even had the doctor talk with me about my previous experience to try and subside my fears. Normally when they administer an epidural they do not allow extra people in the room, but for some reason the doctor let Marme (Michael's mom) and Charlie (my best friend) stay in the room. He told them not to talk and not to move. Half way through the epidural Marme gets up and moves chairs. Without a wink the doctor yells "SIT DOWN". If it weren't for the huge needle being stuck in my back at the time I probably would have laughed so hard until I cried. It was such a memorable moment.

After my epidural i was so cold. Here I am all bundled up. Once the epidural took, I was in heaven. This anesthesiologist knew what he was doing and was well worth the money.

I decided I wanted Remy at the hospital for the birth. I just felt that he should be part of this experience. So he was brought to the hospital a little bit before she was born. His lovely Aunt Karen came to the hospital to sit with him in the waiting room while I delivered, but as soon as she was born he was running to see her.

Watching a video while he waited for Savannah. I swear he looked so young here and then as soon as she was born he became a little man.

When he came time to push, I pushed for at least 30 minutes until this little stinker made her appearance. And just like Remy when he was born she barely made a peep.

While I am not excited about lack of sleep. I am enjoying the experience of having a little one in our home. There was just too much craziness and moving going on when Remington was born, that I really didnt' take a chance to enjoy the moment of having a little on around. Savannah is such a blessing in our home, she already has a little personality and loves to have her brother play with her.

Super Remington's 3rd birthday!

2011-03-05T19:49:00.000-08:00

First off I have to thank my best friend Emilee for helping me with Remington's party, she is always so willing to help with everything. Love her!

This morning we had Remington's 3rd birthday party at the Discovery Gateway in downtown Salt Lake. The theme was all about super heros, Remington loves all of them so we didn't narrow it down to a specific super! Below is a picture of his party invite, I designed the invitation in a design software and then had them printed and mounted on crushed curry cardstock. (Love that name!)For party favors I purchased yellow bag and cut them down to be kid size. They were filled with kid friendly snacks like fruit leather, cookies, nutrigrain bars and play dough. To finish off the bag I embellished with red tissue paper and then created a tag using the same images found on the birthday party invite.

I also embellished party hats to match. Although Remington insisted that we remove the string from his hat. Apparently he had a bad experience at a previous birthday party where the string on the party hat hit him in the nose, so he anti party hats with strings.

The highlight of Remington's party was the birthday cake! Egg-free and delicious. Keeping with the party theme I had Chan Cakes create a 3D super hero cake that reflected the characters featured on the front of Remington's invitations. We added a couple of personal touches such as hair and eye color to match Remington as well as the cake even had a cowlick. The cape on the back of the superhero also matched a personalized cape I had created for Remington as a birthday gift.
Since I am about to give birth, it was so nice to have the party at a place that took care of the entertaining. We had two wonderful employees that were dressed as superheroes entertain the kids with activities such as making a superhero mask and superhero training. They even cut the cake and served it, what more could a person want! The kids enjoyed getting to run around and play pretend--isn't creativity and imagination such a wonderful thing! Remington loved his party, he has asked if we can do it again.

Thank you to everyone who came out to celebrate our little man's 3rd birthday. We truly are blessed to get to be in the presence of such a gift from God. Once again Remington was spoiled rotten with so many gifts. Thank You!

The Last Eight Months

2011-01-23T17:40:00.000-08:00

I looked at the blog and realized that we haven't posted anything in almost eight months. The honest truth, I forgot the password to login and was too lazy to recover it. More honest is that from the middle of August until the middle of December I was throwing up multiple times a day, raising a two year old practically by myself while Michael managed running his business and his course work for the MBA program at the University of Utah, and I worked at least 45-50 hours a week outside of the home. Needless to say the last eight months have been hectic, there have been many times when tears were shed. I think both Michael and I are looking forward to this Summer when some of the things we have had going on will have calmed down.

Baby #2

If you haven't heard, Michael and I are expecting our second child the end of April. We couldn't be happier. We found out in early October that we were having a girl. We are planning to name her Savannah Jane. We gave Remington the big boy job of picking the name--Savannah Jane or Isabella Grace. I am so glad he picked Savannah, it has been a name I have loved since I was a little girl. Turns out Remington also has a little girl in his class at school with the name Savannah and the teacher says that they are boyfriend/girlfriend. (Maybe that is why he picked the name.)

Going into this pregancy Michael was extremely optimistic that I wouldn't be sick and that it would be easy. I was a little more hesitant knowing what I went through with Remington's pregnancy. Needless to say this pregnancy hasn't been a walk in the park. Almost immediately after we found out that I was expecting the throwing up began. And when I say throwing up I don't mean once a day or once a week. I mean every day and multiple times a day. I hardly ate and lost weight. I tried three different types of medication to ease the nausea, nothing really relieved it. Even zofran (the medication they give to chemo patients to relieve nausea) didn't really work, in fact it caused other health problems. Imagine not being able to have a poop for 16 days!

Through it all the one constant companion by my side was Remington. He may only be two--but he is filled with compassion, love and a tender spirit. I can't begin to tell you the amount of times he would stand by my side as I hugged the toliet or he would lay on the floor with me when I was too weak to walk from the bathroom back to the bedroom. Most two year old kids would run the other way and go destroy the house, but not Remington. He is such a blessing in our life. What an amazing opportunity the Lord has given Michael and I to learn from watching our little boy.

Innovative Motors

This past summer the dealership that Michael is partners with moved to a new location in Lindon. The location is a lot bigger and looks like a log cabin. Michael's business has been doing really well in this new location and we are so blessed that he works with amazing people. We are thankful for the individuals who have helped make this goal of Michael's a reality. While Michael has only been in business for himself for a little over a year, we see great potential in this business venture and we are looking forward to the future.

Michael already has found a little helper in Remington who loves to go to work with him. What a wonderful opportunity being an entrepreneur provides for our family. Unlike a traditional 9-5 job, Michael is able to have Remington come visit often and learn a good work ethic.

Cleaning Lady

Please do not be jealous or judge us, but Michael and I have a cleaning lady. With our busy schedules it got to the point this Fall where either we were going to live in mold or we had to find someone to help clean. Can I tell you that it is the best investment we have made. Coming home to a clean house is one of the best feelings in the world.

Girl's Trip to Vegas

In September, I spent a few days in Vegas with my girlfriends from college. Vanessa Rozo Jackson, Emily Jones Rusch and Amanda Gleaves Jolly were all able to take a break from their busy schedules and make the trip. We stayed at the MGM Grand, saw Cirque Du Soleil, shopped, went to a wax museum and laid by the pool. Downside of the trip was nausea--I didn't feel good the whole trip, so I felt like the party pooper. It was fun to be around my college roomies again. It is amazing that even though we have our seperate lives and we do not talk on the phone for hours like we used to that we are able to fall back into sync the minute we see each other. You know you have lifelong friends when distance, time and new life experiences do not change how much fun you have when you get together. We are thinking our next gathering should include the husband's. I am thinking somewhere warm and tropical.

Disney on Ice

Remington has a love of Disney characters and when Disney on Ice came to Salt Lake we decided to take him. Some of the characters in the show he didn't know and others he went bonkers over. Here he is with his Dad watching the show with his new Mickey Mouse toy.

Snovember

Our first big snow of the season happened in November and this year was the first time that Remington was actually old enough to enjoy playing in it. It actually snowed on a Sunday morning, so before church we went outside and built a snowman and let Remington jump in the snow piles.

Bringing Sexy Back

Michael started working out with a personal trainer towards the end of last year. Turns out the personal trainer is a family friend from Michigan--Ann Carluccio. She works at the gym we have a membership at and when Michael decided he wanted to "get his sexy back" he turned to Ann for help. I must say and I am a little bias because he is my husband, but he looks amazing. Hopefully Ann can do a number on my post pregnancy body after our little one is born. I am so proud of Michael. With everything he has on his plate--not getting home till 10:30 or 11:00 at night--he gets up at 6:30 to go work out. I do not have that discipline.

The Polar Express & Temple Square & Baking Cookies

Before Christmas the church that we attend had a wonderful Christmas program and did a Polar Express theme, which was great for the little ones. You were encouraged to wear your pajamas and come ride the imaginary Polar Express while you had breakfast.
We also were able to go to Temple Square and see the lights. We went with Michael's family and had such a great time. Below are a few pcitures from the evening. It was so cold.

Remington and I baked cookies for all of our neighbors--Danish Wedding cookies without the nuts.

Four Years

Michael and I celebrated our fourth wedding anniversary in December. To celebrate we went out to dinner and then spent the evening at The Grand America. My lovely step-sister Brandi and her husband offered to watch Remington.

Spreading Christmas Cheer

For Christmas, we had several special guests from North Carolina join us. My mom, my brother Dustin and my nephew Dylan were able to come out for a week and spend time with us. I have to tell you it was weird to have a house bubbling with noise and people. One fun thing we did while they were here was go to Disneyland. We piled in the car and drove down to Southern California--what a fun ride it was pregnant! We just happened to go to Disneyland on one of the days that they literally closed the park because it was too full. While we had fun, I must say I enjoy Disneyland a lot more when there are less people. Disneyland employees were having to do traffic control during daylight--it was insane to walk anywhere and it was insane to ride any rides. I think we stood in line for at least an hour to ride Dumbo and that was at 8:45 in the morning. To ride Space Mountain, Michael and Dylan waited about three hours. Overall memories were made and it was an experience to see my Mom out and about with all of those people, she usually likes to stick close to home.

Summer Photos

2010-08-30T16:04:00.000-07:00

Summer Vacation 2010: East Coast

Mr. Intimidator

Remington and David (cousin) driving around the farm!

The best transportation--golf cart!

I took this photo simply for Michael's mom and aunt--Look at the HUGE mate!

Worn out--no question!

Our nation's capitol-on a humid August afternoon.

The White House!

The Gray's!

Mr. Gray in front of Obama's house.

Shh!

The Treasury!

Say it isn't so--another summer coming to a close!

2010-08-21T16:03:00.000-07:00

It is hard to believe summer is almost gone. And for the Gray family it didn't really begin until the last week of July when Michael got a 3 week break from grad school! (1 more year baby!) So we packed up the kiddo and headed East for 10 days of no cell phone service and internet connection that seriously is slower than a turle in a 5k. Which means that life turns a little slower and reality tv transforms from Bravo to sitting on the front porch watching your neighbors.

One thing that was a little bit faster pace was Remington and his excursions on the battery operated truck. I have a video of it, but blogger is being a loser right now and won't load it.

While in North Carolina Michael and I went on a couple of adventures: 1) Raleigh, where we explored the State Capitol building--also known as Michael didn't believe it was that small. 2) Road trip to Washingon, D.C. where we got to stay in the Ritz Carlton (AMAZING) and have a little adult time because Remington stayed with Grandma Melva. 3)Carowinds was a fun day trip too. We went with two of my brothers and my brothers fiance and her family. I have no an ounce of adventure in my body, but Michael and my brothers acted like teenagers again and rode almost every ride there. 4)Homemade ice cream at Myra's house--this stuff is my favorite and one of the reasons I wanted to come home during the summer. 5)Hot dogs--now you can get hot dogs anywhere but there is nothing like a Carolina Dog at the end of a hot and humid day. Thanks to Dad/Bonnie and Grandma Hawkins! 6)Rascoe-Dameron Road Country Club also known as Vernon and Brenda's pool was a favorite of mine while we were there too. 7)Watching my 101 year old Grandpa on his tractor mowing--we call it bush hoggin! 8) Riding the golf cart as our mode of transportation. 9) Hanging out at Leslie's house because she has ESPN and Diet Dr. Pepper--not to mention she is so much fun and Remington is in love with her. 10) Getting pedicures multiple times from my cousin Kalynn (I am not sure if you spell her name that way or not).

Overall it was a great vacation. And fun to spend time with the family that we hardly ever see.

Just a reminder, I'm still allergic.

2010-07-17T11:43:00.000-07:00

This past week Michael and I took Remington to his allergist for a regular check-up to see if anything had changed with his nut and egg allergies. The doctor told us about a new treatment they are doing on people with allergies to try to reverse the allergy. However, Remington's are too severe to try to do this treatment. Remington is almost guaranteed to have a reaction when given nuts or eggs. His levels are almost off the charts for both meaning that the reaction is potentially life threatening.

The doctor reminded us that we have to be dilligent in keeping Remington away from all nuts and eggs. The doctor has counseled us to not bring Remington into environments where nuts and eggs are served. I know Michael and I have relaxed ourselves a little bit about this rule, but going to the doctor was a strong reinforcement for me. We are asking our friends and family to please be more aware that Remington is seriously allergic to several food items. If Remington is in your home please do not serve food with eggs and nuts while he is there. There is too great of a risk for cross contamination, especially with other children in the mix who go lick the same toys or share a sippy and may have eaten something Remington is allergic to. Luckily we haven't had any severe issues, but there have been instances where we have had to give Remington benadryl to try and prevent a reaction due to contact with food he is allergic to in other peoples homes.

We love our Remington and we know that our friends and family do as well. Please join us in making play dates, dinner parties, sleepovers, etc. more enjoyable for everyone by not serving food that has come in contact w/ egg and nuts. Once Remington is older and he can manage food himself, we may not have to ask this of our friends and family. But until Remington understands the importance of not putting things from the floor in his mouth, nor licking toys or sharing sippy cups this needs to be the new norm. Thank you so much in advance for helping Michael and I keep our sweet pea safe.

cursed

2010-06-29T11:10:00.000-07:00

About 2 years ago I sold my 1st wedding dress to a girl whose brother-in-law I work with. I sold it for barely 1/10 of what I originally paid, but I didn't care I just wanted it to be used. No sense in the dress hanging in a closet and being moved from house to house with me. I hadn't really thought about this girl that I sold the dress to until yesterday when the topic of weddings were brought up in a meeting. Her brother-in-law happen to be in the meeting so I asked if he had any photos of her wedding. That dress is cursed. Apparently the guy she was engaged to went a little crazy and the wedding was called off shortly before they were to be married. SAME thing happen to me with that dress. I feel bad that I sold the dress and the bad spirit followed with it. I truly believe that my Heavenly Father was looking out for me when my first engagement didn't turn out as expected. I hope the same for this girl. My life is so blessed and I am so thankful that I married to Michael. He is an amazing father and even better best friend. I am keeping my fingers crossed that the same blessing will find its way to this girl who bought the dress.

FINALLY more pics of Remingtons' birthday

2010-06-25T18:22:00.000-07:00

Do they come any better than this?

2010-04-02T10:28:00.000-07:00

We are so in love with our little boy! These pictures were taken by my friend Channing a few weeks ago. Channing is 7 months pregnant--what a trooper to still come out and take photos of our little man.

Remington being 2 is going to be so much fun for us this year. His personality is unforgetable and he is starting to get smarter than his mom and dad. Once he gets potty trained we will put him in Challenger, a private pre-school that is known for its excellent academics. I believe his cousin Zoe is going to start there soon as well. The other night Remington started counting to 10 in spanish--just out of the blue! Michael is trying to teach him to count in Thai.

We love our little boy who is surely going to be a man before we know it! I just hope he doesn't grow up too fast because that will mean I will have to have another baby!

My Boys!

2010-03-14T19:22:00.000-07:00

"Mom, I am afraid of Picki"

2010-03-14T18:41:00.000-07:00

Picki is Remington's monster. Yes monster! For the past 2 weeks Remington has been telling Michael and I stories of his monster Picki. The story is always the same, which blows my mind that they a kid his age can remember exactly what he has already told you! I thought I would share a typical conversation with Remington when he is telling us about Picki.

Remington: Mom, I see Picki.

Mom: Where is Picki, sweetie?

Remington: He is in the grass. I'm scared.

Mom: Who is Picki and why is he in the grass?

Remington: Picki is a monster and he lives in the grass. I see him Mom!

Mom: Is Picki a nice monster or a bad monster?

Remington: Bad monster, I'm scared.

Mom: What does Picki say that scares you?

Remington: He goes "grrrr"

Mom: Wow that doesn't sound too good. What does Picki look like?

Remington: He's red

Saw these and it made me think of home!

2010-03-08T13:42:00.000-08:00

Remington exloring the soft drinks hidden under Grandma Hawkin's bar.

My handsome nephew David Gray Hawkins! Yep, my brother liked my last name so much he named his son after us.

The best macaroni and cheese maker in the world!

Buckaroo Turns 2

2010-03-08T09:15:00.000-08:00

Remington turned 2 a week ago! I know I am so late to the game posting photos of the fun occasion, but here they are--well at least some of them! I still do not have a good photo of the cake, Charlie took that photo and I haven't been able to get it from her yet.

Details of the party: Invitations were handmade, but I bought them from a lady in the midwest. Being a full-time working mom you do not always have the time to do everything you want to do yourself. Sometimes you just have to pull out your credit card and get someone else to do them. Thanks Diane for great invitations and party favor bags.

Remington's cake was made from scratch. Every single last morsel of it. I practiced for about 1 1/2 months prior to his birthday to make an egg-free cake that was delicious. Seriously we had some gross cakes. But the final cake turned out perfect and moist. I even bought $60 worth of professional baking pans to make sure everything was perfect. Seriously I am a sucker for my little boy. FYI--you can totally tell a difference in cheap walmart pans and professional pans. Cheap Walmart pans always make my cakes stick, these expensive pans had the cake come out perfect. The creation of Remington's cake took almost 1 1/2 days, I started on Friday night and didn't get done until a little bit before the party started on Sunday.

Remington cuddling with his cousin Eden. Eden is so gorgeous she has be best smile and Remington is just obsessed with her. From the very beginning he has thought the world of her.

Studying the present he just recieved from Grandma and Grandpa Erb and his auntie's. They gave him this great coloring set with super cool crayons. He loves it--thanks so much!

The handsome Remington in his new spring outfit.

Remington and his Dad playing with his new toys.

Remington loves Spiderman--so the Erb's wrapped his gift in Spiderman paper. The day before the party, Remington was over at the Erb's and he found his wrapping paper and you should have seen how excited his was for the wrapping paper. He was running around the house just in love! Next year I suggest we just buy him a tube of wrapping paper.

We just love this little man! So darn cute and just growing up so fast.

Blowing out his candles. The top part of his delicious egg-free cake. Seriously this egg-free baking is not so bad now that i have foung my magic egg-free baking ingredient of choice. Thanks Grandma Melva for helping us figure it out.

Aunt Charlie and Mom singing Happy Birthday to Remington. Charlie came over the day before to help me with the cake and cleaning up. It is so nice to have such a great friend who is always there for you. Especially since Michael is always at work or school--it can be hard to get everything done.

Look how skinny my arm is--we were watching a video that was taken at his last birthday before the party and seriously my arm used to be twice this big.

Remington also recieved lots of other great goodies for his birthday--he was seriously spoiled.

1. Nona and Poppy sent a Thomas the Train set.

2. Marme and Dave gave Remington a train table.

3. Grandma Hawkins sent a wonderful card and some money that went into Remington's savings account.

4. Grandma Aldridge sent a handmade card and money for Remington's savings account.

5. The Mecham's gave Remington a Handy Manny toolbox. He loves the saw.

6. The Ewell's gave Remington an outfit and some books which now live in our car because he loves them.

7. Daniella gave Remington her stuffed monkey. So stinkin sweet of her.

8. Irene and family brought Remington spiderman swim trunks. I can't wait for him to use them.

9. Cousin Zoe and family gave Remington a lego Thomas the Train set with a carnival theme. The morning after his party he woke up and saw this toy and said "WOW, Mommy--look."

10. Cousin Leslie sent Remington a gorgeous blue polo shirt and a tractor. She said he needed to keep a little John Deere in him. So sweet of her to think of our little one.

If I have forgotten someone I am so sorry. I hope I haven't! Seriously thank you so much for celebrating Remington's birthday with us.

Happy Birthday Remington Michael Louis Gray

2010-03-03T10:39:00.000-08:00

Size 5---Woo Hoo!

2010-01-24T13:34:00.000-08:00

Last night I purchased a pair of size 5 jeans from Nordstrom. Whoo Hoo! I can hardly believe it myself, but even Remington was dancing in the dressing room with his sexy Mama.

I am off to Anaheim for Craft & Hobby Show! I hear it is raining, who goes to California in January for rain? Hopefully I will have some nice sunny days while I am there. I told Remington I was going to hang out with Disneyland for a few days--he said he wanted to go too! Agh- I am going to miss that little man.

I seriously think one of the hardest parts of being a working mother is to have to travel and leave your little one behind. But luckily I have the best adopted family in the WORLD-- The Erb's are helping watch Remington while I am gone so that Michael can go to school. It is so comforting to have a wonderful family that you know loves your kid as much as you do! It is wild to think that since I have lived in Utah I have grown so close to the Erb's, they are my family and I am truly appreciative to their love and support. Especially my best friend and soul sister--Charlie.

Happy Birthday Michael!

2010-01-20T15:46:00.000-08:00

It is Michael's birthday today and I just wanted him to know how much I love him. Michael is such an amazing father to our son Remington and I get goose bumps everytime I see the two interact. It is truly priceless.

Thank you Michael for all you do for our family. I am so proud of you to be running a business, going to grad school and still finding time to be the amazing man I married.

More Photos

2009-12-05T14:02:00.001-08:00

What is it with taking family photos in November?

2009-11-30T18:41:00.000-08:00

I have to admit in the three years that Michael and I have been together we have paid folks to take our pictures three times: Engagement/Wedding and then two years of family photos. And for some reason I can never think to get it done prior to a few days before or after Thanksgiving. This year was just the same--freezing outside and of course I am determined to get the perfect photo for our handmade Christmas cards.

Below are a few of our favorites. Thanks Channing for the wonderful job and for going out in the cold with us!

Homemade Christmas Cards

2009-11-18T14:07:00.001-08:00

Okay it is that time of year again--and yes they are homemade. I need your address for christmas cards. Send me an email at z_beth_2002@yahoo.com

TODAY Show: Here I come

2009-11-17T15:41:00.001-08:00

It isn't a secret, I have a crush on Matt Lauer from the TODAY Show. It's true an older man makes me flush. It's okay Michael agrees with my crush in fact he encourages it every morning when he turns on the TV to wake me up for work.

My dream is finally coming true. I am going to the TODAY Show and there is a pretty BIG possibility that I may be meeting him as I will get backstage credentials. That's right I got my company on the TODAY Show. More details to come...

But for sure I will have a story to tell about my experience with Matt.

Tune in you may see me out on the plaza.

Halloween at Work!

2009-10-29T12:00:00.000-07:00

http://www.youtube.com/user/allisonnicole007#p/a

http://www.youtube.com/user/allisonnicole007#p/a/u/1/eydDQwQ8IAI

Guts and Seeds: Pumpking Carving at the Gray House

2009-10-29T09:12:00.000-07:00

We carved 2 pumpkins last night. A large one which, Michael took over and a smaller one which turned into mine. Remy was only excited for the first 5 miutes (he does have the attention span of his mom after all). And plus Remy was more excited to get a sugar rush from the Halloween candy I had bought earlier in the day. I found a handful of items that he could actually eat with Skittles being his favorite of the choices. He was seriously bouncing off the walls last night after eating his candy, jumping on his bed, etc. It was pretty hilarious.

Michael looking a little slimmer, so proud of his choice to eat healthier with me. 15 pounds lost 10 more to go--cutting out carbs and sugar has been a miracle weightloss helper. Although Michael is still enjoying his coke every now and then. And Michael can now hear (BETTER) he got fitted for a hearing aid yesterday and so far so good. We just have to figure out how to pay for it now, they are expensive and our insurance doesn't cover it--$2100 just for one ear.

Yep--he got it!

2009-10-28T11:41:00.000-07:00

Yep, Remington has the H1N1 flu. We took him to the emergency room Saturday night because he was running a temp of 103 and we couldn't break it. After 2 hours the doctor told us that he has the h1n1 and gave us anti-viral prescription. We are about 5 days in and Remy is doing fine, his fever has finally stopped for the time being.

After days of having his temperature taken, Remington decided he wanted to care for him Elmo. Here are a few pictures of his doctor skills. He even knows to look at it after he is done. Seriously could our child get any smarter?

Speaking of smart. Remington can sing his ABC's to the letter G. He knows just about everyone in our families name. Hearing him say Michael is priceless. And he can sing several songs with Bumble Bee, Happy Birthday and Popcorn Popping being his favorites. He also knows a variety of objects, when we are out in stores he will tell me what color things are. Considering he has a mom and dad that are home very little--he is doing well.

Gosh Darn H1N1

2009-10-22T12:58:00.001-07:00

*Warning you are about to read a venting session of an overworked mother of one, who has extreme guilt about working and having a kid--but it is what it is*

Having a child who is allergic to eggs, nuts, shellfish and asthmatic isn't very easy. I just spent over 1 1/2 hours today trying to figure out where I could get Remington vacinated for H1N1. (The shot kind is in Utah, for any moms with kids under age 2 who couldn't get the nasal spray. Big vaccination fair this weekend, check the SLC Health Department Web site for more info. PLEASE GET YOUR KID VACCINATED, since we can't at this time)

Apparently there isn't a single place in the WHOLE STATE OF UTAH that can currently give it to him because of his egg allergy--even though he meets the age guidelines to be given priority for it, he is in contact with other kids constantly (due to daycare) and all of his doctor's are encouraging him to get it because he does have asthma and is at greater risk. NOT even the allergist who gave him his normal flu shot--which he did fine with becuase he was being supervised. The health departments in Utah have the shots currently and they will not give to a egg allergy kid because of side effects and the inability to give the vaccine properly to a kid with a potential allergy. The health department expects to start distributing to pediatrician offices in the near future, but no confirmed date or at least that is what the Director of the Salt Lake County Health Deparment said. (Yep called him too!) However, the health department currently can't distribute to my allergist because of legal implications. So what's a working mom to do who can't stay at home and keep her kid safe from the germs of other sick kids? And to make it worse it seems like people who are sick don't feel the needs to stay away from others. Or at least that is my experience--a kid in his daycare was sent home yesterday for having a 104 degree temperature and is now being treated for swine flu.

My gosh Obama care, I can't even get a H1N1 vaccination given to my allergist so Remington can get it. (believe me I even offered to pick up the vaccine from the health department and take it to the allergist, and NOPE 'cause of legal issues) Seriously this is messed up, but for those of you who can get it. GET IT at least then you will be one less person who can spread it to my baby who is sitting in daycare today with a huge sign on his forehead that says "Please give me swine flu, since you were eligible to get vaccinated and didn't".

Oh the joys of being a mom and having to let your baby go out in the germy world without a protective shield. Okay I am done venting.

Mascara

2009-10-16T11:41:00.000-07:00

A few weeks ago I was getting ready and before I knew it Remington had gotten into my make-up bag. Now we all know that is a no no, because the cost of mommy's make-up is going to be a reason why Remington pays for his own college education. Ha Ha...

Anyway he had gotten into my mascara and opened it and proceeded to paint on his face. It was too cute, so i had to take a picture.

Scariest Day Ever!

2009-10-13T10:07:00.000-07:00

In Business Doing it for Ourselves!

2009-10-12T09:39:00.000-07:00

Oh I almost forgot! Michael now has his own business. He is still working at the same place, but now he is running his own deal in addition to being the right hand man to Justin. We were excited, he sold his first car under the Michael Gray LLC last week and it is super sweet to get more than just a percentage on every car sold.

Three cheers for my hubby and his business! We wish the business much success and hopefully in the long run it will mean he can be at home more with us.

Birthdays, Pumpkins and 7 pounds

2009-10-12T08:59:00.000-07:00

Call me crazy but 25 feels just like 24. Thursday was my birthday and I started out the day kind of bummed because I wasn't standing on the plaza in New York watching the Today Show as Michael and I had planned almost 6 months ago. Long story of why not...

However, once I arrived at work my day got a little better. I walked in to realize that my desk had been decorated by my co-workers and my sweet husband had snuck into my office and left a beautiful flower arrangement and a chocolate chocolate chip bunt cake. My coworker Spencer even made me German chocolate cupcakes--from scratch. Then later that night we went out to dinner at a nice Italian restaurant--Lugano's. We learned about this place from Vanessa and Kevin--they had their rehearsal dinner here and we had wanted to go back for some time. The night was lovely and simple--just the way I like it. Although I still missed Matt Lauer and getting to see him on my birthday--maybe next year.

Then on Saturday I took Remington to pick out a pumpkin or two. He had so much fun--for some reason he thinks pumpkins are babies. Random! Below are a few shots of our pumpkin excursion.

Once again I have embarked on a weight loss regimine. This time I am having success, I have lost 7 pounds in 2 weeks by cutting out carbs, fat and sugar. Which has also helped my horrible stomach issues, Dr. said it isn't celiac. However I still get sick whenever I eat bread, pasta, etc. I tried pasta for the first time on my birthday and I got sick before we could even get back to Michael's moms to pick up Remy. So we are thinking it is a gluten intolerance instead of full-blown celiac.

Eating at the Gray household is pretty fun: no eggs, no nuts, no shellfish and now limited gluten. However I love pasta so i don't think I could ever give it up completley. I will just have to stay close to home if and when I eat it.

Oh and here are a few shots of our house... Not nearly the whole place, but the living room on the main floor.

SALSA

2009-08-27T10:18:00.000-07:00

Last night Michael and I bonded over canning salsa. That's right I canned without my Mama. I grew up canning--gosh summer was spent under Myra's porch snapping beans and shelling peas, shucking corn, etc. So I guess you could say it is in my blood to be domestic and can food, but I haven't done it since I left home more than 7 years ago. So earlier this week I went to the organic produce stand and bought lots of yummy tomatos and chili peppers (I know lame that I don't have a garden, but I just barely got an attached garage, so i guess 1 thing at a time) and last night we experimented with making salsa. It was quite the experience, but everything turned out fabulous and the results were nice and spicy--just the way we like it.

I will post pictures of my lovely canned salsa sitting on top of my counter all happy and spicy!

Thanks hubby for inspiring me to get back to my roots and do some canning. And thanks Megan Strong for the fabulous salsa recipe.

If Michael ever becomes a Bishop....

2009-08-19T15:05:00.000-07:00

I read this fabulous article yesterday in the Deseret News--Soda swilling bishop's wife is caught in act!

Long story short--as I read this article I knew it was telling my future. I really either need to kick my Dr. Pepper habbit or pray that Michael never becomes a Bishop. Read the article and you will know why I made that comment.

On another note!
Day 2 of grad school--Michael loves it! He said that he feels like he is on the TV show Apprentice.
Our new home--fabulous all three of us love it! It is so wild to have so much space again. When we had our home it was just the two of us so it seemed so large--then we downsized to living with in-laws and basements and then an apartment and finally back to a house (ALL WITHIN A YEAR). We love our new home and feel so blessed that we have such a wonderful place to live. I will post pics of the new place with our furniture soon.

Studying, Convention, Moving and School

2009-08-11T15:47:00.000-07:00

Wow the past two weeks have been CRAZY! First off Michael was studying like crazy with his own personal tutor to take and pass a math equivalency exam so that he can start his MBA. It was lame, but since he made a high enough score on his ACT to get into college he didn't have to take a math class unless his major required it. Lucky him he is a political science major--no math needed. However, now that he was accepted to the MBA program at the University of Utah, he had to produce a math credit for college algebra. Hince the personal tutor and studying for 2 weeks to take the test.

While all of that was going on I had Convention for work--which means long days and EARLY mornings. If you know me I am not a morning person, so having to wake up at 5:45 every morning to drive downtown wasn't my favorite. But it was so worth it to see all of the wonderful ladies who love our products. I even got to see my possee--that's right I have a possee. It seems that every employee where I work has a set of woman that attach themselves to you. They always look to find you at every convention and want to catch up on your life. It is super fun to have a possee.

While all of that is going on Michael and I are moving--yep we can't stay put in one place too long. So in my spare time and when Remy isn't watching I pack a thing or two away. Remy loves unpacking what I have packed--it is quite a game.

I am happy to say that yesterday Michael took his test and passed--he needed a 50 and he got a 50! WOO HOO! So that means i get him home at night for 3 more days (luckily we are offically moving the day before he starts school) and then he starts school on saturday. So for the next 2 years we will probably only see each other on sundays and late at night. Oh well--my hubby is getting an education!

Celebrating 100 Years!

2009-07-22T10:40:00.001-07:00

Remington and I just returned from a week long vacation in North Carolina. We went out for my grandfather's 100th birthday party.

Those of you interested can hear all about his good ole' life tomorrow morning on NBC's The Today Show. Williard Scott will be wishing my grandpa a happy birthday sometime between 7:00-9:00 am. Set your TiVo and hear all about my grandpa.

Also Curry is up for Dickie's hardest worker of the year.http://www.workeroftheyear.com/

I think you can still vote for him, so go and see... Curry Phillip Aldridge, Burlington North Carolina.

Our New Home!

2009-07-14T12:26:00.001-07:00

I am so excited. In fact I have had a hard time even managing to work today because I am just so excited. Michael and I are getting a home, no we aren't buying. But we are renting a nice town home in South Jordan. We get to stay in the same ward (woo hoo we may even make it to the 1 year mark in the same ward). Our first 2 1/2 years of marriage we have had 5 wards.

It turns out the house we inquired about renting is my visiting teachers home. They just bought a new home and haven't been able to sell their own. Pictures are below. It has 3 bedrooms, 4 baths and a full walk-out basement. Anyone want to come have a slumber party with me? We are moving in mid-August. Yippee

Kitchen

Kitchen/dinning room

Living room

Basement

2009-07-12T11:53:00.000-07:00

At the Utah Symphony--eating chips under the stars

Remington is going through a faze where he is attached to his stuff animals. Yesterday he even pulled one into the bathtub with him for a swim

Remington became friends with a minature poodle

4th of July in the park

Eating cookie dough for the first time--EGG free!

4th of July Brawl!

2009-07-06T15:20:00.001-07:00

So the 4th of July couldn't happen without a little bit of a brawl. That's right ladies the Gray girls got into a little altercation at the Sandy 4th of July Celebration. And no we weren't fighting each other! Michael and I along with Remington and then Stephanie, Grayson, Nate and Emilee all went to the Sandy fireworks on the 4th. We were minding our own business sitting on our blankets when all of a sudden I got hit in the eye with a football. It took me a second to realize what had happen as i am used to flying object since I am the proud mother of a 16 month old who thinks hitting is a nice thing to do.

So once I realized that i got hit with a ball, Emilee throws it back to the folks that hit me. The little girl that threw it with a little bit of hesitation finally said sorry. Which was fine--It wasn't like I was going to get angry at a little 8 year old. However, the adult that was with her proceeded to tell the little girl (OUT LOUD SO I COULD HEAR) that it wasn't a big deal she had hit me because it didn't hurt. Which put me into major witch mode--because it actually did hurt it hit me in the eye and my eye was blurry for at least 30 minutes afterwards. So I responded back, and said that it actually did hurt and I would be willing to throw the ball in their face so they could try it out since he didn't think it hurt me. And here comes the eruption--the guy proceeds to yell at me and tell me that I am over reacting. Which puts about to pop pregnant Stephanie into defense mode and Emilee too, so they start yelling at the guy with me. (it was a pretty good scene to watch) Then the guys wife (I think) gets into it and proceeds to tell us that she is blown away at the way we reacted to a little girl hitting me. And I wanted to proceed to stuff her fake boobs down her throat since I wasn't mad or upset at the little girl EVER! My discontent came when the dork she married said what he said. So once I realized that I was dealing with a complete jerk, I just shut my mouth and let Emilee and Stephanie yell at him.

And to top it all off in the end I felt like crying because I couldn't believe an adult would end up yelling at someone who his niece or child or whoever she was just hit. When I didn't do anything but tell him that it actually did hurt and I didn't think it was appropriate to say otherwise. The girl that was with him even caught Emilee's eye and made the most annoying face and waved at her. As to say we won.

I can't believe the nerve of some people. I know that if Michael would have been there when it happened he would have defended me. He was so annoyed when I told him what had happened.

Daily Funny!

2009-06-26T09:23:00.001-07:00

Last night Michael told me the funniest story about an experience that had happen to him at work.

Michael has known his boss, Justin, for years. They even exchange clothing amongst each other. For the past several months Michael has noticed an infant carrier sometimes in Justin's wife's car and just thought maybe Justin's wife was babysitting and that is why she has an infant carrier. Yesterday Justin's wife is in their office and she has a baby with her and she is out in the open changing its stinky diaper. Michael takes Justin to the side and asks "Whose kid is that?", Justin responded "It's mine." Michael had no clue that his boss had a 6 month old baby. That to me is the funniest thing ever. How could you not know how many kids your boss has--especially in Michael's case where he has known Justin for years and been friends with him.

I couldn't believe this story, but it was so funny to me I had to share.

HE GOT IN!

2009-06-24T09:48:00.000-07:00

I am so excited and proud of my hubby! We just learned that he got accepted into the business school at the University of Utah and that the business school has recommended that he be accepted into the MBA program.

2009-06-14T18:35:00.000-07:00

Playing outside in Aunt Alicia's yard.

Playing in the pool with Verona.

I can't think of another picture to wrap up our feelings of our little boy--he is just a pleausre and a blessing everyday.

2009-06-14T18:19:00.000-07:00

In Arizona with Marme.

Chillin' in his stroller by the pool.

Muscle man--too cool for the pool!

Playing outside at Wheeler Farm.

Playing with big cousin Zoey at Wheeler Farm.

Liz, Remy, Brandi and Zoey

Isn't my face priceless... There was a spastic duck at the farm who hissed at people and I was giving it my mean face to stay away from my boy.

Being a monkey, climbing on his stroller.

I know I need to post pictures of Remy!

2009-06-11T08:14:00.000-07:00

I am sure that is what my family is saying everytime they check out our blog and there are no new pictures. I admit it--when I get home from work I can't stand getting on the computer and so therefore I usually don't load pictures. But I do have new photos to share from our trip to Arizonia and will do it as soon as I get the nerve to get on the computer once i am at home.

Oh another note and this is completly self gloating and I told myself I wouldn't share until I had more success, but I couldn't hold it in anymore. I am proud of myself. I am sitting at work today in a pair of size 6 dress pants. YEP 6, I know Emily Rusch is thinking I just went shopping with you 2 month ago and you were no where near a 6. Well I was so mortified after shopping with Emily (I do love you, but you are like a size -0 and I was definatly not), so I started working out like a crazy woman and I have been running just about everyday for 2 months for about 30-40 minutes. So when I went to Arizona I went shopping and low and behold I fit in a pair of size 6 dress pants. I still have a ways to go, but Michael isn't complaining about the less fat on my body... Ha Ha... My goal is to be 120 by the end of the year and be a nice size 4--the way I was before I got married and had a kid. I think it is dooable, especially if I keep doing what I have been doing and my hubby stays supportive of letting me have 30-40 minutes to myself to workout everyday.

No Eggs, Please!

2009-06-02T14:46:00.001-07:00

It's official, Remington is allergic to eggs as well as peanuts and tree-nuts. We found out from the doctor a few days ago. Quickly we are learning to be the parents that ask what everything is made of--so I am apologizing in advance if I annoy anyone with my questioning or if I pout because you made something yummy and didn't think about trying to adapt it so that Remington can have it too. If anyone knows any great recipes that are nut and egg free let me know. I feel so bad when Remington is around other people and he sees them eating things that he can't have but he really wants--like dessert. It is so sad to have to give him a piece of bread when his cousin is devouring a slice of chocolate cake right in front of him--so help I need recipes. I don't' think we should rid the world of chocolate cake (I mean that would be crazy talk), but at least make chocolate cake that is somehow egg free and nut free. I know there is a way, I just have to figure it out.

I am thinking about making a sign for my front door that reads, "Nut free zone--check next door". Ha Ha Ha (I know corny)

Finally a vacation...

2009-06-01T12:24:00.000-07:00

Michael and I are in need of a desperate vacation. I know everyone has stress and busy schedules, but it seems like the last 1 1/2 years has been extremly busy and stressful for us. So we decided to actually ask off work and take a vacation--Yahoo! We are heading down to Mesa, Arizona on Thursday for a long weekend of relaxation. I can't wait and of course I will share pictures when we return!

Swimming pool and outlet shopping--here we come!

Boycott Peanuts--They are harmful

2009-05-08T09:22:00.001-07:00

I hardly ever eat peanut butter, the smell usually makes me gag. Michael loves peanut butter. Before Remington was born I told several folks that Remington was never to eat peanut butter. It wasn't because I thought he would be allergic. Really it was a selfish request because I didn't like the smell of it and didn't want my child requesting a food that I didn't want to prepare for him.

On Thursday at daycare Remington went into the older kid class to play and ended up being given a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. He really didn't eat alot of it (according to the daycare workers), but afterwards they put him down for a nap. This was all around 11 am. A little while later they walked over to check on him and noticed that he had thrown up in his sleep, so they woke him up and started to clean him up. While cleaning him they noticed that he had hives all over his body. So they gave me a call at work to see if they could give him some benadryl and I said yes and they were like well you may want to come get him. This was around 1:30 pm. There wasn't really any alarm in their voice, they just made it seem like he may have a slight peanut allergy and I need to go pick him up. So I left work and when I got there my child's whole body was covered in what looked like reddish/purple birthmarks and huge white bumps. At that time they told me that his tounge was swollen, so i immediatly took him to his pediatrician's office. On the way to the office, Remington really wasn't responding and looked like he was having a hard time breathing.

At the doctor's office they checked his vitals and made sure that his airways were opening back up and gave him another dose of benadryl. So after about an hour we left with a prescription for an EpiPen to use if he ever had a similar reaction again. I got about 3 blocks away from the doctor's office and Remington started violently throwing up again. Puke was flying everywhere and my poor little babies eyes were rolling back in his head, I seriously thought he was dying. So I got on the phone with the doctors office and asked if I should bring him back or take him to the emergency room and they said to come back to their office (the hospital and their offices are at the same location so not too big of a difference). We got him back in the office and he was in bad shape, having another reaction to the peanut butter that he was given more than 4 hours before. This time around they ended up giving him a steroid shot and a shot of benadryl and they rechecked his vital and his heartbeat was extremly high and his oxygen was extremly low. And the spots on his body were turning from white bumps into his whole body being one large red raised rash. The doctor was really concerned about him so they had me sit in observation for about another hour while they made the decision to admit him to the hospital or not. My doctor was leaning towards the hospital admission, but she consulted with another doctor and they decided to observe us for a longer period of time and then make the decision. So about 7 o'clock they rechecked his vitals and his heartbeat and gotten back to normal and his oxygen level was normal too. His hives had reduced substantially and so they decided that we could go home with him as long as we went and got the EpiPen prescription filled immediatly.

Long story short, Remington is recovering from his allergic reaction to peanut butter. We have to keep a watch on him for the next 24 hours because a reaction can occur again even if he isn't exposed again within this time frame. We got our EpiPen prescription, $153 for this medication. Good thing we have insurance and only had to pay $20. Michael and I have both recieved training on how to use the EpiPen and we have to carry it around with us at all times. In about 1 week Remington is going to an allergist to be tested for additional allergies at at time we will find out more about preventing future outbreaks.

However, from now on you better not bring peanuts or peanut butter around out baby. The doctors even think he is probably allergic to eggs and shellfish. And yes, we will be having a talk with the daycare that fed him a lunch that he wasn't suppose to have yet because of the age group he is in. I am not angry at them. I just would have rather things been handled a little bit faster and differently. Remington was literally chocking because of the swelling of his tounge and they waited 2 1/2 hours to call me after he was first exposed and then instead of the daycare taking him to the emergency room or calling 911 they waited for me to get there and didn't tell me how serious it was until I got there. They should have taken him immediatly to the emergency room, he could have died. Peanut allergies are very dangerous. Michael and I are just thankful that we were able to get him better.

Good Ole Days

2009-05-01T09:01:00.000-07:00

Michael and I spent this past weekend with some of my friends from the good ole college days. Emily Rusch came in town w/ her son Jack for Vanessa and Kevin's wedding and then Amanda and Allan came up from Grand Junction for the wedding as well. It was a crazy action packed 4 days filled with flowers, dresses and dancing. Vanessa and Kevin were married in the SLC Temple on the 25th and so much for a spring wedding--it started raining right before she came out of the temple and it was so cold. But she was beautiful and so was her dress--it was made by a spanish designer and they had to alter the dress especially for her so it would be modest. It perfectly fit her heritage and her gorgeous body--my goodness I am starting to think that none of my friends eat because they all have gorgeous bodies.

Even though the weather was less than fabulous--the whole weekend of festivites was amazing. It started with leaving early from work on Thursday to pick up the Rusch's at the airport. It is always a fun day when you get two kids and their mothers in a car together. We then went to Olive Garden to see our other friend Jamie. She is so stinkin cute and pregnant. While at the Olive Garden our children both decided that they needed to get on the table and throw food everywhere. Normally when Remy gets like this in public I start yelling at Michael that we need to leave, but I seriously couldn't resist letting the two future college roomies make a mess. So after about an hour of destroying the restaurant we decided that we had ruined enough and left. I can't wait for Remy and Jack to be roomies in college--I am already waiting for the police report that says they vandalized the eating area in the Wilkinson Center.

On Friday it was all about the bride-to-be, we went down to Provo and loaded my car with flowers, flowers and more flowers. And of course we had to stop by the Wilkinson Center and get a lettuce wrap, fond memories of our BYU days. Then Vanessa trusted us to go get her diamond ring cleaned. Her diamond is seriously the size of a small country in Africa.

We were so excited to get 10 minutes alone with that ring--you could seriously sit there and stare at it for hours. Which is basically what Emily and I did. Later that evening we had the rehersal dinner at Lugano's where Vaness'a brother did magic tricks. he seriously pulled a dollar bill out of a lemon. I am still trying to figure out how he did that.

Saturday, the day of the wedding we got ready to go and drove downtown only for me to realize that Remy had taken my temple recommend out of my wallet. The wedding was about 45 minutes from starting, so I called my bishopric and begged them to call the temple. Which they did, but I now have to give a talk in church. Lucky me! Below are a few picture of the reception that was held at Memorial House in Memory Grove

The reception was so much fun. I have never been to such a fancy party! They had a cocktail hour with fake cocktail that had edible orchids as decoration. I am not a fan of eating flowers, so I passed. To see professional photos of the magical day, visit http://www.dezemberphotoblog.com/dezemberphotoblog/Dezember_Photo_Blog/Entries/2009/4/28_KEvin_%26_Vanessa_-_Wedding_slideshow.html

There is a robber in our midst

2009-04-17T09:31:00.000-07:00

When Remington and I returned home last night I got this weird feeling that something wasn't right. We got in the house and everything seemed normal, but I kept having this weird feeling and kept hearing a noise that sounded like our blinds moving. But it was like 30 degrees yesterday so obviously we hadn't left a window open to make the blinds move. With cell phone in hand and 911 dialed on my phone (I just needed to press send) I got up the nerve to walk into the bedroom where I heard the noise. As i turned the corner a huge bird comes flying towards me (i.e. robber). We have no clue how the bird got into our bedroom all of our windows had been closed and we had been gone all day. After realizing that their wasn't a robber, but a spastic bird in my bedroom/bathroom I had to figure out how to get it out of the house.

I would expect that many of you know me well enough to know that I am not an animal person. I didn't grow up with animals and I have no affection for them. I don't want to hurt them, but cuddling up to an animal is not on my to-do list. The bird was so stinkin spastic it kept flying into my bathroom mirror and then flying back into the bathroom window (which was stuck and I couldn't get opened). So I called Michael and he thought it was hilarious, but told me I could call animal control and maybe they would come and get the bird. So I called but their office was closed and i didn't feel that a bird waranted calling the emergency number.

After a few minutes of manuvering around the bird in the bathroom I was able to coax it out the window. During the whole process Remington stood in my bathroom doorway laughing and pointing at the bird. he thought the bird was fabulous and loved having it fly spastically around the room. Looking back on it--Remington was having a blast watching his mommy make funny bird noises while I shooed the bird out. He kept pointing and saying a word that sound similar to bird.

With the bird out of the house it was now time to clean. I am a neat freak, I can't stand a mess and I especially can't stand knowing that an animal had free range to my entire house. I didn't want to start cleaning until Michael got home so he could keep Remington occupied, so i tried to pass time by cooking dinner. As soon as Michael was home I was on the phone with my mom trying to figure ou the best possible way to clean up after a bird. In my mind birds are dirty (yes I am a little OCD about cleaning). After about an hour of deep cleaning the bathroom, I moved onto my bedroom and Remington's pack-in-play that sits in the corner of our room. There was a bird feather on his blankets, so I picked it up to move to the laundry when I realized that there was a robin's egg nestled in his blankets. The darn bird gave birth to an egg in my child's crib!

We're Safe!

2009-04-16T08:34:00.000-07:00

Yesterday my company laid off more than 50 of its employees as part of its "reduction in force" initative. Blah Blah Blah.... Needless to say it was very stressful--regardless of the fact that Michael and I had come up with another game plan for my career if I were to be let go. Even though I knew this day was coming I sat in a state of shock as one by one I watched folks that I have worked with for 2 1/2 years be tapped on the shoulder and asked to go speak with HR. By the time 10:30 rolled around I was told that my job is safe. My manager wasn't as lucky (a single mom with 2 kids and a loser of an ex-husband). Her daughter probably around age 11 had cancer last year and her son who is in high school is autistic. Knowing that she would be without a job was gut wrenching and really hard for me to swallow--I completely understand the decision, but it was still hard to realize. And there are many more stories--people that I dearly enjoyed working with. I will especially miss working with Linda--a lovely lady with the heart of gold. She was my little TV star and always did local mid-morning tv apperances for the company. She was fabulous and will be greatly missed and never replaced.

On a Happy Note!

2009-03-30T11:06:00.001-07:00

I almost forgot, which is rare since I have an exceptional memory! Remington is venturing into the world of walking. This past weekend he took about 50-75 steps total, which was awesome. He is so cute!

In like a lion... Hopefully out like a lamb...

2009-03-30T10:52:00.000-07:00

Wow the saying Spring comes in like a lion and out like a lamb has never had more signifigance in my life until this year. The month of March has been one heck of a month and can I tell you the lion is roaring at me it seems like.

The month started off with Remington's 1st birthday (see pictures and post below) it was a wonderful occassion, but unfortunatly very sad for me because my mother didn't get to attend due to issue at home. Exactly a week after Remington's birthday his Aunt Jill passed away from cancer. We had found out exactly two weeks prior that the doctors had given up hope that the treatments would work, thus my mom not coming out for the party. Two days after she passed away, Remington and I headed back East to be with family and help out with David (Jill's 1 1/2 yr. old son). During the trip Remington came down with an ear infection and so did David, David's was worse he also had a ruptured ear drum on top of the infection. And I came down with a sinus infection. Oh the joys of motherhood! After a week in North Carolina I came back to Utah and went back to work only to find out that the company announced that layoffs will occur by mid-April. Still no word on if I will be one of them.

Needless to say the month of March has been one heck of a month, it seems like there has been one bad thing after another. And I don't mention this for you to feel sorry for us--I mention this because I know alot of other people are having just as terrible of a time. This is why I pray that the rest of spring is a little more mellow and hopefully not as stressful!

I will post photos of NC once I get them from Dustin, he has an awesome camera and of course I had to play with it while I was there. But on the otherhand it was way to advanced for me to figure out how to get the images off of it! :)

Swinging Into Toddlerville! Remington's 1st Birthday...

2009-03-02T12:16:00.000-08:00

A year ago yesterday our little monkey made his grand apperance. It is hard to believe that a year has gone by already. Just for memory sake and the fact that this blog is going to one day become a journal for Remington, I thought I would recount some of the exciting, heartbreaking, stressful, glorious, suspenseful moments that have occured in his life this past year.

1. Remington you are super good at packing up your bottles and stuffed animals. In your first year of life you have had 5 different homes. That's right you move 5 times in 365 days and let me tell you it wasn't that fun but we did it and now it is something funny to look back on.

2. You stayed in your first hotel room when you were less than a week old, good ole' Boise!

3. You could hold your bottle when you were 3 months old, Mr. Independent!

4. Your favorite TV show is Wonder Pets, you watch it every morning after your bath.

5. You will poop all the way up your back just so you can take a bath. The excitement in your eyes when you know you have accomplished this disqusting task is priceless. I hope one day you realize that you can just keep the poop in your diaper and bath time will still happen at least once a day as planned.

6. Mr. Blue Eyes should be your nickname because you have amazing blue eyes just like your daddy. I thought they would end up turning brown, but NOPE--daddy won!

7. In the last few months you have started to sing, anytime we are in the car or you are playing by yourself you start to hum and it is adorable. But just like your mom you get shy when you realize someone is watching.

8. One day you may end up being a model. From day one you have loved to get your picture taken and of course you have to look at every shot to make sure you like it. You will fuss until we turn it for you to see. Good thing we have digital cameras, I do not know what we would do it everything was still done on film.

9. I know every mother and father thinks their kid is a genius. But Remington you truly are a smart little one, I hope you never loose your thirst for knowledge and your inquisitive nature. Even though most books say kids will start picking up sign language shortly after their first birthday--you have been kicking our trash with these skills since about 10 months. Bottles and more those are your favorites.

10. You will not sit still in church for a million dollars. Church is like a three ring circus these days with your daddy and I worn out by the end. I need to invest in flats for church because heels and a 30 pound kid do not work very well together.

11. By your 1st birthday you had two bottom and two top teeth and they are sharper than a razor. It is fun for you to bite daddy's butt as he lays on he stomach. Gross...

As you look through the photos you will notice my mom isn't in any of them. Unfortunatly she didn't get to come. We had planned for her to be with us, but my sister-in-law Jill (Kent's wife-oldest bro) is very sick and it just wasn't a good time to leave home and travel 3000 miles. But my mom was with us in spirit.

Marmelade and Remington along w/ his new monkey.

Grandpa Erb and Remington (This is Emilee Erb's dad and Remy's adopted grandpa)

Remington and Grayson(Stephanie's son) checking out the new Tonka truck given to Remington by the Erb's.

Jaw dropping gorgeous Zoey (step-sister Brandi's daughter)

Michael, Remington and Kenneth (my father)

My best friend in the whole wide world--Aunt Charlie (Emilee Erb) and Grayson

Cowboy Remington and his horse.

Sugar and messes--my favorite!

I will post more pictures when I have time.

My New Hang Out

2009-02-18T21:02:00.000-08:00

Remington has to fallen in love with the refrigerator. I don't know why but he has to get in it when I am in the kitchen cooking. Tonight we caught him climbing the shelves inside to get to a leftover jar of baby food. Our little monkey is sure becoming a delightful handful.

On another note... Remington recieved his very first tie last weekend. We were at the mall and just couldn't resist the darling tie. He was such a stud with it on. I think he liked the fact that he looked like his daddy. (and yes the red on his face is eczema--gosh darn it)

Getting Crafty

2009-02-14T18:45:00.001-08:00

The past two week have involved quite a bit of cardstock, glue and stamping. First it was for Remington's first birthday party invites--the theme was of course monkey and of course I couldn't support the Wal-Marts and Targets of the world and send semi pre-made invites. Remember I do for work a company that promotes giving handmade--the stuff that takes hours to make. Ha Ha

Since Wednesday of this week I have been creating bridal shower invitations for my college roomie Vanessa. Oh how I love Vanessa and her new squeeze isn't that bad either. Remington is already learning how to say Uncle Kevin.

If it were up to me I would have made invitations and included pictures of Vanessa in her lovely sheep pajamas that she always wore as my roomie, but instead I went with some of the colors from her wedding (Pink & Green).

I thought I had an extra bday announcement leftover to post, but I can't find it. So instead you will get to see 3 of the samples for the bridal shower, they are not finished yet. When they are done they will have a little photo of the couple on the front and then where the circle opening is at you will be able to pull out the invitation.

Letting Go!

2009-02-02T12:51:00.000-08:00

Remington is growing up faster and faster everyday that passes. This past weekend he started standing for a few seconds all by himself (no mommy hands required). While it will probably take him a few more weeks to get the full walking down, he is well on his way and already trying to do big boy things without mommy and daddy to hold his hands.

Below is a picture taken this past Fall of us walking at Heritage Park. I love his little shoes--they make me smile!

Happy Birthday Daddy!

2009-01-19T14:02:00.000-08:00

Happy 29th Birthday Michael!

P.S. I know his birthday is tomorrow, but if I don't write it today I will forget. :)

Christmas Card Photo

2008-12-12T08:19:00.000-08:00

It is Christmas card time--which means that I need your address. If I list your name below, please text me your address or you may not get one of my world famous HANDMADE Christmas cards.

Address Needed:

Amanda Jolley

David & Jana Corless

Vanessa

Paul Risenmay (I want your mom's address)

Seriously I spent approx. 24 hours making these cards. I guess I felt the urge to make them since I work for a craft company that promotes giving handmade. However, I told Michael that he is in charge of the cards next year. Which will either mean we do not send cards or they are purchased from Wal-Mart. Ha Ha

Happy Holidays!

Family Photos

2008-12-10T08:08:00.000-08:00

I am totally in love with my latest purchase. Remington had his photos taken over Thanksgiving break by a buddy of mine Casey Hyer. If you click on his name and go to client login enter the word "liz" you can view all of the unedited photos. Please do not judge my fatness--still struggling to loose the baby weight even 9 months later.

He edited a few and I wanted to share them with you. I think you will agree that Remington is going to be a hot commodity when he gets older with all of the ladies.

Our Little Mozart!

2008-11-26T19:20:00.000-08:00

Splash Splash I Was Taking A Bath...

2008-11-26T14:47:00.000-08:00

Monkeying Around

2008-10-31T20:03:00.000-07:00

Remington dressed like a monkey for Halloween and opening his Halloween card from his gparents...Check it out!

2008-10-30T09:10:00.000-07:00

THRILLER

I am so proud of my coworkers, not only did we kick butt with our amazing Thriller routine but we also won the competition out of the whole company.

The entire sales & marketing department (30+ people) dressed up like Zombies and we did the dance to Thriller. We even decorated our area incorporating the movie theatre, abandoned ally and of course the haunted graveyard which the zombies awoke from. I am in the front row in the multicolored green and blue dress.

We even had a professional make-up artist come and do our faces. They put latex makeup on our faces and peeled it back to make it look like we had crazy wrinkles. Can you tell that I work with competitive people if we had someone come in to do our makeup?

Happy Halloween!

P.S. I will post pics of Remy in his monkey outfit tomorrow.

No More Mini Vans!

2008-10-02T15:06:00.000-07:00

I admit it--I do not want a minivan. And last night confirmed this for me, although this experience could occur regardless of the vehicle you drive, but today I am blaming it on the minivan. Michael, Remy and I were out for a nightly walk through the Sandy neighborhood that we can't wait to move out of when we approached a group of teenagers hanging out on the street. I guess it is the local hangout for teenagers that live between 114000 south and 106000 south--lucky us! So as we were walking past this group of teenagers a car approached and parked in a driveway about 5 steps in front of us without even paying attention to the fact that there were pedestrians on the sidewalk (thinking the car belong to the driveway) we proceeded to walk down the sidewalk when the next thing we know the crazy person driving the minivan proceeded to back out of the driveway without looking behind them. I was walking a little bit ahead of Michael with Remy in the shoulder carrier when the lady literally backed her minivan into my right side. It happen oh so quickly and as soon as we realized what was happening Michael banged on the back of the van and some type of sensor went off alerting the lady to stop. Do not worry--we are all perfectly fine. No bruises or scratches and Remy had no clue what was going on. As you can assume I was pretty shook up and a little angry (Remember: Never upset a Southern woman, disagree with her, stick your nose in her business and absolutely never try to run her and her 7 month over with your mini van whether deliberately or on accident). And to top it all off the lady in the minivan wouldn't even roll down her window to apologize after nearly making a Lizzie & Remy sandwich on the asphalt.

So remember...
1. Look both ways and behind you before backing up a motor vehicle.
2. If you do happen to accidentally hit someone with your motor vehicle, at least roll down your window to make sure the scared out of their pants victims are okay.
3. Ban all minivans from women in Utah who have driver's license.

Naming our boy!

2008-09-23T12:07:00.001-07:00

A lot of people have asked how we came up with the name Remington, since it isn't the typical name that a lot of people use. From the very beginning we had named our child Savannah Jane--that was until we found out it didn't have girl parts. So then I was completely without a clue on what to name the little man, so I told Michael that it would be his choice. I still can't believe I gave up that serious of a choice to Michael, but I did. We knew that our son's name had to honor Michael's father, since we had a conversation w/ his sister after his dad died where we all agreed that Michael would be the one to name his son after his dad.

I didn't want to name another person in the family Michael (as their first name), so I left it up to my husbands sport fanatic ways to name our child. Michael loves football and several years ago there was a player in Michigan whose name was Remington--Michael loved it. It took a few weeks to get me used to the idea, but shortly thereafter I was sold on the name as well. Now onto the middle name, since the first name didn't honor his dad. Since Michael has 2 middle names "Christopher Carl" we decided we would make it a tradition and have Remington have two middle names--solution to our honoring Michael's dad. We gave Remington his grandfathers name as his middle name. So there you have it--Remington Michael Louis Gray. A long name, but one that is for sure going to make a statement one day.

A Note From Daycare

2008-09-22T10:53:00.000-07:00

On Friday's Remington attends daycare. This gives him a chance to interact with other kids his age and even hang out with his older cousin Zoe (Brandi's daughter). I had to take a picture of the name tag the daycare created to put on his jacket so they knew whose it was. Remigton--I guess that is how you spell my sons name. You would think that payment for their care would be enough to get them to spell his name right. Regardless this is a photo to keep for ever.

We Love Palin!

2008-09-04T10:37:00.000-07:00

I admit I was a little dismayed when John McCain picked Sarah Palin as his running-mate. However, after hearing her speak last night at the GOP Convention all I gotta say is "she is one tough cookie."

I love her stand on: energy and being an advocate for special needs kids. She is truly a smart lady who I think will inspire women from all walks of life regardless of their political preference.

I am sad it wasn't Mitt Romney up there accepting the Vice President spot, but if I had to pick a 2nd favorite Sarah Palin is getting my vote!

Oh and did you see the cute daughter of her's--Pipper--licking down her little baby brother's hair during the speech? So freakin cute!

Giggles, Smiles and Babbling!

2008-08-23T20:55:00.000-07:00

MAKING A MESS!

Remy talks about his bandage: If I look like this, you should see the other guy!

Remington is becoming a little man every day. His personality is starting to show and from what I can tell he is so freakin perfect. Above are some photos of Remy eating sweet potatos, sitting in his Bumbo and showing off his war marks. Don't worry he is fine--we just put a band-aid on his face because he has issues scratching his face while sleeping. I think the scratching calms him down and he doesn't realize he is messing up his face.

One of Those Star Struck Moments

2008-08-08T08:33:00.000-07:00

Guess who I just exchanged emails with? I will give you a few guesses: she is beautiful, she is famous and she previously was the host of Good Morning America and was actually the longest running co-host on early morning television.

So do you have a guess yet? I didn't make it very hard.

The answer: Joan Lunden

I think I might frame the email, just for fun!

Missing in Action

2008-08-07T14:02:00.000-07:00

A lot has happened since our last post:

1. Sold our house--That baby is someone else's prize possession now!
2. Moved into a basement apartment. Still looking for our dream home.
3. Remy has started eating mashed up green beans and peas. He is so funny. Whenever he wants more he pounds his hands on his seat.
4. Remy has started meowing like a cat.
5. Reagan got engaged and got a freakin' 2 carat. We will be going to NC in January for the blessed occassion.
6. Grandma Mae Dean misses Remy--she is requesting shared visitation rights.
7. Emma came home from Canada (We are so glad she is back. And she is just a breath of fresh air!)
8. I got a promotion at work. No pay increase--they blame it on lack of budget.
9. Michael got offered another job running a car dealership w/ a guy who his previous employeer was business partners with. Michael doesn't want to do it full-time, so we will see what happens there.
10. At work we are doing a flex-schedule, so I have every Monday off. It is a fabulous day!

In My Mind I'm Going To Carolina!

2008-07-17T09:12:00.000-07:00

That's right kids! Remington and I are leaving to embark on a journey to North Carolina this afternoon. We are both super excited--Remington can't wait to go play in the Massengil's pool and slobber on Cousin David. Liz can't wait to be with the people who know and love her the best! And Southern Food doesn't hurt either, but hey I can't get too excited as I have a super sexy mama weight goal to obtain by the end of hte year or sooner if I really want to challenge myself... Just a little HAPPY FYI on the super sexy mama weight front--I have lost a little more than 40 pounds since the monkey arrived. I know that is like a 6 year old kid I have lost and boy I hope I never find that kid again! Only 20 more to go and I may be the lucky winner of a brand-new wardrobe compliments of Hubby So Sexy! Last night we went to GAP and of course I hit up the sale rack--and to my surprise I have dropped yet another clothing size. I am telling you South Beach works--it would work even better if I would actually stick to you. I think I have only literally followed the rules with that diet for like 2 weeks in the past 2 months, but limiting sugar and carbs is where it is at! So long Mac and CHeese--hello turkey sandiwches w/ out hte bread!

Oh and Reagan is getting married.... Ya'll all know my BFF from days in Caswell--she is marrying Casey in January, so another great excuse for Remington and I to fly the friendly skies (also known as do not bring a bag if you do you will be charged an additional $25 even though your ticket was like $800 and you have to sit next to a stinky fat man)...

Growing up way too fast!

2008-07-05T09:12:00.000-07:00

This week has been exciting--Remy turned 4 months old and had his first taste of rice cereal! He LOVES eating rice cereal, he just opens his mouth super big and goes for it. And in the end I have jsut about as much cereal in my hair and on my shirt as he gets in his mouth.

The other day Michael called me at work and told me, "Remy, is growing up way too fast. He isnt' a newborn anymore." That statement couldn't be more true. Remy is less like a newborn and more like our buddy now. He laughs and coos and smiles and has his own unique personality that is so freakin adorable. (MOTHERS KEEP YOUR DAUGHTERS IN DOORS BECAUSE REMY IS SO FREAKIN CUTE THAT YOU DAUGHTERS WILL NOT BE ABLE TO RESIST HIM) Okay, well maybe they can resist him if he forgets his manners and passes gas--oh that is another thing! This little man has big boy gas that is loud and STINKY! I always think that it is Michael and it always ends up being Remington!

Check out our photo collage above...
Remington eating corn (Well not really, but he moved his gums up and down the corn cob. He loved it!)
Michael's friend from Thailand came to visit. Here we are with her and her son at Pizza Factory.
Remington with his Daddy on Father's Day, he loved the bow!

Walle....

2008-06-29T20:30:00.000-07:00

Remington went to his first movie on Saturday. Michael wanted to take him to see the new pixar movie--Walle! Remy just sat there in amazement at the big screen and kicked and squilled. It was so cute to see him.

We're Under CONTRACT!

2008-06-25T12:15:00.000-07:00

Woo hoo--that is all I can say! Late last night we found out that we have our house (we have been trying to sell for 10 months) under contract! So a big THANK YOU to everyone who has been so helpful during this process! Anyone looking to buy or get rid of your house--check out our new pal Travis Davies--he rocks!

Oh can I say one or two more things--

Dear New Owners,

You are going to learn the words "Choo Choo" very fast! You will never get a solid night sleep again, but hey don't feel bad about that you got a screaming deal on the house!

Daddy's Got a New Job

2008-06-04T13:44:00.000-07:00

Many of you know that life in the Gray household has been less than a lazy Sunday afternoon for the past few months. And no it isn't because of Remy--he is an angel! It has been because of Michael's work situation. For the past three years Michael has worked for a car dealership and had been working towards opening up another dealership in Boise sometime in 2008. Well we moved ourselves up there and got started on everything only to realize that being business partners with the original dealership owner was like making a deal with the devil. Promises were broken, deliverables not delivered and support was lacking. So we lost alot of our money in this big move for our family and careers, but after about 2 months of not being able to have team work from Ben--we had to call it quits and do what was best for our family. Lucikly I hadn't quit my job during the move (I will still on maternity leave), so I moved back to Utah and went back to my job. And Michael just started a new job as a restaurant consultant--you know how we love food. So far this new job seems like a new challenge and great opportunity for us. I am not sure the specifics of Michael's new job, but all I know is their company has amazing deals on some of the best restaurants around. The Utah restaurant pool is still filling up--thanks to Micael, but other states have some great options available. So check out the Web site and support my hubby and make sure to check back often 'cause you never know when you favorite spot will be added.

Oh and even more fun--Michael's sister Stephanie is going to be his assistant so they will be working together which is great for Michael to have a talented person on his team.

There is a logo on the right side of our site, click on it and you will be taken to the corporate Web site. Happy Eating!

3 months and bigger than ever!

2008-06-02T18:29:00.000-07:00

I didn't think that a 3 month old would be so big. For some reason i had in my mind that being a newborn lasted for like the first year, boy was I wrong. Remington has just blossomed into a big boy who coo's and laughs and sometimes even sounds like he is saying-daddy. Yesterday was Remy's 3 month birthday which meant we had cake and he was the center of attention.

Below are some photos of the last few days. I love the bath photos. He just chills and has such a great time in the water. And check out him holding his bottle--he is a pro.

Video of Remy

2008-05-25T18:06:00.001-07:00

Check out the video of Remy. You will need to go and mute the music at the bottom to hear Remy talking in his video! I will add another video tomorrow of Remy and Grayson playing.

Cheesecake Factory

2008-05-25T17:01:00.000-07:00

We all went out yesterday for Stephanie's bday to the Cheesecake Factory. Seriously I do not see what all the hype is about this place. We have been twice and I wasn't impressed either time, but maybe my taste buds are broken! Above are some cute pictures of the gang.

Saturday is a special day!

2008-05-25T16:48:00.000-07:00

Last Saturday Remy had a big adventurous day! He went for a hike w/ mom in City Creek Canyon which was beautiful and at the same time was a great workout! Remy loved the hike he just sat in his Baby Bjorn and looked about. For Mom however I had a great time lugging 14 extra pounds straight up the mountain! But one day my butt will thank me for carrying that extra Remy weight up the mountain and hopefully losing the cellulite.

Then Remy and I went to the BYU Cougar Soccer game to watch cousin Jonathan play. At the game Aunt Nessa came and sat with us on the grass. Below is a picture of Ness and Remy chillin'.

During the game I yelled so much to cheer on Jonathan that after the game he told me some of the girls watching the game thought that he had a wife and kid!

My Teddy Bear

2008-05-13T16:47:00.000-07:00

Remy is such a cute little boy and sometimes even looks like a teddy bear. A few weeks ago he modeled the bear suit for me.

Italian Men

2008-05-13T16:33:00.000-07:00

Marmalade just arrived back from her trip to Italy and Remy couldn't be happier. He even did some craft time yesterday and made her a welcome home sign. Check out the photos below of Remy and his cousin Grayson wearing their collar shirts from Italy. Remember boys--Pop your collar!

We miss Daddy!

2008-05-08T10:56:00.000-07:00

Michael is back in Boise running the business while Remy and I are camping out at Marmalade's house. (She is in Italy so it is lonely here) Remy and I wanted to just let Michael know that we miss him and can't wait to see him tonight!

Grayson's Blessing

2008-05-06T08:29:00.000-07:00

Michael, Remy and I went down to Salt Lake this past weekend to celebrate Grayson's blessing. Here is a cute photo of the two cousins hanging out with Dad and Marmalade (gma)!

We had so much fun seeing everyone and you can't beat the fabulous weather we had. (Beautiful tulips everywhere)

2 months old and lovin' it!

2008-05-01T09:57:00.000-07:00

Stop Being a Baby

2008-04-18T14:01:00.000-07:00

This past week Michael has cracked me up with his parenting skills. Whenever Remy starts crying Michael turns to him and says, "Son, stop being a baby."

Stop being a baby? Is he kidding me, I think he has forgotten that the little one is only 7 weeks old and advanced for his age. (Show me another 7 week old who can roll over--that is right he rolled over on his own this morning after he took a jog around the block) Telling Remy to stop being a baby is the worst parenting advice I think we can give to the little chump considering his life span on earth so far.

I think a better parenting line to use on Remy would be, "Remy girls cry and you are not a girl so stop crying."

Oh the joys of parenthood!

Public Display of Gross!

2008-04-15T22:09:00.001-07:00

While travelling the friendly skies we came upon a few flying objects that resembled GROSS! The first was in Raleigh where we loaded the plane behind a couple who had no sense of covering up. I am a mom and I breastfeed and sometimes you have to do it in public, but you do not have to do it in public and basically walk around in front of everyone showing off your goods or in this case your gross. This lady was up and walking around in front of everyone w/out a blanket with her belly showing everywhere breast feeding what looked like a 40 pound white bear!Honey let me give you some advice from one breastfeeding mother to the next--DO NOT walk around in a public place with your goods hanging out and your stomach exposed like it is spring break in Cancun. Not even your 40 pound white bear would appreciate it in the long run. Michael used one of my favorite words to describe this ladies shenanigans--white trash! (I tried to take a photo so you would be able to see this for yourself, but I couldn't get my camera out fast enough.

My second display of gross came on our flight to SLC when this gigantic boy sat beside us and he proceeded to eat his pretzels with his mouth open. I do not think I have ever seen someone chomp so hard on pretzels and leave their mouth open as wide as my hips. He was a respectable looking lad until he ate with his mouth open, come on it is 2008 and proper eating guidelines have been around since the cavemen--please comply.

And last but not least please do not mistake the airplane, airport or any other public location as your bedroom. This couple in front of us basically got it on in front of us for 3 hours on the plane. Come on we learned in elementary to keep hands, feet and objects to ourselves at all times. Please comply or I may be forced to publicy tell you to get a room!

North Carolina Blessings....

2008-04-15T22:09:00.000-07:00

Little Remington is a world traveler and he can't even say daddy yet! Last week Remy took his first plane ride to Grammy Mae Dean's house in North Carolina. He was such a good boy and didnt' even need a bottle as the plane took off and landed. (I tell you what--this little man is an angel) While in North Carolina Remy was introduce to "The Road" and all the folks... I think his favorite part was being pulled apart by his cousin David (only 4 1/2 months older).

While in North Carolina Remington was blessed at church by his daddy! His daddy did a dang good job. The plan was to have Remy wear an outfit that one of his uncle's wore when they were blessed. Check him out trying on Derek's blessing outfit... Remy is busting out of the buttons like a fat baby should!

He tried on all of the outfits and none of them fit his chubby little thights---or so we thought. So Grandma #2 Myra went and bought him this gorgeous blessing outfit (known in the South and probably everywhere other than Utah as a Christening outfit), but when we tried it on him it was a tad bit too big. So we retried one of my brother's outfits and it magically fit--Grandma Mae Dean didn't know how to put it on correctly the first time. Ha Ha... So Remy wore a nice vintage blessing outfit.

Here is a photo of the proud mom and pop!

Remy also hung out with his great grandpa aldridge. He and Curry have very length conversations about what it takes to live 98 years. Ann kept saying "There is 98 years between Remy and Grandpa. Isn't that amazing."

1 Month Older and Wiser Too!

2008-03-31T12:46:00.001-07:00

He is so good at holding his passy... Nobody gets between him and his passy...
Remy is a mellow bather--One leg out and loving it!
Chillin' watching tv with Dad!
Okay he has had enough partying for his 1 month birthday! See you next month...

Boise or Bust!

2008-03-31T12:46:00.000-07:00

Top 7 Reasons Why I Hate Boise:

1. Water smells like rotten eggs roasting in the sun!
2. My house is so small I am living out of a box of clothes.
3. I have to take a shower with my nose plugged to prevent vomitting from the rotten egg smell. (You may think this is a repeat of #1, but trust me it is bad enough to be in two spots)
4. We have no friends.
5. I have no clue where anything is at.
6. We do not have cable tv so I am totally missing my shows: The Hills, Jon and Kate Plus 8, Law & Order and of course Paula Dean and the Food Network Crew.
7. I can't fit my king size bed in my apartment, so I am sleeping on a full. (My butt is way too big)

Top 7 Reasons Why I Like Boise:

1. In one Sunday at church we had more people talk to us than in the whole year we lived in Lehi.
2. The downtown is awesome with lots of cute shops. (If only I could find the downtown)
3. Everyone walks here, so hopefullyI will find a walking buddy and loose my baby fat!
4. The Wal-Mart is never crowded. EVEN on a SATURDAY!
5. People are really nice! (Even at the Wal-Mart)
6. No freeway driving to get to most places.
7. $3 car wash (I love washing my car)

My Baby Is Fatter Than Your Baby!

2008-03-18T17:03:00.002-07:00

Remington is seriously the new love in my life... Between poopy diapers, early morning feedings and cleaning up after the other man in my life--I have seriously fallen in love with this minature version of Michael. (Every ounce of this little man looks just like his dad, I am sure that throwing up for 6 months will give Remy something that resembles me--it just hasn't appeared yet)

I knew I would love this little man, but I never thought it would bring me so much fulfillment to just see him smile or hear him 'coo'! (That's right he is already cooing and can hold his head up during tummy time for about 15-20 seconds... If that isn't the mark of a future presidental candidate I don't know what is)... He is even gaining weight at an excellent rate.. When he was born he weighted 7.65 and then he dropped to 7.1 in the hospital, but within 7 days after his birth he was already at 8.7! My baby is fatter than your baby---yippee! I am so excited to see him growing and learning how to move about!

Check out my fat baby--

Is that a fox or a really sassy cat?

2008-03-18T17:03:00.001-07:00

Last week Michael and I went on a road trip to Boise, Idaho for a few days! (I know what you are thinking, you have a 1 week old baby... And yes all of the truck stops along the way can now say they have seen my boob feeding a child) Anyway, we went to Boise to see the new car lot! For those of you who don't know, Michael is starting up/managing a car dealership in Boise any day now... (If those darn state department people will ever get finished with the darn paper work--bureaucracy) Which means Michael and I will be doing the long distance thing a few days a week. Thank goodness for good Marmalades (grandma's)!

So anyway, we were in Boise and we were driving around the ritsy downtown area when we saw what Michael thought was a FOX! yes that is right a fox---chillin in this dudes driveway that we had spoken with earlier in the day. Michael swears it is a fox... I am a little skeptical, I think it just looks like a sassy cat that I would never want to be left alone with after dark (actually never left alone with)!

Waiting On The World To Change...

2008-03-05T11:18:00.000-08:00

Waiting--that has been the topic of discussion the last 9 months as we waited anxiously for our little boys arrival. And before we knew it we were counting down the hours until this little miracle made his appearance in the world. On February 29th Michael and I arrived at Alta View Hopsital so that I could have labor induced. And you know it I couldn't even take contractions for 2 hours before I caved and said "BRING ME THE DRUGS"! The worst part was that the doctor had to play around for awhile before he got the needle in the right spot! Holy Hannah it hurt as he got it into position, but I do not think it makes it any better that during the procedure Michael walks in (he had left for lunch--lucky guy) and sees the doctor inserting a long needle in my back and he freaks out! So of course I start crying because if he is looking at what they are doing and he is freaking out, I am for sure going to freak out!

Downsides of the epidural--it only took the pain away on one side of my body! So I bascially experienced a downgraded version of natural labor but only on the left side of my body!

The nurses and everyone were so nice and helpful. My first nurse Elaine cracked me up--the anestisologist got mad because she allowed me to take my blood pressure cuff off after every reading and he didn't want her to do that. So they got in a little argument and she called him a dork behind his back! Oh I loved Elaine! Then I had two nurses for the night shift one was a swearing farm girl and the other was a molly mormon nursing student at BYU! They balanced each other out very nicely! One would swear and the other would pray--it is truly the best of two worlds! However, the BYU nursing student got on my nerves before it was all said and done. I was in so much pain and I couldn't reach the button to push out more medicine, so i asked her to do it for me. I asked SEVERAL times and finally she turns and says "Oh you want me to push the medicine button?" Oh my gosh, if I could have reached her I would have slapped her! No joke, I was so mad. So then I told Michael to get rid of her and get me a new nurse, which of course he wouldn't do becuase he is the nicest guy on the planet and didn't want to hurt her feelings. So the whole time I am in labor pushing my beautiful child into the world, I am shooting michael evil looks because I was so annoyed the nursing student was still in my delivery room! And she couldn't even hold my legs right while I was pushing, i finally told her that she was wasting my pushing with the way she was holding my legs. I probably made her cry, but come on you have to be tough especially when a lady has been in labor for 14 hours!

Little Remy entered the world at 1:55 am on March 1, 2008. He weighed 7.65 pounds, 20.5 inches long and had a head the size of a small melon!(It has since become smaller)

He hardly cried and still hardly cries. His favorite past times are sleeping, eating and magically getting his hands out of all of his outfits and blankets. He is my little magician!

So now that he is here, our world has for sure changed! But changed for the better!

Welcome to the world my little man!

Here We Go

2008-01-02T20:18:00.000-08:00

I wanted a way to chronicle the beginnings of our new family for everyone to keep up with whats new with us and to help us stay connected with all of you. Hopefully Liz will also chip in and contribute to this blog too, as she is more saavy with this kind of stuff, the lone owner of a Facebook/MySpace account in our household.
It is hard to believe that Liz and I have eclipsed one year in marriage, on December 16 to be exact. Things are going great. Liz is due on February 29; only about seven weeks remain, and Liz and I are scrambling to get everything ready for the baby to come. It is a boy- his name? Remington Michael Louis Gray. His middle names in honor of my father who passed away December 13, 2006. We will call him Remy for short I think. We were a little bummed a couple of weeks ago when we rented Ratatouille and found out the rat's name was Remy, but oh well.
We are excited at the outset of 2008. It is wonderful to begin anew, and to have hopes for good things to come. We have great expectations for the future, our future family, for the great country we live in and for the world as a whole. We know that life is not always easy and we have had our share of trials in the past year, but our hopes are centered in Jesus Christ and the promises and blessings of His Gospel. We wish all you a peaceful, happy and prosperous year in 2008!