DRAKE HOTEL

first ice cream cone... sorta

2012-01-18T23:52:00.000-07:00

josh and i treated ourselves to an arctic circle topper and i couldn't help but share a little

the whole time holden said, "mmmmm"

the sun was out, it was cold, but we still went to the park

2012-01-17T23:19:00.000-07:00

one day in the middle of the week i was able to sneak out of work early... i came home, bundled up holden and told josh, "we're taking holden to the park"... yes, he was only seven months... yes, it was pretty cold outside... but he's been cooped up inside most of the winter, and with how often he's been sick (from teething) he was finally feeling better so i thought it'd be good to get out in the fresh air... plus, he hasn't been big enough to take to the park, i figured today was the day... we started with the swing... he loves the swing at home, so i wasn't surprised that he liked the swing here (for awhile he was trying to figure it out, so it did take a little bit to get used to)

this is his cheesy face... big smile, squinty eyes... he does this a lot, and i couldn't love it more

the famous serious face

kisses from mama

first time down the slide with dad... during the slide he had a concerned look on his face, when he got down to the bottom, all smiles

then we tried it alone... with daddy's hands for support ;)

success

i love the way he looks at josh

cheesy face

cool boy and he doesn't even need to try

2012-01-17T22:50:00.000-07:00

my little holden tried on daddy's sunglasses... what a stud

the maori warrior talks to the maori princess

2012-01-16T07:22:00.000-07:00

**warning, there's a lot of photos**

we sat holden and kaleia in front of each other the other day... i clicked away as fast as i could because the reactions of the two were hilarious! i'll try to commentate....

mommy: "holden, look it's kaleia"

holden: blank stare while looking at mommy

kaleia: gurgle

mommy: "yes holden, you have toes, but look at kaleia"

holden: squeal

kaleia: blank stare

tiffany: laughing in the background

mommy: "oh, hi holden sweety, look at kaleia"

holden: grunting a happy noise

kaleia: still staring, now mouth agape

tiffany: now laughing even more in the background

mommy: "yay, that's your cousin kaleia"

holden: staring

kaleia: still staring

tiffany: still laughing

mommy: "be soft holden"

holden: grunting while reaching

kaleia: now looks scared

tiffany: yep still laughing

mommy: laughing

holden: "raarrr" while reaching even farther (yes, he really growled at her)

kaleia: surprisingly not crying

tiffany: laughing

mommy: still laughing

holden: quiet and still

kaleia: quiet and still

tiffany: still laughing

josh: now laughing

holden: looking for approval from tiff

kaleia: woah expression

these two are going to be so funny to watch grow up together... will kaleia pick on holden like her mommy did to me growing up? will holden act as her protector as if they were brother and sister? i can't wait to see

either way, i think they will be best friends

what a good sport

just one more 'go' at kaleia

i think he figured if he couldn't grab her, he'd just play footsie's

the maori warrior and the maori princess

cousin love

2012-01-15T07:15:00.000-07:00

this is the sweetest thing ever... whenever tiff and kaleia ride with us, holden feels the need to hold on to her (i'm not kidding, he does this every time)... sure makes me think they really knew each other before they came down to me and tiffy... i think they will be best friends

we've been having dinner at auntie kae's more often since grandma & grandpa spencer will be leaving us at the end of february to serve (yet again) a mission in new zealand... they will be missed, but we will continue to keep the blog updated and send them many pictures! below, my cute little cousin andre asked if he could feed holden...

... and then when holden was falling asleep he said, "um, dad,what i do"... it was so cute... then after a little while, he said that holden was getting heavy, so i rescued him

here's auntie kae holding the little kaleia who got a lot of attention and slept through most of it

silly boy... my cherub boy

2012-01-12T09:04:00.000-07:00

have i mentioned how much this kid cracks me up? at such a young age, he has such a funny and silly personality... exhibit A: while in the tub he put this huge bowl on his head (wondering why there is a bowl in his tub? well we use it to fill his tub and put all his toys in after the bath) anyways, he got a hold of it and put it on his head... silly boy

holden finally fits into cousin archer's old dinosaur pjs... i wish i had a photo of archer in these...

by chance anyone has one?

ahhh.... those cheeks

i absolutely love all the chubbiness around him... my sweet little cherub

two things

2012-01-11T22:33:00.000-07:00

item one: the tongue... i think it's because his two bottom teeth are in, and he likes to feel them or he just learned how to stick his tongue out and thinks it pretty cool... either way i love it!!! cutest little tongue in the world

item two: josh thinks i overstimulate (in his words) holden with toys... i like to dump out all of holden's toys on the floor and make a huge mess (i really think that's what bugs josh), but holden loves it... he sits there for a minute, deciding what to grab first while he glances at everything, gives a little clap (happy boy) then digs in

ahh, the ny sock monkey from grandma mar

then onto the football from his buddy maddie

side note... look at the way he grabs that football... what a natural

okay, now he's got the hammer

hmmm.... what next....

yeah, that hammer was pretty cool, pick that thing up again

funny thing, all of the above photos were taken about 1-2 minutes apart

now to end this post off with another cute little tongue shot... just as long as he doesn't pick up an old habit of his aunt kristi's and stick his tongue out when he's trying to "hurt your feelings", we're good...

i sure love that boy!!!!

such a boy

2012-01-08T23:16:00.000-07:00

it amazes me that a young baby boy of just seven months already has the boy instinct... he wrestles with his stuffed animals and it's the cutest thing i've ever seen and really need to catch this on video

holden's great grandparents (nana & papa) got this for him for christmas... he loves it... he really loves it!

seven months old

2012-01-08T21:54:00.000-07:00

sevenmonths, wow so much has happened in just one short month... i don't know whichis cooler, that holden rolled over or that josh caught it on film?? i love thesurprised look on holden's face when it happened too (you can watch the video here, he just doesn't know what tothink...

holden has learned how to wave, he doesn't quite get the concept ofwhen to actually use this new action he has learned, and won't do it oncommand, but out of the blue holden will just lift up his little arm and wavehis little hand... also holden has started clapping... i love this new action, he does it so well and he learned it so fast, just all of asudden he was clapping... we are thinking he picked this up from his babyeinstein movie (baby bach is his favorite)...

we have been havingfun trying out new foods with him, he loves his baby sweet potatoes,squash, bananas, mixed vegetables, applesauce and baby mums (a rice cookie)...

he cracks us up, all three of us will lay in bed and laugh and before i know it an hour has passed...

holden loves his bath time, but hates gettingdressed, if it was up to him, he'd be naked with no pj's and no diaper...

thispast month we sang many christmas songs to him (jingle bells, rudolf and othersanta songs... he loved them) are we cheesy?? heck ya, but our boy loves it...loves us... and we love him...

he was so proud of his clapping... and then he was done... moving on mom

holden loves his daddy

2012-01-07T21:19:00.000-07:00

i came into the living to find this cute sight of holden helping daddy play skate 2... it's so cute that holden will just sit in josh's lap and watch him play

later that night kaleia came up to visit and nap

messy boy

2012-01-02T07:06:00.000-07:00

feeding holden is one of my favorite parts of the day... josh says i'm the messy one, but in my defense it's holden that likes to put his hands up to his mouth and rub it all over his face... holden is such a great little eater, even though he hated carrots for awhile i could still get him to eat them... and now, i think he likes 'em. would you look at those beautiful blue eyes, watch out girlies i think holden is going to be a heart breaker

new years eve fire

2012-01-01T11:35:00.000-07:00

alli & cody invited us all over for a new years eve bash, and because the weather was so warm we had a bbq and cody built an awesome fire... i love our friends, even though we might not get together every weekend like we used to, when we do get together it's as if we haven't skipped a beat... we are so lucky to have the friends that we do, we've been on so many adventures over the years: from new york (where we listened to the happy birthday song over and over in a chinese restaurant), to mexico (where we stayed in a room that was extremely hot and extremely cold at the same time), to costa rica (where we waited for a bus that never showed up), to strawberry resevoir (where we fished for hours upon hours and didn't catch a thing), barclays cabin (where we played the funniest game of dance add-on), to camping trips, to sleepovers, to trips to vegas, and trips to st. george and many others... now that our group is growing with children (we've all got kids or on the way) i hope that our adventures don't stop... the more the merrier... i hope that our children get along as much as we do... we love each and every one of you (now if only we had a photo with everyone)

co-sleeping & football with daddy

2011-12-31T06:57:00.000-07:00

here i go, i'm coming out and saying it... we are co-sleepers... why should i feel ashamed? holden sleeps so much better with us, and josh and i are both too tired to wake up every hour with him when he's in his crib, so this is how the three of us get a full nights rest. it's a good thing we've got a king or i wouldn't be able to do it, but for right now it works... i don't know if holden has some sort of separation anxiety from me going to work, because at nights he has got to be with me, through out the night i'll feel him reach out to feel if i'm there... i love it, i love how much he loves me and wants to be near me

weekends are so much fun, i love waking up with holden, i love getting to feed him breakfast (some oatmeal and a fruit) and then it's football time with daddy... he loves to watch football with josh... what a silly baby

he did what?

2011-12-29T19:05:00.000-07:00

i knew it was only a matter of time... holden pooped in the tub.... i didn't see it, until i lifted him up to wash him his bum and there it was, sitting in the water at the bottom of the tub. "ahh, josh get in here" i said loudly, "holden pooped in the tub". josh came in, and stood there and laughed, then i had to remind him to get me a towel... the little stinker, i layed him on the bed and he just smiled and smiled and smiled

daddy came in and teased him... holden lights up when daddy comes into view

holden and i hung out on the bed while josh cleaned out the tub... what a good man

new highchair

2011-12-27T20:22:00.000-07:00

holden really loves his new highchair... it's also been good for josh and i to get used to eating our meals in the kitchen... for years our meals have been eaten in the living room, on the coffee table, although there were the few special occasions where we'd eat at the table, but for the most part it was the living... but now, that our little holden eats in the kitchen we have started too... it's been a fun change

i love feeding holden... he loves to eat, and when it's something he really likes he says, "mmmmm" after every bite... foods he loves: sweet potatoes, garden/mixed vegetables, peas, bananas, apple rice cereal, pears, basically any fruit but mangos

looks like santa came

2011-12-25T14:35:00.000-07:00

up and at 'em christmas morning... down at my parents at eight in the morning... we were pulling out of the driveway on our way down when my brother called us to see how far away we were... anxiously waiting for the drakes... we did have to wake up holden, and by the time we went inside he was awake.... kinda... he started on a small present from his cousin kaleia

i love christmas morning photos... everyone in their pjs, tired but excited at the same time

yea, holden worked on this present for a while

one present he was really excited about was the big one from his omi & opi

i love it, only seven months old and look how excited he is about this big present before him

my parents got him this big, (and i mean huge) play yard... something he can sit in, walk around and play at different little stations... he loves it!

my dad was teasing josh, saying that his christmas morning for him means putting together toys... there were a lot of pieces to this intricate play thing... what's really neat about it, is that once holden can stand and walk we can take the seat off and the table will stand alone

from all the excitement, he took a morning nap with aunt tippy

later that morning we went to josh's dad for some christmas brunch with his family... it was fun, all the kids brought their favorite toy to show everyone... holden got a high chair from his grandpa... it's so cute and i was so excited for josh to put this thing together when we got home.... because we left so early, holden didn't get a chance to look under our tree, so when we got home we set him in front of his christmas toys from santa... i gotta say, this kid surprises me daily, i didn't think he'd be excited, but he totally was, he got a big ball, a football, a crawling/singing toy and some blocks...

for me mama??

he just couldn't believe it

we ripped into those toys

tore off his pants... you know, so he could be more comfortable

and let him at it

okay, after josh got the high chair up and sturdy we set him in... he was so funny!!!!! like, hilarious... he sat there, looked around, held on to the sides.... he knew this thing was cool

he loves his high chair... like really loves it

later that night we let him play in his big toy some more... he's still working on the walking part, but he thinks this thing is pretty cool

christmas eve with my little family of three

2011-12-24T11:17:00.000-07:00

after dinner with my family josh and i took holden home to start some traditions of our own... we got holden into his christmas pajamas... we read him "twas the night before christmas" and we watched the polar express... i know holden is only seven months, but i like to think he could feel the spirit of christmas... our little boy is growing so fast... and learning new things daily... i love watching him clap for things when he's happy... he claps, kicks his little legs and grins so big showing off those adorable little dimples of his

holden loves wrestling on the floor with daddy... he loves his daddy so much, you can see it in his eyes

this next series of photos is so funny... holden playing/wrestling with his leopard

when he bites it, he growls at it... it's so cute...

and then back to clapping...

now wrestling...

hey, where you going...

okay, now dad's got my attention....

he's the funniest...

okay, he's about to do something big...

oh yeah, that's my dad, the funniest guy around...

i love you dad

your my best friend

we put holden in his crib and josh and i climbed into bed, then i said, "josh, we didn't put his toys out, does it matter?" josh got out of bed and put his santa presents under the tree... this starts a whole new chapter for us, we're so excited for the years ahead of us

christmas eve candlelight dinner

2011-12-24T01:01:00.000-07:00

tiffany hosted the christmas eve dinner this year... a tradition my family has been doing for years... eating a ham dinner by candlelight... just candlelight, we turn all the lights off.... my mom now has these nice candle holders, but i remember back in the early days when we were using random candles we could find around the house... as a kid it was so fun and old fashioned to eat by candlelight, when we get together now on christmas eve and do this, it brings me straight back to my childhood

aunt sylvie gave lots of love to little kaleia

happy couple... tired couple... explanation... new parents ;)

holden went to sleep fine in kaleia's rocker... he's just a wee bit big for it

my little brother danny.... it is rare when you get a photo of him smiling...

holden wasn't the only one taking a nap

we also got great news at dinner... whit announced that he and kristi are expecting in august... another baby... yaya!!!!

shopping & presents

2011-12-23T00:32:00.000-07:00

december 23 and we stepped out to start the shopping... the mall was busy, but the parking lot was so much worse... since my mom was out of commission this year for christmas shopping, my dad enlisted tiff and i to help out... i enlisted josh to help out since we were getting clothes for the boys, they love josh's style and the items josh has picked in the past, so before i make a purchase i get approval from the boss... we took turns watching the sleeping babes...

later that night holden opened a present from his great-grandma & great-grandpa spencer... his leopard

love at first sight

he loved the tissue paper too

then the pants came off... still gripping his new buddy

he sure loves it... thanks nana & papa

i also did some christmas shopping for my two favorite boys... matching volcom jackets!!! unfortunately josh's was too big and they didn't have any more when we returned them... oh well, my search continues for matching daddy/son attire

have you met sophie

2011-12-22T23:14:00.000-07:00

he really loves her

it's a wonderful life

2011-12-22T17:58:00.000-07:00

movie time!!!! that means... make a huge mess of pillows and blankets on the living room floor... this was holden's first of the drake family bed on the floor... every december we have a pile of movies that we watch... examples: love actually, family stone, christmas vacation, elf, the holiday, home alone, santa claus, polar express (which we save for christmas eve), a christmas story (which we save for christmas day), and it's a wonderful life which we watched this night with tiffany & kaleia... i know there are more that are in our collection, but they are not coming to mind... the first time i saw it's a wonderful life was last christmas... josh looks over at me during the ending and i was balling... like really balling... i thought it was just because i was pregnant and with all my crazy hormones, that had to be why i was crying... oh no, i cried this year... how grateful i am for the life i have, the husband who loves me, the baby boy who adores me, the family who supports me and my friends who are amazing company... it truly is a wonderful life

christmas with marlie

2011-12-21T10:12:00.000-07:00

we celebrated christmas a few days early with josh's mom since she and ed were going to california to spend the holidays with joy's family

holden opened his first present

and was so excited as you can see... haha

holden got spoiled, got a really cute shirt from h&m and a way cool picture that mar put on a canvas... it's of an australian car company's sign (named holden)... she and ed took the photo when they were down there earlier this year... i can't wait to hang it up in his room... mar also made everyone calendars (which we get every year and love) and she made everyone a cookbook with family recipes and photos.... we love it!

sleeping in the new crib

2011-12-19T17:11:00.000-07:00

we have the crib up... does holden sleep in it consistently... no... does he take his daily naps in it.. yes... we are still working on the overnight stay in the crib, but i can't blame it entirely on holden... i love him in our bed... i love how he loves to cuddle up to me... i love when his arm slaps me in the face because he's feeling around to see where i am... i love waking up to his sweet little breath in my face... i love, i love, i love.... it's not every night, and it's all night, usually he starts in his crib and ends in our bed by 4 am.... do i mind... not really... will it be forever... no... i do fight josh over who gets to go get holden out of his crib when he's done napping... i love that sweet face of his when he's waking up... my sweet baby boy

i had to throw this in... later on that day we were down at my parents and my dad was proud as ever that he fed holden and rocked him to sleep... he was fussy with me, he was fussy with josh, he was fussy with my mom... i guess all holden wanted was his grandpa... his opi...

puzzles, cookies n' hot cocoa

2011-12-18T21:57:00.000-07:00

tiff and kaleia came to visit and help us out with our christmas puzzle

kaleia slept... holden took a nap in his crib

cookies & hot cocoa

i love this puzzle, last year josh and i bought it and put it together... it was fun to bring it out and do it again this year... tradition??

did you think this was a post without holden?? i had to get a picture of his holiday sweater... thanks to his great-aunt elke

soda pop??

2011-12-14T21:44:00.000-07:00

what... it's just blue powerade... and he doesn't know how to suck out of a straw... yet

princess kaleia

2011-12-14T09:28:00.000-07:00

tiff had me take some pictures of kaleia for her... too many cute ones, so i pretty much added all my faves

she did not want to let go of her binky

our little angel

for the love of music

2011-12-14T07:27:00.000-07:00

josh and i both love music... i mean love love love music... we will sit in the living room and just listen to new artist online... listen to our records... this particular night i found holden siting in the middle of the room (facing josh) while he was playing one of our records for holden... it was so cute, holden was listening so intently as if he could understand that his daddy was teaching him something important... music is important... i hope holden has a love for it as much as we do

another love of ours is tv.... holden already has a love for that... and he gets into it.... when your in the way, he'll try to poke his head around you to see... i love this belly of his

xoxo

holden boy loves the lights

2011-12-13T07:18:00.000-07:00

he loved when i set him close enough to feel the tree and grab onto the lights

my blue eyed maori warrior

have i mentioned how much he loves to be naked...

oh christmas tree

2011-12-12T21:36:00.000-07:00

we decked the halls...

...while watching a classic

holden played...

...as he watched the tree transform

we added to our decorations this year...

...tiny white knitted mittens, an H for our little h (thanks anthro),

and i tied a rope of yarn that matches our yarn balls

holden played with our christmas boxes(thanks g-ma carla)...

...and then was really into the movie

there's a smile from my happy boy(out of focus, but a smile nonetheless)

then holden went to sleep, i love that he's got to cover his face.... he's done this ever since he could grab the blanket and pull it up... if i try to move it, he wakes up and pulls it back... i wonder if he'll do this when he's older... i love watching him sleep... i could do it for hours... it's a good thing he's moving to his own room, or i'd never get any sleep

after holden went to bed, josh and i finished the tree

"christmas is all around us"

picking out the christmas tree

2011-12-12T11:14:00.000-07:00

we have officially made it a tradition to return to the same tree lot... well two years in a row

holden was in heaven with all the great trees

we found our tree!!!

josh strapped it to the top of the mazda...

goodbye perfect tree lot... we will see you again next year

i say perfect tree lot, because our tree from last year lasted til march... hey, it wasn't up in our living room until march, just on the porch... and do you want to know where this wonderful lot is?? nibley golf course... hit it up next year, you won't be disappointed

toes & ugly doll

2011-12-11T10:44:00.000-07:00

holden has found his toes

josh and i started our ugly doll collection on our honeymoon in hawaii, where we bought our first two ugly dolls.... thanks to shane & haliey, holden has an ugly doll of his own

happy naked boy

2011-12-11T10:33:00.000-07:00

as much as holden loves his bath time, you would think he'd scream when he gets out... just the opposite, he loves being wrapped in a towel (a warm heated towel from the dryer is best, but i don't have time to warm it every time)...

i bundle him up in his towel and we cuddle & snuggle in the bathroom to dry him off

then you would think when i take the towel off he would scream from the cold... just the opposite... this kid love, love, loves to be naked.... (gets that from his daddy... haha okay that was a joke)

happy naked boy... his favorite outfit

the crib is now complete

2011-12-11T10:05:00.000-07:00

marlene came over and helped josh finish the crib... it turned out better than i imagined... should have taken a before picture... the color was a cherry wood

i was so excited to put him in his new crib

now... will he start to sleep in there.... to be continued....

holden and jack... just sittin'

2011-12-10T23:45:00.000-07:00

i think meg and i have too much fun with these two

since holden was pre-occupied with the toys to the side, we faced them towards each other... i love this picture... it's like jack is wondering who this giant baby is in front of him

later i put holden under tay & meg's tree... he loved the lights and decorations

kaleia meets the family pt. 2

2011-12-10T23:21:00.000-07:00

kaleia with her great-auntie marlena (auntie marz is what i call her)

holden loves his auntie tippy

kaleia is so precious... beautiful maori princess

and holden is our maori warrior... the coloring is a little off ;)

auntie marz & uncle greggy (the greats... pun intended)

her feet are so tiny

holden loves his uncle greggy

holden's first real interest in kaleia

big cheeks like her little-big cousin holden

kaleia smiled for her great-grandma colledge

auntie ninz

great-aunt missy

i love his little baby and i'm so excited she is finally here

opi's work christmas party... with santa!!!!

2011-12-10T21:50:00.000-07:00

my dad invited us to his work christmas party... they pulled out all the stops... josh and i took holden and kept justin company while my dad played an elf and passed out presents for the kids (a big angry bird stuffed animal)... justin was too embarrassed to get his face painted, but i did get him to see one of the clowns for a balloon (he chose a candy cane... it was huge)... we watched a magic show, watched the grinch on a big huge projector, ate some good buffet style food, they also had a hot cocoa bar and an ice cream sunday bar... then we stood in line to see santa... as you can see below, holden was stoked... haha got his serious face on... one lady said she could tell holden was rex's grandson... "looks just like him" she said... put such a huge smile on his face... love you dad!

justin acted like he didn't want to see santa... but after a little persuasion, we convinced him to stand in line... as we got closer he pulled out his phone and asked josh take a picture... so he did want to see santa....

i was curious to see how holden would do.... he saw santa on the train, but was in my arms... so as i approached santa and placed holden in his arms... no cry, no nothing... just petted his beard and looked up at him with his serious face.... i love that kid...

the below photos were emailed to me from the photographer at the party...

thanks dad for the invite... we had a good time...

entertainment

2011-12-10T21:28:00.000-07:00

this little guy cracks me up... when i'm home, i like to spend a lot of time on the floor with my favorite little buddy... i love that holden has found his toes... he's so cute when he grabs them

holden loves to be tickled

holden is always making us laugh... such a funny baby

i'm sure he's thinking, why are my parents putting me in this silly hat

we were laughing so hard at this... and he just sat there with the same look on his face, just entertaining us

finally took the hat off...

and he's done... tired blue eyed boy

holden loves his daddy

2011-12-09T21:12:00.000-07:00

kaleia meets the family pt. 1

2011-12-09T18:48:00.000-07:00

later that day i went home and picked up josh & holden to take them to the hospital to meet the newest member of the family

holden was funny, usually he loves looking at babies... but this time, it was as if he knew kaleia would take away a lot of the attention he gets, so he was not looking at her...

finally he looked in her direction, but was transfixed on tiff's bracelet...

i know when she gets a little bit bigger they will be best friends... kaleia might boss & pick on holden, but that's how it went with tiff & i... i'm so excited to see these two grow up together

welcome to the world kaleia

2011-12-09T15:46:00.000-07:00

tiff asked me to be present when kaleia was born to take photos of the wonderful event... i feel so blessed to witness the miracle of life, watching my beautiful little sister give birth was so incredible... she had a beautiful little baby girl, 9 lbs 6 oz., 23 inches long... healthy baby girl

first photo of the wayment family

happy mama

this was before... tiff kept saying she felt like she was coming out... the doctor wasn't there so braden stepped in to help... ha ha

kaleia meets holden

zoo lights

2011-12-08T16:24:00.000-07:00

went to the zoo lights with cody & alli... it was a cold night, so we bundled up lil holden

i love this photo, not just because we are kissing, but because how josh grabbed me and snapped the photo... i'm glad he still sweeps me off my feet... especially since we had holden, it's easy to forget about the romance

santa's reindeer!!!!

josh missed the wright family photo, but captured cody's excited expression...

hop on the zoofari express

yes, i was having a good time

and here's the serious face

i was impressed with how many animals in lights they had around the zoo, they were pretty cute

holden was mesmerized by the bright lights and sounds coming from the carousel

so josh took him for a ride...

he didn't cry....

tired boy

6 month check-up

2011-12-07T15:51:00.000-07:00

six month check-up & immunizations with dr. rhonda

weight: 23 lbs 13 oz (97%)

length: 28 3/4 inches (97%)

head: 45.4 cm

happy boy had no idea he was about to get four shots in his legs...

christmas cookies & omi's birthday

2011-12-05T08:59:00.000-07:00

every year josh's mom bakes cookies with the grandkids... and every year josh and i attend to eat the cookies.... this year we got to bring holden.... even though he's only 6 months we knew he would have a good time, holden loves to be places where a lot of things are going on... lots of people to look at and play with... every year i take work off, because it's so fun watching the kids rolling the dough and making some cookies

mar made some homemade wassail... that was so yummy

she made a couple pots of soup... white bean chicken chili & broccoli... i had a bowl of both... yum & yum

holden helped out with the cookie cutting... after i took the picture then i realized... "what are you doing biting that? it's sharp... what am i doing letting you do it?"

lottie being oh so careful... i love her left hand up in the air

holden did help out a little... i love love love his chubby little hands

"hi mom... this is my i'm having really fun face but also trying to act cool" josh and i call this his serious face... he pulls this face a lot... and i like to say it's the josh in him... it's funny, when you get holden to laugh, he laughs and then instantly it's back to this look... i like to think he's just really concentrating on what's going on around him... cute boy, oh i love you so!

archer made some great cookies

the christmas cookie craziness fun

h couldn't take his eyes off all the kids... he loves his cousins

mar's little musical carousels that lights up with the music

h loves kisses from mom... and i give him a ton of kisses!

happy papa, decorating a be-headed gingerbread boy with blood... archer thought it was really cool

elle trying out her cookie making skills

lola enjoying the frosting and admiring her artistic cookie decorating skills

lottie getting precise with the sprinkles

halle frosting & decorating her cookie

avery frosting & decorating her cookie

***

later that night was my mom's birthday so we headed over to her house to have some more soup and birthday brownies with ice cream... tiff & i re-framed a picture of jesus she loves and wrote a cute poem on the back that i'm going to share... when i read the poem it made me cry, because i now know how strong a mothers love really is:

***

Mom,

Now That I’m A Mother...

Until I became a Mother,

I did not understand,

The profound sense of love

In a Mother’s heart and hands.

As I whisper, “Mommy loves you”,

I rock my precious child to sleep.

Small perfection in my arms,

Sweet breaths, slow and deep.

I now see me as a baby,

You’re rocking me to sleep.

You whisper, “Mommy loves you,

My heart is yours to keep.”

At last I recognize your love,

As a Mother I now see,

As I hold and love my child,

You feel that love for me.

I will always be your baby,

Despite the years that pass.

You have given me my life,

And a Mother’s heart to last.

The greatest thanks I can offer,

More than words could ever say.

Is to give my child the love,

You gave me everyday.

***

mom, i love you so much and i'm so appreciative for everything you have given me, and especially this summer we spent together, helping me become a mom, you've taught me so much, thank you!

smart boy

2011-12-04T19:42:00.000-07:00

holden loves electronic devices... is it my fault? yes, i'm on one a lot... but the real question is, is it so horrible? the kinds of apps that are out there are so educational, is it so wrong to let holden play? is it so wrong that we let holden watch tv? i have full confidence that holden has learned how to wave and clap from his baby einstein movies... should it have been me to teach these things to him? maybe... probably, but holden loves the little girl on the baby bach movie, he smiles when she comes on the screen... when she claps, he smiles... is it really making him smarter? probably not, is it making him dumb? i don't think so... so... what's the harm? i'll let him play on the ipad occasionally... watch his sesame street & baby movies... i don't think i'm a bad mom

he loves the puppy app... points out parts of the body, ie. mouth, nose, hand...

later that night holden was sitting on tiffany's lap and turned around and started patting and talking to her belly... it was so cute, it was as if he was telling kaleia it was time to come out

six months old & christmas lights

2011-12-03T18:49:00.000-07:00

holden is getting quite the personality these days... i love when i come home from work, he looks up at me and gets the biggest grin on his face, makes my heart melt... not crawling or rolling over, but he will sit on his hands and knee's and rock forward and back until he face plants into the carpet... he still loves when you sing to him and his new favorite songs are "where is thumbkin" and "this little piggy"... also holden has really started to enjoy when you read books to him... "pooh loves", "there's a wocket in my pocket", "yummy, yucky", "are you my mother?", "baby says peekaboo", and many others... he's talking even more than ever, and is really good at da da da da da (josh loves it because it sounds like dadda) holden still loves his giraffe and ball (with holes) and laughs when he plays with his laptop... holden loves to give hugs and how can i forget about baby einsteins... he grins when we put him in his swing and that music comes on the screen... holden also loves to watch sesame street and his favorite is elmo's world... i would do anything for this little boy... he is my joy... every month, every week, every day, every hour is enjoyable with this little guy... i couldn't be happier

get ready for a bunch of photos... i had to put all my faves...

tipped over

yummy lights... (not safe mommy)

holden had a good attitude while i adjusted settings on my camera and played around a bit...

he was just fascinated with the lights

tipping over again

pouty face

"what's that" face

"hey look at that" face

light up the nose

drool bucket

christmas toes

tmmy time

my little reindeer

good babysitters

2011-12-03T11:49:00.000-07:00

it's fun when tiff & braden babysit... i get hourly picture updates... teaching him about braden's raiders

play time

watching sesame street

and nap time

they are going to be amazing parents... i can't wait to babysit kaleia

dinner with tj & mckenzie

2011-12-02T17:51:00.000-07:00

we don't get to see these two nearly enough, but i'm happy josh and i got to get together for dinner... tacos, yum! then we kicked off the christmas season for tj and watched christmas vacation... holden loves those two... even though tj didn't think holden would like his beard, that didn't hold him back from smiling for tj

i love this little smirk... like he's trying to be too cool to smile

we love you guys and need/want to get together again soon

day of trees

2011-12-01T17:29:00.000-07:00

the day started out windy... really really windy, blew down tree's, knocked out power, and even blew siding and shingles off of peoples roof's... it was quite a scary morning for the people in davis county... since our power was still out and the house was freezing we went to dinner and the festival of trees with tay & meg.

this doesn't even show the magnitude of this storm... just a couple photos i snapped with my phone

after i took this photo, the other two tree's came down

we were about to go stay with someone who had power and as we were getting out of the car at 10:45 pm the power turned back on... when we went inside the thermostat was in the 50's... we bundled holden up and cranked the heat... we were lucky... others power didn't turn on for days

walk on the boulevard

2011-11-27T17:23:00.000-07:00

beautiful sunday afternoon... great day for a walk on the boulevard

heber valley polar express

2011-11-26T09:17:00.000-07:00

marlene got everyone tickets on the polar express for christmas, we didn't know what to expect with holden and thought we'd try it anyway... he liked looking at all the lights inside and watching things out the window... we bundled up holden pretty good

all the kids wore their christmas pj's

the train was decked in holiday decor & lights, they served hot cocoa and a cookie... with mrs. claus' cookie recipe, and a christmas songbook so we could all sing along, they also told cheesy christmas jokes... i just wish i could remember one...

my little h is such a good little baby, oh how i love him

once we reached the north pole, santa was outside surrounded by lit up christmas tree's... he waved as we went by

then santa boarded the train... all the kids were so excited

even holden was interested in all the commotion

and even joe couldn't hold his excitement in

i love the look on lola's face and she's staring up at santa

santa gave all the kids a present... a christmas bell

holden loves it... he will stare at it for awhile, then he'll shake it, then he'll stare at it, and so forth...

goodbye train

later that night we went home and watched elf... when santa came onto the screen holden giggled... twice this happened just when santa appeared on the screen... coincidence that he had just seen santa on the train earlier that day? or that a big man in a bright red jump suit is funny? we'll never know, but i like to think babies are smarter than we will ever know

big boy chair

2011-11-26T08:50:00.000-07:00

my mom got this chair for holden before he was born... he's sitting in it quite nicely now...

when he does sit in it, he thinks it's funny

first laptop

2011-11-25T08:48:00.000-07:00

a great little find from black friday... josh wanted me to wait until christmas to give it to him, well the next day josh went to the utah football game and i couldn't resist... i gave it to him early... he needed some new toys (and i am horrible with surprises) h loves his laptop, plays music, talks, he puts his chubby little hand on the mouse and it says the direction he's moving it, he loves it! i've got something better for christmas

thanksgiving

2011-11-24T08:31:00.000-07:00

holden was ready for feast with the drake's

after his feast (of milk) he took a nap

with the buttons popped

then over to the colledge's to nap some more... thanksgiving is more incorporated with napping

tiffy & braden... more ready than ever to have little kaleia

then we got silly

and silly

i wanted a family photo...

and then i was laughing too much

and then i peed my pants

here's our family photos

later on that night i went to walmart with meg for some blank friday shopping... it was a little crowded

and this was the line to check out... you can barely see the door up at the front

ice skating at the gallivan

2011-11-23T07:00:00.000-07:00

while mia & victoria were in town we took them ice skating at the gallivan center with my little brothers, danny and justin. i volunteered to sit with little h. for anyone who hasn't been in awhile, the way they re-did it is beautiful... it's more private (farther from the street), all the trees are decked out in christmas lights, and the lights above the rink morph colors... what a way to start off the christmas season!

here's h.... he was in awe most of the night... moving his attention from the tree's, to the lights, to the changing lights on the rink, to all the people skating (falling) by... i love our jj cole urban bundle me thingy... like a sleeping bag, and keeps little h all nice and toasty...

this is holden's signature look... the blank stare... what's he thinking? that his momma takes too many photos?? yes... maybe

josh was bummed i didn't skate... he said, "who am i going to snowball with?"

here's more of the blank stare...

mimi being silly

i know what your thinking... i'm not a horrible sister... danny DID have a coat on (he got too hot)... and justin WAS having fun (just doesn't like photos)

our little nieces are growing into beautiful young women so fast

the gang

just goofing off

really goofing off.... young teens are so energetic to be around

they were really getting holden to giggle

later we walked holden around to see the lights on the trees up close

let the christmas season begin

hugs to the big brown bear

2011-11-22T22:13:00.000-07:00

we've had so much fun watching holden actually play with his toys... transferring his toys from one hand to the other... creating piles... another fun new thing holden has been up to... hugs!!!! i'm in love with holden's hugs

auntie kae's

2011-11-20T22:02:00.000-07:00

holden loves his great-grandpa... and his great-grandpa loves him

holden loves his aunt tippy

holden loves his uncle braden

holden loves his sophie giraffe

holden loves sucking on his hands

but most of all holden loves his uncle greg

sun in holden's eyes

2011-11-20T21:47:00.000-07:00

we bought holden the screens that slide down on the windows to block the sun... well, what a waste of $20 each... sun still peeks through, plus since we don't have tinted windows, the entire back window is bright... holden hates the sun in his eyes... he squirms and fusses... well, this particular day he was fussing and fussing, but it was a bright and beautiful day... after a while josh and i noticed it was quiet... we look back and find our little genius just pulled his beanie over his head and fell asleep....

look at those lips!

just hanging out on the couch

mommy's happy boy

holden & jack... more playdates

2011-11-20T21:02:00.000-07:00

holden and jack hanging out with their sophie giraffes while their daddies are in front of them in folding chairs... inches away from the t.v. playing c.o.d...

mar & ed got married

2011-11-19T23:13:00.000-07:00

marlene & ed ran away to australia and got married... this is the celebration

marlene looked beautiful! she wore her great-grandmother's dress she came across at her mom's house... how cool is that? i was so happy that joy, mia and victoria also got to be there... (i got this picture from bonnie's facebook... mia's hiding behind victoria)

holden loves his daddy

wanna party?

all these photos were taken by travis... i love them so much... thanks trav!!!!

holden can sit by himself

2011-11-19T22:59:00.000-07:00

Holden is growing up so fast... I can't believe how well he can sit up these days...

still not rolling over... but he's a pro at sitting...

and when he falls... it's ever so slowly...

i love how messy holden gets when he eats... funny thing, it's either josh or i getting food all over his face... holden is so busy, when he's eating he's multi-tasking... eating and looking around... and i mean he's got to look all around the room as you try to get the spoon full of food into his mouth and miss his forehead

lately holden has been going to bed late... and i'm talking 11:30-12:00... i go to bed around 10ish, and this is how josh gets holden to sleep, pulls the swing in front of the tv and throw on baby einstien's (jenn, it's your dvd from when we watched lola) holden loves baby einstien's and josh has it memorized... what a loving dad

spoiled by omi

2011-11-17T07:04:00.000-07:00

my mom popped in to give holden a new coat... it's so cute, his first little snow coat

horrible picture of me, but look at the smile on that boy

my mom spoils him... and i think he knows it...

matching beanies

2011-11-15T06:41:00.000-07:00

i'm so happy holden will wear hats... he just looks so cute in them!

matching beanies.... i won't stop there either ;)

new tub... that looks like a swimming pool

2011-11-14T06:45:00.000-07:00

holden is growing so fast... he grew right out of his whale tub, he's still too new at sitting up so i didn't feel comfortable just putting him straight into the big tub, luckily i found this sweet little bath at babies-r-us for just $15... looks like a swimming pool, but holden can sit up and it's not as slippery... he loves this thing, he's got more room now that he move his arms and shoulders... we did put the foam pad from when he was a newborn down in the bottom so he had something else to protect him... (talk about overprotective parents aye??)

it's so funny, he sits back like this, sorta lounging and kicks his little legs... i love it

if your wondering what the red mark is, it's his birth mark

he loves that duck, especially when it quacks...

hi mom, i got my toes

church, nap, play yard, sippy cup

2011-11-12T09:29:00.000-07:00

i love holden in his church clothes

swinging with his lil monkey pal

everyone needs a nap before church

holden loves his play yard

doesn't roll over yet, but he sure knows how to engage his core

the sippy cup

sometimes he holds it like this, sometimes i have to hold it for him... sometimes he sips out of it... sometimes he just gnaws on it... still not sure about this thing

another visit to logan

2011-11-11T07:48:00.000-07:00

josh filmed the utah state vs. byu basketball game, so holden & i tagged along and visited with brady & jenna... holden & i hung out on their front steps and watched all the cars drive by... he was very entertained!

i love the fall

he was so funny, watch one car drive by

and follow the car until out of sight

then along comes another...

brady, jenna, her sister lindsay and i went to an all you can eat sushi bar... are you kidding me??? all you can eat??? AND it was really good... man, oh man how i love sushi... best part of the night was when lindsay asked the waiter for a cup with a lid for her little boy (he's 2ish) and the waiter says "we don't have a cup with a lid, but i can bring a kids cup"... later he brings light plastic cups for us and two big heavy coffee mugs filled with water... the other one was for holden i guess?? with straws... too funny... yes, my 5 month old drinks out of a coffee mug... although holden is a little bigger than most 5 months old... he does look more like a toddler... josh thinks it's funny when i'm breastfeeding since i have this big boy on my lap :)

record store & some new jammies

2011-11-10T07:04:00.000-07:00

took holden to his first record store... josh and i were on a mission to find a couple albums... we failed, but didn't come home empty handed... we just added to our modest mouse vinyl collection.... holden looked around and looked around and impressed the shop owner with his cute charm...

later we took holden to another one of our favorite places... the mall...

although since we've had this little tyke, we haven't had much mulah to be spending there any more... oh the days of buying whatever we wanted

holden got some new jammies

just because i can't get enough

2011-11-07T07:00:00.000-07:00

this face, those cheeks... i could kiss him all day long

visit with aunt sylvie

2011-11-06T06:49:00.000-07:00

aunt sylvie needed a sitter for scottie so josh and i drove up to spend the night... i love staying up in logan, it's my home away from home... every year i foget how cold it is and we had forgotten holden's little hat... so we got him a new one... my little bear/lumberjack

i love aunt sylvie's yard... even in the snow it's preaceful

happy boy with his great aunt

it's officially the holidays when josh pulls out his holiday sweater

later that night we celebrated halle & joe's birthdays... i had to snag this photo from jen

holden with his cousin lola... almost the same size ;-)

first snowfall

2011-11-05T06:57:00.000-06:00

first snowfall of the season, josh and i were excited to introduce it to holden... we bundled him up and took him outside to marvel at the beauty

and he likes it

he kept looking around at the bright white snow... what a sight to wake up to

tummy time

2011-11-04T06:53:00.000-06:00

still not rolling over... he loves tummy time, and he can lift his head and push up on his arms...

but rolling over?? no interest

five months old

2011-11-03T06:34:00.000-06:00

how fast he grows

he has really been into his sophie giraffe these days... he won't take a teething ring, he prefers sophie... and he slobbers all over that cute little giraffee... and then he will talk and fling it in the air... and then back to the slobbering... we can't go any where without this giraffee

for his 5 month birthday josh took holden to the skate park

holden can now sit perfectly all by himself

future skater

halloween 2011

2011-10-31T05:48:00.000-06:00

trick-or-treat

holden got treat

then omi gave him another treat

he really didn't let his treat go

still got it

then he kept showing me

poor thing... really wanted it

turtle time

justin was the cutest clown ever

opi was sure proud of his little turtle grandson

holden loved all the pumpkins

and loved licking his hat... by the end of the night it was soaked

sitting all by himself... i think the shell helped a little

all bundled up and ready to go trick-or-treating

omi was excited to take holden around with justin to show him off a little

justin got sick of his wig, so josh wore it so it didn't go to waste... it really brings out his blue eyes

and then for justin's second round... off went the wig and the shoes

the night was filled with trick-or-treating fun, and two special homemade chili's... yum! i love halloween!!! holden was so fun to dress up... i love halloween!!!!

holden's first trip to the skate park

2011-10-30T13:33:00.000-06:00

what a beautiful day to take holden to the skate park for the first time... it's getting really fun, now that he's even more observant of the things going on around him... he actually kept his eye on josh as he'd go back and forth on the ramp

i love that he's got his daddy's blue eyes

holden with his aunt tippy

i love this... looking up at his daddy... holden sure loves him

i love how red and golden the trees are this time of year

holden thought this was pretty cool sitting on the board

have i mentioned how much i love these two???

dance party

2011-10-30T11:29:00.000-06:00

every now and then on a saturday morning we have a dance party... holden really gets into it... he loves the dance music and loves dancing with mom and dad... it's so fun, but i think he was born to dance

this particular day, josh threw in a new move... at first holden didn't know what to think

but then he really started to like it... daddy and son first big trick

mommy and holden

holden with some of his favorite toys of the time

2011-10-30T11:12:00.000-06:00

actually holden has a lot of favorite toys... but these are few we don't leave the house without

not sure how much longer he'll fit in his bumbo...

holden also is now getting into books... he loves them

this was funny... he dropped his book and was trying to pick it up with his feet... silly boy