Announcing...

Baby Maucotel #2! That is right, we are having another baby! Although I think Braden would like a little brother, Brian is determined we are having a girl. I guess come December, we will see who wins (Brian was right with Braden being a boy, though, so his method of determination is 100% accurate...so far).

So, for all you who are wondering, the due date is May 12. This is 2 weeks before Braden turns 2, and it also happens to be 5 days after Brian graduates. So..... let's just pray I don't have to miss his graduation ceremony! Or even more, let's hope Brian doesn't have to miss his graduation ceremony!!!

Geocaching

Brian is writing this blog post:

I've been getting into geocaching lately and have really enjoyed it. Geocaching is for people who like the outdoors and/or gadgets and/or treasure hunts (doesn’t everyone fall under at least one of these categories?). It’s basically a game where people hide “geocaches” (also called “caches”) all over the world, post the gps coordinates online, and people with internet access and a gps can go and find them. Caches are a container of some sort that contain a log book to be signed by everyone that finds it and little trinkets that you can take if you leave one of your own. There are over 900,000 caches in existence right now, so no matter where you are living, they are probably all around you and you never knew it. Within just 15 miles of our apartment there are over 1700 geocaches.

This is how it works:
1. Register for a free account on geocaching.com.
2. Look on geocaching.com for geocaches near you.
3. Write down the information, or print it off, or send it to your pda, or send it straight to your gps unit (some gps units are able to do this).

a. The information includes:
i. What the name of the geocache is
ii. How big the cache is
iii. How difficult the cache is to find

iv. How difficult the terrain is around the cache
v. Sometimes hints on where to find it
vi. People’s logs of whether or not they found it.
4. Go out and try to find it!

You can read more about it here - http://www.geocaching.com/about/

3 Years...

3 years of happiness knowing I am now with the one I love forever!
3 years of joy working to become and then becoming parents.
3 years of trying to figure out how to exist in the same space, keep that space clean, and sorta looking like a home.
3 years of trials and triumph over trials.
3 years of growing closer.
3 years of figuring out how to be grown-ups and dealing with grown-up responsibilities.
3 years of laughing together.
3 years of wondering how the rest of eternity will be...


I love you, Brian. I can't wait to spend the rest of eternity with you, no matter what that brings. Happy Anniversary!

26 Things I Love About Brian

1. I love the way he connects with Braden. When I can hear loud laughter in the background, I know Braden must be playing with his daddy.

2. I love the way that no matter what, Brian always treats me well. I may be in the worst mood ever, but he is always always always nice.

3. I love that he got over his fear of putting too many miles on his car and finally started dating me, back when we lived 35 miles apart. If he wouldn’t have done this, I wouldn’t be writing this right now.

4. I love that he works so. incredibly. hard. to succeed. I couldn’t be more proud of the time and effort he puts into everything he does.

5. I love that he is a handy man. I never imagined having a husband who could fix EVERYTHING, but I do. and he does. This has saved us thousands of dollars.

6. I love that he cooks. and is willing to do so. Food always tastes better when I’m not the one making it!

7. I love that he takes care of me. When I am sick or not feeling well, he always takes over. This proved to be a challenging task for him when I was pregnant (i.e. always sick), but he really did take over. Made my breakfast, lunch, and dinner and did all the dishes for nine months because I couldn’t go into the kitchen without being sick.

8. I love that he makes me laugh. We can play off each other’s jokes and laugh for hours together.

9. I love his brown eyes. They are unlike any other brown eyes I have seen. They are light and golden, and just gorgeous.

10. I love that he loves warm weather. He will never make me live somewhere cold, and that means a lot to me.

11. I love how excited he gets when he figures something out or accomplishes something he has been working on, and then he proceeds to tell me every detail of how he did it.

12. I love his hands, how strong they are from hard work, yet how gentle they are when playing with Braden or holding my hand.

13. I love that he can always find a way to get something cheaper. Whenever we need something, he always finds the cheapest way to get it. This has also saved us a lot of money!

14. I love the way I feel when I am around him because I know Braden and I are safe and protected.

15. I love how incredibly understanding he is.

16. I love the passion he has for his hobbies. He loves cars and is so excited when he talks about them, sees one he likes, or drives one he hopes to own one day. It is also pretty crazy how much of his brain space is being taken up with facts about all these different cars. Who knows that much about cars, anyway?

17. I love that after being undefeated at Monopoly his whole life, he was ok with the fact that I beat him at it like three times in a row. I wonder if he let me win?

18. I love how he rubs it in that he is always going to be tanner than me.

19. I love that he named me one of the best drivers he knows. That says a lot coming from someone whose passion is driving.

20. I love it that he regularly gives me pedicures, nail polish and all. (shh, don’t tell!)

21. I love how he constantly tries to tell me the better way to do something, even though he knows I am stubborn and want to do it my (slow, un-better) way.

22. I love that he honors the priesthood that he holds. Growing up without the priesthood in my home has really made me appreciate having it in my home now.

23.I love that he loves to spend time with me and Braden.

24. I love his little quirks. They may not make sense but they make him Brian.

25. I love the way he loves me, like nobody ever has before.

26. I love that he has now lived over a quarter of a century. Happy 26th birthday babe!

Trust

It's been one of those weeks. At the end of the week, I have nothing to say for what I have done.

I started the week feeling extremely blessed by the Lord. I bought a plaque a few months ago that says "In the strength of the Lord, I can do all things." I found this at a time when I REALLY needed to be reminded of that. Sometimes life feels so hard. Reading this every day helped me get through the day, the doctor appointments, the ear infections, the sickness, the fusiness, and the general stress these things create. With the Lord's help, I was able to get through it all, and now that Braden has been well (knock on wood), had ear tubes put in, is so much happier, I feel like the Lord is giving me a little sigh of relief, a little rest. I feel so grateful.

As a little disappointment got me down this weekend, I needed to be reminded of the blessings the Lord gives me. It was timely, because a few days prior I watched this mormon message:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1kMToqJ8BaE

Its message is trust in the Lord. Whatever the circumstance may be, when the plans you make for your life don't work out the way you want them to, trust in the Lord's plan. He knows what we need more than we do. He knows what will help us grow and become the people we need to be. Thank goodness I can hand that worry over to the Lord, and know my life is safe in His hands.

Turning One

Braden turned one on May 26th! I can't believe his first year of life has already passed by. Braden has been such a blessing to our family. We always ask ourselves what we ever did without him. We must have been so bored with loads of time on our hands, because he definitely keeps us busy now!

In celebration of his birthday, we drove to St. George and had a birthday party for him. We went to a park where there was lots of water to play with! Here he is playing with his cousin Leera and his daddy in the splash pad.



We also ate birthday cake. Anyone who knows me knows that I am not creative or artistic, so this cake was a big accomplishment for me! Braden really enjoyed it, or rather enjoyed smearing it all over himself and the ground.



Right after a quick catnap (we couldn't keep him awake any more) Braden opened all his presents! Thank you aunts, uncles, and Nana for the amazing presents!


We ended up driving home on the 26th in order to miss the Memorial Day traffic from the day before, so as soon as we arrived home, we headed over to the nearby mall for some fun! There is a puppy store there, and Braden loves to watch those puppies, so we did that first. Then, we took him over to the little rides, and he had the time of his life playing on them. All the while, I made him wear his birthday hat, and he actually kept it on after I insisted over and over that he wear it!


After a long day of fun, it just feels good to go diggin'

Braden, please don't grow anymore. I like you just the way you are!

Surgery

Last Wednesday, Braden went on his first adventurous trip to the Operating Room. I had been sick to my stomach for about a month in anticipation of it all. But, we made it, and here he is in pre-op.

He went in to have ear tubes put in his ears after tirelessly fighting ear infection after ear infection since December. What a brave boy he was, because he went with the doctors as happy as could be (although this could be due to the meds they gave him) and even helped the nurse put on his oxygen mask.

After the surgery was done, Braden's amazing eye doctors (retina specialists) did a test on his eyes to see if his retinas are what is causing his Nystagmus. They confirmed that there is some degree of abnormality in the cones and rods of the retinas, and that is what is causing the Nystagmus. Time will tell how well he can see. There is no treatment at this time for these abnormalities, but a lot of research is being done in that area, so there may be treatment in the future. They are certain it is a genetic condition, so they are trying to find out what gene causes the abnormality.

As he woke up, he wanted to hold his oxygen mask again. Braden, we are so proud to be your parents, and are so lucky to have you as our boy. We love you and are glad you have these doctors in your life to help you with your challenges.

Earthquakes

On Sunday at about 8:30 pm, I was sitting in a friends home at a meeting, when a 4.7 eathquake shook her apartment. About a millisecond later, Brian called and asked if everything was ok. Braden was crying in the background because Brian had grabbed him so quickly to take him under the table that he got quite scared! The women I was with laughed because their husbands didn't call. They are probably just more used to eathquakes than we are ;)

Today, about 10 minutes ago, around 4 pm, we just had another earthquake. This time a 4.1. Braden was and is still napping. I was napping and jumped up to make sure it wasn't going to get bigger than the quick shake that it was. It didn't, thank goodness. Now this might just be the worrier in me, but two earthquakes since Sunday? I am double checking my 72 hour kit tonight to make sure it is fully stocked!

Becoming a Mother...

In celebration of mother's day, I have written down many things I have learned since becoming a mother. I have been a mother just shy of a year now, and there were so. many. things. that completely threw me for a loop when I became a mommy. For all you current mommies to relate to and for all you future mommies to know what to expect, here it is:

The many things I have learned since becoming a mother:

There is nothing more beautiful than holding YOUR own baby once he is born.

My body will never be the un-stretched-out version it used to be. I had no idea that my body wouldn't just revert back to normal after a couple weeks. THAT was HARD!

I will never sleep through the night, ever, ever, ever again. I heard this a lot, but I didn’t quite understand how it would affect me until it happened.

Being a mom is really, really, really, really, really , really….. hard. Even though this is one of the happiest experiences of my life, it is also the. single. most. hardest. adjustment I have ever made. I never comprehended the impact going from working full-time and having intellectual conversations every day to talking baby talk to someone you can’t communicate with would have. Let me tell you, the impact is huge.

I wish I lived closer to family so that I could go to them when I need help. Instead, I have found going to the women in my ward has helped so much, even though I hate being a burden. They are truly my family away from family.

A smile from my baby is the second most incredible thing in the world. The first? A laugh. Nothing beats the sound of a happy baby. I live by a motto that a happy baby equals a happy mommy.

My house will never be clean again. Because, when I clean it, Braden follows shortly after destroying it a little at a time.

Finding a balance between cuddling your baby all the time because you can and letting them be independent so that they can sleep well later on is one thing I did not get down with this baby. Maybe next time.

I wondered, “what will I do all day long when I stay at home full-time?” Now I wonder, “when will I ever HAVE time to do anything productive besides feeding, changing, taking to doctor appointments, playing on the floor, etc., etc., etc…” I am still trying to figure this all out.

My husband is the most patient person in the whole entire universe. And I love him for that. And he is an incredible daddy.

Nothing hurts more than watching your own child go through sickness, tests, surgery, etc. and not being able to help them or take away their pain. I haven’t seen Braden go through surgery yet, but I will next week, and the anticipation is killing me inside.

Nothing brings me more joy than being a mommy. Nothing brings more worry than being a mommy. Nothing brings more frustration than being a mommy. Nothing requires more patience than being a mommy. Nothing quite matches up to being a mommy.

My heart was healed of previous disappointment in attempting to become a mommy when my baby was laid naked on my chest.

Going through a completely natural labor and childbirth was the most amazing experience I have ever had. Never have I felt closer to God than when I brought one of His children to the earth.

I am pretty sure I could go on and on. Any maybe in the future I will add to this list. But, one thing is for sure. I am a completely different person than I used to be now that I have a child to call my own.

Happy mother’s day mommies and future mommies!

Where Have We Been?

Geographically? In Los Angeles. In the blogosphere world? Absent. Excuses? None.

We all know the real reason is because I didn't want to boot Brian's extremely thoughtful post out of the limelight. But, yet, life goes on and we must blog!

We have been up to a whole lot of nothing and everything all at the same time. I feel like the past few months have been fast forwarded with nothing but doctor appointments and grocery shopping in the blur of my memories. This is not complaining, it is simply what my life has been all about lately. Braden has had 3 ear infections since Christmas and we were in and out of doctors' offices getting antibiotics after antibiotics, then going to the ear, nose and thoat doctor, and an audiologist to come to this conclusion: our dear little Braden has to have ear tube surgery.

Also going on at the same time are eye appointments. The one with the retina specialist being especially exciting. Braden fell asleep in the middle of the appointment and the doctor was able to examine him while he slept! I was extremely impressed. The conclusion to this appointment: Braden's peripheral vision isn't the best, and his eyes don't dilate correctly in darkened rooms. This leads to the possibility of a rod (as in cones and rods) dysfunction. The only way to confirm is the blasted ERG test that Braden already tried to take, with no success. We left the appointment with intentions to do the ERG when Braden is older and can actually do it (instead of doing it under anesthesia).

Now back to the surgery. Since Braden is going under anesthesia for the surgery anyway, we are trying to coordinate the surgery with the ERG so that we can do both at once. Thank you doctors! Hopefully this will work out. I'll keep you posted.

Throughout this doctoral mess, we have enjoyed a fun visit from Braden's Nana (my mom), where she played with him on the swings, went with him to the beach, picnic'd with him, and snuggled with him and shared popcorn with him:

We have also enjoyed lots of sunshine. We went to the zoo:

We went swimming at the pool:

Braden is such a happy boy and we enjoy having him in our lives. He is such a blessing to us. He is very social and loves to play with anyone and everyone! He loves to share his pacifier (gross!) with us. He loves to walk along the furniture. He loves to bang on my keyboard while I try to type. He loves to help me sort and fold laundry (or rather unsort what I have sorted and unfold what I have folded). And, he LOVES his daddy, especially when he comes home in the evening. He REALLY LOVES it when his daddy chases him on hands and knees. I have to admit, I love that too....

22 Things I Love about Jen

Hello everyone, Jen usually posts on our blog, but I decided to do a post of my own, copying the Stratton's idea to write 22 things I love about my wife. Happy 22nd birthday!

1. I love that Jen laughs so easily. I especially love how every once in awhile she’ll snort a little when she’s laughing really hard.
2. I love that she talks to me everyday on the phone while I am at work and always tries to convince me to take a day off or come home early to spend time with her.
3. I love that she’s willing to listen to me tell her about what I did at work even if it involves describing a gory murder scene (I’m externing at the DA’s office doing murder cases). I think in general she probably listens to me too much because sometimes she’ll begin to take on my isms.
4. I love that she’s chosen to sacrifice a career, better social life, time, etc, for our son and future children by staying at home with them every day.
5. I love that she always insists on having a Friday night date when we can get out of the house and try a new or favorite restaurant. Braden especially loves getting out of the house and seeing new scenery and maybe trying a little bit of our dinner.
6. I love that she is very concerned with how healthy Braden is and is always reading, researching, and asking questions about his nystagmus.
7. I love that she chose to forgo any medications during her long labor and delivery of Braden because she wanted him to be the healthiest he could be.
8. I love that she is always concerned with how pretty she looks for me and always asks my opinion of outfits even though she knows I have zero fashion sense and can’t even wearing matching clothes myself.
9. I love that she is very concerned with our finances and is always looking for ways to save money. Right now, for example, Jen is clipping coupons and going to 5 or 6 different stores a week to nab fantastic deals on groceries.
10. I love how she always wants us to be closer to God and reminds me to do family home evening, family prayer, and scripture study when I forget.
11. I love that she loves my family and looks forward to talking to them every week on the phone and visiting them.
12. I love her beautiful thick hair that always looks good whether its straight, curly, short, or long, or even messy after she wakes up in the morning.
13. I love that she’s willing to listen to my crazy political ideas and discuss politics with me even when she’s sick of it.
14. I love how she loves surprises, but can’t stand waiting to find out what they are if she knows they are coming. Every year, Jen can’t stand to wait to find out what I’m getting her for her birthday/Christmas/anniversary, but at the same time she never wants me to tell her what I’m getting her because she loves surprises too much.
15. I love that she loves the outdoors and is always game to go on a hike, camp, or spend time at the beach.
16. I think it’s so cute that she’s deathly afraid of bees (always screaming and running whenever she sees anything small and flying), and sharks (always afraid that I’ll be eaten up when surfing and always afraid she’s going to encounter one while swimming at the beach).
17. I love her big round blue eyes.
18. She’s great at mothering me when I need it, like not letting me go outside when it’s cold and raining without a jacket even when I try and convince her that I can handle it because, “I’m from Seattle,” and not letting me kick corn off the cornstalks when we go to a corn maze.
19. I love that she loves spontaneity and dropping everything on a whim to go do something fun.
20. I love watching movies with her because even if she’s seen it before, she can’t ever remember what happens or how it ends, so it’s exciting every time.
21. I love the fantastic back massages she gives me when my back is hurting.
22. I love that she’s my wife. We’ve been married now for 2 ½ years and it’s been the best 2 ½ years of my life. I love you so much Jen, thank you for choosing to spend your life with me.

We Moved!

This post will not have accompanying pictures, as they would reveal what a mess our new apartment is right now! We moved last weekend from our teeny cramped one-bedroom apartment, to a two-bedroom just a couple buildings down. We had so much help on Saturday morning (thanks to all of you!), and then Brian and I spent the rest of the afternoon cleaning our old apartment. We left exhausted, and a little sad to be leaving the home we brought Braden home to.

But, we are loving having the extra space! Braden is getting used to having his own room to play, nap, and sleep in. I am dreaming about how to organize all of our stuff (we actually have less storage room, now, since we were blessed with a big garage before, and now have a really small one).

Ah, the Joys of Southern California!

We had the absolute best weather last week. It was in the 80s all week long. I know this is hard for those of you who live in the bitter cold to hear, but we had so much fun on the long weekend with this beautiful weather. On Saturday we went hiking at Griffith Park, which is up by the Hollywood sign. Here is a picture someone took for us with the Hollywood sign in the background:

And, here is little Braden, because he is just adorable, as I am sure you will agree:

Then, on Monday (MLK Jr. Day) we went to the beach and basked in the sun! Brian went boogie boarding in his wetsuit, and Braden and I played on the beach. What a fabulous weekend!

Catch Up!

This is going to be a catch up post, since I haven't blogged for like 2 months. Since I last blogged, we celebrated Halloween by taking Braden trick-or-treating at the law school:

We went to St. George for Thanksgiving. There, Braden started solids and loved loved loved being able to eat REAL food.

He also got to sit on Santa's lap along with his two cute cousins who were born around the same time as him:

We went to Seattle for Christmas. Braden got his first pair of eyeglasses for Christmas. Isn't he the cutest muffin you have ever seen wearing glasses? Since getting them, he has been often referred to as "the professor" and "Harry Potter." We think he looks more like Ralphie from "A Christmas Story."

Yay for Christmas! We also enjoyed a fun New Year's at the Maucotel home. Then, we made our trip back to LA. Brian started an externship at the District Attorney (DA) office last week and has been loving working in the cold case murder division of their office. He is doing that full-time for school right now. And, finally, we just found out that we can move into a two bedroom apartment at the end of the month! We have been getting increasingly cramped in this one bedroom, so we finally took action to move. We are so excited!