Our Very Hungry 1-Year-Old

One of Dax's favorite book is The Very Hungry Caterpillar so his first birthday party was themed after the book. We invited a few families from the ward and had a barbecue. Even though it's hard to find kids Dax's age around here I was really happy to be able to have a party in his honor. We had a great time and I loved planning all the details. I still have a hard time believing that my baby is one!

We served all the food the caterpillar ate in the book.






The batteries died on this little truck so Dax actually pushed McKell up the hill.

At the end of the night a bath was definitely in order!

Catching up

This summer has been a lot of fun. We have enjoyed going to San Diego, LA, Riverside, and getting to know the bay area a little better. After going to an enrichment focused on Family History, I'm determined to get back into blogging. So here is a random post filled with cute pictures from this summer.

I'm going to enter Dax in the baby gap casting call and I attempted a little photo shoot...until

He got stung by a bee! I felt HORRIBLE. He is fine now.

He LOVES his birthday present from Grandma and Grandpa Allred.

Dax's cousins were in town for a week while there parents were away on a cruise. We took them to the zoo one day. The kids were sort of indifferent about it.

This was the best picture I could get of Dax playing with his cousins. They were having too much fun!

I cannot get him to leave the DVD shelf alone. Oh well, at least it entertains him.

Dax has been playing by himself really well lately. The other day I went to his room and saw that he had pulled all his books of the shelf!

A month ago we took a trip to the temple so we could so Dax where we were married. I'm sure we will go again when he understands a little better.

Our son is slightly obsessed with this dog. They like to have staring contests with each other.

It's like we were never apart

I had THE BEST time with my girls from High School today. We all got together and went to lunch and it was an absolute blast. At one point we were in Ashley's minivan singing Taylor Swift. It was just like we were back in High School except we had a baby with us! I didn't realize how much I've missed these girls. :)




Nedda being Kourtney Kardashian-esq!

"Chipmunking"

Dax likes to put food in his mouth, chew it, and then store it in his cheeks...aka "chipmunking".

Yesterday we went to a BBQ at a friends house and I decided to see if Dax would eat broccoli. I took a tiny piece and put it in his mouth. He chewed it up and it seemed as if he liked it so I gave him another little piece. We spent awhile at the BBQ laughing and talking and when we got home and Kelly was putting Dax in his PJ's he noticed the broccoli was STILL in his mouth. 40 minutes later he still hadn't swallowed his food! Crazy kid. :)

Laughing at the Dog

9 Months

My baby is getting so big. He is starting to look less like a baby and more like a little boy. His cheeks just keep getting bigger (if that is even possible)! We are LOVING this age. Dax now:

Picks up cheerios and puts them in his mouth.
Smiles on cue.
Scoots himself backward (no crawling yet).
Laughs hysterically.
Has gotten taller but stayed the same weight.
Throws his arms out when he wants to be held.
Plays well by himself.
Will eat anything we give him but always makes a funny face at new food.
Drinks from a sippy cup but still prefers his bottle.
Finds his binky and puts it in his mouth all on his own (when should I try to kick that habit?)
Acts shy around strangers.
Is obsessed with my parents dog.
Is a happy, healthy, littly boy.

SO Proud

A post about Kelly has been long overdue. It was his birthday on June 17th, then it was Fathers Day and today is his first day at his new job with Farmers Insurance in the California Bay Area. Kelly worked really hard to get this job and I could not be more proud of him.

He is truly the best Father there is. He is always happy to help out with the mundane parenting tasks like feeding, diapering, dressing, bathing, etc. He is more than willing to get up when Dax decides to wake up at 5 AM. He truly enjoys playing with his son and is never too tired get on the floor and roll around with the babe.

We had fun celebrating Kelly's 26th birthday. He had not started his new job yet so we were able to spend the whole day together. Kelly got to sleep in and then I made him his favorite breakfast, bacon and eggs. We spent the rest of the morning lounging and letting Dax get a nap. We went to Chevys for lunch and watch the NBA finals that evening. It was a very relaxing day. Happy Birthday an AMAZING husband and father! We are SO proud of you.

8 Months

Dax is 8 1/2 months and is becoming such a big boy.
He:

Wants to stand using the support of our fingers ALL. THE. TIME.
Still giggling hysterically..especially at small children and dogs.
Is wearing a size 4 diaper and 12-18 month clothes.
Rolls to get around...tries to crawl but looks like he's swimming in place.
Sleeps on his tummy.
Takes 2 naps a day, 10 and 3.
Sleeps from 8 to 6:30 AM.
LOVES toy trucks, he especially loves playing with the wheels.
Will spend almost an hour jumping in his bouncer.
Is getting bored with Baby Einstein.
No longer screams every time he gets buckled into his car seat.
Is a very happy baby and smiles constantly.
Prefers to be held by mom and dad but will usually be fine with anyone holding him.
Is such a fun little boy!

Congrats to the Grad

Kelly graduated with his Bachelor of Science in Business Management in April. He worked incredibly hard and got stellar grades and I am truly proud of his effort. I'm sure he'd be the first person to tell you that school is tough for him and he has to work harder than most to be successful. His education and GPA just go to show that you don't have to be "good at school" to do well. You just need to be willing to put in the time and that is exactly what he did.

Dax and I were so excited to be able to support him at his graduation ceremonies and Kelly's parents joined in on the fun as well. We are still searching for jobs but currently have a couple great leads.
I am SO proud of you Kelly. Congratulations on such a fantastic accomplishment!

7 months

At 7 months Dax is:

About 21 pounds.
Still very happy and smiley.
Starting to be able to entertain himself and has mellowed out a bit.
Often still fussy in the evening.
Entertained for long periods of time by a bowl full of toys. He empties all the toys out of the bowl, one-by-one, and then proceeds to play with them.
A champion sitter and only falls when he gets really excited.
Reaching long distances for toys.
Spending more time on his tummy trying to crawl but is still having a hard time pushing himself up onto all fours.
Standing while holding onto mommies fingers.
Still a big boy but is starting to thin out.
Fidgeting constantly the boy NEVER sits still.
Only naps 30 to 45 minutes and WILL NOT go back to sleep.
Not cuddly but will give VERY brief hugs and kisses right after he wakes up.
Dax is the love of my life and I am eternally grateful to be his mother.

6 months

I am really behind but when Dax turned 6 months (April 5) he was:
19 pounds 6 ounces - 75%
18.5 inches - 75%

He is in the funnest stage of his life so far.
He does full on belly laughs.
He is SUPER smiley and will smile for pretty much anyone.
He LOVES old people...he must think they look funny because he always laughs at them.
He adores my parents yellow lab...they have staring contests with each other.
He sits really well but I still put a pillow behind him because he falls often.
He cut his first 2 teeth at the same time.
He won't do tummy time...as soon as I put him on his tummy he immediately rolls to his back.
He sleep really well at night (11-12 hours).
He will only nap 30 minutes at a time.
He wears 9-12 month clothes.
He thoroughly entertains us everyday and definitely keeps us busy.
We LOVE our precious baby boy!

Happy Mothers Day to our Moms

My Mom is absolutely amazing. This year, as I have become a mother myself, I have gotten a better idea of how much my mom sacrifices to be the fantastic mother that she is. My mom is constantly there for me during the good and bad times. She always knows what to do in a pickle and I have called her hundreds of times to ask for her opinion. I love my mom and feel lucky to have her in my life. Thank you for being my best friend, mom!

My mother-in-law is the sweetest person in the world. She is always there for Kelly and I and I know that she would drop everything to help us. I have loved watching her with my son. Its nice to know that someone else is excited about the small things my baby accomplishes. I love and adore my mother-in-law and am grateful to be a part of her beautiful family.

Thank you to both of our moms for loving our little Daxy and being the greatest examples of caring and loving mothers. We truly appreciate everything you do for our family. We love you!

For Grandma

Grandma Cordon had surgery today and Dax wanted to do something to cheer her up. So he finally let me get a video of him giggling!

Get Well Soon Grandma!

5 months

Our little tiny newborn is becoming a big boy.

New Developments:

-He can now sit up all by himself (only for a few minutes)
-He can roll from tummy to back but not back to tummy
-He is eating solids, so far he LOVES everything except avocado and rice cereal
-He decided to start waking up in the middle of the night again
-He still has REALLY fussy time every night from 5:30 to 7:30
-He adores going for walks outside
-He is starting to laugh when we tickle him
-He still has a strong preference for Mommy but will usually let anyone hold him
-He tried out the swings for the very first time and had a take-it-or-leave-it attitude about them
-He is a SUPER smiley baby and smiles at anyone and everyone
-He is sleeping without being swaddled
-I can already tell that he is going to be a very spirited little toddler
-He is the love of our lives!

rolly polie

this video is for the grandparents. enjoy.
rolling for the first time at 20 weeks old.
He's also learning to sit up on his own...he's getting too big too fast!

4 months

I am a few weeks late but here are Dax's 4 month stats:

26 & 1/2 inches (95%)
16 pounds 12 ounces (80%)

Needless to say he is a BIG boy.

He is:

-sitting up with support
-grabbing at his toys
-beginning to giggle
-developing a preference for Mommy
-taking 3 naps instead of 4
-sleeping 9 to 10 hours at night
-prefers to sleep in his car seat
-will only sleep while swaddled
-wears a size 3 diaper
-wears some 3-6 months clothes but mostly 6-9 month
-is the smiliest baby ever
-has the worlds biggest cheeks
-loves to look at himself in the mirror
-loves peek-a-boo
-ADORES being sung to
-will sit in his bumbo and watch Baby Einstein so Mom can make dinner
-loves playing "super Dax" with Daddy
-is changing everyday

Tummy Time

I finally figured out how to make Dax enjoy tummy time. I just put a pillow under his chest and then he is happy as can be.

Photo Shoot

My mom came to town last weekend and she wanted to take Dax to JCPenny to do some photos. I was a little skeptical, but they actually turned out to be REALLY cute.

3 months

Daxton turned three months on January 5th!

At three months Dax is:

-Fitting nicely into his 3-6 months clothes.
-Wearing a size 2 diaper.
-Eating 5-6 ounces of formula at a time.
-Probably close to 15 pounds.
-Spitting up more than he ever has in the past.
-Taking 3-4 naps during the day.
-Sleeping 8-9 hours at night...most of the time!
-Still loving his baths.
-Cooing and smiling a lot more now.
-Holding his head up very well.
-Hating his bumbo because he can't kick his legs while in it.
-LOVING his play gym.
-Loving when Mommy sings to him...especially "Itsy Bitsy Spider" and "Give said the Little Stream"
-Liking to watch "the Lion Sleeps Tonight" on You-Tube
-Squirming all around his crib, even though he is swaddled.
-Screaming at every stop light when we are in the car.
-Able to stay awake for almost 90 minutes at a time.
-Still eating extremely slow, he takes anywhere from 25-45 minutes to drink a bottle.
-The center of attention all the time.
-The love of our lives!

*I really cannot believe our son is growing up so fast. I miss the tiny newborn phase but am also loving this new interactive phase too. I just want him to stay little forever. I love you Daxton!

All my parenting questions

Baby Dax has been congested and had a cough for the last 10 days and the little bugger of a cold will just not go away. We have tried everything from herbs to saline nose drops to putting him in a steamy bathroom. He sleeps in his car seat to keep him slightly upright which thankfully has helped him to get a good nights sleep. I have called an advise nurse and she said I am already doing everything that she could suggest. So now I want to ask all you seasoned parents out there if you have any other suggestions?

On to my next question...I am an On Becoming Babywise fanatic. I started following the book when Dax was four weeks when a friend suggested I try it since I was pretty much on the brink of insanity. It has saved Kelly and I in more ways than I can tell you. Dax is on a 3 hour schedule. Except after 10 PM I let him sleep and he usually wakes up between 6 & 7 AM. (Hallelujah for sleeping through the night!) My problem is that in order to get him to eat every 3 hours I almost always have to wake him up from his nap. I tried a few days ago to let him sleep as long as he wanted and because of it, he ended up only having 5 & 1/2 feedings rather than his normal 6. That night he woke up at 3:30 AM wanting to eat. My question is, is it okay for me to keep waking him every 3 hours or would it be better for me to let him sleep during the day? and At what age should I start stretching out his feedings to 3 & 1/2 or 4 hours? (He is 3 months old BTW.)

Lastly, Dax gets swaddled while he sleeps. Lately he has been breaking free and whenever he gets an arm loose, he wakes up screaming. He will not go back to sleep unless I go in and re-swaddle him. Do you think its time for me to stop swaddling, if so, do you have any suggestions of how to do that?


*I would love any and all advise anyone can give.* Thanks!