You're it!

I got tagged by Amy Dalton a couple of weeks ago and haven't had time to do it until now. I'm supposed to tell six things about myself and then tag six people to do the same thing on their blog. I think most of the people I know who have blogs have already been tagged recently, but I will try to think of a few. I guess it's okay if we hear from them twice. I will leave a comment letting them know they have been tagged.

1) I broke both of my arms at the same time in the 7th grade. It was definitely a character-building experience. It was also the best excuse out of homework I have ever had. I got to "write" a book report by talking onto a cassette. My math teacher sat with me and wrote as I dictated my responses to an Algebra test, and when I was not on the right track she would basically just do it for me. Another teacher told me that if I could just manage to chicken-scratch my name onto our test paper, he would give me an A on the test. For anyone looking for an easy quarter, I recommend duplicate fractures.

2) I spent four months in El Salvador the summer of 2001. There were large earthquakes there earlier in the year that devastated a lot of poor communities. We helped people rebuild their homes, worked with orphaned children, volunteered with a microcredit organization, etc. I fell in LOVE with the Salvadorian people and the Spanish language on that trip. Add to that the fact that I served a Spanish-speaking mission in NYC and you have one girl that is totally enamored of all things latino. I don't know exactly what my political stance is on immigration, but after seeing what life is like where these people are coming from, I admit that I would hop a border to feed my children too.

3) My goal in life is to have a lap pool. Okay, maybe it's just one of my goals in life. I have bad ankles and, therefore, most exercise is painful for me, but swimming is something I thoroughly enjoy! I was on the swim team in high school. I was never any good and I hate competing, but to this day even the smell of chlorine is therapeutic for me. Too bad I don't love being seen in a swimsuit. That's why I need a pool of my own.

4) I examine my child's head every day to see if her hair shows any sign of curling. Considering the fact that I cursed my own frizzy locks every day of my childhood, it may seem cruel that I wish the same fate upon my offspring. I just want her to look like me! Everyone who sees her says she looks just like her dad. That being said, I vow to never cut her bangs into fringy curlicues across her forehead, generate 12 kilowatts of electricity by brushing her hair after it dries, or make her wear a side ponytail. Some history just doesn't need to be repeated.

5) I have a secret crush on my husband. I know he knows that I love him, but what he doesn't know is that sometimes I have to turn my head away so he doesn't see me smile in the middle of an argument because I just think he's so darn cute. And when he's not home I get excited every time the freezer makes ice or the washing machine shifts cycles because I think it's the garage door opening and him coming home early. He's pretty much the love of my life. Shh... don't tell.

6) I love horseradish. And wasabi. Are they the same thing? I just love the way it flushes out your sinuses in such a painful, yet somehow satisfying, way. I put this on here just for Jason because he refers to the stuff as "poison." But he shares my love of jalapenos, hot sauce, banana peppers, curry, and all other spicy foods. So we're a good match.

Okay, I tag Katy, Linzy, Amanda, Lesly, Tawni, and Mandy.

Christmas in Cali

Who would have thought we'd get to fly standby at Christmas?! We took advantage of my JetBlue flying privileges again and the whole family flew out to Bakersfield for FREE! We even got to sit by each other on the plane. We had a very laid-back Christmas and got together several times with my grandparents (who just recently moved here), my mom's cousin Barbara Ann, my parents, brother, and my sister Katy and her husband, Tyler, and little girl, Lucy. We had dinner and a little Christmas devotional on Christmas Eve. Brooklyn opened her present from Katy since the Nichols would be spending Christmas morning with Tyler's family:
Here is Brooklyn Christmas morning. We didn't get her any presents because I've been on maternity leave so we don't have a lot of extra money. Her Aunt Lisa, Aunt Katy, Grandma and Grandpa Maner, Barbara Ann, and Nana and Grandpa Allred all got her some things so I don't think she noticed.

I made Lucy a book for church with a bunch of pictures of her doing different things. It was more work than I anticipated, but also quite enjoyable. I was so excited to give it to her and she seemed to really like it.

Here are the peanut and I taking a little nap together. I have to admit that this picture was staged. I thought it would be sweet, so when Jason was taking my picture I said, "Wait! Let me pretend like I'm sleeping!" You can kind of tell that I'm trying not to laugh.

And here are Lucy and Brooklyn together with their grandpa. Maybe next time they see each other Brooklyn will be sitting up so they won't need anyone to hold them in their together picture.

There is obviously a lot more to tell. I just wanted to get these pictures from my mom's camera before we leave to go back to Utah tomorrow. That is, if we get on the flight. Otherwise, it won't be until Monday. I think we might have a few pictures on our camera too, but we are really bad about remembering to take it out so don't expect much. We did get a digital camcorder for Christmas so we should be able to post more videos when we figure out how to work it. I know you're on the edge of your seats for that! Happy new year!!

For the Concerned

If you've been worried about my sister's little girl and want to know the update, feel free to check out her blog. It is the link titled "The Nichols" under "Mommy's Side of the Family" to the right side of the screen. You have to go down one blog because the most recent one is about her trip to the Ellen show on Tuesday. Everything is good!

Baby at Bathtime

Brooklyn loves her nightly bath. Even if she is already in a bad mood, as soon as she hits that warm water, she is happy. However, all good things must come to an end. She SCREAMS when I take her out of the tub. Adding insult to injury, she then has to get her CLOTHES put on!! Last night she was so upset that I had to walk her around and calm her down a little before getting her dressed. At least it made for some cute towel pictures!

Here is my rear!

Okay, maybe it isn't quite that bad... but it sure feels like it! None of my pre-pregnancy clothes fit, my maternity clothes aren't winter appropriate, and we can't afford to buy me a whole new wardrobe! I have a few items that fit on my body but in no way flatter it. It's kind of depressing. Okay, REALLY depressing! And the baby weight is not going away with all of these Christmas treats around! I'm not looking forward to seeing all of my old friends in Bakersfield at Christmas. I bet they won't even recognize me! Bleh!

Envejeciendo

Our little girl is officially 2 months old today! We went to the doctor yesterday for a checkup and he says she is doing great. She is 23 1/2 inches long (90th percentile), weighs 10 lbs. 10 ounces (50th percentile), and her head measures 38 cm (25th percentile). So, she is tall and skinny with a little head. I have no clue where she got those genes! My head is so big they had to special order my graduation cap! =) She also got three shots which hurt her feelings quite a bit. She was a little fussy and clingy last night but is back to normal today. We love our little Brooklyn girl!

Babes in Bako

Brooklyn and I decided to take advantage of my JetBlue flying privileges and come visit my parents here in Bakersfield. We came last Saturday and will be leaving this Saturday. To distinguish herself from the other grandmas, my mom chose to be called "Nana." My dad thought he would complete the name of the fruit and be "Ba." (haha) We discussed changing the monosyllabic moniker to something a little more traditional, but never decided exactly what that would be. So, Ba it is! Brooklyn got to meet her Great-grandma Rose and Great-grandpa Pyle. She also met her Aunt Katy, Uncle Tyler and Uncle Brady for the first time. And her cousin Lucy! We attempted to get a good picture of them together tonight, but it didn't turn out exactly as anticipated. We'll get a good one of them in their Christmas outfits when we come back in a few weeks. We will be decorating the house for Christmas as a family tonight so I don't have much time to write. Just thought I'd share a few quick pictures of the fun!

Aunt Katy meets Brooklyn!

Ba tried really hard to get both the girls smiling at the same time...

Getting closer...

Nope, we lost 'em.

Is there room for one more?

Thanks for lookin'!