An Update

Well, we have been having computer issues, and then I was out of the habit of blogging. I know, I know. Shame on me. I have no descriptions for these photos, other than the ones with Finn are from April, and the ones of just me are from this week (showing off my super cute haircut that is a few weeks old!). The only photos I have on this computer are from the webcam. I need to upload some more.

Finley is growing up so fast! He is taking up a storm. People comment all the time on how great his vocabulary is for his age. I have NO idea how many words he says, and he learns new ones all the time. Here are some of the favorites:

No-Kay: No thanks, said very politely.

Bewwies: Berries

Wader?: Water, said in a very sweet and persuasive tone.

His response to "Finley, what does a ____ say?": Meow.

His response to "towel": Mooooo.

When he sees the bears on the Charmin toilet paper package: Rrrrrrawrrr! Beaw?

He also loves to sing Pat-a-cake and "There was a little house in the middle of the woods..." And he does hand motions for them and everything! He has also been picking up some signs. Not a lot. I haven't been very diligent at signing to him. He is OBSESSED with water. It's about all he talks about anymore. I bought him a little pool and it sits by the front door, so every time we open it or walk by without swimming, he cries and says "Wader? Wader? Waaaadddeeeer!!" He is such a fun, cute kid!

I got released from YW, and put in Primary. Now I teach the 11-year-old girls. Not too different, but different enough. I am really enjoying being in Primary. I haven't been to Primary since I was 11, so it has been a while! We are hoping to buy a house at the end of the summer. We will see. I am hoping it works out!

Preston got engaged to Maia, and I am really excited about it! I love Maia to death! She is tons of fun, and loves to bake. Her eclairs are the best I have ever had. She is also a phenomenal cellist. She is going to fit in our family really well. They are planning on getting married in August.

Jason is still working hard on the business. It's also good bowfishing season, so we have had lots of carp-killing going on over here. Too bad you can't eat them. But not really.

News

Well, I don't have any pictures. Or rather, I don't feel like uploading my pictures, so that will have to wait for another uber-exciting post. This one will just be ho-hum. Here is what has been going on with each of us lately.

Jason has been working, and working, and working. Poor guy! He hasn't been able to do anything really fun for a long time. We are just grateful he has a job and that we can save money for the slow times. He is still loving his Young Men calling. They do lots of cool things, like slack lining. It looked fun, and I wish I could have done it! He is also very into cooking meals for others. And when I say cooking meals, I mean ME cooking meals, and him inviting people. I have been making treats every Sunday, and meals about every other Sunday. I made schwarmas this week. I know you are jealous!

Finley is still just a-growing! He has FIVE teeth now, which I must admit is weird. He grew the first four in pairs, so I haven't seen him with an uneven mouth before now. He is starting to stand up by himself. I think he will be walking WELL before his first birthday. He is getting to look more and more like Jason. EVERYBODY says he looks just like Jason. He is also in to monster noises and snorting right now. It is pretty hilarious to hear him growling all the time.

I am doing nothing of great interest. Well, actually, I did help Preston pick out his engagement ring this week. It was so much fun! And it is SOOOOOO gorgeous! I am jealous, I will admit it! It also makes me want a new ring. Which I don't need. (Repeated until I believe it.) And today I got a new waffle iron, a sil pat, and some cutlery organizers that I am way too excited about. Sometimes I think I am just a little bit too weird. I keep opening my drawers to look at those organizers.

And to end, a somewhat embarrassing story. Preston calls. He wants to come hang out. Sure, why not? So I am feeding Finn and getting him ready for bed. I am changing his diaper, and have just rolled up the old one and not put the new one on yet, when somebody knocks on the door. I run to open the door, turn around without looking and say "You have HORRIBLE timing!" Well, it was my landlord, and he looked pretty freaked out. He just kept saying "I'm so sorry" and I was embarrassed. It was awkward all around. He laughed about it later, but he was freaked out for a while, there. Oh well, c'est la vie!

Just a Quickie!

This is just a quickie post with some photos from our recent trip to Wyoming and the few days before.


Finn- smiling! I have figured out how to get smiles again- Yay!!!



He loves to play in his car seat, as long as he's not in it. Then the toys are boring. (Note- this was before the 10 hour drive both ways... He's not so into his car seat anymore...)




Finn and Grandpa- right after church!


An actually decent family photo. Mostly decent, anyway.



Finley and his cousin? (My cousin's baby) Meliah. Meliah is a few months older than Finn. They rather liked each other.


Grandma feeding Finn some yummy tomatoes from his Great Grandma's garden!



Grandpa and Finn again, camping in the trailer.



Finn LOVES his Grandma's hair. This was a popular look for her this trip. She did like it, you know. Until he started to grab handfuls AND footfuls and pull in opposite directions. Ouch!



Finley also had his first real encounters with a dog. My old dog, Chaos. She is so good with him, too!

As a side note, Finn is getting another tooth. This makes three! And we had a great time in Wyoming. Got to eat Bobby Flay food- which was divine!, hang out in the mountains, see everybody around, and show off Finn. It was nice. Except for the drive.

Finley, Finley, Finley!

I know guys, you might be getting tired of Finn, but I never do! And he is getting so big and cute!


Today he ate cheerios for the first time ever! All by himself. It was so cute! He is also pretty good at sitting up on his own. He is learning new things all the time.




He is also tons more fun, although you wouldn't know it from the pictures. As soon as that camera comes out, he turns into "What is that and how does it work?" guy. It's cute, but not for EVERY picture. I would like some smiles, you know. I guess I'll have to write in a complaint or something.




Here he is in Jason's work hat. He really liked it, actually! I expected him to pull it right off, but he really enjoys wearing it.




He is crazy flexible, huh? He does this all the time. Boxes are about his favorite toy ever!




Here he is helping Jason reload some 500 S&W ammo. (Jason got a new gun, and he is very happy about it!) (PS- notice how clean my kitchen is, other than the reloading corner. I am pretty proud!)



And here is another one in Jason's hat, just cause it's so darn cute!

Life, oh Life...

Well, I don't have any awesome new pictures to share, but I am sure I have some older ones that never got posted. Maybe I will scare some up.

Life has been good around here. I have been keeping myself busy, and staying on top of the dishes. For a few months now! I am pretty proud of myself. I have learned that the trick is to just run the dishwasher, even if there is still some space. I used to wait for that ONE plate I needed to fill it up, but then I also had at least one more plate, silverware, and glasses- not to mention the pots and pans!- and then I had dirty dishes piling up. But no, I am now awesome and keep my dishes dirty for a very short amount of time. This is a big deal, you guys. HUGE even! I used to bribe Jason with expensive items to do the dishes for me, because I would get so overwhelmed. Oddly enough, he would just pay somebody else to do them, which was mortifying. Anyway...

We are still working on getting everything unpacked and finding homes for all the odds and ends that you need, but go nowhere. We made some good progress today, and I am glad! It's nice to see the boxes dwindling.

Jason has been really busy lately. He went to Zion National Park this week with the Young Men, and he had a great time. They did one really long canyon in one day, and even JASON was sore. He told the guys that he was going to do it every weekend until he doesn't get sore anymore. It wouldn't really surprise me. If it were closer, I think he would for sure! He has also been getting some major work hours in. He is good to me!

I decided that I am going to make myself look cute every day. Make-up, hair doing, new clothes- the works! I haven't done this much grooming since high school. It's weird. I was just starting to feel like a slob. And since I was only wearing make-up about twice a month, I figured I could pick it up a notch. So far, I have been doing it for about a week, and it feels good. Of course, the new clothes and new make-up certainly make it easier!

Finn has been growing like nuts! He is getting huge, and heavy. He is army crawling all over the place, and has even expanded his hunting grounds to the tile. He didn't like it at first because he would bonk his head every time he rolled over, but he has figured it out. No more teeth, and no pictures of the two he has yet. He is making lots of noise, and starting to get restless when we take him places, which makes me miss the newborn stage. Oh, the joy of napping wherever you happen to be.

And now, some older photos that I passed up for cuter ones:
This is the ridges in his head after he was born. Crazy, huh? He looks like his head is perfectly shaped, until you see this.


Oh, the phototherapy lights. We hated this stage. We had to take shifts staying up because he had to be under for 24 hours. And I was still recovering. It was beyond awful.


Here's a newborn picture of Finn that my Mom took. Before he lost all his hair. He was so cute! He is making his grumpy sleeping face.


This is a pretty recent picture, from July. He is playing with the toys on his carseat. He loves to play with them- as long as he's not in the carseat!


Another recent photo. Look at those legs! He is a cutie!


And a video from May of Finn talking a little while he tries to roll over. Cute, huh?

Here's One for the Grandparents

Finn has been tons of fun lately! He is getting so big, and mobile to boot! At his 6 month appointment, he weighed 18.6 pounds and was 24.5 inches long. His weight is now in the 70th percentile and his height is in the 43rd, so he is growing pretty well.


This is his concentrating face. He makes it all the time when he's trying to figure something out. He is really pensive, and enjoys problem solving. I think he is a lot like Jason in that regard.


When my Mom came to visit, we went to eat at Chili's. We were having a hard time getting him to be happy, so we gave him a lemon wedge. He LOOOOVED it! I have never seen a baby go to town like that. It is especially funny because he makes sour faces. It's hilarious! He went through three wedges, and stripped them down to the peel. There is a video below. Notice that this was near the end of one of the lemons.


He also was funny because he liked his thumb flavored. (He also did this with a french fry.) He has to hold the lemon wedge and suck on his thumb. (With the fry he had to have both in his mouth.) If you try to take it away, he cries. It's pretty darn cute, for thumbsucking!


This is a video of Finley scooting. When he sees you over him, he gets all excited and squirmy. Then he starts scooting on the back of his head. It's pretty hilarious! It's also his main mode of transportation. I don't think he will ever grow hair in his bald spot.




This video is Finley using his switchback motion to try to get a toy. Well, he does give up, but it's still pretty cute. He rolls back and forth moving at an angle to move forward slowly. VERY slowly. But it works!

Thumbsucker. And other photos of Finley

Well, Finn discovered his thumb last week. I am not too excited about it. Jason called me in to look at Finn while he was sleeping, and there he was, thumb firmly in mouth. It was so cute! I mean, look at that dimple in his cheek that he gets when he sucks! Awww! But then I started to think about the trials of getting your child to STOP thumbsucking (I mean, really, it isn't so cute when they're 12...) and firmly pulled it right out. I thought it was a one time thing. Unfortunately, I was wrong. He can find that thing so fast, it's incredible! I mean, he will be standing, and lunge his head forward and grab that thumb. It's driving me nuts. But it is cute.


He hasn't really figured out what to do with his other fingers yet. As a result, he usually forms them into a claw shape, and then proceeds to stab himself in the eye. And then he cries. I just look at him and say "You did that to yourself. Maybe if you didn't suck your thumb, you wouldn't poke your eye out." Okay- and then I give him a hug and make him feel better.



Jason laughs at me because I keep telling Finn "You are a big boy. Big boys don't suck their thumbs. Thumbsucking is for babies." Also, please notice Finley's angry sleeping face. He sleeps like that all the time. I am not sure why, but I think it's adorable!


I keep trying to get Finn to smile for the camera. He is ALL smiles now. But as soon as he sees the camera, all I get is pig face. Over and over again. Cute chin, eh? He is up to 14lbs now!


He is so wiggly! He's getting pretty close to rolling over. He has figured out how to pick up his bum using his legs and fling himself around. He just needs to get the top half moving.


I love this face! He makes it all the time! Too cute!


He is really REALLY good at holding his head up now. In fact, when we put him in the carseat, he tries to hold his head up for a while. It's pretty funny. :)


The bald spot on the back of his head is getting pretty funny. It's all jagged around the edges now. As a side note, all his new hair is blonde, blonde, blonde!


We got his professional hospital photo. I wasn't sure if I wanted to order any, but then I realized that we didn't take any photos that showed his hair- just him in hats! He is one day old here, and I think he looks pretty darn cute, considering. He had a TON of hair, huh?


He has started grabbing things. He loves to grab the bottle. Both sides. And he is all done breastfeeding now. In case you wanted to know.


This is RIGHT after he was done eating. We take the bottle out, and it's stretchy time!



Here is a series of photos of us trying to take our own family photos. We tried. It's harder than you think to get everybody in the frame and looking okay. The last one was ALMOST perfect. If only Finn hadn't looked down. Oh well. One of these days we will get a good one. Or maybe I'll just photoshop them...

Jason and His Weird Self...

Jason cracks me up. He has this knack for randomly getting strangers to tell him their life story in about 2 minutes flat. I don't have any idea how he does it. I used to think I was a friendly person (well, okay, I still am) but I am NOTHING compared to Jason.

Last year, we were getting gas. Nothing exciting. He starts the pump. The guy at the next station says hi. Jason says hi back, and then asks him where he's headed. Before the pumping is done, he has learned that the guy lives in Springville, is going to Moab, used to be a professional football player for some team that I forgot, why he had to retire, how much money he made, how many he kids he made and more. I am just stunned. I mean, I would have said hi back. But no way would I find all of that out!

A few weeks ago, we went to Stumpy burger on a recommendation (it was good, by the way). We order our food, and because it was pretty empty (well it was 3pm) the guy who does everything there brought it out to us. He mentioned that he created the special fry sauce in Missouri, so Jason asks if that's where he's from. No, the guy is from Coeur d'Alene, Idaho and used to be a professor. We learned how many colleges there are in Coeur d'Alene- four, if it's close to mountains, how high the mountains are, how long the guy taught, what he taught and so on and so on. A pretty normal experience for Jason. Then a few minutes later, somebody else comes in to order. The guy pulls Jason into the KITCHEN! To show him how he makes the Philly Cheesesteak because Jason was asking about it when we ordered. He's back there for a few minutes. And to top it off, the guy stops at our table with the food the other people ordered to show him the finished product. My jaw hit the floor! How does Jason get invited back there and not me? I mean, I said more about the food. It was nuts.

The funniest thing of all about this encounter? I was like "I don't know how you get everybody to be your best friend in 2 minutes flat." Jason: "I don't know what you're talking about. Some people are just friendly." Me: "You think he takes EVERYBODY into the kitchen?" Jason: "Well, yeah. This is pretty normal." My jaw hit the floor AGAIN! I mean seriously, how can he think that is normal behavior? I have never once been invited into a kitchen. And I am pretty sure that guy doesn't invite everyone in there either. I guess Jason just has a magic touch...

Jessica's Visit!

We had a great time when Jason's sister, Jessica, came to see Finley- all the way from Austin, TX! We are so glad that there was good timing, because Jessica graduated from Nursing School in December, so she got to take some time out between school and her new job to meet her nephew.

She really enjoyed holding him and feeding him and generally spoiling him rotten. Of course, her husband, Greg, and her two kids, Blaine and Abigail certainly helped! She came with a whole suitcase full of toys and clothes and homemade items and anything a baby could want! It was so fun to go through everything! She also bought us some of their favorite books by Sandra Boynton, which I have already read to Finn a few times each!

Here is Finn on a blanket she knitted, looking into a mirror she brought. Cute photo, huh?

Here is Finley in a hat his Uncle Greg made for him. It's a little big now, but I bet it will be perfect for next year!

We went to Vernon Hills to get some Wonderstone for her to take back for Blaine and Abigail. I had to sit in the car and feed Finn, but Jason and Jessica had a great time!

This is what the Wonderstone looks like. It's maroon, pink, orange and cream. SO pretty!

We also did quite a bit of beading. Jessica made some awesome necklaces, including one for Blaine and one for Abigail. I wish I had pictures of them! (I know, the photo doesn't go. But he's so cute when he stretches!)

Jessica was loving this cool fabric sling thing that my Mom made when she was here. She thought it was the coolest thing ever, and may make some for her friends that have babies. I have to say, it is a pretty nifty thing!


We also went to Sundance Ski Resort and wandered around. I had Finn in the sling (above) and a blanket tucked around him so he didn't get cold. Jessica said it looked like I was pregnant with triplets. I tend to think she was right. (My mom made that blanket, by the way. And I got a few compliments on it while we were there.)


Mostly, we just hung out and talked and generally enjoyed each other's company. It was a great visit, and we were so glad she could come up! Now we just need to see Greg, Abigail, and Blaine before Finn gets too old!