Happy Halloween

 

We had such a fun Halloween week. On Tuesday night we took Luke to his first trunk-or-treat. It was totally perfect for someone his size, because it's so much easier to walk down a line of cars than it is from house to house! He didn't fight me at all on the costume (I was shocked) and he loved carrying his pumpkin bucket around, even though it was almost as big as him. When it came to the actual trunk-or-treating, he would go up to a trunk, they would give him a candy, he would put it in his bucket, and then he would hand them back a different one. So, he left with exactly nothing, which was probably better anyway since he doesn't eat candy and that is the last thing this pregnant mama needs lying around. 

On Wednesday Colleen flew in to help us finish (yes, you heard me right, we finished!) painting. She is such an angel, and it was super fun to have her there to celebrate with us. Our next bash was a trick-or treat at Dad's work. Even though the picture below is blurry, I love it. It was so cute to watch Luke follow his Daddy around the office. Bryce was a sweet Dad and husband and introduced us to everyone. I am so grateful he has such a great job, not to mention a fun work environment.

By Wednesday night Luke wasn't feeling well so we just put him right to bed like usual and he missed all the trick-or-treaters. Our neighborhood....wow. I won't even tell you how much candy I went through, but that is why I love it here so much! We ordered cafe rio, and Bryce and I hung out in our driveway with Pam and Scott and passed out candy. I made my caramel corn (of course) and Pam brought doughnuts and chocolate milk. In short, we celebrated the holiday by maxing out our weekly caloric intake in two short hours. 

Big Boy Bed

 

As I previously mentioned, we have been working on getting Luke's "big boy room" put together lately. I really wanted him to be transitioned to his new room before Nora comes for a few reasons: 

1. I didn't want him to feel like he was being kicked out or replaced. 

2. I feel like there will be enough changes for him to deal with when she comes.

3. I knew I wouldn't have much energy for making these changes and was scared I'd never end up doing it. 

4. We want to get Nora sleeping in her own crib as soon as possible, since that did wonders for Luke's (and our) sleep. 

However, being realistic, I knew Luke was super young to transition to a big bed and thought it may not be a possible goal. After reading a bunch on the internet and thinking about it for weeks, we decided to go for it. 

All day yesterday Luke was sweet as could be. He literally didn't cry or fuss at all. It was one of those rare days of parenting where it felt like everything was perfect. We played, laughed, he played while I laid on the couch and read, we ran to two different stores, to the bank, and to get gas and he was so good, and he even let me cuddle him on the couch! I just felt like we had so many sweet, sweet moments together... it's hard to explain. I was a little nervous about ruining such a good day by pushing this transition on him if he wasn't ready but...

We put him to bed in there last night for the first time and he slept like a champ! We were so proud (and relieved). We just put him to bed just like we always do with his regular bedtime routine, except we did it in his new room. He slept from 7:00 p.m. to 7:30 a.m. He woke up once at around 4:00 a.m. trying to take off his jammies because he was hot, but he went right back down and didn't make a peep. 

Before we put him to bed last night Bryce said, "I haven't been this nervous since we brought him home from the hospital." Haha. We were worried it would be so much worse and we are so grateful for this easy transition. 

Today I was worried that he wouldn't nap as well in his new bed, but he did great. I'm so so proud of my little man who gets bigger and sweeter every day. Where has the time gone?

Luke, Walking Machine

Well, it's official, Luke is now cruisin' around on two legs like a boss. It is so stinking cute to watch him run around. He is always carrying things, sometimes in both hands and his mouth. He is more and more fun every day and I feel so blessed to be his momma. 

Here are a few of the other things we have been up to since I last wrote: 

We've been building forts...

Playing with friends...

 

Working on Luke's big boy room...

Playing with toys...

Playing outside (lots of playing around here)...

Loving every minute of having the grandparents here to visit...

and of course Uncle Tanner and his friends!

Watching BYU lose...

Oh, and cuddling!

I am supposed to be taking it easy these days and I am trying hard to do just that. I set myself one or two really easy goals or errands to do for the whole day. We are enjoying our last little while as a family of three, and working hard (slowly but surely) to get things ready for baby Nor Nor.

Hope all is well with all of you. 

Quick Luke Update

Here is a quick update on the Luke man:

-He is CRAWLING! It is crazy. He is by no means a pro, but he can pretty much get wherever he wants now. I don't know if I am ready he is growing up so fast.
-He is making all kinds of fun new noises. His current fave is a "thhhh" sound with his tongue against his top gums.
-He loves big boy food. He has kinda always thought formula was nasty I think, (who can blame him?) so he is loving the real stuff.
-He loves his bathtime.
-He has been sleeping like a champ. Usually from about 6:00 P.M - 7:00 A.M. Sometimes he will wake up once between 2 & 4 and then go right back down after a bottle.
-He is finally getting better at daytime naps too! It is amazing the things I can accomplish when he sleeps during the day! I love it.
-He LOVES church & he is so good when we were there.
-He is the most curious little boy ever. JUST like his Daddy. He will not sit still for a minute. He wants whatever you have. Not toys. PHONES. I can get him to crawl anywhere for my Iphone.
-He is the smiliest, sweetest thing. His interactions with me get cuter everyday and it is the best feeling in the world to see how much he loves us.

I don't have many pictures because I'm at my parents house for the wedding already but here are a few to tide you over :)

His favorite thing to play with is balloons...




Luke loves planes just like his Daddy...




Rockin the church clothes...




The cutest boy I know...

Day 22

I'm so thankful today that I'm a mother. I have the best son in the whole world. Sometimes I wonder if it is prideful of me to think MY son is the cutest, smartest, funniest, sweetest, strongest little four month old I have ever seen. But honestly, the things I love about him the most are traits he shares with his Daddy and traits that are purely his own. I love that he is so curious. People always tell me how he seems so aware and he really is a smart little bug. I love watching him take in the world around him. Right now it is fun to watch him learning about cause and effect. Twist the mobile, mobile spins. Shake the bottle, yummy time. Push the button, music plays. It is neat to see him puzzle things out. He has the sweetest temperament. He never cries unless something needs attention (ie:diaper, tummy, sleepy), and even then he usually gives you a few minutes of "hey, I need help over here" fake cries before he really gets into it. He likes the spotlight. All you have to do to make him smile/laugh is give him your attention. He is laughing so much more now & smiling ALL THE TIME. I love it. I make mistakes with him constantly, and he is so forgiving. When he went to get his 4 month old shots, the nurse gave him the shots and after that two second delay he started screaming. As soon as she said I could pick him up I hugged him close & he immediately stopped crying. She told me most babies cry all the way till their through the elevator & she can't hear them anymore (who could blame them? Shots are awful). He is a really brave little guy. I could go on and on but he just woke up for his bottle. What a blessing to be his mother. I am so unworthy of the task, but I try my best, & I love him.

Day 9

Today I am thankful for modern medicine. I'm so thankful that Luke could get his shots today to protect him from diseases that could potentially take his life otherwise. Going to the hospital always makes me reminiscent of the time we spent in the NICU. I am so thankful for the angel people who work there. So thankful for how much they did for us. So thankful for all that we learned as a result of that experience.

Take that, Mom!

Day 3

I feel so blessed to be Luke's Mommy. He is perfect for our family. His love is so pure & unlike anything I have ever experienced before. I am so grateful for him and how patient & forgiving he is as we figure out this parenthood thing.

Luke's Blessing. Oh yeah, & we're moving...

On Sunday we finally had the opportunity to bless our sweet Luke. It was the perfect day, which is ironic only because the night before was the worst-night-ever! Somehow though, even though all three of us were going on basically no sleep, Sunday was a joyous & peaceful experience. I am so grateful to have the priesthood in my home, what a difference it makes! We kept things small & just had our families come & it was so fun to watch them all dote over little Luke man. He definitely isn't short on attention this one. He is becoming more fun every day. He smiles & "coos" all the time now. I love his noises. He is also getting so much stronger & so much more interactive. The other night Bryce said, "it's like he's a little human now!" Haha, yup.. what was he before? Some pictures of the blessing for your enjoyment :).








In other news, on Monday Bryce got offered a job he had been interviewing for with Skywest Airlines in St. George. This is a dream position for him & we honestly feel over-the-top blessed. He starts work on Nov. 1 and we will be moving these next few weeks.

Our house is up for sale but we are doubtful that we will be able to sell it in this market anytime soon, & we may end up just renting it out. My wonderful Grandparents in St. George are going to let us stay with them for a little while while we get everything figured out & we are so grateful for them. This is all just happening so fast.

Even though there will be a lot of changes & it will be hard to move from where we have always been & especially leave our families we know this is the right move for us and we are so excited to start a new adventure in St. George.

Wish us luck :).

Newborn Photos

Better late than never am I right?? Bryce's awesome cousin Brittany from Briston Photography gave us this newborn session at one of my showers as a gift. I was SO excited, I mean, could you think of a better gift? I seriously can't.. Here are a few of our favorite's of our little man at 13 days old...














It is crazy how much he has grown in two short months! He is getting so chunky now, I love it. It is hard to believe how tiny & fragile he was when we got to take him home.

Forgive the lack of updates, being a mom is SO HARD. Especially to a little guy with acid reflux, even though he is the most adorable thing. I have to hold him all the time, even while we sleep. Needless to say, I am getting pretty pro at sleeping sitting up :). I am trying to enjoy every minute though, because considering how fast these first two months have gone by, before I know it he will be running around and the last thing he will want to do is cuddle me :(! Luke is absolutely the sweetest baby with the calmest little temperament (just like his Daddy) it is just hard to see his "bubbles" hurt him, especially because there really isn't that much we can do. On the bright side, at his two month appointment our Dr. doubled his dosage on his meds and he has been doing a bit better, letting us set him down a couple hours a day. Bryce is an amazing father and husband. Even though he goes to work all day he is SO helpful and supportive when he gets home. I have no idea what I'd do without him. Even though it is so hard, I can't imagine life without my sweet Luke bug. If I ever get another minute I will post some updated pics for all of you. Love & miss you all!

Belated...

A VERY important event occurred that I have yet to document. Our sweet husband & father turned 26!!! I can't believe how quickly time flies by. I am so proud to be Bryce's wife. He is such a good man. He works hard. He puts us first. He makes us laugh. He is oh-so handsome. He is my best friend & I am so lucky to have him. Every night I pray that I can do at least one thing the next day that would make me worthy to be his wife, but that scale will just never be balanced.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY BABY! Here's to another wonderful year together!

This was Luke's birthday card to his Daddy:





For Bryce's gift from my parents they gave him a visa gift card for dinner & a movie dates & then, of course, free babysitting. They came over the Saturday before his birthday to watch Luke while we went & saw Harry Potter & went to dinner & a couple errands. Here is a picture of us before our first date after the little man was born.


And here is a picture of the excited grandparents who are about to babysit for the first time!


Bryce's actual birthday was on Sunday, & his family was out of town, so we celebrated with my family's annual birthday dinner! On each of our birthday's we all get to pick our favorite meal etc. & I think Bryce's will always be my mom's favorite because he always picks Costco pizza, so easy! We also had delicious fresh peaches & yummy salad, & of course for dessert Bryce picked white Costco cake! It was so fun to all be together & he got a lot of very sweet gifts. It was Luke's very first venture out of our house, & of course he wore his "Daddy is my hero outfit."

The next week after Bryce's parents got back home & settled we had a combined birthday party at our house for Bryce & Alex. It was so much fun! We thought it was so thoughtful of everyone to come to us, & Colleen brought & prepared everything! We had delicious steaks, baked potatoes, & yummy fruit & green salads. Then for dessert Bryce got his other favorite lemon mirangue pie! & I was happy because Alex choose chocolate cake for her desert! Can you tell i'm hungry right now? Lol. I love how I am recounting all the food we ate, two weeks later... oh well. Anyway it was a great night full of great food, fun presents & fabulous company. I'm so mad I didn't take any pictures!

I'm sorry to give you the scoop so late, but I just couldn't pass up documenting the birthday of my better half. Love you babe!

Let's Roll

Considering Luke wasn't supposed to be born for a week, we were impressed.

Our little man is getting big!

This post is specially dedicated to our loved ones who are away & can't see the little man all the time, I am trying to post pictures to keep you updated, otherwise I probably never would make the time! I can't believe that Luke is three weeks old today! Time has totally flown by, but at the same time, I feel like he has always been apart of our little family. Every day he looks bigger to me, & so I am trying to capture every second of it. Unfortunately, in many of these pictures you will notice he is sleeping, that is because that's still mostly what he does during the day, & I am to tired at night to remember to capture his sweet antics on camera. We love him so much & are so proud of him. He is such a little champ & hardly ever whines even though his reflux makes him so uncomfortable. He is also growing so big & passed the 6 lb threshold! Woo hoo. Even though he gets cuter every day I already feel sad that one day he will grow up & he won't be my tiny little tough guy anymore. I am trying hard to enjoy every single moment with him, even though I am seriously sleep deprived. Here are some pictures for your enjoyment.