B. J. C. L. Nielsen

Lily....the 1 year old!

2010-11-06T01:08:00.001-04:00

My little Lily is now 1 year old! It's hard to believe. It has been such a crazy year for us and has flown by. As far as Lily goes....she's turned into quite the little spunky girl. She has more personality every day now. It has been so fun to watch her learn, grow, and try and do everything her Clementine does. They are just starting to actually play together, which has been great for mommy. As far a getting around, Lily has been on the slow path. The started crawling at 11 months and is now almost 14 months and is STILL not walking. She scoots all around the house a high rate of speed and is just learning to stand on her own. She is so proud of herself! Lily loves bath time with her sister. She loves splashing all around and then crawling around in the nude trying to out-run me while emptying every basket in her room. Her latest tick is balancing things on her head, especially food. It is pretty stinkin funny. She love seeing what kind of reaction she can get out of us!

This was Lily on her birthday awaiting the singing and cake! We had a fun birthday night with family and some friends. My aunt and uncle were here from Key West....so it was fun to have them celebrate with us. We all went to Red Robin for dinner and then back to the birthday girls house for the party.

Mommy's birthday creations.

The little Lily Cake

The cake aftermath...

This was Lily the afternoon of her birthday. I was trying to keep her entertained while I made her cake so I gave her a dum dum. She's showing off some of her food on the head tricks with the lolly pop in the hair.

Lily wearing Clemie's birthday crown that she loved......until she sat on it and broke it.

Lily bonding with Moses, my friend Jody's doggy, on our recent trip to Michigan.

Lily playing in the the kitchen. There is something about little munckins in jean that is just too darn cute! I also just started putting shoes on her, so I had to take a picture.

Clementine's First Day of Preschool!

2010-09-01T17:15:00.001-04:00

Today was Clementine's first day of preschool. Both of us were very excited! I know most moms might be a little hesitant and sad to see their little ones go to school, but me....not so much. It is only 2 hours, twice a week....so that hardly gives me enough time to start missing her. I'm so excited for her to learn lots of new things this year and make new friends. I think it will be great for everyone involved :)

Clementine insisting the picture be taken with me in it.

Clemie goofing off while I'm trying to take a picture.

Look at how cooperative she is. At least you get a good look at the bag Grandma Nielsen made her for school. Princesses of course....she also has a Princess and the Frog edition.

I told her to make a silly face.

I told her to dance.

Finally.....a smile. A cheesy one, but we'll take it.

I forgot to take pictures of me dropping her off (we were LATE....on the fist day), but this is her chipper self coming out.

The Classmates waiting for their momma's.

I couldn't get her to look at me...but she was happy. That is Miss Annie behind her. The teacher of course. She's Great!

Time to go home!

North Carolina and Scream-Time Zip-line!

2010-05-20T18:18:00.006-04:00

Last month we took a trip to North Carolina to visit my Aunt and Uncle in their mountain cabin. We had a great time just hanging out, eating at every BBQ joint in town and on our Zip-line adventure.

This was Clementine's favorite part of the trip. All she wanted to do was ride the "Ba boom boom boom" as Clemie calls it. We stayed at a separate cabin just up the road and she has a blast going back and forth.

If you know me, you know that i'm pretty much the ultimate woosie. I hate roller coasters and even going over a hill in the car too fast takes my breath away. We saw some huge billboards along the road for a zip-line tour, so I thought it would be a great idea to conquer one of my fears and suggested we go. I did get pretty feakin nervous, but once we got going I had a great time. Down the first line I was so scared and screamed so loud that I actually scared one of the women on the tour and so she turned around and went back down. Oops! The best part about it was that Clementine got to go too. She and Brent were zipping buddies and she loved every moment of it. Unlike me, she is pretty much fearless.

The North Carolina Mountains

Riding up the mountain getting ready to start our adventure.

Clementine and Uncle David

Me doing an awesome job taking a picture. At least I got the most important person in the frame.

Resting in between Zips.

Uncle David coming in for a smooth landing.

Hanging on and having fun.

Best Buddies

Weeeeeee

Making my final landing in style. So proud of myself :)

Lily's 6 months old!

2010-03-20T23:06:00.007-04:00

Attempting Cereal....

Our Lily is 6 months old now and is turning into such a cute little girl. She's quite petite at 13lbs 4 oz and in the 10th percentile for all her measurements. Her personality is really starting to show now and she loves to play and smile. She is not very mobile, and doesn't seem to really have the desire to go anywhere. She can roll from her tummy to her back, but that is only because she isn't a big fan of tummy time. She is quite good at sitting up by herself with a little support. She frequently hangs out in her bumbo chair in the kitchen with me as I cook and clean. Lily loves her exersaucer and any toys that crinkle or jingle. Her bloody murder screaming has somewhat subsided now. She is still an emotional little girl, but at least it is a little more manageable these days. Lily is still quite attached to mommy and needs to have me in her sight just about all the time to be happy. It's nice to feel loved, but it can really put a cramp on my freedom. I really wishes Lily would take a bottle so I could galavant kid-free more often. Maybe someday soon.....I hope. Lily is excellent at putting herself to sleep, but still wakes up at night at least twice. With Lily on the second floor and me on the main floor, it is a serious hike in the middle of the night. Oh to sleep through the night without any feeding or crying. That will be the day!

I tried cereal a few weeks ago with Lily and it didn't go so well. Since she's 6 month now, I figured I better try again. She's doing better, but not exactly loving it yet. This is a video of my first real attempt. I don't know what possessed me, but I decided to flip the camera around after I started filming. Sorry for the whiplash and small frame.

She is such a silly Lily.

Back-tracking to Lily's Blessing

2010-01-28T18:10:00.004-05:00

Well, I'm trying to catch up on some photos I never posted. Lily's blessing was a special day, so I thought I should share them. I believe it was the first week in December. Lily was sure looking cute that day thanks to Grandma Nielsen. She made Lily a beautiful dress. It's nice to have someone with sewing skills willing to make these special dresses for my girls. Thanks again Grandma Nielsen!

Our Electronics Junkie

2010-01-28T17:16:00.003-05:00

For those of you that know Clementine, you know she is an absolute electronics nut. She is especially fond of "numbs" or phones and computers. You should see her work an iphone. She is a pro. People stare in amazement when they she her whip through pages and applications. She even has her own iTouch. I know, it is crazy that a 2 year old would have that nice of electronics, but it helps keep us all sane at times.

She recently took at trip to the mall with her Grandma to visit the Apple Store. As you can see by the pictures, she was in heaven. I heard all the sales people got a big kick out of her. She cracks me up.

This was Clemie attempting a nap at Grandmas house. She has to have her iTouch when she goes to sleep now. She loves to watch YoGabbaGabba, Jacks Big Music Show, surfs the web, plays games, etc. I think it's actually a little out of control. I hope we're not causing some permanent damage by allowing her to do this.

Happy Birthday Dad....a day late!

2010-01-07T16:58:00.003-05:00

It's just like me to forget birthdays. I have to constantly remind myself, write them down, put them on the calender, and then hope that someone else reminds me too. Well, I just looked at my calendar today and realized that I forgot yours, again! I'm pretty sure I totally forgot one year and you didn't ever get a phone call. I know you were very disappointed and knew I didn't want that to happen again. I'm sorry Dad for forgetting again. I hope you can forgive me for being a little lazy and selfish at times.

So as soon as I realized I forgot your birthday, I went to check my sister Kellie's blog to see if she had wrote anything for you. Of course she did. She had a really nice tribute to you and of course I cried all the way through. It made me think of all of the times we had together, many of the memories are the same as Kellie's. There is not a day that goes by that I don't think of you. I'm sad to not have you around and it is hard for me to believe that you aren't still here. I remember the day Brent had to tell me that you were gone and how shocked and in disbelief I was. It just felt like a nightmare and I was hoping I would wake up and realize it wasn't true. I think it's going to take us all a long time to adjust, but we'll always be missing you.

Dad, I am constantly reminded of you.

Us Williams girls were all blessed with the signature "Norm Forehead". Brent affectionately calls it the "Movie screen Forehead". Let's just way I'll always have bangs.

There is a certain look that I always give Brent that apparently you often gave him too. I always get a "thanks Norm" every time I give it to him.

I still get ripped on for my "making change" class in high school. Just to remind you it was called Quantitative Literacy. Apparently I learned something. I manage the money in our house.

Dad I do know what "Extra Care Bucks" are.....but NO there is no such thing as "Regular Care Bucks".

One of my favorite phrases I get from you. I've told Brent the story a million times of how I got it. I know he doesn't want to hear it again, so I'll tell you. It all came from the famous motor home trip where you tried to rent us an old, smelly beater of an RV. We made it about 10 minutes down the street before my mom made you turn back home to return it. The next morning we woke up to my mom pulling down the street in the most pimp-daddy motor home they had on the lot. We were all so excited and finally made it on the trip our second try. As we were pulling out of the driveway you said, "Let's blow this popsicle stand". I make sure to use this phrase whenever I get the chance.

These are just a few of the thoughts and memories of you. I wish you were around to make more, but it makes me happy to remember those times.

Happy Birthday Dad! I didn't forget, I just remembered a day late.

Welcome Lily Lynn....

2009-10-15T02:35:00.006-04:00

Yes, it only took me a month....but I'm finally posting some pictures from Lily's birth. Time has really flown by since she's been born. For those that don't already know, she was born September 13th and weighed 6 lbs 2 oz. She is a petite little bundle of joy. She really has been a good baby. She's pretty much slept all of the first month of life, except for the time she takes out for eating and pooping. She's sure to set her mental alarm clock for every three hour and never misses a feeding. She did sleep a 6 hour stretch ONCE, and mommy is certainly looking forward to that happening more often. Her sister Clementine has grown to love Lily and is excited to help with anything she can. She loves to hold, kiss, point out all of her body parts, force binkys in her mouth, and buckle her in her car seat. She's a great big sister!

Life Changes....

2009-08-24T17:38:00.002-04:00

I know it's been a long time since I've posted anything. Life has been full of changes for our family and I've been a little bit overwhelmed and not really sure what to say about some things. I'm going to do my best to give an update. Sorry, no fun pictures involved.

First of all, we made the big move from New Haven, CT to Highlands Ranch, CO. I ended up flying with Clemie and Brent and his dad made the long drive with the truck. Everything went safely and smoothy and we're happy to finally be a little bit settled here. We're currently living with Brent's parents. They have been so patient with us as we try to figure out what's next for us as far as a job, house, kids, etc. The job hunt for Brent has been a challenge, but we think things are starting to finally fall into place. It's been nice to have Brent at home with us to help with Clemie and to keep us company, but I'm happy he's finally started to go to work last week! Right now he's up to 2-3 days a week, but we're sure his workload will pick up soon... despite Brent's desire to be a full time mountain biker/hiker and fly fisherman.

A major life change has recently affected our family. A few weeks ago my dad was killed in a boating accident in Key West, FL. We were all totally shocked and of course devastated by the news. My dad was so young at heart and none of us thought this day was coming any time soon. We have all come to rely on our faith and knowledge that our Heavenly Father needed him home more than we needed him on earth and that we will see him again one day once our journey in done. The funeral was held in Key West where my dad spent much of his childhood and still considered home. He died and his earthly body rests in a place that brought him so much joy and doing what he truly loved, anything out on the ocean. We are missing him ever so much and think of him all the time. We're all learning how to adjust our lives without him and I'm sure this will take some time. It will be hard not having such a fun, loving guy around. We love you Dad!

In more happy news, baby girl #2 will be born sometime within the next month. We are so excited to meet her and hope that we can come up with a name before she is born. We're open to suggestions if you have any. Remember, she will have a sister named Clementine, so it has to kind of go with that. It's been a challenge.

Well, that's my update for now. I'll try and keep the postings coming.

Brent's Graduation Dinner

2009-06-20T23:20:00.006-04:00

This week we had Brent's graduation dinner for completing his residency here at Yale. I can't believe it has been a year since attending the dinner for last years graduates. It was fun to experience living in New England, but I am so ready to move on to Denver. Brent has been super busy with his program and I never imagined he would be away from home so much. Between being on-call and all of the extra evening lectures and visits to a local dentist's office, he has been gone late into the evening many nights. Between being pregnant and having a wild child to look after, it has been a little rough the past few months trying to survive until the end. Well, our time is almost up, and I couldn't be happier. I'm really excited to live close to family and start this new phase of life!

Before the dinner. We never take a family picture, so I figured this was a good opportunity. Sadly, this is about as good as it gets.

This is Julie 26 weeks pregnant and feeling rather large. I'm hoping this isn't going to be a 10lb baby!

At the dinner. Clementine was such a good girl. The whole things lasted about 4 hours between the presentations and dinner. I think I was more antsy then Clemie.

Doing what we have to do to keep Clementine entertained. A little sprite never hurt anyone.

Brent showing Clemie off to everyone. Clementine is pretending she's a shy girl.

Brent going up to get his certificate. They introduced him as the "hot shot" of the group. Not sure if that is an insult or compliment, but I guess we'll take it.

Cape Cod

2009-06-16T15:21:00.009-04:00

A couple of weekends ago we were lucky enough to have my Aunt and Uncle come up from Key West for a weekend visit. This gave us a good excuse to make a road trip to Cape Cod. None of us had been there before, so it was a new experience for all of us. Not really knowing where to go in Cape Cod, we headed all the way to the end of the Cape to Provincetown. It was beautiful and the weather couldn't have been more perfect, but lets just say it was not at all the yuppy town we all expected. We were definitely the minority when it came to heterosexual couples. Let's just say our next visit to Cape Cod will probably not include Provincetown. We discovered on our way home some nicer small towns with beautiful beaches that we would love to visit again. Overall, we enjoyed the day eating lunch on the waterfront, walking the town, and exploring some beaches.

These were our views while eating lunch.

Clementine enjoying eating lunch with her great Aunt Louanna and Uncle David.

Clementine trying out a boa at a local toystore.

Downtown Provincetown

This was the beach we discovered on the way home. I can't remember the name of it, but it was beautiful.

We had to go test out the water. It was so freezing! The only people crazy enough to get in were the surfers with wetsuits. Clementine loved the waves and even stuck her toes in.

More pictures of our darling Clementine....

2009-06-16T15:06:00.004-04:00

Clementine and I went to Las Vegas about a month ago to visit my family. My sister Wendie is a photographer and took some pictures of her while we were there. Here a just a few that she took. Enjoy!

When did she turn into such a big girl?

Our little Ballerina

Clementine playing at the park. She loves the slide!

My sister had a really fun park that has all sorts of shooting water. I thought Clementine would hate it because she hates getting water in her face, but she had a great time. She loved putting her fingers in the little water spouts shooting out of the ground.

It's a.......

2009-05-05T01:17:00.004-04:00

Girl!!!!! We found out a couple of weeks ago, but incase we already didn't let you know, we wanted to share the news. I'm excited to be entering into familiar territory and happy that I don't have to buy quite so many new baby items. It will be nice to use all the cute stuff that Clementine didn't get enough use out of. It will also be fun for Clemie to have a little sister and friend to play with. I can't believe it, but we're half way through the pregnancy and can't wait to have another precious girl to add to our family!

Sleeping Standing Up!

2009-05-01T16:36:00.003-04:00

Clementine and I are visiting my family in Las Vegas. Last night she was so plumb tuckered out that she fell asleep standing up! It was so cute and funny....but I felt bad at the same time. I wanted to rescue her and pick her up, but we had to do a quick video and snicker for a little while first.

Can I have your attention please.....

2009-03-11T14:17:00.003-04:00

Yes, I have an announcement. Can you guess what it is??? If you guessed that we are having another baby, then you are right! I never know when your supposed to announce these things, but I guess now is good. I'm 12 weeks along and happy I'm almost through my fist trimester. Lets just say, it hasn't been easy so far. I think I forgot (which is a good thing) how horrible I felt the first time around. This time I've felt equally horrible, but different in a lot of ways. Lets just say for the past couple months I haven't been the best wife, mother, cook, housekeeper....you get the idea. I spent the better part of a month without ever leaving the house or the couch. It hasn't been easy dealing with a very energetic 1 year old and a husband that is very busy at work and not at home most of the time...but I think I've made it though the worst of it. I'm feeling better by the day and doing more each day. I'm looking forward to Spring so I can get out of the house more often. Poor Clementine is going crazy being cooped up in the house all day, but it's just too much for me and the cold makes it no fun at all. Well, we are really excited and can't wait to find out if it is a boy or girl. We'll keep you posted!

Baby it's cold outside!

2009-01-19T00:09:00.006-05:00

So it's freezing outside and I'm dying! It's been a rough week with highs in the single digits and teens with lots of snow. We've heard it's been a bad winter compared to those in recent years here in Connecticut. Lucky us, we're coming from 4 warm years in Florida trying to adjust. It really hasn't been as bad as I imagined it might be....but it's starting to get old already and we're not even through January. Brent is always excited to report the upcoming chilly forecast and walks to and from work every day loving every minute of it. I don't know what's wrong with him. It's not normal. Lets just I haven't been leaving the house much recently....especially with Clementine. I miss Florida weather.

This was the original coat that I bought for Clementine several months ago. It was super cute. Sadly, it was lost in a casualty over Christmas at Brent's family's house. Sophie (the dog) ate a nice big hole in the hood and so I had to lay it to rest.

This is the replacement coat that Grandpa Nielsen bought for Clemie. She got the hat and mittens for Christmas and she actually let us put them on her so we had to get a picture of her all bundled up! What a doll!

NYC at Christmas Time!

2009-01-10T22:56:00.007-05:00

Living in Connecticut for only a year, we couldn't pass up this opportunity to go to NYC over Christmas time. We made the journey by train from New Haven to Grand Central Station. Being the weekend before Christmas....it was crazy busy. The train was jammed packed and we couldn't wait to get there so we could go to our hotel and relax for a bit. Two house later, we made it, jumped on the Subway and headed for the hotel. We were staying at the Ritz Carlton in Battery Park. We wouldn't normally stay at such a nice place, but a couple years ago Brent won some gift certificates to the Ritz Carton at a dental conference. We've been meaning to use them forever now, but it just never happened. I'd checked about a month prior for the Ritz NYC room rates and they were outrageous so I decided against staying the night. I was bummed because NYC is so hard with a baby and having a hotel to crash in makes it much easier. The week before Christmas, I check the rates again and they were surprisingly cheaper. I booked us a room and we were off! So we checked in and headed to our room. We lounged around for awhile, ordered some room service, and then bundled up to head to the must see Rockefeller Center. There were SO many people it was insane! I didn't wanted battle the crowds to get close to the tree, so we just stopped real quick, took a couple pictures and headed on our way. It was so cold and snowing....so we had to keep on the move. We stopped in some shoppes, walked around for a little bit trying to keep Clemie happy and warm, and then headed back to the hotel. We didn't get to see as much as we would have liked, but between Clementine and the weather, we just couldn't handle it. After a quick night in the city, a relaxing night and lazy morning, we headed back home. It was a fun trip and great to see NYC all decked out for Christmas. It wasn't too bad staying at the Ritz either....I could get used to that treatment!

This is as close as we could get to the tree without being trampled.

Brent and Clemie all bundled up!

Our delightful feather bed. It was heavenly!

Part of the bathroom. I didn't get a picture of the lovely tub that I took a relaxing bubble bath in. Their toiletries were fabulous smelling!

Brent and Clemie checking out the crib they had set up for her. It was so cute and Clemie loved playing in it.

They even gave her a whole goodie bag with all sorts of stuff and a Ritz Teddy. It was so impressed!

The goodies up close....including bandaids, night light, bathtub spout cover, diapers, shampoo, lotion, and fever strips. All in a cute bag! That stuff came home with me of course.

It's Christmas Card Time!

2008-12-15T13:57:00.003-05:00

Well it's that time of year and I think we might actually get a Christmas Card out to all of our friends and family this year! My sister Wendie is a photographer and she is graciously helping us put something cute together. Let's just hope we can get it out before Christmas!

If you would like to receive one, please send me your address. You can reply to the post or email me at JulieLynnNielsen@hotmail.com.

We would love to hear from you and your family also, so if you are sending a card this year PLEASE include us on the list!

Our address is:

227 Church St.

Apt. 6H

New Haven, CT 06510

Merry Christmas!

Our Weekend Getaway to Vermont

2008-10-20T12:45:00.012-04:00

This past weekend we went on a road trip to Vermont. It is amazing how many states you can go to within such a short period of time. We journeyed through Connecticut, Massachusetts, ate lunch in New Hampshire, and then entered Vermont all within 3 hours. On our way home we decided to head west and go through New York. It was OK for about the first hour or so, until we hit Sunday afternoon traffic going to New York City. It was so back up and took us forever. I tried not to let it put a damper on the trip, but we will FOR SURE NEVER be doing that again. Once in Vermont we first went to the the Prophet Joseph Smith's Birthplace in Sharon, Vermont. It was so beautiful and peaceful there! It was definitely my favorite place we visited. Next we headed to the Ben and Jerry's Ice Cream Factory in Waterbury. It was Saturday so they weren't actually making Ice Cream so that was a little disappointing. I would have been fascinated to see all of the machinery in action. We did get to sample some delicious Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Ice Cream. Yummy Yummy! The next day we went to the Vermont Teddy Bear Company in Shelburne. They are known for their "Bear Grams" that you can send to someone for just about any occasion. They are all handmade in Vermont and you can customized them with just about any outfit. They are a little on the Pricey side, but there was no way we could leave without getting one for Clementine. The cool thing is that they come with a lifetime guaranty so if anything ever happens to it you can send it in to their bear hospital and if it cannot be healed, they will replace it. Clemie got a Dark Chocolate bear and we named him "Monty"....since he was born in Vermont.

Overall we had a great trip. New England is beautiful this time of the year! We are glad we finally made it on one of the weekend getaways we've been talking about but we (mainly me) always find excuses why we shouldn't go. We're hoping to make it to Maine soon. That is the only state left that we haven't visited.

We did a pretty good job this time taking pictures....surprise, surprise. Normally I forget my camera or bring it and then don't take any pictures. Enjoy!

Sharon, Vermont- Joseph Smith's Birthplace

Clemie was happy to run free after the long car ride.

Joseph Smith Statue on the tour

The remains of the hearthstone of Joseph Smith's childhood home.

Hanging out on the front step

The Memorial that was built in honor of Joseph Smith's Birthplace. It is made out of one solid piece of granite!

The grounds were so beautiful! We had so much fun playing.

Leaves were everywhere! Clemie had too much fun. She was running everywhere, but mainly just in the opposite direction we were heading.

Clemie couldn't seem to keep her shoe on.

This was the hill you drove up as you are driving to the memorial. It was breathtaking! The picture doesn't do justice.

Ben and Jerry's Ice Cream Factory- Waterbury, VT

Clemie enjoying the free ice cream sample after the tour.

Paying our respects at the "Flavor Graveyard"

We had to stop and take some pictures all to the beautiful scenery.

Vermont Teddy Bear Company- Shelburne, VT

On the factory tour...

Clemie and I with her new teddy. She threw her newly purchase bear on the ground so I had to hold it for her.

Clemie on the Journey home asleep with Monty.

Matching Shoes

2008-10-15T23:29:00.003-04:00

About a month ago we when shopping in Hartford. My friend Jody was in town, so Brent and Clemie went off by themselves while Jody and I visited some stores. Before I knew it Brent and Clemie showed up....Clemie had some new shoes on. Normally I buy everything for Clemie and have to approve of everything that she wears. Needless to say, I didn't approve of the new shoes Brent had bought her. I would have been mad, but he was so excited about the daddy daughter matching shoes. He's still trying to convince me to buy a matching pair. I continue to turn him down and always will.

Brent got his "ugly" and might I add expensive shoes while I was out of town, so there was no stopping him. I try and not let them bother me, but they are not the most fashionable item in his closet.

Clementine's Birthday

2008-10-15T23:11:00.004-04:00

Clementine had a nice 1st birthday. Grandma and Grandpa Nielsen were here to celebrate with us. She got lots of new toys a books. Books are her favorite and she loves to read the same ones over and over. I'm happy she enjoys them because I have never been much of a reader. Hopefully she continues to love them for years to come.

Here are some pictures of Clemie enjoying her cake. It was everywhere! Needless to say we went straight to the bath.

Clemie smiling for the Camera.

anticipating her cake....

and finally enjoying the cake!

Pumpkin Patch

2008-10-09T23:32:00.006-04:00

We have had a busy last month. Lots of visitors and someone turned one! I have yet to get those birthday pictures together, so you are going to get these pictures first. My mom and sisters were visiting here last week for a girls week. We had fun exploring Connecticut looking for the best pumpkin patches and apple orchards. Fall is prime time in New England for these activities and we were able to find some fun places for pictures, picked our own apples, and just explored the outdoors. More pictures to come!

Clementine was not happy we trapped her in the pumpkins for pictures. She kept running away....we had no choice!

Our Little Munchkin

2008-08-21T10:01:00.004-04:00

I took a trip to Las Vegas this past week to visit my family. These pictures are courtesy of my sister Wendie. They just couldn't be any cuter. I don't know how I ended up with such a pretty baby! She just gets more beautiful by the day. She has developed quite the personality these days and is growing up so fast. Her most recent accomplishments are standing on her own and attempting to walk. She can't get in more than a step or two without getting overexcited and falling to her knees....but it is so fun to watch her try. I'm sure she'll be on the run before too much longer. I just hope I'll be able to keep up with her!

A Random Assortment...

2008-07-20T23:42:00.003-04:00

Ok, I know I go from posting NOTHING...to posting a ton! I finally gather the time and motivation and get on a roll! Enjoy this random assortment of our little girl!

Clemie and mommy at the pool in Las Vegas. This was Clemie's first swim even though we owned a pool at our last house. It was alway too cold. She liked the swim, but does not enjoy ANY water splashing in her face. I think she thinks she's going to drown.

I had to capture this picture of picture of Clemie wearing shoes. She never really wears them because first of all she is too wiggly and doesn't let you put them on, and then immediately pulls them off. After about 20 minutes, I got these on her. They fit nice and snug, so they actually stayed on all day. What a happy smile!

This is Clemie in her wardrobe of choice....nothing! Of corse she has a binky in though. She can't go without that and mommy forces her to wear the diaper. She has figured out how to take off her diaper....oh how fun that is! Hopefully her issues with clothing isn't a life long struggle. This is also one of her famous scowls. She can sure give a dirty look if she wants to. She was probably mad that you would let her have the camera.

Clemie and daddy playing.

Like mother like daughter. I have a thing for doing laundry. I find it very rewarding for some strange reason. Our new washer/dryer is one unit. We were not friends at first, but once I figured out how to use it it works great! Clemie and I both love to watch the laundry go round!

I LOVE this picture. That is such a funny face! I looks like she's saying "Arrrr Matie". She kinda looks like a boy, but it is still too cute!

NYC

2008-07-20T23:01:00.004-04:00

Last weekend Brent and I took our first trip to NYC. Brent's Brother Scott and his wife Kim were in town and joined us for the adventure. Grandma Nielsen was also in town, but was nice enough to watch Clementine so we could enjoy a baby-free trip. It was fun, but all a little overwhelming. WAY to much to try and cram in during one day. We look forward to making another trip soon. It's only about 1 1/2 hours on the train from New Haven!

Brent and Scott in front of the Statue of Liberty. We took a ferry ride around the harbor.

Brent and I in Central Park.

Brent, me, and Kim next to a giant George Washington.

Brent and I in front of Serendipity. I wanted to go have their famous frozen hot chocolate, but the wait was too long. Maybe on the next trip.

This is my favorite picture of me striking a pose in front of the Seinfeld Restaurant. This is where we ended up having dinner when the wait was too long at Serendipity. It looks nothing like the inside of the Restaurant on the show....but the food was surprisingly yummy and CHEAP! I had a roast chicken dinner with all of the fixings for $9. It was fun and a deal compared to the $20 per person at TGI Fridays for lunch!

Brent and I in the Rockafeller Center Square.

Radio City Music Hall.

Brent and I on our first adventures on the NYC Subway. Surprisingly a lot nicer that the Boston Subway.

Brent and I on the harbor ferry tour. Not a big fan of rocking boats with lots of people crammed on them. Not something I would do again if you paid me.

Our Apartment

2008-07-19T21:02:00.003-04:00

Here are the long awaited pictures of our apartment in New Haven. For those of you who don't know, we live downtown in a 16 story building. We're on the 6th floor. It's taken me awhile to get everything put away and looking picture worthy. We went from a single family home with LOTS of storage, to a small apartment with just about NO storage. It took some creative organizing and 2 additional storage units in our building, but everything just about has a home now. Our bedroom and Clemie's room are still a work in progress, so no pictures of these rooms yet.

Yale Graduation/Welcome Dinner

2008-06-19T22:59:00.003-04:00

Tonight we went to the Yale Graduation/Welcome dinner for all of the outgoing/current/incoming dental residents. Dinner was yummy and we met some friendly new people. We were all dressed up, so we decided to take a few pictures.

This was the best picture I got of Clemie and Daddy. I think she was sneezing or something. Oh well, I tried. At least Daddy is smiling.

Cranky Cousins

2008-06-17T14:32:00.003-04:00

This picture is of Clementine and her Cousin Parker. Parker is Kellie's son and is about a month younger than Clemie. They spent some quality time together when we were in Las Vegas. Clemie pretty much bullied Parker and gave him a complete physical examination poking her fingers in every part of his body. She was very interested in him, but he didn't seem to care too much about her. Capturing a cute picture of them was difficult. At this point in the photo shoot they were both pretty cranky but we were determined. Kellie and I both sang "The Wheels on the Bus" as loud as possible, flailing our arms around trying to get their attention. This was the result. Pretty funny.....and cute :)

Too Cute!

2008-06-17T13:56:00.004-04:00

Clementine and I recently took a trip to Las Vegas to visit my family while Brent got us moved into our new home in Connecticut. My sister Wendie has been practicing her photography skills and took a bunch of Clementine while we were there. Here are just a couple that she just sent to me. I love them....thanks Wendie!!

So Long Florida...

2008-05-12T12:35:00.003-04:00

As our last fun Florida Weekend, we headed down to Key West to visit my Aunt and Uncle. Saturday we had a great time out on the boat. The weather was BEAUTIFUL. We did some fishing, saw a sea turtle, some dolphins and just enjoyed the sun. We also enjoyed our last yummy Cuban meal with all the fixins! Overall it was a very full day for all of us, especially Clementine. She really enjoyed all of the action and attention she was getting. She wanted nothing to do with going to sleep even though I knew she was plumb tuckered out! FINALLY she gave in and passed out on her Great Uncle David. They looked so cute together!

Sunday we enjoyed our Mother's day. We all went to brunch at the Sail Fish Club and enjoyed a fabulous feast! Overall a wonderful weekend. Thank you David and Louanna for hosting us!

Just a little Rambunctious...

2008-05-07T23:32:00.004-04:00

Clementine has become quite the active little girl. This is how I found her after her morning nap today. When I put her to bed she was at the opposite side of the crib with her body completly filpped around. All of her pillows and toys that were neatly diplayed in the corner of the crib were pulled down and strewn about. I am always finding her in some interesting new positions. The other day I found that she had pulled herself up on the side of the crib! I was scared she was going to flip out. Looks like it's time to lower the crib mattress.

Clemie has advanced from rolling to tumbling. She's can maneuver herself all over the floor. She is really trying to crawl. She can get herself into position, but doesn't quite have the strength to go anywere yet. She eventually collapses on her face and gets pretty frustrated. It's hard to watch her struggle, but she has to learn and get stronger. She'll do it soon I know!

Changing diapers and clothes up on the changing table has become quite the ordeal. She doesn't want anything to do with it. She hates it when any of her freedom of movement is restrained and fights to wiggle out of any position you are trying to get her in. She is quite the little bugger!!

Clemie is becoming such a fun girl. She giggles, smiles, and speaks in her own secret language all the time. She has also grown quite attached to her mommy. She crys when I leave her sight of vision. She's learing to make it through the night without me, but are still dealing with some set backs. It's very hard to ignore her if she crys for me in the night. We're working on that one. I guess it's just nice to feel loved and needed, so I continue to sacrafice my my sleep!

There has been a change of plans.....

2008-05-07T23:05:00.002-04:00

As most of you know, it was our plan to move to Denver once Brent finished dental school and for him to find a job there. Well graduation is just a couple of weeks away now and there has been a change of plans. Brent was offered a great opportunity to go to Yale University to continue his education and do a General Practice Residency at the Yale-New Haven Hospital. So for the next year we will be living in New Haven, Connecticut. I'm still in a little bit of shock, but we are both very excited. We have never had a chance to experience "city life" so this will all be very new to us. We are very excited to explore this part of the country and do everything that the surrounding areas have to offer. This will also give Brent the opportunity to learn many new things that will give him a huge boost to his career once he finishes. I'm a little nervous about the weather. I'm not too sure how I'm going to adjust from the year round average temperature of 80 degrees to the few days of the summer that it might actually reach that temperature. Lets just say I'm going to have to buy a whole new wardrobe and I probably won't be leaving the house much during the winter. Wish me luck!

Splish Splash she was takin' a bath...

2008-04-24T21:03:00.002-04:00

Clementine really doesn't love the bath. No matter how hard I try....she always ends up with water in her eyes and then she freaks out. She was actually having fun last night and smiling and we managed to capture a few joyful moments.

My Little Clementine

2008-04-24T20:13:00.002-04:00

I took these pictures yesterday and thought she looked so cute! Don't you think she shoud be the next Gerber baby??

I wanted to believe it....but it's not true :(

2008-04-15T19:24:00.002-04:00

So Snoop Dogg's not a Mormon. It was an April fools joke. Oh well, I enjoyed believing it for a few days. That picture of him with the Book of Mormon is too funny!

Rapper Snoop Dogg coverts to Mormonism

2008-04-13T23:26:00.001-04:00

To find out more click http://www.benderboyz.com/2008/SHOWBIZ/Music/04/01/##

Clementine's First Trip to the Beach

2008-03-25T20:39:00.002-04:00

Clementine took her first trip to the beach last week. It was VERY windy so we didn't stay long. I love how you can see here little tuft of hair blowing in the wind. We got her a cute swimsuit that you can't really see....but we had fun getting her ready. We'll have to try again soon before we move FAR FAR away from here!

I promise she smiles....

2008-03-25T20:08:00.002-04:00

Whenever I try to take pictures of Clementine I can't seem to catch her smiling. She smiles all the time and it is so cute! She scrunches up her little nose and shows all of her gums. I'm going to work at taking more pictures so you guys can see it!

I love this outfit so I had to take a picure of her in it before she outgrows it.

Clemie's Easter day Bunny mug shot.

Clemie's Big Girl Car Seat

2008-03-25T19:33:00.003-04:00

We finally gave into buying Clemie a new Car Seat. Her once loved infant car seat was no longer making her happy. She decided that she no longer wanted anything to do with it and would scream whenever we put her in it. Initally we didn't think she liked this one either, but she has now discovered that it is much more comfortable and seems to be happy most of the time.

I knew I wanted a Britax, as they are the carseats that have the best saftey ratings. I was having a hard time finding a pattern I really liked. Almost all that I liked we no longer available. I found this one at at Baby Love right now the street from us. It is called Jonah. I was afraid it looks a little bit too BOY, but I really did like it so I got it anyways. The little whales on it have pink eyes....so I guess that makes it girly enough for me.

My Pretty Girl

2008-02-25T00:12:00.002-05:00

Despite what her dad says, Clemie looks super cute in her headbands. I was a little unsure when I first bought them, but she can pull them off!

Clemie's New Bumbo Chair

2008-02-24T21:56:00.003-05:00

Clemie is turning into such a big girl! She is almost 5 months now and getting cuter by the day. Grandpa Nielsen bought her a new bumbo chair and she is having fun time sitting up on her own. Her favorite activity is knocking all of her her toys off of the tray as soon as you give them to her while squeeling as loud as as she possibly can. She thinks this is a fun game....but I'm not so sure about it.

Clementine and the Guitar

2008-01-18T00:47:00.000-05:00

Brent loves to play the guitar for Clemie. She is a very good baby....but sometimes she gets a little cranked up. Brent's guitar playing soothes her as you can tell by the picture below.

Clementine's First Hockey Game

2008-01-18T00:32:00.001-05:00

Anyone who knows Brent knows that he is a HUGE hockey fan....especially of the Colorado Avalance. Clemie recently got to attened her first hockey game, Colorado Avalanche vs. the Florida Panthers. We had a great time! Poor Clementine is going to have to endure many more hockey games in her life. Her dad hopes to have season tickets to the Avalanche and take her to lots of games!

What a cute nudie baby!

2008-01-18T00:22:00.001-05:00

The Christmas Dress

2008-01-18T00:17:00.001-05:00

You can tell by the look on her face that Clementine doesn't love wearing her Christmas dress. Her mom liked it, so she had to wear it! What a pretty girly girl!

Clementine and Parker

2008-01-18T00:08:00.000-05:00

Clementine got to meet her cousin Parker over Christmas. Clementine is 3 weeks older, slightly chubbier and shorter. It seems that the only pictures I have of them together are in the nude. Oh well...they are cuties!

Upclose with Clementine

2008-01-18T00:00:00.000-05:00

Check out this cute and expressive pictures of our Clementine. Her cheeks are so chubby and cute!

Christmas in Las Vegas

2008-01-17T23:07:00.000-05:00

We spent this Christmas with Julie's family in Las Vegas. My mom & dad and my two sisters and their families both live there now. It was our first Christmas with two new babies! We had a great time doing many things like our nightly domino tournaments, going to Cirque Du Soleil to see "O", and most importantly...eating LOTS of yummy food!

Clementine's Blessing

2008-01-17T21:46:00.000-05:00

Ok, I'm back tracking a little bit. Trying to catch up on all of the posting I should have been doing. Anyways....Clementine was blessed over Thanksgiving when we were in Denver. Her and her daddy both did great! Her dress was beautiful! Grandma Nielsen made it for her.

Update!

2007-12-14T18:39:00.000-05:00

Just thought I would give everyone an update on my job. As of today, I'm officially NOT going back to work! My Maternity leave is up as of the end of the year, and I was torn as to what I should do. I didn't have any child care lined up and I was going to have to quit unless a miracle happened. As some of you know, my company is doing TERRIBLE due to the slow housing market and some bad decision making. Everything is pretty much falling apart and there is a lot of DRAMA going on that I don't need in my life. Today I met with my boss for lunch and she told me I would be laid off as of the end of the year. This was the BLESSING I was hoping for! This means I can stay home with my baby and I will get severance pay and reimbursement for some health insurance. This is great for our family! I am a little bit sad to not be going back to work as I worked with many great people and the company treated me great! If I had to go to work, that wasn't a bad place to go and that job brought many great blessings and opportunities to our family. I'm happy to say that I'm officially retired as of age 26. Brent graduates in May from Dental School so I'm hoping this means I won't be looking for a job any time soon. Now I can focus on Mommyhood!

Clemie in the Hospital

2007-12-10T16:27:00.000-05:00

As many of you know, Clementine just spent a few days in the hospital. She was diagnosed with a urinary tract infection. Because she is still so little, she had to undergo some testing and get antibiotics via IV. She was poked and prodded all over her body, but was surprisingly a tough little girl. I think it was harder on her mommy and daddy watching her go through all of it. After three long days of sleeping, tv watching, and eating room service, we are very happy to be home. Clementine is doing just fine and has returned to her smiley, drooly self!