Charlie is two

Charlie turned two years old. 

It really is amazing how much changes in one year.

On his last birthday he wasn't talking or walking. And now both are very normal things.

We celebrated the whole day!

We went to a pumpkin patch with friends Rachel and Sawyer. 

He opened various presents throughout the day.

The tool set was his favorite!

He enjoyed the chocolate cake after dinner.

The birthday balloon was from Sawyer. A very nice gift. Sadly it popped in the car ride home. I screamed and charlie cried. 

He recently found the broken balloon pieces and said, "momma sad"

Yes we were both sad about it :) 

Hide and seek in the corn maze.

the Corn pit was very fun. Jumping, scooping, rolling etc. 

a Wagon ride to look at the animals. We saw horses and cows, pigs and donkeys.

Olive loves her brother as we all do! He often makes her smile.

Feeling Special

(May 23rd 9:00 pm) At this very moment I am soaking my feet in a bucket of warm water, aromatherapy scented, with nice textured rocks at the bottom. A wonderful gift from my thoughtful sister Brook. I am excited for the bright orange nail polish once the soaking is done. She knows me too well.

I wasn't super excited about this birthday. Usually I love looking forward to my birthdays. This year felt different. Maybe its because I am pregnant and feel more moody. I don't know but I didn't think the day would be very different from any other this year.

I was wrong. It was a very special day. I felt so much love.

The day started off with a yummy pancake breakfast from Andy. Then a scavenger hunt he left for me. He said he is trying to keep me sweet, but really I felt like he is trying to make me fat. Everything found in my hunt was a goody of some kind. The donuts were the highlight because I have been craving them for a while but haven't let myself indulge. Andy is so thoughtful and fun! I just love when he does this kind of thing.

The rest of my day was spent with Charlie minus the hour I had at my appointment with my midwife. Olive is looking healthy. I love talking to Rebecca (my midwife) about all my concerns. She gives me so much confidence and reassurance. She's the best!

My dad picked Charlie and I up and we went and visited my grandpa in the hospital. He had a scare with his blood pressure,  but all is well. Its always a joy to visit with my grandparents. They have such fun personalities. My grandma who is 87 (or 88) said before we left, "You know, when i get old i wouldn't mind going to one of those care places." To which my dad responded, "Ok, you just let me know when you are old". They are great people my grandparents.

Andy brought home yummy thai food for dinner :) And his sister and mom took me out for frozen yogurt. A fun evening spent with family.

I am also so grateful for all the nice text messages, phone calls, treats, and cards. Even in the moments when i was alone in the day, i felt so loved. I had a nice conversation with my mom. She said that she prayed for me that morning and i feel it was her prayer that made the day even more "good feeling". I am blessed. I know that. Having a day like this birthday just makes me want to help others have such special days.

Seventy and still going strong!

Andy's Dad turned 70 this week. George is 70 but you would never know it. He is so young at heart! He is a good man. I feel lucky to have gotten to know him so well as we have lived here at the Watanabe Residence. All the family came. We enjoyed food, visiting, and playing with the kids!

George and his Mother Suyeko who is 96

Suyeko is the sweetest great-grandmother!

You can always find Sundy reading to the kids
 once the night is winding down. 

Our Monster Bash

Charlie’s Birthday was a big hit! I had my tonsils out just 8 days prior. I felt like i was given a bunch of supermom powers and had energy and strength to get through it. I started planning this party, with much excitement, starting in August. Thanks to pintrest and Andy's support, i found a lot of fun ideas and followed through with them. 
When it all comes down to it, what made this party great was having all the people there that we love so much!!  

The monster photo booth was fun! 

 I loved seeing all the kids come in their costumes. 

Cake time is the best! 

Andy and I made these monster dolls and had a raffle for the kids 

Thanks to Andy for the pictures! I wish we would have got more of him and the birthday boy. Thanks to our dear family for coming for the fun. Thanks to our Charlie for being Charlie. We love you little guy! 

one year ago

This is what happened one year ago today.

My body is healed from the birth of Charlie and my memory of that pain, gone. I know it was bad...i just don't remember how bad. I love thinking back to being pregnant! I loved having a baby inside me moving. I felt alive and great! I have had two new babies enter my life and newborns just melt my heart.

 It's hard to believe its all ready been a year. I have been reflecting a lot on Charlie's first year of life. Its been a really fun year. I had several very tough days and nights. I had many sweet moments. I have watched the wheels turning in his head as he has learned how to roll, crawl, walk, throw a ball, take lids off stuff, play with blocks, make sounds with his voice, etc. He just becomes more sweet everyday and i am loving being his mother!

I often ponder when it will be time for another baby. I started thinking about that since Charlie was born! I say that cause i want Charlie to have siblings close to his age to play with and be close friends. Who knows when Charlie will get a brother or a sister. I love thinking about names. If Andy had no say in name giving, our next boy would be Dean Whitaker Watanabe and if it was a girl she would be Demi Yvonne Watanabe. I also love Andy's grandma's name Suyeko. If we named a daughter after her i would love to call her Sue. Anyway, now i am just rambling. Life is wonderful.

Happy First Birthday to my sweet baby Charlie.

tribute to Sundy

We gathered together with family today in celebration of Sundy's birthday. Sundy is my fabulous mother-in-law. We enjoyed good food, good conversation, and being together. Everyone shared their appreciation for the birthday girl at her husband's (George my father-in-law) direction :) Comments were made about: help with school papers, teaching, loving, caring for the grandchildren, her example of determination and hard work, her great listening skills etc. All very true things! I want to share ONE of the many things I appreciate about Sundy. 

1. She is the reason why i have such a good husband. A husband who is kind and sensitive to my needs. I have a husband who listens to me and is understanding. She taught him well. I will be eternally grateful for the way she raised him. Sundy is an admirable person. 

Okay, one thing just won't do!

2. She not only raised a good son but has the same love for her grandchildren. She is my favorite babysitter (equaled only by my own mother!) and because of her i hesitate to ask anyone else. 

3. Sundy is compassionate, understanding and listens to my fears and worries. 

4. She is helpful and gives wonderful advice. 

Mother-in-laws seem to get a bad rap, but I know I've got good one! 

Here are just a few pictures from our evening. 

Holding Baby Sa 

Alia loves to read! She reads this story to her dad James.

This is our adorable nephew Graeme. 

George's mother Suyeko. I love her.
She is such a kind and sweet woman.
It's always a treat to have her around. 

Andy's parents: Sundy and George

Andy's big day

My sweet husband is 28 today! We celebrated all weekend! Date Friday night. Massage from my dear friend Traci Saturday morning. Go-cart racing with family and friends that afternoon. Cake and Ice Cream. It was a fun filled weekend. I hope he knows how much i love him!

 Dinner at Red Iguana #2 then we went and saw BRAVE

Blowing out his candles, Charlie stuck his hand into the cake.

 I think he's ready for his birthday.

Our 2nd annual Birthday Race at FAST KART in Murray. Andy again won 1st place. My brother Reggie and his bother in law Micah were the big competition. They had a great time.

a quarter of a century

May 22 i turned 25!

For some crazy reason i was so excited to turn 25! I felt like a kid again counting down the days, wondering what surprises were in store for me. When I was going to school at USU living at a big house with 15 girls, called the Beach House, I always wanted to appear older. I moved in at 18 and would tell people, "i'm almost 19" once i turned 19 i'd say, "I'm almost 20" and with with each birthday i was almost a year older. My friends still tease me about that, but i think my days of wanting to be another year older are over. I plan on being 25 forever. I don't feel too old and i don't feel like a teeny bopper anymore. 

I had such a great day being 25 for the first time! I serve as a secretary in my ward (a group of church people in my area) to the Relief Society President (she is the woman who cares for all the women in our area). She has two counselors. Every Tuesday we have a meeting to discuss any needs of people in our ward. This meeting landed on my birthday and these sweet ladies brought breakfast, balloons, and a few gifts. It was a pleasant surprise! These women are much more wise and mature than I and so i asked them where they were at in their life at age 25. Marilyn was off  on the east coast. Her husband was going to medical school. She had one baby and one on the way. Marie was in her second marriage raising 4 children with one on the way. Diane also was off in other states for her husbands schooling. She had one baby and one on the way. She said she was dirt poor and they rationed their toilet paper as a joke. 

I drove to Layton to have lunch with my mother and brother Reggie. That night Andy took me out for Chinese and ice cream and after we played tennis. I received phone calls and test messages. I felt loved, that's for sure! I am so grateful for all the people in my life who have influenced me for good. Friends and family who have helped me learn and grow in all sorts of experiences. 

It was a VERY HAPPY birthday.

Andy's Birthday

We had a lot of fun! Andy's dream has always been to be a race car driver so...We went and rode Go Karts.

Andy and his childhood friend Shawn

Andy in first place! We all joked that we let him win cause it's his birthday but there was no way
 any of us  could have  passed him. i had to take it easy cause i'm pregnant :)

goodbye 23

I had a Birthday. I feel as i start to get further away from 21 that i am not as excited about my birthdays as i used to be. When i went to Utah State at just barely 18 years old i felt like a baby. I would tell everyone, "i am almost 19"then when 19 came i would say, "i am almost 20" then at 20 i was thrilled because i was ALMOST 21! Well those days of looking forward are done. I will just accept my age for what it is.

I had a great birthday! Nothing is better than spending it with friends and family. All my family lives in Vegas so they skyped and sang me Happy Birthday. They celebrated with cake, my birthday and my sister-in-laws birthday, which is only 5 days after mine. I had friends over: Jake and kAra Nesbit, Laurel and Dan JEnsen, Andrea Cranney, RAchel Schulz and Cameron Peterson. We enjoyed food, cake, and playing four on a couch, Boys vs. Girls. I am happy to report that the girls were victorious!

The best part of my birthday was my sweet husband. I never knew he was a poet but here is a little poem he put together:

Dear Blaire,

You really are great.
I met you and wanted a date.
I asked, you complied - and then you thought I lied, but the truth? - it was only implied. (the free ticket)

Then time went along, and our hearts they did long so a marriage we hoped to make strong! There were some dates we set but just one that got met and I haven't a better date yet!

So Of things it is said, that from one they are lead till at last they are lead to another. Now a baby is growing and good things you are sowing, and "my word!" you will soon be a mother!

So dear mother to be, who is sweetest to me lets keep in this mode we are in, until two and then four and then four others more we'll arrive at the prophesied 10!

Oh the places you'll go with a full brood in tow, and the chances to learn and to grow. But one thing will stay true, those three words, "I love you" so thank you my dear Blaireby-boo.

I love him! Don't know what i would do with out him by my side. To conclude this all...It was a great birthday!