Happy New Year 2010!

Oops, I forgot to post these posts.

This has been the happiest year of my entire life! (Although I do think that every year probably.) However, I will say it's been rough since I've been back at work, especially this past month. Since starting my new job, I've had to do quite a bit of training where I only get about a third of what I usually make so I've had to work more. I've only been working in three hospitals, but it's hard to learn where everything is and how things are done, work mostly with people I don't know, be super slow at the computer system, and not feel like I've been an ER nurse for over five years. And then when I get home I still have all of the responsibilities of a stay at home mom, minus some of the cooking. My schedule hasn't been as great as I had hoped. I don't have the freedom of shifts I thought I would so I'm back to working nights and days and times when we need a babysitter for a couple of hours super early in the morning. Sometimes I wonder if it's better to work less and not enjoy your job, but be able to spend more time with my family, or enjoy my job, not feel like an idiot, and spend less time with the family. Hmmm, MORE TIME WITH THE FAMILY!

Hope you all have the HAPPIEST NEW YEAR EVER!!!

Four Month Professional Photos!

We had professional photos taken at Target again. It was very poor planning on my part since I had them taken several hours after her well check where she received a terrible tasting immunization and two shots. She was a little fussy but still managed some darling smiles. They're just so darn cute I have to include lots of them. Sorry!

Keira's First Christmas

We hope you had a wonderful Christmas! This year we celebrated on Christmas Eve since I had to work on Christmas. Chris was so sweet and made it so special for me and Keira made it even more wonderful. And I think it will get even better when she's older and understands and enjoys more.

Auntie Wals (my sis) was able to come for a few days before Christmas so we exchanged gifts a little early with her.

I worked the night before our celebration and only got about two hours of sleep before Chris couldn't contain his excitement anymore. I was a bit tired alllll day long, but still had a great time!

Keira joined us for a delicious Christmas dinner of steak and sweet potatoes in her highchair for the first time. It was so wonderful having her join us at our level rather than in her bouncer, swing, or play gym. :o)

We were so blessed with wonderful Christmas gifts, and a couple that we got to pick out ourselves aren't shown.

Chris and I made a gingerbread house together. It was so fun and he was so sweet and such a good sport about it!

Christmas Day 2009! Merry Christmas from our family to yours!

Four Months!

On Christmas Eve we celebrated Keira's Four Month Birthday (and Christmas)! The time has been flying! I can't believe this little bundle of joy joined our family four months ago! Keira is doing fabulous and is so much fun! She's 25.5 inches long (88%, but we thought they had told us 24 inches) and weighs 13 pounds 10 ounces (47%) and is as healthy as can be!

She's a really happy baby and laughed for the first time a few nights ago! It was the sweetest thing ever! She was sitting on our bed while I was folding laundry and Chris started tickling me so we were both laughing and she started laughing too! She had giggled before, but never a laugh like this! It was wonderful!

On Keira's Four Month Birthday she slept in her crib at night for the first time. I have to admit, it was sad. I really missed her being so close to me at night and hearing the creaks of the bassinet as she moved and hearing her little noises. She's right across the hallway though so it's really not that bad. Keira has been sleeping great in the crib and I think it's more fun and comfortable. She's been sleeping for 12 hours at night and usually goes that whole time without eating. It's been wonderful sleeping more at night. But sleeping more at night for Keira means sleeping less during the day which gives me less time to get things done around the house. But it also gives me more time to play and spend with Keira!

Keira is very adaptable. She does great nursing and with bottles. Sometimes when I work early I have to wake her up in the middle of her sleep, feed her, and take her to a friend's house for a couple of hours until Chris gets home. She loves being out and about and doesn't sleep like she used to, but she's usually really good. Her play gym is still her favorite spot besides in the arms of her mommy or daddy and she loves looking at the toys. She also loves the mobile in her crib and smiles whenever she sees it or I start turning it on. She got a jumperoo for Christmas and she really enjoys that too! She loves standing and is really strong. She can hold up her weight for a little while when we steady her.

This morning when I was changing her diaper she found her feet for the first time! It was so cute! She was looking at them and holding onto them!

One Year Ago Today...

We found out I was pregnant! I was soooooo excited! 2009 couldn't have started out better!

But really I had no idea how life changing and wonderful our adorable little bundle of joy would be! She's the second best decision I've ever made and had I known how great being Keira's mommy would be, I wouldn't have been able to contain my excitement!!!

Keira's Friends

Keira is very blessed to already have two great friends and many more church friends that she doesn't know as well yet.

Mariana and Todd's cute little boy, Gabriel

Gabriel is about two months older than Keira

Jessica and Andrew's cute baby girl, Sydney

Sydney is almost a month younger than Keira

Gentlemen, May I Have Your Attention Please?

Babies do not "barf"- they spit up. It's normal.
When you take care of your baby, you're not babysitting, you're being a dad.

Thank you. Have a nice day.

Keira Wonders...

Why when mommies have a cold they work all night long, sleep for five hours, feeding before, during and after, and then continue their motherly duties and why when daddies have a cold they get to watch movies all day?

;-) Keira and I love you Sweetheart!!!

So Unfair

Last night I worked my first night shift, the only time Chris would have to get out of bed to feed Keira, and guess what! She didn't eat for twelve hours, beating her previous record by over two hours! He better not have drugged her! ;-)

And how much she slept today you wonder, one hour, total.

RMF Christmas Party

We had the pleasure of attending my first work-related Christmas party! And it was so much fun! Everyone he works with is so nice!

Keira's first visit with Santa Claus. She's been a VERY good little girl!

They gave every single kid a wonderful gift! This is what Keira got and I am super excited! Maybe a little more so than her. Although she does seem to love it too!

Three and a Half Months

I started this two weeks ago and never got back to it. Keira is now three and a half months! It's going so fast! She is doing EXCELLENT! She is the light of our lives! She just gets cuter and cuter! Most excitingly for me, for the past nine days-ish she's been sleeping between 8-10.5 hours at night! It has been amazing! I can't tell you how wonderful it has been sleeping through the night, especially now that I'm back at work. Chris or I usually wake up at least once during the night to check on her and make sure everything's alright. She's still in our room in her bassinet but will probably have to go to her crib soon. It's so funny how much my opinion has changed now that I'm a mom. I thought I'd be so excited to have her sleep in her own room, but now I almost dread it and hope she doesn't get lonely in there and will miss her so much. I know, it's silly! But I love having her so close and hearing all of her little noises and breathing.

Just recently she's been going longer between feedings, it had been every 2-3 and now I think it's more like 3-4 hours. So we'll have to see how that goes. She's still doing great both nursing and with bottles.

Her smile and giggle melt my heart! She loves her mobile and starts smiling as soon as she sees it and then squeals for joy usually when I start cranking it in anticipation. She's becoming much more interactive and sometimes makes noises while in her play gym or at toys. In general she's a really happy baby.

She loves to put things in her mouth and suck on her fist. She loves having her diaper changed and baths. She's doing great at holding her head up. Usually, she would much rather sit up and look around than be cradled (a little bit sad). She's becoming more coordinated reaching for things and actually grabbing it.

We had one 10 hour day that she needed a babysitter which was sooo hard for me. She was in great hands, but it was still so sad to leave her with someone else (actually we split it between two friends) for that long. This month my work schedule has been a bit of a bummer since I have a lot of training days where I get about 1/3 of the pay so I have to work more to make up for it, and don't have the luxury of choosing which days. So we've also had a few days where we've needed someone to watch her from about 6:30-8am, the time between when I go to work and Chris to get home. That's really hard too. This past week I had to wake her up to feed her, and then take her out in the cold. I also HATE inconveniencing people and that's SUPER early for most people. Thankfully I have several good friends from church who live close. Hopefully January will be a better month work/babysitter-wise.

Great Start to 30!

30 is going to be a wonderful year! It started at 12am with a call from my sweet husband as he sang Happy Birthday! Unfortunately I didn't get to see him since he was at work, but I got to spend the entire day with my best little buddy and she was so sweet! We got to enjoy the gorgeous day in the mid 60's during our run in shorts and a t-shirt! All of my closest friends called, my 'lil sis, and my mom, and even my dad remembered! Not to mention lots of friends on Facebook wished me a Happy Birthday. I got to have lunch with my best friend and dessert with my brother! AND Chris and I might celebrate together when we have a day off together! 30 is going to be a great year, I couldn't be happier! :o)

Funny Pics

Chris' partner got a new computer that has a great photo booth program. :o)

I wish we were there!

My sister gave me these curlers she was getting rid of. My first time using them turned out to be....

Disastrous!

Happy Thanksgiving!

We hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving! Ours was good. Chris had to work so we went to his station for Thanksgiving Dinner. It was quite yummy! But I will say, nothing is quite like my Mom's. I am so thankful for my wonderful husband and our beautiful baby. I'm thankful for my family and friends. I'm thankful for the life we live, we have excellent and secure jobs and I can work part time and we wont' have to do daycare, we have a beautiful home (that Chris wants to spend the rest of our lives in), nice cars, and everything we need. I'm grateful for the gospel of Jesus Christ and for His atonement. And I'm so grateful for all of our many blessings. Life couldn't be better for us.

Thanksgiving dinner at the station.

Chris and Keira fell asleep. :-(

My Cute Little Turkey

Keira and I were thankful to spend some time with our second favorite man, my little bro!