Layne and Rachel

February 5

2012-02-05T01:12:00.013-08:00

Dear Layne,
I am grateful you were born 27 years ago today AND I am so grateful that you asked me to marry you 3 years ago today. I kinda can't believe it's been 3 years already.

I've learned so much about you, myself and life in general. I've learned so much from you. I love getting to call you my husband, my partner, my best friend.

I am so grateful for the wonderful man that you are. You're so thoughtful in everything you do.

You take such good care of us. You are so understanding. You always make me smile.

You're the coooooolest dad. You know you're Nora's hero every time you read her a book, beatbox with her, play the drums or the piano with her, do pushups with her... You're the greatest dad your girls could ever ask for! Josi will be just as much of a Daddy's girl as Nora is.

I love you babylicious! Here's to 27 birthdays and 3 years of lovey dovey-ness.

just some stuff

2012-01-30T22:51:00.000-08:00

[we found out we're going to have another girl :) we're more than excited! 2 girls, 18ish months apart is going to be a fun adventure] When we first got married, I thought, and had a dream, that I was going to be a mother to all boys. Layne's parents have 5 boys and 1 girl. Layne's oldest brother has 6 boys, the rest of the brothers have all boys and 1 girl, and Layne's sister has 3 girls [but they don't count because it's the male who determines the gender of the baby] So, in short, Layne is the first male in his family to produce more than 1 girl. It's a big deal... I'm convinced the Boyle Brothers are using their wives for a little brotherly competition ;) we're taking the lead, so I'm ok with it.

[Nora's favorite thing to do: carry as many of these cards, or toothbrushes, or spoons as her hands can handle... if she drops any of them she gets so frustrated. Her hands are miniature, so there's bound to be an episode or two of frustration.]
It's so cute I can't even stand it. I want to help her pick everything up, but she won't let me. I wish I could bottle up her determination.

[It's been a few months since I've tried putting a headband on Nora's head because she just takes it right off.. 30 seconds is our new record]

[baby girl is growing 21 1/2 weeks in this picture] We call her baby Josi, so I think it's going to stick.

[she loves eating mac n' cheese and showing off her muscles like daddy]

[Nora follows her cousin Charli around everywhere. Charli's favorite thing to do these days is have dance parties, mostly to the song Ghost Busters.. so Nora is learning some pretty awesome dance moves]

[Nora loves bath time/ scripture time. We just decided to add scripture to bath time. It was a success! I sat on the bathroom floor while Nora sat and played in the bathtub. After I was done reading a chapter, Nora signed and said more? it was so sweet and a perfect start to our morning!]

[practicing her scales every morning.. sometimes she even does it with her forehead. mad skills]

[I decided to start a scrapbook for nora, with the motivation from Layne's mom. I am really glad I have started one. There's just something about having actual photographs, rather than just digital files on the computer. Nora is already having so much fun flipping through the book. It's giving me something to do, which I really needed. Winter kind of makes me stir crazy.]

.....Here's to new adventures this week

my heart has grown fonder

2012-01-16T21:08:00.000-08:00

Layne has been in California for a week and a half on business and we're MORE than ready for him to come home. Here's what our time apart has looked like, through cell phone pictures.

Season 3 of framed is coming.....

I am so thankful Layne loves his job!

Baby and I could really go for a cheeseburger right now.. who's with me?

"sledding" on the kitchen floor

Fun trips to the grocery store. She's thrilled people... thrilled.

Nora is afraid of the vacuum, so she'd rather sweet the carpet.

20 weeks

By the way Nora, I'm so ready for you to find a new favorite thing to dig through... like your toy basket, not the garbage.

A rose that Layne gave me before he left.

Layne and I love the show Whitney.. it's pretty funny. Anyway, she said a quote on the show that I thought was awesome. "men think it's romantic to take something beautiful out of the ground, give it to a woman, and make them watch it slowly die."
Luckily this one has stuck around while Layne has been gone.

Next Tuesday, the 24th, we find out if we're having a boy or a girl!! We finally picked our favorite names for both gender. We can't wait!

The Walking Dead

2012-01-02T23:35:00.000-08:00

3 cheers to those of us who can actually fall asleep around here...

Sleeping Beauty

worn-out snowboarder

Can I get a What What from the night owl in the house

18 weeks and 4 days

Zombie: hence the walking dead reference

Thank you Private Practice for keeping me company.. If I name our baby boy/girl
Dr. Addison Forbes Montgomery Boyle, don't be too shocked.

Nora's 12 month video

2011-12-11T20:47:00.000-08:00

Nora's 11 month video

2011-12-05T18:44:00.000-08:00

Thanks to morning sickness I am a little behind on Nora's videos... 12 month video soon to come.

I hope it snows in Boise soon.. needless to say I think she likes sledding.

Love you little Norsie Nors

A 1 year old lives here

2011-12-04T09:55:00.000-08:00

I swear this just happened....

But this turns into 2 weeks old....

Which then turns into 1 year old. It really happens that fast... I remember at her baby shower I looked at the 6 month - 12 month clothes and I thought yeah right.. she'll never fit into these. Now I look at her drawers full of newborn clothes and I think... she really was that small? I have enjoyed every stage that Nora has been in. I loved when she used to curl up and sleep on my chest all day. I loved having her in a bassinet next to our bed. I loved watching her roll over for the first time, and when she started eating baby food. I loved giving her a rattle to play with. Now I'm enjoying having her walk around the house or the store with me. I love making us both turkey sandwiches and a cup of orange juice for lunch. There is nothing more enjoyable than being a mom.

Here's some pictures of Nora's 1st birthday party. We celebrated a few days early, so a post about her actual birthday is soon to come.

Since Nora's favorite fruit is an apple, we decided to have an apple themed party. We decorated everything in red, ate apple pie and ice cream, and that's about the extent of the apple themed-ness. Nora had a wonderful time with her grandparents, uncles & aunts, and cousins.

I have learned A LOT this past year. I have mostly learned to NOT BLINK because it really does go by WAY too fast. It is so fun getting to know Nora and her personality. Layne and I could not have hand picked a better 1st born child for us. She constantly makes us laugh and we are always entertained. We love you sweet Nora.

And we're back...

2011-11-23T23:15:00.000-08:00

"morning sickness" is a weird and unusual thing. It plays games with my mind. Such as: I bought shirts and cute sweaters when I was a few weeks pregnant for when I knew I would get a little bigger for the fall and winter. If I even glance at them I get sick. Weird? I can't explain it. Same thing with writing on this blog. The thought of doing it made me so nauseous....along with people chewing gum, doing the dishes, the smell of my laundry detergent. At least with this pregnancy I know that I can and will be normal again some day. With Nora's pregnancy I was afraid that I was never going to be the same as I once was... It's fun to laugh at the old me. Now that I'm entering my 2nd trimester, things are calming down, which is why I am paying attention to my blog (since my hubby and baby are sleeping).

Today is Thanksgiving. I think when every holiday arrives it's my favorite holiday, but Thanksgiving is my heart's favorite holiday. Valentine's, Easter, Fourth of July, Christmas are all so showy, so big, so bold, so fun in their own way, but Thanksgiving feels like home. There is nothing that crowds or overshadows the true meaning of it. Ok maybe we all get a little carried away by food preparations, overflowing my plate with mashed potatoes, or football games, but the whole day is filled with things we love and doing it with people we want to hold close.

Layne and I had our first date on Thanksgiving and Nora was born the week after Thanksgiving. This Holiday so far has been a pretty life changing one for me. Cheers to a beautiful 3 years of being with my sweetheart and almost 1 year of being a mom to the cutest little "thinks she's a 5 year old"

This is nora's last 1st Holiday, so you know we're gonna party up in here!

10 month video

2011-10-13T15:24:00.000-07:00

2 year missions really do turn boys into men

2011-09-26T17:07:00.000-07:00

So about 3 months before my brother R.J left for his 2 year mission to Mesa, Arizona, Layne and I announced to our families about the arrival of Nora.

My brother's response "Gross" and then he kept staring at my belly. and then he got sad because he wouldn't get to meet her until she was 19 months old.

Now that he has been on his mission for almost 14 months, the only way I could tell him the news of our 2nd baby on the way was through an email or letter. I sent him an email so that I could get his response right away. (he emails home every Monday).

Here's my email to him:

Hey Uncle Elder,
Guess what? I have the most exciting news. I am going to be a big sister! I am super excited for June and july next year why? because June 1st I get to meet my little brother or sister, and in July I get to meet you! man my life is awesome. Love you uncle! keep working so hard!

Love Nora

Hey Brother Elder,
Yes it's true.. Nora couldn't keep in the secret any longer. We're going to have another baby. Me and you have always had a close relationship so I wanted Nora and her sibling to be close too. (19 months apart) Love you brother. You're the best missionary in the world.

Love, Rachy

Here's his response: ps. It's a lot better than "gross"

You multiply and replenish girl! Congratulations! I have two names picked out for you already, one for boy and one for girl. Doyle for boy (named after our uncle), and Rory for girl (Gilmore girls). I hope you like because you have to pick one of them, it’s only fair.

I can’t believe your’e having another baby that is going to be so much fun. I bet right now your son/daughter is so excited that he/she gets to come to your family. I like to think of it like a mission call. Your little girl or boy just got his/her letter from an angel and on it says "You are called to live in the Boyle family in Boise Idaho. You will arrive on June 1st 2012." If you listen closely enough Rach and Layne you will be able to hear your little Boy/girl proclaiming his/her joy- "Yes I heard that’s the best family, tons of fun and tons of Peace and Joy. Hosanna!"

I hope that your second pregnancy perfect as your first one. I hope Layne still jumps for Joy through the hospital. I can’t believe I’m going to be coming home to two new babies. I think we joked about that before we left. Can I take Nora and Doyle/Rory to Jury duty with me?
******
He is the best brother in the world! I am so proud of him! and just for the record.... I am NOT naming my boy Doyle Boyle.

Love you Bro.

Oh.. so this is why it's fun to grow a beard

2011-09-24T15:47:00.000-07:00

I am proud that my man can grow such manly facial hair I am...

These pictures just might be worth the month of putting up with the facial hair.
He came home from work and showed me these pictures... I only thought it was funny because his hot lookin face was back. I can only imagine how "funny" I would have thought it was if he came home with any of the other choices. He thinks it's funny that I care so much, but can you blame me?

He's just so hot!

pictureless post, but still worth reading.

2011-09-23T11:26:00.000-07:00

I think we like to complicate things
when it is really quite simple;
Find what it is that makes you happy
and who it is that makes you happy
and you're set.
promise.

Nora goes after exactly what she wants the second she thinks she wants it, without thinking twice about any obstacle in her way. She'll climb over the pile of laundry on the floor, pull herself up to the couch, climb over my face if she has to. Nothing stops her from getting my cell phone on the couch, touching the top of our headboard on our bed (which she absolutely loves doing), or crawling to the cracker she had earlier dropped on the floor. She wants it, so she goes and gets it. Because why? she knows what makes her happy.

I have so much fun watching her, crawling on the floor with her, so I know what she sees, what she could potentially be thinking about and dreaming about. It's fun catching a glimpse of her world. Her world is fascinating. Couches seem like mountains, mommy and daddy seem like big friendly giants, she's the same size as our cat. (wouldn't that be bizarre), our backyard seems like a forest, our little house is her castle.

We have a lot to learn from little kids.

I want a clean house, but hate doing the dishes, the laundry, cleaning, straightening.... Nora wants that cell phone, but might not love how hard it is for her 4 inch legs to crawl over my monster pile of laundry that's crowding her playground. yeah right.. she probably loves it. BUT anyway, my point is... do the hard stuff it takes to get what you know you'll love in the end. a clean house. ahhh sounds so nice.

So where am I going with this? Let's go back to the quote.

I think we like to complicate things
when it is really quite simple;
Find what it is that makes you happy
and who it is that makes you happy
and you're set.
promise.

What brings me my greatest joy in life is not having a clean house. Obviously if you look at my house you'd see that's not the case, otherwise I'd be miss cranky pants all day. What brings me my greatest joy in life is my family and making sure they know I love them always. I love my husband, Nora, and our new baby that's on the way. (see worth reading my pictureless post)

I could think of a couple things that could potentially been seen as obstacles such as:
morning sickness, getting huge, all the things that make pregnancy interesting, money, changing two diapers, having two car seats, feeding two mouths... who cares. I'll face it all anyway, because why? it makes me happy! I'll have as much fun overcoming these "obstacles" as Nora does climbing over my laundry pile.

it's quite simple. Find what it is that makes you happy and who it is that makes you happy and you're set.

We couldn't be happier!!!!

My Heart

2011-09-21T00:21:00.000-07:00

To have a child is momentous. It is to decide forever to have your heart go walking around outside your body. --Elizabeth Stone

Amen to that.

Today, Nora had her 9 month wellness check up. Her head is growing, her legs are growing, her little belly is growing, her teeth are growing, she's perfect. I ask my doctor silly questions like do her toes look a little crooked? she accidentally swallowed fuzz from our couch that our cat has torn.. will she be ok? I know they are silly questions, but she is my baby and I care about every inch of her. ps. girlfriend doesn't like the doctor's office so much.

It's fun to see her showing emotions. What makes her smile: Daddy, grandparents, mona (our kitty) or Nan as she calls her, cousins, aunts&uncles, any little kids, cookies, the bath, music, books, and her favorite blanket. What makes her cry: the doctor, shots, going to bed if something more fun is going on (she thinks her daddy and I are a riot, we totally are), if she's hungry, or has a dirty diaper, or when dad leaves for work. What makes her scared: the blender, the blender, and oh the blender. What makes her proud of herself: standing up, crawling exactly where she wants to go, getting into the cat food, pulling fuzz out of the couch, crawling up the couch to reach the blinds, basically things that give me gray hairs.

She makes me smile: her kisses (mouth open, she's kind of an animal), her giggles, her cuddles, her curiosity, her love of life. She makes me cry: mostly happy tears.. goes back to the my heart is walking around outside of my body thing. Ok and the occasional fist to the eye socket or pulling the hair can cause some unhappy tears. She makes me scared: big responsibility in the fact that I have to teach her why the sky is blue, where babies come from, send her off to kindergarten, let her date, get married.... real life stuff. She's not always going to like sesame street and eat gold fish crackers on my lap. Most of all, she makes me proud: I am proud of her and I am proud to be her mom. I am happy that my first name is starting to dissolve. I am known as Nora's mom.

Nora is starting to be brave and let go of things that are holding her up. Things that are helping her stand and be steady. Truth is, she can do it. She can stand on her own. She's turning into a big girl. I am not super ready for that. Seems like walking is the last milestone that happens from 0-1 year old. but She helps me be brave and she helps me learn that it's ok to let go and move onto the next new and exciting thing.

Love you baby girl. Whether you like it or not, you'll always be my baby. You'll forever have my heart, you are my heart.

Find a happy place

2011-09-07T11:05:00.000-07:00

Give girlfriend an empty diaper box... she's happy all day.

She usually finds her happy place if I give her an empty water bottle to play with, an old cd to hold, a spoon to chew on, or her blanket to snuggle with.
Wouldn't life be easier for us all if our happy places were found in the smallest things?

My happy place is the beach, camping in the woods, running away to an ice cream parlor, or buying everything in Target. Life would be a lot less expensive if all I wanted to do was suck on a binky.

On Monday I needed to find my happy place. Layne, Nora, and I ran away on a one night camping trip. Layne ran to the store to grab groceries while Nora and I packed our bag and got everything ready by the front door. We packed everything up into our little car and we were off. We had a wonderful time! Nora loved sitting in the hot springs, trying to eat every rock she saw, killing a moth in between her two little fingers, and just being with mom and dad in the woods. Nora quickly wore herself out, so we put her in the play pen in the tent and Layne and I had fun gazing at the stars, breaking trees to keep the fire going, and eating cookies and drinking chocolate milk.

We woke up, Layne made us a delicious breakfast, and we headed back to Boise. I was so glad we went.... and then I wish I had just grabbed a binky instead. My poor little car that I've had since I was 16, (but my parents I think bought it when I was 8 or 9 maybe even before) had had enough. It slowed down until all it could do was roll backwards. It was done for. Unfortunately it couldn't have waited 2 more minutes until we were at the top of the hill, or even to where there was space on the side of the road. (that would have been nice). We parked the car as close to the cement barrier as we could, hoped out of the car, walked down 100 ft. in case someone hit our car, and tried to figure out a plan. We thought it was just overheated, so we waited 30 minutes to try to start the car again. nothing.

a nice lady pulled up and told us she could take us anywhere we needed to go. She said someone had helped her the weekend before, so she just wanted to pay it forward. We grabbed the diaper bag, Nora's car seat, and we left my sweet little car on the side of the road. It was weird how attached I felt to my car (and the chocolate milk in the cooler) at that point. We were so thankful for Connie, her big safe truck, and her dog that took up more of the back seat than Nora and I did. I was so happy to see Boise.

Showering after camping and pioneer-ing it on the side of the road never felt so good.

All I know is my family will always be my happy place and I am so thankful for that!

Nora's 9 month video!

2011-09-02T19:51:00.000-07:00

Do what you want, what could go wrong?

baby flash back

2011-08-31T22:45:00.000-07:00

Nora and I were a couple of party animals today. We went to my sweet friend Katie's baby shower. She had a beautiful baby girl 2 weeks ago. She is so perfect, tiny, sweet, and beautiful. I was having a hard time remembering when Nora was that little, could have something to do with the fact that she was crawling all over, trying to open all the presents, and sucking on every woman's piece of jewelry she could get her hands on. So what did I do when we got home and I put Nora down for a much needed nap? I looked at pictures. Here's a baby flash back. 0-9 months.

1 month

2 months

3 months

4 months

5 months

6 months

7 months

8 months

9 months

I love my little angel!

My dad used to say to us "act your age, not your shoe size" That usually meant we were 14 and acting 7 1/2.... In Nora's case, she's 9 months old and acting like her shoe size, which is 2. I couldn't be more happy now that she's learning to pick herself up, take books off the shelf, crawl over to me when she wants me to pick her up, but I could do without the drama queen fake cry, the growling when she's mad, or purposely ignoring us with a smirk on her face. seriously she does that.

Being a mother is so fulfilling. We had a lovely day. Nora is in bed and Layne is doing manly business stuff. My left over chocolate covered strawberries, my jammies, and The Notebook are calling my name. (see, I'm a party animal)

Safety Net

2011-08-22T17:31:00.000-07:00

Last night as I put Nora to bed, I just stood and looked at her. Her cute pouty lips, her hair sticking straight up from what once was a ponytail, her little arm that just barely reaches above her head, and those cute little toes that seem to always be curled up. She was comfortable, peaceful, probably replaying the day's adventures in that sweet unharmed mind, and dreaming of the great possibilities that tomorrow holds. I couldn't help but go back to the day we knew "it" was a "she". The first time we saw her, held her, heard her sweet little cry, and she stopped crying when she looked in my eyes. She knew I was her safety net. Her mommy.

I continued to stand by her crib for what seemed to be a lifetime, mainly because I think I was imagining what her whole life will be like as I stared at her. I can just tell that she's going to live a happy life. She is such a sweet girl. She has such a love for life & learning. She smiles with all she has. [she cries with all she has too].

This morning when Nora woke up, she started crying. I replayed the thoughts I was thinking last night, and ran to her room to "rescue" her. She has the cutest morning face in the world. Her hair continued to stand straight up from yesterday's pony tail. She reached out her arms for me and again I was reminded that I am her safety net. She's counting on me to protect her, teach her, love her, help her, feed her, which is what she really wanted. I feel so lucky to have this responsibility.

nothing has brought me such joy as having my own child. It's true, you never know how much your parents love you until you are a parent. I am scared of a lot of things, but I am glad I was never scared to get married [because Layne is a HUNK] or have children [because I knew bad Karma was not following me]. I was a perfect child right mom? HA. It's just always been my goal to have a family of my own. I never really wanted a career. I never wanted to put off the things that I knew would make me the happiest.

Today is the last day of August. Nora is 9 months old. I honestly don't know where summer has gone, but I am actually looking forward to autumn (could have something to do with the new jeans and hoodie I just bought Nora)
I am just glad my little girl didn't start Kindergarten this week :)

*********************
speaking of safety nets... New gravel does not fall under that category. I knew that dirt bike was trouble. Broken scaphoid

1st pigtails

2011-08-10T19:24:00.000-07:00

Girlfriend has a new hairdo

...and I think it's safe to say she's pretty excited about it.

We had a mommy daughter date to Target tonight. We bought little hair accessories and air fresheners for the car [strawberry lemonade scent] because even though little girls are sweet and cute.... they sure know how to smell up a car. sorry Nora. Oh and we ate quesadillas and watched Dora.

Tropical Spray: Before & After

2011-08-09T08:49:00.000-07:00

Nora and I really have a passion for decorating. She has a really good eye for these kind of things. She also has a really cute face that looks good on any wall or in any frame. I have enjoyed making our home feel a little more homey... with the help of my mini me.

THE FRONT ROOM:Before

These are pictures from when we first moved in. I wanted a more drastic before and after...

AFTER

[Dora The Explorer songs are stuck in my head all day] Nora LOVES this show.

Like the Boyle sign above our TV? Check out my Dad's awesome Etsy site :)

GUEST BATHROOM: Before

AFTER

When we went to Lowes to pick out the paint for the bathroom, I held up 3 different colors that I liked. I held them in front of Nora and she consistently pointed to this color. Tropical Spray. Good choice Nora, good choice.

in the past 2 weeks...

2011-08-06T12:13:00.000-07:00

Our little family has become quite adventurous.

We went boating!

[Amanda]

[Brian] didn't have any pictures of him on the water.

[me]

[Layne]

We went camping!

[Austin]

[Kar]

[Jordan]

[Kayla]

Nora absolutely loved camping. She loved the fire, the nearby stream, eating chili, scrambled eggs, and playing with the neighbor's dog.
Speaking of the neighbors.... at 11 pm they decided it was time to blast some Johnny Cash [all night long] while they threw logs into the stream and shot them...

Nora's new trick of the week. Standing up in her crib. [instead of taking a nap]

I know this picture looks like she just woke up from a nap, but this is actually right after I fed her. She turns into an animal when she eats. Right after I give her a spoonful of food, she puts her hand in her mouth and rubs the food all over her face and hair. I think she does it because she knows I'll give her a bath. She LOVES the bath.

She is a daredevil.... just like her father, who some how talked me into letting him buy a dirt bike this week.

Turns out, I LOVE riding on it. It makes our date nights that much more fun! Highly recommend it!!!!!! Looks like we're all getting a little more adventurous around here....

Nora 8 months

2011-08-05T09:58:00.000-07:00

Favorite pictures of the week

2011-07-29T11:40:00.000-07:00

[hilarious right?]

[eating cheerios]

[she plays with the xbox games more than we do]

[learning to crawl]

[baby Beethoven]

[sleeping beauty]

[mom, stop eating my baby cheetos. I know they're good, but they're mine.]

[cousin cassidy, me, Nora, my mom, uncle Dale]

[keeping the sun out of her eyes]

Good Morning

2011-07-24T10:20:00.000-07:00

Daddy woke up early this morning to teach a church lesson about the pioneers out at the prison. Nora and I were kind enough to wake up with him and watch him get ready. Nora loves it when Layne and I brush our teeth. Either she likes the sound that the toothbrush makes on our teeth, or she's all for good dental hygiene. She is fascinated by teeth, probably because she has been teething for 2 months and her bottom teeth are still not coming up. Poor girl.

After he left, nora and I went right back to bed. we woke up at 10:30. It's going to be a good day. Church at 1:00 isn't so bad. we still get our Sunday nap in... it just happens to be before church.

oh and it's Pioneer Day.
I've learned many times this past week that I'd be a terrible Pioneer. "the pool water is kind of cold" "oh crap, we ran out of diapers, I'll just run to Albertson's" "darn it, my cell phone isn't working" "let's turn the air up, it's hot in this house." You see?

If Nora could eat applesauce everyday, she could handle being a pioneer. She wishes we would walk with her all day. Layne, he can do anything! but I think he likes his smart phone a little too much to be a pioneer.

Happy Pioneer day.

on top of the world

2011-07-19T22:32:00.000-07:00

On July 17, 2009 I married my best friend and man of my dreams in the Boise, ID temple. 2 years later and I still feel like a new bride, even with cheerios in my hair and an almost 8 month old glued to my hip. The way he treats me, I know I will always feel like we are newlyweds. I am happy, in love, and I feel so lucky to have the perfect man for me. It's really fun being married to someone that has such a love for life and he makes me want to be more like him everyday.

We celebrated all weekend. [cheesecake factory] [shopping at the mall] [strolling downtown] [watching movies in bed] & [family hike]

The balcony at the Grove Hotel is a special little spot for us. On our 2nd date, we were supposed to go to a hockey game, but we got there and it turned out to be an away game. Layne was quick on his feet and took me to the balcony to overlook downtown (while he came up with plan b). It was romantic. 3 months later he proposed to me on the balcony. It was raining, our song was playing, candles were lit, and he brought mashed potatoes. [my favorite]. I love going up there, reliving those special moments, and making new ones.

His smile was the first thing I noticed about him.

We loved taking Nora on her first hike. She loved touching her toes on the rocks and sand.
I loved that she felt so safe with her daddy. Seriously, she wouldn't let me carry her while we walked. The only conclusion that made me not sad was that she probably felt more safe with her daddy. She loves him and he could not be more in love with her. I love watching their daddy daughter relationship forming.

We got a kick out of watching Nora's little feathered hairs blowing in the wind.

I love being a wife & a mother. . Happy 2 years babylicious!

[Framed]: True Beauty

2011-07-12T11:01:00.000-07:00

[Framed] is now in it's second season. To watch all the episodes go here. This episode has especially touched my heart. It speaks to me on a personal level, only because I can be super critical of myself. We all can be critical of ourselves. We all can be insecure at times. Unfortunately it is also easy to be judgemental of other people without even knowing a sliver of their story and what they've been through.

Watch & enjoy! I know I've learned a lot from this episode.

Look in the mirror, feel beautiful, because YOU are.

Feels so good to be 22

2011-07-10T23:15:00.000-07:00

So here's a little background on my birthday. I was originally due on the 4th of July. My Parent's were going to name me Betsy. My maiden name, if you don't know, is Rouse.... Betsy Rouse? on the 4th of July? funny right?

Anyway, I was a whole 6 days late. My poor anxious mother. It was not an easy labor, nor was it as happy as birth should be. After hours and hours of pushing, they decided an emergency c-section was the way to go. I was blue, not breathing, not crying. I was still born. I do not know the entirety of my birth story, but lucky for my mom, dad, and me, we had a good Dr. Now that I'm a mother, I cannot imagine going through all of that. I thank my lucky stars that Nora was healthy.

another little fact about my birthday is I was born on July 10th at 10:10pm and I weighed 10lbs.
Guess what number I always chose for my soccer jersey?

Ever since I was a little girl, my birthdays have consisted of inviting all my girl friends to my grandparent's house to swim, eat hamburgers, requesting my grandmother's famous "big cookie cake". [it's literally a huge cookie that we sliced up like pizza], and staying up until 10:10 [the time I was born] so my family could sing to me. This happened EVERY YEAR with the exception of when my birthday landed on a Sunday... which happened this year. BUT, the cool thing about having your birthday on a Sunday is you get to celebrate the day before & after.

Saturday we went to Delsa's Diner with some friends. I have always loved this place. Best milk shakes and fries!

[pictures taken with my new pink Cannon] Thank you Layne

you see this necklace I'm wearing? Layne also gave me this. The black stone [I seriously always forget the name of it] was the original July birthstone from the 1500's. It's beautiful!

Sunday we went to my parent's house after church for a delicious dinner and a walk downtown. I requested Shepherd's pie, Cranberry Juice, strawberry parfait, and Orange rolls. My mom is a wonderful cook & party thrower.

Monday [today] my mom, sister, and I spent the day shopping at the mall, eating left over shepherd's pie, and watching the bachelorette. I also received quite possibly the nicest letter from my brother Rj, who is on a mission. He also slipped a whole 21 cents in the letter. He said he would have given me 22 cents, but he donated the penny. He's so generous.

Thank you to everyone who made my day/weekend so special!

Feels so good to be 22.

Don't eat your pants

2011-07-09T15:50:00.000-07:00

Nora and I were being productive this afternoon by folding laundry, but she thought it was more fun to eat the clothes. She was bored. can you blame her? nobody likes folding laundry...

We decided to take a break and play with daddy's lap top. Nora and I have been sick for the past 2 weeks, so it's been rare that we are both bathed and in cute clothes. (and the bed made)

She's a good little buddy to have around. Here's to taking more breaks :)

7 month video

2011-07-05T23:21:00.000-07:00

She melts my heart

Teenage Baby

2011-07-05T18:25:00.000-07:00

She's very dramatic, she flirts, she bats her big brown eyes, gets her way, doesn't clean her room, and growls at her parents. She seriously growls.

Teenage Baby.

Although these things are very cute, funny, often overlooked, and almost welcomed for our entertainment... I think we've got bigger problems on our hands if we let her continue this teenage baby behavior. She's got us right where she wants us....

3 cheers for July

2011-07-01T19:12:00.000-07:00

July is my favorite month!

4th- BBQs, swimming, friends&family, fireworks!! my favorite holiday.

7th- Rj (my brother) will have been on his mission a whole year. 1 more to go.

10th- my birthday (I'm not ashamed to admit that I love getting pampered)

13-16th- sun valley getaway.

17th- our 2 year wedding anniversary.

Can't believe it's the first of July already. I'm not sure where June has gone, but I gladly welcome my favorite month.

So far this summer Nora loves swimming with Grandma, playing with her cousins, going on walks outside, eating cantaloupe and ice cream (again thank you to grandma), and she loves not having to wear pants. I don't think anybody realizes how much I love being a mom. Truly the best thing.

What the heck mom

2011-06-28T23:23:00.000-07:00

I think I'm a pretty darn good baby for you mom. I do what I'm told. I eat my veggies. I listen to daddy sing in the shower. I entertain you and all your friends. I am quiet at church. I sleep all night long. I smile and laugh at your jokes... and I get this?

a double ear infection.
pink eye in both my eyes.
a fever of 101.3.
and to top it all off, I'm getting my bottom teeth.

What the heck mom.

I will end my rant by saying this, thank you for rocking me to sleep, giving me my drugs, letting me play in the bath tub, and buying me new treats and pajamas. (maybe this whole being sick thing isn't so bad)

Here's to you

2011-06-22T13:48:00.000-07:00

From the moment I met you, I knew you were fun, energetic, so attractive, and made me weak at the knees. Weeks went by, months went by, and I learned that you were caring, sensitive, sweet, funny, and we learned we were in love with each other. More months went by and I learned about your work ethic, your hobbies, your talents, your dreams, and your great perspective on life. I have been so lucky to know you, to be your partner, and your wife. From this moment, you have not lost any of the characteristics that I fell in love with, you just keep adding to the list of reasons why I love you. You are a great provider, protector, father, and husband. I could not be more happy about the person I chose to be with forever. I could not be more pleased about the person I chose to be the father of our children. Happy Father's Day! [it's everyday]

summer mommy must haves

2011-06-16T12:52:00.000-07:00

[Walmart]
[a little more than I like to spend on lotion, but it beats the tanning bed. Plus, firming lotion is always nice after having a baby. My first summer trying this stuff and I am loving it]

[Forever21]
[Nora really likes to pull on my hair now, plus the weather is starting to heat up, so naturally I like my hair up. Also, I am in the process of growing my bangs out, but normal headbands usually give me headaches. These stretchy lace headbands are so comfortable and pretty. Great for keeping my hair back for pool time too.] also sold in red, brown, pink, and blue.

[Forever21]
[I just thought these were cute]

[Target]
[basic white or brown sandals.. I love these!]
[Pacsun]
[a pair of cute 'one of a kind' sandals that can go with any outfit are a must]
[Layne picked these out for me! He has such good taste in shoes]
[buy one pair get one 50% off]

[Target]
[a pretty scoop neck or boyfriend T-shirt in every color you like]
[I love these 2 tees. Easy to accessorize with]

[Target]
[I love this sundress. I wear it as a swimsuit cover up, or with a black scoop neck tee and 'short' leggings.]

[We could not be more thrilled that summer is finally here]

morning noon & night

2011-06-12T00:20:00.000-07:00

Here are some bits and pieces as to what goes on around our household on an average day.
[minus the pictures of our outings to Target, changing diapers, eating, and trips to Grandma's house]

Welcome to "morning noon & night with Nora".

[ bath time]

[rolling around, trying to crawl, and playing games]

[if only you loved wearing your headband as much as you enjoy munching on it]

[ not thrilled about nap time]

[eventually gave in, mom's know best]

[helping mommy make dinner]

[ pushups with daddy before his basketball game]

I can't think of a better way to spend my day. I LOVE being your mom Nora.

[youtube finally let me embed Nora's 6 month video] enjoy!

L.D.B Bowling Extravaganza

2011-05-29T09:03:00.001-07:00

L.D.B? Legg. Denison. Boyle.

It was the Denison's 1 year wedding anniversary yesterday, and we wanted to celebrate in style. There's nothing more fun than a night at the 20th century bowling lanes.

Game 1

Princess Peach [Karalee] 75
Hollywood [Austin] 121
L Bizzy [Layne] 139
Wonder Woman [Rachel] 106
Kimbo Slice [Kim] 108
Snakey Jakey [Jake] 140

we were all very impressed that Kim, who is pregnant mind you, took the lead of the girls.
Jake was super proud of himself for beating Layne by 1 point.
Karalee said she was much better at Wii bowling :)
This is the 1st game of bowling that Layne has beaten me... seriously.

Game 2
I thought everyone was in for the second round. Turns out it was me against the guys.
Feast your eyes upon the score board.

Hollywood [Austin] 111
L Bizzy [Layne] 137
Wonder Woman [Rachel] 168
Snakey Jakey [Jake] 124

The boys all blamed their low scores on the cosmic lights that turned on during the game.

I'm not one to brag about myself... but you thought I was kidding when I said Layne has only beaten me once...

This is my yay I got a turkey face :) since I didn't know how to make a turkey gobble noise.

family date night at home

2011-05-28T10:31:00.000-07:00

I usually am one who wants to get out of the house, especially on a Friday night. Even if it's to go to walmart to get diapers and new sippy cups. Due to the rainy weather, this particular time of the month, and wanting to be in my comfies, we decided to have a fun family night at the house. It was a nice change of pace.

Welcome to our fun evening

[we ate dolled up hamburgers, sweet corn, and grapes]

[Nora]

[Layne]

[Rachel]

[Mona]

[we love this face]

[yes we set up the tripod to take a picture of us picking a red box]
we picked Fair Game. It ended up being a serious movie, not the mood we were in, but hey it was $1.06.. much better than $20.

Our movie treats [RED mike & ikes, milk duds, good & fruity, cookies]
I always pick out the red and pink mike & ikes, so I was pleased to find a whole box full of just raspberry, cherry, strawberry, fruit punch, and watermelon ones.

[can't wear this to the real movies..]

When we were dating and engaged, it was fun to go on extravagant dates, dress up, he'd pick me up at 7, and he'd take me home at midnight. We hated saying goodbye to each other, so on our date we would always talk about how fun it would be to be able to go home together, put on jammies, watch movies, and fall asleep next to each other, and one day hang out with our kiddos at home.

That time is now here, and it is fun finally living our dream :)

Dinner and a show

2011-05-27T09:23:00.000-07:00

Layne and I went on a DATE last weekend without our little babe-ster [Nora]. It was lovely. peaceful. and oh so fun.
Nothing is better than eating out, ordering something besides water [you know you're livin' it up if you order a drink], and relaxing at the movies with your honey bunches.

[my hot date]

[his hot date]

chili's M'm M'm good... wait? that's campbell's soup. right? what's chili's slogan?

[he loves Dr. pepper]

[I love strawberry lemonade]

[he ordered hot wings]

[I ordered grilled chicken pasta/ garlic bread]

Water for Elephants was surprisingly great! I hadn't heard much about it, but we both enjoyed it.
I especially loved the fact that "edward's" name is "Jacob" in this film.

Thank you Grandma and Grandpa for letting us have a night out :)

ok ok..We can't leave out Nora.....

She loves helping out with the chores around the house... we take full advantage, since she won't always think mowing the lawn and doing house work is the cool thing to do.
we love her kajillions [a lot of millions]

Here's to a good weekend! maybe we'll get lucky and throw in another date.

sentimental afternoon with Nora

2011-05-19T21:42:00.000-07:00

I loved you from the very start,
You stole my breath, embraced my heart.
Our life together has just begun,
You're part of me my little one.

As mother with child, each day I grew,
My mind was filled with thoughts of you.
I'd daydream of the things we'd share,
Like late-night bottles and teddy bears.
Like first steps and skinned knees,
Like bedtime stories and ABC's.

I thought of things you'd want to know,
Like how birds fly and flowers grow.

I thought of lessons I'd need to share,
Like standing tall and playing fair.

When I first saw your precious face,
I prayed your life be touched with grace.
I thanked the angels from above,
And promised you unending love.

Each night I lay you down to sleep,
I gently kiss your head and cheek.
I count your little fingers and toes;
I memorize your eyes and nose.

I linger at your nursery door,
And each day I love you more.
Through misty eyes, I dim the light,
I whisper "I Love You" every night.

I loved you from the very start,
You stole my breath, embraced my heart.
As mother and child our journey's begun,
My heart's yours forever, my little one.

In my arms

2011-05-08T22:14:00.000-07:00

The pain, the anxiety, the excitement, the support from my sister and mother in law, the comfort of my dear mother and father, the tenderness of my sweet little sister, the gentleness of my loving and very attractive husband, pushing, crazy snow storm, being worried that my Dr. wouldn't make it in time, my epidural not working...finally at 10:10 pm on November 30th, 2010 was the moment that made the past 9 months all worth it.

This Mother's day, my husband gave me the greatest gift, the gift to relive the exact moment that I became a mother.

Enjoy, and grab some tissues..

BabyNoraHD from B Roll Production Company on Vimeo.

Happy Mother's Day!

2011-05-06T10:12:00.000-07:00

A real woman always keeps her house clean and organized, the laundry basket is always empty. She is always well dressed, hair done. She never swears and behaves gracefully in all situations and under all circumstances. She has more than enough patience to take care of her family, and has a smile on her lips, and a kind word for everyone.

according to this...Anybody else feeling like a man lately?

going to go put on lipstick and clean my house now...

sound of sunshine

2011-05-04T13:36:00.000-07:00

Summer has never sounded sweeter! except for one thing.. I'm not prepared. Need some help picking a swimsuit :)

DownEast Basics has a great selection this year.

These are my "Beautiful&unaffordable" options. Who knew one pieces could be so pretty? Anthropologie, the store that makes me a dreamer.

(absolutely love this one above)

Oh... and in case anyone is wondering. Nora is all set :) She's going to love the pool.

She pours a daydream in her cup

2011-05-03T10:25:00.000-07:00

My sweet baby girl is 5 months old. She wants to run, jump, and play like a big girl. I'm sure she feels like nobody knows what her dreams are, but this mama does. She is constantly moving, grabbing our food, and cries when we aren't on the go... she's tired of being a baby which means she will probably crawl before i want her to. My parents would always tell me to stop growing up and I would never understand why they would say that... Now I get it.

April 1: You take out your binky by yourself all the time.. you make yourself so mad.

April 2: I took you to a baby shower today, you don't seem to like big crowds of people you don't recognize.

April 3: A year ago today is when we found out we were pregnant with you.

April 4: The Dr. said you aren't gaining enough weight, so I am feeding you 4 ounces of formula after I nurse you.

April 5: You are laughing a lot more now. You are a very happy girl.

April 6: You hardly cry when you are on your tummy. Saying you like it might be pushing it though.

April 7: You seem to be ok with just laying in your crib. You don't cry the second you wake up.

April 8: You love hanging out in Mommy and Daddy's bed before bed time.

April 9: You rolled over a couple more times today.

April 10: You laugh, coo, and make noise all day. I am excited to hear what your little voice is going to sound like.

April 11: You love when I show you pictures from my phone and videos on the camera.. maybe you just like how bright it is, or maybe you recognize yourself... who knows.

April 12: You notice things on the floor and roll on your side to pick it up.

April 13: You are hungry and growing!!!

April 14: You are constantly moving and looking around.

April 15: You have lots to say.. making cute noises ALL day :) I love it.

April 16: You pretty much hold your own bottle

April 17: You are so good at holding things and putting them in your mouth.

April 18: You smile at daddy and me all the time.

April 19: You recognize when I am about to feed you. You fake cry until I get you in nursing position, or until you see your bottle.

April 20: You love looking at things that are behind you. You tilt your head back just so you can see.

April 21: When I hold you at the dinner table, your eyes follow my fork all the way from my plate to my mouth.. hoping I drop some food.

April 22: Cousin Naomi was born today. We went to the hospital to see her. You looked so big compared to her.

April 23: You went on your first Easter egg hunt today. You loved being outside. You wanted to eat "your" suckers.

April 24: 1st Easter.. You loved playing with all your cousins.

April 25: yeah... your socks never stay on your feet. Good thing it's almost summer.

April 26: You love laying on our bed while I blow dry my hair.

April 27: We bought you lots of new spring and summer clothes. (size 9 months)

April 28: After I nurse you, you cry until you see that I'm making you a bottle. You are so smart.

April 29: You never relax when you are on your back. You are always trying to sit up.

April 30: We fed you squash for the 1st time. You LOVED it! You have enjoyed the rice and oatmeal, but not nearly as much as the squash.

May 1: We walked to the park today. You really like being outside.

May 2: You love visiting Daddy at work.

May 3: You seem very sleepy today... must be growing.

Nora, I am having so much fun being your mom! I am so thankful that I get to stay at home with you and watch you learn and grow and change everyday.

e a s t e r

2011-04-27T20:49:00.000-07:00

As a child, Easter was probably my favorite holiday. A new Easter dress, chocolates, toe nail polish, and a new pair of jelly shoes were sure to be what I found in my Easter basket. My mom would always do my hair so pretty, and I loved going to my grandparent's house after church for an egg hunt with all my cousins. Easter was magical. I loved everything about it.

Let me fill you in on a little secret though.. I believed in the Easter Bunny, for a very long time. I am the oldest child. I don't have an older sibling to help me out with these things.. my parents clearly wanted to keep me a child all through middle school... Yes, I said middle school.

Anyway, back to why I love Easter. The night before easter, last year, Layne and I found out that we were pregnant. We couldn't wait to tell our families, so we told them on Easter. Everyone was so excited for us.

After we told our families the news!!
(we look young and well rested, but not nearly as happy as we are now that Nora is here) :)

We posted a note on these chocolate bunnies that said, Happy Easter Grandma/ Grandpa see you in 9 months.
It blows my mind that this was last year.. truly seems like yesterday.

Now onto this year's festivities... with a 5 month old, instead of a peanut shaped fetus.

Aunt Karen has always enjoyed making our Easter egg hunts. It's more like a scavenger hunt. Everyone sticks together, reads the clues that leads to the next bag of goodies, and everyone has a surprise in the bag with the next clue. As kids, the older cousins would have to drive from place to place. It used to take us 2 hours or so. It's pretty awesome! I'm kinda sad i'm a grown up now, but luckily Nora can't eat candy yet..

Just because she can't, doesn't mean she doesn't want to. She is very much interested in human food lately.

I love watching Layne and Nora playing with each other. He loves her so much... boys out there, good luck trying to date our daughter.

The Boyles invited my family over for Easter dinner. We all have a great time together!

My beautiful Mother and Sister :)

My dad with Nora. I can always see the "Rouse" in Nora when my dad holds her.

I'm beginning to notice how similar charli and Nora look.

Nora is no longer the baby of the Boyle family. Welcome Baby Naomi.

What a difference it was from last Easter to this year.. I can't help but think that next year we will have an official Easter egg hunter on our hands. And maybe another baby announcement.. who knows

Can't say I didn't warn you...

2011-04-25T21:47:00.000-07:00

Sometimes I wonder what's on this little girl's mind. I think when she talks to me, she is giving subtle hints and clues into the future.

"mom, I'm going to crawl so fast and you'll never catch me. It's going to be so funny." "mom, I'm going to knock all the movies off the shelf, watch you pick them up and do it again." "mom, I'm going to kick so fast and hard, you'll never be able to put my pants on."

or maybe.. she's thinking "mom, I can't wait to make you breakfast in bed." "mom, I'm going to potty train myself." "mom, why don't you and dad go on a date, I'll keep an eye on the place."

She's got a hidden agenda and a paper link chain counting down the days until she can crawl... I Just know it.

Bring it on little girl.... bring it

a peek into our week

2011-04-09T17:49:00.000-07:00

it's time for a little bedroom facelift

2011-04-03T00:29:00.000-07:00

Now that i have 4 months of motherhood under my belt, I feel like my brain can start focusing on the things that I have previously loved doing. You really don't have to give up everything you have a passion for when you become a mom. (I never thought that way) But it's nice to know it's true :) I'm feeling like my creative juices are coming back. Our bedroom is in need of some little adjustments.. here's what I have in mind.

This will all match perfectly with the bedspread and furniture we already have. I'm pretty much wanting to start now while Nora and Layne are sleeping.

When I was little I always wanted to be a news anchor, then a nurse, then a music teacher, now that I'm a wife and a mom I feel like I'm finally true to myself. I know what I really have a passion for... my new dream job? (besides a mom of course) spend other people's money and decorate their house. I lose sleep over how I can redo my house sometimes.. it's nuts. I'm a true interior design junkie (actually) wannabe might be a better word.

Things are getting a little crazy around here

2011-04-01T14:13:00.000-07:00

I'm pretty sure I'm having too much fun being a mom!

4 months old

2011-03-30T11:06:00.000-07:00

March 2: You are seriously holding your head up now!

March 3: We put you in the bouncer at Grandma Bev's and you loved it, but then Charli and Logan remembered how much they loved it and tried to get in it with you.

March 4: We played cards with Grandma and Grandma and Aunt Erica tonight. You helped Grandpa by holding his cards and eating them and showing them to us.

March 5: You are starting to be more aware of your hands. You prefer to suck on your fingers. You are bored of your binky.

March 6: You bore your testimony with dad at church today. You loved being in front of everybody.

March 7: You prefer walking around when you are being held. You start to cry the second we sit down.

March 8: Your cry is getting a lot more loud and high pitched. It's so adorable.

March 9: You're able to hold your head up ALL the time now.

March 10: You are showing your little personality a lot more. Smiling and cooing all day.

March 11: You have such strong legs. You like to stand up.

March 12: You woke up really sick. You have a bad stuffy nose and a bad cough.

March 13: While mommy was reading you a book you were cooing the whole time.

March 14: You have started to roll over on your side when I change your diaper, which is making it difficult.

March 15: You like to sleep with one hand on your head and the other hand on your elbow.

March 16: You like looking at things and trying to grab them with your hands.

March 17: When we hold your binky kind of far away from your face, you grunt and reach your head forward to grab the binky with your mouth.

March 18: It's so fun to see you be proud of yourself. Every time you kick something or move by yourself you get the biggest smile.

March 19: Your neck, legs, and back are so strong. You can stand up when we hold your hands.

March 20: You love your bedtime. You smile so big when I lay you down in your crib.

March 21: I love watching you recognize people.

March 22: you semi-rolled over today. You were all the way on your stomach, but your little hand was still not all the way out.

March 23: Oops.. I got the days mixed up. You actually semi-rolled over today. (I forget what happened yesterday)

March 24: You grab your ear now when you eat.

March 25: You used to only drink a 5 oz. bottle when we go out, but I think you need a bigger one. You get fussy when it's gone.

March 26: You hate having blankets on your legs, unless you are extremely tired.. otherwise you just kick them off.

March 27: You like to do sit ups now. You are trying so hard to sit up all the way.

March 28: You love phones, computers, and the tv.. anything with a bright screen.

March 29: When you sleep, You like to hold your blanket up to your face. it's so sweet.

March 30: You are 4 months old today. I can't hardly believe it. You like to watch American Idol.

Maternal Ramblings: My pretty Nora

2011-03-18T17:15:00.000-07:00

I am afraid Layne and I are in trouble... Look at those big brown eyes! Hopefully we'll have all boys from here on out. My girl needs a bunch of body guards. BUT then again.. Nora is going to have pretty friends, so maybe I shouldn't wish for all boys. OH GREAT!

My little 3 month old

2011-03-01T22:48:00.000-08:00

January 21:  Your favorite place to be is the bath.

January 22:  You hate having your arms tucked under your blanket.

January 23: You slept all through church + 1 hour after.. And you slept 6 hours at bedtime.

January 24: We spent the day at the Dr. Office and Grandma's house because mommy has mastitis

January 25: Your smiles make mommy so happy!

January 26: You've been having a fun time at Grandma and Grandpas while daddy is out of town. You like when Grandpa rocks you to sleep.

January 27: We went to your 1st basketball game at Centennial. It was pretty crazy for mommy to walk around her High School with her own daughter.

January 28: You slept from 12:30 am to 6:30

January 29: I'm pretty sure you had your first "real" laugh today. it happened while mommy was trying on shirts that weren't fitting.. rude :)

January 30: you sleep so well at night! I feel lucky.

January 31: We spent the night watching movies on the couch while daddy was working on an important video for work. I love my little cuddle buddy.

February 1: We got to hang out at daddy's office today. You like looking at new surroundings.

February 2: You get so mad when mommy talks while feeding you. It's so funny. You scrunch your nose and punch your cute little fists.

February 3: You had your 2 month check up today. You weigh 9 lbs 7 oz.. 24 3/4" long.. HC is 143/4 ". You also got your first set of shots. You were a very tough girl.

February 4: YAY! you don't need the hair dryer noise to go to sleep anymore.

February 5: Happy Birthday Daddy!! We had fun spending all day with daddy and having a fun party at Grandma Bev's.

February 6: Today was your blessing day. You wore the dress that mommy and Aunt Erica were blessed in. Daddy gave you the most beautiful blessing. I will forever remember this day.

February 7: I love when you want to hang out with mommy instead of going to bed..(sometimes) We spent the evening watching Grey's Anatomy and eating popsicles. fun girls night.

February 8: We took you to the mall for the 1st time. We used your new stroller. You loved it.

February 9: Daddy went to Portland for a business trip today. We get to spend the rest of the week at Grandma's house. We taught you how to splash in the bath tub.

February 10: You woke up with a really bad stuffy nose. I hate seeing you sick.

February 11: You love hanging out with Grandma when Mommy has to go to the store.

February 12: We helped Aunt Erica get ready for a dance today. We went to the hair salon and all the girls thought you were the prettiest baby.

February 13: Daddy got home from Portland tonight. He woke you up because he missed you so much. You smiled at him so big! it made him so happy.

February 14: Happy Valentine's Day baby girl! We had a fun sleep over in the living room. I'm so glad you are not a picky sleeper.

February 15: I spent most of the day just watching you. You have the prettiest little smile. I am so grateful for your sweet little spirit.

February 16: This morning when I went to get you from your crib.. You had kicked all the blankets off of you and you were completely turned sideways.

February 17: You are starting to laugh on and off. It's not very consistent yet, but it's so darn cute.

February 18: You love to listen to music! you kept moving and cooing.

February 19: You were laughing for like 3 minutes today. Once daddy grabbed the video camera you stopped.

February 20: I painted your toenails hot pink. They look so cute! You would not hold still I might add.

February 21: I'm starting to realize that you're out of the newborn stage. I'm missing it, but very much looking forward to all the upcoming stages.

February 22: What the heck! you fit into your 6 month jammies. You're growing so fast. Maybe that's why you slept 9 1/2 hours last night.

February 23: We practiced rolling over today. You can't do it on your own, but you had fun practicing.

February 24: We found out that when daddy beat boxes you stop crying. It is so funny.

February 25:You love it when we blow air onto your face. You take a cute gasp of air and smile.

February 26: You love playing with all your cousins. They all smother you with kisses.

February 27: You started noticing the other babies in relief society today and smiling at them.

February 28: You were entertaining yourself and making yourself laugh today while you were playing on your play mat.

March 1: You LOVE your daddy! You were crying for about 30 minutes before he came home. I couldn't get you to stop crying, but when daddy walked into the house you stopped.

If daddy wasn't so busy he'd make you video masterpieces.. but for now you're stuck with mine :)

Maternal Ramblings: missing the newborn stage

2011-02-14T13:11:00.000-08:00

Seriously.. My little Nora is wearing 6 month pajamas and she's a little less than 3 months old. Are they too long? NO, they fit her perfectly.. I guess her Dr. wasn't lying when he said she's 97th percentile for height. My oh my how fast they grow and how quickly they change.

It's already hard to remember what she was like as a newborn. I've already forgotten about the 2 am feedings, the quivering lip cry, fitting on my lap when she's all stretched out, being so excited about her first real smile.. I know that there's a lot more that I get to look forward to.. but I can't help but miss the newborn stage.

But.. I will admit that motherhood becomes a lot more rewarding when she smiles first thing in the morning when she sees me, when she laughs at my dumb dance moves, when her eyes follow my every move, when she sits up and watches tv or a movie with Layne and I, knowing that the bathtub is her favorite place to be because her face lights up the second her toes touch the water.

I am loving being a mother to this beautiful baby girl. She makes me so happy, even when I thought I couldn't be any happier. Her smile lights up the world. How could someone not believe in God after looking at a beautiful baby? She is so unaffected by the world and I wish so badly that I could keep it that way. Her eyes are so bright and clear. She has no sorrows besides an uncomfortable poopy diaper. She is my little angel.. my happy little monkey.

Sweet girl.. I LOVE being your mom!

Happy Birthday

2011-02-09T21:01:00.000-08:00

Layne's birthday was on the 5th.. so this is a late shout out, but I couldn't miss the opportunity to show off his baby pictures. Have you ever seen such a cute boy?

I am in love, happy, and feel so lucky to have Layne in my life! He's a wonderful husband and the world's greatest dad!

2 Months

2011-01-20T08:02:00.000-08:00

ok so she's 10 days shy of 2 months and I'm not trying to speed her life up, but I made her 2 month video and couldn't wait to share it :)

I have enjoyed documenting her every movement, sound, funny face, the good times, and the tired mommy times. Yes, I am doing this for me to look back on as she grows into a little lady, but I have someone very special to me that is missing out on all this little cuteness that is going on.

I'm documenting her life for this guy.. only the best brother in the world

He is on his mission in Arizona, which is exactly where I want him to be, but I can't help it... I totally wish I could see him with my little girl. Due to my documentation, he won't "miss" a beat.

January 4th: We set up your new play mat with dangling toys for you to grab and hit.. you're not really into it yet.

January 5th: You woke up this morning with a terrible stuffy nose. Poor baby girl. The only good thing about it, is you are extra cuddly.

January 6th: You're feeling much better today. Thank goodness. You look bigger today. Your headband that I've been waiting for you to fit into is now too tight. You're growing way too fast little missy.

January 7th: Mommy was sick today, so we spent the day sleeping and watching movies.

January 8th: Mom and dad went on their first date without taking you. Grandma enjoyed watching you. It was so fun coming home to you. We love having you in our family.

January 9th: We got to show you off and church again today. Everyone mentioned how big and beautiful you are. We spent the evening at Grandma Bev's. Your cousin Livia said she wants to be your best friend and play with you forever. All of your cousins adore you.

January 10th: You have officially grown out of some of your clothes. I am anxious for your next Dr. visit to see how much you weigh and how long you are.

January 11th: You were up ALL night. You didn't sleep from midnight to 6 in the morning. Not fun. Good thing you are cute and I love you.

January 12th: Yay! you're back to being a good little sleeper. You had me worried yesterday.

January 13th: We spent the night at Grandma's house because daddy is out of town. You had a rough night.

January 14th: You have been smiling so much today. AND you can roll from your back to your side. You are so close to rolling onto your tummy.

January 15th: You spit up all over aunt Erica's hair. she was not very happy with you, but Grandma thought it was funny.

January 16th: You wore a new dress to church today. You kept smiling at all the girls in relief society. They all wanted to take you home.

January 17th: We are trying to have you sleep in your big girl crib tonight. We'll see how it goes.

January 18th: You're not really a huge fan of sleeping in your crib.. and you've started to not enjoy breastfeeding at night. I'll get you on a better night time routine.

January 19th: You love getting a bath at bed time. You love cuddling with mommy and listening to music as you fall asleep.

January 20th: You slept in your crib last night and you were not fussy about it!! YAY

2011-01-07T15:01:00.000-08:00

Starting a new year is always so refreshing. I've got a lot of things to look forward to. Here's to a new year, a new beginning, 2011.. I welcome you.

watch them grow

2011-01-04T00:22:00.000-08:00

My little Nora Noel...one of the most beautiful miracles in life,
one of the greatest joys I will ever know, and one of the reasons why
there is a little extra sunshine, laughter and happiness
in my world today.

I made a little video of my baby girl's first month. It's no B Roll production, but it'll do.

My sister in law, Erin gave me this awesome baby journal. It's called Mom's One Line A Day. Each day for five years you write a cute memory of your baby.. Here are my entries.

December 13: Today was your due date. I am so glad you decided to come 2 weeks early. You got your first bath today. Grandma Lori was so excited to give you your first bath. you LOVED it.

December 14th: You weigh 6 pounds and 13 ounces today. Your head grew a 1/4 of an inch and your legs grew a 1/4 of an inch.

December 15th: I rubbed your feet for 20 minutes this morning. You got so relaxed. I love that you have daddy's toes.

December 16th: Today you had your newborn pictures taken from Aunt Melissa. You are changing and growing up so fast. I'm so glad we captured all your little beautiful features.

December 17th: You love getting your feet rubbed. Grandpa Rouse was rubbing your feet, and when he would stop you would stick your leg up so he would keep rubbing. We also put you in Grandpa's stocking.

December 18th: Tonight, Daddy and I took you on our date. We went to Costa Vida for dinner. It's fun finally taking you places and feeling like a family. You are such a good baby.

December 19th: Today was your first Sunday at church. Everybody thought you were so beautiful. You slept the whole time. I love showing you off.

December 20th: Today I held up a toy above your head and you grabbed it. You are so active and smart. You are going to be holding your head up and crawling in no time.

December 21st:Today you only took 1 nap. I think you are starting to recognize daytime vs. night.. which is really good for mommy :)

December 22nd: Today you watched your very first BSU football game, but your BSU clothes are still too big.

December 23rd: You are more awake during the day. You smile more and are easily distracted when you eat. You slept 5 hours last night.

December 24th: Today was your first time around a lot of your cousins. They all love you so much. Charli threw an ornament at your nose.. you are such a touch little girl.

December 25th: Very first Christmas! You looked so cute in your new Christmas boots and hat that daddy made for you. You loved talking to Uncle R.J. on the phone.

December 26th: Today Daddy gave you a bath for church and you peed all over him. You looked so cute in your new church dress.

December 27th: You had a Dr. appointment today for your 1 month check up. You weigh 7 pounds and 11 ounces. You are 22 inches long and your head is 14 inches. You are healthy and growing perfectly.

December 28th: You met a lot of daddy's high school friends tonight at a party and they all LOVE you. You're such a cute, sweet, and happy baby.

December 29th:you have started pulling my hair and hitting me when you are hungry.. it's quite funny.

December 30th: you have been born for a whole month. I can't believe how fast it has gone. Aunt Erica took some 1 month pictures of you. I love all your tiny features.

December 31st: it was your 1st new year's eve party tonight. I always have fun showing you off. I am excited to watch you grow and learn in 2011. I love you baby girl.

January 1st 2011: Happy new year. I had a wonderful day with you. We went to Nicole Rudd's bridal shower, visited daddy at work, and took a nap on the couch. I love spending time with you.

January 2nd: Daddy, you, and I spent the whole day together. It was so much fun. we love you more than you'll ever know. you are starting to smile for real.. not just "fart" smiles.

January 3rd: you are a night owl just like your mom and dad.

2010

2011-01-01T15:37:00.000-08:00

2010 You have been good to us!

10:10

2010-12-09T10:50:00.001-08:00

Christmas came early for us this year! Nora Noel Boyle came into this world on November 30th.

It is a day that I will never forget.

It all started the night before.. I was having contractions that were consistently 10 minutes apart all night long. I kept squeezing Layne's hand every time it happened. My Doctor told me not to go to the hospital until they were 3-5 minutes apart. It was a very long night. Not only because the contractions were not coming in shorter intervals, but because just the week before, at my Dr. appointment, she told me that I was for sure not going to have an early delivery... So while I was laying in bed cramping up every 10 minutes I was thinking "I cannot handle this for 2 more weeks" The next morning finally arrived and I did not have contractions all morning until 1:00pm.

They were still 10 minutes apart. I had a Dr. appointment later that day at 2:20, so I figured I could just ask her what was going on. From 1:00-2:00 my contractions had gone down to 8 minutes apart. I drove myself to my Dr. appointment and I'm sure I had people looking in my window wondering what bad food I ate that was making me look like I had to poo. It was snowing a little, traffic was slow, and I was in a hurry!

I'm known to be late everywhere we go.. so I'm usually late to my Dr. appointments, which means I am in the waiting room 30 more minutes than I should be. I can't complain though because it's my fault.. but I did not want this to happen today! I needed to know if baby was coming, or if this was normal and I had to live with these contractions for two more weeks.

I was hoping that she would tell me the baby was coming, but at the same time that terrified me. The only thing I had been worried about the whole pregnancy was delivery day. I have never been terrified to be a mom.. I have always been terrified of pain. I arrived at my appointment just at the right time. I only had to wait 5 minutes in the waiting room. The Doctor came in and she could tell I had a worried look on my face.

No small talk, we just got down to business. She checked to see how far I was dilated and then she had a worried look on her face and said she'd be right back. She came back in with an ultrasound cart and said she thinks the baby's feet are down, not the head.. I SOOO did not want a c-section. I prayed and prayed that this was a mistake.. sure enough it was false.

She said that the baby's head is down, but it's sideways. My doctor thought that what she felt was a baby's bottom, but really it was just her cheek :) whew! We went on with the appointment and my Doctor said "If I don't see you tonight, I'll for sure see you by the end of this week." I couldn't believe it! I didn't want to get my hopes up that I could have a baby by the end of the night, but now it was exciting, now it was real, could I really be a mother tonight?

So much was rushing through my head. I called Layne and told him the news. He was SO happy! he still had a few things to do at the office, but he said to call him if my contractions were 3-5 minutes apart. I drove home and NOTHING was happening. I had no contractions on the 25 minute drive home. I was starting to think it wasn't going to happen. I got everyone excited for nothing.

I got home and I felt one.. 10 minutes later another one.. then 8 minutes.. then 10.. then consistently 8 minutes for awhile.. then 5. I was freaking out!!! I called my mom and told her to come help me pack my bag. In her head she was thinking this was probably false labor. She had been at jury duty all day and so she didn't know anything that happened at my Dr. appointment earlier that day.

She said she had a few things to do at home, and then she'd be right over. 5 minute contractions turned back into 8 and then 10. This was so frustrating!! Finally my contractions were consistently 5 minutes apart for an hour. My mom and sister came over, helped me pack my bags, rubbed my back during contractions, and cleaned the kitchen for me.

I hadn't been outside since my Dr. appointment, so I had NO idea that it was snowing a ton outside. I called Layne and told him he needed to hurry home. I was not going to the hospital without him. I waited for him.. contractions turned into 3 minutes apart and then 2 minutes. Layne was 2 minutes from our house and I was going to wait for him. He finally got home and we rushed to the hospital.

WOW it was snowing so much. I couldn't remember a time that I had seen so much snow in Boise before. Layne was so sweet during the drive. He was so excited. He kept telling me to soak everything in. He wanted me to remember everything. I could only think of 3 things.. 1)I hate chinden road.. it lasts forever!! but this night it especially lasted forever. 2)Wow I'm going to be a mother tonight, hopefully tonight. 3)How did I get so lucky to have an amazing, caring, gentle husband. Layne is so sweet, but please stop rubbing my leg!!

My contractions had gone down to 1 MINUTE apart. I hoped that Layne did not have to deliver this baby in our car. Layne is usually a fast driver. He likes to find short cuts and safely cut in front of cars just so he can get to his destination quicker, it's like a game to him.. he picked the wrong night to drive smooth and steady and slow. I guess the snow kind of played a huge factor in that, but still, this drive seemed endless.

If someone has a blinker on towards the hospital and it looks like they're in a hurry.. you should let them go!! car after car kept driving by.. we couldn't pull into the darn hospital for what seemed like far too long. I was tempted to get out and waddle to the front door.. that would have been a bad idea, but most temptations are.

we pulled in, left the car for valet parking, Layne got me a wheel chair and we were off. Layne was pushing me so fast that I don't think he realized the revolving doors were actually revolving.. My wheel chair wheel almost got clipped. Of course I couldn't talk in between contractions, so I just went with it.

The guy at the front desk was a real treat.. he was on the phone, looked like he was having a casual conversation with his grandma, he looked at me and then back at the spot on the wall he was previously staring at.. WOW come on. I knew I for sure did not look calm, I don't normally breathe hard and hold my stomach. Some guy saw that we were wanting some help and told us where to go. (thank you guy)

We found registration.. signed papers.. and went into the room where they check contractions, dilation, baby's heart beat, blood pressure.. all that stuff. I finally was able to calm down, talk to Layne, watch the severity of my contractions on the graph. Layne loved being able to watch the contractions and feel my hand squeezing his at the same time. He would tell me when a big one was coming.. I quickly told him "please don't do that."

When all the check up stuff was done we went into the delivery room. I could not believe I was finally in the delivery room. 9 months seemed so long at times, but the moment I sat on the delivery bed it was like 9 months flew by.

I was so excited to get the epidural.. these contractions were killing me. Epidural man came in.. did his stuff and left. Layne was amazed at the size of the needle. Glad I didn't see it. Layne helped me get through contractions until the epidural kicked in.

The epidural definitely helped ease the pain of the contractions, but I was worried because I could still feel my legs (they weren't even a little bit numb) I could still feel some of the contractions. Were all these women that told me epidurals were amazing lying to me? I was nervous.

A little bit of time went by and I felt like I needed to push! seriously push! my nurse told me to have a few trial pushes. She didn't think that the baby was coming anytime soon.. I could see the look on her face change.

Baby was coming, but my Dr. was still either in another delivery room, or stuck in the snow. I don't remember. My nurse kept paging my dr to come quick. Not only could I feel everything, but my Dr. was not in the room. I was worried no one was going to be able to catch my baby. ok, I was being dramatic.

I knew I needed to stay focused, I needed to have a goal. I looked at the clock. It was 9:50pm. I was born at 10:10 pm, so that was my goal for this baby. How cool would it be if we were both born at 10:10pm. I stayed focused, but only with the help of Layne. I was so amazed at how much easier he made things. He was so amazing.

There were a few times when I wanted to give up, but I couldn't. I was in this for good now. My focal point was a light on the ceiling, which was probably not the best idea, but it was working.. On my last push I couldn't believe the instant gratification of hearing baby's first cry. It was a miracle. She was so beautiful. simply beautiful. I stopped to realize how truly peaceful this night became. The snow was perfect, my baby was perfect and healthy, she seemed to be so aware of her surroundings. The moment she looked at me and stopped crying was the perfect remedy to a long, hectic, stressful, painful, scary, emotional day.

at 10:10 pm my world changed forever!!

Nora Noel, you have a mom and dad that will forever show you their love. You have Grandparents that will cherish you and your every accomplishment. You have aunts and uncles that will teach you things that maybe they shouldn't, but that's what aunts and uncles are for. You have cousins that will stick up for you, stand by you, and be your friend forever. Nora, you have truly blessed all of our lives!! I'm so glad you are finally here. My heart is feeling a happiness that I never knew was possible.

Humorous Husband

2010-11-20T12:52:00.000-08:00

I love my husband for so many reasons, but this week I especially love how funny he is! I always knew I needed to marry someone who was funny, because unfortunately I am not.. so if we both sucked in that department, life would be boring. Lucky for me.. I married a comedian.

For those people lucky enough to be around him all the time know that he loves to speak in accents, make up words, do sound effects that match his actions, makes up the sweetest dance moves, every time a droid commercial comes on, he tries to sound like the robot that says "droid".. he's just one of those guys that people like to be around.

thanks melissa for these pictures

I have realized that I never want to forget the funny little quirks about Layne.. especially the little things he says that make me so excited to have a little boy just like him someday. So I'm writing them down.

Favorite one from this week:

"this popsicle is freezing my chest in half"

Oh how i love my husband. Sometimes I just wish I could live in his brain to see what it's like. It's gotta be fun in there.

23 days left

2010-11-19T08:58:00.000-08:00

Last night it hit me... it hit me hard... I'm going to be a mother. Needless to say I kind of freaked out. Not in an overly dramatic, regretting my words or actions kind of way, but a keep it in my mind freak out. My hands were clammy, face was pale, and I'm sure if I tried to speak, my voice would sound like a little boy's voice that hadn't quite reached it's full potential.

I felt paralyzed and helpless. I felt like my mind was empty, yet I was thinking of a million things. All of this was going on inside me while a family birthday party was surrounding me. Even though I was in a room full of women who have been pregnant and have most likely felt the way I was feeling, I did not want to have an emotional outbreak..

I kept my cool, ate yummy food, played games, and tried to relax... but in a house full of kids ranging from 6 months to 10 years old I couldn't help but think of all the stages my little girl is going to go through and ask myself.. am I going to know what to do when baby leaks all over grandma's carpet? Am I going to know how to handle two kiddos fighting over one toy? Am I going to know how much computer time or tv time to give her? Am I going to know what to do when she only wants to eat cake and not her dinner?

my thoughts did not stop until Layne and I got in the car to head home. Layne of course can tell when I have my thinking/ worried cap on. I told him I was scared. All he said was.. are you afraid i'm not going to be a good dad? I'm sure I looked mad at him and assured him NOOOO WAY! That thought has NEVER crossed my mind.

He's going to be the best dad! Layne is always cool, calm, collected, fun, energetic, patient, sweet, funny.. he just so happens to be perfect! Even though there are so many things that I will learn while being a mother and there are some characteristics that I will need to work on.. I know that parenting is a team effort and I have the PERFECT teammate helping me out.

I know that I'm allowed to be scared to be a mom, I don't feel bad that I had these thoughts because that's definitely NOT going to stop me from being a good mom. There is nothing that I'd rather be doing. I don't care to study abroad, or move all around the world, or do extravagant things. My goal has always been to be a good wife and mother. Once she's here and I see her pretty face I know I will do anything for her. Now the excitement has taken over the fear and I can't wait.. just 23 days, 13 hours, and 20 minutes until my due date.

New House and Baby Room

2010-11-18T08:46:00.001-08:00

I am still in the process of decorating some rooms.. I promise we have a bedroom and bathrooms.

Decorating a baby's room has been something that I've looked forward to since we found out we were pregnant. I don't like to buy things unless I know it's exactly what I am looking for.. which can sometimes make shopping a pain. BUT.. I can't believe how lucky we got with our furniture purchase(s).

Dresser: $25

I still have to finish painting the drawers.. almost done

Before

Crib: FREE

After

I still have a few final touches, but I am really excited about how it has turned out. I've got less than 30 days to get everything done.. but I doubt i'm ever going to feel fully prepared for motherhood.
My mom has definitely made motherhood something to look forward to. I am not scared to be a mom.. I might be scared of the world she'll grow up in, but I know our home will be a place of security, happiness, peace, and fun chaos.

always be thankful

2010-11-09T11:48:00.000-08:00

As Thanksgiving is quickly approaching.. I can't help but count my blessings. Not only is Thanksgiving a day to truly concentrate on what we're thankful for, be with family and friends, eat creamy mashed potatoes, hold hands, give hugs, wear your best fall outfit.. this holiday holds a very special place in my heart for many reasons.. but there is one reason that stands out above all other reasons.

Thanksgiving was the day of Layne and I's first (unofficial date). Layne had previously asked me out on our first date for the day after Thanksgiving, but I of course could not wait.

I had to work a double shift at the nursing home and wasn't getting off until 10:30 pm, but I still wanted to hang out with this mystery man. I had met him back in August, but couldn't be interested because I was dating someone at the time (secretly I totally was interested). Things didn't work out.. luckily for me, Layne was persistent!

I was dying to get to know this guy who had been asking me out every other week for 3 months. I didn't let the fact that my hair and skin smelled of nursing home and gravy stop me from seeing him that night.

I raced home after work, put on my best jeans, a button up shirt, cute shoes, freshened my makeup, tried to do my hair, gave up on straightening the pony tail kink and just put on a headband.. at this point I was thinking that maybe it would have been better to wait until I actually looked cute tomorrow.. but it was too late.

The doorbell rang. Walking down the stairs I had no idea I was about to open the door to greet someone who was going to be in my life forever. We watched Serendipity, drank hot chocolate, ate pumpkin pie, and talked until 3 in the morning. I had never met someone who made me laugh, smile, feel fearless, and feel as beautiful as he made me feel. He made me want to try and fly because nothing felt impossible. I had never met anyone who loved life as much as him. No one had ever made this kind of an impression on me. Needless to say.. I was SO looking forward to our date the next night.

It is fun to reminisce.. First date, first kiss, proposal night, wedding day, first apartment.. but I can honestly say that I SO look forward to everyday with Layne. Even with all of my insecurities that flood my head.. at the end of the day I can't help but be thankful for a husband who will forever make me laugh, smile, feel fearless, and feel like the most beautiful girl.

God gave me you

2010-10-15T09:06:00.001-07:00

I found this song on my friend Lauren's blog.. I have no idea if it's a popular song, new song, old song.. geez Rachel where have you been song, but I like it and want to share it.

I am convinced that God gave me Layne and my little baby girl. All I know about her is that she loves to kick, wiggle, dance, squirm, she loves music, and the sound of her daddy's voice. I love her and can't wait to meet her. I know she is going to be a daddy's girl and I am a-ok with that! There's just something special about a bond between a little girl and her daddy. She's going to want to be just like him! (but honestly who doesn't)
I strive to be like him every single day.

Certain is it that there is no kind of affection
so purely angelic as of a father to a daughter.
In love to our wives there is desire;
to our sons, ambition;
but to our daughters there is
something which there are no words to express.
~Joseph Addison

blue jeans

2010-10-08T09:38:00.000-07:00

I knew that when I became pregnant my pants were no longer going to fit.. of course that's expected!.. but I did not expect to be uncomfortable in my maternity jeans.. not cool! I always thought that if it said maternity on the tag, surely the people who made the item of clothing knew how to make it last throughout pregnancy. I exercise, eat rather healthy (besides my craving for a maple bar doughnut last night), my ring still fits, I don't feel like my face is getting that chubby... but when my maternity clothes are not fitting.. all of my thoughts of me still being "cute" are going down the drain. Luckily I have a loving husband who tells me I am indeed beautiful.

Also...

after reading a post on my dear friend Alyssa's blog I have decided to change my selfish way of thinking. It's up to me to be the master of my emotions. Why would I ever choose to be mad about my maternity pants not fitting? I have a growing human being inside of me!
not just any human being..

she's my little girl.

I always want to teach her to love herself for who SHE is. I know there will be times when she cries because she doesn't like her haircut, she has a zit on her face, she thinks she needs to wear makeup, or whatever little "flaw" she thinks she has.. I will think it is silly.. because I know she will be beautiful!!!

it's important to self reflect and self improve and work on goals.. but why must we be our worst critiques in how we look. We should all exercise and eat right and take care of our bodies.. but we can't change the thickness of our hair.. we shouldn't change the tan-ness of our skin.. we can't change our height, or the plumpness of our lips.. why bother worrying about it!

Sometimes we just need to try to see ourselves the way other people see us. Sometimes we just need to step away from the mirror and truly worry about things worth worrying about.. or better yet..
just choose to be happy.

30 weeks!

2010-10-05T08:09:00.000-07:00

I am going to soak in these next 10 weeks like i've never soaked in life before. I'm sure we are going to feel a measure of happiness that we never thought existed once our little girl enters the world, but we've only got 10 more weeks to be just the two of us.. We have a lot to look forward to, but doesn't it just feel good to live in the chapter you're in right now? Husband and wife.. party of two.. we'll be mom and dad in 10 weeks until the rest of our lives.. right now i'm going to enjoy me some Rachel and Layne time.

Layne.. I REALLY REALLY love you!

Art in the Park

2010-09-15T10:13:00.000-07:00

Art in the park is one of my favorite things that happens in Boise. I rarely buy anything because everything is out of my price range, but it's fun to get inspired for my own little projects.

The Crew...

R a c h e l
(I feel like I look mad or sad in this picture, but Layne thinks I look HOT!)

L a y n e

M e l i s s a

L i v i a

C h a r l i

We ate yummy/unhealthy food

We saw little dogs wearing clothes that matched their owner's clothes

We saw huge dogs fighting each other..

We saw friends

.. cute tables

..cute purses

We made paper airplanes, but I'm not good at it.

.. so livia kindly asked him to make one for her. She also asked him where he lives, where he goes to school, and she told him she liked his hair and beard.

all the shoppes were closing, so we got all of our wiggles out and headed home.

So what did I gain from Art in the Park 2010? What am I inspired to create?... I am going to try to turn my baby girl's dresser into this beauty...

Happy Birthday MOM

2010-09-11T12:42:00.000-07:00

I come from a family who loves celebrating birthdays!! We don't mess around when it comes to throwing a party. We LOVE excuses to buy presents and eat fancy dinners and act like kids for a night.

RJ is on his mission in Arizona and Erica is at a cross country meet in Coeur d'Alene.. So Layne and I were lucky enough to have a fun double birthday date with mom and dad.

We started out the evening by going to my Mom's favorite place to eat.. Lock Stock and Barrel. Nothing beats a delicious, juicy, savory steak.

Nothing makes a woman feel more beautiful and special like a new hair cut and makeup :) We love you mom!

Our second stop was to the Northgate Reel Theater. Ramona and Beezus is a must see!! I was the only one who had previously seen this movie, but I would watch it over and over. I love family feel good movies. It was funny, cute, sad, heart warming, made me so excited to be a mom, makes you want to be creative, truly makes you count your blessings, and hold the ones you love so close to you. we loved it.

After the movie we headed to Fanci Freez for dessert.

Layne had a milkshake, Dad and mom both had hot fudge sundaes, and I had a peppermint dipped ice cream cone.

It started getting cold, so we headed to the Rouse House for some games

Score Board..

We love minute to win it.. so we had to try one of the games. Stack a pyramid of cups. The base must have 8 cups and you have to stack until you make the full pyramid.. as if that's not hard enough, you then have to take all the cups down until all of the cups are in one pile. You have to do it in a minute. It's a lot harder than it looks on TV.

It took me 1 minute just to stack the pyramid. Dad was really close to doing the entire thing in a minute. Mom did the same as me.. and of course it was no surprise to any of us that the champion of game night was Layne! He's so good at everything he tries. I sure do love him.

We had a lot of fun!! we missed RJ and Erica, but it was a successful BIRTHDAY!!!!! hope you had a wonderful birthday mom! We love and appreciate everything you do!

B I K E - R I D E

2010-09-03T09:45:00.000-07:00

Layne has always told me that his goal is to make a memory from everything he does. Layne doesn't just sit around and do nothing. He's always got fun ideas flowing in his brain. I think this goal has been shoved to the forefront of his mind even more, now that he is a professional videographer. Not only is he always creating fun memories, but he has mastered the art of capturing our memories and other peoples' memories in the most unique ways. see for yourself. Now back to our fun evening...

I am a big fan of spaghetti. Always have and always will be. I know it's the easiest thing in the world to make, so it's not necessarily a meal that is impressive in anyone's eyes.. except my husband's. The fact of the matter is he loves me.. and he understood that I was craving spaghetti.. and he's a man who eats anything.

We ate, laughed, talked, gazed into each others eyes, and tried to keep our little kitty Mona away from our food. She thinks she rules the house.. well she pretty much does because she is so cute. Did I mention we're going to have a daughter? yeah we're in trouble.

We cleaned up dinner and I told Layne I had a surprise for him.. (don't have high hopes) I made cookies. I have been told several times that a way to a man's heart is warm chocolate chip cookies. I've taken this advice and applied it many times in our year of marriage and the advice is truth.

We decided that it would be fun to go on a bike ride.. Layne borrowed his Dad's bike and mine was still at my parent's house.. good thing we live .5 miles away from each of our parents. (yes we really live right in between both of our parents) Jealous? you really should be. It's awesome!

My bike usually has a basket on it, but my bike lives outside and I didn't want the rain to ruin my cute basket.. Yes I love my bike. It used to be bright orange (like orange tic-tacs), but the sun has faded it. Layne wants his dad's bike for keeps. For obvious reasons.. It's awesome! Layne loves the skinny tires and vintage look. Layne didn't even care that the back wheel was going flat.. he wanted to ride in style.. and that he did my friends. That he did.

We were going to ride to the park, but all of a sudden we heard cheering from Centennial High School. It was the first football game of the school year. I hate professional/college football (yes I'm a disgrace to my family) BUT for some reason I love high school football. A lot of memories can build up in four years.. Good ones and bad ones. Like for instance: I had a crush on Mike Henneman freshman year. He tried to help me get down the bleachers. He was a true gentleman. What did I do? what I do best.. I rolled down and fell on top of someone that I knocked over. (I was weak in the knees.)I was so embarrassed. Some memories should die, but never will. Needless to say my memories got fonder and less embarrassing as I matured into a senior.

We had fun looking at all of the young couples in "love". They would talk to each other, without eye contact, while holding hands, and practically giggling so much that they couldn't speak to each other, and when there was any sort of awkward silence they would kiss to pass the time, but we all know that's how they wanted to end the night. We were all young once.

We always laugh and wonder what it would have been like if we knew each other in High School. I missed him by a year. Layne was a senior when I was in 8th grade. I had glasses and braces and Layne was about 5 foot 3 inches.. let's just say we are both happy we didn't know each other in our "glory days" but it is fun to think about.

I hate riding my bike in the dark or walking or just being in the dark.. based off of my previous bleacher story, it's no secret that I'm not the most graceful person. I had to follow behind Layne and he would yell "mailbox" "cat" "parked car". I have terrible night vision. Although, it's not entirely my fault. It would be a lot easier if our neighborhood had street lamps..

I'd say we had a successful evening... Full of memories! We have the best life!!!!

Golden

2010-09-02T09:56:00.000-07:00

Yesterday you could say that my husband and I decided to relax. We took the "day off." we woke up.. I went to the Temple with my mother in law and Layne stayed at home to get some work done. (that was our only attempt at being productive) I came home and we enjoyed a delicious lunch made by my wonderful husband. (Ramen noodles and chocolate milk) Gross combo? surprisingly not! I was exhausted from the lack of sleep the previous night.. so that's when we decided to take it easy that day. We watched minute to win it on our new lap top while eating lunch. We are convinced that we are going to be on that show one day and win a million dollars. We think we would be so good at it.. even though we haven't tried any of the games. I noticed that Layne was closing his eyes and starting to fall asleep. I was thrilled because I, like I mentioned, was exhausted, but I didn't want to be boring because I was so happy that Layne wanted to spend the day with me. After a FIVE HOUR nap we decided we should go on a date. We still had not showered all day.. so I decided we should go where no one would see us, because let's face it, I was not going to shower on my day of predetermined laziness. So the game plan was to eat at Golden Wheel and we'd decide at dinner what else we wanted to do.

You'd think we would look well rested.. but the sleepy eyes were here to stay.

His

Hers

Layne got a new video camera for his business, so he was excited to test out all the features.. including still photo. Let's say I was less than thrilled because well... I'm pregnant and have an unshowered sleepy eye face. He assured me that one day I will be glad he took the pictures..

No I'm not texting.. I was told never to do that on a date. I'm pushing back my cuticles.

We went to walmart and target afterwords to look at baby cribs. Layne is so cute looking at little baby things. We are both so excited!! It is way more real to us both that in 3 months our lives will completely change :) we can't wait!! we are so excited to meet you baby girl! BUT we are also enjoying this time to be just the two of us.

I am so lucky

2010-08-29T16:20:00.000-07:00

.... to have such a loving husband

One Year Anniversary from Layne Boyle on Vimeo.