Xander's first haircut

Toddler Mullet!

Sitting in the chair watching Elmo

The mullet is gone.

I'm sure other kids get their first haircut way before 19 months, but I finally gave in and took Xander today. I just remember all his hair rubbing off that he had when he was born and then he was bald for three months. When he finally got hair I was so excited. It stuck straight up in the air. Recently he has been getting sort of a toddler mullet, but I just couldn't bear to let go. It was so soft to run my fingers through and he has a slight natural curl at the ends of his hair. I kept it long, but the long hair in the back is gone.

I think Xander had a good time. I brought him to Cookie Cutters in Bountiful. I'm sure there is another kid's place closer to Kaysville, but that place just looked cute. He sat in a fire engine chair and got to watch Elmo. Then they gave him a sucker. I try not to let him have too many of those. It is so messy giving a toddler a sucker! They kept him distracted enough that we were able to get the haircut done in less then 10 minutes.

Xander is doing great, but he still hasn't passed a hearing test in his whole life. He had tubes put in to help him with fluid in his ears, but he still has a lot of stuff in his ears. It is just stressful seeing him go through this. He talks all day but he doesn't really say any words. He is a little behind in his language development and I think it is because of his ear problems. We are taking him in for a sedated ABR hearing test. I'm nervous for it, but the doctor told me it is the best way to tell if he has hearing damage or he is fine. Poor little guy. I hope we can get him hearing and talking soon. He is a great walker, he likes to imitate things and he seems really happy most of the time. He loves other kids and can be really affectionate. I just wish he wasn't having these problems, but I know things could be worse. I hope things get better in the next few months.

What's Happening in 2010

We have already made this public to family and friends so I will finally make a post on our blog. Coming in July 2010 we will be adding on to our family. For Xander's second birthday he will be getting a new baby brother or sister. I hope he wants to keep the new baby. It's exciting and scary. While nine months seems like a long time, it's also a blessing so you have time to get things in order if you need to. We have a guest room that we will be making into another baby room. We have a lot of things from Xander that we can use with the new baby so I don't think we need to buy too many things.
Things are going well so far. I'm just a couple days away from being in the second trimester. I'm still active and workout a few times a week still. I have been really tired, but it mostly just hits me at night. I'm glad Jerry is understanding. I think he remembers two years ago when I would sleep a lot in the evening too. It just really exhausts me! I have been a little sick, but it has been manageable. Smells and tastes are different and strong. I hope that goes back to normal soon. We have already seen the baby twice, once at 6 weeks and again at 10 weeks. He/she is already adorable. The first time I could hardly make anything out of the ultrasound, but the next time I saw a tiny baby with little arms and legs moving around. I'm doing my best to keep him/her comfortable. I'm sure they wont tell us the gender until February and I probably wont believe them anyway since they got it wrong with Xander.
Xander is doing great. He is 18 months old already. He walks, runs and babbles. He is communicating more but not really talking at all. I was concerned so I took him to his doctor for another checkup. He said to start him on speech therapy. I hope it helps. We haven't set anything up yet. He is doing great other then that. I'm sure the not talking is no reflection of his intelligence. With his genes, I know he will be a smart kid. He does things everyday that reflect on his intelligence. They also did his measurements and he is a really big kid! He hit a growth spurt over the past three months, so now he is actually fitting length-wise in his 2T pants. He weighs a hefty 28lbs 2oz (77%) and is 32.5 inches tall (55%). Since birth he has gained 22lbs and grown over a foot. It's like he went and swallowed anther toddler! I'm trying to teach him to walk more because it is so hard to heft him around. It's only going to get harder in the next few months so I hope I can teach him to walk and hold my hand.
We look forward to having another family member this year. I just try not to think of all the challenges it will bring to us too. I hope I can be a good mother of two and keep my kids and hubby happy.

Christmas 2009

Christmas has already come and gone. It was a fun day but also a relief to not worry about shopping anymore. Xander has been spoiled and we are happy. Now I need to think about my New Year's resolutions. I can't believe it will already be 2010 in a few short days. My life was completely different at the beginning of this decade. I was in high school and living with my family at home when 2000 started. Now in 2009 I am a college graduate, have a career, am married for almost 6 years now, have a house and became a mommy 2008. It's amazing how much can change in 10 years, especially in your 20's.

We just had a laid back Christmas this year. On Christmas Eve I made my very first ham dinner. I made so much food we should have called some people up and invited them over. I still have leftovers I'm not sure we are going to finish. It went well so I might keep that as a tradition. We then went to Temple square to see the lights. It was really cold, but there is just something beautiful about being near the temple, lights or not. It really helped me feel the true meaning of Christmas, especially seeing the beautiful Nativity scene. We put Xander to bed and then finally finished wrapping all his presents.

The next morning I got up early, not as early as when I was a child, but I guess I still feel the excitement of Christmas morning. It's not a morning to sleep in! Jerry and I opened presents before Xander woke up. I got spoiled with a new Zune, so now I'm trying to sell my old one. Jerry's big present was a toaster oven. When Xander woke up we showed him how to shred up the wrapping paper and he had a good time opening all his toys. I think it was a little overwhelming for a 17 month old, but I'm sure he loves all his new toys. I'm actually going to box up some of his old toys and save them for future siblings. He doesn't need a million toys all at once.

We had a big Christmas breakfast. We had this tradition in my family growing up, so I thought I would keep it up in my home. We then packed up and spent some time with family and exchanged presents. It was a good Holiday this year but it went by way too fast! Now I'm returning to work tomorrow and having to work through the New Year. I guess it's better then working Christmas. Happy holidays and New Year to everyone!

The Holidays are here again

As soon as Halloween ends, it feels like Thanksgiving is the very next week, and then all of the sudden we are out putting up Christmas decorations. Jerry and I put up decorations in two parts. The first night we did the indoor stuff and then last night we put up all the outdoor decorations. We accomplished all of this after Xander was tucked away in bed. Of course we want this to be a family event, but at his age, he would just make things difficult. Maybe next year he can help a little. We put our tree in a room out of Xander's reach because I just know he will keep attacking the tree when I'm not looking. We still let him enjoy it by letting him have some supervised time with the tree. I think it was exciting for him the morning he woke up and saw all the Christmas stuff. He was only 5 months old last year so I'm sure he doesn't remember any of it. Now he can finally enjoy things more, even if he doesn't understand.
I finally started Christmas shopping after Thanksgiving, but I'm nowhere close to finishing. Of course we are going to spoil our only child. He is the only little one in my family too, so he will get spoiled by my family I'm sure. There is so much to think about, I just hope we can find a way to focus on what matters most and that is Jesus Christ and our family and friends. I was going to post a whole blog on what I am thankful for, but I will just add it in here.
I am getting old, but at 26 I have accomplished what some people dream their whole lives about, but for whatever reasons don't always have. I have a loving husband, a career, a nice shelter and a sweet little guy. Life is busy and crazy, but I try to be grateful everyday for what I have. Xander makes me crazy, but he is also so funny and sweet. He makes me forget the crazy times when he smiles at me or gives me a hug. I'm just grateful for my little family and I just pray that we can have a strong bond with each other. I am grateful to have been raised in the LDS church my whole life. I believe in it and I know I would be lost without it. I might not even have my little family today without the gospel to help me straighten out my life. I'm grateful for the family I was raised in. I think they are crazy, but I know we all love each other, and I know they are always there for me to help me and love me. I have so much and I try to remember that everyday. Happy Holidays!

Xander's first surgery

Xander has had congestion problems since he was born. It was so bad I think it contributed to me not being able to nurse him. I had to pump all his milk for his first year. I would address the congestion issue with his pediatrician at every singe appointment and he would keep brushing it off. I kept saying that I wanted him to be better by the time he reached his first birthday. Well he wasn't better. Everyone who meets him thinks he has a cold and I have to explain that he has always breathed roughly. Finally I had enough and I begged the pediatrician for a referral to an ENT. In the meantime my son failed a hearing test in both ears and still hasn't said his first word yet. The doctor found fluid in his ears and recommended that we put tubes in and remove his adenoids to help him breath better. I was so nervous, but I finally decided that nothing else was helping and surgery might be the answer.
We took him to the hospital this morning and they examined him before his surgery. They were concerned because of his rough breathing, but I told them it is how he always breathes. They checked his lungs and said they found a problem on one side. I never knew there were any lung issues. It meant that if he was having breathing problems because of anesthesia, he might have to stay overnight to be monitored. We still made the decision to go ahead with surgery. The workers were really nice and kept telling us what a cute little boy we have and they gave him a stuffed animal to keep and hold onto in surgery. I almost cried as the wheeled him away. I can't believe how hard that is to see somebody take your baby away to cut him and put tubes and wires on him! I don't think I could have watched the surgery.
The surgery went well and they were surprised at how much mucous and fluid build up was in his ears. The cleaned him out and removed his adenoids. I was hoping to hear a difference in his breathing, but he still sounds pretty congested. I'm still hoping to see some good changes in the next couple of days. However, the doctor wants to do a blood work up on my son in 30 days to see if there are some other issues. I am so glad a doctor finally is willing to see that he is having problems and wants to help, but I'm nervous we wont find out what is wrong. He even wants to test for Cystic fibrosis. My poor little guy!
Despite his congestion, he is so happy and playful. He loves to wrestle with mommy and daddy. He has a beautiful smile and laughs a lot. In fact he even played this afternoon on the same day of his surgery, until he got too tired because of the drugs. He is a tough guy and a fighter, but I just pray we can clear up these problems.

Halloween Fun

Being a mad scientist
Our decorations

Xander's pumpkins

Cute little monkey

It has been a fun month for our family. Halloween is only one day, but it is one of those holidays that seems to be celebrated all throughout the month just like Christmas. I think this holiday is becoming more popular because you don't have to run out and buy presents for everyone you know. You just celebrate by decorating your house with ghosts, witches and monsters. You have to decide if you want to dress up and what you want to be. Buy a large bowl full of candy and you are ready. I love being scared so I try to go to spook alleys every year, and Jerry got me in to going to corn mazes. We have been going to corn mazes every year since 2003. My favorite was one in Farmington that has since been replaced by houses. It was fun because you get a small map and you go through the maze not only trying to find your way out, but looking for checkpoints. When you found a checkpoint you stamped it off on your card. I miss that one, but I still find it fun to go wandering around a maze aimlessly until we find our way out. This year Jerry and I went to a maze in Syracuse. Jerry decided if we just kept making left hand turns we would eventually get out and he was right. We also went to a spook alley in Salt Lake and Frightmares at Lagoon earlier this month.

On Halloween day we went out to a pumpkin patch in Farmington and picked out two large pumpkins. Xander had fun walking around and playing with the pumpkins. He is becoming quite a pro at walking and now trying to start running. He has hardly any sense of separation anxiety or stranger danger, so he tries to wander far away from us whenever we go out. We carved pumpkins as a family, which is a tradition I'm sure we will carry on throughout the years to come. We just let Xander watch this year. There is no way I am handing a curious toddler a little carving knife!

After our pumpkins were carve we dressed Xander up as a monkey and took him down our street for a little trick or treating. He is too young for candy, but I will let him eat a little chocolate or a sucker once in a while. We love decorating our house and have a talking skeleton. Jerry would talk through him and try to scare the kids who came to our door. Unfortunately we get very few trick or treaters on our street. I think it is a combination of things, that more and more people are opting to do trunk or treats, go to the mall and other alternatives. We also live at the very end of a dead end road and perhaps people don't want to walk all the way down. I think we ended up getting at least a dozen. When we bought our house in 2007 I was looking forward to finally getting some trick or treaters. We lived in a condo before then and didn't get any kids at our door. We had a good time and it was Xander's first year trick or treating.

Our baby is walking

I'm a proud parent, but sad at the same time. Xander has hit the milestone that I consider the difference between a baby and a toddler. Babies crawl and roll, but toddlers walk. For the last couple months Xander has mastered cruising and pushing his toys all over the room. One day he was playing with his car and I looked over at him. He just let go and took four steps forward. Soon he was taking steps, but falling a lot. Within a couple weeks he can walk all the way across the room and he can stand himself back up without support every time he falls. Now I will have to start buying him functional shoes instead of the cute booties that babies wear just for looks. I know that children grow too fast, but it is just crazy watching your own child hit their milestones. Now we need to get him talking next. He seems to be a little behind since he doesn't even say mommy or daddy yet. I just don't feel like I can call my first baby a baby anymore.