5 Years 4 Days 2 hours...

For our 5 year wedding anniversary, Josh and I took a weekend trip to Park City. It was the perfect getaway because we just did a lot of relaxing which we both needed desperately. My parents were kind enough to watch Meili on Friday night and meet us for lunch in Park City on Saturday. We had never both been away from Meili overnight, and she had a total of 5 different babysitters last week, so I was really nervous about how she would handle it. Luckily, my mom and dad said she was perfect (their words not mine.) My dad even commented to my mom that he wasn't sure if Meili knows how to cry. Well, I think most of can attest that she definitely does know how, but nevertheless, I was glad it went so well. She was also awesome for Josh and I. I wasn't sure how she would do with naps, and sleeping through the night etc, and I'm happy to say she slept great both nights, and took all her regular naps (which meant Josh and I also took all her regular naps. Two naps a day is WONDERFUL!!)

This is Good Thymes where we went for lunch one day.

And we took Meili swimming for her first time, and took A LOT of pictures, because she is just so cute!

I would like to point out that her hair never got wet, so if you notice that it looks wet in the pictures, that's because Josh greased her head up with so much sunscreen that it took two washes to get it out.

We got her a little boat to float around in, and I was so glad that we did because it kept her shaded.

This face doesn't show it, but she really did like swimming.

If Meili could talk, she would say, "Would someone fetch me a refreshing beverage?"

So cute!

As I said, lots of pictures, and that's only like half of them!

This next picture is to show Meili's first ever pony tail. I think my parents played some kind of trick on us, because they had her for less than 24 hours, but I swear, she grew up so much!!! Maybe it was the pony tail.

And to commemorate our first 5 years, I included some pictures of some of the highlights. They would have been better, but I hate BLOGGER!!!

Our wedding. June 24, 2006

We went to my friend's wedding in December of '06. I had to include this picture because the San Diego temple is where Josh actually wanted to get married.

Our cruise in December of 2007.

New York in 2008.

Cruise in 2009.

Many basketball games and football games over the years.

Park City in 2011.

And the years just keep getting better and better!!! Here's to the next 5!

Father's Day

Because I've spent the last 3 years of my life teaching parents how to parent, sometimes I feel I have the upper hand on that in mine and Josh's relationship. But the truth is, just like with so many other things in his life, when it comes to being a dad, Josh is a natural. For Mother's Day in our ward, the Primary presidency asked the kids to make a card for their moms. As I fed Meili, I watched what happened. Around the outside of the room, all the other teachers started chatting with one another, the presidency hurriedly tried to get things done before the next group came in. There, in the middle of the room, Josh was sprawled out on the floor, showing the kids how to make their cards and talking to them about the colors they were choosing. Eventually the kids, one by one, waited to show Josh their creation. As I was sitting there, one of the teachers came to me and whispered, "I'm sure you already know this, but he is the most marvelous man. He is so good with the kids-so patient, and they just love him. You chose well." I just smiled and agreed because I do already know that, but it's still nice to have a reminder every once in awhile.

Since this is Josh's first year being a full-blown dad, and Meili couldn't be reached for comment at this time (nap time), I thought that I would write Josh a little note on her behalf. I think this is what she would say if she could...

I love you Daddy,

I love that you buy me crazy hats, and dress me in weird outfits, but I know that nothing in the world makes you prouder.

I love that you feed me bananas mixed with peas, so that hopefully someday I will hate bananas like you.

I love that sometimes you let me take naps on your lap instead of always in my crib like mommy.

I love that when you talk to me you get so excited and talk in such a high pitch that only dogs can hear.

I love that you take me to play with the puppies because mommy is too afraid.

I love that you can't help but brag about me to all your friends.

I love that I know just how much you love me because I make you smile bigger than anyone else.

Happy Father's Day Daddy to my best Daddy in the whole world!

Love, Bubba

7 months

After my last experience at JC Penney, I decided on just working on taking my own pictures. This picture is not my best work, and I definitely shouldn't use a wrinkly sheet next time, but I took so few pictures this month that I just had to include it.

Oh, and apparently Josh added a little effect to this one without me noticing.

But we had to get Meili with her favorite toys in the world. Cell phones and remotes.

Josh's friend Jonny, who is currently in the military serving in Korea, sent a little outfit for Meili awhile ago. It's still a little big and this picture is so blurry, but it's so cute!! (Apparently along with a less wrinkly sheet, I need a less wiggly baby :) Good luck with that I guess!) I realize that the shoes are too big. All her shoes are too big. She just has tiny feet.

Thumbs up to Jonny!

New milestones-
-Meili's little personality is showing more and more everyday. She knows what she wants and doesn't want, and is pretty determined to get her way whatever it is. Already, at 7 months! Yikes!

-As anticipated, Meili still isn't crawling yet, but she is getting closer and closer. When she REALLY wants something (which is basically all the time) she does this little army crawl when she just rocks her body back and forth, until she inches toward whatever it is.

-I've tried and tried but she is not on board for solid food yet. She does really well eating baby food, but anything that has a texture or taste she is not into. We've tried Gerber crackers and yogurt bites, bread, crepes, potatoes, rice, mandarin oranges, strawberries, watermelon, raspberries, peas, etc. etc. and she just won't have it. She likes sucking on carrots, sugar snap peas, and cucumbers though. So we'll keep working at it, because I am definitely ready to move on from baby food.

-She scrunches her nose and squints her eyes when she smiles now, and has just learned how to kind of snort like a pig.

-Josh has been working with her on saying Ma Ma and Da Da, but instead she learned Na Na and is very proud of herself.

-Recently she has become a mama's girl, which makes me happy sometimes, but makes life a little harder most of the time. It's especially bad right when I get home from work. She is so excited to see me, but I usually run upstairs to change my clothes, go to the bathroom, or wash my hands, and she just starts crying. One day she actually started crying the moment I walked in the door-like she was so excited that she just didn't know what to do. What can I say? She's my little girl-crying for no reason at all!

Since I didn't update her stats last month... At her six-month check up, she weighed 14 1/2 lbs. and was 27 1/2 inches long. She is in the 97th percentile for her height, and the 20th for her weight. Just keeps getting taller and skinnier-but I promise it's not because we don't feed her, it's all the reaching that makes her tall, and the wiggling that makes her skinny!

Work...Enough said

Sometimes I like to pretend like work doesn't exist. But since, as I've said, this will probably be the only journal/scrapbook/family history my posterity will ever see at this point, I guess it wouldn't be accurate if I didn't mention the one activity that I have spent more time doing aside from sleeping over the last 3 1/2 years than any other ...and that's work.

I feel really lucky to be able to say that for the last 3 or so years, I have loved my job. Sure I've had my ups and downs with it, but when all is said and done, I always believe in the work that I do, and go home thinking that I can't believe I get paid for it.

I graduated in Psychology, so I knew the chances of me finding a job that was even remotely related to my field, that I actually enjoyed, was slim. And the craziest part of it, was that I found my job in the newspaper, submitted a resume and then kind of forgot about it. (Who finds a good job in the newspaper these days?) Luckily, Hilary, who was in my ward at the time, and had been the visiting teaching supervisor before me, was one of the people who interviewed me. I'm sure that without that connection I wouldn't have stood a chance, because it was not a great interview for me.

Over the last 3 years my job responsibilities have changed about as often as the weather changes in Utah. :) But here's the basic rundown...

When I was hired my 2 main responsibilities were to teach parents how to be better parents one-on-one in their homes, and present an abuse prevention curriculum in elementary schools called Good Touch/Bad Touch. Then a few months later I had a parenting class in the county jail added to my job description. I was also in charge of all of the booths that we did in the community to get information out about our center. About a year and a half later, I started overseeing the children's anger management classes that we teach in our center. A little while later, I stopped doing booths, and teaching the jail parenting class. Then about a year later, I started supervising all of the children's programs at our center (including the 2 that I already mentioned, and the children's component of the Stepfamily class that we teach.) And now, since having Meili I do all of the same stuff minus Good Touch/Bad Touch and I work 20 hours a week. Man, writing about work is almost as boring as actually being at work!

I'm grateful that I've had this job because it's pushed me in so many different areas. I am more comfortable talking with anyone (from jail inmates, to very well educated parents, to not-so-well educated parents, to kids.) Although, I know that I will be nowhere near a perfect parent, I have learned a lot about parenting, which will benefit me more in my life than any other job skill I would learn somewhere else. I've also learned a lot of things that people wouldn't necessarily associate with my job, like computer skills and advertising. And, like I said before, even though I don't get paid a lot, at the end of the day, it's nice to really believe in what you're doing.

These are the beautiful women that I'm fortunate enough to work with.

6 Months and (gasp) Counting

In January, I said to Josh, "In April Meili will be 6 months old!" He said, "Yeah..." In my mind, April did not seem that far away, and having a 6 month old child was incomprehensible. But, here we are, with a 6 month-old, and we love her as much as ever. Although it makes me sad to think that we won't have a newborn in our house for AWHILE, and I miss lots of things about her being a newborn, I am so excited about every single little tiny new thing that she learns. This month, she can sit up on her own as long as she has something to focus on (like a friend her own size, or a cute little toddler boy.) She is getting better and better at eating, and started eating fruits. And Josh and I have bets going as to when she is going to start crawling. (I think that we have AT LEAST another month, and he thinks she is right on the brink.)

These next pictures are called, "Daddy's not allowed to go shopping alone anymore."

I sent Josh out to get a sun-hat before the Aggie football spring scrimmage...

Mission accomplished!

And this next video is called "Revenge." (This is the most boring video in the world for anyone besides Meili's parents, and I decided to switch the orientation halfway through, and don't know how to edit the video, so just bear with me.)

Josh LOVES to tease his nieces and nephews and the kids in our primary class. So now, he finally has someone who can dish it back. See, Josh tells Meili regularly that she is not allowed to date or get married until she's at least 27, and she, at 5 months, started practicing her kissing regularly so she can start blatantly disobeying her dad as soon as possible.

Plans

This post is for me. If no one else ever reads it, that would be okay. But since I have pretty much altogether given up on writing in a journal, and I'm years behind on scrapbooking, this will be all that I can look back on years from now. And I need a constant reminder of the things I've been thinking for the last five months or so.

Meili and I have had a rough day today. Nothing big. We just woke up with different plans in mind. My plan was to clean our entire house, run 6 miles, take a nap, shower, etc. and her plan was to be held all day, not want to eat, take 30 minute naps, then get so hungry that she is grumpy, but still not want to eat because she is too tired-and then we do it all over again. So I've had a lot of time to just kind of sit and think today. Unshowered, unexercised, staring at my messy house. But then I started crying when I was reading the story of the Three Trees to Meili. This is the last page...

"Sometimes, the dreams that we have for ourselves are much smaller than the dreams that God has for us. The three trees' dreams came true, just not in the way they imagined. And so it is with each of us. For if we follow God's path, we will travel far beyond even our greatest dreams."

So now we back up about 8 years... I've always liked kids, and always knew that I wanted to be a mother, but figured that it would happen after I had lived my life. My first semester of college, I called my mom and told her that I had my life figured out. I was going to graduate in 3 years with a bachelor's degree in Psychology-(because that's what I was interested in, but lead to no career path whatsoever), then I would serve a mission, come home and go to law school. After law school, I was going to get my PhD in Psychology. Somewhere in there, I was also going to go to cosmetology school, so that once I did get married and have kids, I could do hair in the basement of my house, teach guitar lessons, and tutor high school students in Calculus. Then getting married, and kids would just kind of find their way into my plan, and they would fit into MY life-not the other way around.

Then we fast forward to the summer of 2009. I had just run the Utah Valley Marathon and the Ragnar Relay, and Josh and I were getting ready to go on a cruise. I started thinking about the next marathon I wanted to run, and then the next and the next. I also started planning all the vacations that I wanted to go on for the next 5 or so years. All of a sudden it dawned on me... I was perfectly happy. And I felt like I could be happy running marathons and going on vacations for the rest of my life. The real reason that I started thinking that we should have a baby was because I was too comfortable just focusing on the two of us forever. I started wondering where it would stop. At what point would I be willing to sacrifice enough to start a family? So then came my next brilliant plan. I decided that if Josh and I got pregnant that fall, I could have a baby in the spring just in time to start training for another marathon. I originally told Josh that we would try for 3 or 4 months, and then if I didn't get pregnant, we would just wait until the following year-because there was no way I was going to give up a summer.

As the old saying goes, "Life is what happens when you start making plans."

My whole perspective changed when I realized a small portion of what it feels like to want to have a baby and not be able to.

And so, for the last 5 months, clean or dirty house, new or messy diaper, health or sickness, and no matter how much sleep I've gotten, I feel like I understand just a little bit the better plan that God had in store for me.

This is my better plan...

I chose this picture because, although it's not the best picture of Meili, this is when I remember how sweet she is and how lucky we are. Right before she goes to bed, when she's really tired, she just looks up and stares at me, and makes the cutest little noises. It helps me remember that even though she's my daughter, more importantly- she's a daughter of God, and I am so blessed that He let me borrow her for a little while.

And, of course, this is the other half of my better plan...

What would I do without this crazy nut?

5 Months

I must have blinked and missed something. I don't know how it happened, but within the last couple weeks, someone stole our tiny infant, and replaced her with a giant baby! This baby is totally different than we're used to. She is an Ambi-Roller. Yes, she rolls back to tummy, tummy to back, around in circles, on her head sometimes (J/K). The baby picks up toys, eats food, can stand in her saucer, and has hair! (Not tons, but enough that her little mohawk is looking even sillier these days.) These are some pictures from the last month of our ever-growing baby girl.We're actually sad that this trick was so short-lived. For a couple days, she made this face constantly. We call it Blue Steel (because of the movie Zoolander.) Like I said, it left as fast as it came.
Meili finally found something better than her hands-her toes! When we go to get her in the morning, all we can see is her little toes poking up over the side of the crib, and her toes are soaked! I figure her toes are probably more sanitary than her hands at this point.
She finally got pretty used to rice cereal, and then I switched it up again with peas. She has yet to be very excited about those-but who can blame her?
For my birthday, my grandma, mom, sister, two nieces, Josh and I went to lunch. Besides that I had a pretty low-key birthday because I had to work till 9. But it would have been hard to top my birthday last year-Josh and I heard Meili's heart beat for the first time. What a difference a year makes! (As a side note, Josh and I got engaged 5 years ago on my birthday! Can you believe it, 5 years!)

Our four-generation picture-with 3 of the most important girls in my life.