Changes

A lot has happened since I updated my blog last...

My baby girl learned to smile.

Madison experienced her first snow fall. Look close and you can see her tiny little face poking out beneath all that fluffy warmth I have her snuggled in.

She turned two months.

I finished making her blessing dress just in time. Her father gave her a beautiful blessing.

Her first Thanksgiving. She looks so excited for dinner!

We moved. Jay got a new job and we moved to Hermiston, Oregon. It's a small town about 30 minutes from Tri Cities. Madison has done great and is adjusting to her new home.

And as I am making this post she has learned to roll over. She hates tummy time though so once she rolls over and is on her tummy she starts to get angry. Silly girl.

Halloween

For Halloween Madison dressed up as a baby giraffe. I must say she was the cutest little giraffe I have ever seen! Her cousin, Anilyn, also dressed up as a giraffe so we tried getting some pictures of the two giraffes together.

It is pretty hard to get two kids in one picture. Either Madison was crying or Anilyn was not interested. At one point Anilyn pushed Madison back to me and told me to take my baby back. It was pretty hilarious.

My Little Pumpkin

Isn't she so cute?

First Trip

Madison and I just returned from a long trip to Idaho Falls. The trip was long in dates but felt way too short. Madison had her first flight at just 3 weeks old. She did great.

While we were home Madison turned one month. I can't believe she is already one month old. She is changing so much everyday I don't want to miss anything. I feel fully justified in just staring at my daughter all day long.

I love being a mom. Madison is such a good baby. She loves to snuggle and I love to snuggle her so I never get anything done.
I am amazed at how much she has changed in just three weeks. Her hair has started to lighten and she is starting to fill out her skin. She is still skinny though, long and skinny.

Our little girl is already growing so big. This picture was taken last night, the 22nd, her actual due date. She is so precious, we can't get enough of her. She has spoiled me by sleeping for long stretches during the night and after meeting with the pediatrician I have been instructed to wake her up every 2 hours during the day and 3 at night. It is a HARD process. Nothing wakes this little girl up. Madi takes after her mom and dad and loves her sleep.

Madison Clare Rigby

Here are a few more pictures of Madison Clare, yes we finally named her. This picture was taken today. We don't have very many pictures of her by herself... yet.

This is what I saw when I came out of the bathroom this morning. Daddy can't get enough of his baby girl.This is our first family picture. Taken just minutes after she was born.

New Arrival!

This time it's ours. We had our baby at 12:40 AM today (Thursday, September 17) Baby Girl Rigby was 7 lbs. 13 oz. and 21 inches long. As you can see she's the most beautiful girl ever born. Yes we're biased. Get over it. We haven't decided on a name yet so be patient.

Baby is doing great and is more alert than any newborn I have ever seen. Right after she was born she just looked around with the widest eyes. She is sitting on Grandpas lap right now just looking around.

I, mom, am doing great. We were started on PIT yesterday about 11:15 a.m. and didn't progress for HOURS, literally. At 9:20 they broke my water, by 11 I was asking for an epidural and at 11:50 I was complete and waiting for the Dr. We are both doing great and enjoying each others company.

We'll miss you Cookie Monster

This lovely blue monster has been living with us in the basement. We love it. We have taken many naps on this. It has become Jay's favorite place to take a nap. I have avoided it the past few weeks since it is hard for me to get off of once I am on it but I still love it. Today we had to take the Cookie Monster back to its rightful owner, Lyndee. Her husband isn't too fond of the monster but I'm sure once he takes a nap in it he will love it just as much as we do. Jay and I have already decided as soon as we have a house we will making our very own monster. We miss you!

Road Trip

This past weekend Jay and I decided to take a trip up to Spokane one last time before baby girl comes. We had a great time. We went to the temple and then watched Anilyn while Greg and Britt went. That girl loves shopping. I found out it takes a LOT longer to shop with a toddler and being 37 weeks pregnant. I don't move very fast and the shopping the I thought would take about 3 hours took more like 5 or 6. We did get everything we needed though. (I hope) I'm sure we will have to make a trip back up after baby girl comes to get the things I didn't think of. One major disadvantage of living in a small town, the only place to get baby stuff is Wal-mart.

After the shopping was finally done and my ankles had swollen to twice their size we headed to Pig Out in the Park. We had a great time. I started having a lot of contractions so I ended up having to sit down on a park bench while Jay brought me food, which wasn't exactly horrible but it did get lonely. Some guys told me I should name my baby Bud after them. We tried a fried Twinkie (picture below) and Greg and Britt tried a fried Snickers. We have decided its time for a fondue party so we can fry everything in sight. So, Greg, Britt, when are we having our fry party???
As for baby... well, she still isn't here. We had an ultrasound 2 weeks ago and she was measuring 8 days ahead and 7 lbs 4 oz, give or take 2 pounds (ya they are really accurate). My belly continues to grow and baby continues to get bigger. I'm still feeling good so my mom says its not time yet. Apparently I have to be miserable before my baby is allowed to come. She is due in 11 days and my guess is the Dr. will have to evict her at some point around there. We'll keep you posted on her arrival!

New Arrival

Ok, this isn't our baby, but isn't she a cutie? Lyndee, Jay's sister, had her baby this morning. She is a tiny little thing, 6 lbs 1 oz and she is adorable. Congratulations Lyndee and Matt!

Hard to come by...

I have been reminded many times throughout my life that good friends are hard to come by. Last night I was reminded again. Not only was I reminded again but I was shocked by the outpouring of love my friends have.

Baby girl is due in 5 weeks but has been trying to make an early appearance. I am on bedrest so when Krsytal called and said her and Katelyn were coming over and I was in for a real treat I figured we would be doing pedicures or something girly. To my surprise the two of them came into our apartment and took over.

We are currently living with my in-laws, in their basement. It's a nice large, private area and it has been very nice. We weren't sure if we would still be living here when the baby came but it looks like we will be here for several more months. We got some furniture for the baby but opted not to get a crib yet just in case we do end up moving someplace in the next 3 months. The furniture we got was all mismatched and not cute. Jay and his Dad, Steve, fixed this with a few coats of white paint. I had the furniture arranged in a corner of our "apartment" and decided that was all I was going to do. I didn't want to decorate since it's not our place. Krystal and Katelyn however, found this to be unacceptable. When they showed up last night their arms were full of decorations. They sent me to a chair and asked what their rules were. After telling them there really aren't any rules they got crazy.

They moved everything into the hall and started cleaning and rearranging the furniture. They moved the couches around, decided they didn't like that set up and moved the couches back. After the living room area was up to par they tackled the nursery.

They brought the cutest little paper balls and hung them from the ceiling over the bassinet. Steve came and joined in the fun. Helping the girls drill larger holes in the armoire, hang up a cute little shelf and position the paper balls just right. I am amazed that a few hours time, some great ideas and some loving, dedicated girls can turn a little area into a nursery for my daughter. I personally think they have found their calling in life (aside from being the INCREDIBLE mothers that they are) and should set up a business to decorate. You should see their homes, check out their blogs Krystal and Katelyn.When Jay got home from work he was in total shock and kept saying how thankful he was that he was able to come home to something so great. He can't believe what a cute nursery they have made for our daughter out of such simple things.

After everything was done I ordered pizza and we sat back and enjoyed the delicious greasy cheese while admiring their hard work. The pizza seemed like such a small thing to thank them compared to what they did for me. Thankfully baby girl can't see how cute her nursery is, otherwise she might try even harder to come now.

Thank you! I'm sure you will be back in a few weeks to take over and show me how to be a mom too. I LOVE YOU!

Drop Side vs. Stationary

Alright... Jay and I are arguing about cribs. Do we want a stationary or drop-side crib? I have my opinion, he has his. So, what do you have? What do you recommend? If you have a drop-side, do you use that feature? Does it feel safe and sturdy?

Countdown

With only nine weeks to go before our little girl comes into this world we have a lot to get done. We haven't done anything yet. I have a few outfits and toys. I bought two crib sheets and finally ordered the travel system. That's all we have done. Honest. We are both a little naive, Jay more so than I. (He keeps asking what else we could possibly need.) We researched the carseat for 2 months before we finally took the plunge and ordered it.
With that said, we need your advice. Most of you have had kids so you know what we need and what we don't.
Do you have a crib that you love and want to recommend?
Should I be stocking up on Huggies or Pampers?
What else do I need to be stocking up on?
Thanks!

Seven little ducks went out one day...

We were hanging out in the living room when we looked out the window and saw baby ducks swimming in the pond. I grabbed the camera and ran outside to take pictures. Tyler and Jay were already outside saving the ducks from the dogs. Unfortunately the dogs had already gotten to two of the babies but they were able to save the momma duck and her five other ducklings.

We thought they were safe until they waddled to the neighbors and their two dogs (we call them raccoons) attacked the ducks again. We told the neighbor and she got her dogs in the house. Momma duck and three babies made it to the big pond across the street but there were still two missing. I was devastated. It's the hormones, don't judge me. Steve (Jay's dad) saved one duck and Jay and Tyler discovered the last duckling back in our pond. They saved the day again and all six ducks were reunited! We could hear Momma duck giving the baby ducklings a major lecture.

Sno Time

I love shaved ice. Unfortunately there is nowhere in Moscow to get one. In Idaho Falls, there are several places but the BEST place just opened. It is located at the corner of A Street and Memorial Drive. Right along the greenbelt. My little sister just opened this shack and is doing a great job. So if you are in Idaho Falls, stop by, get a shaved ice and say "hi" to my cute little sister for me!

Overdue Update

It's been a long month with a lot happening. Jay graduated from the University of Idaho on May 16 with a degree in Human Resources/Business Management. (I'm sure that isn't the exact title, but it's something along those lines.) I am so proud of him. He has been working full time and going to school full time for the last two years. He decided not to walk at graduation because he thought it would be too long and boring. Since he didn't request the time off he ended up having to work concessions at graduation. Silly guy.

A week after graduation Jay started working for Safeway. He is really enjoying it so far and hopefully they will start scheduling him for some decent hours. So far he has been working 4 p.m. to midnight. I work 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. so we don't really get to see each other, which isn't that different than when he was in school.

Last week we moved. It was a mess and I'm so glad it's over. During our cleaning I sat in some bleach cleaner and it, of course, ruined my pants. I am totally bummed because they were nice maternity shorts aka something that actually fit. I labeled things a little obsessivly and was made fun profusely for my labeling, but at least I know what is in every box. Our dishwasher "broke". I say "broke" because it wouldn't work for 4 days so I finally washed all the dishes by hand. When they came to fix the dishwasher, it was working. Ya, real cool. I had a huge roll of industrial saran wrap fall on my itty bitty toe and it either broke or was just bruised really bad.

I'll post pictures of our new place later this week.

We went to Spokane this past week to do session at the temple and to start baby stuff shopping. Wow, I never knew we needed so much stuff. Jay didn't either. He thought the 5 outfits and the few toys we had were going to be sufficient. While we were shopping we had our cute niece Anilyn with us. Greg and Britt were doing a session at the temple so we watched Ani. I was looking at cribs and Ani was shopping for some outfits. She would walk up the aisle, pull an outfit out, look at it, say "oh cute" in her little 18 month old voice. She would then look at the tag and move on to the next outfit. I think Greg and Britt are going to be in trouble with this litte girl!

Well, that is what we have been up to the past few weeks. Our little girl is growing strong. She is kicking a lot more and moving around a lot. My belly continues to grow. I sometimes have people tell me how small I look and other people ask if I'm sure "there's just one". We are very excited for her to join our family in September.

Banned

I've been banned from selling things.

We are in the process of moving and we decided we didn't want to keep our kitchen table. It's really small and it could be another year and half before we get to see our things again (it's all going in storage) so we decided to sell the table. I posted it on craigslist for $75. I was afraid this was too high but I gave it a go anyhow. By the time I got home from work that day I had 3 people wanting to come look at it. So last night a guy came by to look at it and I went to the back room. I'm a sucker, I can't tell people no so Jay banned me from being involved with the sale. The guy looks at the table, says it's really nice and asks if we will take $65. I can hear all of this from the other room, the room I was sentanced to. Jay says no, we are pretty firm on $75. At this point I feel bad, guilt is swelling inside me. I don't know why, we paid just over $100 for the table and it's in perfect condition. Anyhow, the guilt builds up so much that I run into the other room telling the guy we will take $70. He had already pulled out $75 cash and was handing it to Jay when I said this. So of course he takes the money back and puts $5 back in his wallet. Then I proceed to tell him how the seats can attract dirt and the best thing to use is carpet cleaner on them. I again, feel bad, and hand him our bottle of carpet cleaner to have.

I owe Jay $5 and I'm never allowed to sell things again. If we have a garage sale, I'm not allowed to go.

Mother's Day

Nobody ever told me how great Mother's Day would be. I slept in a little (how much can you really sleep in when you have to be at church at 8:30?) and Jay made me breakfast in bed. I love eggs benedict! During Relief Society we skipped the lesson and had a delicious lunch and talked with all the sisters. It was awesome!
We went to my in-laws for dinner and the boys made us a great steak dinner and did all the dishes. Then I took a great nap in the basement. It was perfect. The weather was great so we all played a little croquet.
When we got home Jay surprised me with another Mother's Day gift. A gift certificate for a manicure and pedicure!
Thanks honey!

Britains Got Talent

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9lp0IWv8QZY
If you haven't watched this video, stop what you are doing and click on the link. Seriously, I was in tears. They were happy tears though, so watch it!

This lady is 47, never been kissed, went to acting school 20 years ago and then left to take care of her mom. Her mom died 2 years ago and she is now trying out for Britains Got Talent. Simon Cowell is negotiating a contract with her.

How can such tiny little hands have such a strong grip on my heart? We are expecting this little bundle of joy in September!

I'm throwing a Discovery Toys party this Saturday, April 11 at 10 a.m. in the Creekside Community Center.

Please bring your kids, they can play with the toys or leave them home and you can play with the toys.
These toys are awesome. They are a ton of fun and they teach something too.
There are a few toys that I want just for myself and some Jay has said he wants for himself.

Even if you don't want any toys, come anyhow, we'll have the chocolate fountain going and we can indulge in chocolate and social

If you want to see what toys Discovery Toys carries you can check them out at this link:
http://media.discoverytoys.com/SpringUSFULL.pdf

Job Hunt

Jay graduates in May (excuse me while I throw a party) but that means we get to enter the "real world" in this great economy. I know it's all about who you know, so I'm hoping someone out there will know of a great job for Jay. His degree will be in human resources but he should be able to do some business management as well. So, if you know of ANYTHING, please let us know!

Just a little plug in from Jay. I don't normally take any part in the creating of blogs but I just learned the real value of social networking. So here goes. . . Thank you to the people who have already posted a comment to this post! In response to Sarah's comment: this is y'all's chance to compete for Camille's proximity (continued or renewed). So for all you Moscow folks you have the bigger challenge of not only finding a job in the area but of convincing Camille that it's worth sticking around. Idaho Falls folks probably have an easier task because she's predisposed to migrate south. Thanks again for your help!

I love you McKayla!

So many of you are wondering if I have turned this blog into a food blog or if I am just constantly eating. In all actuality I am just bugging my sister. You see, she has my blog set as her home page (all of you should follow suit). A few days back she complained that every time she got on the Internet she got hungry because she saw a PB&J sandwich. She begged me to change my blog. So I did. To something that still made her hungry. I don't get to bother my sister often enough because we are 8 long hours apart. So I normally only get to bug her every few months when I go home. But I found a new way! All I have to do is keep posting yummy looking food.

I love you McKayla!

I'm lovin' it!

Just look at that picture! I don't care what people say about McDonald's. I personally love it. Jay hates McDonalds. He won't go there. I on the other hand like them. This week I discovered I really like them. I was starving last night on my way home from work. Knowing that if I went straight home it would still be at least 10 minutes before I got to eat something I was pulled to the golden arches. I ordered 2 cheeseburgers with no mustard. Then I saw the McChicken. I wanted to change my order but thought better of it. Then I looked at the screen and it only read 1 cheeseburger. I could get the McChicken too! Before I was even out of the parking lot I was tearing the paper away from my delicious chicken sandwich. Just looking at the picture is making me hungry. So, I don't care what you all say or think of McDonald's. I think their McChicken is wonderful.

Peanut, Peanut Butter and Jelly!

I recently discovered peanut butter and jelly sandwiches aren't that bad. They are actually kind of good. My brother Greg knew this years before I did. I should have listened to him.

Scentsy Party

I am hosting a Scentsy party Saturday at 10:30 a.m., at my place. Chantal Dougal is selling this wonderful scented stuff. So come by, take a whiff and hang out.

If you don't want to buy anything come anyhow, I'll have the chocolate fountain set up and we can indulge in chocolate.

If you can't come but want to check out the stuff visit Chantal's website at www.scentsy.com/12369.

Feed my Addiction

Some people are addicted to chocolate. Some are addicted to drugs. I am addicted to House. It's my mothers fault. Really it is. She bought it, told me to watch an episode and I was hooked. That is all it took. I have finished Season 1 and just finished Season 2. Does anyone out there in blogging world (well, near Moscow) have Season 3 I could borrow for say a week, maybe two? I'll make you cookies. Or I could get my good friend Jade to make you an incredible loaf of bread. Please, feed my addiction.

100 Things

So I've seen this on a lot of blogs lately and I've always enjoyed reading what others have and have not done. I've never taken the time to do this myself. But as I sit here looking for things to do to kill time before quiting time I find myself seeing how I rate. Everything I have d one is in bold.

1. Started your own blog
2. Slept under the stars
3. Played in a band
4. Visited Hawaii
5. Watched a meteor shower
6. Given more than you can afford to charity
7. Been to Disneyland
8. Climbed a mountain
9. Held a praying mantis
10. Sang a solo
11. Bungee jumped
12. Visited Paris
13. Watched a lightning storm at sea
14. Taught yourself an art from scratch
15. Adopted a child (I've adopted many kids, just not legally)
16. Had food poisoning
17. Walked to the top of the Statue of Liberty
18. Grown your own vegetables
19. Seen the Mona Lisa in France
20. Slept on an overnight train
21. Had a pillow fight
22. Hitch hiked
23. Taken a sick day when you’re not ill
24. Built a snow fort
25. Held a lamb
26. Gone skinny dipping
27. Run a Marathon
28. Ridden in a gondola in Venice
29. Seen a total eclipse
30. Watched a sunrise or sunset
31. Hit a home run
32. Been on a cruise
33. Seen Niagara Falls in person
34. Visited the birthplace of your ancestors
35. Seen an Amish community
36. Taught yourself a new language
37. Had enough money to be truly satisfied
38. Seen the Leaning Tower of Pisa in person
39. Gone rock climbing
40. Seen Michelangelo’s David
41. Sung karaoke
42. Seen Old Faithful geyser erupt
43. Bought a stranger a meal at a restaurant
44. Visited Africa
45. Walked on a beach by moonlight
46. Been transported in an ambulance
47. Had your portrait painted
48. Gone deep sea fishing
49. Seen the Sistine Chapel in person
50. Been on television
51. Gone scuba diving or snorkeling
52. Kissed in the rain
53. Played in the mud
54. Gone to a drive-in theater
55. Been in a movie
56. Visited the Great Wall of China
57. Started a business
58. Taken a martial arts class
59. Visited Russia
60. Served at a soup kitchen
61. Sold Girl Scout Cookies
62. Gone whale watching
63. Got flowers for no reason
64. Donated blood, platelets or plasma
65. Gone sky diving
66. Visited a Nazi Concentration Camp
67. Bounced a check (thank you KIFI)
68. Flown in a helicopter
69. Saved a favorite childhood toy
70. Visited the Lincoln Memorial
71. Eaten Caviar
72. Pieced a quilt
73. Stood in Times Square
74. Toured the Everglades
75. Been fired from a job
76. Seen the Changing of the Guards in London
77. Broken a bone
78. Been on a speeding motorcycle
79. Seen the Grand Canyon in person
80. Published a book
81. Visited the Vatican
82. Bought a brand new car
83. Walked in Jerusalem
84. Had your picture in the newspaper
85. Read the entire Bible
86. Visited the White House
87. Killed and prepared an animal for eating
88. Had chickenpox
89. Saved someone’s life
90. Sat on a jury
91. Met someone famous
92. Joined a book club
93. Lost a loved one
94. Had a baby
95. Seen the Alamo in person
96. Swam in the Great Salt Lake
97. Been involved in a lawsuit
98. Owned a cell phone
99. Been stung by a bee
100. Totally copied a post from someone else's blog to your own

I'm pathetic! I've only done 55 of those things. Let's see how many I can accomplish this year.