January {15 months}

Today is February 6th, 2013 and you just turned 16 months, so I better post about January now before I forget!

The first part of January you got incredibly sick and Dad and I were freaked out. You couldn't break a fever of over 101 for at least 4 days. We took you to Dr. Omura on a Sunday and he said you just had a bad virus and all we could do for you was keep you comfortable and give you Tylenol. You broke out in a bad rash all over which really scared me. You wouldn't eat and you hardly drank anything. You wanted to be held all the time and you would whine since you can't say many words still. Dad and I stayed home with you every day you were sick to keep you feeling secure that we were there. You finally started feeling better after nearly a week. Now I know what it is really like to deal with a sick baby and it is no fun! Hopefully you don't get that sick in a long time!

Since the first part of January was dealing with you being so sick, the rest of the month was fairly uneventful trying to get you better. You didn't have much energy for another week after that. Here is your 15 month update:

When we took you to Dr. Omura the day you were sick you only weighed 22 pounds. You actually lost weight. You went to the Dr. Omura again the week after you were sick for you scheduled 15 month appointment and you gained a pound back. You had to get shots too which was not fun and didn't help you get any better. You were in the 29 inch range still so your stats didn't change much since you were 12 months old. Dr. O said that you were due for a growth spurt before 18 months.

You LOVE hiding toys and other objects and then having Dad and I look for them. Luckily you haven't hidden anything important like car keys (yet).
You play the hiding game in the bath (which I find hilarious) because you will hide a bath toy under your leg, make me look all over the bathroom for it, and then when you go grab it from under your leg you realize it isn't there anymore - it floated away! It is a fun game that we love to play together.
You still love the bath, bath toys, and splashing. You HATE having your hair washed though! You cry the entire time. You also got a light-up rubber ducky for Christmas from Gma that you love playing with in the tub and you make me turn off the lights. It is pretty cool!

You have a love-hate relationship with The Little Gym. You aren't a big fan of the red mat time, but you like climbing all over the big equipment and you are really good at walking on the balance beams.

The second week of January you started eating like a horse! I think you are finally getting that growth spurt we were waiting for. You will eat what we are having, but you HATE eggs. We have cooked them every style and you still will not touch them. It is the one time that I have to make something different for you. You still love the same foods and a few new ones: mac and cheese, Eggo waffles, spaghettios, grandmas chicken noodle soup, green beans, rice, etc.

You now have 9 teeth - you finally got your first molar that came through. Your second molar has broken the skin but is not all the way out. I am sure it will soon. The molar that came through is on the top left.

You still love the vacuum and Daddy bought you your own Dyson vacuum to match - see this adorable photo!? Here are a few others from January

December {14 months}

So it goes to show that blogging is not my forte since I can never keep up! I have been putting "memos" in my phone of Jensen each month though of what he is doing, likes, doesn't like, etc. That way I can transfer all of it here and not forget anything exciting!

I was really looking forward to December this year because I figured the holidays would have been so much fun with Jensen. I was right! He loved messing with the ornaments on the Christmas tree and would try to be sneaky about taking the ornaments off. Such a silly boy! He looked like he was up to no good with the expressions he would have on his face while playing with them, knowing we would tell him no.

This year I was more prepared for Christmas than I have been in years past. I did a lot of shopping starting in September so I wouldn't have to put everything on a credit card in December. I also was able to use a lot of good promotion deals and saved a lot of money. I never thought I would start living a frugal life, but I have learned that my money is hard-earned and I deserve to chose where that money goes. I am not sure if it was because I was prepared or not in terms of shopping, but I was not prepared for all of the gift wrapping. It is not my favorite! I don't mind wrapping a few here and there, but I procrastinated and then hated it this year! I at least loved my wrapping paper and wired-ribbon bows that I tried out for the first time this year. Success! I love when wrapping paper matches and has a "theme". This year the theme was peppermint candy canes, since that is the theme my mom and I also picked for our Christmas Eve dinner. I hosted this year and it was the first time I have had a huge group of people in my home at one time. It was a success and all the hard work was worth it. Plus, every family member brought a charity item to donate to the Fire Departments Warm Up program. Here is as picture of the dessert table I did for the party and also the pictures I had done at FotoFly Santa for our Christmas cards. I also created an advent countdown linked chain with activities, charity, or something just for Jensen each day. I will admit that the closer to the 25th, the worse I got at following through. It was good to start traditions though and I am happy to say I will do it again next year and will probably be better at doing the assigned task each day.

Jensen at 14 months:
You are getting better at eating other foods. You now will eat more protein like hamburger and chicken. You still love applesauce (the squeeze kind), fruits, veggies (GREEN BEANS!), yogurt, and french fries
You have started classes at The Little Gym but due to the holidays you only went twice, but you loved it. Dad went with to the second class and thought it was going to be beneficial for you as well.
You love climbing on the furniture, stairs, and you are great at running. I can barely keep up.
You LOVE ice cubes and get upset if Dad gives one to Dakota and not to you. You can say ice pretty well.
You have 8 teeth - 4 on the top and 4 on the bottom
You love to be tickled and you have a fantastic laugh. You throw your head back and laugh like your mama
You love to dance and hear music. Your dance moves consist of squating, clapping your hands, and spinning in circles
You don't have many words still - no Mama yet. I am sure soon though
You LOVE the Sesame Street book that was Mama's from the 1980's called: I Can Do it Myself. You want Dad and I to read it to you over and over and over again - every day! You love when we make sounds for each page and you make sounds with us too.
You are still obsessed with the vacuum and corn popper. I am not sure if this phase will ever end. You love cleaning too and when we are cleaning you want a rag to help.
You also love when we play the Gigglebellies on YouTube, but Dad is getting sick of them!
You have gotten better at sleeping through the night since you started eating better and you are on whole milk. Boy, your bottles of milk!
You don't like being told no and you are not the best at sharing toys, but I think playing at The Little Gym will help with sharing. We also use the art of distraction instead of yelling no all the time. It seems to be working!

I love you little man!

November {13 months}

Yet another month has gone and I haven't written. Little Jensen sure keeps us on our toes at all times!

Jensen - here are the things you love and are right now
You love to give Mom and Dad the oven mits and have us put them on and chase you around the house.
You love when we chase you with the toy corn popper too. Especially with the mittens on
You love to give hugs and cuddle. Not so much kisses though.
You are getting better at eating but you are pretty picky. Luckily you love Mac & Cheese just like your mama
You are finally good at wearing shoes and don't cry to take them off. Good thing such Gma buys you expensive Puma shoes!
You love playing with pots and pans still and playing with all the plastic rubbermaid containers
You love playing with plastic wrap and plastic bags which is awful since it is one thing you are supposed to keep away from kiddos when they are little.
You loved snacking on Mama's pumpkin chocolate chip cookies
You love painting and have two pretty canvases and a pumpkin done. Yes, Mama still has them and has also taken pictures of them
You love your toy Scout dog and I think you really like that he says your name
You love to dance to music

You and Mama have been sick this week and neither one of you are getting much sleep. It's no fun being sick! Hopefully we get rid of this bug soon and go back to being happy and playful.

I love you!

12 months

Wow Bubba! Can you believe you are already a year old!?

The past few months have been so busy that I have a hard time remembering to get on and blog updates about you. I try to do it at least once a month so that I can try to at least keep track of the past 4 weeks and all the new things about you.

Your 1st birthday was on October 6th and your great aunt Uan (susan) and Sheila flew in to Salt Lake to celebrate with you. Uan stayed with us and it was fun having our first house guest. Too bad she is gluten and dairy free and we couldn't feed her! You know how I love to cook for a crowd (when I have time). Your rock star party was a hit and renting the Lone Peak Indoor Pavillion in Sandy was definitely the best decision I could have made! Zack (your daddy's best friend) took all the pictures at your party and he did a great job. You loved smashing your cake and you decided to share it with Daddy and me which was pretty hilarious. We have so many great pictures that will last us a life time. You got a ton of new toys that you play with daily including a Cars (car) from Gma that you can drive yourself, a lot of balls, books, and clothes, a winter snow suit, a wagon, and a Thomas the Train toy from Sheila that you love too. You now have a complete wardrobe for the next 6 months - woo hoo!

This last month has been so much fun to watch you. You are really coming into your own. We took you to see Dr. Omura on October 9th for your 1 year old check-up and you couldn't be healthier! He said you are about 20 pounds and 29 (and something) inches long/tall. You sure are a growing boy! He said you haven't hit a growth spurt in a while and your weight is a little low, but that is because you have been walking for 3 months and you burn all of your calories you consume. He said you need to stop drinking so much milk in the day (cut back to 24 ounces in a day) and eat more solid foods and 3 actual meals. The meals have definitely been interesting... you prefer to feed yourself and you do not want help. It becomes a huge mess when you take the spoon to your yogurt! You can actually get some yogurt on the spoon and make it to your mouth, but a lot of it gushes out the sides of your mouth since you slide the spoon into your mouth instead of opening your mouth all the way. It is pretty funny to watch. You sure are proud of yourself when you get large pieces of food to take bites of instead of us breaking your food down for you.
You love (to name a few): noodles, cheese, peanut butter, raisins, yogurt, cheerios, chips, pears. Food isn't the only thing you enjoy...

You absolutely love your daddy. which you can now successfully say daddy (and hi). You love to climb up the stairs and on furniture. You love going down the stairs too (backwards). You LOVE playing on mama and daddy's big bed and playing in our pillows. You find it hilarious. You love spending your weekdays with your grandma Jill and your weekends catching up with Gma. You are so smart and catch on to what daddy and I are doing right away. You now can run and you are so much better on your feet. Speaking of feet... Gma bought you a pair of See Kai Run shoes and you actually keep them on and walk without crying and freaking out until we take them off. Success in the shoe department!

You are now babbling like crazy and I know that once you get a few more words down you will probably be speaking in full sentences! You really get going and you get so loud that your dad and I can't help but wonder what you are saying to us. You are still such an amazingly happy boy! You are finally sleeping a little better through the night. You still have your normal night time routine, but we just stopped our last night time nursing session on October 22nd so no more boobies for you! You still go down at 8 pm and you typically wake up around 11. Daddy gets up and gives you a bottle and you go back down. You typically wake back up around 5:30 to 6am and I get up with you. I feed you a bottle and you come snuggle with me in bed until I get up at 6:30. Daddy takes over from there until I am done getting ready and then I get you dressed and ready for the day. Our routine works out well and I feel that the stability is good for you. I can't wait until you sleep through the night though! You have a few times recently, but it is still a pretty rare thing. Hopefully having a more full belly at night you will sleep better.

This post is huge! I will have to write more often! Off for now...

11 {months}

Wow how time flies by - I know I say that every month, but that is because it couldn't be more true

Today is Sept 12th which means there is actually less than 1 month until your birthday. In the past month...

You have figured out how to go down the stairs by scooting down on your belly
I call you Peanut, Bubba, Monkey, and Jensen Callan (when you are in trouble)
You walk as fast as I do, but not yet running
You love playing with Dakota still, but I think she has finally had it with you pulling her hair all the time and trying to hit her with your toys.
You still go to Grandma Jills Monday - Friday and love it there. She definitely knows how to love and spoil you!
We spend a few days a week visiting with G-Ma and you love laughing with her. She sure is silly!
You love playing in the dirt in the front of the house. G-Ma says you are "all boy" and that couldn't be more true.
You love drinking water from the bath tub, even when it is gross. I try not to let you, but you do it anyway.
You still wake up during the night a few times. Hopefully this will change soon so Mom and Dad can finally get some sleep! I hear sleeping patterns get better around 12-18 months old
You are getting better at eating people food and actually swallowing it.
You are still wearing 9-12 month clothes, but they are definitely getting tight.
You still have the same 6 teeth you have had for the past month or two. You have 4 on the top and 2 on the bottom. This past week you have been slobbering everywhere and pretty uncomfortable so I think more are on there way.

Now that you are 11 months old I have to look into weaning as I can only use the mother's room at work until you are 1. I can't believe I am not ready to do this yet! I still give you formula for nearly half of your feedings, but I still loving knowing that I am giving you the best milk there is available. Hopefully I figure out how to wean so I don't have to pump anymore during the day and gradually wean you from your night feedings. I sure do love the bond we have that no one else can have with you. We will find other ways to bond though - I know it!

Not much else is new. Still working hard on the house (well, your dad is) and we are finally hanging up pictures and getting more settled. I really love having a house for our perfect little family.

In the mean time I have been planning your first birthday and I am SO excited. We just got your 1st birthday pictures done on Monday the 10th and I cannot wait to see how they turned out. We went to Mary again with DMC - we sure do love her and her work and you like her too. You loved smashing your birthday cake all over. I am so glad you had fun and we have pictures to prove it. Move over 11 months - this Rock Star will be 1 soon!

Move over 9 months

So, I am the worst blogger ever! Life has been crazy these past two months since I last did an update. Corey and I have been working hard on the house. I graduated University of Phoenix on 7/29 (with a 3.6 GPA), and Jensen keeps us running, literally. My brother also moved to Washington with his family on 8/5 for work.

9 month old Jensen:
Loves food, but holds it in his cheeks. Yep, I call him a chipmunk. He doesn't swallow it well.
Took first steps on June 30th
9 month check-up went well. He is around the 50-75% in both height and weight.
He wears 6-9 months - just like his age
He loves to say dada
Loves the bath and splashing and getting mama wet
Loves to tackle his stuffed animals and then eat them (too cute to watch!)
Loves bread just like his mama
Makes all sorts of grunting sounds
Has the best laugh and is super ticklish
Loves to play with Dakota and her toys - play tug a war
Pro at throwing things down the stairs
Loves throwing the ball in the house and to Dakota

10 month old Jensen:
Getting better at swallowing table foods, but still holding it in his cheeks. Glad he is doing better with this.
Eats his Plum Organics food directly from the pouch without help and eats it all
Walks so fast everywhere we go
Hates wearing shoes - EVERY kind no matter how soft and light. Only socks and barefeet for now
Loves to pull and push the corn popper toy around the house
LOVES the water- the pool, tub, and the hose

Still loves and does the same 9 month old stuff and learning new things every day

{eight}

Jensen,

You turned 8 months yesterday! I cannot believe where the time has gone. I try to remember that each day and each moment is special because they go by so fast.
What you are up to these days:
You crawl like a maniac - so fast!
You are a pro at going up the stairs
You have mastered how to stand against anything including the wall
You can stand for a little bit on your own without holding furniture
You can also get yourself into a standing position without needing furniture or anything to hold onto
You have fallen in love with a stuffed monkey and want to sleep with it
You have not gotten any more teeth - still have the bottom 2 and top 2
You LOVE food and prefer the mixed pouches that hold fruits and veggies in one
You love hearing your own voice and scream a lot for no reason
You like seeing yourself in the mirror
Your favorite song is still itsy bity spider and it can always calm you down
You are still trying to figure out Dakota and always pull her hair (which she hates)
You love getting watched by your grandma 5 times a week
You still love the water and try to catch it in your hands when coming out of a faucet
You are definitely more interested in cell phones, remotes, and Dakota's water bowl than any baby toy
You still love your jumperoo and we put you in it in the morning when getting ready
You love cuddling with your dad and sleeping on his chest
You like books, but only to play with. You are currently too interested in eating the book than listening
        to be in read to you