I dropped D off at work the other day to have the car, and despite my long list of errands I had to run, I decided to mosey on over to Hobby Lobby. When I got there I realized the craft side of my brain had been extremely neglected. I entered those large sliding doors and was like a kid in a candy store! I wanted everything! I settled on a few projects to start with, but assured myself that I would be back (and back again..)
The yarn was on sale so I decided to make this yarn wreath with felt flowers that I had seen here. It's nice to give our otherwise identical door in a sea of doors a little bit of expression
Then I realized how sad the decorations in Finn's room are. So I took advantage of the yarn sale again and made these letters. I've seen them on Etsy and didn't want to pay for them so I tried it out myself. I haven't figured how I want to put them up yet.

Also I finally got a video of Finn doing his little moves. Note: every time I would get out the camera to document how stinkin cute he is, he would stop and stare at me as if to say "seriously mom?" So this is my covert-op video

happy little moments

I was feeding Finn this morning and despite the fact that it was 5:30am and I had gotten to bed at 2am I was really enjoying myself. He was all cuddled up and basically half asleep. I sat there staring at his tiny fingers and tiny toes and his precious little face thinking about how lucky I am to be a mom. His eye to eye grin just completely melts my heart (keep that on the DL-- I don't want him using that to get out of trouble when hes 2!). Then I was realizing why little babies have such a big effect on not only their parents but on everyone around them especially when they smile.

Babies are completely selfish, they have to be. They need to let us know when they need to be fed, changed, cuddled, and played with. They don't care if you are in the middle of dinner, putting your mascara on, or driving and will be home in just 5 min. When they need something they will let you know and wont hesitate to take your situation into account at all. This means that when they are happy they are 100% genuine about it. They simply smile because they want to. They wont give you a grin because they know that is what YOU want, and there is something about that that is remarkable.

That is a mothers reward. Taking care of a baby 24/7 is no small task! With all of the diaper blow outs, spit up covered outfits, cold dinners, 2 second showers, half watched movies, stubborn baby weight, and sleepless nights, some days seem impossible. but then that perfect little baby (covered in mashed carrots) looks into your eyes and smiles, life is happy and perfect. Even with all that mothers sacrifice, I've learned that you end up receiving 10 times more. My life is just as it should be, it is vibrant, fun and full of color, and that is 100% because of my family. D and Finn thank you for being the sweetest boys in the whole world!

Here are some happenings with Finn.
He is getting SO big and is almost grown out of his Bumbo which makes me sad

He's starting to sit up now! I still keep fluffy things all around him because without any warning he dives onto his face... We're working on that one

He isn't the biggest fan of his binki which made me a little nervous because those mute buttons are the greatest, but has found his thumb which is so stinkin adorable

Now he's starting to figure out the crawling thing. He pulls his knees up under his tummy (with a lot of grunting) then rocks back and forth until he looses his balance and either face plants or tumbles to his side

5 months

In 5 months I've learned:

that 5 months goes by way too fast
singing in the shower buys me 5 more minutes
I can sing "popcorn popping" exactly 25 times in one day before going insane
to be flexible
sleeping until 7am is considered sleeping in
to soak up all the cuddle time I can get

1st of many

This weekend was our first quick trip to Dallas! We went to visit D's dad for Fathers day and to see our friends Justin and Holly who were in town. Usually we have to plan a trip to Dallas months in advance, so it was a lot of fun to just drive a couple of hours and be there!


It was the definition of a perfect weekend---we spent an entire day in the pool, playing volleyball and laying out, we ate a ton of junk food, played ticket to ride 3 times, and of course went to Babes!Babes with Cory, Caroline, Justin and HollyCold Dublin Dr Peppers while we waited to get into Babes!
Cory trying to give Finn some, I turned around just in the nick of time!

We also missed my dad (aka Papa) this fathers day, We love you Papa!

Basketball and Guitars #outnumbered

This week has been a good week. The Mavericks won the NBA finals which left me with a VERY happy husband! I don't think I will ever really understand why boys love sports so much, but every once and a while I get a small glimpse of where that emotional attachment comes from. Here is Daniels post after the game. That Sunday evening started out great as well. We had a couple from our ward, Amy and Jerrick, over for dinner and then we were going to head to their house to watch the game (which Daniel was super thankful for because we still have "buying a TV" on our wish list) but the guys were able to jam a little bit before the game started. I realized that Daniel hadn't played the guitar for Finn yet and he (Finn, that is) was completely mesmerized by it. He laid on the floor just staring at them completely content for a long time, it was adorable.
Please excuse my little shirtless ragamuffin son... (he's pretty stinkin cute though.)


They actually sounded really good, it's been a long time since Daniel has really been able to play, So its perfect that Jerrick enjoys jamming. I tried to post a video but for some reason it wasn't working so I'll try again later.

Also Finn has been loving his toes lately. He finally mustered up enough strength to get them up to his mouth, and let me tell you: he is pretty excited about it! I am too, considering it keeps him entertained and gives me an extra 10 minutes to get things done after I lay him down.
Sorry its so dark, I always get the cutest pictures when the flash doesn't work, boo.

Finn wakes up in the morning with the sweetest demeanor. He just shouts for us to come get him then smiles and coos like crazy when we finally come. Then he just wants to talk, play, and smile. I have no idea where he gets this from because I, however, am NOT a morning person. I try my hardest to be a good mom and talk and sing with him--I'm not so sure Finn is convinced. Despite his best efforts, it still takes me a couple of hours to finally perk up into my chipper self.

They See Me Rollin

So the past few weeks have been pretty crazy but they have been so much fun!


First and foremost Finn is now rolling over! That video was recorded on May 10th and he has since figured out how to roll from his back to his tummy as well :)

We also gave him rice cereal for the first time and he was so excited and pretty proud of himself!

We are finally in our apartment and pretty much out of boxes in Houston! Our apartment has no mold, four sturdy walls, a floor, and a ceiling (considering that we chose it from the internet, without being able to come look at it before we sent all of our belongings to its exact address) that is a major feet!! But actually we like it a lot. Compared to our old basement apartment in Provo it it lacks character. But for what it lacks in character it makes up for in, actual light switches rather than pull strings, an entire ceiling that is high enough for someone over 6 feet tall, dry wall that is remarkable easy to hang pictures on, and a dishwasher!
We really are so lucky to have moved into such an amazing ward! When Daniel got here there was not enough space to drop off the trailer with all of our stuff so he had to rent a Uhaul, then transfer all of our stuff over into it, drive it back to our complex, and then unload it into our apartment. So totally last minute on Friday nighttwo guys from the ward dropped everything they were doing and helped D load up the Uhaul, then on Saturday morning 20 people came to help him move everything into our place!


Daniel on his first day of work
On top of moving across the country Daniel was trying to focus on his new job. He was required to pass a certification exam before he could start. This exam is notorious for being a pain in the bootie. two out of three people who take it don't pass the first time, so he was pretty nervous about it, but he PASSED the first time! So he started work last Monday.
(Also Daniel has a rockin blog! check it out here.)

It has been very different to have a typical day schedule where your husband goes off to work at 7:30 in the morning, then comes home at 5:30 every night. I've really loved it though, it makes me feel like Donna Reed, on the Donna Reed Show. I spend the day cooking, cleaning the house, and taking care of Finn. Its all very rewarding :)

oh yeah and....... Finn is Four months old!

I can't believe how fast time has gone! when I was pregnant time seemed to stop completely and now its going by way to fast! In four months I've learned:

• High pitched screeching, fake crying, cooing, and big smiles are actually nuanced and are very specific forms of communication.
  
• Women who fly with more than one child are my heroes.
• Swim diapers actually ARE a necessity when going swimming and are totally worth the money.
• Nap time is crucial if you want to get anything done during the day.
• Baby faux hawks melt my heart.
• There is nothing like watching your baby's face light up when his daddy comes home at night.
• Open mouthed toothless kisses are the best.
  

bright lights big city

Houston here we come!

I always pictured us moving and starting a brand new life as something that was in the distant future. It turns out I was right, but that the distance was more of a football field rather than the vast ocean that I was imagining.

Daniel is now officially part of the working class wahoo!! He is in Kansas City right now training for two weeks, then he flies to Salt Lake to pack all of our stuff in to a moving pod, and to drive our car to Houston! That leaves me and Finn here taking care of the moving details. Daniel has been gone for only 3 days now and its been crazy. I miss him a ton but I have so much to do. I want time to go fast and slow down all at once.... its all been very dramatic :)

After I pack up all of our stuff with help from my Mom and sister (thank goodness) I'm off to Dallas to spend some time with Daniel's family which will be just what the Dr ordered. A week full of anxious babysitters, a sister-in-law yoga instructor (jackpot!) and a whole lot of naps by the pool.

As excited as I am for Houston its going to be really hard to leave Utah. Here family is just a few minutes away and there are so many cherished friends that it breaks my heart to leave. But I am determined to make this new chapter an exciting one, so Houston here we come!