Happy New Year!

It's 9:30pm on New Years eve and I'm planning on writing this and then going to bed. Wow how things have changed in only a couple years. My social habits may have changed dramatically, but I think I feel the same way about the start of a new year as I always have. It's exciting to think of a fresh start, new goals, and new surprises. It is nice that it is snowing outside too, that way when I wake up everything will look brand new. {but then I'll have to go shovel :) }

BJt is definately the motivated member of the family. Every year he sits me down to set some new goals... I dread it everytime he brings it up, but am realizing that living life day to day without things to look forward to, or things to improve upon would become completely monotonous. We set goals in three catagories... Spiritual, Physical and Personal. This year we will be sure to post them somewhere where we can reflect regularily.

My favorite goal of the year is under the personal category. We as a family are going to try and help someone secretly... or hopefully more than one person. We have been reading the conference talks lately and there was one recently we read by Elder D. Todd Christofferson called "Come to Zion" definately a good one! There is one section about caring for the poor with a little story that made me cry... if you are interested in reading it let me know and I'll email you a copy... I am just reminded constantly of how truly blessed I am, and there will definately be something that I find this year that will enable me to share even a little bit of that with someone else. By doing that, I think in my own little way I'll be showing gratitude to the one that has given it all to me.

We had such a great Christmas this year... It was fun to watch WW open the gifts and want to play with each one right away. We have such wonderful families that we were able to spend time with... I am feeling VERY blessed this year.

JF reading the Grinch that Stole Christmas to most of the kids.

WW waiting patiently for Grandma Fixsen to set up his basketball hoop.

Christmas morning at Grandma and Grandpa Mabey's... BJ has to work Christmas day this year so WW and I spend the day at my parents. We are happy BJ will be home next year!

WW got this great gift from my sister for Christmas. He just loves to draw and use the chalk board... only trouble is that he's a little confused and is writing on walls too... He'll learn quick... no damage as long as he's using washable writing utensils.

My family... from left to right

Me, BJ, WW, Kevin (my brother), Chris (Brother in law), Kim (sister), Jude (Nephew), Dave (uncle), Meagan (Cousin), Willi (Aunt), Mom, Dad.

Happy New Year!!! Hope it is a good one!!

Sleep...

We went visiting teaching today and HF-my companion/sister-in-law mentioned how you will never get a good nights sleep again after having kids. I have to say that I have to agree with her. The last few weeks- since I've been pregnant I think- I've been rocking WW to sleep and singing him songs and then laying him down in his crib for the night. Most of the time he will sleep right through... but the last few nights he has gotten up around 2am and wants to be rocked some more, or to cuddle and I just can't get him back to sleep. As soon as I'm positive he is really out, I try to lay him in the crib and he's wide awake again. So last night I had had enough, so let him cry it out to tire him out some... but that didn't work. So then I stayed in his room and held his hand through the crib bars... he just layed there staring at me, and as soon as I made it through the door of his room he would notice me missing and cry again. We ended up sleeping together in the single spare bed in our office.

I remember when WW was only 7 or 8 months old and I thought I had messed up at a parent, but figured I knew what it was I needed to change... so I was trying to convince Brett to let me start again with a new baby. Obviously I'd still keep WW, and try to improve on the habits we had developed in him... but I was so sure I'd be a better, more experienced mother with the next one... no sleep issues, and I'd be WAY better at the whole meal/food thing. Now that the next one is coming... I am keeping my fingers crossed that I will remember how to avoid the "mistakes" I've made with WW- (every mom is more lenient with their first baby right???? )

p.s. I am seriously having the most CRAZY dreams lately... did that happen to anyone else while pregnant?

This is the most peaceful picture I think. Sleeping while eating... he put his hand up there to support his head all by himself. What a sweet boy!

It's been a while.

I'm feeling disappointed in myself for being such a terrible blogger. The funny thing is that I like to read about what everyone else has been up to on their blogs, and am sad when others have not updated. I'm also jealous of everyone who has kept such a wonderful record for themselves and their families. I am reminded everyday how incredibly fast our little one grows, and would not want to forget one moment of our life together. Therefore, my new years resolution is to be better at this, but I don't want to wait till January 1st. Who knows what might happen in the meantime. Let alone what I have already missed. I'll catch that up soon...

But for today, just as an experiment... I will make an announcement and then I'll know for sure if anyone follows this. Even though I write it for myself, I'm interested who my audience is...

Brett and I are excited to announce that we are expecting another little baby to join our family in the first week of July!!! We are thrilled!!!

This is our most recent family photo... taken at Thanksgiving this year!

First Haircut

Baby WW,

Today was a big day for you... your very first haircut. I was so proud of what a good boy you were. You are such a handsome little man now!!! We went to Beaners which is a salon that specializes in kids cuts... you sat so still in a black Hummer, and made it pretty easy for the girl cutting your hair. You only made a little fuss... Mom and Dad were very proud!

Before

During...

After!!!

Mom and Dad think it's so funny that people have the wrong impression of you... You are such a fun and silly boy at home. Always talking and laughing, but when you go out, and are places that you are not familiar with, you get very serious... So the majority of people who don't know you as well as we do, think you are this quiet and serious little boy... but we know the truth!

We have started to get you on a strict sleep schedual at night time. 9p.m we start you bath, and then we eat, have stories, brush your teeth and then it's time for sleepy time. You are catching on so well, and are even sleeping all the way through the night sometimes... even if you do wakeup though, it's alot less often and you are able to fall asleep again by yourself without mom having to nurse you. We are so proud! You have figured out how to roll over finally, and so when you have been upset at night, you roll over and climb up to standing in your crib, so we find you standing there in the dark crying... it's so sweet, but very sad. So... mom stays with you now for a few minutes until you fall asleep... it is one of my favorite times of the day. You lay on your side, and hold my hand through the bars in the crib. It is our special bed time routine, and I love it.

What a week.

Dear WW,


You constantly impress me... this week however must have been the biggest yet. You have been working on getting mobile. You've been quite successful scooting backwards, or else getting up on to hands and knees and sitting back down into another place, but on Wednesday you put all your disorganized attempts together, and finally crawled! It was quite the sight, we tempted you with your new favorite distraction... Keys... and without breaking focus, you came after them and crawled right across the room. Here's the proof... Sorry it's not a great video... your Auntie Kim took a MUCH better one but we haven't gotten it downloaded yet.

You are also working on a few more teeth... The bottom two are in, and the top two are on their way... I must admit that you have had your moments during this teething process, but mom's working on her patience, and we are hoping it won't be much longer... It's tough right now, but the sooner they are all in, the faster you will be able to eat all the big people food you can't seem to wait to get your hands on.

Valentines day was this week too. I made this great craft for Dad that I was SOOO impressed with. SH and I made these cookie bouquets, heart shaped sugar cookies decorated with pink, red and white icing, and then stuck into a flower pot and wrapped up nice. So impressed was I with what we made, that I ate the majority of the cookies. I'll definately have to find other reasons and occasions to make these sweet gifts. Here is a picture of Sheri's... mine looked almost identical.

We are planning to sell our condo and move into a house... We are quickly running out of space here and that is with alot of our things stored at my parents as it is... I'm so excited to have a basement and a garage, and to not worry about attached neighbors. The only trouble is that there is alot of work I need to do on my own house to get it ready for the market. Especially with the market slow like it is, I need to make my little home appealing. So I'm planning a HUGE declutter and then I plan to stage the house to sell it. I've looked it all up on the internet, and Elesa did that with her house when she sold it, and it went super fast. People want to see themselves in a new house, they don't want to see you and all your stuff. So I just need to get motivated and get started!!! wish me luck.

Dear WW...

I have been having a hard time posting on this blog because I don't know the style to write it in... a journal, statements for others, daily life in general, etc. etc. So after much thought, and after realizing that I may be the only one that ever reads this (which is fine) I've decided to write in letter form to my baby boy so then I can include all of the above and I then feel like I know who I'm writing to.

Dear WW.

We have had an interesting start to the year... You are getting so big so fast, and every day you impress me with your courage, curiousity and strength. 7 months old, and are no longer content to just be... you are always exploring, trying new things and making me laugh. We just love having you around and don't remember life without you... if only you'd sleep better. Daddy and I love you so much!!!

President Hinkley passed away last week... it was a sad day for alot of people in the world, but happy at the same time because we know of the plan of salvation and that he is living again with his sweet wife, and interacting with the other great leaders of the church... (which I think is so neat to think about). I wish you would have been able to know him better, he has been the Prophet I've known the best, and have developed such a strong testimony of Latter day Prophets because of him. He was always so kind and gentle. He had an amazing sense of humor that allowed him to connect to the members of the church of all ages. Such an amazing example of hard work and dedication. They have called a new Prophet and first presidency yesterday and I'm so excited for the direction that these men will take the church. It is President Monson, President Eyring and President Uchdorf. It will be amazing to experience their leadership as you get older and learn more about the gospel.

We have made some resolutions for the year, and had a slow start in January and so have refocused and rededicated ourselves starting this month. We want to strengthen ourselves individually and as a family spiritually, physically, financially, and personally. I am excited to see how well we accomplish our goals... and want to make sure that we teach you to be dedicated and to have a desire to always improve yourself. I need to be better and wanting more for my life... Your dad is such a good example, and although he dreams BIG, he is always looking for more... I find that I can be happy with where I'm at, and that doesn't encourage growth. I hope you will dream big and not just accept what is handed to you.

I love you!