Wifey

So I am totally ripping this off my friend Angie's blog, but I thought those of you who haven't read this might enjoy it!

This is from a 1955 issue of Housekeeping Monthly...

-Have dinner ready. Plan ahead, even the night before, to have a delicious meal ready on time for his return. This is a way of letting him know that you have be thinking about him and are concerned about his needs. Most men are hungry when they get home and the prospect of a good meal is part of the warm welcome needed.

-Prepare yourself. Take 15 minutes to rest so you'll be refreshed when he arrives. Touch up your make-up, put a ribbon in your hair and be fresh-looking. He has just been with a lot of work-weary people.

-Be a little gay and a little more interesting for him. His boring day may need a lift and one of your duties is to provide it.

-Clear away the clutter. Make one last trip through the main part of the house just before your husband arrives. Run a dustcloth over the tables.

-During the cooler months of the year you should prepare and light a fire for him to unwind by. Your husband will feel he has reached a haven of rest and order, and it will give you a lift too. After all, catering to his comfort will provide you with immense personal satisfaction.

-Minimize all noise. At the time of his arrival, eliminate all noise of the washer, dryer or vacuum. Encourage the children to be quiet.

-Be happy to see him.

-Greet him with a warm smile and show sincerity in your desire to please him.
Listen to him. You may have a dozen important things to tell him, but the moment of his arrival is not the time. Let him talk first - remember, his topics of conversation are more important than yours.

-Don't greet him with complaints and problems.

-Don't complain if he's late for dinner or even if he stays out all night. Count this as minor compared to what he might have gone through at work.

-Make him comfortable. Have him lean back in a comfortable chair or lie him down in the bedroom. Have a cool or warm drink ready for him.

-Arrange his pillow and offer to take off his shoes. Speak in a low, soothing and pleasant voice.
Don't ask him questions about his actions or question his judgment or integrity. Remember, he is the master of the house and as such will always exercise his will with fairness and truthfulness.
You have no right to question him.

-A good wife always knows her place.

Isn't that great!? Ok ok I must say, maybe I'm a little old fashioned but I agree with many of these things but not in such a cheesy stupid way haha! (does that make sense) Some things i agree with: When Jake comes home, I do try to have dinner cooking. And also I try to straighten the house (jake and I both hate clutter and feel better when the house is clean) and I am definitely always happy to see him. I try not to shove Austin on him and I actually really like to hear about his day. Anyways..

The next time Jake comes home, I will make sure to have a ribbon in my hair (better make a trip to the fabric store), I will have a fire lit, and oh ya I will lay him down on the bed and take his shoes off for him...And well if he DOESNT come home all night I just won't worry about it!!! Then I will be the best wifey in the world!!

Seven and Counting

Where the last 7 months have gone, I couldn't tell ya except all wrapped up in this little fella!!



The official countdown to 1 has begun..I know, it's still 5 months away but seriously October will be here before we know it. But let's not talk about October since summer still has yet to enter our lives!

It took me like 5 tries to get a semi-decent 7mo picture of Austin. He was so interested in the sign I made..then all he wanted to do was play with Snoopy. Then he fell backwards on his head..and that promptly ended the photo session.

I just love this little boy to smithereens and am completely obsessed with how he is learning and growing each day. You know how some people want their babies to stay babies? I officially LOVE the older-baby stage more than the newborn stage! Don't get me wrong, newborn Austin was still a-m-a-z-i-n-g and full of joy and lovely tender moments. But babies are SOOOO fun the older they get!! I am loving the interaction we have and the fact that he can play, yell, "talk" and just do big boy things. It's great!! At his 6mo checkup, the Dr found the swollen gums and said he's definitely teething. Then a couple weeks later I was laying on the floor with Austin and noticed one little white thing poking out! haha I was stoked! Seriously not 3 hours later, the other one poked out. This picture is about 2 weeks from the beginning of officially teething. Those suckers sure do take their time! He's done pretty well. One night he woke up screaming but I was able to calm him down (alone..jake was at scout camp) and within 20 minutes he was out for the night. His teeth definitely bothered him during the day though so he lived on Tylenol, Motrin, and Orajel (despite the warning from the FDA-I just kept a close eye on him and he was fine). But it's so funny to see him with teeth! He leaves teeth scratch marks on everything now! His sippy cup is totally scraped up!


Austin has always loved standing and bouncing (since he was just a tiny guy), so we finally got him this jumper. He is a maniac at bouncing...and he's got some good rhythm haha.
Some pics from Mothers Day...I love this little boy!!! He makes this the best job in the world!

Over the last month he's pretty much gotten the hang of sitting. He still falls over, but only when he gets tired of sitting for so long haha. It's funny to see him sit compared to Logan...Logan has perfect posture..straight back and all. Austin's a little more slumpy but it's so cute because his belly is nice and round. Just cuddling with dad! Austin is still obsessed with Jake and now when he sees Jake for the first time after any period of time he SQUEALS with delight. When he squeals he breaths in, not out haha.
We celebrated our 4 yr anniversary at the beginning of May. It was a beautiful day so we walked around the temple grounds downtown, ate at PF Changs, and kept walking all over the place. On the way home I wanted something "decadent" so we picked up a Resees Peanut Butter cup cheesecake from the Cheesecake Factory. Holy cow those things are huge! It took Jake and I all week to eat it.
Flowers on temple grounds. Just a few days after his 6mo checkup, Austin woke up from a nap with a goopy, red, swollen eye. Yes it was Pink Eye. I've always thought pink eye sounded nasty and well, I was right! Luckily we caught it early enough so it didn't get too gross. A sick visit to the Dr uncovered Pink Eye in his right eye, and an ear infection in his left ear. Eye drops and amoxicillin did the trick! That was his first official sickness, which is fine by me. Luckily Jake and I were able to stay healthy! No pink eye for me, thanks! He is mommy's little boy...In that he LOVES stuffed animals. I seriously had hundreds of them growing up. And I slept with like 30 of them. My parents had to put a limit on how many I could have on my bed because there was no room for me haha. Austin loves to cuddle, hug, chew on, and just hold his animal buddies :-) They are the first thing he wants to say hi to when he wakes up in the morning or from naps! It's so funny, they really make him so happy!
What is it with naked babies? I love it when he's got just a diaper on....so soft and chunky haha!

Some more fun things to remember:

- He added "ma ma ma" to his vocab. Aside from "da da" and "ma ma" he loves to yell, squeal, babble, and he'll also do this funny thing where he'll move his bottom jaw open and shut but keep his lips open. So it looks like he's saying da da but no sound comes out. I think what he's doing is feeling his teeth on his top gums.

-Doing great in the calorie department! We got a little late start on the whole solids thing but he's loving them! To name a few, he loves oatmeal, mangos, pears, green beans, carrots, bananas and more. He loves to chew on rice crackers, puffs, those gerber cheeto things-veggie flavor- (thanks for the suggestion Carly!), and he also gets tastes of random stuff we eat. He also really really enjoys drinking from his sippy! He can drink from it all by himself (sloppy though)..with a little reminder sometimes to tip it back to get the water haha. He hates prune juice. I actually don't let him drink juice, but I gave him Prune juice the other day from a syringe to help with some "clogged pipes" lol.

-He's not mobile yet but he can roll both ways. He has just barely started showing interest in wanting to "get" somewhere. Up until now (like yesterday)he was perfectly content laying on his back or sitting and playing. But now he just makes me laugh because he'll see something he wants while on his belly and he'll lift himself up on his arms...and then lift his legs in the air and then he doesnt know what to do next so he just squirms side to side!

-Still napping and sleeping great. He takes 2 two hour naps then a mini power nap in the evening. I still swaddle him...loosely....but he always breaks his arms out. He definitely prefers free arms. He must have them out over the blanket I cover him with too. I'm not sure when or how to wean from the swaddle. I don't even do it that tight..he can kick and move his legs all over the place.. It's pretty much a blanket wrapped around him instead of a swaddle. But man how funny would it be if he was still being 'wrapped' by age 1!? Gotta work on that I guess haha! But honestly he's perfectly happy sleeping like that so I'm not gonna mess with it until it's an issue.

- Lastly, Austin is a big hugger now. He will bend his whole body and nuzzle his face in your shoulder, neck, stomach, whatever...He just loves hugs! He even does it to his aunts and uncles..I love it!

I feel like I babbled a lot on this post! Sorry! But it will be fun to read later on on life. Anyways I look forward to 8 and 9 months...and hopefully some crawling!!

A Message...

A message to the weather:

L - E - A - V - E.

Although it doesn't look like this outside, it sure does feel like it. All I wanna do is play outside in the sun with my baby. Is that too much to ask? It's going to be MAY soon ya know...

xoxo
Kim

I Wonder...

I wonder what Heaven will be like. I know our bodies will be perfect and at their best. But what about our babies? I don't want Austin to grow up. I can't imagine him being a teenager. Or even worse....a grown up. So does that mean in Heaven he will be my baby again and I can take care of him like I do now? Probably not, huh. I wonder if in Heaven, I can take care of the baby I lost (I wasn't that far along, but still...he or she is my baby). Wouldn't that be so wonderful! Just when I think I'm done with holding my sweet little babies, I will get to heaven and have a brand new one just to hold and love. I guess Austin will have to grow up...and the rest of them. Because it sure isn't stopping anytime soon.

My how he's changed!!

R.I.P Annie, BSA apparell, & News from Austin

This is a pretty random post but that's life, isn't it?

First of all, I would like to say R.I.P Annie. Our dear African Dwarf Frog, Annie, has passed away. Below is a picture of what an African Dwarf Frog looks like:

We got 2 a few months after we got married, and named them Pedro and Annie. We didn't really know (and still don't) if they really were a boy and a girl. So we just pretended like they were married and the happiest of couples. Annie got really sick and stopped eating like a month ago. She got super skinny and really mopy. Jake tried to save her and bought a heater for their tank because apparently for the last 3 and a half years their water has been too cold! Anyway she died this week and I feel bad for Pedro! We'll see if it really rings true that when the wife dies first the husband is soon to follow :-(


PS Plus Some: If you're wondering if we have "real" pets...No. But someday we'd like a dog and maybe a kitty. But we both want to wait until our kids are old enough to help take care of them. When I graduated from highschool I bought a chocolate lab, Bailey...ADORABLE by the way...and I totally raised that puppy, and boy it's a lot of work! I felt like a teen mom haha. I always asked my mom to take care of her when I wanted to go out. I took her with me alot too though. She was my little buddy. I really miss having a dog! We went hiking, jogging, walking, swimming (in the mountains AND at my friend's house in his pool haha) and she slept with me everynight. She is an old doggy now with a gray beard/mouth and lives with my mom (again making me feel like a teen mom) and I will be devestated when she dies.

On to the next item of business.


The other day Jake got something in the mail that just made me shake my head. Take a look at this piece of work:

aye aye aye! My thoughts on this are going to be brief because I'm already dry-heaving. This does not help with the bad reputation the Boy Scouts of America already has LOL. The description says: "A way-cool way to honor the BSA! Vibrant starburst pattern is highlighted by an abstract fleur-de-lis print on center front." Yeah, wear that shirt to school and you're gonna end up knocked out on the floor in 2 seconds flat. Needless to say, Jake loves everything about his calling except the mail haha.

Last item of business. The other day Austin woke up from his nap saying "da da da da." I was so excited!!! That's the first time he's "said" something, and it's SO fun to watch him do it. He positions his tongue correctly and everything....he's so stinkin' cute when he says it too because I love his toothless little mouth! I've been saying "da da da" to him for a couple months now and am so excited he's saying it back! Go Austin! If you're wondering why I didn't teach him "ma ma" it's because apparently they say their "b"s first (ba ba), then "d"s (da da), then finally their "m"s (ma ma). I know it's probably different for every baby but I figured might as well start with something I know he'll be able to say easily!!

Half a Year!

Um excuse me, what? I have a 6 month old? Yep it's pretty strange to say that. Austin is seriously getting so cute with his little personality! He's really "connecting" with us socially; and it's so fun to watch and teach him how to communicate and interact. I love going to his check-ups, it's so exciting to see his growth and Jake and I both love his doctor (who doesn't love their kid's doctor, right?).

Here are Austin's 6 month stats:

Weight: 16.12lbs (40%)

Height: 27 1/2" (80%)

Head: 95%

Poor guy has a big noggin, which can really make him seem bigger than he is. He is tall, and just below average for weight. He has always fit into clothes that are a few months ahead, so as usual, everything he wears is 9-12 months at this point. I had a thousand questions for dr memmott about feeding Austin solids. I don't even know why I stress about it so much, I'm so dumb. I was just iffy about it because when we started them at 4 months, he really hated his bottle and it scared me because everything you read says there shouldn't be a decrease in formula when they're 4-6 months. So he only got solids here and there in spurts. He LOVES them to say the least! Which I shouldn't complain! But I was so happy to hear from the dr that there is no right answer and all you have to remember is Austin will know when he's full, he may not drink as much formula now - and that's fine - so just relax and go with the flow haha. I feel better now knowing I can't really go wrong and to just follow Austin's lead. I also decided to stop counting how many ounces he drinks. I feel like I'm not doing either of us a favor by doing that. That's definitely a benefit of breastfeeding...you don't obsess over every ounce! So basically I'm finally relaxing on his eating and I feel so much better about it! Pretty sure this guy is not going to waste away any time soon LOL so why should I worry. Happy Half Birthday buddy! Can you see his fingers? Yes he is gnawing on his fingers because well apparently his has a tooth coming in! I had no idea. The dr found a swollen, blueish purplish spot (eruption hematoma) on his bottom gums on his left side...and I guess that means he's got a tooth coming in the next couple weeks! yay!! I would never have known, because he's always been a chewer.

I love how his hair looks after the bath. It's the only time it's "down" and he also has this natural part...so he just looks so handsome! Besides the camera shocked face haha...

I took him to the park the other day for the first time, and he had a blast. I was glad he wasn't afraid to try anything...the slide, the swings...

Um this picture is out of order....I'm so bad at using blogger haha! Anyway he LOVES this mesh thing our good friend Ashley gave him. I stuck an apple in it and he went to town!

He's got extra cheek if anyone needs some..

again..blogger handicapped...i couldn't get this picture to turn the right way. *sigh*

His grandma Peterson brought Snoopy to the hospital when Austin was born. Austin loves to look at and play with Snoop.

Sorry about so many similar pictures..got to get them all in for the grandparents!

I am amazed at babies' flexibility. He can fold completely in half. And that's pretty cool.

He is JUST ABOUT to sit by himself! woowoo! He can sit alone, but only for like 5 seconds.

I thought this was a cute pic of him with his daddy, even though they're both making funny faces.

A while ago, I tied this beanie on him before we went running. That was the first time he's had something tied under his chin and it was so funny, he wouldn't close his mouth for a good 5 minutes!

Carrots for the first time at about 5mos. He wasn't too fond of them but will gobble them up now. Oh and he totally choked on these carrots the first time he ate them. I didn't mix enough water into them so they were too thick. Yep pretty scary! Jake was literally hitting him on the back, then he finally threw them up!! yikes! Poor guy.

I don't know if you moms get this question alot too but people always ask me "how is it being a mom? Is it everything you thought?" Maybe I'm weird but I don't know how to answer except with what they probably expect me to say: "it's so fun, lots of work but incredibly rewarding, love being with my baby every day etc." But it's so true. Your life changes forever, but it's awesome and sooo fun! It's still strange to not have the alone time Jake and I use to have but now we have family time and it's still amazing. We now know what the term "pride and joy" means. We are obsessed with our little boy and cannot get enough of him. When we're both home and he wakes up from his naps we let him play and talk for a minute then we both run to his room to see who can get there first to see our funny guy hanging out in his crib. We talk about him before we fall asleep. We talk about him when we're out on a "date." It's funny how the focus of your life changes in the blink of an eye!

Some things I love about being a mom:

- When he wakes up in the AM or from a nap, and he's SO excited to see me!

- He has started cuddling more, and nuzzles his face into my shoulder or chest

- His big smiles for ME, when he's being held by someone else

- Watching him discover/taking him to new places

- Having a buddy to hang out with all day. Makes errands incredibly enjoyable!

- Having something to show for my hard work each day haha

- Being busy all the time

- Experiencing true happiness and the bliss that comes with watching every milestone!

Some facts about Austin at this point:

- Still a great eater and sleeper. Usually takes 3 naps a day, last one being about 30-45 minutes. Sleeping about 10.5-11 hrs at night. I finally put curtains up in his room and he's sleeping an hour later, so I need to work really hard at getting him to bed earlier..at what I think is a reasonable time for a baby haha

- He has had a cough for a week now and also has been sneezing a lot. The dr said it's just a cold and should go away on it's own. Luckily this is only the 2nd time he's been sick, and both times have been minor. This, combined with the irritability from his shots, AND teething, has made for a rough few days!! Poor poor guy. He's just been sad lately, mostly in the evenings.

- He started rolling consistently last month so that's good! I think he will be sitting in a few weeks. I asked the dr how he will learn how to crawl since he instantly rolls over when he's on his stomach and he said it's very common now for them to skip crawling and go straight to walking, so don't worry if he doesnt crawl. But I really want him to, crawling babies are so cute, and plus he REALLY wants to get places on his own and I'd hate to see him have to wait until he WALKS to do this!

- When we hold him he "directs" us using his hands and arms in the direction he wants to go..usually he'll see something he wants to feel and pickup so he'll show us the direction to go to get to it haha

- I think it's hilarious when he looks at his hands. He'll hold them up in front of his face and stare at them and move them around...so funny.

-he's obsessed with feet and shoes. He'll stare at your feet or shoes and grab them.. and try to eat them (gross)

Well parenthood is crazy and wonderful and I love doing what I do. Now that it's been 6 months, not that that's alot by any means, but I still think 3 kids is a good number. I also think 2 is, but I think 3 is better for the unexplained reason of 2 is just not enough. I think more than 3 might be a little too much for this mamma just because it sounds like too much to juggle! I'm not sure I'd be able to be the mom I want to be with more than 3. I want to give as much time as possible to each child, but also do the things that make myself happy - like exercise...A happy mom is a good mom, right!? Anyway we'll see what the future holds ;-)

It Was An....

Itty Bitty Teeny Weeny Yellow Polka Dot Bikini... Jake and I had a gift card to baby gap so we decided to purchase Austin his first swim trunks. While browsing the over priced apparel, we came across this little number: Ok well the one we saw was black but still....We both instantly fell in love. I said to Jake "If we ever have a girl.." I didn't even need to finish because he just cut me off and said "OH YES." So, maybe one day Austin will have a baby sister that can run around with him outside in the sprinklers in her itty bitty teeny weeny bikini :-) Oh what a sweet dream....

These are the swim trunks we got Austin, cannot WAIT to take him swimming!! The joys of summer, right around the corner. And with our baby boy...how fun!!