Stay Strong

Due to the increasing moral challenges of our world today, I felt compelled to write a little of where my thoughts have been. The latest presidential election left me questioning how the outcome would affect me & my family. It's baffling to see where America's people stand on so many important issues. Most importantly, it's deeply concerning how much God is forgotten. This country & constitution were founded on God's principles. Our forefathers had it right. God is in charge always. If we follow Him, we'll be just fine.

I found a great article on how we can stay strong in these hard times. I feel more peaceful now since I remembered that no matter what the world does, we don't have to follow. We just need to stay committed & truly decide which side we're on.

Note to Self...

I've been a crazy woman lately. I don't know why I've been so anxious about getting things done on time every day. There isn't a giant stop watch. No one is bugging me to finish my projects. All I can say is, "Anxiety be gone!" I will apply this image's advice. If you find yourself frantically running around a lot, I hope you take the time to breathe & refocus.

The Finding Time Dilemma

I always have time for Disneyland!

As a full-time working mother, I am learning that time is very fleeting. Dillon is already 8-months-old. How did that happen so fast? He's moving & grooving & loves to learn about the world (his concentration face is my favorite). Lily likes to keep up with me & Dillon & go to the park for our daily walks. Outside is her favorite place. Brian continues to work hard & find time to study & go to school. I'm grateful he's working on his master's. It should be a major asset to his future career endeavors. I'm still getting up at o'dark thirty & somehow managing the household duties while chasing the kids around.

I'm finding the dilemma comes when I don't have time for my side projects. Exercising, reading, crafting & indexing have fallen by the wayside. What's the best way to fit all of this in? Any suggestions?

Nap time always overrules any projects on my list. Sleep is what keeps me going. Without it, Mrs. Cranky shows up & that's not good for anyone. I even coax Dillon to sleep longer on the days when my brain needs a bit more rest. And yes, this is entirely selfish of me, but I love cuddle-time in our recliner. Best part of my day.

At least it looks like my priorities are still in order. That's a relief! Now to just sneak in a few extras without burning out entirely.

6 Months Old...Already?

Handsome Dillon

Yesterday was Dillon's 6-month checkup at the doctor's office. He is growing...A LOT! He is now 19.8 pounds & 28.15 inches. His head is still little but it's growing too! Dillon suffered through those nasty shots (count 'em...FOUR) & battled the fever aftermath. He's feeling much better today. The doctor was surprised that he's sitting up already (check out the grocery cart picture...that was a trial run). Here's to our handsome, baby Dillon!

Catching Some Zzzzzz's

Professional Roller

Sitting Man (I love shopping with Mommy!)

I've Got Tackling Down!

I've Had A Long Day!

The Carrots Won

Food fight!

The title of this post probably explains it all. For parents who know vegetables, how come carrots are so volatile? They go everywhere! Dillon loves spitting his all over his face & up to his hairline. I even have learned to wear an apron to avoid lovely orange spots on my clothes! At least he's happy about eating, right?

The Great Outdoors

I love our Flat Iron Mesa Park. We go walking every morning in an effort to keep Lily sane & keep us from getting fat & lazy. And really, where else can you get a view like that? What a beautiful place Utah is!

Rose of Sharon; national flower of South Korea

Tree Wall

 Brian gets to come with us on Saturdays. Lily gets very happy about that.

Weeping willows are my favorite.

Neil Diamond Day in Utah

What an awesome concert! Neil Diamond is still rockin' it at 71-years-old. He did a lot of hits (which also sound great on his 2-disc "The Essential Neil Diamond" album). There were young & old alike rocking out to "I'm a Believer," "Sweet Caroline," & "Coming to America." In fact, he did 4 choruses of "Sweet Caroline." So...if you get a chance to see Neil someday, do it! The great-grandpa in front of us will attest to the pure joy of this classic music. He had a smile on his face all night. Amazing show!

We're Back! (Dillon's post)

Hello, blog friends! We've been on a little hiatus from the blog world due to crazy schedules & enjoying our little guy.

Hangin' in my robe

Dillon eats like a champ. The sweet potatoes weren't the fave, but he has adapted. I never got my camera fast enough for the disgusted faces he gives. Cracks me up!

Ready to eat, Mom!

Happy Mother's Day!

I recently discovered that Dillon's legs are touching the seat already. I read the sizes on our car seat. It holds up to 30 pounds & 30 inches. I think he's almost there for height. We might be going car seat shopping...dang!

Growing Boy

I'm Rolling Now!

Nap time is now a circus...literally! This baby rolls & wiggles like nobody's business! He starts at one end & ends up at the other in quick succession. I've since had to take down the bumper cover. I often find his head hitting the bars or a little arm poking out. And he does this all while sleeping...sort of.

Hi, Mom!

I'm So Happy To See You!

 The kids and I also take our daily walk at the park. Dillon is happy just taking in all the sights. Trees are his favorite! And Lily is just glad to be outside in the breeze.

Pretty Blue Eyes

Pro-Walker

These last two photos are the most recent. Dillon is a good sport when I pull out the camera. We have so much fun with him! He's a great baby!

Sweet Boy

I Love Mickey Mouse!

Best Friends Already...

Funny little story:
As I was feeding Dillon his bottle, Lily came up to me with her sock in her mouth & nudged my free hand. Obviously, I couldn't play with her at that moment. When Dillon finished, I put him in his little seat on the floor so he could look around. A determined Lily got her sock again & stood by Dillon's hand, waiting for him to grab the sock. So precious! These two already love each other. 

Best Friends

The Parent Timeclock

I know I'm new to this mommy thing, but I'm noticing that my daily life feels like a giant shot-clock. Our errands & activities pretty much revolve around Dillon's eating schedule & nap times. I always have a constant list of to-dos during the day, and if I get sidetracked by something else (blog, internet, tv, reading), Dillon is up & ready to go. 3...2...1...and now he's up again. But with a face like that, it's all worth it!   

One Month Birthday

Isn't it funny how babies have monthly birthdays that everyone gets excited about? Dillon is one-month-old this week. It's gone by so fast!

We've survived postpartum hormones, feeding issues, & sleeplessness. Now we're just enjoying our little sweetie. Can't get enough of that face!

I'm still amazed that God trusts us to take care of & teach this little guy about life. It's quite an incredible responsibility, but I know we can do anything together & with heaven's help.We already love him so much!

The Baby Story

We welcomed our little boy, Dillon Michael, into the world on February 11th. Isn't he precious? Definitely the most handsome baby we know.

I saw my doctor that afternoon & started having regular contractions around 9 pm. We drove up to LDS Hospital while Brian was getting more excited by the minute & I was focusing on breathing through the uncomfortable pressure. I was really happy about the epidural as I was looking at the contraction monitor. So glad I couldn't feel where all those spikes were going! Dillon was born at 4:10 am, Saturday morning. He was 8 pounds, 2 ounces & 21.5 inches long. It was so amazing to finally see him & hold him & kiss him. Quite an amazing experience to be a parent of this tiny little person.

All our family & friends came to see us on Saturday. Everyone agreed that we got a sweet baby. We stayed in the hospital until Sunday after lunch. We were ready to get home & settled into our new life with this little addition. Lily was quite curious & happy to meet Dillon, too. They get along splendidly.

The Protector

Happy Family

Daddy Loves His Boy

Welcome to the World, Dillon!

Baby Prep 101

I can't believe it's already been 9 months...wow! And I have to say that this pregnancy has totally spoiled me. No nausea or any other yucky stuff to hinder me. I was totally exhausted for much of my 1st trimester, but I think getting up at 3am every day contributed a little bit. :)

The early days

It's amazing how fast time flies. I survived Girl's Camp while being 2 months pregnant. I took my certification test & went to Disneyland during my second trimester. And now the holidays distracted me from the third trimester. I think we planned this all pretty well.

Brian has been a fabulous husband by making sure I'm feeling well & getting plenty of rest! I know naps will soon be a hidden luxury.

Now is the "hard to sleep" section. I find myself rolling over & around A LOT at night. But I still can get my naps in the afternoon. There's something to be said about a comfortable couch. It definitely helps my back out.

The now days

I've had some fabulous baby showers. Thank you to all our friends & family who helped us out with our new baby collection. It's amazing how much stuff a baby really needs!

Our new dresser

Lily scoping out Mickey Mouse

I went to a baby class last week & got some good info. We have the room cleaned out & things set up. The car seat is installed. I even packed our hospital bag last night.We are good to go! Our little family is definitely ready for this new addition to get here. We can't wait to see him. I wonder if he'll have my dimples & Brian's beautiful eyes & eyelashes. Wouldn't that be fabulous? He'll be a cutie no matter what. I'm already biased on that one. Here's to our next great adventure: parenthood!

World's Most Excited Daddy

The Catch-up Post

Yes, we're alive. I can't believe it's been 2 months since my last blog post. Where did the time go? Here's what we've been up to...

Lily the butterfly: last seen fluttering around a certain Spiderman (aka Isaac)

Thanksgiving came & went. We had delicious turkey dinner with all the trimmings with my family. We had about 20 people (aunts, uncles, cousins, grandparents, etc.). I always wonder how there's ever any leftovers with appetites that never end! Truly a Thanksgiving miracle...

This Christmas we celebrated by buying our first Christmas tree. Loved it! Brian & I decorated with lots of lights & our first set of Disney ornaments. They're really fun. We will do a better job next year of taking more pictures. Picture this: snowflakes on the ceiling, stockings on our fireplace (Pluto was Lily's & Dillon got Buzz Lightyear), & presents under the tree.

We opted to stay at home & make gingerbread houses/sugar cookies. The gingerbread dough had a little trouble. It somehow became a brick! This is why we practice these things. We'll do better next year.

We got downtown to enjoy Temple Square and all the lights. The Wyatt's came with us & Sofia was bundled up tight. She looked so cute in her little snowsuit. Lily loved her &kissed her all over. (She's gonna be a good big sister to Dillon.)

Lily with her new Minnie Mouse blanket

Brian & I totally got skunked on fantasy football this year. How did that happen? We're the ones "in the know!" Next year, we'll totally take it (as long as I stop losing to Travis EVERY TIME!!!).

The new year came with celebrations at Cathy's house. We always have TONS of food & play games with the family. "Apples to Apples" is a winner with that crowd.

It was an awesome holiday with everyone. And it zoomed by without any time to focus on my growing belly. (Read on to the next post: all about baby Dillon!)