i guess the party's over...

what a fun weekend in celebration of our boy! (be prepared for LOTS of pictures...)

(yes, i know he will hate me someday for this hat...)
it started with a little family celebration and as the weekend came upon us the family kept getting bigger and bigger.

presents decorated a'la mom and dad

chubby little fingers excited to get to those cars!
lucky us, grammy and papa (my mom and dad) rolled in thursday afternoon to wish owey a happy day. he was so excited to see them and even greeted grammy with a 20 minute snuggle (if you know owey, you know how VERY rare that is since the boy NEVER sits still.)

sweet boy - lucky grammy
we were so grateful they came from so far away to celebrate with us. we spent the next few days spoiling him as much as possible with presents (mostly boring ones like clothes since he doesn't even know the difference), trips to the park, yummy food, etc.

at the park with grammy

saturday was the big day of the party. all the ericksons (minus clint's brother) made the long trek out here to join in on the festivities. i was a little nervous that they would be bored out of their minds around here and we couldn't let that happen after everyone came so far to wish owen a happy birthday. so, we tried our best to entertain, and i think everyone had a good time. o sure did (though you can't tell by most of the pictures ... i promise he smiles... a lot... just not when he sees a camera!) we ended up having pizza for lunch,
mmm... pizza

and then went to bear world- something i knew would entertain all the cousins.

at the petting zoo

this picture is right before this deer totally head-butted owey

on the train at bear world

look mom! a baby bear!!

papa bear

baby bear

chasing chickens

afterwards, we just came back for cake and ice cream and more presents.
can you tell we don't exactly all fit in our tiny apartment?
by the end of the day, we were all exhausted, but so sad to see family go home and the party come to a close. good news is, the birthday boy is ours to keep!


do you think he liked it?

the year of owen.

(one of my not-so-favorite-things about 1 years old... the worst age to get good pictures!!)

i'm trying to sum up all of my thoughts to my sweet boy on his big day, and i just don't even know where to start!! how can i express the way my life has been flipped upside down and made absolutely beautiful from the day he entered this world? or how he makes me want to be 5 million times better than i am so that he will always feel loved and safe and happy and blessed? or how his little giggle makes my heart sing and fills me with more joy than i even know what to do with? how can i explain how fast these 365 days have gone and how i have never (nor will i ever) looked back? how proud i am of all that he is learning and becoming and how excited i am for the future? how much he has taught me about who i am and what is really important? how grateful i am that he got to come to our family? like i said... where do i start?
the year of owen has been one that i will never forget. when our family became a real family, when our hearts were quadrupled in size, when we really got a glimpse of what life is all about. of course, every year will be full of excitement and new adventures, and every child that comes into our home will bring something special to our lives. but this year of owen is like none other - just us and him, him and us. figuring things out, hoping he doesn't notice we don't really know what we are doing, and realizing that we are the luckiest. i am so grateful for this sweet boy and hope he will always know how much his mama loves him.
a few thoughts on my one year anniversary of joining the mom club: i always knew i wanted to be a mom and that it was important for women to be dedicated to home and family and to be there for their children as a teacher and an example. this year i have realized why i have always felt that in my heart, and why it is so important. now more than ever i get so sad when i see women who just don't get it. if only they knew the true happiness that comes from bringing a life into this world and having the great opportunity and responsibility of raising a child in righteousness. there is no other calling or position the world can offer that is more challenging, more rewarding, and more vitally important than that of a mother. sure, there are days that you might wonder if you are using your brain and talents to their fullest potential while watching the wiggles and singing the abc's. there may be times when you are starved for adult conversation and would give anything to not have to change another diaper. but there are moments that are absolutely irreplaceable. seeing him light up when you come in the room... watching him learn to walk, talk, and become independent... realizing that he is beginning to imitate your every move ... making him laugh and laugh until you both can't stand it anymore... seeing how much others love and adore him... rocking and singing him to sleep... uggh. those every day moments are perfection. if only they knew...

reposted: i'm in love

remember this?

for those of you who did not hear, he made it!! baby owen is finally here, and I'M IN LOVE!!!

just look...


have you ever seen anything more precious in your life?? ok, so maybe i'm a little biased, but i just think this little angel is absolutely perfect and i am sooo happy that he is finally here!
his entrance was a little dramatic... but so worth it.
here is a quick synopsis:
monday morning i woke up and thought my water had broken. i know that sounds weird to anyone who has ever had their water break, but i really didn't know if this was it or not. i'll spare the details. we decided we'd better go down to the hospital just to check it out.
sure enough, when we got there the doctor told us it was a false alarm and that they were sending us home. then 2 minutes later they told me that plans had changed: they wanted to monitor me a bit more. apparently i was having contractions (i didn't even realize that i was) and every time i had a contraction the baby's heart rate would drop. they wanted to watch it a little closer to make sure all was ok. the doctor told us it would be about 20 minutes and then we would go home. and then, not 5 minutes more the doctor came in and told us that there was no reason for us to go home- after all, i was already overdue (and still not dilated AT ALL) and she just felt more comfortable keeping us there and inducing. sounded good to me! i was so excited to have it all underway.
inducing is not very fun however when your body is totally not ready.
so, the long day began around 10 am when we got there, and by the afternoon i was having heavy contractions one right after another (and my family was all there to see me in major pain). around that midnight, dave and shelly (clint's parents) had pulled in from a long drive all the way from wyoming - they weren't sure they would make it in time, but turns out they had PLENTY of time to spare.
finally at 1 am my water broke (i will never confuse that again!) and 2 am they gave me an epidural. i had not totally made up my mind about an epidural beforehand, but at that point i was in so much pain and was already so tired and was only a 3!!! so epidural it was, and boy was i glad to get some rest once it kicked in.
all day tuesday i was in active labor. things were not progressing very quickly at all. my family spent most of the day there, but i was so out of it and focused on the work at hand that i hardly noticed they were there. after an incredibly long day (well 2 days) i was finally ready to push a little before 5 pm. i gave it everything i had for an hour when all of a sudden there were like 8 doctors all around me. they told me the baby wasn't moving down, did a quick ultrasound to see that he was sunny side up, and then gave me my options. i could continue pushing, but it would be another couple of hours, forceps would have to be used, and i would have to have an episiotomy. the other option was a c-section. this was what i was afraid of - 30 hours of labor only to find out they were going to cut me open. we decided to go with the c-section since they were still concerned about the heart rate dropping and the baby being under stress. i just wanted him here safe! i was relieved and upset at the same time - glad it was going to be over, but did i really have to go through 2 days of labor before major abdominal surgery?
at 6 pm they wheeled me into the delivery room and clint followed shortly in his OR gear. look how cute and nervous he was:


they numbed me up and strapped me down and within minutes, i heard that beautiful cry.


and of course... i started to cry.

owen david erickson
september 25th, 2007 6:13 pm
7 lbs 14 0z
20 3/4 inches long

we spent the rest of the week in the hospital recovering ( i thought i would never sit up on my own again!) and had lots of visitors anxious to meet baby owen. we finally got home friday and have been adjusting to life as a family of 3.

when i think about this little guy for more than a moment, i bawl. that won't surprise anyone who knows me well because i have what i like to call "overactive tear ducts." but really - this little miracle of a child has changed my life forever. i already feel more love for him than i ever knew i had in my heart and my love for my family has multiplied so much over the last week. my husband is a saint - i just can't believe how lucky i am and how lucky owen is to have him as a dad. i look at my parents and clints parents through different eyes now and realize how much they have sacrificed for us, their babies, and it makes me wonder how i could ever overlook that.

i wonder how any one could ever question God's existence after seeing a new life enter this world and it humbles me greatly to know that He has trusted me with one of His beautiful children.
we are learning and growing together, and i am so thrilled to be part of the best club on earth - MOTHERHOOD.


a few more pics... many more to come!








our first family picture...




sweet hands...




diego is still getting used to 2nd place...




daddy loves his boy...





can you blame me for being the happiest girl in the world?

thank you for not breaking up with me...

you are too kind.
but look at me... two days in a row! i told you i could change!
just some random stuff that's been going on around here lately:

1. did you see this on tlc the other night?'


i seriously was glued to the tv. i don't know why, but these girls absolutely fascinated me. could you imagine being attached to your sister every second of every day for your entire life? i mean, don't get me wrong... i love my sister (love you miq!), but wow. that's just crazy. college? careers? not to mention boyfriends/marriage, etc? AKWARD!! ok, enough about that.
2. a big milestone is just around the corner for us and i am sort of in denial. thursday is a big day around here... the little man turns ONE and i am just trying to figure out what in the world happened to the last year!? anyhow- we are in "party"-prep mode around here as we get ready for family to be in town this weekend - all the way from CA and WY. owey is one lucky boy to have so many admirers. just a little peek - here are the invites that went out last week:



i think they turned out pretty dang cute if i may say so myself. don't be disappointed that you didn't get one - i knew you wouldn't really feel like coming to rexburg for the day.
3. update on #2: overall, this pregnancy is sooooo much easier than my first. really, i don't feel that well all the time, but nothing like what i felt with owey. so, i have no room to complain. some days are harder than others, and sometimes i am grateful for the disney channel when i just can't even get up off the couch, but i am just so happy that things are not worse. i am shocked at how quickly i am showing (something about those stomach muscles being stretched to oblivion, then sliced open and sewn back together makes them a little more loosey-goosey than i might prefer) and i'm a bit embarassed that the young girls in my ward who are 5 months pregnant don't look near as pregnant as i do at 14.5 (yes, still counting halves) weeks. oh well. i am pretty much resigned to the fact that my body will never be the same again. and i am totally ok with that. it's so worth it - stretch marks and all.
i did actually get to see the little gummy bear (seriously - a 10 week old fetus looks exactly like a dancing gummy bear in an ultra sound) a few weeks ago and that was really awesome. i didn't get to see owen until 20 weeks, so i was shocked when the dr. went in for the kill (if you know what i mean) at my first appointment - and thrilled to see that little wiggly baby, healthy and happy as can be. now, the real ultrasound isn't for another 5 weeks, and i can hardly wait. i still kind of think it's a girl, but i'm not so certain now as i was in the beginning. we shall see.
have i bored you yet?
ok, i'll go. thanks for hanging in there...

like a bad boyfriend...

i know what you've been thinking.
maybe this thing we have going on here just isn't going to work.
i mean, it's not exactly fair that you give, give give, and really get nothing in return.
we did have a good thing going there for a while. back in the beginning, when i made more of an effort, things were exciting. we had a lot of fun then, didn't we? i used to post at least weekly, if not daily... wrote about my feelings of motherhood and the wonderful changes going on in my life... we were connected then.
ahh, the good old days.
i know, it's not you. it's me. i am guilty. I just have not been giving 100% to this relationship and i am sorry.
will you ever forgive me?
maybe you've already moved on and given up hope that i am even capable of such commitment. i don't blame you, really. can't say i wouldn't have done the same. but is there hope that we can give it one more shot? a second chance?
i promise i will be better!
i know i need to be more invested. i know i need to put more time into this. i know you deserve more. i know, i know.
so what do you say? can we start over?

home!

at the beach...


so it's taken me a few days (weeks) to get around to posting about our trip home... i kinda wanted to get settled and find my "happy place" before even looking at pictures of the beach (even though i hardly took any pictures at all!) and reminiscing over 2 glorious weeks in sunny san diego. and so, i think i'm ready.
spending the last few days of summer with family and friends was sooo good for us and helped cement in my mind why san diego truly is home for me. i think what is so alienating about idaho is that i don't know a soul here - no close family, not even distant relatives, no old friends, etc. of course, there is always room for new friends, but there is something about living close to those you love and who love you too. anyhow... the trip was a dream - we spent every spare moment at the beach, visiting with friends, and hanging out with the fam. owey and i got there saturday the 23rd and it was so fun to see him remember grammy and papa (my mom and dad) and get that huge grin on his face. he had such a great time with them and i know he misses the shower of kisses and attention already. that first week was spent mostly relaxing and playing. owey got to meet up with his long lost girlfriend (audra) and his brother from another mother (harrison) and had tons of fun exploring the beach, the zoo, the park, and grammy and papa's spa.
in the spa with grammy...

being away from clint for 5 or 6 days made me realize how close we really are and how lucky we are to have him around so much (studying of course, but at least he's home!). we really missed him and i caught myself talking about him all the time - he really is my best friend. clint finally made it to san diego after finishing up his finals (straight A's again!) and after a looooong night of delayed flights, being stuck in a phoenix airport with a hurricane-like storm that actually knocked out the power (can you imagine?) and eventually made it home at about 3am on the day of his birthday. poor guy. we spent his birthday shopping for new clothes for him and later met up with the fam for dinner at buca di beppo. if only the day had ended there... poor owey was up all night that night puking - and the night ended with the three of us passed out sleepover style on the floor in his room. definitely not the highlight of the trip.

at the park...

the next week went by so fast it is a blur. it started off with miq and her fam coming into town to get some good old cousin bonding time in, and it was fun to spend time with them. i can't believe how big her kids are getting! we went to the beach (of course) the boys went golfing, ate lots of good food, and played nerts like the good old days. we also visited our old ward (which we miss soooo much), had game night with the clarks, dinner with the kaltenbachs and the matters, said farewell to keri and rick, hung out with the o'farrells, hmmm... what else? i don't even know. all i know is we had such a great time and can't wait to go back!!

at the zoo...

sorry for the lazy collages...

home?

well, we made it home from going home (?) and i have managed to (mostly) hold it together. i told clint when we got home that idaho makes me sick. not in a rude way, but literally. i felt so good in california the whole time i was there and was pretty sure it was all psychological. but as soon as we got off the plane i began to identify the things about the climate here that add to my yuckiness. altitude? gassy gassy gas. dry air? itchy skin and sticky throat (which makes me gag). no mom to cook for me all the time? total nausea at the thought of food. great. here we go again. literally the night we got back i was already in fetal position - and it wasn't because i had nothing better to do (i was beginning to think i was making it up out of boredom) - really i was running around trying to unpack and frantically plan for my relief society lesson the next day in church. so, apparently it's just idaho.
on a better note, we had a great day yesterday at church and i felt new hope for making friends and having a good time here this semester, even without the beach and sunshine (and my family). i am hoping a major attitude adjustment will kick me into high gear. sometimes it is so much easier to focus on the hard things (see above for proof of that) and what is going wrong in my life instead of looking for the blessings and miracles that really are happening all around me. we have been so blessed. even the fact that we are here is sort of a miracle. how many people do you know who get the chance to start over at almost 30? and we just found out that clint is eligible for a full ride academic scholarship this semester. if that is not a blessing, i don't know what is. owey is happy and healthy and the cutest kid ever, and even though i was scared to death of not being able to get pregnant again, here i am starting trimester #2 (the best one!). wow. i can't believe i can find anything to complain about.
yes, i miss california, and rexburg is no san diego, but i know this is where we need to be right now and we are being blessed daily for our willingness to do what we need to do.
feels good to recognize that.