So as it turns out just about everyone hates the name Lucas. I have learned my lesson, next kid we have no one will know the name till it pops out! So I am not saying the Lucas is off the table, but I am saying that we are not sure now. So we are open to suggestions. Just nothing that starts with a P. I don't want his initials to be PP (peepee). In other news...I just got my results from my national certification for aerobics and I passed! Sooooo much studying and a full day of practical and written exams, (while I was 5 months pregnant) payed off. This now means that I can teach at any gym in the country and get paid more because I am certified. Yeah! It is so amazing that fitness has become such a big part of my life when I used to hate working out. It is funny where life takes you. All I know is that I am a whole lot happier in this career than others I have tried (and my husband is happier with a healthier wife and one that is in better shape.) More posts soon...it is almost Jackson's birthday. Two years! Can you believe it?!

Phoenix Children's Museum

What a day! On Saturday it was free day at Phoenix Children's Museum so we decided to make a day of it and we took Jackson. He had such a great time.

He rode a motorcycle...
He did a little cooking...
He went on lots of slides (which are his favorite)...
Got in a fight with a little girl because she wanted to push it the opposite way Jackson did...
Last but not least he got to meet Elmo. He was so exited to meet Elmo until he got close to him and then all the sudden he was terrified
All in all it was a pretty good/long day.

A week later....

Okay, so it has been about a week since I found out that I am having another boy. I am starting to get used to the idea and a LOT of people have been giving me their opinion on the situation. My bishop even said how excited he was that we were adding to our basketball team. (Josh is the coach of the young men's team in our ward.) Yesterday as I was putting Jackson down for his nap and I was rubbing his belly singing, "Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star", the baby kicked me and I thought...awwwhh how I love my boys. I actually think that if I went to the doctor next week and they told me that they had made a mistake I would be sad. I like the thought of "MY boys". I am excited now to see if this baby will come out looking like Jackson with blond hair and blue eyes, or look like me and be a brunette with brown eyes. Ahhh, the waiting game, I can't believe that I have 5 more months. Ahhh. I guess this would be a good time to announce that we have decided to name the next boy....drum roll...Lucas ____ Perkins. (Middle name is still under negotiation.) Jackson can already say it too...Baby Lucas?... and he points to mommy's belly. Awwwh, my boys.

Another penis??? Are you kidding me???

Okay, first off please don't think that I am a terrible person. I have spent the last 5 months thinking (and praying) that I was having a girl. My father in law even had a dream that it was a girl, so I have been so excited for today to find out that yes in fact I was having a girl. Well...NO! I am having another BOY. Don't get me wrong, I have a darling boy but I wanted a girl next. Now I am terrified that we will just keep having boys because that is all Josh can make (and wants) and I am going to be stuck in a house full of smelly boys! AHHHHHHH! As we went in to the ultrasound I was feeling hopeful. I asked the ultrasound tech not to just spring it on be but to tell us that she was ready, let me take a breath and then tell us the sex. She just turned the screen towards me and asked me what I thought it was. Of course up close and center there was a penis. I swear I don't want to see another penis for at least a week. (Sorry, Josh that means you too.) Josh was so happy, he said, "All right!", and then he kept tickling me. I HATE TO BE TICKLED! Finally I just looked at him in all my emotional glory and said, "Just Shut up!" So then he went straight to his phone and started texting the world about how happy he was. AHHHHHH! As I laid there while the ultrasound tech went over the rest of the anatomy I kept taking deep breaths willing the tears back.
Okay, now that I got all that out. Let me reassure you that I love my husband and my son (despite their anatomy) and I will love the next one also, but I just need a few days to grieve for the loss of my imaginary daughter.

Some Things I love...

I was sitting in my car today driving home from work...in silence (ahhhhhh) and I was thinking about some things that I just love and that bring me all the happiness in this life and I thought I would share them (in no particular order).

• Silence
  
• A good book
• Giving Jackson the beaters from cookie dough for the first time and hearing him say, "mmmmm"
• Watching my husband play with my son
• Watching my son look at his dad watching basketball and say what ever daddy says, "Oh, nice" (that one is my favorite)
• At the end of the day when I am so tired, seeing my son go get daddy's scriptures and bring them to us to read
• An Arizona day right as the sun is setting and the sky is full of pink and blue and yellow, wow! it is just beautiful
  
• Seeing how much my son loves his mommy and daddy. He won't ever say a prayer or start playing a game until BOTH daddy and mommy are there
• Flannel sheets in the winter
• Origins face lotion (I swear they put crack in it, you can't stop it once you start)
• Watching Jackson sing Jesus wants me for a Sunbeam and jumping high on the beam part and feeling the spirit so strong every time I choke back tears
• How I feel after a really great workout
• Going on a date with my husband especially when he wears cologne (that hardly ever happens)
• Feeling a baby grow and kick inside me
• When I lay Jackson down at night and he puts up one chubby finger and says, "wait mommy, wait one minute." (I fold every time)
• On Sunday when Josh is passing the sacrament and Jackson always says, "daddy, daddy, daddy" and follows him with his finger around the room. ( I should tell him to be quiet but I just love that he likes to watch his daddy)
• The thought that Jackson knew the baby that is on the way in heaven and that they will get to see each other again soon
• CHOCOLATE
• BROWNIES!!!!
• A really hot shower, so hot that when I get out all my skin is red and all the mirrors are fogged up
• Having such an amazing husband that honors his priesthood, works relentlessly for his family, ALWAYS makes me laugh and loves being a dad
• Having a blue eyed, blond haired baby that looks just like his daddy
• Going on weekly walks with my family
• Feeling so much love I feel like my heart will literally explode if I love anymore

I could go on a lot longer but the two people who read my blog might be getting sleepy so I will stop here.

Christmas Day

Right after Santa came...

The next morning...








What a special day! Christmas Eve daddy stayed up to put Jackson's new scooter together and mommy had to do all the wrapping. (It was a very late night.) The next morning Jackson called us from his crib to come get him. We came in and wished him a Merry Christmas and then told him that Santa came. He slowly walked out to the tree and then his eyes got wide as he saw all the sesame street wrapping paper. He then started to open his gifts. I think his favorites were his Elmo slippers, his sparky sweatshirt and his new scooter. It was so nice to sit together as a family and open gifts. I am so excited for next year with 2 little kids of our own. Families are great! I put some pictures here of us opening gifts and then a video of Jackson on his scooter. (I know that it is sideways and no I don't know how to fix it, just turn your head-you'll get through it.) We love you all and thank you to all that sent gifts, especially to Jackson. It is so nice to know that others love and care about him as much as we do. Merry Christmas!!!

Oh Christmas Tree, Oh Christmas Tree

Oh, what a tree does for a home! Last week we went to pick out our tree. Jackson helped and we came home with a wonderful tree. The first picture is us a Home Depot with the tree on the car. The next day we decorated the tree together in our pjs as we listened to Christmas music. (That day is definitely on my top 10 favorite days.) We had such a good time. If Jackson couldn't put an ornament on the branch he would just throw it at the tree (in hopes that it would stick) so we did have about 3 ornament casualties. When we were all finished Jackson put the star on the top, as you can see it was a little crocked, but we thought it was too cute to fix. Merry Christmas!