Christmas Cards

These are the pictures you will NOT be seeing on our Christmas Card! I love them, and I tried every which way to use them- but it's just not working with my card- so I am going to let it go, and realize that I'm the only one that really cares how cute my boys are. I had to share somewhere, so here they are. Thanks to my cute sister-in-law Hailey!

Happy Face

Does that just make you happy or what?!

Thanks for the pic Susan.

Growing so fast!

We took a trip to Oregon a few weeks ago and here are just a few of the pics. Sorry there's not more- I just get too impatient waiting for photos to upload. We had a blast. Thank you Joni and Gordon and Fam. We watched football, and volleyball, saw the coast, went to an awesome aquarium. We had beautiful weather. And just not enough time.

Carter learned all about FunDip!

Carter, Jason, Aunt Joni, Whitney, Me and Brady after Colton's football game.

Carter was scared to death of Kona on day1 but by day2 they were inseparable. They played catch out in the back yard. Muddy football+Cute Dog=Happy Muddy Boy!

And now that we're back... Brady started sitting up all by himself! I can't believe how fast he's growing. Man I love that boy!

Not Ready

Well- not even a full day of potty training and I'm already giving up. For those of you who know me- you know I always try things too early (switching to a twin bed before Carter was ready). And I guess this was one of those things too. I just thought he could do it. Here's the problem- he knows how to hold it (which is pretty much what he did all day), and he knows how to go (which happened twice in the toilet.) but he just doesn't want to. And I don't know HOW to make a kid go to the bathroom when he doesn't WANT to! Is this normal?! We spent countless times on the toilet singing songs, talking about all the other "big boys" who also go to the potty on the toilet, played with the toilet paper holder, made our pooping faces (in an effort to help him push), and tried to aim into the toilet (which isn't natural for a boy sitting down), all this while Brady watched- (Carter was pretty excited to show Brady how big he was... for about 5 seconds.)

So ANYWAY, after about 5 cups of juice, and a concerned Carter playing uncomfortably, and trying really hard to hold it as long as he could- I decided to put the diaper back on. AND he went. Aaahhh... relief for him. Frustration for me. I guess that's what I get for starting too early.

Ready or not...

THIS is what we're up to. Wish me luck!

Happy Birthday Carter!!!

It seems that I am always playing catch up. I don't know why- but I have a hard time finding motivation to update our blog! I love looking at everyone else's and I finally decided I better document Carter's birthday (which was in July!) So Happy Birthday Carter!

The first thing out of his mouth in the morning was "Birthday Cake?" Well... um... no. We had to remind him throughout the day that we didn't get cake until after dinner. But he sure had fun opening presents all day long!
Do you think he was excited about his remote control truck?

And here's his cake. He's not really in to 1 thing right now- but he always loves "Monkey George" so that's what I did. And next year?... We'll do a store bought one.

And here's my sweet baby boy. Oh I just love those squishy cheeks!

I'll have to do a video sometime- but Brady was giggling so hard just watching Carter talk to him. Carter thought it was pretty cool. "He's laughing Mommy!" Was all I heard (repeated over and over) for about 10 minutes!

I'm glad they love eachother so much.

4th of July Trip

We've been home 1 week and I FINALLY feel like we're gaining control of things again. It's a little rough after 2 weeks of complete fun to get back into "real" life. We've finished phase 1: got the house cleaned, and now we're headed into phase 2: Detox. We really enjoy food- and with a pantry stocked with what some of us would call a year supply- we ate and ate and ate. I found myself wandering into the pantry "accidentally" as I was headed somewhere else- just to window shop. And Carter thinks that Suckers and icecream come with every meal now.

You could find Carter looking like this after every swim. Mmmm.... Everyone should have an icecream machine.
We had a blast with all of Jason's Aunts, Uncles, and Cousins from the Sant Fam. We love you guys. You may notice the familiar graveside pose. It's always a special memory to visit Jason's Dad's graveside in Bountiful. And good ol' "Uncle Geek Geek" (left). Carter's still talking about him.

We played with the cousins

We swam

We ate icecream

We went to the Dinosaur Park

We played in the rain

We played in the play house (Carter's favorite)

We went to a Parade

We watched fireworks

We swam

We ate icecream

We went to Children's Discovery Museum

We rode scooters

We rode 4 wheelers

We rode a horse

We went to Lagoon

We played with more cousins

We went to the Cabin. Sigh...

We played in the Gym (Another favorite for Carter)

We watched movies

We swam

We ate icecream

We played Volleyball

We played basketball

We ended with a trip to Grand Junction

We went to my Highschool reunion. 10 years!

We loved Every Second of it.

And in case you're wondering where my othere son is?! Yes, Brady did come with us and managed to make it in 2 of the above pictures. I think I took about 200- and He only made it in a handful. I can only get him Laying around in so many places before it gets boring.

Heartbroken

My heart is breaking. One of my closest friends here in Las Vegas is moving back to Utah- and we said our goodbyes today. It's been a busy week and an emotional week. Trying to fit in all of our walks, and play dates, and trying to talk about something besides "the move." I've had my melt downs, and now I'm trying to be a "big girl" and accept the fact that this is part of life. But I Just. Don't. Like it!

With that said, this has made me so grateful for all the wonderful friendships I've made in my life, and I'm Sooooo... grateful for all of my friends here in Vegas who make living here so Wonderful. I don't know what I'd do without you.

We love you Lauren! We're going to miss you. And even though you'll never find a group of girls as great as us ;) we hope you LoVe your new digs! And don't worry- we'll be seeing you.

A is for Alligator

I know it's been a while since I posted, and I have a ton of pictures from the apst few months, but I don't have the patience to download them all. So- you get the past few days worth.

I finally decided to start the letter of the week idea from "No time for Flashcards" blog. We started with A- and as you can tell, he loved the coloring... especially when he got a look at himself in the mirror!

A is for... Alligator, Avocado, Apple, Airplane, Ants...

Here is my happy smiley baby. And... we're movin on up! Yes- this outfit is 3-6 months. What can I say? We grow 'em big around here!

Carter LOVES his brother. Poor Brady only knows what Carter looks like upclose and personal. I'm pretty sure Carter thinks that he needs to be 1 inch away from Brady's face or he won't see him.

Family Pics

I already added a few family pics to the blog- but I thought I'd share just a few more of my favorites. Thanks to Karen Edwards who had to deal with 2 cryin' kids- I'm amazed she got any good ones.

Our little Secret

So... when Jason comes home and wonders why there are toys all over the floor, and dinner's not ready, and the laundry is not completely done, don't tell him that I've spent the past half-hour catching up on everyone's blog! It's nice to catch a glimpse of life outside the Sant home. I've been feeling the monotany of our routine today, and needed some cheering up. Thanks friends. It's nice to see what you're up to.

Welcoming Brady Sant!

Brady Carver Sant

Born: April 9th, 2009

Weight: 7lbs 15oz

Well, here's our next little football star (If Jason has any say.) All I can say is Thank Goodness for our woderful family and friends who have made this transition so much easier for us. We couldn't have done it without you! And I mean that from the bottom of my heart. Brady has been a little angel so far- and amazingly Carter has done excellent considering he's had to split my time with a funny looking little infant who won't respond to his questions, or play with his toys. Carter was disappointed when he wouldn't catch the baketball that he kept throwing at him- but he still enjoyed watching it roll down his belly! Anyway, things are great here at the Sant home. A little less sleep, and a lot more work- but all in all we're doing well. Can't believe I thought it would be hard to love another one so much!

Carter steals Brady's chair anytime he's not occupying it.

Carter had his first Easter Egg hunt up at Red Rock canyon with Jason's family. He LOVED hanging out with his 2 grandmas and all of his cousins while they were here.

And, he's learning to be a bit more of a Daddy's boy.

Nesting

A friend asked me today if I've been nesting. I told her I didn't think so- but then as I look at my day I am totally nesting. I have exactly 1 week to go before I get induced and I found myself all of a sudden in a huge hurry to:

• Put the exersaucer back together (even though we won't need it for months)
• vaccum the house (couch included)
• organize the desk
• make a shopping list for anything we need for like the next 2 weeks
• get all our laundry done
• make sure my Mom's room is ready
• Get stuff for Easter baskets
• Update the blog
• ... You can see where this is headed

So- here's my blog update. A few random pics I just had to share.

Jase sent me these on my birthday.

I don't ever want them to die. Thanks babe!

The first time he played in this toy (5 mo. old-when he actually fit)
Today as I was reassembling it- he wanted to play so bad, so I put him in. I think he's grown just a bit.;) But he still thought it was fun-what a goof.

Planting Flowers

We actually planted some flowers this week to spruce up our porch a bit. I Don't know how long I'll be able to keep them alive so here's a picture while they look good. And also- I'm pretty sure this is the cutest little gardener I've ever seen.

Seriously?!

So, you KNOW you're pregnant when you cry over $5! Yes- that's right, I cried over $5. And for me to admit this to all of the blogging world takes a lot.

It all started with a trip to the grocery store. I have become a coupon shopper. Which means, I have switched my grocery trips from Monday mornings (with Carter) to Wednesday evenings, so I can go by myself and focus on what is actually going to save me money. This was only my 3rd trip as a coupon shopper- but I made sure that I got all the right items. Well-if you bought 10 participating items you got $5 off (up to $15) So, as I pulled into the checkout line. I realized I had 17 items. Only 3 more and I would get an extra $5 off. So I loaded up 3 extra items, and counted my participating items like 5 times. I made sure to look at labels, and only pick these items. Anyway- after waiting in line forever, and some guy asking me (a pregnat lady) to cut in front of me, I checked out and was happy to save $46. Then I just had to look at my receipt. Somewhere along the line, Only 10 of my items were counted. So, not only did I not get my extra $5 off- I ended up with 3 extra item I didn't need, and didn't save me anymore money.

For some reason, things like this really bug me. But at 9:30pm. was $5 worth waiting in line for? Again? Not tonight. So-by the time I got home- I could tell I was on the verge of being very upset, and told Jason to watch out. Anyway, just him asking me why sent me crying. I am an emotional person- but not THAT emotional! All I can say is that I'm pregnant, I'm tired, and we're in an economic crisis. $5 is a big deal.

The lesson here? Don't send a tired, grumpy, pregnant lady to the store, to save money on a Wednsday night at 9:00. You might get tears when she comes home, and instead of being happy about the $46 dollar she did save- she'll probably just whine about the $5 extra she should have saved.

San Francisco

Thanks Jase for letting us tag along on your trip to San Fran! When Jason found out he had a business trip- we just couldn't pass up the opportunity to go visit his sister Brittany and her family. We had a blast! Thanks to their constant shuttling to and from the city- to make sure Jase could be included in the fun, and babysitting Carter for a night so we could stay in the City. It was great. The best part was hanging out with the Kurtz's! What a fun family- and the boys were the best. Keaton and Carter played hard every day, and Luke and Mikey were so awesome to take care of Carter and make sure he had everything he wanted- I just wish I had gotten some pics of them!. Here's a few highlights from our trip.

Carter's 1st trip to the beach! Can't you tell how much he loved it?!
Overlooking the Golden Gate Bridge. So Beautiful! I've been to San Francisco twice now, and have lucked out with sunny weather both times!

Kissing Cousins Carter and Keaton! OK- so it was totally staged, but I couldn't resist. They just looked too cute playing in the wagon together!

Thanks to Keaton, Carter learned a few new tricks this trip! He LOVED (can't emphasize this enough) Keaton! He's still talking about him.

And you probably can't tell from these, but every single picture I have of Carter from this trip includes a little "Lightning McQueen" in his hand. He found this little car the first day we were there- and we couldn't go anywhere without it. Brittany was nice enough to let us steal it- and it still goes everywhere with us. I guess I'll have to add to the collection now.

Loved our trip. Happy we didn't have a baby while we were there. Can't wait to go back!

A "Carter" Walk

This was a fun walk. My little devil before his nap woke up well rested and happy as can be. So we decided to enjoy the beautiful weather, and take a walk. This walk was no more than a quarter mile outside our front door, no scenery, and took at least 1 hour- and was one of the funnest walks I've been on in a long time. In no hurry, no where to go, I just followed along for the ride- and a few pics. ( I know- I took a lot of pictures for 1 walk.) So, here's a recap.

We Walked in the gutter

And rested in the street

Walked up a storm drain (behind our house)

climbed a few walls

Played with some rocks (he could have done this all day)

gave kisses through the gate

And got the mail! Guess who got a package?! As soon as I told him he had a present from E.Ma (grandma) the next word out of his mouth was "candy!" Does he know her well or what?!

He decided it made a pretty good drum.

And I guess he didn't notice that the chocolate already came out of the box.

The End.

I'm Not Ready

Yesterday, was a little dramatic.

It started out with Carter being very excited about the new Bedrails on his big boy bed. He immediately knew that it meant "night night" and loved pretending to go to sleep in it. Well, after a whole morning of playtime, I figured he had forgotten all about it. Much to my surprise, after we finished lunch I said "Guess what time it is?" usually the answer is "night night", but yesterday he immediately said "Bed!" and headed for the stairs. I followed him all the way up to his big bed! Well, since he was excited about it, I thought it wouldn't do any harm to give it a shot. BIG MISTAKE! Without giving you all the details we spent about an hour and a half trying to get him to go to sleep- and it ended with him falling asleep in his crib, standing up, head on the railing. ( and didn't last longer than 5 minutes.) So- no nap.

Since we started this madness- I figured we'd just keep it going, so Jason put him down in the big bed when it was time to go to bed. It went much smoother (probably because he was SO exhausted.) He went right to sleep and only ended up in our room once at 2am and then again at 6:30.

And now that we've done just One day of this... I realized... I'm. Not. Ready.
Not ready to fight nap time every day. Not ready for 2am wake up calls. Not ready for him to be awake any time before 7am. And most of all- Not ready for my little baby to grow up!

I feel a little guilty taking away his fun with the big bed after just 1 day, and it was hard putting him in his crib when he was begging for the Bed, BUT- I just need a little more time.

Our Latest Project

With #2 on the way, we thought we may try to switch Carter into his own bed. Sound Crazy??! Yeah, we know. But- I must say I'm pretty proud of myself for scoring this free headboard and footboard that our old neighbors were getting rid of. With a little paint, a mattress we've had for a while, and some really cheap bedding we found at Home Goods I think it turned out pretty cute... and best of all, cheap.

Before

After