Indexing

A few months ago, I was looking at some family history online.  I went to the new youth site that explains the difference between familysearch and new.familysearch and how to do your family history.  I had learned it once before, but decided it would be good to have a refresher.  I got all motivated and created my family genealogy fan.  It is so fun!  You can do yours here if you have a family search account.  So, I kept clicking around and decided to find out what exactly indexers do.  I had heard it was a good service activity and since I love looking at things like that, I figured I'd give it a go.  I did the practice and the tutorial and got started and it was really fun! So now, I do indexing for FamilySearch. It is a neat experience and good way to do some service for others and their families.

the nena

This is my Jenna.  Good grief I love this baby.  I honestly cannot imagine my life without her.  And she's six months old!  The time is flying by so quickly.  Here are her stats:

Height 26.5"      76%
Weight 16 lb 1 oz    49%
Head  17"     70%

This baby is loving the baby food.  I was worried about her before because she still hadn't mastered the whole "don't shove all of the food back out with your tongue" thing.  But the day she turned six months the light bulb went on and she's been eating like a champ since.  She eats baby cereal oatmeal (she had problems with the rice) and so far has had carrots and green beans.  Love it.  She also likes bits of bread and crackers. She still doesn't take a bottle.  I've tried.  I think we'll go straight for the straw or the sippy, just like her Aunt Lexy did.

Jenna rolls over from her back to tummy in one direction.  That's it.  She has rolled from tummy to back before but just hasn't gotten it down.  Today, she was stuck on her tummy and screaming.  Instead of rolling she contorted into this really funny position so that her forehead was touching the ground, one arm behind her on the ground and the other in the air so that she wasn't face planted.  If it wasn't so pathetic, it would have been funny.  She can sort of sit up.  She has the strength just no balance really.  She did sit alone yesterday for a few seconds.  We're making progress.  She loves her hands though.  She grabs and holds everything!

Jenna has become quite the stinker at night.  She was my dream baby until she got sick about two months ago.  We are making progress though.  She slept until about 5am this morning so I was ecstatic.  The night before, I was up several times.  I don't feed her at night though, so I think she's slowly getting the message.

The hair is coming back!  When wet, it is still curly so there is hope!  I was so sad when her newborn hair fell out.  This new hair is lighter and less tightly curled but I think it will be adorable.  And those cheeks.  Andrew grabs each cheek in a hand and squeezes because they are just so full and chub. Perfect to kiss.  She's such a kissable baby.

I could go on and on about her, but suffice it to say that she is such a blessing.  She's worth every stretch mark and sleepless night.  Before I know it, I'll be making a birthday cake with one candle!

picture overload: January

This month: Playing in the snow.  Rolling over.  Exersaucers and Lay-n-Plays. Stuck inside. And  few nice days of sunshine for a much needed walk. Playing with cousin Megan. Playing with diapers. 

the wedding song

There are few places that our wedding song is recorded.  As I was singing to Nathaniel before his nap today, I decided to sing it to him.  It brought back good memories and I felt the need to write it down.

Andrew wrote our wedding song.  If you don't know, he is a really good song writer.  He has a beautiful voice as well.  He usually writes and plays for his guitar, but for our wedding he used the piano.  Our wedding song is a story. 

We met and began dating at BYU when I thought I was going to marry someone else.  We dated and I got in too deep.  Things moved fast.  One thing Andrew would do is text me some song lyrics in the morning that would be waiting for me on my phone when I woke up. Before leaving for Australia for the summer, Andrew told me he wanted me to know where he stood: he wanted to marry me.  I left with us both being unsure whether we'd get married or the whole thing would be called off.  After receiving the most direct answer to a prayer I've ever had, I knew that marrying Andrew was the right thing. 
While I was making my decision, Andrew flew out to New York to visit his brother.  We still spoke via instant messanger every day.  As he flew back home, he still waited for my answer. He got the inspiration for the song from this point in time, I guess.  Shortly after that, I said I wanted to get married too.  We got "engaged" and started planning a wedding on opposite ends of the world.  Then we got "officially" engaged in August after he asked my dad in person. 

Andrew wrote this song while we were engaged at BYU.  There would be nights when he'd sneak off to some piano in some classroom to write and practice.  He sang it to me at our wedding reception at my parents house the day after we got married.  Needless to say I loved it.  I love hearing him sing it even more.  It reminds me how much he loves me. 

I wish I could record the melody here, but these are the words. (I'm sure I'll record some of the little words just a little wrong.)

Well the plane touched down,
Right with the sun
People and voices rising to be the first one.
But I keep my seat,
'Cause I aint in a hurry,
With my backpack,
And memories,
And just a little worry.

Chorus:
It has the same familiar faces I've always known.
And the same familiar places, I call my home.
But I'm all alone.
Without your song, there's just something wrong.

As I walk in through the door.
And hang my coat up on the rail.
Don't hear your voice so soft behind me.
Or feel your arms that never fail.
Or look deep into your eyes as you stand there in the hall,
Saying things will be alright, when my back's against the wall.
Though it still has all pieces,
But when I'm back from where I roam,
If you're not there beside me, my darlin'
I'm not quite home.

Well, I wake each mornin' with a song in my chest
And no one to sing it to when you rise from your rest.
I drive around this town wonderin' how you been
Wishing long and hopin' on you coming back again.
(can't remember the end of this second verse... will come back when i consult Andrew)

Chorus

Well my darlin', heaven's brought you back somehow,
And with the winter fallin' all around me now.
I'm full of warmth and light and life about to start.
Cause you came like a sunrise,
Bursting into my heart.

As I walk in through the door
And hang my coat up on the rail.
I hear your voice so soft behind me
And feel your arms that never fail.
And I look deep into your eyes
As you stand there in the hall
Saying things will be alright
When my back's against the wall.
And though it still has alll the pieces
And now I'm back from where I roam,
Now that you are here beside me, my darlin'

I'm finally home.

changes over the last five years. happy anniversary!

Wedding 12/28/06 at Washington DC Temple

First Engagement Anniversary. We hiked Silver Lake where we got engaged on 8/4/06.
Nice hair, Andrew.

First Anniversary 2007. 

Second Anniversary 2008 at Mount Vernon where we had our wedding luncheon when we got married.

Birth of Nathaniel in 2009.

Third Anniversary 2009 living in Farmington, UT.

Fourth Anniversary (had no picture, but was obviously a few days after this picture) 2010.

BIrth of Jenna 2011.

The closest picture of us that I have right now on our Fifth anniversary. We look a little older.

Things that have happened since we've been married:

I graduated from BYU.
Taught elementary school and quit teaching elementary school.
Andrew got his doctorate from the U of U.
Andrew began working as a physical therapist at TOSH.
Had two babies.
Bought a house.
Used to take tons of pictures of the two of us together.  Now they are all of the kids...

The best five years ever.  It's awesome being married to your best friend.

cute

Very drooly.  Very kissable cheeks.  I think she's just so cute.

wasn't that a mighty storm

Andrew always wants me to put song lyrics on stuff.  So here it goes:

Wasn't that a might storm? Yeah.  Wasn't that a mighty storm in the morning.  Wasn't that a mighty storm?  It blew all the people away.  (James Taylor)

Or in our case.  It blew all the trees and fences away.

This morning was nuts.  Andrew left for work around 6 and it was relatively calm.  Around 6:15 it sounded like a freight train and my walls were shaking and it was so loud!  That wind clocked in over 80 mph.  Semis were turned over on the free way etc.  I currently share one large backyard with two of my neighbors as all of the fences are down.  Two of my pine trees were uprooted and luckily fell on the fence.  My wonderful neighbors were there in the back cutting it up and hauling it away before I even knew what was happening!  I love this neighborhood!  However, I hate that fence so here's hoping the insurance company lets us get a brand new one.  I'd like a nice white vinyl one.  Anyway.  Happy December 1!

missy jenna is four months

I don't know how it happened.  But it did.  My baby is four months old.  Meaning, I now have rice cereal in the cupboard.  (She hasn't tried it yet).  How did this happen?  Here are some things I want to remember about Jenna-benna.

She has plump, rosy cheeks that make her little eyes look so teensy.  It's pretty funny.

Her hair is more wiry and wild when dry rather than pretty little curls.  It's still curly when wet, but as it is falling out (to my sadness) it is getting funnier and funnier.  I can sense some unattractive male-pattern baldness coming on.  All of the top center of her head is covered in yucky yellow cradle cap that doesn't scrub off.  When you pick part of it off, a chunk of hair comes away with it.  So, we'll just leave that be.

She has been sick nearly her entire third month of life.  Croup and then a cold.  Now she just is always congested which means she chokes when she eats.  Which means her gas gets bad.  Then she creams and cries sometimes.  It's so sad.  We love mylicon.  Her acid reflux also gets worked up more when she's sick so she has been spitting up a lot.  Also, when she is sick her stork bite on her chin gets all red. 

She loves to smile, stick out her tongue and make funny faces to show that she's having a good time.  Most of the time she's pretty silent and happy.  We've gotten a few laughs out of her, though.  And they're funny.  She also has started being pretty vocal while playing.  

She often just lays in bed when she wakes up.  You don't know how long she's been in there awake... and silent.

She grabs everything.  She especially loves grabbing the polar bear on the lay-n-play.

She loves watching Nathaniel do anything.

She hates bottles.  She doesn't take them.  I haven't tried EVERY day (like I should) to teach her.  Part of it is that she's a temperature snob.  The milk has to be warm.  You have to warm up the bottle halfway through the feed because it has cooled down to room temperature again and she doesn't like that.  It makes taking a bottle somewhere very difficult.  It isn't warm so she won't drink it.  We think she's allergic to formula too so we tried one soy bottle and she did ok with the ounce or so she was willing to drink.  I don't think she particularly loved it though.

Her pants are usually running on the shorter side and the sleeves on the longer side.

She sleeps about 10-11 hours at night. 

She hates getting her clothes on and off and hates getting into her car seat. 

She holds her head up really well now.

She has rubbed a bald spot on one side of her head. I guess that's the way she always turns when she is laying down.

She has started to roll to her side.  Prepping for the whole rolling over thing. 

She loves sucking on her fists.  She also is always holding her hands together.  Sometimes it looks like wringing her hands. 

She always smiles and laughs when she's getting wiped during a diaper change.  Funny, but true.

She just has the most easy going, cute personality.  I am so greateful for my little Nenna and cannot imagine not having her in our family! I can't help but smile just looking at her.

small celebrations

I am so excited.  Like super excited.  Obviously everyone knows about my issue with Nathaniel and his naps/bedtime lately.  Like he doesn't nap.  And only his dad can put him to bed.  Even if that means the speakerphone must be used. 

NATHANIEL IS ASLEEP!  WITHOUT HOURS OF CRYING AND CARRYING ON!  WITHOUT DUMPING ALL OF THE DIAPERS OUT AND EMPTYING ALL OF THE CLOTHES IN HIS DRESSER ONTO THE FLOOR! AND I DID IT! (Well, he did it.  But, I put him down).

I am going to celebrate the small moment.  This is so great. 

Speaking of celebrating the little things.  Do you know what else I'm so happy about?  My new spray and mop.  I'm serious.  I've mopped all of the floors in the house.  Because it is so fun with that thing.  No more hands and knees for me.  This probably won't be surprising if you know that I find vacuuming therepeutic and enjoy fresh vacuum lines on my floor.  I am enjoying the easy to make wet floors in my house at the moment.  And they smell like lemon. 

Happy day, everyone!

dinosaur park!