Ten Things for the Tenth Month

YEAH FOR OCTOBER!!!

The fall has been great here and I have really enjoyed the cool weather and beautiful colors.  It has also been an exciting and busy month so I thought I would highlight ten things since we are in the tenth month. Enjoy!

1. First, Haley went to her first formal dance in high school.  When I first met her she was 12 years old, so in my eyes she is still little.  I can't believe she is 16 and dating and driving :).  But, here she is, so beautiful and ready to go to her first dance.

2. Nick has been really busy with work, but in his free time he has been trying to do more work on the house.  His latest project has been refacing our fireplace.  These pictures show the old brick and then the new brick, minus the mantel.  I will post a another picture once the mantel is on.  I think he did such a great job!

3.  In one week we were given a couple of reminders of just how blessed we are.  At the beginning of the week, our heat fan went out so we had to go one night and part of the next day without heat.  Normally this wouldn't be a big deal, but I was very worried that Charlize wouldn't be warm enough.  So, she spent the night with us (for body heat) and then got to take naps in our bed, all bundled up.  Even though it cost us a pretty penny to get the heat going again, it reminded me how blessed we are to live in a home and an time where we can have heat so easily in our home.

So, here is a picture of our little girl, all bundled up for her nap.

Later that week, our hot water heater went out, reminding me again how blessed we are.  I think I had started to take for granted all that we are blessed with.  I am truly grateful for modern conveniences and technology that make our lives so great.


4. We also had another close-call that same week, but again we were blessed.  Haley, our young driver, had her first car accident.  She has bumps and bruises to show for it, but she came out alright.  Now, we just have to find her another vehicle to drive! 


And of course, a few things about Charlize...

5. She is really getting good at rolling over and grabbing toys. I like this video because it shows how much she is talking and then at the end you can see how fast she has gotten at rolling from her back to her tummy.

6. I  love that she has gotten really good at rolling over onto her tummy--it makes tummy time a lot easier because if she rolls onto her tummy on her own, then she usually doesn't cry.  It has to be her idea!!  She has gotten so comfortable on her tummy that sometimes she'll just lay there without playing or talking, it is pretty cute.

One time, when I went to check on her this is what I found:

I guess she was a little more tired than I thought!! So precious!

7. Charlize is also learning to do a few new things.  The first is the Johnny Jump Up.  Charlize had a great first experience--she really enjoyed it.  Here is the video of the first time I put her in it.

Then I put her back in it when Nick came home and her second experience wasn't as good.  I wasn't looking as closely as I should have been and she smacked right into the door.  If you look closely at this picture you can see two red goose eggs on her forehead. 

8. Another thing Charlize is learning is how to giggle.  My mom has had the best luck at getting giggles out of her but I have had a couple of good attempts.  She was giggling pretty good one time so I had Nick grab the camera, but as usual, as soon as she sees she is being filmed, she stops whatever it is we want to capture.  So, listen close and you can hear a really short little giggle towards the end.  It is pretty cute.

9. Charlize is teething!!! I thought that she might have been teething when she couldn't keep her hands out of her mouth and she was always drooling but now I know that she is.  I have been able to feel a couple of teeth coming in on the top and occasionally she'll let me get a good look inside of her mouth to see her little pearly whites coming in.  It has made her a little more irritable but she is still cute and fun!

I tried several times to get a good picture of her teeth coming in but had no success.  Instead, I decided to get a video of her taking her teething tablets.  She gets really excited when it is time to take them and has gotten really good at "chewing" them.

And number 10...

Yes, that is plastic wrap on her little bottom.  When Charlize was 2 months old she came down with a little bacterial infection. At her last well-child appointment her doctor thought it was time to check and make sure the infection was all out of her system.  In order to do this, we had to get a stool sample.  This is what I had to do when she was two months old, and although it is not easy, I thought, "No big deal, I have done this before."  Well, I had done it on a 2 month old; a 4 month old is completely different--she can roll now.  Basically, I have to sit there with her laying on piece of plastic wrap until she poops and then I can wrap it up and take it to the lab.  So, I was laying on the floor with her when I had to go answer the door.  When I returned, I found her rolled over and playing with her toys with plastic stuck to her bum.  I just had to take a picture!

Charlize is Four Months Old!

Wednesday was Charlize's four month anniversary and I know I always say this, but I can't believe how much she has grown.  I love to watch her learn and grow but some days I just wish she would stay my baby girl forever.  But, in celebration of making it to four months, I thought I would do a little showcase of her likes and dislikes and how much she has grown.  So, I apologize now for going camera crazy; most of these pictures were taken on Wednesday.  I just felt like I had to capture it all before she grew up even more.

What Charlize likes: (in no particular order)

1. Molly, her stuffed pink hippo

I bought this hippo for Charlize so she would have some quiet toys to take to church but it has actually become her best friend.  We take it everywhere with us. We went to Costco the other day and Charlize sat quietly in the stroller the entire time, wide awake, just trying to figure out how to grab it and get it to her mouth.  Charlize especially loves to suck on her ear; she won't take a pacifier, but she will take Molly's ear! 

2. Taking Baths (especially since we bought bath toys)

Charlize has really figured out how to splash in the tub and she loves it.  There have been a few times after bathing her that it looks like I got in with her with my clothes on because I am so wet from her splashes.  As with her toy, Molly, she is really starting to try and grab stuff so it is really fun to bathe her and watch her kick and grab for the toys. 

3. Her Lady Bug Rattle/Blanket

I like this video because it really shows how much she gets into this game.  Sometimes you can see her open her mouth waiting for the blanket to come down and then if you listen close you can hear her take a quick, deep breath when I lift it off of her face.  I feel like I could play this game with her for hours and she would never get tired of it!


4. Her Hands

Charlize always has her hands in her mouth.  She is always sucking on them and drooling all over.  I put little hand mittens on her when she sleeps and I have to stick them in the dryer after every nap because they are just soaked from her sucking on them.  She also tends to stick her fingers way back in her throat and I am constantly having to pull them out as she makes gagging noises.  She hasn't quite figured out that she is doing it to herself.


5. Ceiling Fans, still

It always amazes me when I see her entertaining herself.  She is such a happy baby and that makes my job easier.  If I have to be up working around the house, I know I can just lay her on the floor and she will be fine.  But, it isn't all of her new toys that usually keep her occupied, it is still . . .  the ceiling fans.  She could just lay there on the floor and stare at them for hours.  I have even caught her smiling at them! How funny!

6. Reading

I have really started to enjoy reading to Charlize because she has become very interested in the pages.  Every time I turn the page of a storybook, her eyes just busily scan all the pictures.  What makes it even better is when she reads to me.  She loves to make noises right along with me as I read to her.  We can actually make it through two or three short storybooks in one sitting before she gets bored.

What Charlize doesn't really care for:

1. Her Car Seat

Maybe it was from all those long car rides to and from Puyallup but lately Charlize has been throwing fits every time I buckle her in to go anywhere.  Hopefully she grows out of it. Being in the car used to put her to sleep, but not lately...

2. Her Crib

Last week Nick and I started "Sleep Training" and it has been much harder than I thought.  Up until this time, she was still going to bed with us at 10:00p and then it would take us another half hour just to get her to go to sleep.  This was getting old so we decided to try some other methods and to start putting her to bed earlier.  It was hard to find a system that worked best for all three of us but we eventually landed on the good old "crying it out" method.  This was very difficult for me at first but we have made real progress.  I'm starting to believe that consistency and dedication pay off.  For most of her naps, I can put her down wide awake and sometimes she will only fuss for 5 or 10 minutes!! That is better than the hour and a half we started with!! Hooray!

3. Tummy Time

I have been trying to be better about getting this little girl time on her tummy.  She is rolling from her back to her tummy but not the other way so we have been spending more time on her stomach.  This has also been a chore but she gets better every time.  Here is a rare video of her actually lifting her head and not being upset!

One of Mom's Favorite's:

The other day, while changing her diaper, I noticed that Charlize seemed to be losing some of her baby fat.  I have always loved to pinch her little rolls and was a little sad to see her getting longer and thinner.  The difference is so small, only a mother could tell but I just had to grab the camera and take pictures of all her fatty spots before they are completely gone. 

Her little "Thunder Thighs":

Her "Sausage Links" (wrist rolls):

And of course her Chubby Cheeks:

I love them all!!
And I just love my little girl!

We Love You Grandma Wright

Klea Fae Wright

March 8, 1929- October 2, 2011

After struggling with liver cancer for quite some time, Nick's grandma, Klea Fae Wright, passed away on Sunday.  She was a wonderful mother and grandmother and I feel so blessed to have met her.  I am also grateful that Charlize was able to meet her, too. Grandma Wright loved children, especially babies, and she always loved to hold Charlize.  In fact, Grandma loved to remind us that she was the first grandma that got to hold Charlize in the hospital. 

Grandma Wright holding Charlize on her baby blessing day.

About a week before she passed, Nick, Charlize and I were able to go up and visit her in Moses Lake.  It was obvious that Grandma was sick and very tired but she was so happy to see us.

Nick, Charlize and Grandma Wright

Ashley, Nick, Charlize, and Grandma

This visit also gave us a chance to visit with other family members:

Shelby and Grandma Skyping with Stacie

Dad (Roger), Charlize, Grandma, and Nick

Grandma Wright and Grandma McNeese

Dad trying to keep Charlize happy!

Leslie and Grandma

Aunt Merlynn putting Charlize to sleep

Grandma with her children:

Roger, Sheryl, Leslie, and Merlynn

It was a great visit and we are so glad that we were able to spend some more time with Grandma.  The best part for me was right before we left--Grandma went back in the house to hold Charlize one more time.  Lately, Charlize will not let anyone hold her in a cradled position but Grandma took her in her arms and Charlize just looked up at her and sat there so quiet, without any fussing, and just let Grandma hold her and talk to her. 

It was a beautiful thing to watch. 

Grandma, we love and miss you!! Thanks for everything you have given us!

Living in Puyallup

For the past five weeks Nick, Charlize, and I have been living in Puyallup, WA (near Seattle) for Nick's work.  We were finally able to move back home this last weekend.  It was a great experience but we are so grateful to be home and back near family.  We are really blessed because Nick's company was nice enough to pay for a nice condo while we were up there so Charlize and I could live with Nick instead of staying in Pasco, waiting for him to come home on the weekends, so we are really grateful for that.  It was like a mini vacation because this place had two swimming pools, two hot tubs, a small gym, and it was a gated community so I felt safe while we were alone during the day.  It was also nestled up against a wetland boundary so when we would go out for walks, it was just beautiful greenery and you could hear the birds and smell the fresh air.  It was pretty nice. 

Here are a few pictures of the place.

And here is an amature video showing the inside of our pretty sweet condo:

While we were living here, we really enjoyed going on walks, especially at night.  Right before we came home it started to cool off at night so I bought Charlize a beanie to wear (it is a little big on her, but still cute).  So, I had to throw this picture in to show how cute she looks in her new beanie, all ready for her evening stroll.

Charlize has a new trick!

Yesterday I needed to bake some goodies for Visiting Teaching so I set Charlize on the floor on her back in the living room and went to work in the kitchen.  Not long after I heard a tiny little muffled cry so I went over and found her on her stomach.  Naturally, I was so excited that she finally rolled over and a little sad that I didn't even see it the first time.  But, I had also heard that babies usually roll over for the first time by accident and then don't usually do it again for awhile.  So, I set her down on her back again and went back to the kitchen.  A few short seconds later, I heard her crying again and went down to find her on her stomach once again!  I wasn't going to be fooled a third time so I grabbed the camera and set her down on her back.  She immediately started crying but quickly rolled over onto her stomach again.  She was so upset that she couldn't stay on her back; I don't think she realized she realized she was doing it to herself.  So, the first video I have of Charlize rolling over is actually third time and she is screaming.  Instead of posting that one, I decided to wait before I tried to record her again.  So, here is the video of her later in the day, rolling over with out screaming.  In this video she had a hard time getting her arm out of the way, but every other time she has been able to do it by herself.

As exciting as this is, it has also changed some sleeping habits.  A couple of weeks ago, we moved Charlize into her own room and she did great.  I felt like the whole family was getting more sleep.  But, after she learned how to roll, she has not been sleeping as well.  All of her naps have been interrupted and she kept waking up last night because she will roll over in her sleep and start crying either because her face is smashed into the mattress or because she ran into the side of the crib.   I'll admit that it is a little funny and really cute, but now she needs to learn how to roll from her stomach to her back to get unstuck! 

While I am posting videos, I finally got a pretty good one of Charlize talking to Nick.  Enjoy!

It is so exciting to watch my little one grow and I am so blessed that Nick works as hard as he does so that I can stay home with her! 

Oh, How She Has Grown

I can't belive how fast time flies . . . our little girl is already three months old and she has changed so much. Although at times I miss the always-sleeping, little tiny newborn, I have enjoyed watching her learn and grow. She has also developed such a happy personality and her smile just makes it that much better. I love when she looks at me and breaks out into a huge toothless grin because she is so happy to see me. I wouldn't trade that for anything. I love being her mom.

So, here is a quick preview of how much she has changed in the last few months:

CHARLIZE ARRIVES ON JUNE 5, 2011

This was the first of many naps these two have taken together.

If I had to guess, I would say giving Charlize kisses and taking naps with her are two of Nick's favorite things about being a dad. He is the best.

We are getting ready to buckle her into her carseat for the first time . . .

. . . and now we can take her home.

HER FIRST BATH

Charlize loves the bath

(Just like her mom)

KISSES FROM DADDY

HER FIRST "SWIM"

I quickly learned that just because she likes the bath does not mean she will like the pool . . . unless the temperature is very warm. We got her up to her knees before she started screaming. So that trip to the pool ended with me holding her on the edge of the pool, wrapped up tight in her towel, warming in the sun. Maybe next year she won't be so picky about how cold it is.

BABY BLESSING ON JULY 10TH

I am so grateful for the Priesthood holders in our family. It was such a beautiful sight to see my precious daughter being blessed by her dad and surrounded by the worthy men in the family.

AND IN JULY SHE JUST KEPT GROWING

I like this picture because you can see that she is just starting to change from a newborn baby and she is getting just a little bit chunky.

I'll admit, I also like this picture because she seems so content looking at her mom.

This picture is great because it really shows the layers of rolls appearing, especially on her arms and legs. This is when she really started looking chubby, or as her grandma likes to say, "She's not chubby, just healthy." What's funny is the huge difference between this picture and the picture of her first bath.

I had to throw this picture in. Nick is a huge BYU fan and this pink onsie was the first thing he bought when he found out he was having a little girl. So, here are BYU's two biggest fans, patiently waiting for fottball season to start. Obviously the little one got tired of waiting.

THEN AUGUST BROUGHT NEW JOYS

FIRST- We had a visit from the Quigley's and the newest member of thier family:
Jocelyn LeAnn.

We had so much fun hanging out with them that I didn't even remember to take out the camera until the last day.  So, we were just able to get a couple of pictures of the girls together; unfortunatley Hayden was taking a nap so he missed out on pictures.

We wanted a picture of just the two of them but we were not sure how you were supposed to prop up two wiggly babies next to each other for a picture so we just set them on the floor. I took several pictures and honestly this is the best. I promise that Charlize is not trying to pet Jocelyn. She is just now realizing that she has some control of her arms and legs and they are both always moving, so that is what we had to work with. But, I think it is still so cute.

Jessica holding Jocelyn and Ashley holding Charlize.

I am so glad that they are only 6 weeks apart. I just know they will be great cousins and best friends when they are older . . . we are just waiting on the Quigley's to move up here.

ALSO- Charlize really started to show-off all she could do:

1. Smiling

I just love her smile.

She is the most smiley in the morning so we just love to lay in bed and talk, laugh, and read books. She is such a happy baby.

2. "Talking"

Charlize has really started to show her personality, and she is very "talkative," especially in the morning when she first wakes up. Both Nick and I love to talk to her and have her make noises in response. Unfortunatley, I have also learned that Charlize is camera-shy. I have had the camera out for weeks now and every time she starts to talk, I pull it and she immediately stops. So, I will have to show off this skill later. . .

3. Sitting up

Charlize has gotten really good at sitting up. Nick started sitting her up in the corner of the couch to sit with him while he watched TV and she just got stronger and stronger. She is not doing this all on her own yet but she is getting close. She prefers sitting up intead of laying down because she always has to know what is going on, so I feel like she will master this skill pretty soon.

Here is Charlize sitting up on the couch with Nick and her cousin.

4. Standing (with assistance)

Charlize loves to use her legs and she is pretty strong. I had to wait to take this picture until Nick came home from work so she is getting pretty tired here, but it still shows how much she loves to stand.

She feels like she is such a big girl.

So, here is our little girl, already three months old and SO ADORABLE: