...Welcome to the Jungle...

Westley Cole

2011-07-29T19:29:00.000-07:00

i feel like i need a post just for my sweet west wee. i feel like i'm really getting to know him lately. i notice differences between him and cohen now. west is a very easy happy baby as was cohen. W lights up when he gets attention and will almost always welcome you with a toothless grin (still at 9 months no teeth!) he is a mama boy. i remember as a newborn he would calm when i would sing to him or hold him. i loved that. now when i come in the room and someone else is holding him he nearly jumps towards me!he is a very hands on baby. he likes to grab for everything... he is a lot of work to hold as well because he is very wiggly! he always puts things in his mouth and seems to really love toys... much more than cohen ever did. west likes that kind of stimulation which is interesting. he always sticks out his tongue too. its adorable! he LOVES food. he seems not as interested in baby food anymore. he wants the real thing. he'll still eat it but he lunges for food off my plate or anyone elses. he likes to pull himself up on things now but seems to not have very good balance. he has fallen and hit his head soooo many times. basically since he started rolling over and sitting up he's been hitting his head. so sad! i think he kinda milks it too. when he gets hurt i obviously comfort him but i think he lets his cry linger a little longer just for that reason. pretty cute right?!! he loves cohen too. he gets really happy to see him and squeals with delight at his big bro! cohen always covers west with pillows or blankets too and he just laughs hysterically. cohen is very possessive over his "baby buddy" lately he doesn't seem to want to share him. westwee is a fairly quiet baby too. he only has moments where he starts "talking" and making noises. his thing lately is to scrunch up his nose and breathe in and out through it! he loves it when i do it with him. well... thats all i can think of at the moment. we love our boys and i'm so in love with both of them i can't even describe it!!!!

i have a lot of summer to catch up on...

2011-07-28T17:47:00.000-07:00

BUT instead i'm just going to post pictures for now. i have so much to tell you so check back later!

We're in "tut tee"!!!

2011-04-28T17:16:00.000-07:00

i never really have any pictures of me and the kids!!!

i can NOT believe how big toe ee is getting!

one day i just glanced over and saw west staring at cohen putting cheese on his crackers with the look of " i really wanna put that in my mouth!!!!!"

"palleeeease toe-ey?!!! just a little""

looks like he's going to swoop in on those crackers.

almost there...

mom... help me out here!

so here we are in "tut tee". thats how cohen says kentucky! but we aren't even there anymore... we're currently in indiana for the time being and who knows where we'll be next week... but i'll save that for another post! at this very moment as i'm typing cohen is making west laugh hysterically and it is my favorite thing EVER! they are what this post is about. i'm able to experience what i had hoped to when i got pregnant with west. i was so looking forward to seeing that friendship and fun that comes with having siblings!!!! i know it wont always be that way but i definitely appreciate the times when it is! sometimes if west is getting more attention than him cohen will act out and get crazy and aggressive... sometimes he just wants to be playful with west and doesn't realize that west can't tackle like him and daddy do! other times he just wants to be helpful and hold his bottle or give him toys. i think they're relationship is pretty typical. i am looking forward to a time soon to come when they will really play more together even though that will probably come with "mom, he hit me!" "moooommmmm he took my toy"... but i'll enjoy that too :)

i just heard laughter coming from cohen and looked over to find him throwing plastic forks at my brother in laws dog. aye. boys.

sooooo... lately i have been savoring every moment with these two little ones because more than ever i realize that they won't stay little for long!!!! especially west... i cannot believe he is 6 months already!!!!! i love love love this age! i love when i hear him making noises in his bed and when i peak my head in his little face lights up with his chunky cheek smile!!! he loves to grab his toes and gets so loud with his little voice. i've learned how easy kids are the first year now... because cohen is definitely more straining on my patience these days! i think he needs a shirt like his friend myles that says "this is my timeout shirt, i wear it all day long" ha! he really only acts up when he is tired but since we are currently living in hotels it is nearly impossible to get him to bed at a reasonable time and even harder to get him to nap unless we're in the car. so i have a very emotionally unstable 2 and a half year old! i'm really proud of him at the same time... he surprises me daily with how much he knows. he talks so well.... i think really well for his age. he also picks up things i didn't realize he was hearing... like "touch me babe" and "let me see you boobies"... i had a little chat with marcel after he said those!!!!!! oh man.

along with that he is recognizes numbers and can count to 10!!! although he always skips 5! ha!

he still calls jeeps and other vehicles that have tires on the back "beep beeps" which i love! he thinks they're steering wheels! he's getting better at the abc's and still asks me to sing it evvery night... he knows twinkle twinkle little star, you are my sunshine, i am a child of God, and the itsy bitsy spider songs too! randomy throughtout the day cohen will say i love you mom and gimme a tiss :) he is so loving and affectionate... at this moment he is yelling at me "MOM I NEED to hold you... i miss you!!!!" what a little sweetie right?!!!! he always says "mom i neeeeeeedddd ____ " insert whatever he wants at that moment. usually candy or toys.

my kids are having a breakdown without my attention right now so i am going to wrap it up. i love my boys. with the coming of a new baby in our family (i am NOT pregnant just to clarify) its got me thinking. i've already been wanting another baby since west is just growing too fast!!! but then i remind myself of the insanity of the newborn stage and how i barely made it through that i can wait but in the coming years i feel ready for a GIRL! i really wanted boys my whole life and was really happy that west was a boy so cohen could have a brother to pal around with and the transition financially was easier since i had everything "boy" already and the pregnancy totally caught us by surprise!!! a couple months back though i was laying in bed and just had this thought that if we had a girl next our family would be complete BUT if we had another boy we would try ONE more time and no matter what be done! marcel thought that sounded good to him too. (after i said this i thought "CRAP! of course Heavenly Father is going to have it be a boy again next so i'll have another one!!! :) i didn't realize it until this conversation that marcel really wants a girl too. i think it would be good for us to have a little girl too to soften things up a bit. i know Heavenly Father knows what is best for us so we will see!!!! i have an iud now so there won't be any more surprises but i am looking forward to the day when we'll experience the joy of a new baby again! for now i'll just snuggle with the ones i already have and am currently neglecting to finish this post.... so the end.

{my sweet life}

2011-03-16T19:01:00.000-07:00

4 months 12 days! that's how old my sweet West-wee is!!! my happy little guy is officially 17.1 lbs (81st percentile) and 26.4 inches (88th percentile). i know he looks chubby but he really is just a big kid all around! i can't believe how happy he is! his smile lights up my life!!!! his little giggles too! i can't get through the day without feeling so incredibly blessed in my life.

i recently taught a lesson about eternal families to my young women (my last lesson i might add) in the process of preparing i learned so much! which i have throughout my entire time in young womens. marcel and i have had a hard time fitting in in this ward and have never really felt part of it. we hardly know anyone and no one really attempts to get to know us. kinda sad, but i feel having my calling helped a little bit as far as helping me understand my purpose in being in this ward. anyway, back to what i was saying. in preparing this lesson i learned a lot about what is necessary for us to accomplish in this life in order to able to reach our highest potential in the next. some of which i didn't know. it put a lot into perspective. i realized i am NOT celestial material at this very moment and in order for me to be with my husband and babies forever.... i need to be! it made me recognize i need to step it up. be a little (or a lot!) better, honest, more vigilant with my tithing, kinder and much less set upon the things of this world. the last is probably my biggest struggle. i like to shop and have nice things around me. i'm not a big spender and am always on a budget so i usually bargain shop and look for sales, but nonetheless, it's still stuff... stuff that won't get me where i more than anything want to be, with my Father in Heaven and my family. i know its something that i can't really measure as far as my progress but will be more of a change of heart. it will take time, prayer, faith and discipline but i hope to get to a much better place. like i was when i first joined the church. so willing to sacrifice EVERYTHING for what i believed. that's what this life is all about right? being tested and growing through those experiences.... anyway, i didn't intend for this post to become what it has...it just did. but i'm glad i shared it.

ABC's & Santa Twaus

2011-03-11T20:25:00.000-08:00

I need to remember the cute things cohen is doing lately! just now as we were doing our bedtime routine of stories, songs and prayer, Cohen did what he normally does which is he asks to sing the ABC's...over and over. he even says "mom, yast time". i' quite impressed because tonight i'm pretty sure he said every letter of the alphabet! i think he smushed a couple together with the tune of the song but still!!!! then as we said prayer he actually took over and did it all on his own! he said something along the lines of "thank you for this day" then mumbled something "santa twaus tome home shoon... jesus tome home too" and then he paused awhile and said "done". i was so proud of him!!!! its funny how one day they wake up and seem so much smarter!!! i have been feeling guilty that i have to share time between both kids. i have been making more effort to hold west because he gets left out so much while he's playing on his activity mat. he is such a happy easy baby we almost forget he's there! he get so happy when he sees us (or himself in a mirror) i feel so incredibly blessed!!!! they make me so happy! happier than anything in this whole world. (well them and my husband) it took me some time to get back to church after west and i was feeling a little spiritually distant and this month i have put forth extra effort to draw nearer to Heavenly Father and I have felt such a difference. I'm so thankful that with the small steps we take he recognizes those efforts and definitely blesses us for it! anyway, i wanted this to be a quick post about little Toe-ee (who is beginning to call himself Tohen :( he is getting to close to saying it correctly!!! he is growing up and i love him and west so so very much!

just pics!

2011-03-11T13:52:00.001-08:00

... in case you didn't notice the last 3 were a trick!!!! those are Cohen as a baby! He and west kinda look alike, huh?!!

West-Wee!

2011-03-04T18:53:00.000-08:00

My sweet widdle West-wee is 4 months old TODAY! craziness. at the beginning of his little life i thought he was going to be a handful and super hi-may...BUT actually he's the sweetest happiest little guy EVER! hi whole body stiffens with excitement when he smiles and giggles! i just can't get enough. when he is laying on his back he loves when we take both his arms and raise them up over his head and say WOO! he laughs like crazy.he already loves being up in the air over our heads too! gutsy little man. he gets so happy when i try to eat his fat neck too! ah i just love him!!! his has such happy eyes which remind me of marcel. marcel has happy eyes and i always tell him how much i love them! my dear sweet husband has been taking many pre season selling trips later... its been sucky. we miss him A LOT! when he is home and even attempts to walk out the door cohen runs to it crying and saying "daddy wait. no doe! i mits you!" melts your heart right? this last week marcel had plans to leave on monday after being home for only a day but we guilted... um i mean convinced him to stay :) we had a fun week just enjoying our boys and even squeezed in a date night to Tucano's! mmmmm. we had a family movie night and watched Megamind which everyone needs to see if you can even find it in Redbox! we searched all over orem/provo trying to find it!!! after our 6th attempt we found it!

time for a milestone update...

west is sorta rolling over from his tummy to his back. he's a chunk give him a break. i love it. those cheeks and scrumptious thighs!!!! we def make some chubby wubby babies marcel and i... about 2 weeks ago west went in to get this bubble thing checked out on his eye...still not sure what it is. while we were there they weighed and measured him. 3.5 months he is 16.6 LB's (YIKES!) and 25.5 inches (i think) he grew like 3 inches in a little over a month. he really is growing like a weed! he is wearing mostly 6-9 month clothes! in the last couple of weeks he has started grabbing at his toys and holding his hands! he's a little sweetheart and we are loving having him around! can't imagine life without him! Heavenly Father really knows what is best for us!!!

onto toe-ee bub!

he is quite a handful these days. we are in the heart of the "terrific" two's! sometimes he does some pretty naughty things and i have to do everything in my power to not let him see me laugh. sometimes i just don't know where he come up with this stuff! the other day he had his friend Ari over and i think his mom was having a stern talk with him and cohen comes up and grabs his cheeks and while looking him in the eyes very firmly but quietly says "shut...up" pretty sure he got that from me in a moment of frustration. oops! overall he is still our sweet little toe-ee. he loves attention and gets super excited when other people or kids are around. he almost can't contain himself.

well i'm going to wrap this up because i can hear cohen in the bathroom getting into the "potty training" treats!!!

what's up with West-Co?!!

2011-01-16T13:32:00.000-08:00

i love being able to say "my boys". i seem to be getting used to this whole 2 kid thing.

west is still a little high-may but he lets me put him down for longer periods now and

when he does start fussing its usually because he's tired. he's smiling and "talking" to us now.

he LOVEs his little friend that lights up on his activity mat. i'm pretty sure he gets more smiles than me!

marcel says his friend is a star but i think its a sun. he's a little fatty too. he had his 2 month check up last week and he is 13.58 pounds 23 inches and his head is well...big! he's in the 98th percentile big. it doesn't look big but apparently

it is. he has some pretty impressive eyelashes too. i thought mine and cohens were long but

West lucked out and got long, thick and dark lashes. his little eyes just light up when he smiles too. I can't get enough.

Cohen seems to be adjusting well. i haven't seen him act out in jealousy or anything. actually quite the opposite. the

other day marcel and i were in the kitchen and we saw cohen bouncing "baby buddy" in his chair and then he ran over to the couch and grabbed a blanket and proceeded to wipe brothers mouth! how cute is that!? he always asks to "ho him" too. meaning he wants to hold him. he'll come up and kiss him constantly too. i have such a sweet boy. i'm so wxcited to see them grow up together! co has been doing some cutie things too. lately he carries on conversations

with you even when we have NO idea what he's saying/ he even laughs in between. its hysterical! co loves it when i pretend to "chatel" tackle him with baby brother. he's also been calling us marcel and kristina and sometime babe. funny how thay pick that stuff up. he loves this weird show called "in the night garden" too. we had no idea how much he loved it until we put it on and he started naming off all the characters!

well, thats whats up around here.

OH! and we found out we're going to Louisville Kentucky for the summer! we leave beginning of april so lets get

lots of hangout time in before we leave freidns!

{2011}

2011-01-02T11:16:00.000-08:00

i am so looking forward to this year. i feel like i grew up a lot in 2010 and am in a place now

with my husband where we can make a few of our dreams a reality.

looking back on 2010 i can see that heavenly father had other plans in store for us

than we did. i got pregnant with west at a trying time financially for us. we had a BIG decision to make whether we would do apx again or go with a different company. after SO MUCH prayer we got an answer and that was sales in alabama with apx. i had to leave behind my nanny job which was not an easy decision to make since i had such a great relationship with the family.

we knew it was where we needed to be though. we moved around a lot and i made some sacrifices of things that i enjoy so that we could save some money. definitely not something i normally do, but it felt amazing that i was able to do it. i gained a lot of confidence in myself and i grew so much through it. we got out of most of our debt other than our truck payment, but even that we cut in half. with another baby on the way, cutting down our expenses was essential. marcel worked so hard and saw success. he grew in his confidence and belief in himself and he is seeing his hard work payoff. cohen became a big brother and even though we got off to a rough start... things seem to be getting a little easier to manage.

{2011}

we hope to continue being financially careful this year with two main goals in mind- purchasing our first home (eeeeeek!!!) and going on a vacation.

my personal goals this year are to keep making financial sacrifices now for our important family goals later.

lose the baby weight and get back into my favorite jeans!!!!

absorb every little moment with my family... my boys are growing soooo fast!

i need to be better about saying my prayers day & night along with reading my scriptures.

i am looking forward to this year and watching west grow like a weed his first year of life. i'm excited to see him reach milestones and to see his little personality. ( if its anything like his cry it will be anything but little!!!)

i'm excited to watch our little toey continue learning, exploring, and loving "baby buddy". i hope to also get him out of diapers!!!

i can't wait to celebrate 4 years of marriage to my lovely husband! we plan to actually celebrate this anniversary :) we have grown together so much this year and feel it's something that should be celebrated!

here's to another year!

West {2 weeks old!}

2010-12-08T19:46:00.000-08:00

welcome to the world West!

2010-11-16T20:21:00.000-08:00

i'm finally getting around to documenting West's arrival. in the end i decided to go through with the induction! the night before i called the hospital and they told me i should get a call between 5 and 10 am letting me know if i was scheduled that day. 10 am rolled around and i still hadn't heard from them so i called and they said they didn't have a room for me but they were pretty sure i'd still be able to get induced that day. in he meantime marcel had snuck away and came home with a cool little video camera so we could document the day! about an hour later i get a call saying to get there as quickly as i could! we hurried and gathered our things and excitedly headed for the hospital. my mom was here so she took Cohen to my aunt and uncles house and then met us there. it was kind of strange to be heading to the hospital planning to leave with a baby! on the way there marcel reminded me we hadn't picked a middle name yet! we threw around a couple names and then marcel suggested Cole! i loved it immediately and it wasn't even one of our options this whole time! we got settled in the delivery room and around 1230 pm they began the pitocin! it took some time for the contractions to begin and when they did they were completely manageable which i didn't expect. from what i heard being induced brought on contractions hard and fast from the very beginning but these were more mild than when i had cohen! marcels cousin Paola came shortly after to take pictures and document the whole experience for us! i was a 3 when we came in and after an hour or two i hadn't progressed much. my dr. said my labor would most likely be quicker since it was my 2nd and i was being induced... or so she thought! after a few hours i finally got to a 4... at this point i was worried i wouldn't progress and end up needing a c- section. they bumped up the pitocin and the nurse offered the epidural... after a little longer i decided i should just get it even though my contractions were still completely manageable. i told her i wanted it and then she said the anesthesiologist was in surgery and wouldn't make it for another hour... no biggie. until a few mintues later when i got really uncomfortable. by the time he came my contractions didn't seem so bad but i didn't want to send him away and then end up regretting it. OH MY! i do not remember it being so bad getting the epidural with cohen! it was the same anesthesiologist too. i think my contractions were so much harder with cohen that i barely noticed the epidual but this time since i wasn't really in pain yet it was so weird!!!! all the poping and cold sensations down my back! afterward i was feeling really good though. at this point we just hung out and chatted they checked me frequently and i was progressing very slowly. they broke my water which didn't really seem to speed things up. it was getting dark by the time they told me i was a 6 where i stayed for quite a while. over time west began to show signs of distress. i was also feeling pain in my cervix really bad even with the epidural. they turned off the pitocin and then checked me a little bit later and i had diated to 9 all on my own! then they began the pitocin again because my contractions had died down. we were beginning to think west wanted a november 5th birthday!! finally a little after 11pm it was time to push! i got a little scared at this point. Marcel was so encouraging and reminded me that everything would be okay. we ended us saying a quick prayer together and then i started pushing! they had turned off the epidural at this point in hopes that it would wear off a bit because i could not feel a thing! every time they had me push i was getting so discouraged because i had no idea if i was doing it right! my dr. kept telling me i was doing great but for some reason after every set of pushes i would nearly cry and say "i can't do this!" they brought out the mirror which seriously changed everything. with every push i could see that little head and all that dark hair more and more. it really helped me get through it... what felt like hours of pushing ended up being 23 minutes!!!! i can't believe it went that fast! when they laid him in my arms the tears just came flowing. i was beyond happy to have him here and healthy. that was the greatest feeling in the world. with cohen he was rushed off so quickly i barely had that time to bond with him immediately. with west i was able to hold him and nurse him and it was amazing. west was born with a lot of swelling in his head because he came out with his face kind of diagonal which is what was causing me so much cervical pain and which they warned us could lead to jaundice because his body would not be able to flush it out fast enough. we had hoped to leave after the one day in the hospital but then that saturday west needed to be on the uv lights so we stuck around that 2nd day. when cohen came to the hospital for the first time he walked in and looked at me and looked around trying to figure out what was going on. he sat there for awhile not saying anything and you could see his little brain was processing the changes that had occured. when we asked him where baby brother was instead of pointing to my belly he pointed to the baby!!!! i had no idea he actually knew what was going on! little smarty. at one point they took the baby out and when cohen came he was looking everywhere for him and saying "baby doe?" with his hands out asking a question. he even looked behind my pillow! when they brought west back cohen just lit up with excitement! thankfully that happiness is still there. he loves his brother and is so sweet to him. he even shared rawr with him today!!! brother is always smothered with lots of little "toe-ee tisses" :) my mom was here for the first week and i'm so thankful she was. marcel had to go back to work and i have been extremely hormonal and emotional. i am so up and down and feel kind of down a lot of times. it seems to be hitting me harder this time. i'm obviously really tired which is to be expected. west is actually a really good sleeper though. i can get 2-3 hour stretches from him and an occasional 4!! that never happened with cohen for atleast 2 months! but still, having cohen limits the amount of day time sleep i get so the nights are really hard to get through! west loved to nurse from the very beginning but he was sucking very shallowly and i ended up getting scabs. i met with a lactation consultant who pointed out that he sucks in his top lip and i would need to work on that with him. i attempted to but it was too difficult and it was getting very frustrating and painful!!! since then i have been exclusively pumping. it's time consuming but worth it because i know west is getting the benefit of the breastmilk. my goal is to keep it up for atleast 3 months so we will see how that goes! anyway... that's what's going on in our lives up to this point! we'll keep you posted. thanks for all of your sweet comments! we love you all!

introducing...

2010-11-08T12:10:00.000-08:00

Westley Cole Leao

Nov 4th 2010

11:29pm

7 lbs 13 oz

22 inches

*photos by Spotted Photography

39.1

2010-11-03T19:41:00.000-07:00

i got a phone call tonight saying i would get another phone call after 5 am letting me know whether or not the have room for me to be induced... i got pretty emotional today just thinking of how life will change yet again. i will have one more little person dependent on me. i prayed that i would be able to balance it all and still give my husband the love and attention that he most definitely deserves. i get caught up with the cooking cleaning and taking care of kids stuff that sometimes i forget how to wind down and give me hubs a little love. i prayed so whole heartedly that i would be able to do that for him. i'm not good at "letting things go" especially a clean house but its something i feel is going to have to be put a little lower on the priority list once brother comes. the people in my life need much more attention than my home at the moment.

i'm getting a little nervous at the thought of everything that will happen tomorrow (or that will hopefully happen tomorrow) i should say. thankfully my mom is on her way here now and i'll have my husband by my side. that comforts me so much just thinking about. i can't wait to hold and kiss my sweet son so fresh from Heavenly Fathers presence. I am so thankful to be a mom, not once, but almost twice! my family is my joy. i'm not sure i'll be as good at blogging after brother comes but it has definitely helped get through these long days of waiting!!!! i'll try to keep you posted!

38.6

2010-11-02T14:59:00.001-07:00

i'm going to attempt a quick blog update while cohen is distracted by cartoons. we'll see how long that lasts!

the other night i started feeling this terrible burning/stinging pain under my ribs. the skin is very tender to the touch there as well. every time baby would move or kick in that area it made me jump in pain. in the middle of the night i woke up from the pain and was crying in excruciating pain. i didn't know what to do so i called the dr. and she told me to go to labor /delivery to get evaluated. i hesitated and thought i'd try to sleep it off. the next morning i felt i should go in since it as a bit more convenient than the middle of the night. we were there 3 hours while they ran blood tests and monitored me and the baby. they thought it may be preeclampsia because of where the pain was but it turned out it wasn't. at the end of it all they told me it most likely is stretching, which isn't normally that painful. i knew it wasn't normal myself but it made sense that it was stretching since i'm normally pretty narrow in my abdomen so i figured being this big would cause quite a bit of stretching. i haven't had as painful an episode as that since then but it is still very tender. the nurses encouraged me to go through with the induction on thursday which was comforting because i have been going back and forth with it. i've been weighing the pros and cons. come to think of it i feel like i should be more prayerful about it. i don't want to feel like i am taking control away from Heavenly Father and his timing. those are not my intentions. i don't want to force baby here if he is not ready either. i want to do it for a few reasons... my mom can only take a few days off from work to be here for the delivery and she missed cohen's delivery last time. it was really hard for her to miss it especially since it wasn't her fault. she even told me recently that she has never been present for a real delivery other than her own kids and i want her to be apart of this special day. that's my biggest motivation. also being group b strep positive and being an hour away from the hospital and most recently this rib pain. all those combined with the assurance from my dr baby is ready are what make me feel like its ok. i will be missing out on the "oh my gosh! i'm in labor, panic/excitement feeling but i'd rather be more prepared this time with cohen and all my other needs for being prepared. i'm not sure how it will all work out or if i'll end up going through with it but i wont if i don't have that peace.

38.2

2010-10-28T12:34:00.000-07:00

that sure does sound like a lot of weeks to be pregnant. these last few have been the absolute longest! funny how i'm so eager for sleep deprivation and high possibility of hormonal induced mood swings... all because i want my baby here!!!! i never completely related with other friends of mine who had to wait and wait and wait for their babies to come.... until now! and he's not even due yet!!! go figure. i think having cohen nearly 3 weeks early set me up for disappointment this time around. my dr. warned me this may happen. 37 weeks came around and i expected little man to come just like cohen... but then 37 weeks left and here i am still large and in charge with baby in tow. i was dilated to a 2+ and 60% effaced at my last visit and i have another tomorrow. even though those numbers are NO indication of hether he's coming soon or not. boo! the last few days sleep is impossible. i'd rather lose sleep to feed my baby in the middle of the night, not to pee and change positions constantly. marcel and i just last night ,as we looked at the empty pack n play set up in our room, talked about how cohen is constantly going to be peeking in once the baby is there and saying "ho him" or "shhh baby seeping". we're so excited to see cohen be a BIG brother! i have to mention the cutest thing in the world! the other night mr leao went to spend some guy time with his brothers... immediately after we dropped him off he wished he hadn't left me. he texted me frequently throughout the night and immediately after he walked in the door he started packing HIS hospital bag! he was even plotting different routes to the hospital because of all the construction on the freeway these days! every day since then he has been so eager to "induce" me :) he even gave me permission to go shopping!!!!! its the best feeling in the world to share this excitement with my husband. it makes me so happy to see him so excited!!! who knew we'd feel this way again even though we've been through it once before! maybe its even more exciting because we know what to look forward too. AHHH! i can't wait. every single day and every ache and pain i wonder to myself if this is it!!! i'm scheduled to have an elective induction on thursday.... hoping he comes sooner though. i was told i am group b strep positive. very casually at that. when i came home and did some research of my own i found out that its actually very risky to the baby during delivery! it will require atleast 4 hours of antibiotic treatment when i go into labor, which makes me think that having a planned induction may bring me extra peace knowing i will definitely have the full course of treatment before the baby comes lessening the risk to him. i was hoping for a little smoother delivery this time around but i'm not sure there is such a thing as a hiccup free delivery... or atleast its just rare. as long as he gets here healthy and stays healthy i will be one happy mama!!!! the sooner the better though :)

full term!

2010-10-20T08:13:00.000-07:00

it's official! baby brother can come any day now! i have noticed the last couple of days i am having an increase in braxton hicks contractions. they are pretty strong to the point where i have to stop what i'm doing and change positions, especially while sleeping. i have also had some discomfort in my lower stomach and lower back as well as these random cramps in my calves! i've woken up screaming in pain from them a few times and marcel will quickly roll over and massage it for me... such a good guy. it's pretty exciting to feel my body preparing for this little guys arrival. just yesterday i was telling mr. leao that i've gotten so used to being pregnant that i forget that it will end and i will have a little baby! now and then i think of cohen and how this is really going to chang his little world... i'm sure it will be somewhat traumatic but i hope to make it a smooth transition with some extra effort to involve him. i know in time it will be the best thing for him. he will learn things i don't think he could learn any other way than by having a sibling to share his life with.

Cohen is such a sweetie these days. we underestimate how smart he is and he is always surprising us with how smart he is! he is talking so much. our favorite words he says lately are "fup" for football (which he is beginning to say correctly now :( "wa dish!" for watch this (this is marcels personal fav) "ya you!!" "jee-us" for Jesus and i know there's more but i can' think of them right now. i have been meaning to cit cohen down to do a little "interview" so i can get it all on video. his little voice is so precious. hopefully i will get around to that today!

oh yeah!

2010-10-06T22:04:00.000-07:00

i forgot to mention we finally decided on a name!

drum roll please...

Westley (West for short).

now for a middle name. i vote Connor but we'll see what Marcel decides.

35 weeks and counting...

2010-10-06T21:46:00.000-07:00

i can't say this pregnancy has "flown by" like i've heard other girls say about their 2nd pregnancies. i have eagerly been counting the days just as i did with cohen. i'm not quite as obssessed with the babies development like i was with toe-ee but equally excited i think. my mind wonders what he'll look like... similar to cohen or completely different... light or dark... hair or no hair... we'll love him any way! i can't wait to see how cohen is going to interact with baby brother. i have a good feeling but what do i know. it could turn ugly once he gets here, but i hope not. i do think of cohen and how he has no idea that his little world is about to change entirely. i know it will be goof for him to learn to share mom and dad's love and attention but i know it is going to be an emotional ride for me AND him.

i'm surprised how strong brothers movements are. i watch my tummy just go lop-sided and see/feel little body parts poking out. its amazing. very different than with cohen, not sure why, but i think it may be that i gained less this time around. i will say this pregnancy has been harder physically. my ribs and back have been unbearable. sleep has been nearly impossible since about 30 weeks. sometimes i cry out of frustration that i am so tired and don't have many opportunities to sleep and when i have the chance to i can't because i am so uncomfrtable. there's no telling if this little guy will come early or late because cohen didn't come under the most "normal" circumstances. my dr. says that i most likely went into labor with him at 37 weeks due to an infection in my placenta. so who knows. i'm ready for him though! i feel much more prepared for him than i did with cohen which is a nice feeling. i'm not ready for the sleep deprivation but hopefully this time around nursing will work out. i'm very determined. i just pray that brother is doing ok in there and and that he will come out healthy and strong. thats my greatest desire. cohens delivery was a scary thing so i hope to experience something a little more "by the book"... i'm sure its normal but i think about that a lot and will probably worry until the day he is here. even then what mom ever stops worrying about their babies. any-way... i'm blabbing. 35 days to go! (give or take obviously) next dr. visit she will "check" me... fun.

Toe-ee turns 2!!!

2010-10-06T21:25:00.000-07:00

Toe-ee is how Cohen says his name. we love it. so much that we find ourselves calling him that as well. so little Toe-ee celebrated his 2nd birthday August 25 2010! we flew into california on the 24th (to try and avoid having to buy a seat for him) boy, was that miserable. i didn't consider the lack of lap space with my 8 month pregnant belly when i booked the 5 hour flight. we made it though! he loved it of course and couldn't get enough of the planes. my mom and brother were there to pick us up. that was the best. i love seeing my moms sweet face and feeling her warm embrace. i've missed her too much. the next day cohen awoke to a traditional grandma sally birthday message on the mirror and tons of balloons! then we took him to the brackett airfield for his official birthday and then celebrated that night with cake and presents! my mom spoiled him... i'm thankful she did because my suitcase was too full to fit any gifts and had zero time to do shopping other than a few adorable books i had for him. this kid definitely got his "tommy" thomas the train fix. backpacks, movie, lunch box, train set... he loved it all! i had hoped to throw a little "planes and trains" party for him... i had so many cute ideas, but marcel was already really bummed he had to stay behind to work AND not be with cohen on his birthday so i didn't want to make him feel even more left out. oh! and the sweetest thing... later that week my sisters boyfriend matt invited our family over for dinner and after we ate he surprised cohen with another cake and even got him a dodgers baseball cap! i mentioned it months before that i wanted to get him one so it was so thoughtful! i was even able to squeeze in a few visits with dear friends! we spent some time with my bff nickle-pickle and little "juicy" (lucy) as cohen calls her and went to the beach with payce and gwen! we had a great trip but after 2 weeks i was really eager to get home and get situated for baby to come! did i mention less than 35 days until my due date?? ca-razy! more to come on that in my next post!

grrr... i can't upload any pics. so annoying.... i guess my next post will be all pictures!

Elder David A. Bednar

2010-08-23T13:27:00.000-07:00

can i just tell you...

2010-08-16T16:59:00.000-07:00

i am a lucky lucky girl.

my sweet hubs, on a daily basis, reminds me he only has eyes for me.

any girl who has ever been pregnant... or any girl for that matter, has days when sexy is definitely not a word you would use to describe yourself.

i have plenty of those days lately.

i can't even count how many times mr.leao reminds me that he thinks i am beautiful, gorgeous, sexy, hot... and the list goes on.

and even if the words don't come out of his mouth, his eyes say it ALL.

i feel it. i can't help but smile when he gives me that look.

just today for that matter he kept saying how beautiful i looked.

finally i just said, "i don't feel beautiful" and in true prefect husband fashion, he says " even if you don't lose a pound after having this baby i will still think you are so beautiful because i am so in love with you...

i have tears in my eyes as i type this.

i knew when i married marcel he would keep me laughing and even when we were dating he always complimented me and was so loving and affectionate. i'm just so grateful that over the last, almost 4 years, of us being together he still makes me feel so special.

Baby "blank" Leao...

2010-08-13T21:56:00.000-07:00

we are having THE hardest time coming up with a name for our upcoming addition. I'm stuck on the name Hudson but the fact that Marcel doesn't love it takes away my excitement over it... so for now that name will remain on the list of maybe's along with...

Sloan
Wesley
Connor
Beckham "Beck"
Dexter
Trace
Jett
Asher
Zealand
Crew
Corver
Madden

Marcels Fav's are...
Wesley
Trace
Madden

Mine are...
all of the others.
i do like Wesley and it seems like it'd be a good fit but i'm still not sure.
i'm thinking this time around we may end up waiting to meet baby brother before we name him and that's ok too.

25 weeks...

2010-07-27T19:59:00.000-07:00

...by spotted photography.

my cousin by marriage, Paola, has been here visiting for a few days so today we decided to wander around our apartment complex and see if we could get some nice maternity photos! she has a successful photography business called Spotted Photography so i was really excited she was willing to do this for me! i never had any professional photos done with cohen so i was thrilled to have these done for baby Hudson??... yes, thats the name that is sticking with me. i just need to convince marcel :) anyway, enjoy!

yes or no?

2010-07-20T07:58:00.000-07:00

i am dying for a change. i have been attempting to let my hair grow this pregnancy, but i'm over it! maybe it's because i am gaining weight but i feel like long hair is not flattering on me. i have a fairly round face so i feel like anything around the shoulder length just emphasizes the "roundness". i am so torn about whether or not i stick it out and let it keep growing in hopes that as it gets longer it will be more flattering (and maybe this is just the awkward length you always hear people talk about) or just chop it. To add to my indecisiveness, i need to decide if i should go dark again or stay blonde. i get mixed feelings from other people about it. my aunt who does my hair says go dark.. that it is more "stunning" and makes my features pop and marcel says either color but he LOVES when i have a shorter a-line cut. hmmmm. i found pictures of the haircuts and color i'm considering... atleast i have 5 weeks before i can do anything about it anyway....what to do?!!!!

fall down tree.

2010-07-20T07:45:00.000-07:00

anyone who knows me knows exactly why i'd want the lion...
i mean hello... we are the LEAO's :)

Cohen LOVES choo choo's!!

and i want him to love robots as much as i do.

the whale and giraffe would just be cute for both of my boys.

these would be a cute addition for the baby...
especially since i fully intend on dying my hair dark again
when we get home from the summer!

lately...

2010-07-16T17:02:00.000-07:00

i love this face.

most of the APX wives this summer!
Me, Michelle, Victoria, and Ash are all pregnant and weeks
apart from one another. There's also Jessica and Kacee who are also pregnant but not pictured here!

JUMP!

Chuck E Cheese! look at that little fat face.

such a big boy!!!!

tan little man on 4th of july!

fireworks with dad!

cohen and baby sawyer!

bedtime stories with dad and rawr.

Destin Beach Florida

where to begin...

my sister in law Mal came to visit at the end of june with our nephew Sawyer! We can't get over how cute that little boy is... marcel and I both agree that he reminded us how much we love having a baby around and it made us both even more excited for the baby to come! While Mal was here we went to Destin Beach in Florida, which was already getting small tar balls from the oil. Such a shame because the water is so blue and pretty. We also celebrated the 4th of July with a BBQ and then we all went to Battleship park to see fireworks. The little ones loved it! Then we came back to our apt and did our own! Marcel was so excited to do fireworks with Cohen that we had to get them the night before and then first thing in the morning he runs outside with him to try some out! It was a really fun day!

In the last few weeks Cohen also made a new friend named Mason. They play so well together (most of the time)

I've been busily working on baby projects too! I've made a cute swaddle blanket and 2 applique onesies so far! I just want to make a carseat cover before the summer ends!

I've spent this summer experimenting with some new recipes also which has been delicious! I make a weekly menu which also helps keep our food costs in check!

I really need to keep up with my blog better because i am having the hardest time remembering everything we've been up to!!

Friday we celebrated Lydias 2nd birthday! She and Cohen are so close in age. Whenever COhen sees their truck in the parking lot he screams "yi ya"!!! its so cute. he loves her... but when they get together it seems like they always fight over toys... Lydia is a tough girl though and sticks up for herself! Anyway, for her day we went to Pump It Up which is like Jump on It evidentally. The kids had a blast (and of course so did the big boys!!!) I went on the slide with Cohen once, but then just stuck to taking pictures of everyone else. It was so hard to get around on those things with my ever expanding belly! i would get so winded!

I can't believe I am a few days shy of 6 months! i can't wait to get home and get everything ready for our little guy! only 6 weeks left! Baby is still moving and shaking in my tummy often. much more than cohen ever did!

Cohen loves to sing along with me at bedtime now... he loves Twinkle Twinkle Little Star (he does the diamond with his hands too) and Itsy Bitsy Spider! He also likes to sing the ABC's and count to 5! He doesn't get them in order yet but he's getting the hang of it.

When we got home from Lydia's party I decided to go grocery shopping before Marcel had to leave for work... about a half hour later i get a call from marcel saying "You aren't going to believe what our son just did!" evidentally cohen was just playing with his toys in the living room with daddy, when he gets up and slowly walks to his room. marcel hears him in there playing with rawr when a few minutes later it gets quiet. when he goes to check on him, he finds that he got rawr and his blankie, tucked himself in and was totally out! that is the first time he's ever done that! we can't believe our big boy is growing up! i love my little family so much. i love being a mom and wife. as monotonous as my days can be and as uneventful as it sometimes is i wouldn't want it any other way. i married such a good man and i'm so lucky that i have the life i do. i can't take my eyes off my little boy. i am just so proud to be his mom. sorry for getting so emotional at times on here, but its times like these i need to express my gratitude for my life, because i do have days that i take it for granted and its always a good reminder for me of what is really important. sooo.... hope you are all happy and well!

Baby Bu-dder!!!!

2010-06-24T13:23:00.000-07:00

Marcel and I are so thrilled to be having another little man in the house. I had a feeling we'd have a girl this time around so I was pretty shocked when they said otherwise. I was really hoping for a boy for a few reasons. It's nice to know I have all the clothes, bedding etc. that i'll need so i can invest in other things I'll need that are a little pricey like a double stroller. I've always like the idea of being a mom to all boys. Don't know why. I just see myself as the minivan mom going to all the sporting events. If we have a girl at some point i think she'll have to be a tom boy like i was. Anyway, there are 6 pregnant wives in our office this year and we are all just weeks apart from eachother! One of the wives michelle and I decided we'd go get the ultrasounds together and surprise our husbands later. we had this whole idea that we would have them write it down and i'd give mine to michelle and vice versa and we'd bake a cake in either pink or blue with white frosting and then we wouldn't find out until we cut the cake what we were having! once we got to the ultrasound school we realized it was a classroom of people and they all wanted to know the gender so we just scratched that idea. After I found out what I was having I called Marcel and told him to put the phone to Cohens ear and I would tell him first. So I said "Cohen, you're getting a baby brother!!!" and he GASPS and says "bu-dder!!!" it was so freakin cute!!!!! I could not have asked for a better reaction. When marcel heard that he grabbed the phone and said"did you hear that? he even gasped before he said it!" cohen had never said brother before so we were so surprised and loved it. when i heard cohen say that it just made me think that these little boys are going to best buds and i'm so excited to how their relationship develops over the years. I love the relationship marcel has with his brothers so i'm glad cohen will have the opportunity to have that as well. it is also a testiment to me of the pre-existence. these little boys knew eachother and us before they came to us physically and i am so grateful for that.
This pregancy has been going by quite fast. At 17 weeks I started feeling the baby move and by 18 weeks I could feel it on the outside! It was 22 weeks when I first felt cohen! I love it though. I lay in bed mornign and night just feeling him dance around in there. i love it! we are still so torn on names. i have some in mind but i'm not sure marcel loves them so we'll see.

I have to share something funny that happened today. Cohen was running down the hallway and tripped and fell and as he did i hear him say "shoop!!!" (meaning shoot) i died laughing. he is a funny kid. marcel and i can't get enough of his little personality. he loves his uncle "dah-ee" (jadi) too. He comes over for dinner most nights and cohen gets equally excited to see jadi come in the door as he does to see marcel! and he also gets equally as sad when he leaves :( its so sweet how much love this kid has to give. he is so affectioante and sweet along with being incredibly funny and energetic. i'm obviuosly emotional somedays with all the pregnancy hormones and so somedays i cry over the silliest things. whe cohen sees theis he immediately climbs on me and gives me hugs and kisses or just sits on my lap just to be with me. its incredible how aware he is of how to react and comfort in those times. of course when he does this i immediately cheer up :) he's talking up a storm and can pretty much repeat anything we say. he still adores rawr and tickles from rawrs tail before he sleeps. he always says his prayers ( so adorable!) marcel and i just watch him sometimes and can't believe how smart he is for his age but he will be 2 in two months!!!! i can't believe my big boy. i am such a proud mama.

sorry no pictures...our laptop crashed so we'll have to wait until we get home from the summer to upload pics!

pictures!

2010-05-27T16:42:00.001-07:00

sorry these are so out of order but i really don't have time to rearrange them!

this is Cohen on the drive to our apt's in MOBILE FINALLY!!!

he says "fry" now. he loves them.

in hotel #2 in Daphne AL. Cohen does this funny move lately!!! we can't get enough.

cohen and dad doing it together!

Hotel #1 Hattiesburg MS. He spent hours just playing with his truvks and choo choo's right here!

getting ready to go out for dinner!

you like our laundry all over the bed? i'm pretty sure i asked marcel to fold it :)

seriously, can you see the resemblance?!!!

the next few are from EASTER in CA!!!

Marcel as the easter bunny :)

flying kites at the park!

my bro pushing co in the toy stroller!

if he wasn't outside he was here screaming "SIDE" !!!! just waiting for someone to take hin out!

playing in the water while dad washed te car!

"say cheese cohen!" ha ha

cute little people

in our apt's!!! cohen decided to share some gum with dad while he was still asleep :)

we live soooo close to the beach! and honestly its better than Florida beaches! who knew?!!!

we had to get there before the oil did :(

can you see my 4 month pregnant belly? i popped quick with this one!

after the beach we stopped at a fun park with go carts and rides for kids!

cohen loved the carousel!

he even rode the choo choo all by himself! i didn't know how he'd do but he did great!

hi mom & dad!

not so sure at first :)

this track was insanely cool. marcel jadi mike and kiffen had a blast!

cohen an i just watched and he got so excited everytime he saw daddy come around!

jadi and marcel buried cohen in sand

my hot mr. leao

cutie bub playing in the sandcohen spotted daddy out in the water!

i don't think he can hear you bud!

my little football star!

Sweet home Alabama...

2010-05-20T13:52:00.000-07:00

well, home for the summer! can i just say it is beautiful here! we are still in hotels for the time being...probably another 2-3 weeks. its not so bad though. i can see the ocean from our window!!! its breathtaking. we are in a town called Daphne and there is about a 7 mile long bridge we crossed to get here from Mobile. i have to say i'm deathly afraid of large bodies of water. especially driving over them when you can't see land ahead or behind you! i finally braved the drive back over the bridge to check out the city the other day. we went to a mall ther that had a massive Forever 21. i'm making every atempt possible to feel somewhat attractive at this point in my pregnancy so i can't resist getting something new now and then to up my confidence. even though i still weigh much less then with cohen it is still not easy gaining weight. i dont think anyone enjoys it really. i'm reminded yet again with this pregnancy how lucky i am to have an adoring husband. he STILL thinks i'm super hot and tells me every single day. i really scored when i married him. i love waking up in the morning and feeling my cantaloupe sized ball in my belly. i forgot how cool it was to see the changed occur in what seems like overnight!!! a Yesterday Cohen and I went to an outdoor mall and where the have the water fountains that shoot up from the ground. its actually a little park where parents being their kids with their swinsuits and toys and they have a ball. Cohen LOVED it! i could barely get him to sit still for a picture because he was running all over the place. it is the greatest feeling in the world to see my smiley happy boy enjoying his young little life. he is the greatest joy in my world. he makes me so happy every single day. marcel and i really do enjoy him more than anything in this life. he's such a little smarty. he's learned to say "come" and he'll do the hand motion for you to follow him or he'll get behind me and push my legs in the direction he wants me to go. he always says "all done" when we finish readin a book. last night we went to a nearby donut shop and i asked cohen which one do you want? and he pointed to the same sprinkle donut 3 times in a row so i knew that was the one! then this morning as we ate them for breakfast in bed cohen took a few bites and then took a drink of milk and said "num!!!!" it was so cute. he always asks for my keys and tries to open everything with them. he loves to snack on cheese sticks and whole tomatoes. not even kidding. he picks them out of my salads and sandwiches. atleast their good for him! he likes all sorts of fruit too.
i'm really excited about some upcoming things too. i spent quite some time yesterday calling around to ob's just to get information and find what dr. i would see while i'm here and i decided to give a lay midwife here in the area a call. i've been trying to decide what route i want to take with this pregnancy as far as the delivery goes. i want to go au natural, but i know i will need to prepare and educate myself much better than i did with cohen and would most likely want to have a midwife who would be there for me throughout my entire labor. i had been meeting with a group of midwives in utah and also my normal ob who i had with cohen. after talking to the midwife on the phone yesterday i just got so excited. i have such a desire to learn more about homeopathic and natural ways to deal with things rather than just going to dr's and medicine. while talking to he she explained that i s all she does. she blocks out an hour of time for my visit and along with checking vitals and weight she spends most of the time edicating me on nutrition and anything that is going on with my pregnancy. i really like that. i was always dissapointed at the short amount of time i got with my dr. at each visit. i just think she is exactly what i'm looking for so hopefully my pregnancy is complication free so i can continue to see her and avoid all those expensive dr's!!!

(i have lots of pictures but our camera cord is packed away somewhere and i am too lazy to look for it soooo.... maybe tomorrow :)

mother's intuition? we'll see!

2010-05-09T17:23:00.000-07:00

when i was pregnant with Cohen, come to think of it, even before i was pregnant with him, i had pretty detailed dreams about him. one in particular was of him standing up in his crib looking at me with his big blue eyes... when we found out he was a boy i remember feeling so excited when i thought back to this dream. as he grew up one of the most distinct things about him were his big eyes which was even sweeter to me. i truly dreamt of my little boy.

this time around i hadn't had any dreams until just recently. it was quite an odd dream. on a side note, when i had my ultrasound down at 10 weeks my dr. told me the baby was moving around so much already, which was very different than cohen. cohen was very calm and really never kicked much. he mostly rolled around in my tummy. its obviously to early to tell how active this baby will be but it will be interesting to compare. anyway, back to my dream. i dreamt that the baby was kicking me so much that it kicked THROUGH my stomach and i could see the baby's foot sticking out! somehow the baby came completely out and it was a little girl!

i thought this was interesting because very early on i had thoughts and feelngs that this one might be a girl. my pregnancy has been different this time around. less sickness for one, different cravings and less weight gain. i don't know if these things indicate anything but we'll soon find out! i find myself drawn to the baby girl clothes and bedding at the store too.

i always saw myself as a mom to all boys. i thought it would be fun and always interesting. my mom was a single mom and most of my life i had 2 sisters so we grew up with alot of estrogen in the house. maybe that's why i always wanted something different. i realized after i started having these feelings and dreams that i needed to reconsider the way i always saw things turning out. i'll be really excited for either really! for different reasons i could see a boy or a girl being a blessing in our home. i'm just so curious to see if these experiences have a much greater purpose! we will see soon enough!

Happy Mom's Day!!

2010-05-09T09:12:00.000-07:00

Today I am especially grateful that I am a mom to sweet little Cohen and lil babe in my belly!

I woke up at 6 this morning and moments later I heard Cohen moving around in his bed trying to get comfy... then I heard the sweetest sound of him kissing his buddy rawr.

It got me thinking about about all the things Cohen has been up to lately that make my life so sweet!

he hides his little head or covers his eyes then says "BEE BOO!" (peek a boo)

he says "Ya You!" (love you)

he says please and puts his head on his shoulder.

when you tell him to say cheese in pictures he smiles and squints his eyes tightly shut.

he loves "dum" (gum)

i love how social he is. he LOVES people and is such an entertainer. just like dad!

he is VERY affectionate. he loves to snuggle in bed with us every morning. he even gets in our bed at night and says "nigh nigh"

he loves to sit on my lap. i love how he backs up until he gets to me and then plops right down.

he runs so so cute. he runs as fast as his little legs will let him and his little head bobs the whole way.

he loves to wrestle and play fight with dad and uncle jadi and now the boys in our office!

he cracks up hysterically if you hit your head on anything. he especially loves to bump heads

with other people. sometimes he does it when i don't expect it and it hurts!

my favorite thing lately is he scowls at us of we say no and then he starts to tell us off in his own little language. we can't help but laugh. sometimes marcel says no to him for no reason just to get him to do it!

he loves the pool! when he doesn't have his floaty on and i am holding him he tries to get out of my arms thinking he can do it on his own! he loves to jump in when i catch him too!

he loves to talk on the phone like most kids! he even says phone now.

well, thats all that i can remember right now so i think now i'll write a little bit about MY mom!

she is the most selfless person i know. you will never meet someone who does more for others. sometimes to a fault. she is so patient. of course the most beautiful woman i know. her hugs are my favorite. she is always so warm and snuggly. i love her smell. when i was younger and she had to work nights i rarely got to see her so i would always find a dirty shirt to sleep with because it would smell like her! my mom is the hardest worker. she has worked at The Home Depot for almost 20 years! she went through some terrible things while she was married to my dad and my older sisters dad. she was always so good to them and they just never gave her what she deserved so i am thankful she left them. i hope she will find someone soon that will take care of her and treat her like a queen like she deserves, that's the thing that makes my mom the happiest. she says that seeing me happy and in a healthy marriage is the best gift i could ever give her. she loves marcel and is so happy that i married him (and so am i) my mom is really amazing and have the utmost love, respect and admiration for her. i hope that my kids look at me the way i do her. i feel so lucky to call her "mom".

knocked up!

2010-05-05T16:41:00.000-07:00

Yes. Yes i am!

Cohen will be a BIG brother this fall!

My due date is 11/10/2010

This is an ultrasound picture done at about 10 weeks.

It was definitely a surprise, but really how surprised could we be.

We obviuosly weren't being super careful and left room for Heavenly Father to allow his will to happen. I had been having a hard time seeing Cohen growing up soooo fast.

We both are actually, so I had days where I wanted another baby and then I had those days when my patience was stretched so thin that there was no way in hell.

(sorry for the potty mouth)

but it'e true.

We had a few scares and I cried at the thought of another baby.

This time around didn't feel any different then those past scares except

this time the test was positive and I was grinning ear to ear. still in shock but

happy! I know that peace came from knowing it was what Heavenly Father desired for us, whether we knew it or not. i just yelled to marcel in the other room... "baaaaabe" and he knew.

He seemed pretty shocked too. I don't think it really sank in for either of us.

At first I had the normal exhaustion, sore boobs and the most

annoying peeing a million times a day and night.

about 7 weeks the nausea set in and pretty much disappeared by 9 weeks.

i had been really worried about miscarrying since i didn't feel as sick as i did with cohen.

Marcel left for a long drive to Georgia right after Easter and called me on his drive.

we had such a long talk. it reminded me of when we were dating and

spent hours talking on the phone about nothing.

during our conversation he told me that he was really excited for this baby!!!

when he said that i felt like i was free to be excited about it too! we both were nervous

about having 2 kids and didn't know how we could possibly love another

baby as much as we love Cohen.

obviously we will.

these were just the mix of thoughts and feelings that we needed to overcome

to get to a point of real joy and excitement for this little one.

I'm past the 3 month mark now and feeling a million times better!

i started out this pregnancy 10 pounds lighter than when

i got pregnant with Cohen and am really hoping to keep my weight under

control a little better this time around.

i've been running and have gained 10 pounds so far. i feel good about that.

my hopes are to gain around 15-20 the next 6 months.

my dr. really encouraged me to stay active and

to keep my weight on the lower end of 25-35 weight gain range.

mostly because she feels its really not necessary to gain that much and

i really can't be big and sluggish while chasin around a nearly 2 year old!!!

I'll fill you in on Cohen a little bit too. We are living in a hotel in Mississippi for the month, so we've had to get really creative to keep him entertained. Sometimes we

hang out in the lobby and Cohen flirts with the ladies at the front desk

and greets EVERY SINGLE person that comes in and out with a "HI!!!" and "BYE BYE!!!"

he's gained quite an imagination lately.

he walks around in circles making noises like "pssshhhh" kina like he's in an action movie

or something. We've tried to teach Cohen that there's a baby in my tummy .

whenever we say "Cohen, where's the baby?" he pulls up my shirt to kiss my belly.

i think he thinks we mean my belly button though :)

he learned to answer yes to questions by nodding.

i love this so much that i intentionally ask him things just so he'll do it.

he's so fun. i love him to pieces. i'm so lucky to be his mom and to have

another little one coming soon!!!

6 weeks until we find out what we're having!

Easter California Style!

2010-04-09T14:45:00.000-07:00

Marcel left to Georgia with all of our stuff including our nice camera and I forgot to

upload the pictures of our trip before he left so here's a few from our little old camera.

Our trip to California was amazing! We decided to take off Wednesday night and drive through the night while Cohen slept. Of course we hit the worst snow storm through southern Utah. We drove 40 or less through most of it but finally got to good ol' Chino at 7 am! I was pooped but couldn't sleep because I was so excited to see my family! My mom went to work so we spent the day with my sister and her boyfriend Matt. We devoured my favorite BRC with guacamole and sour cream from El Pollo Loco... mmmm good! It's been a long time fav of me and my sis. Then we went to the mall to visit MY store H&M! Not going to lie... i was sorta dissapointed with the selection they had. I specifically wanted to find some jeans for myself and didn't find any! bummer. We spent a lot of time outside with Cohen. He would just stand at the door saying "side!" until someone would go out with him. The weather was perfect and we both got some color!!! woot! My mom has the best fenced in yard with a decent size lawn and driveway so him and his Cousin Kenzie would BOTH push their little strollers all over. Cohen would put Rawr in it for a ride. it was awesome. Marcel decided to wash our car while we were hanging out and the kids had a blast playing in the water. Kenzie was all in it and Cohen just played off to the side where the water was running down into the street. We went to lunch at Riverside Grill with my sis and her bf on Saturday and then hung out until my mom got off work. Marcel went to Priesthood by himself while I went grocery shopping with my mama to get stuff for her delicious tacos!!! she made these yummy cake cookies for us to have on easter and we ate all of them that night! My sis and I had fun getting Easter Baskets ready for our kids! Easter was so fun too. We slept in a little then woke up and had a yummy breakfast that marcel made for us! we got ready and then went to the park to fly kites. That didn't really work out because every single park was packed! We went back home and did an egg hunt for Cohen and Kenzie! They actually got the hang of it. Once Cohen realized there was candy in them he was done hunting and just wanted to chow down! We ate yummy ham and then said our goodbyes. Of course I cried and coultdn't let go of my mom. I am tearing up just thinking about how much I miss her and my siblings. Marcel loves going to see my family too. We talked pretty seriously about making the move there and it seems like something that is really going to happen in the near future! When we are ready to buy a house it will be there. I can't wait!

whats up?!

2010-03-29T19:27:00.001-07:00

We had a few things happen lately that I don't want to forget to write down!

Something exciting is a few weeks ago we got a car! We've been sharing one vehicle for some time now and it has been a challenge! So finally after many weeks of searching for something in our price range with low mileage that would last us a few years... we found it! we both decided we wanted a Honda Accord an thats just what we got! a 2000 to be exact. It's in very good condition with only a few dings on the exterior and the interior is decent as well. It runs like a dream though. we test drove quite a few cars and even lost some money on doing safety/emissions on some that didn't end up passing so we were beyond grateful when we found our car. the guy we bought it from was a super nice and honest guy that was going to byu so we knew he wasn't going to screw us. it just felt right and we are so happy with our purchase!

Also, last week was my birthday! I turned 25 on the 23rd! Marcel was such a sweetie. He had secretly been stashing away money just for the day! I woke up to a birthday message on BOTH bathroom mirrors (which is something my mom would ALWAYS do for us, and Marcel has kept the tradition alive in our family :) He then took cohen and i to breakfast at Cracker Barrel! He knows i love going to breakfast better than anything! i 'd pick that over a dinner date any day!

He had to go to school after that so I gave Cohen a nap until he got home. Marcel just spoiled me the whole day! He kept saying "what next, birthday girl!?" he made me feel soooo special. thats kind of hard to do as you get older and birthdays lose that excitement they once had. he made it so fun though! Later on in the evening marcel busily worked on making a cake for me and invited our friends and family over for pizza, cake and games! i have to say it was one of my favorite birthdays!

On to some other news! Marcel made the decision to be a tech again this year and we are going to Birmingham Alabama! Not the most ideal place, but our apartments look great from the website! We're really focusing on making this summer more about work and less about fun so the less distractions and things to spend money on over the summer the better! That way we'll come home with more! Wish us luck!

Sorry no pictures lately... i go through phases where i take pictures non stop and then somehow forget to take them after awhile! I'll catch up... we're going to California to spend easter with my family so i will take LOTS then!

family photos...

2010-03-27T11:04:00.000-07:00

this is the wonderful family i married into... i'm so lucky!

Cohen LOVES his cousin Sawyer!

Happy Spring!

2010-03-22T10:56:00.000-07:00

Who isn't loving this amazing weather lately!? It's such a cheerful time! Speaking of cheerful... these cupcakes make me SMILE! I think these will be an easter treat for my boys!

weekend getaway...

2010-03-08T20:38:00.000-08:00

Marcel's brother called us last week and told us some of the APX guys were going down to St. George to sell. One of the guys parents owned a beautiful vacation home there that had plenty of room for the wives and kids so Cohen and I got to come along! My sister in law Mal and my nephew Sawyer were there too so I was really excited to have some much needed girl time!

Over the weekend Cohen learned how to say Sawyer's name... it was so sweet. he adores his cousin. No doubt they are going to be best buds someday soon! Marcel was actually really occupied installing that he never got a chance to knock or do anything too fun. Mal and I went to the outlets and had lunch but we spent most of our time lounging around. I put on about 5 pounds this weekend and i'm paying the price now with my lack of motivation to workout, blah! there's always tomorrow :) Poor Cohen somehow got sick on the trip and has had a fever since we've been home... i sort of like it when he's sick though. he's always extra cuddly and clingy. i just love to snuggle with my little one. anyway, that was our weekend!

before meets after...

2010-03-08T20:23:00.001-08:00

i love when other people post their before and

after projects so i decided to get a little thrifty myself!

i found the above canister at Ross on clearance super cheap.

it is a set of 3 but i got a little ahead of my self and didn't

remember to take a before picture until the other two were already painted...oops!

you get the idea by the above picture. quite patriotic, right?

Here is the finished product below!!! i LOVE them!

evidently decorating with numbers is the "it" thing this season.

this bench below was a yard sale find on one of trips to California!

i had big plans for this $20 piece of furniture.... it was originally a plain old oak brown color with some chips and scratches, a little paint and super RAD fabric.... and VOILA!

if we have a girl next i have some amazing plans with this fabric

and a deep purple color as my inspiration for the nursery!

(i haven't gotten around to sewing the top cover but you get the idea!)

oh baby...

2010-03-05T08:13:00.001-08:00

i've noticed as i search for new additions to cohen's room or for a nursery for

our next baby, i am ALWAYS drawn to things modern and nature-esque (trees, birds, etc.)

i adore this adorable room... but definitely not the price!

super cute though!

do.

2010-03-03T21:07:00.000-08:00

"do" means "dude " in cohen lingo.

his vocabulary is growing like crazy. just to name a few.

stars.tree.hair.eye.ear.no (nose).pee pee.choo-choo.baby.mama (he's the best at screaming this one loud repeatedly from the backseat. not because he wants my attention but just because he likes saying it!

da da. puppa (puppy) ba (bath). Jesus. bo (book) .cheese. nana (banana) ow (ouch) mmmmmm (when he wants a kiss)

he can point to all of his basic body parts!

he can also make animal sounds...

moo. ah ah ah (monkey) he tried to do a sheep today. it was so cute. rawr of course. and woof woof.

he has been giving the best hugs lately where he squeezes us so tightly that he turns red in the face!

he loves accessories (hats, shoes, rings, headbands, sunglasses...you name it!)

the other day i was carrying him across a parking lot to the car and he was just staring at the ground. i couldn't figure out what he was doing until i saw him spit!!! he totally copied his dad's terrible habit! i was driving with his window down the other day and i heard him doing it again out the window!

he also loves to sit on the counter and watch me do my hair and makeup. he loves chapstick and he likes when i put lotions and stuff on him. he even tried to put on my face makeup!

monkey see, monkey do!

when cohen wants me to do something for him he will stand at my legs and push me in the direction he wants me to go!

he also does "bones" with his fist.

... to sum it up our son is quite the smarty pants and is growing up waaaayyyy too fast!

attitude of gratitude...

2010-03-03T19:01:00.000-08:00

lately, i find myself thinking a lot about my

life and the things i take for granted.

i've been reminding myself more often how fragile life is.

i'm so thankful to be HERE in this life

with the opportunity to have my husband

and son as my eternal family.

i'm so grateful we are healthy and happy.

we have this amazing spirit in the form of cohen.

he is incredibly fun and loving.... a lot like dad, huh?

speaking of my baby daddy... i'm so so so grateful for him.

he has been in a slump when it comes to work,

and i know it affects him. he has moments of great sadness,

which isn't so bad because it shows his great desire to fulfill his role

as husband, father, and provider. he's done the best he can with the situation,

humbling himself greatly, being prayerful and most importantly faithful.

my husband is such a simple man and i love that.

he's got the right idea. it really loves life and has the most

contagious happiness about him. his smile lights up my life!

easy-peasy bbq chicken sandwiches

2010-03-02T15:31:00.000-08:00

Chicken (or even better PORK!).BBQ Sauce.

Crockpot all day. Shred. plop on buns. Serve.ENJOY.

easiest most delicious dinner EVER!

stole this from melissa and it's a family fav.

tonight i tried it with whole wheat buns to make it a little healthier but i wasn't thrilled.

i think i'll stick to white buns.

pretty poppy...

2010-03-02T12:10:00.000-08:00

I have been obsessed with these anemones since I was planning a wedding 3 years ago!!!! If I had it my way I would've had our reception decked out with these but they are WAY too pricey and I think they were out of season at the time... I still love to look at them to this day.

new steez!

2010-02-25T21:11:00.000-08:00

maybe now strangers at the grocery store won't tell me how cute my "daughter" is and ask me how old "she" is!

{silly & sweet boutique}

2010-02-23T11:37:00.000-08:00

pins...

that double as a belt!

and can also be pinned to an elastic hairband!

i made these pretty petals.

i think they would be super cute as a belt for a little girl!

i'm going to start an etsy shop i decided!

silly & sweet boutique.

i'll keep you posted on when i get it up and running!

little dude.

2010-02-20T21:31:00.000-08:00

where's cohen?

stylin'

he is really into hats lately.

say cheese cohen!

watch out justin timberlake

not sure how to feel about riding the choo-choo!

this face is priceless!

warming up...

he got into it for a little bit when he saw how

much fun the other kids were having.

oh the emotions of a toddler.

i'm not even sure what was going on in this picture.

he couldn't get enough of the train once we got off!

Vua Vua and Cohen!

i miss him.

2010-02-18T21:59:00.001-08:00

he's gone selling in Reno until Saturday and probably won't be back until Sunday!! i have the hardest time sleeping when his side of the bed in empty. i'm so exhausted right now but seriously can't fall asleep...so i blog. i've got lots of activities to keep me busy while he's gone though! Today I worked and then had my young womens activity. it was combined with the young mens and evidently i was the topic of conversation among the boys tonight. it's still flattering when teenage boys have a crush on you :) Tomorrow my mother-in-law and I are going to lunch and then to take Cohen to ride the train at her work! she has been wanting to take him for some time now so i'm excited. Later my dear friend Corrie is coming over with her little guy Bentley to have dinner and a little girls night! Her husband is out selling in Reno too so it worked out perfect for both of us! Saturday is Cohen's (and my) friend Mason's birthday party! I've got to finish my lesson for Sunday too... it will be my very first time teaching! I'm teaching about how obeying commandments helps us fulfill our divine roles. I had the hardest time coming up with any ideas for a treat or something that went along with my lesson... finally i decided to make some orange rolls and call them "divine rolls"... cheesy, right? oh well.... they'll be tasty atleast!

family tree.

2010-02-16T20:39:00.000-08:00

(i desperately want this picture for my birthday!)

At the beginning of the year Marcel and I started going to a Family History class during the sunday school hour. Going to this class has really inspired me to make geneology more of a priority. Being a convert to the church I know I have A LOT of work to do. I thought about my grandma (who passed away 3 years ago) and my grandpa (who passed away 19 years ago), but I figured my aunt and uncle (who are also converts) had already done the Temple work that they needed. As I began doing some research on the new family search website I realized they hadn't! At first I thought it was a mistake until my cousin confirmed that the work hadn't been done for them yet! WHAT?! how could they have let so much time go by?! At that moment something took over me and I just felt like we could not waste another minute! They have been waiting! As I talked it over with my uncle and cousin I realized there was more to it. Without getting in to too much detail, It just became something it shouldn't. We are here on the earth to do work for those who no longer can do it for themselves. I get the feeling my aunt hasn't done the work for them for her own personal selfish reasons. It really shouldn't matter who does it for them it just needs to be done! In this process I think my family has begun to realize the importance of doing it now and not putting it off any longer so whether or not I am the one to physically do it for them or not, I feel in my heart I have fulfilled a divine purpose by motivating my family to get it done. Last night Marcel and I had a long talk about this whole situation and he made me realize things about myself that brought me to tears. In my patriarchal blessing a large portion of it speaks about the things I will for in regards to linking generations . I feel such peace within me right now. This is probably one of the first times in my life that I feel so perfectly in harmony with God's plan and my purpose in this life. I am so grateful... I have a lot of work to do! :)

music to my ears...

2010-02-16T08:00:00.000-08:00

lucky.

2010-02-14T16:26:00.000-08:00

i am lucky...

that my husband...

is doing all the dishes for me right now (so that i can nap)

is so incredibly good looking. (especially today in his churchclothes mmmm)

interrupts me when i'm cleaning so we can slow dance to Coldplay.

randomly comes up behind me to give me loves and tell me how "gorgeous" i am.

leads, guides and supports me in all things gospel related.

calls me out when i'm being moody and ridiculous. (i need that now and then)

is so fun AND funny. he always makes me smile. even during an argument when i'm trying to be stubborn he'll always get me to crack!

adores cohen and i and would do ANYTHING for us.

is such a simple man.

never spends money.

is so affectionate and loving.

knows what is important in this life and always reminds me.

wants to have more babies with me.

has an awesome family (i have the best inlaws)

can eat anything and everything and not gain weight.

is still VERY attracted to me while fat and pregnant.weird.

...i could go on but you get the point. i scored when i married my man. Happy "Valentimes" Day my love!! xoxo

Our Valentines Day candle lit dinner!

note the pretty orchid plant... i set the table and went in the other room and when i came back marcel surprised me with it in the center of the table! such a sweetheart. i told him when we got married to never buy me flowers because i hate how they don't last long. instead get me plants so when we have a house i can have a garden full of plants he's gotten me! this will be a beautiful addition :)

my other valentine!

loves his balloons.

i love his bedhead!

goodnight rawr...

2010-02-14T11:50:00.000-08:00

when he does this...

he'll soon do this.

Cohen loves his little buddy rawr. he also loves back (well, all over body) tickles... he also loves the two combined. when he gets sleepy he tickles himself with rawr's tail. its super sweet. sometimes if we are laying by him he will grab rawr's tail and put it in our hand to give us a hint about what he wants us to do!

yes please...

2010-02-14T11:09:00.000-08:00

i found these adorable prints for sale here! they would be the cutest addition to Cohen's room!

our little newb.

2010-02-12T21:49:00.000-08:00

When Cohen was about 3 months old, our computer screen broke on our old laptop and just recently we were able to get all of our pictures off of the hard drive! Which included when we were dating, our first 2 years of marriage AND Cohen's newborn stage!!! I was so thrilled to revisit memory lane. I thought I'd share....

March 2007... Marcel came to California to meet my family!

After we were married April 16 2007, we spent our first night packing my apartment so we could leave for Ft. Worth Texas the next morning! I remember Marcel got a speeding ticket on the way... we should've told him we were newlyweds so maybe he would've taken pitty on us!

We were transferred to Omaha Nebraska! We drove through Oklahoma and Kansas. I remember being so afraid of tornadoes the ENTIRE drive! Obviously by the pictures we had nothing but beautiful weather the whole way.

Happily Married!

We left at the beginning of August to be with my family in California while my Grandma was passing. This is Del Mar San Diego where we spread her ashes. It was totally illegal but it had special meaning for our family.

Me and my sis!

Me and the hubs! Newport Beach.

Home in Utah!

Finally had our reception!

October 20 2007

Hallmark declared it sweetheart day (really)

Our first Halloweeeeeen!

Marcel's 23rd birthday.

December 20th 2007

...also the day Cohen was conceived :)

Our first Christmas tree!

Marcel's first christmas... Olson style!

The day he received the priesthood. A VERY special day.

Even more special...

April 16 2008

Our 1 year anniversary

We became an Eternal Family!

We found out "it" was a "he"!

... and he grew...

...and so did I!

August 25 2008

Cohen Marcel Leao

6 lbs 9 oz

22 inches long

Our little family grew!

Marcel watching tv. They really need to make hospital beds more accomodating.

sweet boy.

little peanut.

love his hair. he came out with a full on faux hawk!

such a good daddy. (i knew he would be)

18 months and growing!

2010-02-06T16:11:00.000-08:00

This is what happens when Marcel gives him a bath :)

If he sees food that he wants or his sippy cup and he says "MA!" for more.
When he sees a picture or me and marcel he points to it and says "mama dada".
When we get him out his crib he immediately looks for rawr AND his blankie before we get him out.
No fail, when he wakes up he wants his "b's" (boots) on! He can even put them on himself now! He doesn't like to take them off! He even napped in them today :)
He kind of has an obsession with shoes. if mine or marcel's closet is open he will bring us shoes and he doesn't rest until we put them on.
He is a VERY good listener.Most of the time when we say no he will stop what he is doing and if we say put it back, he does!
When he looks out the window he says "no!" (snow)
He likes to put gel in his hair all by himself.
He is so affectionate. He loves to give and receive hugs and kisses.
He is ticklish on his neck. We always kiss and nibble him there and he laughs hysterically!
Today he got the milk out all by himself and even helped me pour it into his sippy!
He has been trying to snap lately too! He puts his thumb and pointer finger together and makes a clicking sound with his tongue!
If my hair is in my face he brushes it away for me :)
If he gets hurt he always runs t me with his hand out for me to kiss it better!
He LOVES babies... Marcel and I have both been wanting a baby in the house again... The thought and the reality of a baby are two very different things though. We are thinking within the next year or two though! Its so exciting to look forward to!

i heart rainy days!

2010-02-06T09:25:00.000-08:00

The weather has been so nice this week that Cohen and I decide to go out for a stroll to the park! Not without froggy boots though!

This is a magnet board I made for Cohen the other day! I copied Bri and love it!

This is me with the man of my dreams :)

Lately, I have found myself really missing rain! I don't mind the snow much. Somedays I actually really love it and how beautiful it is... but hearing about all the rain my friends and family are getting in California makes me jealous! I love love love rainy days! I woke up last night to go to the bathroom and as I returned to bed and laid there waiting to drift off I heard the sweet sound of rain drops on my window and I seriously smiled... It was the best waking up to the wetness this morning... especially since its saturday and I can spend the day inside with my boys!!! I just thought I'd do a quick picture post...

2010-02-06T09:04:00.001-08:00

We ended last month with Cohen going in for surgery to have cyst removed from his lil pee pee. We have been waiting for our insurance to approve it for months and finally they did. We went to the hospital early that Thursday morning with a hungry baby who we couldn't feed... As we walk in the waiting room after registering we pass trays of muffins and donuts and Cohen would reach up to them saying "ma" for more. He always says that over an over when he wants some. They walked us back and did a quick physical and changed him into his ADORABLE little hospital gown... we wanted to take it home it was so cute. Then we walked over to an area with toys so we could wait for the Dr. and anesthesiologist to come talk to us and take Cohen back. The Dr. explained that he would be doing a circumcision to remove the cyst and not submit it (since our insurance hadn't approved it) so that was really nice of him! Cohen was busily playing with the toy have a great time. One of the nurses came and gave him some medicine that would basically make him loopy so it would be easier and less scary for him as the put him under. his eyes were glazed over and he was so out of it! They saud they would put a mask on him that had bubble gum scented gas that would knock him out and then they would put him under with anesthesia. I was grateful they were mindful of how traumatic surgery would be a little guy and that they didI was so nervous. I've worked in the O.R. before so I was aware of the environment and the way things work and the image of my little baby as a patient on the operating table was really difficult for me. I'd seen many tragic things happen in those rooms and I couldn't help but think about the worst possible scenario. I said many prayers during his 45 minute surgery. He came out a-okay!!! I can't even explain how wonderful it felt to hold him again. His little body was so warm and he was so floppy afterwards. He woke from the anesthesia in a lot of pain. It was so sad. The next couple days were pretty hard. He couldn't move without help and we had to keep him drugged around the clock. He laid on the couch the whole time practically. He always wanted us by him. We even got him a new Yo Gabba Gabba video because we knew thats all we'd be watching! At one point he got up and attempted to dance and ended up hurting himself... it was so sad. Here we are 9 days later though and he is almost completely healed! Hooray! Its nice to have our happy playful little boy back!

i dare you not to tear up...

2010-02-03T12:28:00.000-08:00

this song just gets me.

the good life...

2010-01-26T10:27:00.000-08:00

I have been so overwhelmed with gratitude for the wonderful life I have been blessed with. In no way is it perfect.. we have our share of challenges but overall I feel so lucky to have a husband with a heart of gold who is incredibly hard working, funny, who compliments me CONSTANTLY and has unshakeable character. I am proud of the man he is. Marcel has had such a hard time finding a job since we have been home. He has been doing odd jobs here and there and with my little income we have miraculously been getting by.... and we have been happy! I usually stress beyond measure in moments like these but maybe since we have been here before I am quite proud of myself for handling it all so well. I feel like I am finally getting a grip on what this life is about and i feel greater peace. The things around me don't determine my happiness like they used to. I know we all go through our spiritual up and downs and lately we are on the up and up. I know that is why things have been so smooth considering our challenging situation. I feel so blessed with my new calling as Young Womens Advisor. At first I was so nervous and felt so inadequate, but now I am feeling excited to be a part of these girls lives and have a part in their development spiritually! I feel like the Lord knew exactly what I needed. I always felt like I missed out since I joined the church at 19 and didn't get to take part in Young Womens and I worried that I wouldn't know what I needed to to help raise a daughter if we ever have one! I'm so grateful I have this opportunity. Marcel is in school right now and has really been applying himself to his work and spends hours job searching. He was offered a job to work at the door of a bar in Sundance, but he turned it down because he felt like that wasn't the environment he should be in. I was very proud of him for making that sacrifice knowing how desperate he is to find a job we know its better to pass on that because Heavenly Father will provide another way.

On to Cohen... He is still being his funny self. We were at the mall a couple days ago and I let him walk with me instead of in the stroller. He stays with me very well. He holds my hand most of the time. When I let him stray by himself he stays near me. While we were walking we passed a store with music and he busted out his dance moves right in the middle of a crowd of people. As the people walked passed they just laughed. My favorite thing is when Marcel comes home Cohen runs up to him with open arms and a giant smile saying "DADA!!"to welcome him home. When I put his shoes on him he immediately walks to the door while waving and saying "bye bye" to me :) The other day he came in his room grabbed his shopping cart and started to walk away while waving and saying bye bye to me. it was so cute! I love when we put a movie on for him he runs and gets comfy on the couch. Sometimes he just plops right on the carpet so eager. Last night I was in bed sick and Marcel was working on homework on the computer and we heard Cohen in the living room so Marcel went to see what he was up to (thinking he may be up to something naughty) so he came around the corner and firmly said "Cohen!" then he found Cohen being so cute just quietly watching Horton Hears a Who... Marcel came back in and gushed over how cute his son is... Marcel is so incredibly loving. He absolutely adores his son. He desires more than anything to be a good husband and father. I am so lucky and so blessed... and thats why this is title the good life... because thats what i have :)

B is for Boots

2010-01-19T20:30:00.000-08:00

Cohens vocabulary is always expanding... now he can say "wa wa" for water and bu-ball for football as well as B for his froggy boots. He is fascinated by boobies and pee pees these days too ( his own and mommy and daddy's) He can say both very well. He is learning most of his body parts. Ears and belly button are the newest addition. We were a little worried for awhile because he was having little fits here an there but we haven't had any for a few days now so hopefully it was just a phase. I kinda think he may have just been a little over tired. He is very sweet. Usually when we say no he speaks to us so softly and tops what he was doing. Sometimes if i say no he'll give me kiss and try to do whatever i said no to. He's already learning how to butter me up! I've been getting way too many comments from strangers lately about how cute my daughter is... uh maybe its time for a haircut? I think not... he's just pretty. We're holding out for his 2 nd birthday to cut those luscious curls which is only 6 months away!!!! man time flies... anyway, just a little update on our little man!

Cohen, you're so silly!

2010-01-07T20:28:00.000-08:00

He has been doing the funniest things...um like always! Awhile back I was in the kitchen cookin and there was something on the stove so there was some steam coming from it...Cohen comes in and from where he stands he starts blowing up towards the steam. i died! He also attempts to copy Marcel whenever he sees him spit! When he sees us brushing our teeth he wants to do it also so last night we set him on the counter top and he saw us brush and spit and totally copied. We laughed so hard! We started fake crying in front him because every time we did he would come give us a kiss. Now HE is starting to fake cry. Its funny though because most of the time he's smiling and just making a crying sound! He has also learned that when he gets hurt mommy will kiss it and make it better. Well, the other day he hurt himself and decided he had the magic kisses and proceeded to kiss himself better :) He loves to jump in place but he really never gets off the ground. He just gets on the very tips of his toes and makes a grunting sound like he's trying really really hard! He can't resist the bath either. If I am in there hoping to relax he has one foot in whining until i bring him in with me. Today when he was poopy I told him to go get me a diaper and he did all the way from the other room! So i tested him again and told him to go get me wipes and he did! one wipe at a time but still i was proud! He loves when i caress him softly after i change him. its sweet. He is very loving. He really enjoys affection. He also loves books! If i'm sitting in his room or on the couch he will bring me a book and sit on my lap all by himself. And when we're done he'll go get another one. He loves books with animals. He can do a monkey sound and attempts a puppy sound. He likes when I do the elephant sound and make my arm like the trunk. His Grandma Marcia says "bew bew" for a bird and Cohen says it too! She also calls herself "vua vua" (dont know how to spell it) but It means Grandma and so he calls her that now! At church sunday when she went up to bear her testimony Cohen saw her up there and was screaming "vua vua!!!" the whole time. She smiled and had to wrap it up quickly after that because it was very distracting :) He has gotten more attached to Rawr too. Now he wants him occasinally during the day instead of just at night. When we are watching tv as a family Cohen will sit on the couch with us sometimes and when we're watching a grown up show and he hears us laugh at something he laughs moments after even though he has no clue what's going on! He can say shoes, food, juice pretty clearly now and hi and bye. He even says "no no" correctly while shaking his head. And yes! He says no for snow and no for nose while pointing to his nose. He knows where his belly button is but can't say it yet! OH! and he says "pear" for prayer and folds his arms! When we're at church and i show him pictures of Jesus he says daddy. pretty cute. He has a picture of Christ in his room and Sunday while we were getting ready i said "we're going to go learn about Jesus" and he looked up to the picture on his wall! I just wanted to post this while I had these things on my mind! He does so many new things that I can barely keep up but I'm trying so so hard! :)

This was just a video I had from a few days after Christmas that I thought was cute :)

Goodbye 2009!

2010-01-02T10:37:00.001-08:00

Here's a little photo recap of 2009!

Cohen was still a baby at the beginning of this year. He was barely even sitting up i believe!

In february Marcel lost his job and we moved into his moms until we left for the summer> we got through it though!

We also went to CAlifornia to see our first niece Kenzie after she was born Feb 4th!

Marcel worked at Sammy's for a short time before we left. We visited it often... they have way good fries!

To this day Cohen hates the swing!

Look at the terror in his little face. sad.

Toothless little Baby! In April we stayed with my mom since we wouldn't see her the whole summer!

We moved to Tampa Florida! Cohen and Zuri!

Cohen loved the ducks! He loved to go for walks around this pond all the time.

ALl my summer friends! It was our best summer yet!

Cohen started walking at about 11 months and then turned 1 on August 25th! We had a lion party for him since our last name means lion translated.

He was acting shy...

To this day Cohen is still obsessed with balls. If we're at the store and he sees one he practically hyperventilates and keeps saying ba ba ba! or booon if he sees a balloon.

He was a duck for Halloween.

A little fall photo shoot!

Another trip to California for family pics!

We had a good year. It started out rough with Marcels job loss but we had a very successful summer that helped us see the bright side. Through all the difficulties we face though we have learned an important lesson... if we work hard together we'll get through it. Its true. Cohen helps too... throughout everything he keeps us laughing! We are a very blessed family. Here's to 2010!

Christmas Festivities!

2009-12-29T14:56:00.000-08:00

This year my family came out from California to have a real Christmas (meaning a real winter with cold and snow) not California winter ( 70 degrees and sunny)ha! We had a blast! Christmas Eve we spent at my mother in laws. It was nice. Cohen helped open his present from Grandma Marcia and when he saw the picture of the tent/tunnel he got so excited!!! I didn't expect him to really grasp christmas and gifts and everything but he caught on quick! He grabbed his present right away and took it right over to show grandma. It was really cute! Aunt Monique got Cohen a toy and ball which of course he loved. I can't get over how into balls he is. Its funny! After that we went to Lehi. We spent most of our time in Lehi at my aunt and uncles. It was nuts having so many people under one roof, especially with so many kids! But there was never a dull moment! My cousin Harleigh and ZAne spent a lot of time entertaining Cohen. It was sweet. Christmas morning Zane woke us all up before the sun... he was so excited! After cohen woke up a little more he got really into it too! Especially when he saw his gigantic ball and slide! When he opened his Yo Gabba Gabba toys from Grandma Sally he even said OOOH! i love it! He says Brobee now but it sounds a lot like ba-beee (baby) :) We went sledding after our yummy french toast breakfast! It was super fun. We dressed Cohen up in his marshmallow snow suit. He HATED the snow and being cold. He would not let me put him down. He did not like walking on it and definitely did not like sledding down it. Maybe next year :) Our son has been growing uup like crazy these days. We can't get over how smart he is. He understands a lot. LIke when we say its time for a bath he walks to the bathroom and when he wants a drink or something to eat he'll say ju or foo and say mmmmm with his eyes really big if he wants what you have. He says eye very clear and points to his eye or pokes ours:) and he'll stick out his tongue if you say tongue. He LOVES to dance and when he hears any music he'll click his tongue and dance. its hilarious! i love how he always says da-dee! He always goes muah when he gives a kiss and does that frequently. He is very loving! He says nay nay and shakes his head for no. marcel gets a kick out of it. Oh! and today while i was nannying we said a prayer over our lunch and Cohen usually just watches us when we pray but after we were done I saw him bow his head with his eyes closed and folded his little hands like he was saying a prayer. That was the most beautiful thing I've ever seen!!!

The following sequence is backwards... oh well!

Grandma SAlly and Cohen

He was on a very important phone call

Baby SAwyer!

Love this face!!!

Love this face too! He used to do this a lot at about 9 months old and has started doing it again! Its the best!

Going in for a kiss!

Mr. Leao turns 25!

2009-12-29T14:44:00.000-08:00

This year I put together a little party for Marcel with balloons, party hats and a handmade birthday banner. It was really fun! I spent a lot of the day baking 2 separate cakes for him just to make sure he's like one of them! I made the classic BTS cake and a really yummy white almond sour cream cake with banana strawberry layers! It was sooo good. It reminded me of the cake my mom makes for us on our birthday except she uses angel food and I really don't like that so much but I don't say anything because I just think its sweet she makes us a cake every year :) So Marcel went snowboarding for his birthday and that was my gift to him but my family pitched in and got him a remote control hummer. He really liked it and of course Cohen loved it too!

Cohen showing off all of his bracelets that my sister Kayla made.

Cohen liked my cake :)

Hahaha!

I love that my sister Kayla wrote inside this card "Conrats! You're one day closer to death."

Aunt Tina and Uncle Phil

Marcel Monique Marcia Leandro and Cohen

My Mama!

Cutting the cake!

Happy Birthday!

Cohen's ready to party!

Aunt Moniques Birthday!

2009-12-29T14:37:00.000-08:00

We went to Rodizio Grill for my sister in laws birthday at the beginning of December and these are just some pictures from that night!

My mother in law Marcia and the birthday girl!

Cohen ALWAYS touches foreheads... sometimes it hurts and sometimes it's really sweet :)

Uber Cute.

2009-12-29T14:16:00.000-08:00

cool shades co.

Cohen + Rawr = BFF

Bubbles!

Ah! he's sooo cute!

silly son

i love when he squeezes his eyes shut sooo tight!

being shy.

his attempt to hide behind the remote.

still trying to hide while being cute as ever.

shhh... he's on the phone... um i mean flash drive :)

he likes to share... really!

you can tell how much he enjoys soft tickles.

evidently this is what shopping carts are for.

um yeah i'm so cute.

Grandpa Leao... meet Cohen!

2009-12-29T14:00:00.000-08:00

Marcel's Dad Marcos came from Brazil to visit at the beginning of November (yeah, i'm really bad at staying on top of things) but better late then never. We haven't seen Marcos since I was 6 weeks pregnant with Cohen so he hadn't met him until now! With the arrival of our nephew Sawyer he was able to meet both of them! Hopefully we will see more of him in the future... for sure in October 2010 when we go to BRAZIL!!!

Cohen wanting to hold Sawyer! He LOVES babies. Its really sweet.

Arms our to hold sawyer.... again.

He loves to give kisses too.

The Leao Boys... minus Leandro.

California trip!

2009-11-26T10:09:00.001-08:00

Cohen and his little wet foot prints.

Marcel and my bro ready to eat. Its a tradition for us to eat at the Brackett Airfield!

Grandma bought Cohen a little pilot jacket! so cute!

Grandma showing Cohen the planes. He LOVED them! She bought him a little toy plane and he loves to make it fly and go vroom!

Kenzington Cohen and Rawr!

They loved having bathtime together! Kenzie would laugh hysterically at Cohen!

Our trips to California always seem to go so quickly! I miss my family so much. My little niece Kenzie has grown sooo much. She was barely a newborn when I last saw her and now she is crawling and nearly walking! She's such a pretty little thing with such a gentle personality. While we were there we went to a Royksopp show with our dear friends Payce and Gwen and had Toi Thai after! MMMM how I miss that place. Me and My bff Nicole used to always go there anytime we were in Hollywood. We had our family pictures done by the beautiful and talented Amelia Lyon. I'm so excited to see how they turned out! I didn't realize what a challenge it would be to get Cohen to cooperate but Amelia did amazing at trying to get his attention! I also went to the midnight showing of New Moon with Nicole! I hate that she and I are seperated. She and I have really grown up together and I miss her. No one knows me like she does. We have a bond that will never be broken. It was so good to catch up with her. She is having a baby girl in April... baby Lucille Amelia! I can't wait to meet her. She's going to be beautiful! The next night I went to see New Moon with my family and loved it just as much! Saturday morning we went to the Brackett Airfield for breakfast. It's become a tradition every time we go to California. We had such a fun trip! I can't wait to go back!

my little pilot...

2009-11-26T10:01:00.000-08:00

April 2009

November 2009

Hallo-weeeee-n!

2009-11-06T20:34:00.000-08:00

We had a really great time this Halloween. It's so much more fun with Cohen! He was scheduled to have surgery the week of Halloween so I didn't have a costume prepared and then last minute the hospital called and said we had to reschedule so I ran to Target and picked up a cute duck suit for Cohen. I thought he looked adorable! Especially the oversized feet! Marcel and I threw our costumes together with whatever we had and wa-la! we became Wayne and Garth from Wayne's World! Pretty sweet I think. We went trick or treating with my cousins in Lehi. Cohen tried walking into peoples houses after getting his candy. After and hour or so of that Cohen passed out in Marcel's arms. I swear our son is growing up before our eyes. Its insane! He leared No (pronounced Na) and he shakes his head. Like if I offer him something he doesn't want or say no to him he shakes his head. He likes to walk backwards now (little showoff) nd he plops down right on my lap. Today he put on my-way too big for him- running shoes and actuallly walked around pretty well in them. He would get really upset when they would come off though. He loves to give kisses and say muah. Its my fav. He even kisses rawr (his lion). He loves to stomp his feet and play with the broom. He buries himself in the throw pillows on our bed. He looks so comfy. He laughed hysterically the other day when i lip synced (very elaborately) to a song that came on. He is the best! We love him so so so much!

i just felt like it..

2009-10-21T20:01:00.000-07:00

I really need to get better at blogging. Mostly for me. I always fell so rushed when I post, usually because It's during Cohen's nap time and I only have little moments for me to get things done before my sweet angel makes it difficult. I feel like Cohen is learning so much every day that I can barely keep up or remember to write it down when I get around to it!

Today while I was nannying Cohen came up to me while I was sitting on the ground just watching him play with the other boys and he ran right up to me and wrapped his little arms around my neck, and with a mouth full of goldfish he put his lips to mine and said "muah". I melted. My heart was so full. I felt so loved at that moment and it felt soooo good. I am in awe of my son everyday and the things he learns, mostly by trial and error. He is obsessed with climbing up the slide and walking down the stairs instead of climbing up the stairs and sliding down. He always wants to take the baby's (that i nanny) bottle and put it in his mouth for him. He loves when the older boys run from him. They pretend Cohen is chasing after him but really he just wants to play with them and they keep running. Last night Marcel told me when he was in our bedroom, Cohen opened the door a crack and slid through the crack rather than opening it more. When he peaked through and saw Marcel he yelled "DA-DEE" with his arms out stretched to Marcel. It made him feel so special. I'm loving this time with Cohen and I almost forget what he was like as a baby. He is such a happy boy! He has always been a very easy baby and he is still pretty easy other than his occasional tantrums he's been doing. He gets so frustrated sometimes and kicks and screams. It sounds like he is having an argument sometimes with the way he yells. I hope he didn't learn that from us! yikes! When Marcel and I have had arguments around Cohen he gets pretty upset which usually calms us down because we realize how it affects him. I have moments constantly when I just hold COhen a little bit tighter just trying to savor him. Sometimes when I hold him i feel his little hand patting me on the back. One day Cohen saw me putting lotion on my hands and he just watched me. Then i saw him put his little hands together and rub them. It was so cute! Well I'm going to wrap this up but I am going to do this more so I can look back and remember Cohen's little milestones! He is growing up soooooo fast!

2009-10-11T19:01:00.000-07:00

Time for an update!

Cohen is funny as ever. He is soooo close to talking! He has little conversations that only he can understand. My favorite is hearing him in his crib in the morning just jabbering with his lion who we nick named Wisu (pronounce wee-sue) One day while cohen was chatting away i heard him say wisu wisu and is was so cute that we just kept copying him. He stopped saying it now so we decided we'd keep it around by naming his lion Wisu! ha! Cohen loves putting our cell phones, the remote and the computer mouse to his ear and talks! He still loves his "ba" meaning ball and now says balloon "boo"so cute! the other day he did the monkey sound too but instead of oo oo ah ah ah he just said ah ah. it was the best though! he has to be the center of attention when were around people which he usually gets since he is quite the entertainer! he always wants to push the stroller, vacuum and shopping cart which isn't always convenient but cute! he also does a little dance too! he takes steps really fast in one spot and sometimes spins in circles. its funny! '

We've been working on our place painting and decorating. Its close to being done but we still have the whole kitchen to do which is a project since we have to remove wallpaper. ugh! the rest of the place looks great! We're excited for our california trip next month too! We're having family pictures done by my best friend Nicoles sister Amelia who is a professional photographer! I have wanted her to do our pictures since we got married so i'm super excited! I can't wait for New Moon to come out too! We'll be in California when it comes out so i'll get to go with my sister!

Our nephew Sawyer Jeffrey Leao was born yesterday too! We haven't seen him yet but hopefully tomorrow! Cohen has been pretty sick and has a high fever so we don't want to leave him and we certainly don't want him around a newbie. I totally tear up when I think about Sawyer. I love him so much already!!! Babies are such a blessing. I felt the overwhelming desire to have another baby but I know that it would be kind of stressful for us with Marcel not having a steady job and with so much school ahead of him. We think next March would be a good time to start trying again. Cohen would be 2 1/2 when the baby would be born which seems like a good age gap but we'll see if Heavenly Father has other plans for us :)

what a month!

2009-09-10T12:22:00.000-07:00

So much has happened since my last post! We are home from Tampa and are still adjusting to being back. We are moving into Marcel's mom's basement apartment but we have to wait until his sister moves out before we can move in. 1 week turned to 2 weeks and now we're going on 3! i'm getting a little frustrated with the situation but i'm trying to be patient because i know it will be good in the end. we wouldn't find a better deal financially anywhere else thats for sure! i've picked out paint colors and have been collecting things here and there to decorate with so that keeps me looking forward to the light at the end of the tunnel :) Since we've been back I've taken on 2 jobs! I'm working at the Gold's Gym playroom a couple times a week and am nannying for a family of 3 boys. I feel super blessed to have the oppotunity to work and have Cohen with me especially since marcel still hasn't found work!!! keep us in your prayers that he will find one

soon!

We also celebrated Cohen's very first brithday! He had a lion party and lots of our friends and family came! It was really fun! He is walking all over the place now and talking his own little language. He walks around pointing at everything. i love it! He loves to say "ba" which means ball. He puts both hands out like he's asking where it is. He also walks around with one arm out. Don;t know why but it's his thing! he screams when other kids are crying and gets super jeaous when i'm holding the babies i nanny. atleast it'll break him in for baby #2! i'm not pregnant again yet... but maybe soon. i'd like to wait until cohen is 2 but if it happens sooner we'd be happy! oh yeah we got a sweet new toy too! a Nikon D60! we're still learning how to work it but so far we love it! and my adoring husband got me a REAL ring! I never cared much that i didn't have a real diamond when we got married nd i kind of enjoyed being able to replace it every so often if i found another i liked more but i'm in love with the ring he got me! he gave it to me on Cohen's birthday and said thank you for being such a good mom for Cohen's first year.... anyone who knows my husband knows he is such a sweetheart and so thoughtful so it's not suprising he did that. i love him so much and i'm so grateful to have a husband who appreciates me as much as he does :)