What's new

It's been awhile since I've just sat down and updated everyone with what is going on with us. So here goes:

After months of debating, Dustin and I have finally decided to start looking for a house. Our lease on our apartment is up soon, so although we can't afford a lot, we figured we just couldn't waste the opportunity. The prices are so low right now with the economy, and there is that nice little $8,000 tax credit incentive. So we figured, why not? It can't hurt to look right?

We found a couple that we like out in Queen Creek. We would love to stay in Gilbert, but it is just not going to happen. We will be making an offer on one that we absolutely loved later on this week. Exciting!

We moved Kate into her own room last night. She slept great. Me...not so much. I must have gotten up at least eight times last night to check on her. The little stinker just loves sleeping on her stomach! I've given up trying to roll her over, because she just rolls right back. She loves to sleep on her tummy, just like her mom does. It still worries me, but I'm getting over it. She's a very strong baby, and I know that she'll be able to move if something were to block her breathing.

I gave Kate her first tastes of banana today. She did really good! At times she was more interested in the bib than the food, but she really liked it!

A couple of weeks ago I accepted a challenge (via facebook) to read the entire Book of Mormon by Christmas. When President Hinckley challenged us to do it, I didn't, and I've always felt guilty about it! So this time around I said, "Bring it on!" It's been so amazing. I read at least a chapter a day. But in order to finish it by December I'm having to read more like 5 chapters a day. I'm not even sure if that will be enough. It's really been so amazing though. I'm really loving it. When you read it so consistently like that you really get into the stories, you know what's going on, and you just learn so much more! I've loved the spirit it has brought into my life, and I'm determined to meet this goal!

I challenge you all to do it too!

Okay, you really don't have to. But you should. I know you'll make the right decision.



I made this for our apartment/future home. Joanns was having a huge sale on canvas a couple weeks ago, so I decided to get crafty. I haven't hung it up yet, but basically the big one with the W will hang above our couch, and the other ones will hang next to it in an artistic layout that I haven't decided upon yet.

Dustin is still loving his job at US Airways, but may soon be applying for another higher paying job. So that's very exciting too! He is also trying out for the Phoenix Suns D-League. The Sun's fansite that he writes for is paying for him to audition if he blogs about it. It's in two weeks, but he sort of fell off of the training wagon and there's a very real chance that he might die at the tryout. If he doesn't die, he'll probably embarass himself playing against guys that actually play basketball for a living.

Okay, I think thats it.

Here's something that will brighten your day. Megan Fox hosted SNL last Saturday. She's a terrible actress (with the exeption of this sketch) but she sure is hot! And Dustin doesn't mind that I think so.


Also, watch the video on Tawni and Ashley's blog. Hilarious.

.

5 months

Can you believe it? This little girl is 5 months old today!

What?!? I have no concept of time anymore...




Kate can now:

roll over (back to front)
roll from tummy to side
grab everything
chew on everything
drool on everything
pull mom's hair
blow bubbles
laugh
stand well (with support, of course)
suck on her toes
drink from a bottle
play on her stomach for a long time

She is a super cute chubby baby at a whopping 16 pounds! Maybe more now, it's been a little less than a month since her last check up. She is wearing 6-9 month clothes now, and is just the cuddliest thing ever!

Sometimes we put her to sleep for naps in her actual crib. She still sleeps in our room at night. Mainly for me. It's just more convenient because she still gets up at least once a night.
Look at that face! It's says "Why am I trapped in here?"

The next day she actually was.


I just needed to post this picture somewhere. I was cooking the other day and looked over at my daughter to see this
I guess we'll have to start buckling her in that thing.

I just love this little girl so much! I absolutely love being a mom. I love being a stay-at-home-mom! I'm so grateful for that opportunity. I love clipping coupons, doing dishes, folding the laundry, maintaining a budget, planning the meals, and having them ready for my husband when he comes home. Okay I lied. I don't like folding laundry. But I really do love everything else! Being a wife and mother is the best job I've ever had.

Life is good.

My Cutie-Pie

Really?!?

Sometimes I just can't believe how rude people can be!

On Saturday we went to Walmart. We went in, shopped around, and were heading back to our car just as the family who parked next to us was. It was a lady and her kids in a white SUV. We were busy getting Kate into the car and putting our groceries away so we didn't notice this until we got to our next location.

That lady totally hit our car and didn't say ANYTHING! We know it was her too because we weren't in Walmart very long, and we weren't parked next to a white car when we arrived. We were standing right next to each other, and she didn't say anything! That is seriously SO RUDE. We don't have the money to pay to fix this!

If I hit a car, I would wait by it until the owner came out, or I would leave my insurance information tucked under the windshield wiper.

Whatever happened to just being nice?

New Issue

Thanks to everyone for your great advice! It's so funny because right after I wrote that post Kate developed a new, more worrisome sleeping habit.

Since she learned how to roll over back to front yesterday, she now does it in her sleep! Only she doesn't roll front to back yet, so she gets stuck! This woke her up twice last night, but there were other times when she didn't wake up and I had to roll her over myself. So it seems that I'm going to make her practice front-to-back rolling, or I may never get a good nights sleep again! haha.

I have heard about that monitor that a couple of you mentioned, I will probably have to purchase one of those. Are they expensive?

Or I might try Alicia's idea of elevating on side of the mattress so she can't roll.

Or I might just start having her sleep next to me (like we do at naptime) because she doesn't roll then.

Thanks again everybody! If you have any more ideas or advice I would love to hear them!

Sleeping Issue

I have an issue.

Lately Kate likes to sleep on her side. This freaks me out a little because I've always heard that babies are only supposed to sleep on their backs. But what are you supposed to do when your baby likes sleeping on her side? I am always turning her over (to the point where I'm losing sleep), but she just flips right back over to her side. Tonight she even rolled all the way on to her stomach (yay!), but that just opens up even more worries for me.

So what do you think? Is this really dangerous? Or am I just a paranoid first time mom?

September 11th, 2001

I know I'm a few days late on this post, but as I was laying in bed next to my daughter I couldn't stop thinking of that horrible day 8 years and 5 days ago.

My family didn't have cable at that time, but I did listen to the radio every morning as I got ready. I turned it on and expected to hear music but all I heard was someone talking about places that were unfamiliar to me. Before then I hadn't really heard of the World Trade Centers or the Pentagon. I left my room and stood with my family as we all listened to the radio. I can remember my mom turning to my dad and ominously saying "This is huge, Mark."

I remember being in seminary and discussing with all the other students the events that were taking place. Who had done this to our country? Why would they want to hurt us? How long had they had this planned? There were rumors of other planes still flying around that hadn't struck yet. I remember that rumor specifically because I had written it down in my seminary journal. I was just waiting to be attacked again.

After I left seminary, I headed to Mr. Fields room for Government class. I begged him to please let me go to the library and watch the news. I still had not seen for myself the tragedy that was transpiring. A couple others begged as well, and our class headed for the one television in the school. We were all silent as we gathered around the TV and watched the footage of the planes crashing over and over again.

I don't really remember the rest of the day, but I do know it involved being angry at my principal. He wouldn't lower the flag to half-mast, and he refused to cancel the event that was going to happen at the school that night. It was Parent's Night. I think it was called something else, but that's basically what it was. The parents came to the school and talked with the teachers and looked at stuff that we had been doing. Just like in elementary school, but for high school.

My friend Lydia and I had agreed to sing the National Anthem for this event two weeks prior.

How could I possibly sing the National Anthem on a day like this? I prayed for the event to be canceled. I really did. I didn't think there was any possible way that I could sing that song without breaking down and sobbing.

Lydia and I practiced, prayed for strength, walked into the gym, and faced our Nation's flag to sing our song. Everyone there was completely silent as we sang, and we sang it beautifully. When we were done some were clapping, some where crying, and I knew that I would never forget singing our National Anthem on one of the most horrible days in history.




Now it's been eight years. I can't help but thinking of the state of our country then, and what it is now. Everyone was so unified, so caring for one another, everyone had pride in our country. There was an awesome feeling of undividedness for we were all mourning the same thing.

Now it's completely opposite. Everyone is angry at something. The economy, the government, the president, issue after issue. It seems like the only thing we can all agree on is the Kanye West is a jack a**.

So whatever it is that you're angry about, forget it. Remember how incredibly BLESSED we are to live here. We live in the United States of America.

The greatest Nation on earth.

A free land.




A PROMISED land.