The Barneys

Early presents at Grandma's house

2012-01-06T16:00:00.001-07:00

Since we are spending Christmas in Pocatello this year we went up to Rexburg on December 23rd to spend some time with Grandma and Grandpa Barney. They had a few presents for us all and we had a really great time opening them. Bridger LOVED it.

Let it snow!

2012-01-06T15:58:00.002-07:00

On December 21st, we got a decent sized snow storm. Bridger had been wanting to play in the snow for a really long time. I wanted to go out with him but because of Emmett I had to stay at the door. He had a blast and loved it!

Aunt Lindsay's Birthday

2012-01-06T15:54:00.002-07:00

Bridger's most favorite thing is birthdays! He thinks that everyone is always singing to him, and we all let him think that. His birthday is the first week of January so it will be his real turn soon enough!

Getting ready for Christmas

2012-01-06T15:48:00.001-07:00

We finally decided to decorate a tree this year. Last year we got ours out but it just sat on the table because Bridger kept pulling it down and we weren't here to celebrate Christmas anyway. Bridger was really upset as we dug out the boxes but once he figured out he was able to put "balls" on the tree he perked up.

Bridger's new carseat

2012-01-06T15:34:00.002-07:00

Bridger has always been a big kid. His previous rear facing seat only rear faced to 35 lbs and he reached that rather quickly.

He is not even two years old yet and since the AAP and NHTSA have reccomended that NO CHILD UNDER 2 should ride forward facing we decided to keep him safe and just buy a longer rear facing carseat and this is what we got (Bridger picked the color himself) and we LOVE it.

Its a Sunshine Kids Radian XTSL. It will rear face to 45lbs and forward face harnessed to 80 lbs (the longer they are harnessed the better.) Then he will need a booster later on. This seat is skinny enough to fit 3 across in a sedan.

Im so glad I was able to take the classes to become a CPST (child passenger safety technition) and am nationally certified to inspect, instruct, and install car seats. I'm happy I have taught so many people how to keep their kids safe in the car and alive in an accident.

Time for a haircut!

2012-01-06T15:25:00.001-07:00

Bridger has had 3 haircuts in past 11 months but it was time for a pretty drastic one. Aunt Lindsay is a cosmetologist and offered to help up out! We had to use a dum-dum as a distraction which ended up getting covered in hair BUT it worked!

Setting up Grandma's Christmas Tree!

2012-01-06T15:22:00.001-07:00

After Thanksgiving was done we decided to put up the Christmas Tree. Sam and his girlfriend Emily decided to do it and they were SUPER sweet and let Bridger help out. :)

Happy Thanksgiving

2012-01-06T14:37:00.001-07:00

This year it was our turn to spend Thanksgiving in Rexburg with our inlaws-since everyone was going to be away for Christmas-we were going to party.

We all had a great time, lots of yummy food, and the stuffing was AMAZING!!

Ben's family de-bones their turkey. I had never seen it but it turned out delicious and it was fun!

Overall we had a great Thanksgiving and enjoyed spending a few days with family.

Little bit of cloth bums :)

2012-01-06T14:21:00.002-07:00

We have been cloth diapering over a year and a half now and our whole family (husband and children included) LOVE it.

The same diapers fit both boys from birth to potty training. We wash them in our washer and dry them in our dryer or hang them to dry.

No chemicals on our babies bottoms and we don't have to spend oodles of money on diapers. Plus they are pretty cute :p Anyway here are just a few pictures of our cloth bums!

P.S. in case you can't tell there are more pictures of Emmett because he can't fun away from my camera yet :p

Happy Halloween :)

2012-01-06T14:11:00.001-07:00

We went to our ward "trunk-or-treat" this year for our Halloween festivities. Bridger was some sort of dinosaur/reptile and Emmett was a little pumpkin. They both enjoyed going out and Bridger REALLY enjoyed getting the candy and was rather impressed with his haul at the end of the night.

We also cooked up our first pumpkin and pureed it and cooked it down and we had pumpkin pancakes on Halloween morning.

Emmett is 3 months old!

2012-01-06T14:08:00.001-07:00

My dad did take some 3 month old pictures for us but here are juts a few to show how our little man is growing! We love you Emmett

Pumpkin Patch 2011

2012-01-06T14:03:00.001-07:00

The week before Halloween we met up with some people from our ward to take our kids to the pumpkin patch. Bridger was OK with it and Emmett was too young to care! They had a little train that I did take Bridger on and he thought it was AMAZING-I was really glad he liked it and it gave us sometime to enjoy each other. He really is growing up too quick.

Sam's first weekend home

2012-01-06T13:54:00.002-07:00

We were all really excited for Uncle Sam to finally be home and we wanted him to get to meet and know his nephews (since they were both born while he was gone) and so up to Rexburg we went. The boys went outside and melted metal while the rest of us stayed inside and played.

Welcome home Uncle Sam

2011-12-31T11:41:00.000-07:00

Ben's brother Sam came home from his mission in Texas on October 13th. We all waited at the air port and welcomed him home gladly!! We are so proud of a job well done and so excited to have him back!!

First snow

2011-12-31T11:38:00.000-07:00

It started snowing on October 6th of this year! Bridger was too young to remember snow from last year so he was really suprised. It didn't really stick but it was still a fun experience.

End of September and turning 2 months old!

2011-12-31T11:30:00.002-07:00

Towards the end of September Emmett turned two months old. He was 10lbs 14oz (a whopping 3 lbs less than his older brother at the same age) and 22 1/4 inches long. He is in the 20% percentile-growing fabulously! He experienced his first ear infection and started to laugh.

We also had the chance to meet a friend who lived in Rexburg and we took the boys to the park. Bridger had a great time.

Emmett's Blessing

2011-10-10T09:20:00.001-06:00

On September 18th we had the wonderful opportunity for Benjamin to bless Emmett. The blessing was in our ward in Idaho Falls and we really appreicated everyone who came because it was at 9AM. We had a small breakfast brunch afterward and took a few pictures. Enjoy :)

Maternity and family pictures!

2011-09-26T12:18:00.001-06:00

Here are a few of my favorites from my photo shoot with Autumn Wilson! She needed a family to do maternity and newborn shoots for her portfolio. Bridger and Emmett were both grumpy when we had the pictures taken, so that aside, I think they did really great. Enjoy!

My boys

2011-09-23T12:18:00.001-06:00

Just a goofy picture of each. I sure do love these boys!

Barney Family Reunion 2011

2011-09-23T12:10:00.001-06:00

We were blessed to be able to go away to Island Park again this year for an entire week! It was awesome, minus the part where we all got colds and didn't go anywhere. There was beading, and monopoly, and lots of baths. There was sleeping and crafting, and lots of yummy food. There was frog catching, pie eating, card playing, water balloon volley balling, robot making, and hair braiding! Basically what a family reunion should be-a lot of time spent with family that you love!

Grandpa Barney's Birthday

2011-09-23T12:01:00.002-06:00

This year we headed up to Rexburg to celebrate Grandpa Barney/Pops birthday. Bridger thought it was the neatest thing to have everyone singing to him-we just went with that! There was delicious cake, and even more delicious ice cream. We decided to let Bridger have some and, well, I think you see the end product. So we sent him out to the sprinkler to hose off! Emmett was just happy to be cuddled!

Koree's 6th Birthday Party

2011-08-21T13:19:00.002-06:00

I can't believe Koree is already 6 years old! This year he wanted a pirate party at Jensens Grove. They had a treasure hunt, ate yummy cake, and played in the sand and the water. My dad took all of these pictures. It sure was a blast!

A few family pictures...

2011-08-21T13:14:00.001-06:00

My wonderful father took some family pictures for us. He used to do photography a while back and has decided to start up again. We were happy to let him use us :) Bridger would not cooperate with us at all, and we couldn't get Emmett to sleep through the newborn pictures. They still turned out great! Here is a mini preview!

Random pictures

2011-08-13T13:02:00.001-06:00

Just because I have too many pictures to share for my family that lives farther away, I'm just making a random blog here! This is 1-2 weeks old! And a picture that just captures Bridger perfectly!

First week home!

2011-08-13T12:51:00.001-06:00

It was Emmett's first week home and everything went wonderfully. He already slept for a 6 hour stretch at night and other than that only wakes up once at night. He had his first bath on the 29th of July when he was 3 days old. Bridger LOVES to go on walks and always talks about "Emmett!!!!" and points to his tummy to sign his name. He is a fabulous big brother!

Welcome Emmett Farid!

2011-08-13T12:25:00.006-06:00

Emmett Farid joined our family on July 26th after a beautiful natural birth. My labor was 7 hours long (starting with my water breaking at 5:30AM) and he was born at 12:31 PM weighing in a 6lbs 14 oz and 19 inches long!
We were thrilled to have the birth that we wanted and to have everything work out wonderfully! He is just a great little baby and we are so happy to have him here!
After he was born he had issues regulating his oxygen supply to his limbs, and his o2 stats kept dropping into the 60's (they are supposed to stay in the high 90's), his blood sugar also took a downward spiral and he became lethargic. He was rushed away from us and they were preparing to transport him to EIRMC (Eastern Idaho Regional Medical Center) and were discussing emergency heart surgery at Primary Children's in Salt Lake City, UT. It was a stressful time being separated, but they let Benjamin give him a blessing. They went over his heart echo again and what was though to be a serious condition of the heart turned out to be an innocent murmur and Emmett was fine after a little help and observation. He was reunited with us on his second day. I know we were being watched over, and I feel blessed to this day. He has been in cloth diapers since day 1 and we are loving it! The random picture is ben supporting me while I was in the labor tub. I just think it accurately showed what was happening. Without further ado, here is the little fighter!

Happy Birthday Sasha!

2011-08-13T12:12:00.003-06:00

My beautiful niece, Sasha, turned 3 this year! I remember the Starr's coming to bless her at 6 weeks old and that was when Benjamin and I had barely started dating. I can't believe its been that long.
Her birthday is the 24th of July but because of all the festivies, her party was on the 16th at Kristen's apartment complex club house! It was full on Tangled! They made little Pascal's, played pin the pan on Flynn, and wonderful purple cake! I don't have many pictures but here is one! Happy birthday Sasha Bug!!

4th of July

2011-07-10T11:36:00.000-06:00

We spent the 4th of July in Rexburg this year. We started off with some wonderful sourdough pancakes from Morgen and Briger giving his "cheese" face while trying on Grandma's shoes. Then we headed down to the parade (I did walk there but wanted to die by the time we reached it-taking long walks down hills is something I will no longer do at 35 weeks pregnant!) Bridger wanted some candy from the parade so Joan kept an eye out. We gave him a piece of taffy to hold and when we looked over he had taken a bite out of it-while it was still in the wrapper! He got a few more pieces and just liked the idea of having the candy, but not eating it. Ben had to work early the next day so we lit off the few fireworks that we had outfront and Bridger was 1/2 entertained and 1/2 really nervous! But overall it was really fun even though we didnt watch a big show!

Third haircut!

2011-07-10T11:27:00.001-06:00

At 17 months we are at our third haircut. The curls make it super fluffy and its looks really messy most of the time. But a popsicle was the perfect distraction tool!

First time at the splash park

2011-07-10T11:22:00.001-06:00

A group in our ward has been trying to do weekly outings and one of them in June was to go to the Rexburg splash park. Bridger didn't know quite what to think and wouldn't walk around with out me so there is no pictures of him actually in it, and these are the only ones I have. He loved Brinda's stroller and would have stayed in there the whole time! He loved watching the merry go round and eating M&M's!

See you in 2 years!

2011-07-10T11:20:00.000-06:00

On the 25th we headed up to Rexburg for the night to listen to Ben's brother, Elijah, give his last talk in church before heading out to France for his mission. We had a great time and it was fun to spend that last little bit of time with him. Bridger is going to miss him loads and crazy to think he will be 3 1/2 by the time he gets home! Now we are just waiting for Ben's other brother, Sam, to come home from his mission. By then Emmett will be here and he will have left with one sister in-law and come home with 3 of them AND two nephews! :)
We roasted those HUGE marshmallows and had a great time! Josh tried to roast his on a wooden plank so that it was perfect. When Joan did hers it weighed down her stick and she almost lost her marshmallow. We also had banana boats compliments of Morgen!

Bridger loved riding around in this! But ONLY if it was Grandpa pushing him

Kiras 30th Birthday!

2011-07-10T11:19:00.000-06:00

We went down to Pocatello for a suprise party for my sister, Kira. It was really fun and we had dutch oven chicken and potatoes and yummy carmel apple crisp and peach cobbler. The kids got to play (although Bridger more enjoyed tossing rocks) and we enjoyed the sun until it started raining!

I love watching him sleep!

2011-07-10T11:00:00.002-06:00

At 17 months old he is sleeping like a champ in his toddler bed! The lights are off in the pictures but my flash is really bright! I always sneak in and watch him for a few minutes, its a great way to end my night!

The Snake River is a tad too full....

2011-06-12T16:14:00.000-06:00

We had some spare time on Friday, June 10th, so we decided that we were going to go sit on the bank of the river and feed the ducks and enjoy the wonderful afternoon, until we showed up and the place that we were going be sitting at was under water...and the Falls were not so gentle anymoe...whoops! So instead we just took some pictures and headed home.

Big boy bed!!

2011-06-12T16:06:00.000-06:00

On June 6th we finally decided to move Bridger to his big boy bed at 16 months old. As you can see from the first picture he was beginning to become a little escape artist and to avoid him hurting himself we decided to move him. While we were prepping his room he found some crayons and colored all over one of our containers, its a good thing it was already empty! The next few pictures are just pictures of him sleeping (who can resist sleeping babies??) and after he woke up the first time.

Memorial Day 2011

2011-06-12T15:58:00.000-06:00

This year for Memorial Day we were invited by the Barney's to go on a little adventure to Mesa Falls, I had never been so away we went!
We headed up to Rexburg and packed our picnic and headed out even though it was raining. We stopped at the lower falls and had our lunch then headed up to the upper falls. It was beautiful and the rain did eventually stop. On our way back we stopped at a super yummy pizzeria in Ashton and had huckleberry sodas and delicious pizzas!

Papa Rushdi's Birthday

2011-06-12T15:48:00.001-06:00

We went down to Pocatello on May 28th to celebrate my dads birthday with him. We had a BBQ and we just got to spend some nice time together. My dad got a Dick Van Dyke book and some Butterscotch Krimpets (HIS FAVORITE!!) and he also got a flat screen TV for his room! We tried to take a few pictures of Bridger and he really didn't want to cooperate as you can see.
Korth, who is still serving his mission in Nashville, sent my dad a lot of Tennessee shirts and some signs for his birthday. Even though he was gone it was still fun to see his handwriting and pictures throughout the house!
HAPPY BIRTHDAY DAD!

Bridger's Easter Pics

2011-05-20T21:01:00.002-06:00

These are a little late but here is Bridger's Easter pictures done at 15 months. All pictures were taken by Lennie Hanson of LM photography and Design. She did a fabulous job!

Emma's Spring Recital

2011-05-18T10:48:00.000-06:00

Emma's dance recital this year was May 14th, and it was such a blast. We headed down that morning and got to eat lunch at Kira's. Then off to the recital. Emma performed two different songs and did a great job. The pictures didn't turn out great but it gives you the picture. We brought her a rose and Bridger kept trying to eat it, after we insisted that it is not what you do with roses, he finally gave it up. After than we relaxed at my parents house and headed home. What a great day!

Mother's Day

2011-05-18T10:40:00.000-06:00

These pictures aren't the greatest but they are the only ones I have from Mother's Day. Ben and Bridger put together a flower stand for me and it turned out really cute and Bridger helped hammer and glue it together. It was fun for the both of them! I sure was spoiled that day!

Oh the things that happen at Grammy's

2011-05-18T10:32:00.000-06:00

You are given hamburgers, french fries, and ranch and allowed to eat how ever you like (because mommy would never allow it!!)
Sometimes people get kicked in he face and they get awesome black eyes!
And so much more-but that is the great thing about Grammy's house-you get to do so much stuff!

Easter

2011-04-25T15:02:00.000-06:00

This is my handsome little man in his new Easter outfit! I cant believe how Grown up he looks!!
Koree wanted him and Bridger to have matching outfits so we found some at Shopko and they are too cute! Easter overall was fantastic. We drove down in the morning and went to church with my parents. Then went back to the house to set up for dinner. Then had an Easter egg hunt with all the cousins, ate a fabulous dinner, and then visited the rest of the night. We did fill Bridger a little easter basket from the dollar store and he got a kick out of it and LOVED finding the easter eggs.

Baby Spring Fling

2011-04-25T14:31:00.001-06:00

The Baby Spring Fling was hosted by the Idaho Babywearers this year and it was a blast. It was last Saturday, on the 23rd.
It started off with the Great Cloth Diaper Change that was a Guinness World Record setter with the most number of cloth diapers change simultaneously in the world! I was supposed to be the "Cloth Diaper Expert" but we were short a few people that we needed to help with the record (50) so I change and let someone else be the witness.
Bridger started out in a Bamboo Minky Kawaii in Ocean and was changed into a GroVia AIO in Owls (favorite diaper!!) He didn't want to be on the floor but he was a great sport.
Then we walked around to all the booths and purchased a bar of goats milk soap which Ben LOVES! Bridger then got over tired and fell asleep in the Ergo (our baby carrier that is fabulous) so we missed on the Easter Egg hunt and then we had to leave early. But boy was it fun!

My Birthday

2011-04-25T14:19:00.003-06:00

Well its official. I'm finally 23. Doesn't feel any different than 22 except for the fact I'm not loving getting older. I've decided I'm going to stay 23 for a while! It was a great day! Bridger learned to play the Wii with papa, I got some yummy food, and my awesome mother in-law, Joan, made me some YUMMY birthday cake!
I also have realized I will have been pregnant when I was 20, 21, 22, and 23. That has got to count for something, right? :p

24 week update

2011-04-20T20:10:00.005-06:00

Today, which happened to also be my birthday (will be in a different post), was spent mainly at the doctors. I knew I was having my diabetes test today because of high amniotic fluid levels, an ultrasound to get a few more measurements of his heart, and my basic 24 week appointment. My mother came and entertained Bridger, which helped a lot. I drank my orange drink and waited for the ultrasound. Once the ultrasound had started she told me my fluid had gone up even more so than last time and she was sure that it was going to be diabetes. Emmett was super wiggly but his heart is looking great!

Then on to the midwife appointment. She also though based on my levels (known as polyhydramnios) she also thought for sure it was diabetes. So she measured my belly and we are measuring over 30 weeks (due to the fluid) and I gained a little weight, the first time the whole pregnancy) which she also blamed the amniotic fluid (and the fact I ate a big lunch for my birthday!)

So onto the blood draw. I went back to the waiting room awaiting my results, knowing that my levels needed to be under 140 for me to pass, and guess what-it was 88!!! I was sooo excited.
So the next worry is that Emmett has a blockage in his esophagus that means he can't swallow as much as he could. His whole GI tract will be scanned in 4 weeks so please, please pray that it is polyhydramnios due to unknown causes and that Emmett's insides are all working properly.

Until then its just waiting. I feel about 30 weeks pregnant but things are going great!! I'm so happy that my sugar levels came back great! And here are the pictures we got! Thanks for every ones support!!

Daniel and Lindsey's Wedding! 4/15/11

2011-04-16T12:47:00.004-06:00

I can't believe the wedding is over and that we got to be a part of it. It was beautiful. I was able to attend the sealing in the morning while Benjamin worked because they were sealed in the Idaho Falls, Idaho temple. So many people were there and it was so wonderful to see family again!
We then went to the luncheon at the same church as the reception and as usual, Bridger made a mess. The food was great! Then it was home for a quick nap (for the kids, not for us unfortunately.) Then we waited for Benjamin to get done with work and he drove up to Rexburg and then back to the reception for more pictures, food, fun, and dancing! We had a great time and we were so excited to "officially" welcome Lindsey to the family! I hope they have a great time on their honeymoon and hurry back to Idaho. Daniel has an internship in Texas until August and we are hoping they will be back before Emmett's arrival!
CONGRATS GUYS!!

20 week ultrasound

2011-03-23T17:04:00.001-06:00

Well we are half way there! We are so excited!! It was confirmed yet again today that he is still a baby boy! All the measurements are good except we were told he is probably going to be short to start out with. We are OK with that :) His head was in the 94% for his age, his tummy in the 75% and his femur in the 12%. I also have more fluid than normal so they are bumping up my diabetes test a month just to rule it out and we didn't get all the pictures of his heart that we need so we have another ultrasound in a month. He had his legs in front of his face and his hands tucked in so we didn't get pictures of the hands and the feet, etc. This was the best we could do.
The first picture is showing he is a boy. The second is a profile, but his chin is to his chest so it didn't turn out fabulous.

This is showing his body and his legs are stretched in front of his face

This is the shot with him looking straight at us and the second is another gender confirmation.

This is a great shot showing his legs. They are stuck right out in front and over his head.

What's in a name?

2011-03-23T16:53:00.003-06:00

And he shall be called:

EMMETT
FARID

We are thrilled that we have found a name and it fits perfectly! I have loved the name Emmett for a long time so I was really leaning towards it, so our deal was that Benjamin got to pick the middle name. We have been wanting to use the middle name Lee but it didn't flow with Emmett. So Farid it is (after my father)!

So what does the name mean? Here you go!
Emmett is German. It means:

All-containing; universal; strength

Farid is Arabic (makes sense because my dad was born in Beirut, Lebanon.) It means:

exceptional, unequaled

We are just thrilled. We can't wait to meet you Emmett. We love you very much!

Playing Outside

2011-03-23T16:48:00.002-06:00

This was Bridger's first real time playing outside since he learned to walk and this was the first week where there wasn't a ton of snow on the ground. He had a blast just walking around and exploring. It was a bit chilly but that didn't cut in on the fun! We then came in an enjoyed a nice fresh baked cherry pie (Ben's speciality) and cuddled. It was such a great day.

16 weeks and gender reveal!!

2011-03-23T16:41:00.001-06:00

At our 15 week check the sonographer told us what she thought the gender was, and so we really wanted to get it confirmed. We were able to go to SLC for a weekend and it was so great! We went to Babies' R Us, ate at a really great place called Q4U and even got to go swimming in our hotel! Best news of all though was we got to get the gender confirmed on our little one!!!

We are pleased to announce the arrival of Barney baby BOY #2!

This is a 3d picture. He is looking to the left. You can see his ear, nose, etc!

This is also a 3d picture of his arm. Its shut in a fist and the arrow is pointing to his fingers.

This is the picture showing he is indeed a boy.

And another 3d. Facing the left with his hand in front of his face!

15 weeks

2011-03-23T16:37:00.000-06:00

Here is a not so great picture from our 15 week check. The face is not so fabulous but you can see the spine really well. The placenta previa is gone! So far, so good!

Dinner time!!

2011-03-23T16:33:00.000-06:00

Who doesn't love dinner? Bridger loves all sorts of food and dinner time is his favorite! Just a few pictures of eating away!

Look at me go!

2011-03-23T16:26:00.000-06:00

Bridger was offically a walker the day of his 1st birthday! As he was getting more and more steady I realized I hadn't taken any pictures for his baby book *gasp*!
So this is a little bit after his birthday while he is still "waddling."
We love you Bridger! Keep up the good work!

We love you little Baby B!

2011-01-20T10:08:00.003-07:00

Well after a little concern by my midwife we had an ultrasound at 11 weeks and I do indeed have Placenta Previa again. I had the same thing with Bridger and it presented in the same way. So for now just easy on the lifting and be careful and hopefully it will move by 20 weeks so I can still proceed with our natural birth! The video was really cute and we got a few pictures. The baby is 2 inches long and had the hiccups. Its amazing what you can already see. The baby was opening and closing its hand and you could already see all the fingers. It was just having a great time! Here are a few pictures. We can't wait for you to join our family itty bitty baby B!

Korth's Farewell

2011-01-20T09:58:00.004-07:00

Well the time has come! January 19, 2011 Korth Farid Rushdi entered the mission field. The Sunday before we had his farewell. His talk was fabulous and after church we had a lunch for everyone who came and it was great! The Bohlings traveled from Utah and lots of other family and friends. Its weird that he will be gone for two years, it hasn't hit yet but I think he will do great!
Bridger and Stella ate olives together and Bridger didn't know what to think. Plus I threw in a few pictures of my nieces because they are just plain adorable. Emma and Koree wouldn't let me take their picture!
We love you Elder Rushdi!

Bridger's First Birthday~take 2!

2011-01-20T09:56:00.000-07:00

Since Koree was still in the hospital for Bridger's Birthday we decided to head down there the next weekend. It was a blast! We were able to celebrate Bridger's, Kristen's, and my mom's birthdays as well as Korth's farewell and my Dad's graduation! It was so fun and there were so many people there! My dad has the rest of the pictures so I will update when I get the rest!
Bridger got a book, some awesome out fits, and a cute snuggly puppy blanket that Koree has named Leo. I think it fits!

Bridger's First Birthday!

2011-01-10T16:38:00.006-07:00

I still can't believe my baby is a year old! January 7th came by pretty fast this year and it was just wonderful. Benjamin worked so I woke up with Bridger and make him a B shaped pancake-his first one yet and he loved it! I put him in a new outfit I got him (he is now in 24 month clothes) and took a few pictures. That night we went to Red Robin with some bonus money from Ben's work for Christmas and they gave him little ears and sang to him and gave him ice cream. He ate all the whipped cream, but the ice cream was just too cold. The next day Ben's family came down and we opened presents. He got a few toys, clothes, and a toy box! Just what we needed. We then made cup cakes and although had a little trouble with them they still turned out cute. Teaches me not to procrastinate! He enjoyed his cupcake and of course got it everywhere, but we expected that!
Overall it was a wonderful birthday and we can't wait to make it down to Pocatello next weekend to celebrate it with my family along with the other January birthdays and having a farewell for Korth who leaves for Nashville on January 19th! Its getting so close.
HAPPY 1ST BIRTHDAY BRIDGER SCOTT!!

My Love Pearl

2010-12-26T17:53:00.002-07:00

This was a really awesome Christmas present that I wanted to share. Benjamin got it for me and I thought it was awesome. Inside there is an oyster that had been "impregnated" with something so it would produce a pearl. Then it came with a necklace and a tool to open the oyster. Then there was different things the different colors of pearls could have been but I think mine was love if I remember right. So here are the pictures of it.

Christmas!

2010-12-26T17:29:00.004-07:00

We did Christmas in Rexburg this year and it was such a delight. It was everything I could have hoped for and more. We sang Christmas songs and watched christmas movies and everyone baked up a storm. My morning sickness was getting to me some of the days so I hung back while there was a Swedish feast going on in the Kitchen. Ben got me the new Donkey Kong for the Wii for Christmas and most of us played that a good majority of the weekend and it was a blast! They even had a REAL Christmas tree-my first one ever!
I got some stellar presents as well. My sweet mother in law and my sister in law pitched in and got me a bottle of Armani Code perfume. I wore it all the time (when I could afford it) while Ben and I were dating when I fell down the stairs and shattered my bottle. I haven't had it since but I'm LOVING it! I also got the Mayo Clinic book of home remedies (which I am stoked for) The Remarkable Soul of a Women, a total pillow from Ben and its awesome, a kniffy knitter, an emergency stove, a hat and apron, and a Love Pearl with other various odds and ends and it was all lovely and probably more than I deserve! Bridger could have cared less about his presents but he enjoyed playing with them once I opened them for him. He loved being with all the family and he loves all the attention and just eats it all up. I was sad to take him home. Ben still has another 8 days off work and within the next 2 weeks is New Years, our anniversary, and Bridger's first birthday! It is going to be crazy!!

First Ultrasound!

2010-12-26T17:28:00.000-07:00

On December 22, 2010 we had our first ultrasound and it was fabulous. I was only 7 weeks but already a fast beating heart and it is safe and snug in there. We are officially due August 10, 2011 (1 day before our big trip to oregon) so Im hoping the baby wants to come just a TINY bit early so we can still go! Im so blessed to have another life growing inside me and we are just so excited. Morning sickness is here but it hasn't been horrible. We switched to a midwife and hoping to go a natural route this time and I'm VERY excited!!

Family Pictures 2010

2010-12-26T17:17:00.003-07:00

Our family decided it was time for some family pictures before Korth left on his mission and this was the present for my mom and dad. The pictures were taken by Jerrica Parkin and she did a great job!

Family gift exchange

2010-12-26T17:15:00.000-07:00

On December 18, we decided to have our family pictures taken and to do our family gift exchange. I didn't take the best pictures but I haven't gotten the rest of them from my dad either. We gave Korth a set of ties and Kait a bunch of flag bags and we recieved some really cool scripture stickers from Korth. Bridger got some cloth letters to play with and I think he will love them! Over all it was just fun to hang out and be together. I cant believe it is almost christmas!!
Korth leaves for his mission to Nashville on January 19th and this is the shirt his girlfriend made for him. It was really fun!

Going to church

2010-12-26T17:01:00.001-07:00

After Ben and Bridger got ready for church this week I had to take a few pictures because they were just too darn cute! We got this church outfit from the Bishop in the ward we were in when we first got married. Hard to believe my 11 month old child is in 2T clothes. The last picture was at breakfast and he was eating a banana. I just threw it in because it was cute!

Bridger is going to be a big brother!!

2010-12-26T16:58:00.000-07:00

We are pleased to announce that Bridger is going to be a big brother in August of next year! We announced it to both of our families soon after Thanksgiving and were delighted that they took the news so well! We found the shirt Bridger is wearing at the mall and thought it would be a good way to announce it. So we put on the shirt and waited for the family to figure it out! It was great!

Thanksgiving

2010-12-26T16:49:00.000-07:00

We decided to spend this Thanksgiving in Pocatello this year so that we could spend Christmas with my in laws. It also happened to be my brother-in-laws birthday on the same day. Bridger had a blast! We decided to do it at a church house because there really wasn't enough room to have everyone together and it worked out great!! We all enjoyed the food and the time to spend together. It was freezing while we were there and we got a flat tire in the walmart parking lot the night before we were supposed to head out but we made it, and it was great!

Bridger Graduated!

2010-12-26T16:42:00.000-07:00

On November 24, 2010 Bridger finally graduated from his helmet. I was ecstatic! No more cleaning with alcohol, no more mandatory daily baths, No more random people staring at my son instead of just asking what was wrong, no more worrying about it ever again! He had his helmet on for 12 weeks exactly and I'm so pleased with the results. His plagio started out with a 16 mm difference (the difference from one side of his head to the other. The goal is 0 so the head is even) and ended up with a 2mm difference with normal being 0-3! I'm so proud of my little boy and I'm glad I was able to keep up with the helmet and left it on when I so desperately wanted to take it off. Congrats Bridger!!

This is the before and after pictures of his head. The before is actually on the bottom and the after is on the top! His head is now round!!

Our new cloth diapers!

2010-11-21T22:39:00.000-07:00

They finally arrived and I couldn't be happier. These diapers are a lot cheaper than the other ones we had been using so we decided to buy 6 and give them a try. We were gone Friday and Saturday in Rexburg seeing the new Harry Potter movie and the roads froze, so we didnt get home until Sunday and they were in our mail box!
I love cloth diapering and Im so glad to be able to add more diapers to our stash.

When you don't want your peas...

2010-11-12T10:55:00.002-07:00

We made the mistake of letting Bridger try some of our pancakes with syrup at dinner so he no longer wanted his peas. He spit it into his hands and rubbed it everywhere! In his ear, in his hair, in his eyes...it was um, lovely!
Here are a few pictures of getting ready to get cleaned up.

Its beginning to look a lot like Christmas!...in November...

2010-11-09T12:10:00.000-07:00

Well apparently Mother Nature decided that winter officially started on November 8th this year. When I woke up yesterday it was raining and then it started snowing and it snowed all day until I went to sleep. This is what I woke up to! Im excited for the snow, as long as I dont have to drive in it!

First Bubble Bath

2010-11-09T12:05:00.000-07:00

I don't know why I hadn't thought to give Bridger a bubble bath sooner! But on November 1st we decided to try it out and he loved it...after getting over not knowing what was in the tub with him. He had a blast, and I got soaked...as usual! Benjamin went into our room during his bath so picture is Bridger trying to figure out where Papa went. I have a feeling we will have more bubble baths in the future!

Alameda park "Trick-or-Treat"

2010-11-09T11:57:00.003-07:00

On October 30th, we decided to head down to Pocatello for the Halloween fun at Alameda Park.
Bridger was all dressed up in his lion costume (which he wasn't too sure about) and my mom gave him his first sucker (which he loved!) There was lots of people there and we had a blast! Cant wait to take him trick-or-treating next year when he can walk and not just give people high fives for the candy!

Carving Pumpkins

2010-10-28T10:29:00.002-06:00

On October 27th we decided to carve the pumpkins that we picked at the pumpkin patch. We had an awesome little book that had quite a few patterns and little carving tools so I decided to pick a pattern that would test my skills. I ended up picking an owl in a tree and Benjamin drew and carved Bridger's pumpkin to look like him, included his two teeth, and they turned out adorable. We even let Bridger play with the insides of the pumpkin but he wasn't too interested (probably because our pumpkins had been out in the cold.)

Bridger 9 month pictures

2010-10-25T19:59:00.002-06:00

These pictures were taken by Jerrica Parkin and she did a fabulous job considering Bridger hadn't had a nap yet and it was late in the afternoon. So there were no big smiles but I love the pictures nonetheless.

Pumpkin Patch

2010-10-25T16:51:00.001-06:00

Ever since I saw some of Benjamin's cousins, Bill and Jessica, take pictures of their children at the pumpkin patch I knew I wanted to go! How awesome would it be to pick out your own pumpkins and to take Bridger along? I did a little searching and viola! There was a pumpkin patch just 3 miles down the road. I was thrilled. We were able to get a big pumpkin and one just for Bridger. I thought the pictures turned out adorable and I'm so grateful Benjamin and I were able to take Bridger.

Matching boys!

2010-10-25T16:47:00.001-06:00

Koree LOVES when he and Bridger have matching clothes! So on my last trip to Pocatello, we found these outfits at Costco. Since Bridger is already in 18 months and Koree is in 4T it is easy to find matching clothes. Here are a few pictures that my dad took, he is such a talented photographer, even if they are snapshots!

Bridger has 2 teeth!

2010-10-25T16:45:00.000-06:00

I know this is a funny picture-but he really isn't upset. I just laid him across my lap to try to get a picture of the two teeth! October 16th Benjamin was feeding Bridger his breakfast and asked if he had a tooth. I felt in the most obvious places, the bottom and top middle and there was nothing there. Benjamin swore he felt a scraping on the spoon but just let it go. While we were at Shopko that day, Bridger grabbed Ben's finger and bit it. I knew by the squeal that there HAD to be a tooth there and sure enough it was a top left fang tooth! Weird place for tooth number one but I was ecstatic, I'm not sure why, I guessed it just seemed like a big milestone. On October 22nd I was at my mom's house in Pocatello and told her I could see his top left middle tooth through the gums but it hadn't come through yet. She ran her fingernail across the tooth and proclaimed "now he has 2 teeth!" I was just as happy! So within a matter of less than a week Bridger had two teeth. They came in a weird order but nothing normal happens to us anyways :) Congrats Bridger!

Laptops anyone?

2010-10-25T16:43:00.000-06:00

Bridger is absolutely fascinated with laptops. Most likely from everyone around him using them and everyone going nuts when he tries to "play" with one. Grandpa Barney is very nice and shares with little Bridger and he just gets a kick out of it. I believe a new Mac boy has been born.

Sporting a new outfit

2010-10-25T16:40:00.001-06:00

My friend got this outfit for her little boy at her baby shower and I feel in love! I immediately went to ShopKo and bought it and had to wait about 6 months before he could use it! Here are just a few cute pictures of my little man sporting his new outfit!

The birdies are getting so big!

2010-10-25T16:36:00.001-06:00

My mom has a breeding pair of Green Pacific Parrotlets and they laid 7 eggs, 3 of which hatched, and one died very young. The two that are left are named Bobbles and Gidget and they are simply adorable. They are three weeks old now and finally have most of their adult feathers. I will wrangle some pictures from when they were hatchlings but for now these are the pictures I have.

There is hair under that helmet!

2010-10-25T11:58:00.001-06:00

Its been over a month since Bridger first got his helmet and he has made great improvement. He initial diagnosis was 16mm (the goal is 0, that means a round head) and after a month he was down to a 7! Hopefully only one more month to go. Since I don't see his hair all that often I was just astounded to see how much is actually there and the back is curling!

I think its time to say goodbye to the swing

2010-10-25T11:51:00.001-06:00

I bought this swing when I was still pregnant and I just fell in love. It had turtles to match his room and the seat came off to be a rocking chair until he was older-so I was sold. The only problems I didn't realize were that a little baby cant be in the swing because it doesn't have any sides and well, it just doesn't work. He wasn't able to be in it until he was 3 or 4 months old. Secondly, I have quite the big baby so he outgrew the swing before average kids. He now sits all the way forward and just about falls out and he would prefer to be pushed in the swing (like a swing at the park) rather than letting the batteries do it.
So hopefully he will still use the seat but I think its time to pack away the swing frame. The picture at the bottom is just for fun, that is when he was first able to use it. :)

Eastern Idaho State Fair 2010

2010-10-25T11:39:00.005-06:00

On September 10th, we decided to head to the fair in Blackfoot, ID. There was my mother, Kristen, Sasha, Benjamin, Bridger, Koree, and myself and we had a great time! I tried my first ever fried twinkie, and it was divine. We got to see fresh pulled huckleberry taffy and Bridger got to feed the animals and he just lit up when he got to play with a puppy. It was simply adorable.

Korees starting kindergarten

2010-10-25T11:08:00.002-06:00

Bridger and I happened to be in Pocatello during Koree's back to school night, so I went with my mom to meet his teacher and to get a look around. I can't believe it has been 5 years since he came into our life and he is headed off to kindergarten. Overall, I think he likes it and it will be fun to hear about all of his new adventures.

Finding a new way to get around

2010-10-25T10:59:00.007-06:00

Bridger started crawling at 6 months and by 7 months he started standing up on things. Right before he turned 8 months old he figured out he could stand on this box and push it to walk places. This was until he got his new toy from Grammy Rushdi and he has loved it ever since!

Fun at the park

2010-10-25T10:54:00.001-06:00

On one of Benjamin's days off we decided to head to the park. There isn't a park super close to us but this is the closest and it is manageable. I'm grateful that there are still parks around, especially because Bridger loves them so much already.

September 2010

2010-10-25T10:50:00.001-06:00

September brought a few adventures and sometimes just some fun moments. Here are a few to share.
Bridger loves to jump in his crib (before we lowered the mattress)

Benjamin gets distracted a lot during his lunch hour sharing food with the baby

We took a little trip to check out the windmills in Idaho Falls. They are beautiful but for some reaon scare me just a tiny bit...

Big Springs

2010-10-18T13:03:00.003-06:00

While we were in Island Park we had the chance to go to Big Springs and it was awesome! The water was clear and just beautiful! Bridger had a blast even though that we forgot to bring a stroller so we each tried to carry him for as long as we could. The pictures speak for themselves and there are some fish in the water, look close and you will see them.

Barney Family Reunion

2010-10-18T12:36:00.010-06:00

On August 23-29th 2010 we had our first annual Barney Family Reunion in Island Park, ID. It was such a blast. Everyone was able to be there expect for Sam, obviously because he is still on his mission. We stayed at a little cabin called "Grandma's Cabin." We made crafts, ate yummy food, went to Big Spring, played a lot of games, and even water balloon volleyball which turned into a water fight (when doesn't it?)
Next year we are going to the Oregon Coast and I'm ecstatic!!! I can't wait for more family reunions to come.

Looks like its time to lower the crib mattress...

2010-10-14T12:08:00.000-06:00

Bridger has learned how to stand up in his crib so it looks like its time to lower it down. I have a feeling he will start getting into a lot more trouble :)

Extreme Makeover: Home Edition Pocatello, ID

2010-10-14T12:04:00.000-06:00

So Extreme Makeover: Home Edition came to Pocatello the week of August 16 and it was such a great experience. The whole town had transformed and everyone wanted to help and they had more volunteers than spots to help! The house went to a single mother of 9 children, who survived breast cancer, all to have their home burn down and she still remained positive. I couldn't imagine a better family for this. I don't have a picture of the finished house but it is blue and oh so lovely. You can catch the Pocatello, ID edition on November 7th.

Korees 5th birthday party

2010-10-14T11:54:00.000-06:00

HAPPY BIRTHDAY KOREE! We can't believe that it has already been 5 years. He loves Bowling so that is what we did and it was so fun to have everyone there (plus it was Bridgers first time bowling). Koree also got a tramp from Korth so after the party we went back to my parents to jump on it and everyone had a great time.

Getting his head casted

2010-10-14T11:47:00.001-06:00

We have known since Bridger was about 4 months old that he would need a helmet. He has what is called Plagiocephaly which means he has a flat spot. Because I was on bedrest for most of my pregnancy his head stayed right on my pelvic bone and it because flat and didn't round out after birth. He will get the helmet in about 2 weeks and will wear it for about 3 months. His head has a 16mm difference between sides and the goal is zero so I can't wait to see how he changes! Plus, the doctor that did his cast said he was the FIRST baby he had ever done that didnt scream during the casting. Hooray Bridger!

Bridger Loves Food

2010-10-14T11:43:00.000-06:00

Playin with the kids

2010-10-14T11:41:00.000-06:00

Feeding the ducks makes me tired

2010-10-14T11:36:00.001-06:00

On July 31st we went to Rexburg to hang out with Bens family and we decided to go feed the ducks. Bridger was nervous at first but quickly opened up. We made a picnic and hung out there for a good chunk of the afternoon and it was so fun. As soon as we got home Bridger crashed and slept really well that night. :)

Bridger's 6 month pictures

2010-10-14T11:34:00.000-06:00

These pictures were taken by Jerrica Parkin, a long time family friend, and she does such a great job! Here are just a few of them and Bridger did great :)

First 4th of July

2010-10-14T11:32:00.000-06:00

We got up early and tried to catch a few pictures in the morning and he was as happy as could be! We went to Lynae's house (which is where we go every year) to watch the fireworks and Bridger stayed awake for the first half and watched them. It was fun to see his reactions but the fireworks stopped for a few minutes in the middle and he fell asleep so we let him sleep while we lit our fireworks at my parents house afterward.

Bridgers first fireworks

2010-10-14T11:28:00.000-06:00

On July 3rd, Brandi invited us to her house for some fireworks before her kids went to bed so we went! He was scared during the first one but then settled right in and enjoyed them! We can't wait for tomorrow!

BEN GOT THE JOB! And the new house...

2010-10-14T11:24:00.001-06:00

At the end of June we got the call we had been waiting a month for. After Benjamin graduated he applied for a job as a drafter working at Baker, Inc. in Idaho Falls. We had been praying all month long that he would get it and it happened. He works on government buildings and things like that so I actually don't know what he does because he has a security clearance but that is OK with me. It pays well and we were able to move to Idaho Falls to be inbetween our families! The job starts July 12 so we had to find a place and move fast and we ended up getting a townhome...which I LOVE!!
Here is our home. 3 bedrooms, 1.5 bathrooms, and a one car
garage! PERFECT!

Big Boy Carseat

2010-10-14T11:13:00.000-06:00

Because our Chicco infant seat only went to 22 lbs we had to upgrade when he was only 5 months old. After researching for months I made the decision to go with the Evenflo Symphony 65 and I'm in love. It is such a wonderful seat and will allow for Bridger to stay rearfacing past a year. He is comfy and loves it much more than the infant seat.