Welcome, Lucy!

I promised a post once Lucy was born and here we are, 6 weeks after her birthday and I am finally getting around to it. Oh well, such is the life of a mom.

We were blessed to welcome Lucy Jean Griffith to our family on Tuesday September 11, 2012. We had to be induced as she was very warm and cozy and decided that she wanted to hang out in my belly for a few extra days. The 11th was 4 days after my due date and I feel like my body would have gone into labor on its own that day or the next anyway. I was having contractions a lot and was already dilated to 4 cm when we went in for the induction. The nice thing about being induced was that we had a plan for Michaela. I was nervous about going into labor and having to scramble to get Miki somewhere before going to the hospital. So, we dropped her off at my friend Jessie Williams' house early that morning. I didn't sleep much the night before so I got up and did my makeup and curled my hair. Why not look my best if I had to be in the hospital to deliver my baby?

Matt and I got checked in to the hospital. I got changed etc. The Doctor came in to break my water at about 8:05 am and they started my pitocin shortly after that. My contractions started shortly after that and came quickly. I already knew I wanted the epidural after my experience with it when I had Miki. I ended up laboring for about an hour and a half before the anesthesiologist came in. She was very nice and very good but my epidural was awful! It usually takes about 5 minutes. Mine took over 45 minutes. I was in painful labor the entire time which made it hard to sit still. My back was really tight and a tendon was blocking the catheter used for the epidural. It kept veering off to one side so she would redo it and it would veer off to the other side. It was brutal. Hurt really badly in addition to the contractions I was trying to breath through. Matt and my wonderful nurse were each holding my hands and helping me breath. It was tough but we made it through. The epidural took another 20 minutes before it wasn't painful anymore. I could still feel and slightly move my legs which was good. It took no time at all after that. By 12:00 I was fully dilated and I did a quick "practice push" when I started feeling pressure. The nurse called everyone in and I pushed one round and boom! there was a baby in the doctors arms! So crazy! It all happened so fast and then she was on my chest staring up at my with big, dark blue eyes. The most beautiful sight I had ever seen. Right away, we just couldn't believe how pretty she was. She was round and rosy and just was looking around and taking in all of the lights and sounds. They cleaned her off and brought her back to me for skin on skin. We just sat there and held her for a few hours before they took her to the nursery.

For those of you who know how hard it was for me to nurse Micheala, know that I had good reason to be nervous about nursing Lucy. I had prayed and prayed that she would latch well and my body would get into the groove quickly and easily. Right away, Lucy was licking and clicking and all of the signs were there that she was ready so I tried to latch her on and she started sucking right away! I cried I was so relieved. She took to nursing like a champ and it only took about 3 days for my body to stop hurting every time we nursed. The medela gel pads helped me tremendously. They are cool and soothing and helped the soreness. I would recommend them to anybody. The 2 days in the hospital were fine. Matt went home the second night with Miki so I was by myself with Lucy in the hospital. It was good. It's hard to sleep in the hospital of course but we did ok. I was already a lot more sore than I was the first time.

The next two weeks were hard for my body. I know it's very normal to be sore but I was expecting it to be a little better than it was because it was the second time. Not the case. I was way more sore than the last time. It was pretty bad but we got through it.

Miki has adjusted pretty well to having a little sister. She loves baby Lucy so much and helps mommy get diapers and kid e col and blankies. She gives her sister loves every day too. She is very sweet, mothering her baby dolls like mommy does with Lucy. She will change their diaper, "feed" them like mommy feeds Lucy and pat their backs to burp them. She also puts them down for naps and puts them in the swing. So cute. She has had some attitude issues and her potty training has reverted a little bit once in awhile. All of which we expected from her. It's all normal, we know. That doesn't mean it is easy for mom and dad to deal with.

Lucy is doing well. She sleeps great. Already 5-6 hours each night. She loves to snuggle and has the  cutest little coos and smiles. She does get fussy every night for about an hour and does fuss a little bit once in a while. She is a baby, so we aren't too worried about that. :) She is so gorgeous! We can see the resemblance to her sister Miki but I feel like she is her own unique self and they are quite different. Lucy is darker complected and has darker hair and her eyes are very dark blue. All opposite of Michaela which I love. I am blessed with beautiful girls and a loving husband. I thank my Heavenly Father every day for the blessings in my life!

Proficiently Proficient

If I could be instantly proficient at something... well, the list is long. Speaking French and playing piano would be on my list for sure. But various family members have said the same things so I am going to try and come up with a new one.

Ok, I think I would have to stick with instruments on this one. I want to learn to play a stringed instrument ie guitar, mandolin or fiddle. If I could be instantly proficient at one of these things Matt and I could truly start a band. And then I could do what I love with the man I love. Sounds like a good plan to me.

What almost always gives me goosebumps

Beautiful Music. It doesn't matter what genre. If a song is beautiful sounding in any way I will get chills.

Inspiring quotes or speeches. I can be reading or hearing powerful words and they will give me goosebumps. Every. Single. Time.

Heartfelt stories. Anytime I hear an inspiring story I cry and get chills.

When I feel the Spirit, I get chills.

My least favorite thing to do

Fold laundry. I don't mind doing laundry but I haaaate folding it. I also hate emptying the dishwasher. But I hate it when those two things are left undone so I do them. A lot. Unfortunately my husband also hates those things so if I don't do them, they don't get done. I am almost 100% sure that I will have to continue to do both of these things throughout my lifetime. At least until my children are old enough to make them do it. Ha!

My Superpower and Name

Hmmmm, ok I have a few weeks of catching up to do. I had to go and give birth and that has kept me pretty busy for the last few weeks. 

So, if I could have a superpower, it would probably be... (let me just say that I have been sitting here staring at the screen for the last 10 minutes because I can't think of anything.) My first answer would be the ability to apparate but my mom and sister already both said that too. So, in the interest of being unique, I am going to say that my superpower would be to fly. Who doesn't dream about what it would be like to fly? I have some very realistic and vivid dreams about flying and even though I am afraid of heights, I never am when I am flying. I don't understand why we weren't given this ability. If I were creating the universe I would make it so my people could fly. Just saying.

So, my name would be Magnificent. Call me Mags for short. Who said your name had to make sense?  

Before baby #2

Well, as I sit on the precipice of a new phase in my life, I contemplate a lot of things. There are so many thoughts swirling through my head right now. I am not gonna organize them so much as just vent them all here.

This has been a difficult pregnancy for me. As you may know. I have been sick and struggled with minor depression like I have never in my life experienced before. I have had loved ones struggle with depression and not fully understood what they were going through. I have always been a glass-is-half full type of person. I can always find the silver lining in any situation. I find humor during the hard times. Until about 5 months ago. The combination of being unhappy with my situation right now in life and the sickness and hormones of pregnancy have changed that all for me. I felt so lost. I could not see the positive in any situation. I got so frustrated so easily and found myself snapping at Matt and Miki all the time. I felt extremely anti-social. I resented the fact that no one here seemed to care either way what was going on in my life and at the same time if anyone would try and talk to me or ask about my life I didn't want to talk about it. I found myself not smiling like I usually do. I would cry and cry and then be mad at myself for being so weak. Matt was so helpful and patient with me. I felt so guilty like I was not being a good wife to him and a good mommy to Miki. You always want your kids to see the best of you but that is just impossible. There are times where she would climb on my lap and give me hugs and kisses and say "It's gonna be ok, mommy." My 2 year old would be comforting ME. She has truly been a blessing in my life.

The good news is, that all seems to have passed now. I have felt so much better in the last 6 weeks or so. I really turned a corner after I was able to talk to my doctor and my sisters about all of my feelings. It is nice to have people that I can be completely open with and have them not judge me but just listen and tell me they love me. I know I have an amazing support system in my family. It was just so hard to be far away from it. There are many wonderful women here who I am friends with but I don't have anyone that I feel is a complete bosom friend. I am the kind of person who doesn't need a lot of friends but I like to have a few really close ones who feel comfortable telling me anything and in whom I can do the same. I love my friends here and will get there someday with them.

Now, another thing that has been on my mind lately a lot is Miki. The fact that she will have to start sharing me and daddy soon with her little sister makes me feel a little guilty if I am completely honest. I know that as soon as Lucy comes, we will not be able to remember what it is like without her. I know that we will love her as much as we love Miki. I know all of that. But... it is hard to really know until it is here and right now I feel bad. I am so excited for this new little girl. I am so happy that Miki gets to be a big sister. I can't imagine my life without my siblings and I want that for all of my kids. However, Miki and I are quite a pair. We do everything together and I love that she still needs me so much. I feel like I am taking a part of myself away from her by having a new baby that will demand so much of my time and attention. Matt and I have talked a lot about this and we feel the same. Excited and guilty at the same time. We have made a resolve to make sure Miki still gets plenty of time and attention on her own after Lucy comes and to have lots of moments with just Lucy too. I know that millions of people have gone through this transition before and I know it will all be great. I am just confessing how I feel.

I am excited and anxious for the birth. I hope my water doesn't break first like it did with Miki. I am already 3 cm dilated and hoping that means that the labor is shorter than last time too. (23 hours was a long time.) I can't wait to see what Miss Lucy is gonna look like. Will she have hair? What color? Blonde? Brown? Long? Short? Will be she just as fair and blue-eyed as her sister was or will she be different? I can't wait to see her little personality and watch as she develops a relationship with her big sister. Miki will be a great big sister! She loves to nurture already and takes such good care of us. She is so sweet and loving and I know she will help so much with the new baby.

So, now we are just waiting. Doctor tomorrow. We will be exactly 39 weeks. One more week until my due date. It looks like she is gonna hang on and be a September baby, not an August one. Which is funny because my 2 nieces that were supposed to be born in August came early and were born in July. Our family is determined not to have any birthdays in August. We have some already in July and a LOT in September. It's funny how those things work out.

Well, I am hoping that the next update will be announcing Miss Lucy Jean's arrival. Thanks for listening. Love you all!

Stef

Michaela

I just want to post about my amazing 2 year old, Michaela. I do keep a journal but have not written in awhile and I want to remember some of the fun things about Miki right now at this stage in her life. There are so many changes coming up for our little family. Matt and I have talked about this but, we almost feel guilty for making Miki "share" us with Lucy when she has only ever known us as "her" mommy and daddy. The thing that makes me know that everything will be ok is the fact that my siblings are the most important people and friends in my life. I can't imagine my life without them. I guess that makes sense since I am the 3rd one and never had a life without at least some of them but you know what I mean. Pretty soon, Miki won't even remember what life was like without Lucy. Right now, I am really trying to cherish the times that we have together. She and I are buds. I love how much she still needs me. She loves me and she shows it every day with hugs and kisses and sweet words. She tries so hard to listen and do what she is told. Sometimes she acts very "2" and challenges everything I say or ask but she is such a good girl it's hard to complain. She has also been not taking naps very well lately which makes for cranky evenings and not great nights of sleep. We are gonna try some new things to see if we can help that.

Coloring with Chalk

Anyway, right now, she is soooo funny. Matt and I love the way she says some of her words. Here are a few examples; "Foop" is food. "Popsiple" is popsicle. "Erybody" is everybody. "Apple pine" is pineapple. "Fring cheese" is string cheese. "Good girl" is a common phrase she uses for either good girl or big girl. She tends to say "good girl" after we do something that she likes. She will say "good girl daddy" to Matthew when he help her with something or does something she asks him too. It's so cute. She also has to refer to Matt most of the time not just as daddy but as "my daddy." She'll turn to me and say, "my daddy get me a carrot!" Her daddy is very special to her and she talks about him all the time. Her day revolves around where he is at any given time. Whenever he leaves she always has to give him kisses. She went through this stage where she wanted to kiss us on our backs whenever she was saying goodbye. She would say, "I need to kiss you baaaaaack!" and she wanted to kiss us on our back. Yeah, we have no idea where that one came from. If she wants us she says, "I need you." So we started to say "No, I need you" and she would get all excited and say, "you need me?" To which we would reply that of course, we would always need her. She is so sweet. If I had a dollar for every time during the day that I hear "Mommy!!!!" I would be rich. Can we find someone to keep track and pay me for it? She is also very observant. She describes everything that she sees. If she is watching a cartoon or movie, she will tell me what is happening and it's always right. She has a fantastic memory. She will talk about things that happened before she had the words to describe them. Now that she has the words it just amazing me what she remembers. She knows all of our family members by their faces and the voices. She knows characters in books and shows and such by their names once she has seen them once. In fact, we were just talking about how smart she is and how we need to look for ways to challenge her more. She is more than a sponge, she sucks information in from all around her. We paint and color and read and play pretend. We dance and play outside and do bubbles. She knows all of her letters and colors and she can count to 10. Well, almost. She tends to leave out the number 4. Who ever needed 4 anyway? So, we are going to start some more projects like beads, glue, finger paint, play doh. Any other great toddler ideas would be awesome. I'm gonna start working more on letters, pictures and numbers and colors and shapes and such and writing and all of that. I would love for her to be able to go to a Montessori school or something a few days a week but it's not in the budget right now so we will be doing as much as we can at home. She is seriously so smart I know she would learn anything she is taught.

Playing at the fountains on her 2nd Birthday

Some of the things she likes. She loves Rapunzel from the movie "Tangled." She like the show "Wonder Pets" and she is also kind of into "Yo Gabba Gabba" because of the music and dancing. (Much to mom's chagrin. It's sooo annoying.) She loves her baby dolls and is a great little mommy to them. She feeds them, burps them, changes their "britches," puts them down for a nap and walks them around in the stroller. She gives them hugs and kisses. She is such a nurturer and a little love. She loves to snuggle. Right now mommy and daddy's bed is the best place to play. She will jump and she loves to lay on the pillows and read. She also loves to pile up the pillows and fall into them like a pile of leaves. She is definitely getting more and more energy. She has never been a huge climber but she is now climbing all over the furniture and beds and she looooves jumping and running in circles. Dancing and spinning happen all day at our house. She also loves to wear her princess dress and her Dora dress and shoes and dance and play. She has play earrings and rings and necklaces and she likes to wear those too. When she does watch tv she likes to have a pillow, blanket and her Winnie the Pooh or Rapunzel doll to snuggle with. She likes to sing and always pulls out the hymn book at church when we sing on Sundays. She loves going to her nursery class at church. She can't wait for it to start every week.

Adventures in Chattanooga with mom and dad

She is also very social. It takes her a minute to warm up to new people and places but she loves to play with other kids and adults. She will say her own prayer at night after we say a family prayer before bed too. It's so cute. She will also join in on the blessing before dinner.

Daddy and Miki try and keep cool at the Rockies Game in Denver

She likes to go swimming and put on her "fwimming soup" to run through the sprinkler. She is a talker. She talks to me all day long.

Playing in her "fwimmin pool"

She isn't super into sweets. She loves jelly beans which she gets after she goes potty on the potty. (Yes, she is potty training and doing really well!!) But for the most part she likes fruit, cheese and raw vegetables to snack on. She likes chicken and she loves bread. She loves pasta and cereal. Oatmeal with applesauce and cinnamon and fruit snacks. She likes popsicles. Daddy loves Otter pops and got her into them. She isn't a huge fan of ice cream though. She will have a few bites and then she is done. She likes cake but not too much at once. I am so glad that what she asks for to eat are things like carrots, strawberries, grapes and oranges.

Daddy and Miki read a story before bed

We are getting ready to move her into sleeping in a toddler bed. Matt is going to pick one up for her today actually. We are hoping she will be 100% potty trained and sleeping in her toddler bed by the time Lucy comes in 7 1/2 weeks or so. The potty training, like I said, is going really well. She rarely has an accident and has been in panties now for 2 1/2 weeks. She even wakes up with a dry diaper every morning and so we are going to start trying panties at night too once she is in her toddler bed. Like I said, she is smart. I am so proud of her.

Ready for her first daddy daughter date night to Chick fil a for Princess night

I don't know if anyone is still reading this but I wanted to get all of this down so we don't forget any of these fun details.

Mommy and Miki in Chattanooga

I feel like it is the greatest blessing I could ever ask for to be a mom. I never felt so special as I did when I gave birth to Michaela. She has completely transformed my life for the better. She has taught me the meaning of love. She has helped me learn how to sacrifice and serve. She shows me every day what it means to have patience. She lets everything roll right off her back and rarely gets upset. Even when she gets in trouble she just stays so calm. It calms me down to when I get upset at her. I love her more than anything else and there is nothing I wouldn't do for her.

Miki, looking good after a nap

I can't wait to have Lucy join our family and start developing a relationship with her too. And with the girls together. Miki knows who Lucy is and she talks about her a lot. She even kisses my belly and pats it and says "Oh, baby Lucy. Her sweeeeping" (sleeping.) She will be an amazing big sister. We are so blessed.

Easter 2012 Hunting for eggs

Quirks

Hmmmm, I agree with my sister that it's hard to identify your own quirks because things you do seem pretty normal to yourself. I already mentioned this one in an earlier post but, I am an OCD organizer. If there is clutter, I will organize it. I will organize a mess until it at least looks in some kind of order. I organize book shelves, dvd's, papers, pencils, beds, bedrooms, stuffed animals and pretty much anything else that is lying around the house. I like my silverware to sit straight. I like the magazines in waiting rooms to be in a neat and orderly pile or layed out neatly. What can I say? It's my OCD tendencies at work. I just feel like a room feels so much cleaner if it's organized. I feel like my mind can function better. If I am in a cluttered room it drives me to distraction. I. Must. Clean. This has come in handy many times in my life. I can clean a room and make it look nice in a matter of minutes or seconds depending on the size of the room. Now, I have a 2 year old and various other ages of children hanging out at my house all week. Not to mention a husband that is not OCD about organizing so, there are times (gasp) when my house may be cluttered or unclean. Know that this bothers no one more than me. (Except maybe Grant Comp. Hehehe.) I usually have to go through the house and de-clutter/clean before I go to bed at night. I'm kinda like Monica from "Friends" only not quite as extreme. But maybe. I have a compulsion to clean rooms/houses that are extremely dirty. Regular family clutter just means that a family actually lives in their home and doesn't bother me. Ok, maybe it does. But I am not one to judge, for sure. I could be happy being a professional organizer because I get a high from organizing a room full of chaos into something that looks and feels nice. I should have my own TV show. HGTV here I come!

Favorite Comfort Food

So, the last 2 prompts for the challenge are kinda lame, in my opinion. Oh well. My favorite comfort food depends on what mood I need to be comforted out of. If I want to celebrate, it's usually ice cream. Also, if I feel particularly sad, it's also ice cream. I would have to say that my moms Manicotti or Mock Lasagna Casserole could pretty much cure any mood that I am in. So, like so many things in life, it all depends on what mood I am in. I won't usually say no to sweets but I don't keep them around the house that much cause if I do, I'll eat them. I like food, I always have. Especially Mexican and Italian. You can take me to Carino's or Dos Hombres/Palmes Verdes and I will be happy.

Top Things on My Bucket List

I have to say a lot of my bucket list things have to do with travelling. I love to travel and see culture, people, places that are different from my experiences. 

1. Go to Australia and New Zealand

2. Take our family to Disneyworld.

3. Go to the Harry Potter theme park.

4. Have more kids

5. Travel around Europe more/again

6. Buy a house in Colorado

Those are just a few off the top of my head ideas. I have to say a lot of these things are just things we wanna do in the next 10 years. That qualifies, though right? As long as I have my family, I am pretty content. Matt and I love having adventures together and travel creates a lot of adventures. I also must say that these are not in any particular order. If you asked me what was on my "What do you want to happen for yourself and the people you love list?" the list would become a lot longer and more interesting. But, alas, we must save that one for another day. 

Anyone wanna take me to Florida? 

http://www.universalorlando.com/harrypotter/ Just check this out. How could any HP fan not want to go? Seriously?

The last time I cried

I don't think it would surprise anyone that I cry pretty much every day. I am the kind of person that wears my heart on my sleeve. I am not afraid to show emotion. I don't have a choice actually. I can't control my tear ducts at all! I cry when I am sad, happy, inspired, angry (which makes me more angry), and any other passionate emotion. It's worse when I'm pregnant. My poor husband. Hehehe.

I have to say, the reasons that I have cried in the past 2 days have been because I am worried about people that I love. There are a lot of people that are really close to me who are going through so much right now. Like, huge, life-altering things that will alter their futures and change their families. Some of it can be positive but most of these things are huge trials. I am inspired by these people daily and humbled and grateful for their examples and for the blessings I have. I cried yesterday while I was talking to one of my sisters about these situations. I wish I could take away the burdens of worry, doubt, fear, frustrations from all of these amazing people. I hope they all know that I pray for them and think of them almost constantly. I also wish I had millions of dollars so I could ease their financial burdens for them as well. Money doesn't buy happiness? Well, it sure can reduce stress.

Another reason that I have cried almost everyday is that my home is currently being ravaged by wildfires. The entire state of Colorado is being effected by these awful fires. There is wildlife being lost, homes being lost and people's lives being changed forever. Not to mention just the incredible amount of some of the most beautiful and breathtaking land in this world that is being totally destroyed. The inspiring thing about nature is that it always will rejuvenate itself. It may take years, but it will come back. Little green shoots of grass and trees will start to poke up. Seeds will spread and animals will return. But it is so devastating to see the destruction. I am so heartsick I actually haven't really wanted to talk about it at all because I feel physically sick. For those of you who have never been to Colorado, go. It will change your life. Go after the fires are over to help support the local economy and get people back on their feet. Help the firefighters and Red Cross with your prayers, support and finances if you have them. That is all I have to say about that.

This is a photo from the Grand Junction Daily Sentinel. This is my hometown. The fire is getting closer. God be with the people fighting it and the evacuees.

I believe this is the fire in Colorado Springs. My sister says the air all over Colorado smells like campfire. 

What Makes Me Feel Better, Always

I guess I am just gonna have to be reconciled to the fact that I have some pretty cliche answers to a lot of these prompts. Oh, well. I guess if I try too hard to be original it won't be true to who I am. So, what makes me feel better always?

1. Michaela. She constantly amazes me at how positive she is. She is not phased by anything. She is so sweet and if I am upset she says: "Oh, mommy sad?? I'll give you a hug." And then she does. And she gives me kisses if I stub my toe or scratch myself or something. She is so sweet and nurturing already and she is only 2. I love having her around me all the time. She reminds me not to sweat the small stuff.

2. Matthew. If there was one person in the universe that I could choose to be with all the time and forever, it would be him. I guess it's a good thing he married me, right? He is funny, sweet, sympathetic, compassionate and many more redeemable qualities. He is working so extremely hard right now to simultaneously pursue his music career and take care of us. When he is away from me I feel it physically. There is a hollow feeling that accompanies his absence. When he comes home, I feel better even if I felt good already. His touch soothes me and his words of wisdom help me through tough times. We are so lucky to be best friends. We love doing things together. He always can make me feel better, no matter what.

3. Visits home. This includes, of course seeing all of our family in our favorite places. That one doesn't need much more of an explanation.

4. Seeing people doing nice things for strangers. This always will make me feel better. I love when people aren't afraid to show love and compassion to others. Whether they know them or not it is a great thing to spread kindness around the world.

5 Favorite blogs

My sisters blogs. And my mom's blog.

Holly's theglems.blogspot.com
Jen's whatnowjen.blogspot.com
Lisa's lisaandhondo.blogspot.com
Mom's mahanthing.blogspot.com

I occasionally check a few other friends blogs but I am not a huge cyber reader.

My best physical feature: you can laugh, it's ok

My feet. I know, it's a little weird. But I like them. They are pretty. I have nice toenails and my feet look quite dainty. I love to keep my nails painted in the summertime. I love pedicures but I rarely get them because they are spendy.

A Difficult Time in my life

I have to say, I am actually going through a difficult time right now. But instead of talking about that, I will talk about one of the other times in my life when I struggled.

When I was a Sophomore/Junior in college, my brother was deployed in Iraq. Because of his job, we didn't know for sure where he was. We were hearing on the news every day about soldiers being killed and attacks in Iraq. A lot of them were Marines, which is what Adam is. I always was reassured in the back of my mind that he was ok but every time the news came on there was just a tightening in my heart. I would sit in my dorm room and my grandparents house and just pray and pray for Adam and all of the soldiers and their families. Those that were lost and those in danger. During this time, one of my closest friends was going through one of the hardest times in his life. It was extremely difficult to watch him going through these emotions and changes in his life and to try and be a good support and friend for him. The combination of both of these events made it so hard that I was often on the brink of tears. I carried my scriptures around throughout the day and was reading them constantly to draw on the words of the Savior and Prophets for inspiration. It did help. I had a few Priesthood Blessings from my Bishop at church. I was struggling to be a good friend and support to my friend, and to my family as we were all going through the separation of having our son/brother in harms way.

All I can say about this time is that it was hard. I drew on my testimony and the testimony of friends to help me get through. My family is awesome and we love and support each other through everything. My brother has been home and safe for a long time now and I am so grateful. My friend got through his difficult time and is a bright, shining person who is so strong, even if he doesn't know it.

I am so blessed to have the knowledge of the Gospel of Jesus Christ and to have the people in my life that I do. Hard times come to us all. We just need to draw on the strength that is offered to us and we will succeed at anything that comes our way in this life.

Pet Peeves

You can never really think of these things when you want to but I'll try to list a few.

Here we go:
1. When the toilet paper roll is backwards
2. When people leave lights on, cupboard doors open etc.
3. Hitting all red lights
4. When people don't appreciate the goodness of others
5. Parents who think their children are angels 100% of the time and never could possibly do anything wrong. Ha!
6. Misunderstandings
7. Dirty houses
8. Clutter
9. "Friends" who don't ever consider your feelings and always only think of themselves

I guess I can't make it to 10. That'll have to do.

Note: When I am pregnant, almost everything is a pet peeve. :)

10 Favorite Songs

I am catching up, so I'm not going to get all creative and post links to the songs. I will just list them out and let you all imagine the songs for yourselves. :)

In No Particular Order:

1. Finale B from RENT. I sang this song with a group of my friends at my Senior Recital. I love it.
2. Ok, I'm gonna cheat a little and lump some into one category. I love Nickel Creek: Why Should the Fire Die?, Reason's Why, Out of the Woods, Tomorrow is a Long time, The Lighthouse, Sweet Afton. Their music is truly beautiful and inspiring. Matt and I love to sing their songs.
3. For You by Matt Griffith. Go listen to it at http://www.reverbnation.com/mattgriffith
4. Fall Into Me by Emerson Drive
5. Somebody Like You by Keith Urban
6. Be Still, My Soul from the LDS Hymn book. This song is so ethereal and I love the words.
7. Defying Gravity from the musical Wicked. Girl power song. Gotta love it.
8. The Heart of Life by John Mayer. Just an inspiring song and I love the music.
9. The Wind by Cat Stevens as sung by Matt Griffith
10. Fire and Rain by James Taylor as sung by Matt Griffith

I would recommend these songs to anyone. They are just good tunes that make you feel happy and remember the good things in life. I could go on and on. Music is one of the greatest influences in my life.

"For my soul delighteth in the song of the heart; yea, the song of the righteous is a prayer unto me. And it shall be answered with a blessing upon their heads." Doctrine and Covenants 25:12

Something I miss

I am sure that everyone is tired of hearing about how bad I miss my family but it's just the truth. I am blessed to be part of a large and loving family and we have always been close with each other. It is really hard for me to be the one that is farthest away right now. I know that they are not always in the same place either but the fact that they can drive to each other much more quickly than I can makes it hard for me. It's a lot more expensive for us to go and visit family at the drop of a hat than if we were closer.

I miss Colorado almost as much as I miss my family. Every time we fly home and I see the mountains out of the airplane window, I start to cry. And I cry again when we leave. I have traveled to many many places and I truly believe I was blessed to grow up in one of the most beautiful places on the planet. There is desert, mountains, rivers, lakes, trees, gorgeous blue skies and so much wildlife it's like the discovery channel. I love Colorado and I love Utah.

I miss my friend Lindsay. She is one of those people that it doesn't matter how long it is between visits, we pick right up where we left off. We love each others kids and husbands and families. We are lucky to have a friendship like we do.

I miss my friend Christopher. A lot. He lives in New York City. He is a full-time musician and he is making his way in a very hard place to be successful. He is talented, giving, loving and always will be one of my best friends. He was in my wedding as one of my attendants and I can talk to him about anything and know that I won't be judged. We have the same handwriting. We can look at each other in a certain situation and know exactly what the other one is thinking and we just burst out laughing. Hehehe:) We are quite the pair and I miss him every day.

Where do I want to be in ten years

Colorado. With our family and loooots more cousins and a few more kids. Miki will be 12 and Lucy will be 10 and we will hopefully have about a 7 or 8 year old and a 5 or 6 year old. I would like for Matt to be able to be doing just what he wants to do in the music business. I would like to have our debt paid off and own a home in Colorado and a condo in Nashville if that is where Matt still needs to spend time. I would like to be able to travel with Matt and our kiddos and go on as many adventures as possible as a family.

What more could we ask for than a healthy family and good times in a place and with all of the people we love the most?? Friends in Nashville, this includes you!

My worst habits

1. Stressing about the house being clean because clutter makes me feel icky.

2. Not taking time for myself until I am about to explode from frustration.

3. I forget to call people back right away when they call me. My brain just moves right on and I don't remember until a lot later. Unless it's my family members.

4. Lately, impatience. With my life, my house, my dog, and especially myself.

5. I am slightly OCD about certain things. I like them to be a specific way and it bugs me when something is out of order. I tend to organize the condiments on the table as soon as we sit down in a restaurant and I usually will go through the house making people's beds cause it makes the whole room look so much cleaner. Oh well, it could be worse.

What am I most afraid of?

I think it's kind of obvious that losing the people I love is about the scariest thing. I have to go one step further and say that losing one of my children would be the scariest thing to consider.

Since that one is obvious I will list a few other things that scare me;

1. Bugs. Crunchy ones.
2. Scary movies
3. Being away from Colorado and family for too long.
4. Heights

That's what comes to my mind when I think of being scared. There you go.

Favorite Childhood Book

This one is tough too. I have always loved to read and loved being read to. Some of my favorite memories are of my mom sitting in the rocking chair in Holly and Lisa's room at night reading to us. She read us Winnie the Pooh, Anne of Green Gables and many many other series and books. Oddly enough, one of the first books I remember reading on my own and loving was a chapter book. The Incredible Journey by Sheila Burnford. I just remember loving the story and the companionship the characters shared. I didn't see the movie till after I read the book and I like them both.

Another one I loved right away was Number the Stars by Lois Lowry. I still love that one and pull it out to read it once in awhile. It opened up my world to the possibility that bad things happen but good things can come of it. I have been interested in studying the Holocaust ever since.

And let me just say, please read to your kids! It will help them in ways you can't even imagine. Even if you don't feel comfortable, do it anyway. They will appreciate and love you for it and it will bring you closer together. Just do it!

My dream Job

I am going to be honest and say, I don't like working. I also don't like that my sisters computer doesn't have the key on the "n" button so this is going a little slower than I would like. Anyway, I don't really like the idea of slaving away the best hours of the day away from my family only to come home exhausted and have to make dinner and go straight to bed just to do it all again. Luckily that is not really how my life is right now. I am lucky to stay home with Miki. It is hard for me to have to watch kids during the week. It's long hours for not a lot of pay and I feel stuck sometimes. I do love both of the kids that I watch, however and that makes it a little easier.

So, I guess you could say right now my dream job would be to have the freedom not to watch kids at home and still not have to get a day job. My ultimate dream job, as I mentioned in an earlier post would be to run my own non-profit organization for kids. I would be in charge and I would assemble the best team of people ever to help me and we would make a difference in the lives of thousands of children who need a better situation and education in their lives.

If you have to work, you should be doing something that you love and believe in, right?

Blog Challenge: Today's the day!

The timeline of my day. Huh. Let's see. Well, I am a stay at home mom who watches kids while I am at home with Miki during the week so my day usually looks like this:

7:00 Wake Up and get some clothes on, open up the house for my kids who arrive shortly
7:15 Tyler arrives
7:30 Abby arrives/Miki wakes up
7:30-8:00 Feed Abby a bottle, get Miki some breakfast
8:15 Feed Tyler a bottle
8:30 Change Diapers/Get Miki dressed
9:00 Playtime with kids
9:30 Abby down for a nap/feed Tyler a bottle and he goes down for a nap
10:00 Watch some veggie tales with Miki
11:00 Abby wakes, play time, feeding time, diaper time
11:30 Feed Miki lunch, text Tyler's mom when he wakes up so she can come feed him
12:00-2:00 Diapers, naps, playtime, paint, coloring, reading, cleaning if I can-mostly in the kitchen or throw in a load of laundry
2:00 Abby down for afternoon nap, hopefully Miki and Tyler sleep too. (Never a guarantee.)
3:30-4:00 Kiddos wake up, diapers, bottles, snacks
3:00-4:00 Watch Ellen while doing the above

Note: rarely do all the kid sleep at the same time so this is on a good day.

4:15-4:30 Tyler is picked up
5:00 Abby is picked up
5:15 Clean house and take Miki out to play, sometimes I shower
6:00 Make dinner/hang out with Matthew/run any errands we need to depending on what night of the week it is.
7:00-8:30 watch TV or out and about rehearsing, watching Matt's gigs, or just hanging at home
8:30-9:00 Bedtime for Miki
9:30-10:00 Bedtime for Mommy and Daddy

As you all know with kids, this is an outline of approximations. It is generally what I like to try and stick to but things are different every day. It's pretty busy though in case you weren't picking up on that. And a lot of work for this pregnant mamma!

Blog Challenge: What's a Handbag?

So, I don't like to carry a lot of things around with me all the time. I am going to post what is usually in my diaper bag/purse instead of what is now cause we are one vacation and I am carrying a lot more than usual. Here is the list:

1. Wallet
2. A couple diapers
3. Wipes
4. Chapstick
5. Granola bars
6. 2 small books for Miki
7. Possibly a few crumbs and other snacks

That's all folks. Less is more.

Blog Challenge: Favorite Quote

I agree with my fellow blog-challengers that this one is hard. There are many many quotes that have affected me and that I love and turn to often. I love reading and when I come across a good quote in a book I love how it can change your way of thinking. There are many scriptures that I turn to and think about when I need some inspiration and motivation. There are many moments in books that affect me greatly and I think of them often as well. So I will list a few of my favorites:

“When I left Queen's my future seemed to stretch out before me like a straight road. I thought I could see along it for many a milestone. Now there is a bend in it. I don't know what lies around the bend, but I'm going to believe that the best does.” 
― L.M. Montgomery, Anne of Green Gables

“I believe the nicest and sweetest days are not those on which anything very splendid or wonderful or exciting happens, but just those that bring simple little pleasures, following one another softly, like pearls slipping off a string.” 
― L.M. Montgomery

“It's not what the world holds for you. It's what you bring to it.” 
― L.M. Montgomery, Anne of Green Gables

“Life is worth living as long as there's a laugh in it.” 
― L.M. Montgomery, Anne of Green Gables

(Sidenote: I love the Anne of Green Gables series. I read it probably once a year.)

"Remember, if the time should come when you have to make a choice between what is right, and what is easy, remember what happened to a boy who was good, and kind, and brave, because he strayed across the path of Lord Voldemort." Albus Dumbledore in Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire

The above quote is the part of one of my favorite speeches in the Harry Potter Books. It's Dumbledore's "Remember Cedric Diggory" speech at the end of the Goblet of Fire. I don't have my book with me as I am on vacation and so I can't post the entire thing but this is a good representation.

John 14:18

18 I will not leave you comfortless: I will come to you.

John 15:13

13 Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.

 3 Nephi 17:7 Have ye any that are sick among you? Bring them hither. Have ye any that are lame, or blind, or halt, or maimed, or leprous, or that are withered, or that are deaf, or that are afflicted in any manner? Bring them hither and I will heal them, for I have compassion upon you; my bowels are filled with mercy.

The last scripture is found in The Book Of Mormon when Jesus Christ visits His people on the American continent after His atonement. I love how much Jesus Christ loves His children.

That's it for now, there are soooo many more quotes I could post and maybe I will later in my own post. Thanks for sticking with me!

Blog Challenge: If I had a million dollars...

I'd be rich!

Ok, so I think this one is pretty obvious. We would pay off our debt including our house and then help our family to pay theirs off too. I would buy my parents a house, invest in a few things and put money in savings for our kiddos.

THEN, I would completely makeover our house!! Yay! Hardwood floors, new kitchen. I hate white cabinets and that's what we have. Wood cabinets and an awesome new fridge. Granite counter tops, great tile floors etc etc. We would knock down some walls and build a state-of-the art studio for my hubby in our garage. Completely finish it and make it the best studio ever! We would landscape the yard and put a huge porch in the front and patio in the back with awesome lawn furniture. All of this work would pay off when we can sell our house for a heckuva lot more than we paid for it. We would buy a house in Grand Junction and we would travel back and forth between Nashville and Colorado whenever we wanted to!! Haha!! I would eventually like to start a non-profit organization for children who are born into less than desirable circumstances and help educate and motivate them to rise above their situation and give them a platform for change.

Matt and I would also probably adopt a baby.

That's a good place to start, don't you think?

Blog Challenge: Most proud moment

This one it too easy. I suppose it's a given but I don't remember a more momentous moment in my life than when I gave birth to Michaela. I am excited to repeat the experience with Lucy in September. I never felt more loved or important or closer to my Heavenly Father than when Miki was placed on my chest and she opened her little eyes and looked at me for the first time. I had the overwhelming feeling that I knew her and have always known her. What a special blessing to be a mamma!

Moments after she was born. Can there be any greater feeling?

Mommy and Miki

I mean just look at this little miracle!

And here she is now! I love this face. 

Blog Challenge: First Celebrity Crush

Hmmmmm... honestly probably Johnathon Taylor Thomas. But I'm pretty sure that's cause everyone else was going crazy about him and it didn't occur to me not to follow the fad. The first one I would say that I thought about on my own was AJ from the Backstreet Boys. Hehehe.

I liked him cause he was the "bad boy."

I mean, he is cute.

Blog Challenge: Piercings and tattoos

This one isn't too exciting. I have both of my ears pierced. Just one hole. I love dangly earrings and hoops. I didn't get my ears pierced till I was like 21 cause I was in California on a vacation with my sisters and brother and sister in law and I wanted to do something spontaneous. So we got my ears pierced.

I had my left cartilage pierced in high school. Adam and I got it done at the same time. It got infected pretty badly even though I cleaned it and I took it out.

I sometimes go through a phase where I want a tattoo. Matt thinks this is hilarious. I know if I ever got one it would be a beautiful red rose and it would be in a place I could cover up. However, I don't think I would ever get one.

Blog Challenge: Old Photo of me

Ok, lets see what I can come up with.

So this is only a few years old but, since I get to choose the picture I am choosing one where I was really skinny and tan and cute and with my favorite person. So, here Matt and I are on the plane getting ready to head to Hawaii the day after we got married. Aren't we cute? :)

Blog challenge: 10 Favorite Foods

So, Matt, Miki and I are one vacation right now in Colorado and so I have not kept up to date on the blog challenge the past weekend. However, I find myself awake early while Matt and Miki are taking up the entire bed so it is time to play catch up.

My top ten favorite foods in no particular order are:

1. Bagel Breakfast sandwiches
2. Mac Lasagna Casserole
3. Manicotti
4. Chips and Queso
5. Peanut Butter Cup Perfection Ice Cream from Cold Stone
6. Chick Fil-a Chicken Nuggets
7. Burrito's/Taco's
8. Lasagna
9. Strawberries
10. Grapes

2 things you should have learned about me in this post: I love Italian and Mexican food.

Day 6: 3 Personality Traits that I am proud of

Hmmmmm, so I agree with my sister, Jen that is is hard to talk about yourself. It's never been one of my favorite things. But when I think about traits I have that I am proud of the 3 things that come to mind are; Love, Friendship and Acceptance.

Let me explain a little bit. I have always been a very loving person. I guess you could call this trait compassionate. I am very affected by the feelings of others. I cry when other people cry. I genuinely wish I could take away sorrows and troubles from people. If I see a person that needs love, I want to give it.

I am a very loyal friend. I am friendly with everyone. But I only have a small circle of people that I consider really close personal friends. These are people that I would do anything for and help in any way that I can. They are friends that I will defend through thick and thin. I am blessed to have some wonderful people in my life.

Lastly, it has always been fairly easy for me to accept people no matter what their circumstances. I don't see any reason not to give someone love and friendship and support just because they are different than I am or they think differently than I do. I feel like the world would be a better place if we all just tried to understand one another and accepted that we are different and always will be. Sometimes you can't change people but you can always love them.

I hope these traits do really describe me. No one is perfect and I definitely make mistakes in all of these areas.

Day 5: Guilty Pleasure

When Jen told me what today's challenge is I said: "You mean besides watching 'Keeping up with the Kardashians?" Hahaha. But seriously, my guilty pleasures would probably include: Coke, Peanut Butter Cup Perfection Ice Cream from Cold Stone and The Bachelor/Bachelorette. Matt reminded me of the last one. The reason this show has any appeal to me at all is that it is so completely ridiculous. It's fun to watch the crazies and laugh at them. They know that's what people are doing so I don't feel sorry for them. After all, they applied to be on the show, didn't they? In every season there are some people that I actually like. They seem 'normal' and I always root for those ones. This season I love Emily. She is so sweet and genuine and I think she is the most real of any of the Bachelorette's. She tells it like it is and is sweet at the same time. I think she genuinely is looking to find someone and is taking this pretty seriously. I hope she picks either Arie or Sean. Anyway, that's it folks. My guilty pleasures.

Picture of the house

Here is our awesome house. This was after my brother and sister in law had the huge tree removed from the front yard a few years ago. What a great place to build some memories.

Earliest Childhood Memory

Ok, this one is easy. My parents moved to Broomfield, CO when I was only a few months old from Grand Junction. My dad got a job and there weren't many to be had in those days. So they took us to a little 2 bedroom house on W 132nd Ave. Holly was born when I was 18 months old and then mom got pregnant with Lisa 9 months after that. Yeah, my parents are crazy people. So that little house got too small really quickly. They found a house right down the street from the one we were living in. This became the house that I grew up in until I left for college. So, when we moved mom was pregnant with Lisa and Holly was a baby. I was 2. And I remember it. Not vividly but I have a few memories from that day. I remember walking down the street holding my moms hand while she was carrying Holly to the new house. I remember dad picking me up and walking down into the basement to look at it. The landlords were showing him I think. I also remember my Gramps was there painting my parents bedroom. It was pink and they were painting it white. He told me not to touch the wall because I would get paint on my hands. I didn't believe him so I put my hand on the wall and... it got covered in paint! Who'd have thunk?? I remember my hand felt really weird and I didn't want to show anyone cause I thought I would get in trouble.

That house has meant a lot to me over the years. It was a special place for all of us. My parents moved out of it when I graduated from college in 2006. My brother and his wife now own it and have turned it into such a great little house! I love that it is always going to be a part of the Mahan family legacy.

Meaning of my Name

Well, this is easy. My name is Stefanie. My family calls me Stef mostly but I always introduce myself as Stefanie. I like Stef and Stefanie equally. Just don't ever call my Steffy. I will fong you.

Mahan is a very important name to me. I am proud of my family and who I am.

Griffith is just as important to me now as Mahan. It is who I have become. I love my Griffith family and I love that I am a part of my husband now as he is a part of me.

20 Facts about me

I'll see if I can make any of this interesting.

1. Being a mom is the best thing that has ever happened to me. It is the hardest and most rewarding thing that I have ever done. When Miki was put up on my chest when she was born I knew that my life had changed forever. I knew that I had known her before and she has always been mine. I love her more than anything.

2. I am currently watching The Bourne Identity on Blu Ray with Matt.

3. I like cheetos.

4. My sisters are my best friends. Holly is probably the most like me. Jen and I didn't really get along as kids cause I wanted her to think I was cool and I wasn't. But now we are best friends. Lisa and I got really close when we worked together one summer at Camp Explorer and hung out a lot after work. I am so glad cause we weren't super close before that. Kelli and I shared a room until I was 13. She used to climb in bed with me when she had a bad dream. It's hard for me to realize that she is a woman now but I love seeing the amazing person she has become.

5. My brother and I were in high school at the same time and I felt so special that he wasn't embarrassed to be seen with me.

6. I really hit my stride in College. I found a lot of confidence in myself and made friends that I will have for life.

7. Jane Eyre is one of my all-time favorite books.

8. I read the Anne of Green Gables books about once a year. All 8 of them. Matt has promised to take me to Prince Edward Island someday. I love escaping there with the characters in the books.

9. I love picnics. Especially picnic baskets.

10. My best friend lives in New York City and I am so unbelievably proud of him for following his dreams. His name is Christopher Klaich and next to my husband is one of the most talented people you will ever meet.

11. I struggle right now with being a stay at home mom. There is nothing I would rather do than be at home with Miki. But sometimes I feel isolated when I am stuck at home all day. I babysit 2 other kids during the week and so there are days at a time when I don't leave the house except to step out into the yard.

12. I love Italian and Mexican Food.

13. I fulfilled a lifelong dream when my husband took me to Paris in 2009. It was everything I thought it would be and more. I love the architecture, culture and history there. I love the language and the food. I could live there.

14. When people show kindness it makes me happy.

15. I love theater and if I was still single I would be auditioning and trying to perform as much as possible.

16. I am a dog person. However, once our dog we have now is no longer with us, which could be for awhile yet. I do not want another dog. Not at all. Until our kids are grown. Too much stress.

17. I love Keith Urban.

18. Nothing would make me happier than seeing my husband succeed in the Music Business. We are just waiting for a big star to pick up one of his songs.

19. I will choose fruit over vegetables anytime.

20. I play the flute.

31 day blog challenge. Introduction.

Ok, friends. I am catching up on my 3 days missed of the challenge. First, intro. My name is Stefanie Mahan Griffith. I was born in Grand Junction, CO on May 23, 1984. I just turned 28. I grew up in Broomfield, CO with my parents and siblings. I am the 3rd of 6 kids. 4 sisters and one brother. I love my family more than anything. I moved to Grand Junction for college when I was 18 and got a degree at Mesa State in Communications and Vocal Performance. I met my husband, Matthew Griffith in college. We were in choir together. We have been married for 4 years. We have a 2 year old daughter, Michaela Jones Griffith. We are having another girl this September. We are naming her Lucy Jean Griffith. I love reading, watching movies, singing, playing with my girl and hanging out with my husband. I miss my family fiercely and can't wait until we can move home permanently to be closer to all of the happenings in our families lives.

The Griffith's at the Zoo

Miki loved the Carousel!

The girls show our Southern Charm!

Breakfast at the Phunky Griddle. We didn't plan the green theme.

Miki examines the menu.

Easter Eggs!

Grandma supervises Miki coloring on her eggs.

Miki and Grandma at the Opryland Hotel.

Miki was having fun taking pictures with the camera.

Mom and I at the Opryland Hotel.

Grandma's Visit and a Weekend in Chattanooga

So, the first week of April was complete heaven for us here in Nashville! My mom, Cindy came to visit us for her Spring Break. We spent time just hanging out around the house and playing. Michaela called her "Gamma" to her face for the first time and brought her to tears. I can't even describe how good it was for Miki to have her here. (I think it was a little beneficial to Grandma too.) We are lucky to have good friends and a comfy little house here. But one of my biggest regrets right now is that Miki doesn't have the close interaction with our extended family that I know would only be good for her. She is such an amazing little girl and she teaches me new lessons every day. She is happy here because she doesn't know any different and I am so glad. But it is hard for me to have her miss this time with cousins and aunties and grandparents. So, that being said, we had a great time. Grandma and Miki read books and played games. We all went to the zoo and saw all of the fun animals. We took mom to the Opryland Hotel and had a delicious burger at STAX. Then we went and got gelato. Also delicious. We were able to have friends over to get to know my mom a little better as well which is also really nice. It's so nice when the people that we talk about to each other get to meet in person. We grilled burgers and had a fire in the fire pit that Matt built in the back yard. One of the other highlights of the week was our ultrasound on Friday the 6th.

Mom got to be here to see that we will be having her 6th granddaughter in September! Lucy Jean Griffith is what we are naming her. Matt and I are so excited for Miki to have a sister so close in age to her. As you all know, my sisters are my best friends. We didn't always get along like we do now of course but growing up with them made me into the woman I am today. They constantly inspire me with their strength, testimonies of the gospel and the amazing men that they have chosen for companions. I love that Miki will have so many girl cousins close in age to her and a sister to share memories with! We are planning on having more kids later but we are excited to be able to enjoy our 2 girls for awhile.

I have to share this cause it's so adorable. Matt gave me a hug when we got home from our ultrasound and said that he didn't want to say anything before cause he didn't want me to think he would be disappointed if we were having a boy but, he was really hoping for a girl. Because "girls are so much fun!" He is such an amazing husband and he loves his Miki girl so much, I am looking forward to watching his relationship grow with Lucy. And mine too. What a welcome addition to our family!

As I said, Lucy will be the 6th granddaughter on my side in 2 1/2 years. When I called all of the family to tell them it was a girl everyone just giggled. We love having so many girls in our family!

So, to get us out of town a little bit, Matt to Miki and I to Chattanooga, Tennessee over the weekend. It was so nice to get away for a few days. We took Miki to the Tennessee Aquarium which was awesome! She loves all of the "fishies" and "nakes" (snakes) and she tried to grab the fish out of the air in the Imax 3D Coral Reef movie. We took her swimming in the hotel pool twice and she had a blast! She picked out her own bright pink swimsuit just for the occasion. We really liked Chattanooga. It's a great little city with a huge river running down its center. There is a great atmosphere there and nice people. Mommy needed a break and it was so good to have one. Even if it was short.

So, we are going to start preparing for little miss Lucy to join us in September. We are excited for all of the changes in our whole family in the next few months. Lots of babies and visits and fun planned. So, if you get a desire to come and visit us, please do. Every little distraction helps me so much right now. I am still not feeling wonderful all of the time and have been exhausted with this pregnancy. I am grateful for modern technology that helps us to keep in touch with people so easily. But there is nothing as good as a face to face convo and some good ole family time. Well, we love you all! Hope all is well.

Matt, Stef and Miki

Here we go again!

Good morning! Well, here we are again. We have spread the word around now and so I can talk about it everywhere. We are having baby #2 at the beginning of September! We are very excited. We get to find out the sex of our baby in less than 2 weeks on Friday April 6, 2012. We are a bit divided with our guesses. I think it's a boy, Matt is leaning towards a girl. I can honestly say it doesn't matter but it's always fun to guess. Miki is going to be a good big sister. We have asked her if she wants a little sister or brother and her answer varies between "No" and "Not yet." Well, she is really good with the kids we have at our house during the week that mommy watches and she is such a nurturer. I know it will be good. We have names for the baby picked out and will let everyone know once we know what the baby is.

An exciting thing about having the ultrasound on the 6th is that my mom is going to be here in Nashville for her Spring break to visit!! To say that we are excited is a huuuuge understatement. We got to go home for Christmas which was so wonderful but she will be our first visitor out here since last summer. We are so happy that we get to show her our house. Last time she was here was when Miki was born and Miki will be turning 2 in just over a month! Crazy how time flies. There will be lots of pictures and fun times from her visit. She is coming on the 2nd of April and will be here till the 7th. Never enough time but we are going to squeeze the best out of every moment.

Speaking of my pregnancy. I would like to take the opportunity it say: sometimes it's really hard to grow a baby inside your body! I felt nauseated when I was pregnant with Miki and got sick a few times. I thought that was bad at the time. Weeeellll, let me tell you. This one is much worse. I have thrown up like 10 times or more, I will throw up so long and so hard that I burst the blood vessels in my face and have lovely red blotches for days afterwards. My acid reflux has been so bad that I gag at the slightest provocation. Or just with no provocation. I have taken some Zofran for the nausea which helps not to get sick but hasn't alleviated all of the yucky feelings. With the hormones and meds, I have been very constipated. (TMI??) Exhaustion comes along with all of these fun symptoms. As you know, I watch kids at my house during the week. I have 2 regulars, 1 that comes sometimes and I just started with another full time kiddo. They are all under 18 months old. To say that it's been hard for me is definitely true. My husband is wonderful. He steps up and has helped me when he can. He works from home now and keeps very busy but manages to take time to help his pathetic wife out every day. Some days I just cried and cried cause I was so tired of being sick and tired. I was tired of being such a burden to my family. I felt so bad that I couldn't be functioning on all cylinders for Michaela. There were days that we just sat and watched Blues Clues or Tangled and read books cause that's all I had energy for. She is such a trooper. I love her so much! She has truly changed my life and taught me the meaning of love and happiness.

On a happier note, I feel like I have turned a corner with my sickness. I still take the medication to help me but I have more energy now and am able to do more at home and for the kiddos. I am just over 16 weeks along now and hoping that I will continue to feel better. I have not been able to exercise as much as I did with Miki but I did start doing Zumba once a week and am trying to get out and enjoy the weather and walk or at least sit in the fresh air with Miki and the other kids.

Matt is working away making demo's for other songwriters and writing more amazing songs of his own. He is getting really good at recording and his recordings have even been mistaken by "professionals" as full studio demo's. He has some projects that are going really well and we are hoping to hear back from some people soon about those projects. He is looking for ways to bring in money and work for himself all the time. He is a rock star. Miki and I don't know what we would do without him.

April is shaping up to be a busy month for the Griffith's. If anyone gets a hankering for some southern sun and fun, come on down to Nashville! We have a house with space now so we welcome anyone who would like to come! Happy Spring!

Daddy and Miki

Aunt Mariah and Michaela

Miki enjoys the snow!

New Year, New Happenings

Greetings to all! I was looking back through old posts and I keep noticing a long amount of time between the dates of all of my posts. Shoot. Well, I am going to try and be better about blogging. Sometimes I feel like our life is very repetitive so this will give me an excuse to find the inordinary things through our ordinary days.

To start off with, we just got back last week from a 3 week trip home to Colorado and Utah to visit all of our wonderful family. What an awesome time we all had. Michaela got to display all of her new words and games and funnies to a very willing audience of family members. We started out the trip on a somewhat rocky flight into the Denver International Airport in the middle of a blizzard. We were one of the last flights to land at DIA that night. Jen and Quincy picked us up at the airport and we drove home in the rising snow. It was awesome! Nashville hadn't seen any snow at all yet this winter so getting welcomed to big fat snowflakes pouring down all around us was so cool. Once we landed. The landing was a little sketch. We went to Jen's house after hitting up a McDonalds for some much needed food. We got the girls to bed and then went to bed ourselves. The next morning, there was like 10 inches of snow outside! It was so great! Matt pulled out the shovel and worked for like an hour shoveling Jen's driveway. We then met Adam and Kara at Great Scott's Eatery for a delicious breakfast. It is a must-visit local restaurant in Broomfield. Jen lives really close to it and so we got there in no time, even with the snow. We all were entertained by Miki and Quincy during breakfast and then, Matt noticed one of my old high school friends there with his family. Drew Brown. He is also the guitar player in the band One Republic so his schedule is crazy and we haven't seen him in a few years. We all were pretty excited to see each other. We chatted about life and this and that and said Merry Christmas to his family and left the restaurant. Such a fun way to start the trip! We congregated back at Jen's house and spent the rest of the day playing MarioKart. Ok, let me clarify. Matt spent the rest of the day playing MarioKart with Jen, Kara and Adam. I watched, played once or twice and entertained the kiddos while they all played. It was fun but it started a trend of Matt dipping into his inner videogameplayingnerd which continued throughout the trip when he discovered Angry Birds and Stupid Zombies on his Iphone. Neat.

Anyway, we trekked over the mountain on Christmas Eve Eve to a welcoming family evening of Christmas lights and Carino's. One of our favorite Italian restaurants. We spent the next few days in a whirlwind of Christmas with our 2 families and everyone enjoying Miki opening presents and getting so excited to discover the toys inside. We had to buy another suitcase to fit all of the extra clothes and toys that Miki got from our families. What a blessing it is to have a child so loved! We split the following week between Montrose, where my parents live and Grand Junction, where Matt's parents live. We have a lot of family and friends in the Junction area so it was great to move around and visit with them all every day! The time in Montrose was much needed for this tired mamma. There is no place on earth like your moms house when you need a recharge of the ol' batteries.

Matt and I talked about this a lot. There is something inside of me that is missing while I am in Tennesee. It has to do with our family, of course, but more than that it has to do with Colorado. The beauty of the mountains and the skies and the desert and the people. It's a part of us that we will never lose or let go and a part that lies dormant until we feel those wheels touch down on Colorado soil. I am grateful for the opportunity to live in a different state so I can truly appreciate the place where my roots run deep. The stars are clearer there. The skies bluer. The mountains higher and more majestic. There are less trees and I love it because you can see the landscape. Sometimes I feel so confined in Tennessee where there are trees as far as the eye can see. I like to be able to see individual trees and their branches and leaves and character. I love driving through the mountains in the winter. Glenwood Canyon with snow on the mountains and ice chunks covering up the freezing running water of the river. The red of the mountain sparkling with freshly fallen snow and evergreen trees. It is just like a Christmas card. And we got to see it and be a part of it every day of our lives growing up. I feel so fortunate to have been raised in such an amazing place.

I digress. So, we hung out, got in the hot tub. Played games, watched movies and just sat and talked. That is my favorite part. Just talking and laughing with people we love. We headed to Utah for my niece Monroe's baby blessing at church and to see the Utah clans. We spent time with all 3 granddaughters on my side together. Watching them interact at their different stages was so comical. They are 20 months 13 months and 5 1/2 months. Such individual personalities already! We love Quincy's loud and gravelly voice and Moe's sweet sweet coos. She literally sounds like a dove cooing! So sweet. Miki is just happy and playful and giving hugs and kisses to her cousins. They had a few territorial issues but got along really well and were constantly interested in what the others were doing.

We spent New Year's Eve nearly falling asleep at Lisa's house and then went back to Holly's to watch the ball drop on TV. Matt and I were able to have a really good talk with Holly and Eric that night before we all turned in for the night. It was also good to get to spend more time with Lisa and Hondo. We moved before they became serious so we don't know Hondo as well as Eric and Nick and Kara but we are starting to appreciate how much he loves Lisa and Monroe and what a sweet and loving heart he has. He is a welcome 2011 addition to our family for sure! We also had a blast hanging out with the Utah Griffiths. Matt's brother Micah and his family live in American Fork. About 20 minutes away from Holly and Lisa. So we got to hang out with them too. We visited with our friends Jake and Emma Van Wagoner as well. Jake and Matt are good friends from high school. It's fun to watch them interact with one another. They are pretty ridiculous in a good way. They have a sweet little Annabelle who is about 14 months old. She was so fun to play with.

We said goodbye to the Utah family and headed back to Montrose for a few days. We got to see my dads new job as head of Finances at Flower Subaru. It was fun to hang out with my mom and sister, Kelli who was home for Christmas break. It was a nice time yet again.

One of the highlights of the whole trip was getting to spend time with our friends Jordan and Lindsay Huslig. Their son, Simon is 3 weeks older than Miki so we got together often to let the kids play and visit. We feel so fortunate to have close friends at home and in Tennessee. I am glad. Lindsay and I had some good talks and got to talk about our future and plans for our families. It was nice to have that girl time.

We went back to Denver that Sunday and hung out with Jen and Quincy on Monday before heading back to the airport and the flight home. Miki was great on both flights. She will turn 2 in May so this was the last time she flies for free. The flight wasn't full on the way home so she got to sit in between us in her own seat. It made it a lot easier on us both. She fell asleep on me and we both got a little rest.

Our friend Grant picked us up in our car at the airport and took us home. He had come by and turned up our thermostat so our house was warm when we got home. Him and another friend of ours, Paul had stopped by while we were gone periodically to check and make sure all was well. Like I said, so blessed to have good friends here!

Well, looking forward to keeping more up to date on the Griffith happenings in 2012. This is going to be a great year for us! So excited to be alive at the wonderful time. We are truly blessed.