Things that go bump in the night

Natalie is crawling – looks more like faux crawling right now, but every day she gets stronger and stronger and she is figuring out (too quickly if you ask me) that she can get places quicker if she is up on her hands and knees rather than doing her army crawl. Rather than thinking this is cute and amazing that my 7ish month old daughter is crawling, I think about all the dangers in my house. Things like the TV tipping over on to her, the cleaning products that I leave in my laundry room – very close to where she plays, the lack of cleaning products I use on the floor (all those germs!). Now, you would assume if I think of all the things that she can do and the places she can go while crawling, that I'd be especially careful of where I let her sleep. Well, you would be wrong.

Over the weekend, I wasn't very careful and a lovely game of Mexican train dominoes was interrupted.

First I heard a short "gooo" (as if to say, Hello! I'm all alone and can hear everyone having fun without me. I'm going to fall off the bed unless someone will catch me), then a loud thud, followed by my heart jumping out of my chest, while it stopped beating. The sound of that thud is one I will never forget, I’m still haunted.

I ran up the stairs faster than any person has ever run up stairs and scooped Natalie up before she even started to cry. Not to say that stopped her from crying, because it didn't.

Lesson One: Don't trust your 7ish month old daughter to sleep on the big girl bed.
Lesson Two: Start baby proofing your house, NOW

Sidebar: Last night, Natalie figured out she can sit up from a crawling position. Time to lower the crib mattress.

Big hat to fill

Last week Natalie and I attended a choir practice for the youth group I'm involved with. In the middle of a song, Tori decided Natalie would look cute in her hat. Now, Tori looks very cute in this hat - but it is a little big for Natalie. Still, she did look pretty cute.

Home Cooking at its best

I was finally able to put my vegetable garden to good use!

At the request of Phil, I made spaghetti for dinner last night and instead of using dried herbs, I walked through the wet grass to the vegetable garden and picked a bunch of basil and parsley. I think the addition of the fresh herbs made this the best spaghetti ever made!

I already have a pepper hanging from the bell pepper plant and can't wait for it to be big enough to pick and eat. There are blossoms on the tomato plants and everything else is growing like gang-busters!

As soon as I start the real harvest, you are all invited to my house for dinner.

Flashback Friday - Hi Ho, Hi Ho, it's off to the hunt we go...

I'm stealing this idea from my friend Miranda...here is the first installment of "Flashback Friday"

A few weeks before I found out I was pregnant, my dad asked if I wanted to be 'put-in' for the deer hunt. "Is the Pope Catholic?", I answered (for those that don't know, the answer is YES). So my dad put my name, along with every other member of my family, into the draw for the deer hunt. So life went on as normal, until those three pesky pregnancy tests all said "PREGO" and we realized that I was going to have a little "bambi-no" (pun will become clear soon enough) in November. When my brother realized this he said, "I really hope you draw out for the deer hunt". Well, if wishes were fishes he would eat for life...because I did draw out and the choice was made by me to go a huntin'.

For the months prior to the deer hunt, no one in my family (except for my brother) thought I should go hunting. My mom even went so far as to call the Wildlife Game Hunting people to ask if we could get our deposit back and let me go another year. I didn't know she called until I received a medical opt-out form in the mail. My mind was made up, I was going hunting.

As the weeks progressed and the hunt and baby were getting closer and closer I decided I should talk to my doctor about the possibility of me going on the hunt so close to my due date. I wanted to go (no matter what she said), but had made a deal with Phil, if the doctor said No, I wouldn't go. Two weeks prior to the hunt, I told my doctor I wanted to go on the hunt and why it would make sense for me to go - even though at the time of the hunt I would be 2 1/2 weeks away from my due date. She, of course, thought I was crazy to even want to go - but I plead my case and she (tentatively) agreed to let me go.

The hunt started on Saturday, which meant we would leave Friday. I scheduled my weekly visit to the doctor on the Thursday, hoping she would agree to let me go. Lucky for me she said YES, I was getting closer to delivery, but she didn't see a reason why I couldn't go. Keep in mind I forgot (failed) to tell her that the camp was a 4+ hour drive from Salt Lake, and one of those hours was spent on a dirt (bumpy) road. I called and told everyone the good news (my mom and Phil didn't believe the doctor said I could go).

We packed up the truck and drove out to the hunt Friday afternoon. Yea, I had made it this far without going into labor! Success...now I just had to make it through the night....

Saturday morning we woke up early (I didn't really sleep, I was so nervous about hunting and labor...) dressed in our orange gear and waited for daybreak, the Start of the HUNT!

I'm getting my game face on - and brushing my teeth prior to the hunt

I climbed into the truck with my loaded gun ready to find a deer, we drove about 2 minutes from camp and found two. I set up (every excited) and took aim at the deer. I took two shots - with no luck. I scared the deer into a bunch of trees, so we decided to chase after them.

I set off with my dad and kept taking deep breaths to calm my excited nerves. After a very long hike we came to a clearing and I spotted some deer. I had practiced shooting while sitting on the ground, which provided a lot of stability to the gun and helped my aim. So I lowered my very pregnant self to the ground propped the gun on my knee. I took aim and waited for the big buck I knew would walk in front of me. Just then, a big buck walked in front of me and I heard my brother say, "He has antlers, shoot!"...so I did. Success - but then he took off...

Adrenaline took over, I jumped up off the ground, reloaded my gun and took off chasing down a hill after a wounded deer. Not smart at 37+ weeks pregnant. I only realized what I was doing when I heard my dad say, "Joelle, you don't need to run". He was chasing after me at the time. I stopped running and my dad and I started to track the deer. I felt just like a pioneer woman.

We found my deer, I shot one more time and got him. I know, I know, how mean...killing a deer. But, here's the thing, we eat all the meat and the antlers are great to hang on the wall. Plus, as I pointed out to a girlfriend - it is the circle of life, I took the life of the deer, but just two weeks later, I gave birth to Natalie. It all works out in the end.

And here is the photo proof:

Yes, that is a "Baby on Board" hunting vest - a present I received at a baby shower

Enjoying myself after the hunt

The deer hunt was one I will never forget. I grew up deer hunting, but never had as much fun on a hunt as I did on this one. I can't wait to take Natalie camping and deer hunting.

SO Big

I came home from work yesterday to find Natalie dressed in Jeans, a white top, cute pink jacket and pony tails in her hair. She looked so old - as old as a six and a half month old can look.

Phil and I took her outside to check on the garden and to snap some photos of her cute do.

Honest to Pete, she is dang cute!

While Phil was gone, I planted my veggie garden:

We have tomatoes, basil, rosemary, parsley, zucchini, pumpkins, watermelon, bell peppers and egg plant. I can't wait for the harvest.

I've also been pruning my many rose bushes and planting in the containers on the front porch

Being home was present enough...

We picked up Phil on Saturday...Natalie and I are so happy to have him home! Saturday night Natalie didn't want to go to sleep, all she wanted to do was play with her daddy.

Sunday, after a very restful night, Phil decided he needed a hair cut and wanted to go alone. He came home with a jewelry box, with a diamond and citrine necklace inside. What a surprise! Citrine is the birthstone for November (Natalie was born in November), and it is very pretty and my first yellow gold necklace.

We spent the rest of Sunday working in the yard and running errands, followed by an early dinner at my parents house. It is so nice to have Phil home!