9 Months

All too quickly my baby is 9 months old. I can't help but feel like this year has gone way too fast and I constantly worry that I haven't taken enough time to really enjoy every moment of it. Liam is an angel and I love him with more love then I knew imaginable. He has the most amazing smile that reaches his eyes and the best laugh I've ever heard. He loves to have fun. He loves being tossed in the air (I worry about the future dare devil I may have on my hands) and tickled. He makes the best noises and is a big talker. He says mama and dada all the time, but I'm not sure he knows exactly what that means yet. He hates it when I put him down so I'm not sure exactly when or if he'll crawl but he does manage to get around while on his back and by rolling when he really really wants to. He loves bath time and books and loves grabbing anything and everything around him. He is sweet but he's also stubborn and determined to get what he wants when he wants it. He's recently getting more interested in solids, but only if he's allowed to eat them without mom's help (independent little bud). His favorites are wheat bread and apple straws. He's ridiculously handsome (yes, I am totally biased, but just look at him!) and adorable and I'm pretty sure he knows it. I love his blue eyes, his chubby cheeks and those two bottom teeth of his (pretty sure the top two will be here within days) He has a sneaky smile he'll give when he's trying to hide the fact that he thinks something is funny and I'm sure he's going to be big trouble for his mama! He is my greatest adventure and has my whole heart (along with his daddy) So grateful, humbled and honored to be a mother to this sweet boy.  

4 Months

Liam is four months (four and half really, I'm just posting a bit late)! To say that being this little boys mom is the best thing I've ever done is an understatement. A huge one. He is an absolute joy and I have so much love for him that my heart often feels like it may burst. It is amazing, the love a mother has for her child. Powerful, overwhelming and simply amazing. I feel so incredibly lucky.

Liam is so much fun and is growing and changing every day. He's weighing in at 14lbs 6ozs and is 26 inches long. Earlier this week he rolled from his stomach to his back for the very first time and the look on his face was priceless. He looked completely surprised. He even rolled over for the doctor at his appointment today. Impressive little guy. It's a rare moment when he doesn't have something in his mouth. Whether it's a toy, his hand or mom's hair (why do I have long hair?) he likes it all. He's quick to smile and laughs out loud when people say or do things he thinks are funny. He loves to be read to and loves when dad reads Green Eggs and Ham to him. He loves to be held close and pretty patiently lets me kiss his face every second of every day (his cheeks are too irresistible). He is a pro at bathing and at tummy time now and he plays with his toys like a champ (though mom and dad are still his most favorite toys). He now hates the swing that we used to rely on for his morning nap and is still a champion cat napper and a terrible sleeper at night (we're up every two to three hours). Liam loves the wind and air in his face and he loves playing peek a boo with a blanket. He loves music and loves to be sung to. Basically, it's impossible not to be completely head over heels in love with this kid.

It's also impossible for me not to be completely head over heels in love with his dad. Brandon turned 29 on the 21st and though I wish I'd had more time to make it special we celebrated with breakfast and then Brandon had a membership audit that night at the ward (we party hard, obviously). We did also celebrate with Mongolian BBQ with his parents and a yummy home cooked meal (my mom's lasagna-his favorite) with my family that weekend.

So crazy to think that he'll be 30 next year and graduating from the U and Liam will be talking and walking... So lucky to have these two boys in my life.

3 Months

This little one has been in our lives for three months now...
and I often ask Brandon, "can you remember how we got by without him?"

In three months I have felt more joy, love and concern than I ever imagined it was possible to feel. I adore this baby boy and feel completely, overwhelmingly blessed that he is mine. He's growing and learning every day and while I love to watch him change and I also want to keep him my little guy forever. It's the strangest thing, how we love the new but miss the old.

He is the sweetest boy. Amazingly patient with his newbie parents. Our hearts soar with every huge smile he give us, every recognition that he is ours and we are his.

He is quick to smile and occasionally, if we're really lucky, we get a real deal laugh out of him. It's the best sound I've ever heard. He's liking tummy time more and really seems to like baths... though he's always a little suspicious of the water at first. He's great at grabbing things in front of him and loves noise and music. He likes to be around people and is a great little talker. He's a big hand sucker and drooler right now and I think he may already be teething. He loves to lay in my lap, loves books and toys, light and motion.

Happy 3 months Liam James. We love you so much. Thank you for changing our lives in a million ways and making life even better than we knew it could be.

3 Weeks!

This little man is 3 weeks old today...

 

We love him so much!

I can't believe how much he's grown already!

 

He loves: being held, his crib (much more than his bassinet), swinging, when we sing at really high pitches, colors and light. 

He has: ticklish feet!

Nicknames this week: Koopa Troopa, Budders & Puppy

 

Everyday is an adventure with this little guy! Can't wait to see what's in store this next week!

Liam James

 

 

Hello baby! We're so happy you're here!

 

Born January 15, 2014 at 11:31 a.m.

8 lbs & 18.5 in



Goodbye 2013...

Hello 2014!

Resolutions?

 

- take more photos!

-live in every moment

-take nothing for granted

-be the best person, friend, wife, daughter, sister and mother I can be.

 

 

I can't believe that January is already here. Some months I was sure January would never arrive but somehow here we are- 17 days away from my due date. We're pretty excited to meet this little boy of ours! 2014, we're so glad you're finally here!

 

Happy Birthday Mom!

Happy Birthday to my best example, teacher and friend. I'm one of the luckiest gals to be your daughter. Thank you for being my support, my hero, my mother and for teaching me how wonderful and beautiful life can be. Today we celebrate you. Cheers to the next decade! The best is yet to come! Love, love, love you! 

I've had a hard time convincing Brandon....

that we're not both pregant...

 

Poor guy. He's having a much harder pregnancy than I am.

 

Holy Smokes...

It's September!

How on earth did that happen? Guess we have lots to catch up on!

Let's start with Brandon!
Since I've last blogged he helped make this:

He's pretty darn proud of it.

 

& he did a couple of these:

  

He's still going strong at TrueNorthLogic and the U of U. Though we are constantly counting down time and semesters until he'll be done with school. May 2015 will be such an exciting month for us.

 

Speaking of exciting months, September has also been pretty great... we moved into our very first house! We're loving it so far despite the constant expenses that new houses seem to have... it was worth it just for the garage, vegetable garden and fireplace as far as I'm concerned. I'd post pictures of it but thanks to my phone taking a dip in the toilet my camera is no more. That is something we're definitely going to need to fix before January and this little guy arrive...

 

 

Yep, I can already tell I'm going to want to take countless photos of that cutie.

We're pretty excited, nervous, happy and terrified all rolled into one.

I just can't wait to meet him.

 

As for me, I left Dewsnup, King & Olsen and law behind and am back at Free & Associates. It's weird to be back. But nice. Much less stressful which was exactly what I was hoping for (though I did ask my parents the other day if I could just look at their auto insurance policy, just becuase I missed doing that sort of thing. Once a personal injury legal assistant, always a personal injury legal assistant, I guess). Although, being that I'm a chronic stresser, I now have more time to worry about getting our duplex rented, getting our house all updated and unpacked, and any and all things baby related.

 

That being said, life couldn't get much better.

 



The Electronic Diet

Brandon and I are on an electronic diet this week. Obviously, it's going as well as just about any other sort of diet. You decide to limit your intake of something and somehow you end up spending more time then ever/consuming way more then ever before. Example, I am blogging. I never blog. It's the last thing on Earth I'm supposed to be doing, so here I am. So wrong, yet it feels so right.

Life is same old, same old, right now. I've been working my brains out and Brandon's been working and studying a lot. It's thrilling. All that thrill aside, I've decided to share with the world just a few of the ways I decompress after a long day of record requesting, client managing, and trying to use the word 'auspice' correctly in letters...

I enjoy Daydreaming about planning trips to places like these:

I also love to spend too much time on this:

 

& being an avid follower of this:

 

(&/or The Bachelor, Modern Family, Vampire Diaries, PPL's, etc. But really, if you're not watching The Following you should be. Kevin Bacon is awesome. He's come such a long way from  his Footloose days.)

 



Hence the need for the electronic diet.

 

As I tell myself when I'm on any kind of diet, tomorrow will be better. Tomorrow I will not post on my blog or 'like' all of the photos that my sister posted to facebook, I will not search every email account for the password reset email that Instagram is supposed to be sending me (why, why do I have so darn many accounts? How did that happen?) and I will not watch The Following.

 

Oh the good intentions of a doomed-from-the-start diet. If tomorrow is going to be better then today let me leave you with one last electronic moment:

Can't wait.

 



We were made to be awesome

 

Emerging from months of blogger silence to share this little gem with you.

 

Enjoy this, then give the world a reason to dance!

 

You've been pep talked!



Blessed

This month, much like this year, has seemed to pass much too quickly and has been busy as ever. Despite the flu bug and loads of stress I've been under, I have been quite aware of how very blessed my life is. I love this time of year and the reflection and gratitude it brings, when life moves so fast and so much is too easily taken for granted. 

Truth is, I am thankful every day for my family.

{especially my sister... and my mom... and my dad}

 

And for Brandon's family, that I quickly claim as my own.



I am constantly surrounded by amazing people that I admire in so many ways and that is an incredible blessing.

I am endlessly thankful for Brandon.

What a guy. I am in awe of him everyday and could not have found a more perfect match for my crazy self.

& I am thankful for a loving heavenly father and a gospel that helps me through anything and everything that life throws my way. Each day is an adventure and the gospel, and my testimony of that gospel, helps me press on, through sunshine or storm.  



The Happiest Place

California was as magical as ever...

Disneyland especially :)

I feel so lucky to be part of such a great family!

Lovely Thought...

via

That being said, I'm still counting down to Disneyland...35 days. But I'll make the days count between now and then. Promise.

Lately ...

Here, for your viewing pleasure is a mobile phone photo montage of a few of life's latest highlights:



 Welcome home Elder DeYoung! The "kids table" is now officially back in action!

3 of my favorite RMs!

The DeYoungs- more or less (missed you Lena!)

Business cards?! Yikes, feeling slightly overly adult right now!

It's a work in progress but we redecorated our room! I am loving shades of gray lately (not 50 shades just shades of the color in general).

 The YW leaders and girls threw a shower for my darling friend and fellow young women leader, Shauntae, who is expecting her first little girl early next month! So excited for her! I saw the onesie decorating idea on Pinterest and decided we had to try it at her shower. It was a hit! She went home with so many cute onsies for her baby girl! The ones above are just a few I decorated for her in my spare time, it's such a fun craft!

The shower turned out amazing, more photos to come hopefully, my friend and Shauntae's sister-in-law, Lisa, had her camera handy which I was thankful for because the only camera I ever have handy is my camera phone and even then I'm terrible at remembering to take photographs.

That's right, my 5 year relationship with SLCC has finally amount to something! Hallelujah! Brandon's SLCC degree is on it's way as well, and next week he begins his first semester at the U of U! So proud of him and thankful he's such a hard worker!

St. George

I am lousy at vacation photos.

But here are a few moments of our recent St. George trip:

Brandon had to bribe me and physically force me to go, but in the end I was so glad we went. It made July finally feel like summer and it was nice to spend some much needed quality time with Brandon. I especially loved the day we spent boating with the Bradshaw's. My phone died early on that day so I don't have any photos but it was a great day. It was my first day out boating this year and I loved every minute. Because I love boating, but mostly because I love my little nieces and nephews so very much.

They make every day feel like summer.

Happy 4th!

Love the 4th of July. Nothing like a random day off in the middle of the week spent with these quality people...

I have the best family.

Such a good day.

& a busy one, spent moving my family into their lovely new home....

It's beautiful.

More on that soon.

Lennon & Maisy

                         Such talented little gals.

Just Kidding...

No trek for the Free's.

Brandon took me to the instacare on Sunday for what we thought was heat stroke and dehydration that we wanted to get under control before trek the next day. Left with an IV needle in my arm and possible pneumonia that I was ordered to follow up on the next day before even thinking about heading off to trek.

Seriously? pneumonia?! And here all I'd wanted was IV of water...
The night before trek I spent several hours with a dry cough and had a fever of 102. I knew there was no way I could have left for trek the next morning, even if I'd wanted to.

I dropped Brandon and some of my young women off early that morning- Brandon and I were hopeful (and possibly crazy to think) that the pneumonia diagnoses was a fluke and that I'd be heading up to meet them on the trail later that day. Unfortunately that wasn't the case.

I've been pretty sad over the whole thing. I've spent many, many months preparing for trek, I've given two talks on trek, given guys and gals many trek pep talks, planned several trek centered activities, gathered gear for the event, said many prayers for my trek kids, praying that they all would be there, and they all were- it was just me who wasn't. Who knew I should have been praying that I would be there?

After 3 days of IV treatments and two and a half days of antibiotics I'm starting to feel a little better and hopefully won't have to deal with a fever of any kind tonight. I'm still sad and trying to make sense of it all but as my mom reminded me, many pioneers prepared for the journey, but not all were able to go, not all made it to their destination. That's true of life in general, there are things we prepare for and not all of our preperation take us to the place we think it will. I guess that's half the adventure of life, not quite knowing how things will pan out but living and thriving through whatever is thrown at us.





All I know is I hope those youth are having an amazing time and I hope they're taking tons of photos for me to see!

I also hope that I can take a break from being a medical disaster for the rest of the year! Fingers crossed! (Thank you to Brandon, Rebecca Gibb and Kathy Free for all your help these last few days. I am so lucky to have such amazing family)

Kind of crazy...

How fast this year is flying by!

This time next week I'll be outdoors, hopefully blister free, pulling a handcart and being the "ma" of 10 teenagers. Yikes. Trek always seemed so far away and suddenly it's here!

Many, many, many thanks to everyone who donated clothes, money and time to the Jordan 1st Ward. Thanks especially to the wonderful and amazing ,Kathy Free, who helped Brandon and I sew our family flag (we could not have done it without you!) and helped us round up pioneer clothes:

Truth be told, I am not a camping kind of girl (much to Brandon's dismay). Hiking? Yes. Mountain biking? Sure. But sleeping outside in a tent on the ground? No thank you! When the sun goes down I prefer to sleep indoors in my comfortable bed. So this next week will be full of all kinds of adventures. I'm excited though-excited, stressed and slightly nervous- but mostly excited.

Wish us luck!