our son

Thanks for the idea Amanda - and thanks Janay for ALL the hard hard work! You're a GREAT Auntie!

Make an on-line slideshow at www.OneTrueMedia.com

my new years resolution

is to keep up with my blog!( well one of them anyways) Once again I have fallen behind in my postings...many apologies. Our Christmas holiday's were so much fun! I love spending time with family. It definitely felt different this year with a brand new little baby, and I missed out on most of the game playing because I was using that time to catch up on some precious sleep, but still... alot of fun. My all time favorite part was having Ed at home so much more. Sadly this week its back to school and the real world. I am finding myself very very bored during the day, I think I need a hobby.. or three. Janay promised me she would come in and we would go shopping this week sometime and let me tell you... I am beyond excited! I can hardly wait. :) I now have a day where I will plan to get up on time and shower and try looking good by putting on some clean "nice" clothes and try my very hardest to not get puked on. Although living with the worlds worst puking baby may cause a problem... I dont even bother getting out of my lounging clothes anymore. Go ahead Noah... puke away on those.

This past Sunday marked Noah's 8th week of life! And what a tough life it is :) working so hard everyday to have everyone meet your every need... whew.. must be exhausting. A few weeks ago he was diagnosed with Colic ( is that how you spell it?) and it has been very hard on us parents. Its heartbreaking to hear your baby crying so hard and not being able to do anything about it. However... I had a nice chat with the Bishops wife in Strathmore ward and she gave me some suggestions that helped her with one of her baby's that also had Colic. She got them from a book called " The Happiest Baby on the Block" I havent gotten it myself yet... my lovely Mother put it on order for me... thanks Mom! but we have been doing some things that the books suggests and I am SO happy to say that his colic is finally managable. I feel more relaxed and in control. Even though I still cringe when his fussy time rolls around... I think I am starting to feel like I can get through this. People tell me it only lasts until 3 months.. SO yes! One month to go! Wish me luck.

Going along with the title of this post... some of my new years resolutions are... to re-read the Book of Mormon, to be a more patient mother, a more compassionate person, get down to my pre-wedding weight ( yes I gained weight after I got married I call it my "Honeymoon 10") become a better cook/baker (Ed is especially excited about this one) And then there is just the normal everyday stuff like go on a date with Ryan Gosling, win a triathalon, visit every Temple in the world, oh and become a millionare. I have a good feeling about 2008 :)

At two months you:

• hate your tummy time.... but mean old Mommy makes you do it for a few minutes anyways :)
• smile and talk lots... especially with your best friend Daddy
• leave ATLEAST one explosive poopy diaper for Mommy to change everyday!
• are starting to get used to sleeping in your "big boy" bed but still dont sleep as long as in your chair or swing
• are learning to deal with your colic as long as Mommy and Daddy swaddle you so tight and rock you to sleep
• love to snuggle and rock in the rocking chair
• starting to notice and be entertained by toys with lights and music, you especially love the mobile in your swing
• will only tolerate being cleaned if you are in the shower with Daddy
• have a fussy time from 8-12 pm and refuse to go to sleep before midnight but then you sleep for a full 8 hours! yeah!
• are becoming quite rotund
• make Mommy and Daddy smile every day :)

His Christmas Eve PJ's!
looking a little chubby there Noah...
Our four generation picture with Grandpa Prepchuk and Great Grandma Prepchuk
Noah and his very bestest friend
He's just too cute

thanks big guy

Santa came a little early to our house this year :) Imagine our surprise when we woke up one morning to find this cute present under our tree...

There was no gift receipt attached, so it looks like we're keeping him!

one month old

Where does the time go? This past month has been one of the hardest and most rewarding of my life. I feel so blessed to have this little baby in our lives! We probably cuddle with our son way too much in our bed, but oh well. We could lay there for hours with him in the middle of us, just staring at him. I am so lucky to be loved by these two boys. I can't tell you what it means to me to look over and see my whole world lying right next to me. Brings a girl to tears!

On Sunday Noah had his first big day when his Daddy blessed him in church. I was so worried he would cry or be cranky - but he proved me wrong and was the exact opposite. What a perfect little man he was. He was wide awake and didn't make a peep. Plus he looked way cute in the little outfit that we got for him, we ordered it all the way from Texas and it almost didn't get here in time, but we lucked out. Phew!

I saw this idea on someone else's blog and thought it was a neat way to remember all of Noah's stages....

AT ONE MONTH YOU...

- are starting to follow Mommy around the room with your eyes.

- have become a way faster nurser! YEAH!

- no longer cry when you get your diaper changed.

- love love love your bath time.

- can lift and move your head from side to side when you lay on your stomach.

- have started making little "cooing" noises when Mommy and Daddy talk to you.

- are sleeping about 5 hours at night.

- are somewhat gassy and cranky, mostly in the evening :(

- make your Mommy and Daddy smile everyday!

Grandma Prepchuk helping me get ready for my big day
Funny how happy both Daddy and Noah look to be having their picture taken!
If it wasn't for my double chin sticking out everywhere, it would have been a nice family photo..
The big man after his bath time
Getting angry at my Uncle Roberto
Chilaxin' on the couch with Daddy, most likely watching basketball...

All I want for Christmas...

...is a new computer. Yup - an actual computer, with a mouse and a printer and everything fancy like that. Too much to ask? I think not. Personally I think that it would improve my blogging by leaps and bounds. I would actually be able to download and post pictures as soon as I took them instead of waiting until I visit a more someone who owns a 'real' computer with FAST internet. Dont get me wrong, I love our little laptop and it has served us well in the past and hey.... it was free so who can argue with that, but I feel it is time to upgrade. Especially now that we have Noah, I want everyone to see just how cute he is all the time! :) Here is just a few for your viewing pleasure. He is getting bigger everyday, oh! and a breakthrough... Tuesday night he surprised us and slept through the night! Well, surprised ME, Ed really doesnt know that he wakes up every two hours, he's too busy sleeping. The other night Noah was getting very angry laying in his crib because he was just too hungry so he started crying and Ed flipped over on his side towards the wall and yanked a pillow over his head in an attempt to drown out the noise. Remind me never to leave Noah with his Dad at night :)

Relaxing in the sun after his bath
Oh what a hard life...


Thanks Auntie Amanda for the cute outfit! He likes it I promise, he was just really hungry and ticked off that his needs weren't being met that very moment.
Daddy and Noah, both doing what they do best.

And this is pretty much all he does at this point in his little life.
There we go, he's a little more calm here, although we couldn't convince him to open his eyes.

Waving at the camera
He loves bath time

He was still really new here, his face is much fatter now... oh my little boy is getting so big!

Thought I would throw a carseat picture in there to document just how small he was at a few weeks old.

Visiting with Auntie Janay and Auntie Sarah
He looks like a male version of cindy-loo-who
He loves his Grandpa Prepchuk

Baby Noah

Alright so it's been a couple of days now since the new addition to our family. Sorry for the delay in showing everyone what he looks like! Turns out, Im not the super Mom I thought I would be. I have huge admiration for all new mothers, it's way tougher than it looks. These are just some random pictures we've taken over the last 2 days of him being home. He's pretty much the spitting image of his Dad, which really doesn't come as a surprise to me. Over all he's a really good baby, which I am claiming he gets from me... Im EXCELLENT at being a baby :) You can ask anyone. So just in case anyone missed the particulars...

He was born November 11th - Sorry Jarom I tried! 50 minutes shy...

He weighed 7lbs 2oz

He was 20.5 inches long

And then of course... he took his sweet time coming... 26 hours of labor! Whew! - Oh, what was that Amy?? Of course Im looking forward to getting that baby scrapbook you promised me! Hope it comes soon :)

Here he is looking like his Dad when he sleeps, only Ed wears a little more clothes :) Poor little guy has a little rash too, although I dont think he minds all that much.
Just talking with Daddy

Having a bit of a bad hair day


A sponge bath from Mommy and Grandma? Yes please!
A close up of his one dimple that I love :)

An Auntie once more..

Congratulations to Wes and Amanda on their fourth little baby, but first little girl! I only wish Australia wasnt so far away so I could see my new little Niece! Leena Janay Prepchuk ( Hope I spelled that right) I cant wait to see pictures of the new babe! Oh - and before I forget, I just wanted to say a HUGE special thanks to my loving brother Wes for calling me personally and giving me the grand news that we have been waiting to hear for days now. I loved hearing it come right from your own voice that you had a baby girl and that everything was fine with Amanda. Its like that time you called me on my birthday.. so sweet and so special. Thanks for taking the time out of your busy day to call and get me all the exciting news! It meant so much! Could you imagine if I had been the ONLY one that you DIDNT call?? And I had to hear it from someone else?? Whew.. now that would have been bad. I think I would probably feel so hurt I wouldnt talk to you for months. Well... I guess we'll speak to you sometime in the new year. We'll have Mom call you when Noah is born.

A little bit late...

So Ed and I celebrated our big 'One Year' Anninversary this last Saturday, and when I say celebrated I mean the way that a tired, overworked husband and a tired 8 month pregnant wife do it... Which was basically nothing. :)
However it was very interesting to sit and reflect together on all that we had been through in the past year, how it doesnt feel that long and how many exciting things we have coming for us in the future! The day started out fine... I was up at 8:30 to clean my house, then it was back to bed at 9:00 for a quick nap before conference, and yes my house is small enough that it only takes a half hour to clean. That and it wasnt so dirty seeing how we are barely ever home anymore. Conference was wonderful and so inspiring to listen to and just like every time I sit and listen to the Prophets speak I have a long list of new goals in life. Ed showed up around 12:00 from work... sadly with no flowers for his sweetheart, but DID have a lovely box of doughnuts from Tim Horton's which I must admit to all of you that I liked much much better for some reason :) Mainly, I love food. Flowers are nice to look at and smell great... but a warm, sticky Boston Cream seems to satisfy me so much more these days. After that the day passed rather lazily with the second session of conference and a few more naps stuck in afterwards. It wasnt until around 7:00 that night that we started to think of how we might "celebrate" our day. I give the credit to my husband for the brilliant idea of setting everything up for the baby. So there we sat, still in our PJ's putting together the bassinett, the stroller/carseat/shelves and all other things baby that we had bought but just stuck in his room to be set-up later on. Ed could not find our hammer to save his life but I desperately wanted to put together the shelf we had, so we improvised.. with the heel of one of Eds shoes :) At one point while hammering away with his make-shift hammer and me reading him the instructions which I was sure we were getting wrong...(stupid Ikea) he looked up at me and said "You know, it may not be much, but it will sure be an anniversary we never forget" I fell in love with him all over again. The day we prepared our home for our first addition to our small family. We didnt even get cards, or eat the traditional top of our wedding cake ( which was kind of sad because I really did want cake) but it was touching and a day, like he said... we will probably never forget.
I cant begin to tell you how blessed I feel to be able to live such a full and rewarding life. Despite the trials that come my way I am always, always shown how much love there is around me. I love my husband and I know he will be an incredible father. I cant wait to share a million more years with him building memories inside our home. Love you baby - Happy One Year!

Does this baby make me look fat?

So it's been awhile....again. I'm really going to work harder at updating alot more often, even though nothing ever really happens that is "blog worthy" in our sad little lives. I suppose I'll just have to be more creative.
Yesterday I had my first "How do you respond to that?" comment from a complete stranger on the street. There I was, minding my own business, standing outside our office building waiting for Ed to pick me up, when out of the blue some random woman walks by and says ( Really loudly for everyone to hear) "Whoa! You look like you're about to pop!" Ummm thanks?? I actually looked around to see if she was talking to another huge person that I happened to miss. Sadly there was just me. Im glad Amanda was talking of Whales in her last post because that was exactly how I felt at that moment. A large whale. It's funny how quickly you change your outlook during pregnancy. At first I couldn't wait for people to make comments, to actually recognize that I was expecting a baby. After that comment, the days where no one ever noticed aren't looking so bad. The worst part of the whole thing? I still have 2.5 months to go. I wonder what kind of comments Im going to get in November? I wonder how many weeks I could last in hiding.....
I stood there contemplating how huge I must look to other people. For the last few months I have almost completely given up looking in the mirror. As the people who know me really well could tell you, that is very uncommon for me. In fact I once got a comment from Ed after a few weeks of being married that made me realize that I should be more descreet about my compulsive need to check myself out in every mirror (from every angle) that I come across. We were standing in the bathroom together one morning and I was doing my usual full body twice over... when out of the corner of my eye I see Ed smiling at me. After giving him a questioning look he simply said " I see that we are going to need alot of mirrors in our house for you" I really didnt know what he meant at the time. A little confused I asked him.. "What? Doesn't everyone do this before they leave the house?" With no hesitation he quickly assured me.. "Nope, not as much as you like too"Hmmm, right then I knew I had a habit that I was sure it was impossible to kick... until now that is. The last few months of my life have had a serious lack of mirror attention, mostly because I get depressed everytime I catch a glimpse of myself. Even when I am forced to face the dreaded reflection glass I try very hard to will my larger lower half of my body away and focus on something that hasn't gained weight.. like my hair. Which doesnt do me much good at the moment as it is well over due for a trim and some layers. Aaaahhh mirrors, I wonder if they will ever bring me the joy the used to.
One more pregnancy woe before I move on to other non exciting news. I have started to notice that as I am standing outside waiting for Ed to pick me up after a long day of work and I finally see our car coming from around the corner,the giddy, butterflies in my stomach feeling I get is not because I get to see my handsome husband whom I love so dearly... its beacause I get to sit down. Sitting and sleeping, are pretty much my two favorite things at this point. I live for them.
Alright, so I think I should probably start posting some positive things that are happening in our lives... first and foremost, in just under two weeks our dear sister Sarah comes home from her mission. Whoa - can you believe how fast time goes? Has it really been a year and a half? I've always said that it goes faster when you don't write them... haha Just kidding, I do write her an email every Sunday when I remember :) Never having gone on a mission or anything remotely like it personally, I wonder what she must be feeling right now. Her last week and half of being a missionary. Im sure shes having mixed feelings about coming home, but we're glad to be getting her back and can't wait to meet her at the airport soon.
Today Mom and I are going to go shopping for baby furniture which is a huge relief to me because I have been feeling like we are so unprepared, like we have nothing and the time is quickly running out. I voiced my concern about this to Ed the other day who confidently said " Kevyn, relax we still have over 3 months left" I dont know where he's been but I am pretty sure the baby is due in November, which according to my calculations is only two months away. Poor guy, he's got a alot on his mind lately. Who could blame him? He's working, trying to financially prepare for a new member of our family, starting school on Tuesday and organizing a basketball team for the upcoming season. Lately I feel as though basketball is my life, not by choice of course.. when he's not practicing or playing it, he's watching it, or on the phone talking about it to his brother. I had no idea that a sweaty sport could be so exciting, or demanding. But I do love him like crazy and if basketball is what makes him happy, then I can put up with it :) There are worse things.
Last Saturday we were out at my sister Janay's house for a maternity photoshoot which we had alot of fun at. I just wanted to say a huge thanks to her for putting in all that effort and planning and doing such an amazing job! She is a perfectionist, and her worst critic, but we both think the pictures are beautiful and wouldnt trade them for anything. You can see a few samples she's posted on her blog by clicking on "Janay and Tim" on the right hand side of this page. Girls from work have already requested her picture taking skills for when they become pregnant, so get in line while you still can :) Thanks again Sista... you did great!
Well thats it for now, as I have been sitting here my house is being neglected once again and I want Ed to think that I've done atleast one productive thing this morning so I better get some dishes done. Yuck... Im STILL waiting for the so called "nesting period" pregnant women are supposed to have when they actually have urges to clean their house in preperation for baby. personally I think its all a lie just toget you to actually get off your butt and do something when you;re 8 months along. Who ever actuallly WANTS to deep clean their house? Bunch of crazies if you ask me. Until next time...

For Amanda

A- Attached or single: Attached
B- Best Friend: My husband Ed of course :)
C- Cake or Pie: Pretty much every dessert is fine by me
D- Day of choice: Friday
E- Essential Item: Mentholatum
F- Favorite Color: Depends on my mood
G- Gummi Bears or Worms: I like all gummie candies
H- Hometown: Strathmore, and yes Im proud of it
I- Indulgence(s): Bubble baths
J- January or July: When Im pregnant, January for sure
K- Kids: One - the current size of a 2 pound watermelon
L: Life is Incomplete Without: Ed and Lola :)
M- Marriage Date: October 6, 2007 whoa... we're coming up on a whole year!
N- Number of Siblings: 2 brothers and 3 sisters
O- Oranges or Apples: Oranges, especially Christmas ones
P- Phobias or Fears: Squeezing cotton balls in my hands.. Weird I know, I just hate that "squeeky" sound it makes. YUCK
Q- Quote: "Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness, that most frightens us... and as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence atuomatically liberates others."
R- Reason To Smile: New socks :)
S- Season: Autumn
T- Tag Three: Ed, Cathy, and Tanya.. if you are reading this... you get to do it too!
U- Unknown Fact About Me: I secretly listen to, and desperately love the "Scatman" song. Much to the dismay of my husband.
V- Vegetarian or Oppressor of Animals: I like Meat :)
W- Worst Habit: Alright ALRIGHT... I am a closet Klepto. This is my first time admitting it, so its kind of a big deal for me. I've been denying it my whole life. But the truth is... half of the stuff I own, was actually bought by either my Mom or my Sisters :) Its a good way to live.
X- X-Rays or Ultrasounds: Ultrasounds, Im a little biased at the moment.. I like the idea of seeing my baby before he comes out.
Y- Your Favorite Food: Any food, Im pregnant... Mmmm Im hungry.
Z- Zodiac: Leo