Grateful

Lately I have found myself reflecting on my many blessings more often than usual. I assume it's partially due to the Thanksgiving season. And maybe partially from all the Facebook updates people are posting about what they are thankful for. Mostly I think it's due to the fact that life has been really good to us lately and several times throughout the day I recognize blessings great and small that are usually taken for granted. Here are some of the things that I've been thinking about:

*We're Homeowners. This is so exciting for us. Sometimes I wondered if this day would ever come. We were blessed to get a great interest rate and work with great, kind, honest people throughout the whole process. And for the time being we have a great renter who is taking good care of our home which allows us to replenish our savings. It's funny how things never turn out the way you think they will (like buying a home...but not actually living in it...yeah I never pictured that!).

*Employment. In this economy, Brandt and I both having good jobs that allow us to meet our financial needs is a blessing. 

*Reliable cars. I never worry that my car won't start or that my heater won't work in the frigid cold. I never worry that I may just skid right off the road when I'm on the freeway like with our last car. And even though the Blazer is a senior citizen and may not be with us for too much longer, it has been such a good car. In the nine years that I've owned it, there have been only two instances where things have needed repaired.

*Fuel for our cars. I was actually thinking about this the other day while I was filling up the Equinox. My gas light had just come on so I pulled into Maverick to fill up. As I was waiting, I was thinking about the people caught in Superstorm Sandy and how even though they had the finances available to buy gas, there was no gas to be had. And then I started thinking about people whose finances are so tight that buying gas is difficult, especially with the ever-rising prices. I usually don't put much thought into filling up my car. It's one of those automatic things that I take for granted. I was grateful for the reminder that day of what a blessing it is.

*A happy family. I am blessed to have Brandt and Jack in my life. Life would be so boring and lonely without them. In addition to them, I have parents, siblings, inlaws, and extended family that love and support me.  We have a great time when we get together.

*Good health. Another one of those things that I take for granted, but I'm so grateful for good health. I may not have the supermodel face and body, but I'm grateful that all my parts are functioning as they should! Other than the occasional stomach upset or cold, I am a pretty healthy gal. And I'm blessed that my family is healthy as well.

*Necessities of life: food/clothing/shelter. I so often take for granted these blessings. I never worry about going hungry or any of my other basic needs being met. We have a warm home. We live in a safe community. We are truly blessed.

These are just a few of the bigger blessings that have been on my mind lately. So many times as I was writing this post, I wanted to type "I am so lucky." But luck is not the right word. Blessed is the right word. I am so blessed. I'm grateful for the Thanksgiving holiday and the opportunity it gives me to reflect on the many blessings my Heavenly Father has given me. More than ever, I feel His hand in my life and I am truly grateful for the knowledge I have that He loves me, cares about me, and wants me to be happy. 

Happy Thanksgiving!

9x9 November

1. I started reading J.K. Rowling's new book about a week ago. I've already given up on it. Too much vulgarity for me.

2. I figured I would start listening to audiobooks since I have a longer commute now (I'm used to a 5-7 minute commute, so 20-30 minutes seems like forever). I started with Twilight Saga. It's been kind of fun listening to them again...but I must say I haven't had as much patience for them this time around. They seem a lot more cheesy. Still fun though.

3. This is one happy boy. Why is he so happy?

4. Because Jack and I have a new tradition on Fridays. I started it last week. It's called "Wendy's for lunch and then Both of us Take a Nap!" I started it last Friday and it's the best part of my week. Although I'm kind of peeved about the fact that only the spicy chicken nuggets are on the value menu; I have to pay an extra forty cents for just regular chicken nuggets. Curse them.

5. The only bad thing about our new tradition is that lunch always ends in tears. Not me. Just Jack. He is his father's child through and through. He loves ice cream and is not a very good sharer, but we do our best, because mom isn't the best sharer either. But I always let him finish the frosty so that when it is all gone, he knows it's because he got the last bites.

6. Here he is realizing that there is no more ice cream in that cup.

7. Which is then followed by tears. So sad.

8. We closed on our house today. This is our stack of paperwork that we had to sign. I'm not sure why nearly every single page requires either a signature or initials, but that's how it is. I had a hand cramp by the time we were done.

9. A picture of our house! Someday we may actually get to live there...(explanation to that will be posted another day).

*Disclaimer: I kind of cheated on this 9x9. Photos weren't actually taken on the 9th (although all of the events did happen on the 9th). I couldn't find the camera that day, but to be honest I probably didn't look that hard. Oh well. To make up for my cheating ways, I have included a bonus video below. I call it: "What?! No More Frosty?!" Enjoy.

9 Months

Jack is nine months old! Can you believe it? I sure can't. We have really enjoyed watching him grow and learn about his world. He is like a sponge, just soaking up everything around him. It's amazing how fast they learn!

7 Months

8 Months

9 Months

9 Months Stats: 

Height: 29 inches (80th percentile)

Weight: 19 lbs. 1 oz. (40th percentile)

Some facts about our little guy:

*Smiles all day long, but still makes us work for those giggles. It is the greatest sound in the world.

*Has mastered crawling. Hence, he is in to everything. We are still figuring out how to baby-proof the house.

*Although he has a ton of toys (and I think they are pretty cool toys), he would much rather play with anything he's not supposed to (i.e. pens, cell phones, laptop, movies, DVD player, doorstop, etc.)

*Has started "dancing" along to his toys that play music. He'll rock his body back and forth and grin until the music stops.

*Can pull himself up to a standing position. He's still pretty shaky once he gets up, but you can tell he is so proud of himself.

*Babbles to himself all the time. His favorite words: "mum-mum-mum" (maybe "mom"?!), "ba-ba-ba" ("bottle"?), "mm-ba, mm-ba" ("MMMBop"? - we may have a Hanson fan here - dad is a little worried)
*He is a bit of a momma's boy.  What can I say? I'm just too cool.

*Loves to play! This kid has so much personality. He loves having your undivided attention.

*He is a great eater. He gobbles up everything we give him except for the meats - he's not too fond of those and pulls the funniest faces to let you know he is not a fan. I can't say that I blame him - they smell nasty.

*He has four teeth (and he knows how to use them!)

This picture is from last week. Jack was just starting to pull himself up to standing, so we figured it was time to lower the crib. He looked like such a big boy standing there; I couldn't believe it. And he was so proud of himself! He's been going through another rough patch with sleeping. He likes to wake up around 4 am and the last thing he wants to do is hang out in his crib by himself. We're going to attempt some sleep training this week. Wish us luck. (And any advice would be greatly appreciated!!) I love my little guy. Being Jack's mom is such a joy.

Jack is on the Move!

Jack has been busy the last couple of weeks learning how to crawl. It has been fun watching him figure it out. I think he's finally got it down. See for yourself:

Way to go Jack! I better get baby-proofing the house...

Dog-Tired

Playing with toys can be so exhausting!

9x9 July

1. Watching morning cartoons. We like Curious George.

2. I lost my debit card at Wendy's about a week ago. Bummer deal since the majority of our bills are set up with auto-pay using that card. My new card came today so I spent the morning switching everything over. Good times.

3. Lately Jack has been somewhat of a momma's boy despite my attempts to keep him neutral. He isn't content with just sitting next to me, but wants to climb up into my lap, which is either cute or occasionally annoying depending on the situation.

4. My boy loves giving kisses! I doubt he knows that's what he's doing (it's more like chewing on your face), but I love it all the same.

5. Leftover breakfast burritos for dinner? Yes, please!

6. Someone was too burned out to make it through dinner. P.S. I think Jack needs a haircut...either that or I need help figuring out how to style his wispy thin hair. It's a little out of control.

7. My little helper. He loves watching the washer and dryer do their thang. Like father, like son I guess!

8. After five loads, we finally got all the laundry done! Now if it could only put itself away...

9. I watched "Antiques Roadshow" while I fed Jack and got him ready for bed. That show is full of interesting tidbits! Here's a useless, but still interesting, morsel about wrist watches (at least I found it interesting...you may disagree). In the early 1900's, it was unfashionable to wear a wrist watch. A true gentlemen carried a pocket watch. But when World War I broke out, the men in the trenches needed a more practical way to keep time that would allow them to operate their weapons at the same time. Hence, wrist watches surged in popularity and pocket watches were phased out. This particular military wrist watch is from 1915 - original price was $4.50. Today, it is valued at $1000 (which seemed low to me, but what do I know). Anywho, there's an interesting little tidbit you can throw out for some dinner conversation. You're welcome :)

Father's Day Weekend

On Saturday we drove up to Birch Creek Campground. Since it was Father's Day Weekend I told Brandt he had free reign of our agenda, so, of course, he chose fishing. It was nice being outside in the sunshine. Brandt got in some good fishing while Jack and I hung out on the grass. We had a picnic (minus the chips, trail mix, and baby food; somehow that bag got left at home - darn.), we played with toys, I read my book, Jack napped, and Brandt fished. We had a grand time.

Here are a couple of videos I took of Jack while we were playing. He does this new thing where he smiles like a complete goof. In the first video, he was doing his goofy grin and alternating it with whining. It was really funny, as you will see. The second video is just because I think my son is adorable; it's of us playing Peek-a-Boo. Jack thinks it's pretty fun. Friday night was the first time that he actually held up the blanket by himself and then lowered it - it's so fun watching him learn, one baby step at a time.

This morning, Jack and I made breakfast for Brandt. Jack wasn't as keen on the idea as me - he wanted to be cuddled and entertained, but he got over it and manned the eggs and sausage while I took care of the french toast and OJ.

We showered Brandt with a plethora of gifts. He's a great dad and deserves to be spoiled every now and then. Jack and I are so lucky to have him in our lives and don't know what we would do without him. Happy Father's Day Brandt!

9x9 June

1. My boys hangin' out in bed this morning.

2. I'm currently reading this book. I'm not too far into it, but so far so good. I've struck out a few times lately in the book department, so it's nice to be enjoying a book for a change. Does that make me sound like a nerd? Probably.

3. Studying for my Relief Society lesson. Always a good time.

4. Jack has been gnawing on whatever he can get his hands on; in this case, an empty tupperware container.

5. This may be why he's been such a beaver as of late: two teeth have been working there way through for about a month now.

6. I received this Jury Summons from Pocatello on Friday. Can they do that?! I don't even live there anymore...yet they sent it to my correct Idaho Falls address. What's crazy is that this is my third summons since Brandt and I have been married, and he has yet to be summoned. And then it gets even crazier. I think I may have made history here, because the very next day...

7. I received another Jury Summons from Idaho Falls. Scheduled for the same time as the one in Poky. Are you kidding me?! That's got to be some kind of first. I was already going to call and complain about the first summons, seeing as how I no longer live in Poky, and even if I did, three times in five years seems a bit overkill; but now I for sure have to call because, obviously, I can't do both. Nutso.

8. Yes, I cheated on this one and got a picture off the internet. I got ready to do this and realized I only had eight pics and had to get creative. We spent a few hours today looking at homes with our realtor. We are still uncertain as to whether we are ready to buy a home, but it's been fun seeing what's out there and dreaming about becoming homeowners.

9. Jack refused to go to bed tonight. After fighting him on it for awhile, we decided to let him play until he wore himself out. He rolled around on the floor while we watched a movie and finally zonked out around 10. Crazy boy.

Party Animals

Yesterday was our anniversary. Six years - can you believe it?! To celebrate, I wanted to do something unique, you know - make the day different from the rest. We decided to venture out to the drive-in movies. Brandt had never been to a drive-in and I had only been once as a kid, but it stands out as a great memory for me. I went with my aunt, uncle, and cousin Katie to see "The Flintstones." I was probably around eight years old. Anyway, I thought it was the coolest thing ever! So I was excited to take Brandt along for his first show.

From what I hear, the drive-in is a great place for action, perfect for an anniversary date...and I totally mean action-packed movies...what kind of action did you think I meant? :)  We looked up the info online and found that the movies (they make it a double-feature) start around 10:00 pm. That was almost a deal-breaker for me. I knew there was no way I could stay up that late (yes, I know that makes me sound incredibly lame). But Brandt was a sweetheart and watched Jack while I took a good nap prior to the show.

At 9:30 we loaded up the car with blankets, pillows, snacks, and of course Baby. As we pulled in we eagerly scanned for a good spot. We settled on a spot near the back, but Brandt got antsy and decided he needed to be a bit closer. So he decided to pull up and park right in front of the car we had previously been parked next to. Apparently, that blocked their view because they immediately drove off in search of another spot. I felt bad because, technically, they were there first...oh well, hopefully they weren't too irritated with us newbies and our lack of drive-in etiquette.

Jack zonked out during the previews and slept pretty much through the whole experience. It was raining lightly so occasionally we had to turn the wipers on, but for the most part we could see the movie just fine. We got to see "Snow White and the Huntsman" first - it was just all right, although Charlize Theron was an awesome evil queen. We had originally planned on going home after the first movie, but we were feeling adventurous and decided to stay and watch "Battleship." I made it about an hour into the show before I zonked out with Jackers. The first part of the movie was actually kind of funny - a lot better than I had anticipated, but I lost interest when they started fighting the aliens, or whatever it was they were doing (it was past my bedtime so the details are a bit fuzzy). Brandt made it about another half hour before he said the show was getting lame and decided to call it a night. We got home around two in the morning. A couple of party animals we are. I think it made up for last Friday night when we went to bed at eight.

In addition to a very late night, Jack decided he wanted to get up at 5:30 this morning. I was able to semi-talk him out of it - we compromised - I fed him and he agreed to go back to sleep for an hour. We are still recovering from the lack of sleep, but we had a great time, definitely something we'll do again. Have any of you done anything fun or unique lately? I'd love to hear about it - we're always up for trying something new!

Proud of My Boys

This post is dedicated to bragging about the two men in my life. I am so lucky to call them mine and wanted to share some of their recent accomplishments.

Brandt. Spring is graduation season and lately I've seen several congratulatory messages going out around Blog Land and the Facebook Empire regarding high school/college graduation. It has reminded me that I never mentioned anything about Brandt's graduation back in December. So here we go: Brandt graduated in December!!! All of 2010 and 2011 were filled with Brandt busily working towards his Master's Degree in Natural Resources from the University of Idaho, emphasizing in Rangeland Ecology and receiving a certificate in Restoration Ecology (kind of a mouthful, right?). He has, thankfully, been able to complete his degree online and was even able to give his final presentation via video conference at the U of I campus here in Idaho Falls, so he never had to make the long trek to Moscow. I'm so proud of him for reaching this goal. Deciding what he wanted to be when he grew up was one of the hardest decisions for him, one that he has struggled with for a very long time. Once he came across this program, he knew this was what he needed to do, and he stuck with it, going to school year-round to complete his degree as fast as possible. 

Now it's on with the job hunt! Hopefully, with his degree, more doors will be opened in the direction he wants to head with his career. His seasonal job started up in April and he has been enjoying working with his friends at the BLM. Because of his degree, he got a promotion that we weren't planning on. He was also made a team lead for a special project to remove noxious weeds from the occupied habitat of Ute Ladies Tresses (an endangered orchid) around the South Fork of the Snake River (basically, that means they have to come up with a way to get rid of the weeds without harming the threatened/endangered species that live/grow along the banks of the river; and apparently, this is a huge deal in the BLM World, because it rarely gets approved to do this sort of thing). We would love for this to become a full-time gig, but sadly full-time openings with the BLM are hard to come by. And competition is pretty fierce. However, Brandt was offered a full-time job with a different agency, but that is still in the works. More info on that to come later.

Jack. Jackers is continuing to grow and learn so quickly we can barely keep up. He started daycare about a month ago. The first couple of weeks were not so great. It was a combination of being in a new place with new people, on top of being sick and teething (you can read more about that fun here). His first day there he refused to eat, which really worried this momma. One reason we chose this daycare is that it is close to my office, so if I have an opening in my schedule, I can go over and hang out with Jack, which has been nice. Since those first couple of weeks, he has adjusted really well. The other day when I picked him up, the girls were impressed with how well he is sitting up and said Jack and another little boy sat on the floor facing each other and played really well together for a long time with a bunch of toys between them. I think he enjoys playing with kids his size - anytime I've seen him around the other kids he seems so interested in them. He is such a good boy and so much fun!

It seems that over night Jack has mastered sitting up. Seriously, a week ago he could barely sit up for ten seconds before toppling over; now he's got it down pat (except for at church; for some reason he always topples over and bonks his head really good during Relief Society - makes me look like Mother of the Year). He doesn't seem to have any interest in crawling yet (if he wants to get anywhere, he'll still lay down and roll to wherever it is he wants to be). Yesterday, we went to Winco and figured he was ready to try sitting up like a big boy in the seat of the cart.

He loved it! His face just lit up as he stared from one thing to the next. He couldn't get enough, he was so excited (I don't blame him - Winco is a pretty happenin' place). Mom had issues with him sucking on the cart handle, but other than that it was a good time.

I sure love these boys, and I'm so proud of them. They are my world and I'm so grateful that I get to be with them every day. They bring me so much joy. How did I get so lucky?!

Mother's Day Weekend

We decided to go to Burley for Mother's Day. It had been three months since our last visit, so it was good to see everyone. There was much ooohhh-ing and ahhhh-ing over Jack and he ate up all the attention. On Friday night, Jack wasn't sure if he liked Grandma's playpen, so I crawled in and laid next to him and he instantly calmed down (it didn't last and he ended up sleeping with us all weekend - no judging...you do what you gotta' do!). Brandt thought it was funny I could fit in the playpen so easily so he snapped my picture.

 On Saturday we went to lunch with Sammy at Taco Bandido (LOOOOVE Taco B!). Afterwards, Brandt and I got some treats (DQ blizzard for me, Snoasis for Brandt) and walked along the river while Jack took a nap in the stroller. The city just recently built this walkway along the river and it's beautiful; river on one side and golf course on the other (though Brandt felt the view was spoiled by all the noxious weeds he couldn't help point out along the river.) Afterwards we went and saw my dad for a bit before heading back to my mom's for a barbeque.

I'm terrible and didn't get any pictures on Sunday. My plan was to have some family pictures taken but it didn't happen. It was still a good day though. We went to church with Brandt's parents and then had dinner with them and his aunt and uncle. We had a busy weekend and it was great to spend time with everyone.

My boys spoiled me with a new purse! It was a fun surprise; I felt very loved on my first Mother's Day. Being a mom is a tough job, but I love it and am so grateful for Jack in my life. I often feel inadequate, but I am learning so much as we work our way through each stage. Jack is such a joy and I am lucky to be his momma.

9x9 May

1. Jack has had some terrible mood swings lately. One minute he's giving me smiles like this...

2. ...And the next minute I get faces like this. He gets really emotional when we leave the room for a minute. I don't get it - he used to be so content to just play on the floor by himself. But now, the instant we leave the room he freaks out. Can anyone else relate? Please tell me this is just a phase.

3. Reading a story before Jack's morning nap. This is a cute book - the illustrations are beautiful.

4. Inside the freezer at work. The girls like to tease me about how Jack's milk is taking over the top shelf. I can't take it home though - there's absolutely no room for it. I have this same amount in our freezer at home (plus a bag at daycare). Moo.

5. Kickin' back with a cold one after work. It was one of those days.

6. So much in fact that we ended up going out for dinner. Neither one of us could muster the energy to throw a meal together. 

7. I love this picture - I can't help but think of The Joker ("Why So Serious?!"). Jack was being cheesy at dinner. Every time I held the camera up he gave me this goofy grin. Don't you love the double chin? He gets that from his father.

8. Speaking of his father, here he is, enjoying a BLT and bottomless steak fries. Yum! I had the cod sandwich - also Yum! Although my hands smelled like tartar sauce for the rest of the night, regardless of my attempts at getting rid of it. The sandwich was HUGE, and I ate the whole thing plus a second helping of fries. As I was finishing up, Brandt pipes up and says, "You know, a lesser woman wouldn't have been able to eat all that." And he meant that as a compliment. I then proceeded to give Brandt a lesson in how to properly compliment his wife (i.e. "Your hair looks nice today." or "That shirt looks great on you." and NOT "Wowzers girl! You can really chow down!").

9. Watching one of our favorite shows. Does anyone else love Modern Family as much as we do? Hilarious! (sidenote: I think we are the only ones left on the planet that still have an old, "square/tube" TV. And no satellite or cable. Am I wrong? It may be time to upgrade to a widescreen though, seeing as how most shows/sporting events are now shot in widescreen and it's becoming increasingly evident (when we watch sports,  we can usually only read half the score since they put it up in the corner).

A Case of the Ickies...

...makes for a crummy vacation.

We have been working our way through some illness over at our house which has been less than fun as I'm sure you can relate.  It started with Brandt about two weeks ago, so we blame him for the fiasco. He came home from work on Tuesday and went straight to bed as soon as he got home at five. And that was his routine for the next three days straight: work, bed, repeat. I started to feel like a single parent, and it wasn't very glamorous. That weekend was our mini-vacay to Utah, which we had really been looking forward to, so I was hoping the ickies would stop with Brandt and we could enjoy our trip.

No such luck. On Friday, I woke up with whatever crap Brandt had been harboring, but it wasn't too bad. I kept myself drugged-up and got through the work-day. Then when I got home from work, we finished packing and got on the road. We stayed in a hotel in downtown Salt Lake for Friday night, and as soon as we got there I just layed on the bed and didn't move for the rest of the night, other than to take a bath to try and warm up. We had planned on taking Jack swimming in the hotel pool, but there was no energy for that. Jack was still feeling and looking good at this point, so he got his picture taken in his cute pj's:

Poor guy...he has no idea what's coming...

On Saturday we had Walk MS. I asked Brandt to give me a blessing that morning so I could make it through the day and I know it helped. We participated in Walk MS last year and had a great time; it's a great opportunity not only to raise funds for a great cause, but also to reconnect with our friends from high school that we don't get to see very often. Sadly, no pictures, but check out Tiff's blog post for some cute pics from the event. Jack wasn't feeling great either and was running a fever, but he was a trooper.

Saturday afternoon we drove up to Park City to spend the rest of the weekend with Brandt's family. Again, no pictures. But it was great to see them. Again we missed out on taking Jack swimming, but we figured it was probably not the greatest idea. 

Sunday was the worst day for me. I just layed on the  bed all morning until it was time to check out of the hotel. Luckily, it was going-home day and I was thrilled. We had planned on stopping to see a friend of mine and her sweet new baby in Logan, but we figured she wouldn't appreciate us bringing her all our germs, so we had to bypass that which was disappointing.

So that was our exciting trip to Utah! It definitely wasn't what we had expected. We were so looking forward to our little getaway, but being sick really but a damper on the fun. Oh well, not much you can do about that. Since then, we've been on the mend. Jack has had the worst of it this past week. I tried taking Monday off from work, but couldn't work it out, but I had Tuesday off which was nice. My mom was able to come spend a few days with us and it was great to have an extra set of hands to take care of the little guy. We've been blessed in that Jack is normally pretty healthy; this was his first real bout with the ickies, and I must say it's not fun. But he took it like a champ and the last couple of days he has been getting back to his happy-go-lucky self. By the end of the week, I was pretty worn out, so I took Friday off to recuperate. It was fabulous.

So that's that. Sorry for a downer post. It definitely isn't what I had hoped to write. I had plans of showing off cute pics from the weekend and write about all the fun things we did on our trip. Oh well, can't win 'em all, right? Here's to a better week next week!

6 Months

My baby is six months old! It seems like just yesterday that this little guy joined our family, and yet at the same time it's hard to remember what life was like without him. I have noticed the greatest change in Jack the last couple of months. He is so much more aware of his surroundings. He is interested in everything! It's so fun to watch his eyes dart from one thing to the next as he discovers the world. I often wonder what thoughts are going through his mind. He has completely mastered rolling over and uses that as his mode of transportation these days. He can sit up by himself for short bursts at a time before he topples over. He started eating baby food a couple of weeks ago and it has been fun trying out new foods; for the most part he gobbles everything up. He is usually in a great mood - happy and smiley all the time, yet he really makes us work for those giggles (either that, or maybe mom and dad are just not as funny as they think they are).

5 Months

6 Months

 6 Months Stats:

Height: 27.5 inches

Weight: 17 lbs. 2.5 oz

About four weeks ago we finally moved Jack into his own room. Yes, I know it's about time. Don't judge us - there are several reasons why we waited, but I'm not going to take the time to explain. We got a video monitor so we could keep an eye on him and one of my favorite pastimes is watching him on that thing. I could sit and watch him sleep all day. The other morning, Brandt and I both woke up around 7:15 and turned the monitor on to check on the boy. He was wide awake just laying in his crib, content as could be just playing with his feet. I have no idea how long he'd been awake, but he stayed that way for another 45 minutes before he finally decided he wanted to get up. It was fun spying on him and watching him play.

This picture was from his first night in his crib. At the time we had him sleeping in his car seat because he was going through a phase where he was waking up ALL.THE.TIME. (one awful night, no exaggeration, he woke up every 20-30 minutes). The car seat seemed to help get him through that rough patch, but now he's back to just lying on his back. And he's doing MUCH better (knock on wood!!). He usually goes to bed around nine and sleeps until about 7:30-8. Some nights he'll go the whole night without waking up, or if he does wake up he'll put himself back to sleep. And other nights we may have to get up and give him his bink 2-3 times during the night.

We sure do love our little Jackers. It's crazy to think we've had him here with us for six months already. And yet at the same time it seems like he's always been here. Each new phase is so much fun. It passes too quickly. The other day I was setting up a patient for their next appointment in six months, and it happened to fall on October 22nd. I said, "oh, that will be my son's first birthday!" and, out of nowhere, tears sprang to my eyes. Those of you who know me well know that I am not typically a crier. But for some reason, the thought of my baby being a year old...I was overcome with emotion. My patient was this older lady (the grandma type) and she just smiled and said, "oh now, don't worry, that's still six months away! That's a long ways off still." And she's right. But I know it will be here sooner than I would like. I try to savor each day with him, because, as cliche as it sounds, it's true: they grow up too fast.

Easter

We had a great Easter weekend this year. Our Bishop counselled us to celebrate the commercial side of Easter on Saturday, so this year the Easter Bunny brought baskets of goodies Saturday morning. Missing from this year's festivities was the drama we experienced last year when Brandt found out his basket would not be sitting on the couch waiting for him (I call it "The Great Easter Basket Fiasco of 2011"). This year was much more pleasant. Having been forewarned that his basket would be hidden again this year, he happily commenced his search. And with just five minutes of diligently searching, he found his basket behind the bookshelf! Way to go Babe! I knew you could do it!! Jack was not exempt from having to look for his basket. The Easter Bunny is no respector of persons. Kind of like God. But with obvious differences. Yes, Jack must search for his basket as well.

Granted, The Easter Bunny realizes Jack is just 5 1/2 months old - so hiding the basket in plain site just four feet away from him seems fair.

But even then, Jack still needed some enticing to roll his way over there. Dad set out some eggs to help Jack get excited about his basket.

"Look Mom! I found it!!"

 Brandt got tickets to go see the dinosaur exhibit at the museum and Jack got new binkies, swimming trunks, and a movie. I wanted to find good, quality baskets like what I had as a kid, but every store we went to only carried those cheap, flimsy baskets. I guess you could say I'm an Easter basket snob. We traipsed all over town before we finally found these at Michaels (which is, ironically, within walking distance of our apartment).

Just enjoying the spoils. He started sucking on his new binkies before they were even out of the package.

Ready for church!

On Sunday we went to church. It was Fast Sunday, and not only did we not have any Easter talks, but we also did not have any Easter lessons, which was kind of different. But the church has made some great Mormon Messages videos about Easter so Brandt and I spent some time watching those that afternoon. It was a great reminder of the true reason we celebrate this holiday. Watching those videos gave me an opportunity to contemplate the sacrifices that Christ has made for me and how grateful I am for Him in my life. It encouraged me to try harder to remember and strive to be more like Him.

I should have put on a roast or something fancy for Easter dinner, but I didn't think about it until it was too late. Whoops. We had corn dogs and fries. Pretty slick right? Oh well, better luck next year! The weather was absolutely perfect, so after our Easter feast we went on a long walk. It's always nice to get out and enjoy the good weather. We had a great Easter weekend. It's so fun experiencing these holidays with Jack.

Splish Splash

Jack loves bath time. Even if he's fussing like crazy, just plop him in the water and he's perfectly content. We usually do Jack's bath as part of his nighttime routine and it's one of my favorite things to do with him.  His newest trick is splashing, which makes a great mess, but is a lot of fun!

After bath time, it's diaper, lotion, and pj's. There's nothing better than cuddling with my fresh, clean, sweet-smelling baby doll after his bath. 

9x9 April

1. I finished {this book} last night. I really enjoyed it. Some day I may get around to doing a post about the books I've read recently. Maybe. Maybe not.

2. Monday mornings I usually go over what I call our "expense reports". It's our way of keeping track of our money in vs. money out and takes about 20 minutes when I do it every week.

3. We skyped Grandma Bev this morning so she could see Jack opening his Easter package we received in the mail this morning. Jack's spring wardrobe is all set thanks to Grandma!

4. Daddy making Jack giggle.

5. Eating lunch before mom heads off to work. On the menu: Peas. Mushy peas.

6. Jack: "me no likie peas!" (I don't blame him, they smelled awful.)

7. Dinner was much better. Jack had rice cereal which he likes and mom and dad had Cheesy Spaghetti Bake with breadsticks. Cake for dessert. Yum!

8.  Jack sporting his new fishing hat from Grandma. Adorable right? Love it!

9. I love my boys!

A Day in the Life of Mr. Mom

For some time Dani has been asking me to update the blog with my musings about being a stay at home dad. Here is a rundown of a typical day for Mr. Mom. We'll make today a Friday. My...er...Jack's favorite shows come on on Friday's. 

The day starts about 6:44 AM. Dani leaves a bottle for Jack on the nightstand and goes to work while Jack and I sleep. On her way out Dani will open the garage door. It is loud and the metal creeks like a car being squished in a compactor. Jack and I will continue to sleep and dream about  being in a junk yard with a car compactor. A strange man threatens to squish my brother if I can't steal 50 cars by the weekend and Nicholas Cage comes bursting onto the scene screaming he must find the Declaration of Independence. 

About 8:30ish Jack will wake up and make noises and talk to himself in his crib. I listen to him; this is one of the fun moments about being Mr. Mom. Soon, however, I am asleep again and dreaming about a drunken parrot. It must be drunk. Its words are slurred and make no audible sense, but it’s a happy parrot. Jack is still contently awake and babbling to himself. About 9:00 I wake up and take Jack downstairs for breakfast. About 9:01 I go back upstairs to get the bottle I left on the nightstand. The rest of the day goes as follows:

We eat breakfast. Jack first of course. He always gets to eat first. It just spoils the fun of feeling like a pirate while eating Marshmallow Mateys when your own little matey is upset. Jack proudly uses the big-boy bottles these days:

We may tie some flies for fishing. This is how Jack reacts. Seriously, I looked over one day and this is what I saw. Fear not, he will grow to like it. I promise:

We watch a few of our favorite shows including: "Dinosaur Train." This show is like crack for little boys (and big ones)...dinosaurs AND trains. That's right, BOTH, don't think about it too much or your head might explode. Just know that Dr. Scott, the paleontologist, is a genius.  "Tracks Ahead"  is another good one and Jack sits on dad's lap while bonding over a glorious half hour of uninterrupted commercial-free railroading Utopia. From Z-scale to full size, this show is all about trains:

Jack will spit up. He has a problem with that. I guess his mom was the same way. So we blame her when she's not around. This was a particularly bad time. He was rolling around the floor..and...well...have a look:

We may go for a walk. This is particularly fun for Jack and I. We both have a yearning need to get out on a regular basis. Being born in October, Jack hasn't had much time outside and walks were usually confined to the mall but we are enjoying the nicer weather. He lights up when it is time for a walk. As do the elderly ladies we pass by making their rounds in the mall. (I let Jack think it is because of him):

We may take a bath. Jack likes his baths. There was a time that we would bathe at the same time. However, after Jack decided to have a doosie in the twosie one day while dad was in the tub with him, (and I mean DOOSIE, enough to instantly turn the water yellow-brown, if there had been fish in this tub they would have been floating belly up) that has changed. He has been "promoted" to the kitchen sink these days:

And last of all we may watch the occasional episode of "Nature" and learn all about the creatures of the world. I really think this show should be found on Comedy Central more often than on PBS. Below is a clip Dani and I found quite humorous. Enjoy:

 There are so many proper and, more likely, less than proper jokes that could be made about this video. But, I will leave those to your own creative minds. This blog is G-rated. Unless, of course, Dani is posting. She can get risque :{

And...if free time allows, Jack and I will create videos such as the one below. Jack thought the first clip needed a little pep. Observe:

 I guess the group LMFAO's secret is out. Unlike bands of old, inspiration these days comes from the "Nature" show and not from drugs.

Although I am looking forward to starting work again. I must admit, I will miss spending so much time with Jackers. He is the greatest joy in our lives. Being a dad (and Mr. mom)...I wouldn't have it any other way.

Look What I Can Do!

Cracker Jack rolled over from back to tummy for the first time this afternoon while I was at work. I was sad to have missed it, but he did a replay for me tonight.

I love how he has to grab his pants and throw his legs to the side to help him get over. And I love how excited he gets afterwards. He knows he's just done something cool! Either that, or he just likes how we clap and cheer for him. This little guy is growing up way too fast! Before we know it, he'll be crawling around this joint.

If You Teach a Man to Fish...

Yesterday morning as we were eating breakfast, Brandt asked me what was on my list of things to get done for the day. I told him I wanted to update the blog and clean our bedroom. That was it. (I'm not much for overachieving on Saturdays). After updating the blog, I went upstairs to find that Brandt has just finished cleaning our room. 

Me: "Wow, thanks Babe, it looks great."

Brandt: "You're welcome. I figured I could help you out."

Me: "So...what's the catch?"

Brandt: "Well....I was thinkin' we could go fishing!"

And there it is. I guess he figured if he helped get everything on my list accomplished, I would go fishing with him. Sneaky Brandt. So we packed our supplies and headed out to an area of the South Fork by Cress Creek Trail. It was a gorgeous day, but I had forgotten how much Brandt loves to hike through the brush and yuck to find the "best" fishing spot. I think his mindset is "the fish only bite in the areas of the river that are difficult to access." I don't know how I always seem to forget this about him until we're out in the thick of it and there's no turning back. Needless to say we did a lot of hiking through mud and a bit of snow (and not to mention a shallow part of the river that Brandt had to carry me across) to make it to the "best" fishing spot.  But we eventually made it and Jack and I enjoyed the sun and fresh air while Brandt did his thing. The wind kicked up a bit which made it slightly chilly, so we put Brandt's buff on Jackers to keep his head and ears warm. He looked like a little pirate. :)

Although technically he didn't cast the line or reel anything in, Jack still enjoyed being outside and learning from the master. He took notes while watching dad do his thing so that as soon as he's big enough, he'll know exactly what to do. 

We finished the day by getting some Papa John's pizza and watching "Kung Fu Panda 2". It was a great ending to a great day. I loved spending the day with my boys!

9x9 March

Have you heard about the '12of12 Challenge'? Basically it boils down to taking twelve photos on the twelfth day of the month as a way to document your everyday life. It encourages you to capture everyday moments that you normally wouldn't and then blog about them the next day. It's an idea I've seen floating around blogland for the last year or so and I wanted to give it a try. The idea of finding twelve things to take pictures of was always overwhelming to me, so I changed it up and created 9x9! Nine pictures on the ninth day of the month. Much less intimidating for me. So here we go:

1. Arriving to work at 6:50 this morning (and yes, I took this pic while driving; shhh, don't tell anyone.) I love that it's so bright outside now when I leave for work early on Friday mornings. Is Daylight Savings this weekend going to screw that up?

2. It was warm today! I know, 51 degrees doesn't seem like anything to get excited about, but compared to the cold we've had, 51 degrees is something to celebrate!

3. We decided to celebrate by going for a walk. Here's Jackers excited to get out of the house.

4. We stopped first to pick up lunch at Subway, then found a picnic table by the river to eat on. 

5. Jack being a good boy in his stroller while mom and dad ate lunch. He looks sleepy!

6. Walking around Snake River Landing. Jack took a good nap in his stroller while we walked.

7. Brandt went to Walmart to pick up a Redbox and decided to get a new thermometer while he was there, so of course he had to try it out as soon as he got home (No, Jack isn't sick, Brandt just likes new toys.) Taking his temperature behind the ear is so much easier than the under-arm thermometer we got from the hospital - we should have bought this months ago. 

8. Watching Steven Colbert video clips on the internet. Does anyone else think he's as hilarious as we do?

9. Ok, I cheated on this one - this is just a picture from the internet. This is the movie we got from Redbox tonight. Have you seen it? I liked it. It was very thought-provoking and Brandt and I had a good discussion afterwards about it.

You can find out more about the '12of12 Challenge' {here}.

4 Months

My baby is four months old today! We took him to the pediatrician for a checkup and everything is great. We've really been working at getting his poor, flat head to round out and the doctor was very pleased with our efforts. I was nervous about how he would do with getting his shots, but I worried for nothing. He rocked it. He let out one little yelp when the nurse stuck him with the needle, but he was done crying before she even had the band-aids on. Here are his updated stats and pictures (Check out his 2 Months Stats here).

3 Months

4 Months

Today's Stats:

Weight: 14 lbs. 7 oz. (30th percentile)

Height: 26 1/4 inches (93rd percentile)

Here are some things I love about my baby at this stage:

*He interacts with us so much more these days. I love that he follows us with his eyes when we leave or come into the room.
*His giggles and smiles melt my heart.
*He is a good sleeper at night (lately he's been sleeping from about 9:30 to 6:30ish). And he's getting better at taking naps.
*He's getting close to rolling over from his back to his stomach. His arm gets in his way and then he gets frustrated, but it's exciting to watch him try.
*His newest thing is when he's eating (whether nursing or taking a bottle), he'll stop and make eye contact with me or Brandt, give us a smile, and then go back to his meal. It's like he's checking to make sure we're still there.
*He's found his hands and discovered they taste pretty good. And they must be pretty tasty for how much he sucks on them.
*His hair is getting longer! He's still quite the baldy but it was like overnight his hair grew a ton.

We are having a ton of fun with our little pot sticker. It is so fun to watch him grow and discover the world around him.

Jack Laughs

Jack giggled for the first time a couple of weeks ago; it was a very short giggle, but a giggle nonetheless. Ever since then we've been trying so hard to get him to repeat that wonderful sound, but to no avail. Well, tonight we succeeded! Observe:

I love this little guy more than words can express. He is such a good boy. Just when I think I can't possibly love him anymore, he does something like giggle and my heart just grows three sizes. Kind of like the Grinch, but cuter and not so green :)

My Valentine

Jack sent out his first Valentine's cards to a few of his closest friends. Sadly, mom wasn't on the ball so the ones we mailed will most likely be a day or two (or three) late. Oh well, with a face like this you can arrive whenever you want to!

Look at that face! Wouldn't you want to be his Valentine? Too bad, I saw him first!

Ready for Our Closeups

My brother, Zach, will soon be leaving us for two years. My mom decided she wanted to get family pictures done before he goes. So on Saturday we all (minus Craig (my sister's husband) - he was MIA) braved the cold and put on our happy faces for some family photo fun. They turned out great! I am so happy with all the photos, but here are some of my favorites:

My most favorite people in the world.

 

Brothers and Sisters

The Boys

The Girls

The Kiddos

I love my family!

Looking through the pictures has made me stop and contemplate how much I love these people. I truly believe I have the greatest family in the world. We're slightly nutty, but we have such a good time when we are together. There's nothing that compares to family - it is the one group where I feel completely comfortable and where I am completely myself.  My life is so blessed and I am so grateful for each and every one of them.