Excitement in the Exersaucer

Could he get any cuter?

Camp Erickson

I didnt take this picture, but I just wanted to give a visualization!

This past weekend we traveled up to Idaho for the first time in almost 8 months (since Emmett's been born)! We had an Erickson family reunion up in Ashton at Rock Creek Girls Camp. I forgot how beautiful Idaho is in the summer. You just can't beat all that gorgeous green backdropped by sunsets that almost look unreal. You can count at least five different colors in them, they look like they're straight out of a painting. Although the scenery definitely struggles 6 months out of the year, the other 6 are breathtaking!

This trip was a BIG step for us. I spent weeks fretting over how it was going to go. Up until this, Emmett had never gone farther than a half hour from home, and never been around more than maybe 15 people at once. This weekend we traveled four hours, and had to have visited over 50 people. I'm not sure if people realize that for me it's not just as simple as "oh all babies have to get sick at some point." For months in the NICU it was drilled into my brain that exposure to germs or sickness could literally equal something as severe as death for my baby. That's all I've ever really known. So imagine having that mindset, and taking your baby to a reunion with 40+ people, including tons of kids and toddlers (who we all know are notorious for carrying around tons of germs and not washing their hands). THEN imagine how tense I was when these little kids ran up and grabbed Emmett's hands (which are perpetually stuck into his mouth)!

In addition to those concerns, I was worried about how Emmett would do with all the driving (he is not the fondest of his carseat or sitting still for that matter). I was worried about him being out in the sun all day long. And the Doctor told me before I left that he really shouldn't be exposed to too many mosquitos and his time outdoors should be limited. Wonderful (mosquitos are really bad up in Ashton this time of year, and obviously the whole reunion was outdoors). I was even worried about how he would sleep, and if he'd be up all night crying because he was in a place he didn't recognize.

But Emmett (and I) did great! He did the car ride like a champ, and may even be beginning to enjoy it! woo hoo! I brought up his bassinet and I think the familiarity helped him sleep really well. I kept him well covered from mosquitos, kept a little OFF fan with us wherever we went, and made sure to leave by dusk when they started to get really bad. Amazingly, both he and I made it out of there with NO mosquito bites, which is quite the feat up there! Unfortunately despite all my precautions, Emmett did end up coming down with a cold, which we are hoping does not develop into anything else and heals quickly.

Emmett with Grandpa Rex. See the Resemblance?

                                                    

But moving on to the reunion, we had a great time! We visited with lots of cousins, aunts, and uncles that we don't get a chance to see very often. We watched the guys play lots of Ultimate frisbee, football, and other lawn games (Jared played pretty intensely, and I think regretted it afterward hahah). We ate tons of YUMMY food (the Ericksons are famous for that), and went to Horseshoe Lake and canoed one day. We also put on quite the skit for Saturday night entertainment if I do say so myself! Did anyone get pictures or video?? I wish I would have thought of that at the time! It was the deal where one person lays on the ground, and the other person straddles over them hiding their legs, so it looks like their legs are really the persons lying on the ground and they're super flexible (are you following me?) Anyway, Sarah, Sherri, and I were the legs, and Gabby, Emily, and Jared were the tops. We started out with some yoga stretches, then transitioned into a great dance routine that me and Emily choreographed to "I need a Hero" (the 80s song on Footloose). Jared dancing with my legs on bottom had to have been quite the sight. I wish I could have seen it. haha!

All in all, the trip was a success! Emmett loves the outdoors, so he was content with all the new scenery to take in. Everything went pretty smooth and I was so relieved. He also got to wear some of his hand-me-down winter clothes, which he hasn't been able to down in Provo since it's so warm. He looked A-D-O-R-A-B-L-E in them! I snapped a pic of a couple of his outfits for you :-) I really wish I would have taken more pictures, but I was pretty preoccupied and needed an extra set of hands!

The Best Two Years... (So Far)

This past Sunday, August 22nd, marked Jared and I's two year Anniversary!
* (Sidenote: That's 2 for 2 years that we have spent our Anniversary at Family Reunions, so all you fam out there reading this...mark this day on your calendars!) haha.

We had a really great weekend up in Idaho, which is definitely worthy of its own post so I won't give out the details just yet!

It's so crazy to think it's really already been two whole years. I feel like our wedding was just 6 months ago! But then I think of all we've done/accomplished/been through.... and then I think... How does that all fit into 2 years?! 

Here's the noteworthy things that happened since we tied the knot in 2008: 

• I began working my first post-college job for the City of Rexburg, working in the Building Dept/Planning & Zoning (I actually started about 4 months before we got married, but it still played a huge role in our first years of marriage)
• We decided together that Civil/Environmental Engineering was a better fit for Jared than Business, and changed his major
• We were called as Nursery leaders in church where we stayed for about 1.5 years! (way too long for Nursery! haha)
• We found out I was pregnant right around our first anniversary!
• Jared got accepted to transfer into BYU's Engineering program for Winter 2010
• We did our first move together as a couple, and packed up and headed down to Cougartown (aka Provo)
• Shortly thereafter, we found out I was pre-eclampsic and was admitted to the hospital
• 4 days later our miracle baby, Emmett Jared Erickson, was born at 1 pd, 15 oz
• We survived 3 months of being in the NICU, and developed an even deeper bond with one another
• We brought little Emmett home to the new apartment (which until then WE had barely spent any time in either!)
• Jared got his first summer job related to his field at the Department of Natural Resources

These past two years have been amazing, and we've both grown in so many ways. I love you Jared, and I'm so glad to have you as my best friend! I look forward to all the many wonderful years to come!

Cardio Disaster

Yesterday I went to the gym to do my usual run, and headed to the Cardio Cinema as always. I love the surprise of seeing what movie is playing, and usually leave feeling like "I wouldn't have picked that movie out at home, but I'm glad it was on because I'm really into it and want to see the end!"

Yesterday wasn't one of those days.

I start the run not paying very close attention to the screen, and surmise that it looks like some type of war movie. Then....I realize what it is. CLOVERFIELD.

Seriously? Is this some bored gym worker's idea of a sick joke? If you haven't seen Cloverfield... DON'T. Think Blair Witch style filming, simulating a handheld cam - shaking all over and getting shots of peoples feet and occasionally some faces. On top of that, it's about some unknown alien/monster attacking New York and wiping out the city, so mostly what you see/hear, is the feet of mass amounts of people running around and screaming while explosions go off all around them. Think of this playing on a giant screen in front of you, while you are attempting your run. Can you talk about Headache?

Here are a couple shots to give you an idea (keep in mind, they are not moving and thus are far less blurry than the movie).

I try to get a break from the dizzying scene in front of me, and look down to my treadmill to check my distance. Turns out I got on the treadmill that is missing a peg or something under the right side, which causes the display to jiggle just enough to appear blurry. Lucky me. But I am OCD about running until I see my goal distance show up on the screen, and if I stopped running on that treadmill and switched to another, my end distance would only read half of my total run.... which wouldn't give me that sense of accomplishment that I look forward to! So obviously, I stuck it out. 

Final Score:  Cassie -1
                    Bored Gym Workers - 0

Sorry guys, maybe next time.