Back from the Dead

Our holidays were family filled and completely perfect. For Thanksgiving we made the long trek to Star Valley. We split it into 2 days and made it in roughly 16 hours. Dax was VERY surprisingly content in the car. We bought a portable DVD player and that was an absolute LIFESAVER. I don't know how people with kids travel without one. Thanksgiving was wonderful and we enjoyed seeing, Aaron and Gina, and April and Billy. Unfortunately I didn't take too many pictures; we were too busy playing with cousins, playing games and staying up late chatting. It was a wonderful trip and we were so grateful we were able to make it all the way to Wyoming.


We stayed in California for Christmas which was very relaxing. Jared and Paige were in town for 9 days and it was fantastic. We took the kids and rode the BART into San Francisco and did a little shopping. The boys all had a great time together and Dax was very sad to see them go. Christmas was really laid back; we never changed out of our PJ's. Dax was particularly fond of Grandpa that day. In fact, he wanted nothing to do with anyone else. We had a huge Christmas dinner and then went to bed early. We were all tired from playing with our new toys.






I plan on being better about updating this blog so please check back again soon. :)

in his monkey suit

Dax was a monkey for Halloween this year. We went to the pumpkin patch with our playgroup on Friday, the ward trunk-or-treat on Saturday and trick-or-treating to a few neighbors houses on Sunday. It was a great weekend and we were excited to have a little one to dress up.

Why?

Why do kids love the toilet so much?
Last time it was his favorite truck. I've got to remember to keep the door closed!

Being Mama

Being Ma-Ma means:

-Knowing that a sip of water from mommy's cup always stops the crying.
-Finding joy in watching my son learn how a new toy works.
-Getting excited when Dax takes a bit out of his green beans.
-Constantly thinking about what I could be doing better.
-Remembering to shut the bathroom door to avoid more toys being thrown in the toilet.
-Only being able to leave the house for 2 hours at a time so we don't miss naps.
-Grinning from ear to ear when I feel a little tickle on my knees, knowing its my adorable little boy!
-Picking hair or makeup because I rarely have time to do both.
-Spending hours looking at pictures of Dax I've already seen a million times.
-Memorizing the words to baby's favorite episode of Backyardigans.
-Reading the same books over and over again.
-Scouring the Internet to find methods to stop Dax from throwing his food.
-Picking up the toy room 10 times a day.
-Sweeping the floor every time he eats.
-Having the best job in the world!

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!