Christmas Jammies..these are the pictures that I tried taking for Chirstmas cards and that didn't happen so you can all enjoy them on my blog instead!

YES we are still alive...

I know that some of you may be wondering if we are still alive here at the Gnehm household..well we are it just has been really crazy around here. With the holidays coming and going, starting back to work, and Garth having surgery I haven't even had a chance to sit down and think let alone sit down and blog. Well no more excuses I will try to be more diligent with my blogging!!!
As I mentioned above Garth had surgery a couple of weeks ago. The doc decided that with Garth constantly being sick it would be best to remove his tonsils. While they were in there they also straightened out his deviated septum. He is surprisingly doing really well; the doc keeps telling him that for all that he did to him he is moving around quite well. I'm sure Garth would be healing even faster if he would have tried resting a little longer rather than going back to work a couple days after the surgery. Not even surgery will stop this man from working..YES he is a WORKAHOLIC, do they have support groups for these type of people?
Tara is getting to be so grown up; she is definitely not a baby anymore. Currently we are working on potty training. She is doing pretty good, except for the few accidents here and there; she is also having a hard time pooping in the potty. Don't get me wrong she hasn't had an accident in her panties she will wait until she has a diaper on for naptime to get the job done. I have decided that we are going to have to use a little bit of bribery..M&M's, yes she is a chocoholic!!! Also I have to brag a littleTara's picture is in a photo contest. If you go to www.stephanietueller.com and then click on BLOG you can VOTE for Tara's pic; she is picture #7. Now I expect everyone to vote because we all know she is the cutest little girl on there plus mommy will win an 11x14 photo!!!
Ty is growing like a weed. When Garth weighed him a week ago which would have made Ty just a little over 3 months he weighed between 16 and 17 pounds. I know he is HUGE, we call him our chunky monkey or FATMAN..can babies develop a complex? Even though he is a BIG guy he is still our cute LITTLE man. He smiles at everything and now we will even start to get some giggles..watch out ladies those dimples and fat little cheeks will melt your heart. I know I say this quite a bit but it is amazing how fast little ones grow.
As for me not much has changed. I'm still carrying around my baby weight and no I'm not happy about it. I need to find some motivation to lose it so if anyone knows where to find it let me know. I just need to give a quick little shout out to all of my girlfriends out there, all my work buddies, my SLC lady friends, and my cache valley girls. You are all the ones who keep my sanity so I just need to say thanks.
I will try to be better at this blogging but if I don't keep up on it don't hate me! I will leave you with a few new pics of the kids or maybe not it won't let me download. I never said I was good at any of this technical stuff. I will try to download some pictures soon!

Best Buds

I got the chance to have cute little Olivia over while her parents and grandma were down visiting baby Alyson. Not only are Olivia and Tara cousins they are GREAT buds!! They are very LUCKY to be so close in age and to live so close to each other.

Cute Little Man

Here are some of the professional pictures of Ty that were taken when he was 2 weeks old. Isn't it amazing how fast they grow. I also want to say thanks to the JTO crew for the WONDERFUL gift! The Pics turned out adorable. I also need to give a shout out to Melissa the gal who took the pictures. If you like what you saw you can go to www.sweetshotsphoto.blogspot.com to see more of her work or to make an appointment for yourself.

Ty at 6 weeks

I found this little hat for Ty at Old Navy yesterday. It's a little BIG, but he should grow into it throughout the LONG WINTER season...doesn't he look so stikin' CUTE!!

time flies when...

WOW it amazes me how TIME flies; Ty is 1 month today!! it makes me a little SAD that he is already gotten so BIG and also it means that i have already used 4 weeks of my maternity leave..ugh i will be back to the grind before i know it:( where have these last 4 weeks gone? it feels like i haven't accomplished anything, i guess that's how it is when your a new MOM. anyway here are a few things that i do remember happening throughout the last month.


the most important event that took place was that little Alyson (garth's sisters baby girl that was born the day before Ty) had an unplanned surgery. Alyson has been at primary's since birth because she was born with heart complications, which they found in her ultrasound. they told heather and frank that she would have at least 2 surgeries when she got to be a little older. after she was born they found more complications so they went ahead with this unplanned surgery when she was just over 3 weeks of age, and the odds of survival were not the greatest..not something a parent wants to hear. Alyson had the surgery last friday and she has exceeded their expectations. the last i heard is that she is recovering very well and hopefully she will be able to come home in the near future. she is such a STRONG and BEAUTIFUL little girl. we want to let Heather and Frank know that our thoughts and prayers are with them, and that we are so excited to have this little girl a part of our family. i know she is always going to be an inspiration to all of us. we love you guys!!

as for our family we have had a couple of medical complications of our own. a couple of weeks a go while Garth was at work, and of coarse he was in Bear Lake, he was cutting some pipe and the knife slipped. he ended up stabbing himself on the inside of his knee. and for all of you who know my husband it wouldn't surprise you to know that he continued to work for 3 more hours after the accident happened; he had to finish the job (such a dedicated employee:) when he got home he wanted me to bandage the wound, and let me tell you it was GROSS! there was tissue hanging out of the gaping hole. i told him that there was no way i was going to do this and that he needed to go to the hospital. and because he is so stubborn and didn't want to pay for the unreasonably priced hospital bills he told me to call his mom. she came over took care of it with ease, you can tell that she was an old pro at this. i hope that someday i will be that kind of a mom, i guess it comes with time, or at least i'm hoping it does.
the other medical problem happened to be Tara dislocating her elbow SURPRISE, SURPRISE!! i was hoping we were passed this and that she had grown out of it, we could only be so LUCKY. it happened the day that Garth and i decided that we needed to go and visit little Alyson in the hospital. so while we were sitting down in SLC, helpless, we get the phone call that she has hurt her arm, only this time it was the other arm, her right arm. luckily grandma Gnehm was stopping by to pick up cousin Olivia so she was able to hurry and run Tara out to see Morgan (chiropractor). he popped back in, wrapped it and sent them on there way. normally with the other arm that would have been fine, but we have been back to his office 2 other times now. yesterday he decided to take an x-ray, and to both of our surprise it came back clean, no breaks anywhere..that was a relief. her poor little elbow just keeps popping out; and poor Tara has been such a trooper thru it all. yesterday when we were pulling into Morgan's parking lot she started yelling NO, NO, NO! who would of known that she would recognize where we were going. i'm hoping that yesterday's appt. was the FIXER!!


i have found that being a temporary stay at home mom has made me want to be a little more domestic. Tara and i made cookies and for those of you who know me well know that i am not a choc chip cookie maker. every time i attempt to make them they turn out flatter than a pancake, although they still taste pretty darn good! i tried a different recipe, Neiman Marcus Chocolate Chip Cookies, and i think that made all the difference. i also attempted making home made bread. the bread only turned out okay; yeast and i don't really get along. everytime i try to make something with yeast it never turns out the way it should. this last attempt was the best so far so i guess practice makes perfect. i will just have to keep trying!!
i also have been working on Tara's HALLOWEEN costume. i got the idea from my friend Kami, she made a TUTU for her little girls 1st birthday pics and i thought to myself that would make such a cute little WITCH costume!! thanks KAMI for the great idea!! i think by the time it is complete it is going to be pretty CUTE!!

Ty Gnehm

Our new arrival

First of all I have to apologize that it has taken me so long to announce that our new little guy is finally here. It has been a little crazy in our home; it feels like the moment we found out we were having a c-section life has not slowed down. We went to my appt on Tuesday and scheduled the c-section for the next morning, which just happened to be my mother in-laws birthday..Happy Birthday to Grandma! At 8:55 Wednesday morning Garth and I were proud new parents to a handsome little man, Ty Jon Gnehm. Ty weighed 8lbs 2oz and 19" long, just 1 ounce smaller than his Big sister. The first time I saw him I said he looked like his sister. All the doc's started laughing and said I shouldn't tell him that, but the truth is he really does, you can definitely tell that they are siblings. Tara has loved every minute of him and what a BIG helper she has been!! She will give him lots of not so gentle HUGS and KISSES and is always making sure that he has his bink, which she wants to constantly shove into his mouth. She was also very proud of herself when she picked him up and was carrying him to me. I turned my back for 2 seconds and she had him off the couch and into the kitchen, carrying him with her arms wrapped right around his head with his little body dangling. Needless to say I was running even though my body and the doc told me I shouldn't. I'm just glad that she LOVES him so much rather than hates him for invading her space. It has been so much FUN having Ty a part of our family! I'm so HAPPY he is here and that he is PERFECT! All the hard work was worth it. We LOVE you Ty.

Anxiously waiting

WOW it really has been a long time since i have blogged..let's blame it on having very little time (trying to get a baby room ready) and just being miserably HUGE!! I am still anxiously waiting for this little man to get here, and i apologize to those who see or talk to me everyday i have been some what of a whiner, but hopefully very very soon i will have something new to complain about LACK OF SLEEP:) Some of you may know by now that Baby Boy is breech..he is already stubborn like his dad:) The doc said to give it a week to see if he turns on his own..which i think is unlikely because i've been rubbing his head for as long as i can remember assuming it was his little bum. I will find out more info on tuesday but most likely i will be having a c-section. I'm not too scared of having a c-section the only thing that makes me nervous is the time it takes to recover. Not being able to pick up Tara for a few weeks makes me very sad i hope she will understand. I will let everyone know when this little guy finally arrives..wish me LUCK!!!

Update...

about 71/2 months

Baby Boy's Quilt

Well it's now July and I have made this far without AC and with only a TINY bit of complaining:) Baby boy and I are both doing really well, I've hardly had any swelling and unfortunately been gaining the right amount of weight. I am starting to get a little uncomfortable; I don't think there is anymore room for this little guy to go. He sits right up underneath my ribs and is stretched all the way down. I am almost 31 weeks and hoping that I only have, oh lets say, 7 more weeks to go...that would be PERFECT! Even though I am very anxious for this little guy to get here we still have a long ways to go to get ready for him. With a lot of nagging I was finally able to get Garth to get the office cleaned out so I can now start the FUN process of PAINTING!!! Other than not having a room we have absolutely no ideas for a name...any idea's are welcome. With all that we have to do I have completed 1 project, or at least almost, his QUILT!!! And can I tell you I am pretty darn proud of myself, and surprised at how much I enjoyed making it. For now things are finally starting to move along and before we know it we are going to have a new little bundle of joy. I will try to keep everyone posted as things progress.

Birthday Party Pics

Here are a few pictures from Tara's Birthday Party

oh how the 2nd pregnancy is different

yeah not so cute but it's the only belly pic i have, oh how the 2nd pregnancy is different!! (5 1/2 months)

i thought that i would fill you all in on how the pregnancy is going. so far everything is running very smoothly. little baby boy doesn't move around as much as his sister did, she was constant with a lot of hiccups, so yes somtimes i have to sit down and concentrate on feeling the baby move. i am actually sad to say there are times that i even forget i'm pregnant, and you are probably thinking "how could you with that enormous belly!" i think i just get busy, with work and chasing a toddler that it just slips away from me. oh how the 2nd pregnancy is different. i am happy to say that most of the sickness has left, sorry to the many friends who are in those sick and icky days, hopefully those days will soon pass for you. as for my weight, i am gi-normous, and i still have 3 months to go. i'm not going to fill you in on how much i have gained but i will say i'm sure i will surpass the weight i gained with Tara. oh how the 2nd pregnancy is different! i'm excited for this little guy to get here, although we have a lot of work ahead of us. some of you may know i am attempting to make all of his bedding "my 3 stars" quilt along with the bumber pad (i know what was i thinking, but it was just too darn cute to pass up). first of all i have to say i had to get the sewing machines manual out just to figure out how the thread the machine, after that it has been smooth sailing. i have actually really enjoyed quilting, i'm thinking of making it a new hobby. i will post some pics when i get the quilt top finished, which should be very soon. as for the babies room, lets just say this is going to be an adventure; for those of you who have ever seen garth's office you all know what i am talking about!! i just hope it is all put together before he gets here, who knows he might be sleeping in the living room! oh how the 2nd pregnancy is different!

when did you get soo BIG???

Tara's new b-day bike, she doesn't quite know how to ride it but she has all summer long to learn how!!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY tara lee!!! i can't believe you are 2 years OLD. when did you get so BIG? i remember the day you were born and as the nurse was holding you upside down my thought was "you are the BIGGEST, but most BEAUTIFUL newborn i had ever seen". then the day we brought you home i asked grandma "what do i do now?" and the only sure thing i did know was that i wanted to cuddle you in my arms and never put you down. that 1st night i got what i had wished for everytime i did lay you down you would start to cry, and at that point in time i remember thinking "what did i get myself into?" but then as soon as DAD took in his arms and layed you down (around 5am) you fell fast asleep; he had the magic touch. NOW you are 2, and so so BIG. i have been amazed at watching you grow and discover new things. from the new words you say (these are some of my favorites dogdog, mere mama, budderfy, HI DADDY!!) to being a little mommy (changing diapers, potty training, and putting them na night smothered with 5 blankets...you are going to be such a GREAT helper when brother comes:) THANK you baby girl for being a part of our FAMILY. you have brought so much JOY and LOVE to our home; i am looking forward to the many years ahead!!! just do me 1 little favor SLOW DOWN, don't grow up so FAST i just might miss something, and i want to catch and cherish every moment i can:) i love you baby girl

Happy Mother's Day

I just wanted to wish all of you MOM's out there a wonderful Mother's Day!! I thought I always had a lot of appreciation for my mom, but now that I am a mom especially, to a 2 year old, I have a new found RESPECT for my mother. My mom has always said "I hope you have a daughter just like you"..well guess what everyone Tara is JUST LIKE ME. For the most part that's a GOOD thing, except the bad traits that I also passed along..the TEMPER and the WHINING. This little girl really knows how to throw a TANTRUM!! I know what most of you are thinking Tara have a TEMPER?..that can't be, she is so shy and timid, well guess what she has fooled you! As soon as we walk through the doors at home, or often times getting into her carseat, Tara lets her true self SHINE!! When Tara wants something, a.k.a the BINKI, she wants it right then and there no if's, and's, or but's about it. And let me tell you there is no reasoning with this 2 year old little girl. So most of you are thinking well that's just how 2 year old's are and that she will eventually grow out of it..well if she is anything like her MOM she probably won't. Sure, as I grew older and wiser and maturity had set in I learned how to control my actions and behavior, but I am sad to say that every once in a while my inner 2 year self will slip out. When Tara does have her moments there are times, in between the frustration, that I will step back with a SMILE on my face because I remember acting EXACTLY the same way..Mother like daughter!! So here is to my STRONG and WISE mother, I'm GREATFUL and SORRY for all the years of frustration that you had to endure dealing with my 2 year old self!! LOVE ya lots MOM!!

P.S. Through all of this grumpling I want everyone to know that even though my little girl has her moments she is and always will be my little SUNSHINE. She really has brought so mcuh meaning to my life. LOVE ya, Wootsie Woo Woo

Can you Guess??

Well as many of you already know, and for those of you who can't guess by looking at the ultrasound picture...it's a BOY!! When the DR said that we were going to have to go shopping I shrieked with excitement, Garth and I were both really shocked. I don't think either of us really thought we could make a boy baby, girls run very strong on both sides of the family. I am a little relieved, now I can proudly say that our little man will be able to carry on the family name, and believe me I felt a little pressure. As far as names go we haven't even begun the battle..the only name that Garth has suggested is HANK...ummm I DON'T THINK SO! For now he will be known as baby brother.

easter fun

Tara had pigtails in the day before thats why we have the wild and crazy hair.

For Easter I thought it would be fun to share some of the traditional holiday activities, dyeing Easter eggs and an Easter Egg hunt. I didn't know if Tara would have fun or really understand what we were doing but I thought I would give it a try, and to my surprise she LOVED every minute of it!!!

Tara had dyed eggs the day before at daycare so she was an old pro by the time we got to dyeing ours. She remembered exactly what to do, she even got mad at me when I was not prepared with the spoons in time; isn't it amazing on how much their little minds pick up.

For the egg hunt the Easter Bunny decided that he would leave the eggs at Grandma Gnehm's house. Everytime Tara found a new egg she would take off running yelling "ohhhh". She had soo much FUN looking for eggs she wanted to continue after she had already found them all, so needless to say mom and dad had to hurry and hide more when she wasn't looking so we could continue the FUN; she was just being so stikin' CUTE we just couldn't help ourselves!!!

Vote for whether it's a BOY or GIRL

We still have a while until we find out what kind of critter we are having, but I thought it would be fun to start a poll to see what everyone else thinks. Of coarse I chose BOY because we did everything we could to ensure it would be..you know cause those old wives tales are always accurate!!!

our family is growing by 2 feet

the baby at 11 weeks 1 day, currently 13 weeks 4 days, due date: September 17th


Most of you already know but for those of you who don't..BABY #2 is well on it's way!!! So far pregnancy hasn't been too fun..lots of sickness, but luckily it is mostlty in the evening. I think I am the worst person to be pregnant I like to WHINE a lot, and Garth likes to remind me of this daily. I remember thinking when I was pregnant with Tara that I was never going to do this again..I guess the end result is just to much FUN to pass up!! Fortunately Garth has stepped up to the plate and has been a lot of help, at least with Tara, not so much with the household chores. Anyway we excited to welsome this new little one into our Family. I will keep you posted as the pregnancy progresses.

Farmer Sleddin'

Garth suggested to watch the girls for the weekend to help Michelle out after the baby. He thought it would be fun to take the girls sledding..but this is no ordinary sleddin' it's FARMER style sleddin'!! As you can tell the girls loved every minute of it, but not Tara..she HATED the snow!

Baby Anouncement

Calee Jessica was born Monday, Feb 4th at 5:32pm. She weighed 6lbs 10oz and was 181/2 in long, with tons of dark hair.

Happy Valentines Day

i know this is a little late but i just wanted everyone to know how wonderful and thoughtful my HUSBAND really is!! VALENTINES day, garth comes waltzin' into my work with two vases full of FLOWERS..one filled with TULIPS and a v-day card, and the other a smaller vase with a blank card. he said one is for you..of coarse i knew instantly that the one filled with TULIPS was mine because he knows how much I LOVE them..the other one is for MOM and write on the card that it's from tara. right then and there i fell in LOVE all over again..knowing why i married this WONDERFUL man. who thinks of their mom on VALENTINES DAY?? it's not a MOM holiday, but of coarse he does because he looks after her. he knows that she didn't have a VALENTINE to share the day with so he decided to make her day a little brighter. that right there shows me what a WONDERFUL man he really is!!! I LOVE YOU VALENTINE! xoxo

No Good Very Bad Week

So this last week has been very tiresome to say the least. I don't know if it has been a run of bad luck or if this is just how life goes, but it does seem like lately it has been one thing after another. It all started last Friday, Jan 18th, Garth called me at work around 2:00pm wondering why I hadn't answered my phone..of coarse the one day I leave it at home is the day that he really needs to get a hold of me, but this is totally off the subject so let me get back to my story..so Garth proceeds to tell me that he is in the hospital and as soon as I heard the word HOSPITAL my mind went in 20 different directions I started to think of all the worst case scenerios. Then I remembered he had a doctors appointment earlier that morning because he'd been having some stomach cramping, didn't think to much of it, I guess I should have. After hearing Garth's symptoms the doctor suggested that he go to the hospital because it sounded like it was his APENDIX. Garth immediately follows the doctors orders..yes I know very surprising..and heads to the hospital, with this being said I would like everyone to know that Garth arrived at the hospital roughly around 11:00am and let me remind you he didn't call me, his wife, until roughly 2:00pm..a typical husband. When I finally arrived at the hospital Garth told me that the surgeon had met with him and they decided that it would be best to schedule surgery for that night. Oh WOW, surgery, Garth has never been put under, kind of SCARY. Luckily the surgery is very routine..they took him down at around 6:15 and he was back in the room by 8:00, not too bad. And I would like to add I never got emotional until after he was back in the room safe and sound. I was brave until that point but after I saw him and knew that he was okay I knew I didn't have to be brave any longer.
Garth's surgery is the first of many of the Gnehm's "no good very bad days". Monday morning I dropped Tara off at daycare telling Brenda that she is starting to get a cold so if she gets out of hand then give me a call. I really didn't think I would hear from her, a colds a cold all the kids have them this time of year. Around lunchtime I get a phone call so I pick up my phone and look to see who's calling..it's Brenda! So I'm thinking, great, Tara's cold is worse than I thought. This is when she tells me Tara was running around chasin and playin with the kids and she tripped and tumbled on her left arm and she has been crying ever since. I'm thinking, oh no my poor baby girl, this is the 3rd time she has hurt this arm in 6 months, what do I do? Should I take her to a specialist? Would that mean more sugery? As I'm contemplating on what to do I call the chriopractor, Morgan..a good family friend, and Garth to get his opinion. With Garth not really working he decides to go get Tara and to head out to the chiroprator with me. With tears streaming down Tara's cheeks Morgan sets Tara's elbow back into place and wraps it up. When she is all taken care of I ask him his opinion on what we should do next. He didn't recomend seeing a specialist..we would like to try and avoid surgery if we can..he said that she should eventually grow out of it and that if we brought her out to be ajusted every so often it should help with her arm. After hearing his opinion I felt a little better knowing that someday she should grow out of it. So needless to say with Garth and Tara both recovering I guess I was feeling a little left out. Tuesday night I came home from work with the STOMACH FLU. My illness was difinitely not as worrisome as the other two but as every wife and mother knows we can't get SICK. I am the one who is suppose to take care of everyone else. How can I take care of them when I can't leave the bathroom? I shouldn't even be around them for fear that they might catch what I have. I had to banish myself to my room while Garth had to chase after the little one, when he should be resting himself. Luckily it was only the 3 day flu, so by Friday I was a little weak but Feeling much better. I was ready to get back into action. To top it all off I took Tara to the doctor today because of her lack of sleep and found out she has a DOUBLE ear infection. Like I said before it really has been one thing after another, but the good news is we have all SURVIVED and we are all on our way to GOOD HEALTH!!!

Family Day Trip to Hardware Ranch

On Sunday Garth decided it was time for a family outting. We decided that Hardware Ranch would be the perfect destination!! Of coarse we left right when Tara should be taking a nap, and of coarse she didn't fall asleep until the last 10 minutes of the ride. So needless to say she was a little groggy, but we made the best of it. It was a perfect day to visit the sun was shining which made it tolerable to be outside in these cold cold temperatures..a perfect day to visit and a perfect way to spend some quality family time together!!