Christmas Day

Christmas was so different this year than last, I can't wait to see what next year will be. It just gets better and better the older he gets.

 

So this was our little Christmas corner.

 

For breakfast we had cinnamon rolls with cream cheese frosting. They were so yummy! For lunch we had a sandwich and for dinner we had; fall off the bone ribs, green bean casserole and rolls. For dessert we had Muddy Buddies, which are totally addicting.

 

 

Walker and Julian got many fun things and we are greatful to our parents for the things they gave them! Here are a few pictures from that day.

Here's a video of how Walker likes to ride his bike!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Birthday Boy

It was Walkers birthday today and it was so much fun! I loved watching the expressions on his little face when playing with balloons and opening his presents!

So while he was taking his nap I got everything set up and prepped for his birthday dinner. We had hamburgers and garlic fries. I made his cake the night before so I didn't have to worry about that part (totally recommend doing that). Thanks Tammy for all of the tips.

For his second birthday he got:

Trains

 



Puzzels

 



A Ball

and more.
Thank you Nana, Pa, Grandma and Grandpa for everything!

After presents we sang happy birthday and we blew out the candles.

 

Today was such a great day and am so happy with how everything turned out.

 

This is the blanket you see in the picture. It's a different version of a tie fleece blanket. Here is the link if you want to check it out. Click Here It was super easy to make and it's nice and warm!

From 0 to 2

It is hard to believe that it has already been two years since you have entered our lives! It's amazing how quickly time goes by. I remember the whole 3 years we were waiting to have a child and wondering if it would ever happen. Then in April, I had a feeling I needed to take a pregnancy test. And to my surprise we were pregnant. Things have never been the same since. You have made our lives so much better by having you in it. You entered the world a whole 10 days after your due date, on a cold and rainy Christmas Eve!

 

 

3 months later things had changed. You were smiling, cooing, laughing and spiting up on everything in sight. But we still loved you anyways! You were also blessed in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints.

 

When you were 6 months old we moved to Laramie,WY. Shortly after moving here you started to sleep 12 hour stretches, You could also sit up unsupported.

 

At 9 months you were pulling yourself up onto everything you possibly could; couches, chairs and beds that you could reach. You also started to walk shortly after this.

 

At 1 you got into everything! You were able to run, walk, climb and trip and fall down. You could drink from a cup, feed yourself for the most part and you loved to laugh. One of your favorite past times was to take things and put them in a the hamper in your room. On your first birthday you were sick with a stomach virus and we ended up having to go to Urgent Care. You can read about the 1 year old blog here.

 

At 15 months you started to take off developmentally. You loved try new things and to receive praise for everything, and I mean everything. You loved to do anything your Dad would do. About this time  you were able to go to the park and climb on the play set. Going to the park was by far your favorite thing to do. We would walk there from our apartment and you would just look at the trees and houses, but as soon as you knew we were close to the park you wanted out of the stroller so you could run on the grass.

 

At 18 months we were in the process of moving to Las Cruces, NM. You loved helping us pack (and unpack) things. We also visited both grandparents! You became a great travel buddy when we saw the grandparents and when we moved. You even got brave at this age and started to climb on tables. I remember being at Grandma and Grandpa Capells in Modesto and I just went to the back for a second and you had climbed on top of the table because there was watermelon up there. You little stinker.

 

And now you are two. You are the happiest little kid I know. I have decided that you are going to be the laugher in the family. You just love to laugh at pretty much everything! You are such a good big brother. Anytime Julian burps and look around for a towel to help clean up the spit-up. You are sleeping in your big boy bed and doing a fantastic job at it and you still like to sleep with you little elephant. You love to help me cook, clean and bathe Julian. You go to nursery all by yourself and you enjoy watching other people (I think you are like me in that way). In the past month you have changed a lot; you have started to try to repeat things that we say; you no longer lay down your toys, you throw them; you also drag out all of your toys instead of playing with one or two at a time; you have gotten into Mickey Mouse; when you get extremely excited you like to run around the house and then throw yourself onto the couch. I could go on and on about how amazing and silly you are, but I will sum it with: We love you very much and enjoy every second with you.
Happy 2nd birthday!

 

Easy Soup

2-32 oz beef broth
1-15oz can of tomato sauce
4 to 5 tbsp basil
Jenni-O breakfast sausage
2-Zucchini chopped
5-Whole carrots chopped
1-Head of broccoli chopped

Using a 5 quart pot, cook the sausage until done, and then add everything else and let cook for about 45 minutes to an hour, depending on how you like your veggies to be cooked.

The recipe is pretty much done to taste, so add more of what you like or just don't use certain veggies. This is the first time I have added broccoli to this and if I was to add it again I would wait until the end because I don't like over cooked broccoli.

Walker even eats it!

Little of this and a little of that

Walker has become such a good little builder. He has to use all of his blocks and stack them as high as he can.

 

 

Whats better than nutella and bread? YUMM!

 

Julian is just my lttle cutie! He is such a talker. I have decided that Walker is our laugher and Julian is our talker.
"Mom this book is for the birds"

 

I just think he has the best blue eyes ever! Also the above picture was taken the day before this one and his face is so much better! Poor kid. Cetaphill bath and cortozone on that face just did the trick.

Prayer

With Christmas approaching I've been trying to think about ways Christ has helped me out this past year. Here are the two major things that I have been thinking about.

#1
    These past few months have been crazy. In case some of you don't know Eric got a job in October working with the Juvenile Justice System. We were both excited for this but it was unexpected because of the job requirements. Our plan was to put school off a semester (since that was the reason we moved here) because out of state was a little much.
    But this job came along and changed everything, and I mean everything. Part of taking this job meant that he would be gone every other week starting in October and going through the end of November. I wasn't to excited about this with having a 1 1/2 month old and a almost two year old.     
    So I had to suck it up and deal with it. I was worried about going to church by myself, buying groceries, going to the park, nap/bedtime, plus everything else. I know that their is no way that we could of gotten through this whole experience if it wasn't for prayer. I don't think I have prayed so much in such a short time frame in my entire life. I truly know that my Heavenly Father was there for me through this time. It wasn't easy, and I did have my moments. When those moments would occur I would pray and things just seemed to be so much better. I am truly grateful for the love our Heavenly Father shows us.

#2
    Making the move out to New Mexico was not easy for me. I love to move, and I love change but this was not one that I was happy about. The whole reason we moved to Wyoming was for Eric to go to school and get his pre-requisites in Speech Pathology.
    We'll that was my plan! Once Eric was done with that program we started to apply for graduate schools. Things didn't turn out our way in that department. But something did happen. Eric, for some unknowingly reason, applied for a masters in Curriculum and Instruction at New Mexico State and he was accepted. When I first saw the acceptance letter I was so excited, because all I saw was "accepted" but the more I read, I was like what the crap, Eric did you apply to the wrong program?!?!
    So we go back and forth about what to do. Shortly after we received the letter, my visiting teachers came by and gave a nice lesson that really got me thinking. They talked about "our" plan vs Heavenly Fathers plan for us. Lets just say I wasn't to happy with what I was hearing, I wasn't accepting this. So many things were going through my head, why did we feel that we should come to Wyoming, why did we accumulate more debt, what are our family members going to think and say about this if we go to N.M.??
   We were praying about it and I told Eric that I am never going to get an answer, this is not what "I" want, this was not "my" plan. So Eric, being the wise ol' owl he is, told me to pray that my heart will be soften, so I could receive my answer. So I took his advice, and with some time I received my answer. I was prompted to go to the Relief Society activity, that I wasn't planning on going to, that they were having at the stake center. So I went, and I heard the same thing again that my visiting teachers had spoken to me about. The speaker seemed to know exactly how I was feeling, it was so strange. From praying and that exeperience I knew what we needed to do. And here we are, in New Mexico, and not going to school. What !?!? Not going to school, I know, I know. But one thing I do know for sure...I know that this is where we are suppose to be right now, doing the things we are doing. I know now that if things didn't happen the way they did we would of never considered moving here, and Eric wouldn't of gotten this great job doing something he enjoys.

**********

I know that our Father in Heaven hears and answers our prayers. I know that if we go to Him with an open heart that he will lead and guide you. I am grateful for the knowledge of the gospel of Jesus Christ and for the comfort and peace it brings to me. I know that our Savior lives. I know that Thomas S. Monson is a true prophet and leads and guides His church. I am grateful for the friends I have made through going to church and the service that they have provided to my family. I know that we are all brothers and sisters and moving here has really shown me this. I love our Heavenly Father very much and am grateful for everything He has done.

Julians Blessing

Today was such an exciting day, Julian was blessed in the Las Colinas Ward in Las Cruces, NM. The blessing was beautiful as well as testimony meeting. We missed having more family members there but were grateful my parents could make it.

doTERRA

This past summer while we were traveling around I heard of a company called  doTERRA, which is a company that sells essential oils. My cousin in Utah is the first person that I heard about this company from. I was telling here that I have been having headaches a lot lately and she gave some stuff to try, but it didn't work (but it wasn't meant for headaches, I don't think). Then when we were in California I was still having headaches and nothing seemed to be able to get rid of this one. Well, Shelia, my sister-in-law, invited me to go to a doTERRA party that her friend was hosting. It sounded like fun so I went, plus I wanted to learn more about what the big whoop about this company was. While there we were able to try and smell different oils. One of the oils that we were able to try was "peppermint". They said that it was suppose to help with headaches. Really doubtful that this would even work, I tried it, and I swear within not even 5 minutes my headache was gone. I was so surprised, but still not really buying into, but my headaches never came back.

Anyways to get to the point of this blog.

Julian has reflux, not as bad as Walker, but it's still pretty bad. I go back and forth in my head about begging the doctor for medication, but I know he wont give it to him because I have spoken to him about it. I am not for giving babies medicines unless they really need it but it is tempting. At first his reflux wasn't so bad but it has progressively gotten worse and we are now having to use a towel for a spit-up rag. So I was talking to my friend about it on Sunday and she takes a more holistic approach to helping here baby and she just happens to be into doTERRA and baby massages. Yesterday she came by and brought me some oils to try and showed me some tummy massages to try.  I don't expect this to be a cure for the problem, even medication doesn't take all of it away, but I am hopeful that it might provide some relief. So I decided I would make a blog about, as in a way to keep track of the results and then I will share them.

***I did do the massages with baby oil to have something to compare it too***

THE NIGHT SHE CAME BY:
-we did the oils and massages and then he went to bed for the night, and he slept through the night again!

DAY 1:
Today I did tummy massages with the oil with all feedings and he only had one really bad spit-up with one feeding but he was also in the car seat. Other than that at one other feeding he had a little bit that a normal spit up rag could deal with, with leaving more room for other spit-up. He seemed to have a more comfortable day.

DAY 2:
Today wasn't a good day for him, he had several episodes with refulx. I do think that doing the massages helps him poop more easily and they don't sound as explosive.

DAY 3:
I'm adding another oil that is suppose to help and I am going to give it a day to see if their is any difference.

DAY 4:
There seem to be no difference today, still had some episodes and some major spit-ups but I am still not sure about it.

DAY5:
We'll not really a difference with the spit-up. He still has several episodes with reflux, so I am just going to have to deal with it and be patient.

Overall:
Overall I am still not sure about the whole essential oil stuff. I know that when I used the peppermint at the party I went to, my headaches went away. I would recommend this as an alternative to try before medication because who knows if your baby is having some minor issues it might be helpful or just give you peace of mind. I do think, however,  that the tummy massages really help and I will keep on doing. The massage is called "I love you", you can google it and see what you are suppose to do, it's super easy.

Julian kept on getting worse and eventually stoped nursing he would just cry everytime he would eat, so I pumped instead and feed him that way. He would still cry when I would feed him with a bottle, so I made an appointment with the doctor and he is on medication now. He is eating so much better and is way more comfortable.

Chocolate Chip Cookies

This is my favorite Chocolate Chip Cookies recipe. I wanted to share this yummy goodness with family and friends that will be baking this holiday season.

• 1/2 cup butter or margarine (soften)
• 1/2 cup oil
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 tsp baking soda dissolved in 1 tbsp vinegar
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 3-3 1/4 cups flour
• 1 bag of chocolate chips

Bake at 350 for 10 minutes

2012 Pictures

2012 Pictures

If this link above doesn't work you can go to my facebook account and click on the link.

JCPennys was have a special on pictures today so we went. I have always loved how our pictures have turned out because the photographer would snap a million of them. We'll this lady took her time and would wait for them to pose or something, but she did get some good ones.

Julian wasn't all smiles for pictures but once we were finished he was cooing and smiling, plus during pictures he spit up all over himself; Walker really didn't want to cooperate he was just being silly, every time you would place him somewhere he would just run off until we found a baseball. I think he has had a baseball in every picture because it gets him to smile and to stand still. I don't mind the spit up or the baseball because this is just how life is now and I am loving being a mommy of two, but it does have its days.

Spit-up UHHH

I can not stress it enough of how much I HATE spit-up.

Well Julian is following in his big brother foot steps. He spits-up in the car seat leaving a puddle in the bottom, he spits-up in the swing, bouncer, in is his sleep, at a 30 degree angle that they tell you to keep him at, well he pretty much spits-up anywhere. It doesn't matter if it's breast milk, formula or thickened formula. I don't want to take him to peoples homes because I am afraid of what he might do. I am tired of people telling me or asking me if I am overfeeding him. Here is what he did just after 3 ounces. And this doesn't include what was on the spit rag, the couch or the floor. I would describe his spit up as projectile, but not like vomit, so it is hard to catch it. It doesn't all come up at once, probably a few seconds apart.

It doesn't matter the bottle, how many times you burp him, the position he is feed or what he is feed. This boy is just a faucet and there is no off switch.

 

Random pictures

Walker has been into everything lately. He is developing a very strong personality. Humm do I see time outs in our future, yep! YIPEE!

 

He is into building with blocks and is pretty darn good at it.

 

 He loves to be daddy's little helper and be apart of any project going on.

 

 He really likes to help me cook, so on some days we do baking projects that he can help with.

 

 This is one of his favorite things to do, rearrange my pantry.

 

 I love it when Julian stretches after a good nap, I think it is the cutest thing ever.

 

 I also love it when he is sleeping all nice and swaddled. Thanks for the blanekts Granny, they are being put to good use!

A nap story

Walker has a little elephant that he sleeps with all the time and for some reason he had brought it down stairs yesterday. With the time change and all he has been a little off. So it was probably about time for his nap, and he goes and gets his elephant and starts walking up the stairs saying "night, night". I was so suprised! It was so stinkn' cute, with him holding his elephant. So I followed him up and he went right down. I think I am still a little shocked that he did that.

(Lorraine it's so funny, I read your blog the same day Walker did this)

Halloween

This year for Halloween, besides doing the trunk and treat, we painted a pumpkin and carved a pumpkin. Walker really enjoyed painting one as you can tell from the pictures.

 I turned my back for one second and he painted the bottom of his foot because of the FHE activity we did with him.

He wouldn't put his hands inside of the pumpkin. He is really wierd when it comes to textures.

Guess who is 2 mths

Julian

10 lbs 6 oz

22 inches long

 

They change so quickly! He went from a tiny little ball, into a smiley happy baby. He loves to smile, especially at Walker. He is also cooing more and more each day. I love it when he sneezes because he makes a funny little cooing sound at the end, like it's a relief coo (I don't know if that made sense). He still sleeps the majority of the day. He is only up for about and hour at a time and on average sleeps about 7-8 hours at night. But last night he did a long stretch of sleep, he went from 8:30 p.m. to about 6:15 a.m. I was so proud!!! He likes to go on walks in the carrier, and he'll normally fall asleep. He likes to be held a lot or to be able to see everything that is going on. When he is held he likes to be facing outward or he will fuss. Things he doesn't like: the swing, and the pacifier. That's pretty much it. Overall he is a happy baby and we are trying to enjoy every minute of it because it goes by so quickly.

 

Trunk and Treat / pictures

Our ward just had their Halloween party. They had activities going on inside the building but nothing really age appropriate for Walker so we just waited out side for the Trunk and Treat.

At first I didn't want to take two kids by myself but then I thought that it would be to pass out candy with Walker. Lets just say he really enjoyed putting candy in the kids baskets, he was such a good little helper. I really didn't want to bring any candy home but what they heck, later when Eric showed up we took him around. People asked what he was, I had to quickly think because I am to cheap to buy a costume, and said that he was a construction worker because he was dirty :)

I couldn't get one of him looking because he was to distracted.

 

A few new pictures:

 

 

Also, I made a goal to try a new park every week to see which one I like the best and this is the one we went to this week.