An Update

It has been SO LONG since I have blogged. I have been too busy enjoying life and our little guy that isn't so little anymore and won't be little to me for sure after our new one is born. These pictures are out of order but I don't have the time or patience to fix them!

Here is probably my one and only pregnancy picture. I hate my picture taken any time but especially when I have extra pounds on! This pregnancy has felt so different from McKay though. I have felt pretty good but getting SO ANXIOUS to meet our new one and see what he looks like and what personality he is going to come to this earth with. No, we do not have a name and will probably be nameless in the hospital as was McKay until it was time to sign the birth certificate! Boy names are HARD!!! Here I am at 35 weeks.

So, we never thought we would be "VAN" owners. Neither Gary nor I wanted one but after talking to many people, driving vans and SUVS and with the way gas prices are going, a van was the most sensible option. We love our brand new Honda Odyssey! It took some getting used to driving seeing how I have driven a Ford Focus for the last 11 years. But I do love it! It holds 8 though and we are a family of 3...soon to be 4 and I told Gary it will be a total waste unless we have enough kids to fill it up!!! Ha ha. He isn't as keen on the idea as I am!

Thank you to my dad for helping us paint McKay's new room. We are moving him up to the front room and keeping his old room as the baby room. We debated for a long time about getting him a toddler bed or going to a twin bed but he does not climb out of his crib yet and he is not even 2! Moving him out of the crib is a huge step and I don't think either of us are quite ready for that big step yet. I figured the new baby can sleep in the pack and play for a few months until McKay is a bit older and bigger. Plus I thought a move to a new room would be a big enough change for a while. Don't make fun of our ghetto bumper around the rim of the crib...McKay put teeth marks all around it...multiple times. How sad am I??? :(

I love these 2 SO MUCH! This was Easter Sunday. McKay likes to be behind the camera snapping pictures instead of in front of it. But these two are my life and I could not imagine life without them!!!

He is still really tall but doesn't love eating so he is getting too skinny in my opinion. Yes, he used to eat everything. He likes banana's, cereal, "honey" on toast, cheese, yogurt, milk, spaghetti and any "nummy!" which is anything with sugar in it. I shouldn't be surprised because most kids love sugar but he is obsessed some times! And we don't just have sugar stuff around. He was introduced to sugar by my sister, the "treat" aunt and my mom. Despite him not eating dinner, somehow he always gets dessert from one of the two. No, I do not love it but I have been called the mean mom before. His all-time favorite? "I ceam"...aka ice cream. Love the words coming out of this little stinks mouth!

Loves, loves, LOVES being outside. In wind, rain, snow, or sunshine he always wants to be outside. And it is a FIGHT to bring him inside. There are usually always tears poor boy. This is him at a park. Too busy to look at the camera.

He was being silly one night and loved saying "cheese" over and over

So I love being a 95% stay-home mom. But McKay has turned into a stubborn little toddler and by the end of the day, I am counting the minutes until Gary walks in the door. And the second he does, he is all about "DA DA!!!" He runs to him the minute he comes in the door, grabs his hand before he can take his coat off and pushes him on the living room floor to play. McKay ADORES his daddy and I love it. I also love the hour I have to myself before it's his bedtime because he still wants his mommy to put him to bed. Gary had brought a box up from downstairs and McKay had a good time playing in it...of course with his daddy by his side.
More "cheese" pictures
Another obsession? Computers. We can't get on the computer around him because it is a constant plea of "Up pease, up pease" until he is sitting on the chair in charge of the mouse.

Have I said that this child gets into EVERYTHING?!?! This is his bum cream. He got a little too quiet one day and Gary went and saw cream all over his face. He loves to get into my makeup. He stopped taking naps (for the most part...but goes to bed earlier now) but I still need time to myself so he goes to his crib for "quiet time" every afternoon. He never fights me or cries while in his crib. I used to put a book or two in his crib to keep him busy for an hour. Well, he destroys his books now. He picks at the board books and it upsets me SO MUCH because he has destroyed many of his books. So I don't give them to him anymore. Man, I sure hope he grows out of this stage. But I love him too much and when I try to get mad, he throws his hands out to the side, tilts his head just a bit and starts jabbering as if to tell me why he was doing what he was doing. Once I laugh or smile, it's all over. Being a mom is the most challenging but rewarding, FUN experience ever and I will be forever grateful I have the chance of being one!

It's a...

BOY!!! I know you all may know this by now but I guess putting it on your blog makes it official, eh? We are SO excited and I'm sure McKay will be too...once he figures out what the heck is going on. He has become quite the "Momma's boy" lately. He wants me over Gary 95% of the time. He also has a jealous streak if I am playing or holding another child. So it will be interesting with a new baby here. But as always, I'm sure things will work out and in the end, he will be ESTATIC to have a new brother to "play" with!

Expecting...

Yes, that is correct. We are expecting baby #2 (no NOT twins) in early May! We are so excited! I have definitely been sicker this pregnancy. That may be due to the fact that I have a toddler to chase around now but maybe we are having a girl? Either way, I will not complain. I know too many friends and family that cannot get pregnant so I am just content to get through these months and to know that I have been given the gift to be a mom again. We will find out in December what we are having if you would like to make a guess in the comment box!

When Grandma Comes to Town

Gary's mom came to visit us last week. And we sure enjoyed her being here. I think maybe McKay the most because she was always going outside with him and just letting him WALK! She took McKay to the mall to walk around, to the park to feed the ducks, and got on the ground and played with him.

She helped me out a ton when I needed to sleep after working a grave yard shift and when I didn't feel well and just wanted to lay on our couch. She cooked us dinner, took us to yummy Spaghetti Factory and to Sills for breakfast and hot scones!

We (me, Gary and Janna) got to do a session in the Bountiful temple which was really nice. We got to see family and spend time with a great grandma! We love you Janna. Thanks for coming and please come back soon!!!

Random Post

Summer has been great. We have been so many places and done so many things but I hate taking pictures! I would rather enjoy the moment instead of pulling my camera out every two seconds. And let's face it, who wants to read a post with no pictures? Not my brother for one... Also, I spend all my waking hours with my baby so of course all of the pictures I DO have are of him.

I will try to catch up slowly but these are the few random pictures I do have on my camera. Gary was in Italy and Switzerland for the last 2 weeks for work (I know, tough job, eh???). I hate being home alone so I decided to pack McKay up and drive 8 1/2 hours to where I used to spend a lot of my summers, in the lovely state of Montana, with this awesome lady who happens to be my grandma.

I hadn't been to Great Falls for 15 years and it was time for me to go back. I have so many memories of spending time there with my cousins. I was nervous to go knowing it wouldn't be the same but I had A BLAST and am so thankful to my grandma and grandpa for allowing us to come and putting up with a baby for a week. We did so much; garage selling (I bought a nice bike for $8 dollars!!), eating, the farmer's market, watched my cousins do cross country and football, and did I mention eat? One of my best memories of my grandpa is when he would take me down to the basement, open up his file cabinet that was stocked of full-size candy bars (my favorite being Skor bars!) and pop in a Broadway musical. To this day I credit my grandpa for my love of musicals. We were able to watch "Mame" and "My Fair Lady" while I was there and I loved it! I love my grandparents and wish I had gotten more pictures.

I spent some time with my aunt Joni too. We spent some time together while we were at Island park in August and picked right up where we left off. I loved our chats and wish we lived closer. Love to all my family in Montana!

I love these boys. I also love my Ergo baby carrier, as does McKay. Gary's sister Leslie introduced us to the Ergo carrier and I think everyone with a baby should own one! McKay loves this pack and often falls asleep while being carried in it. Gary often puts him in it while he goes outside to mow the lawn and McKay just LOVES being close to one of us!
What is is about children and cell phones? I swear, I haven't met a child who doesn't like them! McKay is constantly playing with mine and talks into it, waving his hands and having the funniest conversation...with no one on the other line. It's funny though, if someone is actually on the other side, McKay won't say a word, just listens. It's frustrating to Gary and my dad since they are the ones that are always trying to get him to talk to them. McKay loves to climb on our couch and then lays back and lounges on the pillows. So cute!

Still has blue, blue eyes and white blonde hair!

Like I said, this is a random post and I didn't want to fix my picture order so we are back in Montana. My grandma has a great garden that we were lucky enough to eat fresh vegetables from while we were there. One day we were outside and my grandma was picking the ripe vegetables. I looked over to see this...McKay EATING a zucchini. WHAT? Not one bite, not 2....multiple bites...raw...!!! Yuck! But he would have eaten the whole thing had I not stopped him. He also ate raw rhubarb...do you know how sour that is? I can barely eat it in a crisp with lots of sugar on it! Weird kid! Like I said, he eats almost anything!

Should I mention that McKay STILL can't walk? He has no desire. He will balance every once in a while but then drops and crawls to whatever or wherever he wants. He is almost 15 months old....don't JUDGE!

1 year old

Dear McKay-

One year ago, (July 6th, 2010) was the best day of your dad's and my life! You entered our life and changed it for the better. You are a very happy baby but have learned to love to be around people. You are a "people watcher." You can sit and be entertained with those around you, whether they are playing with you or paying attention to you.

Your one year stats are: Weight: 23lbs,4 oz- 55%. Height: 32 inches- 95%. Head: 18.25 inches- 50%. You are tall and the doctor said you could even stand to put on a few pounds. Your dad was worried you were a little too chubby but the doctor says otherwise!

You can't walk yet but you are walking along the furniture. We try to stand you up in the middle of the room and you still act a bit scared and sit down immediately. ou are unsure of your balance but that's okay. You used to do the "paraplegic" crawl for a long time and your dad and I were worried you would never crawl normally. But you did and now you are the fastest little guy. So we aren't too worried about you walking.

You are so bored of all of your toys. You would rather discover the cupboards and drawers...all over our house. You are very good at your motor skills and I have found you with my chap sticks, the lids off and some of it in your mouth...more than once. You like screw on lids. The doctor said to watch you when you got to be about 15 months because that's when most kids master twist on lids. Not you. You figured them out weeks ago.

You still love to eat. You are not picky and will try almost everything, although you are in the very INDEPENDENT stage. You want to hold your own spoon and feed yourself. You make quite the mess at meal time and that sort of gives your dad massive anxiety. But we love seeing you figure out how to eat and pick up your food. And we just like that you are such a good eater. I stopped nursing you at about 11 1/2 months...not by choice. I was sad but you love whole milk and love your bottles. You don't drink juice much but only because you don't like it as well. Milk or water is your favorite drink. Pasta, cereal, cheese, potatoes of any kind, and banana's are your favorite foods.

You are a water boy through and through. You love your bath's, the swimming pool, the sprinklers, waterfalls...you name it! If it involves water, you love it, no matter how cold the water is. You just hate getting out. It's a struggle getting you dressed after your bath's. There is too much to discover for you to sit still! You also love to climb. You try to climb on the couch, the bed, foot stools, the mantle. That is your new little naughty trick . You climb on the fireplace mantle and pick out the flowers in our glass vase. It makes me nervous because the glass on the fireplace gets very hot and I don't want you touching it and getting used to it when we turn it on in the winter. So we are trying to teach you but you are very insistent and when you look at me and grin, I can't help it. I smile or laugh back and you think it's a game!

You have conquered climbing but don't know how to go back down the right way. You have face planted it a few times and we have to watch you carefully.

You get so excited around your cousins. We just spent the week in Nevada with daddy's family and you loved playing every minute with Matthew and Tate. They sure love you too. You also love, love, love when cousin Chase comes in the door. You start into really fast babble, as does Chase.

Speaking of talking, you don't say words yet but you do say "dadadada" and you say it around your dad sometimes...so we wonder! You understand what we are saying though and have become pretty good at the basic sign language words. We love when you fold your arms when we say it's time for prayers. Brushing your teeth makes you excited and you are still our book boy. You LOVE to read and to be read to. You found that if you knock all of your books off of the end table, they will be on the ground and you can sit and read to your heart's content. So we often find you sitting on the ground reading your books. It's cute.

You are a pretty good sleeper. One nap a day for about 3 hours. And you go to bed between 7:45pm-8:30pm and always sleep for at least 12 hours. If you don't get your 12 hours or if you are woken up in the morning or from a nap, you are cranky. I don't blame you though. You like your sleep, just like your momma. You still get very cuddly, especially when you are tired. I love putting you to bed. You snuggle right in with your favorite blanket and love to be sung to.

You don't pay attention to TV and I can't get you to sit in front of it to watch Sesame Street or anything else while I get ready. That's good though. I'm glad you aren't a TV boy. You love music though, especially the Mormon Tabernacle choir (we listen to Music and the Spoken Word on Sundays). You have the blondest hair and blue eyes. You have brought unfathomable joy to our lives and we can't remember life without you. Your kisses are to die for! Your dad and I love you SO MUCH and look forward to eternity with you. Happy one year baby boy!

New born pictures

August, 1 month

September, 2 months

October, 3 months

November, 4 months

December, 5 months

January, 6 months

February, 7 months

March, 8 months

April, 9 months

May, 10 months

June, 11 months

July, 1 year old

Family Pictures

My cousin Brandi was sweet enough to come down from Idaho to take our family pictures since we haven't had ANY since McKay was born. She just started her own photography business and she is GOOD! Thanks so much for taking time to do these for us Brandi!