Happy Birthday, Jaxson!

Jaxson turned three earlier this month, and we had such a fun time celebrating his birthday! Sometimes it seems crazy that he is already three, but then there are so many times when I feel like he has been part of our family for so much longer. I am sure a lot of parents feel that way...it is weird to imagine a time when he wasn't part of our family.

Jax has really been into superheroes lately and had been talking about having a Batman cake for several months. Thankfully he was still into Batman when his party arrived. He loved having a Batman cake and seeing all of his Batman decorations. Of course, when it was time to get ready, he insisted on wearing his Spiderman shirt instead of the Batman one. :)

I think that Jaxson must be going through a little bit of a shy phase, because he was super bashful about having so many people come over and getting all of the attention. At one time, he told me that he wanted everyone to stay home. He eventually warmed up to the idea of having everyone there and was able to enjoy himself, although he was super shy when we sang "happy birthday".

Jaxson really did end up having such a fun time. We love having such a great family that would come and celebrate with us. Growing up, we didn't have any extended family around, so I love being able to have all the family over for celebrations.

I always get really sentimental this time of year when thinking about how Jaxson came to be part of our family. I am SO thankful for adoption and for his wonderful birth mother who was able to make the decision to have him be part of our family. I know that he is supposed to be my son. His adoption was such an amazing experience, and I am so appreciative that I am one of the few people lucky enough to have that opportunity. I will never forget the feel of "getting the call" and telling our families that they were going to have a grandson...within just a few short weeks! Yes, giving birth is also very special, but as someone who has experienced both, there is just something so different and so special about adoption.

King of the Throne

We introduced potty training at our house on Friday. We have been telling Jax for a while that if he started going to the bathroom in the toilet, we would buy him a bike. I figured it was time to put up or shut up. This was something that I have had mixed feelings about for a long time. On one hand, it is expensive to have two kids in diapers, on the other, diapers are just SO convenient sometimes. I figured that with the kids being so close in age, chances are I could train both of them at the same time and save myself some time and energy. That was my first mistake.

I did everything that I could to be ready for the big day. I cleared out schedule, took the kids shopping for their own grown-up underwear, and loaded up on treats and drinks. The morning started off well. I used a doll to show the kids how easy it is go in the toilet and what happens when you don’t make it to the bathroom in time. They caught on pretty quickly and we moved on to having the kids wear their new underwear. The method I was using (Toilet Training in Under a Day) focuses on rewarding kids when they stay dry rather than when they go to the bathroom, and Jaxson was LOVING this. The only problem was that he soon started insisting that he didn’t need to even try sitting on his potty chair because he was already clean. Meanwhile, poor Aynsley started having lots of accidents which were freaking her out and giving her tons of anxiety. It quickly became clear that while both kids might seem ready, they still had different needs and there was not enough of me to go around to get both of them trained at the same time. So, Aynsley went back into diapers and my focus shifted just to Jaxson.

Once I started focusing only on him, he seemed to catch on a lot faster, although I had to switch to bribing him with rewards for when he went, rather than when he stayed dry. I was feeling fairly optimistic by the time he went to bed on Friday. Saturday morning rolled around and since I was out running, Mike was the only one around who could help him. For whatever reason, Jaxson was not okay with this, so we kind of had to start over on Saturday once I came home. I think that each day is getting a little bit better (Jax even took himself once on Sunday with no prompting/help from us!), but it is still hard to see the light at the end of the tunnel and imagine when I will have the confidence to take him out in public for any extended period of time.

Potty training is definitely something that will test your patience, but at the same time, I have to admit that I have kind of enjoyed the quality time that Jaxson and I spent together. It isn’t often that you are confined to a space the size of a bathroom with very minimal interruptions…no TV, no phone, hardly any toys. It really makes you get back to basics and reminds you just how cool this little person is.

Jaxson's Second Birthday!

Jaxson turned two...almost two months ago. What can I say, the last few months have been BUSY!

We celebrated with a "Toy Story" themed party (his favorite). We had pizza and alien juice from "Pizza Planet" for lunch and played a game where the kids had to pin the badges on Woody and Buzz. Jaxson loved being able to wear his "Woody" shirt, have a cake with all of his favorite characters, and of course get lots of new Toy Story toys!

By far, I think that Jaxson's favorite new toy was his Buzz Lightyear action figure. He was so excited when he saw what it was; he didn't even want to let anyone take it away long enough to get it out of the package. He had to carry it around with him and is still very protective of it.

Happy birthday, Jaxson! We sure love you!!!

July Recap

July seriously flew by so quickly...it seemed like it was such a busy month for us, but in talking to others, it sounds like it was that way for everyone else, too.

Our family was able to do a lot of fun "summer" stuff this past month, which I loved. The kids are getting to an age where they really enjoy doing things away from home (especially Jaxson). Here are a few highlights:

We finally made it up the canyon for a campfire dinner. I love going up to Mueller Park for dinner...it is nice and close to home, plus there are some good picnic places and lots of shade. Jaxson was fascinated by the campfire and wanted to help Mike set up the fire and cook dinner. He was pretty disappointed that we didn't let him make his own hotdog and s'more on his own. Jax is definitely getting to that stage where he wants to be as independent as possible. We also learned that Aynsley seems to have the makings of being a true camper. She kept putting her food down on the ground and rubbing it in the dirt before eating it. No matter how many times we tried to distract her, she just kept going back to the dirt.

We were able to go for a long weekend trip to Bear Lake with Mike's family, and we had so much fun! It was really nice to take a break and just relax. I was pretty nervous about how well Jaxson would do because he typically won't sleep anywhere besides his crib, but he did great! He absolutely loved being able to play with his cousin and Aynsley became best friends with her Aunt Mandy.

While we were there, Jaxson was able to go on his first 4-wheeler and waverunner rides. He was pretty hesitant at first, but then ended up enjoying both. On his second waverunner ride, he kept looking up at me with the biggest smile on his face; I could tell that he was just loving every minute of it.

While we were waiting to switch out riders, we put Jaxson on the waverunner by himself so that we could take a picture. As you can tell, he was not very happy about that!

Hanging out by the beach...although the shore wasn't too great for playing, we were able to still find a pretty nice beach that worked out really well for the afternoon that we had the waverunners. It wasn't crowded at all, plus there was sand and shade for the kids. We had such a great time and are hoping to be able to go back again!

Recently, Jaxson has been really interested in farm animals. Last week, I took the kids to Wheeler Farm, and he absolutely loved it. I think that his favorite animal right now is a horse, so he was so excited when he got to see one up close. Unfortunately, Aynsley wasn't so into the horses, and she burst into tears while we were up close to one.

One of the employees was really sweet and let Jaxson "help" take care of the pigs. He was able to help spray them off and give them a drink. Later, the same employee helped Jaxson pet and get a few licks from Snickers, which is a pony. His whole face lit up when he was able to be that interactive with the pony. Once again, Aynsley wasn't too stoked about this, but I think by this point she was just ready to get out of the stroller.

Both of the kids really enjoyed being able to feed and look at the ducks. I think Jaxson was enjoying it a little too much, because he kept trying to pet them.

Besides the outings, the kids are keeping us as busy as ever! Aynsley started walking about three weeks ago, and I swear she is already going to be running soon! She can also say Momma, uh-oh, and that.

Jaxson is getting more and more grown up all the time. We have slowly started potty-training, and have even seen a few successes! He is getting very good at following directions, and is always trying to help his sister. He is such a sweet older brother. He loves going to nursery and playing with other kids.

What's It Like in Your World?

Wow, time sure goes by fast! Jaxson and Aynsley are growing up so quickly. I absolutely love being their mom and I truly can't imagine having it any other way. I just love being a part of their worlds. Here is a glimpse at what is going on with each of the kids:

My sweet Jaxson:

Jaxson loves to run around outside. I could tell that he was feeling a little stir-crazy one day, so we went out into the backyard to run around. He loved being able to chase Faline around the yard and thought it was so funny that she was running away from him.

Jaxson loves to play on the playground. One of our favorite things to do right now is take a walk to one of the playgrounds in our neighborhood. He especially loves to play in the sand and go down the slide. Recently, we met up with some friends for a picnic lunch/play date at the park. Jaxson was in heaven! He is so social...he loves to play with other kids and was loving being able to go down the slide over and over.

Jaxson is slowly starting to get more vocal, and it seems like he has so much that he is trying to say. Some of his most commonly used words are hi, hi ___ (guys, sis, dad, mom-ma), no, owe-ie (I think he uses this as stop), go, and uh-oh. He also can say cookie, wa-wa (for water), hello, bye-bye, and a few others.

Jaxson still loves music and he loves to dance. He was always start moving around if he hears music that he likes.

One of his newest fascinations is that he has learned to turn light switches on and off. He loves to climb onto our sofa and turn the ceiling fan on. Once he sees the fan start to move, he points to it and has the biggest smile on his face.

My dear Aynsley:

Aynsley's personality is coming out more and more all the time. It is so fun to see her grow and learn. I love to hear her giggle and laugh...it is so precious!

Aynsley has finally started eating solids within the past week. She was so resistant to it...it kind of seemed like she just didn't know what to do with it. When I mentioned it to our pediatrician at her six month check-up, he told us to keep offering food at every meal, including offering table foods, just in case it was the baby food texture she didn't like. We still weren't seeing any progress until last week. My mom put a little bit of ice cream up to her lips, and she was hooked! Since then, she has successfully been eating any baby food that she has been given! :)

Aynsley is getting curly hair, and I love it! She looks so much like Mike, so it has been fun for me to see a trait that she inherited from me. It seems like her hair is becoming curlier the longer it gets, so we'll see what happens.

Aynsley is a girl after my own heart, and seems to love all things Disney. Although she still loves Mickey Mouse the most, she also seems to really enjoy whenever any Disney movie is on. I am so excited for when she and Jaxson are older, and I can take them to Disneyland to meet Mickey Mouse in real life!

Aynsley is sleeping through the night! She consistently will sleep 10-11 hours at night before waking up...so nice!

Like I said, Aynsley is growing up fast! She weighs almost as much as Jaxson, although he is still a lot taller than she is. She is wearing all of the clothes that I had planned for her to wear this summer, so we definitely like these warm days.

10 Things I Love About You

Jaxson, ten of the things I love so much about you right now are:

1. You are learning so much and soaking up everything! Whether it is learning where your nose is, a new word, or how to assert your opinion, I love it all.

2. You say "hi" all the time...it could be as a greeting, to get someone's attention, or when you are trying to get someone to take something. "Hi" is your favorite word.

3. You absolutely love to be tickled. You will purposefully wait so that someone will tickle you, then laugh hysterically.

4. I love that you are so interested in cooking and always want to help. I loved making sugar cookies with you this week. You did such a good job helping me cut out the cookies.

5. I love how much you love music. Right now, your favorites seem to be Taylor Swift and Fresh Beat Band. Hearing either of those will immediately catch your attention. You love to dance to a good beat.

6. You will still let me snuggle with you, especially in the morning after you first wake up. I always enjoy cuddling with you while we watch a morning cartoon.

7. You are such a good brother. You get the biggest smile on your face whenever you see Aynsley. You are always telling her "hi". You also try to rock her when she is in her car seat, give her a pacifier, push her around in the walker...anything you can do to try and help her.

8. You are such a charmer. Even though you are going through a shy stage right now, you still know how to make everyone smile. People can't help falling in love with you.

9. You are so proud of yourself when you have a new accomplishment. You recently learned how to make a basket in your basketball hoop, and you always clap your hands whenever you make a basket. You also clap your hands whenever you are excited about something.

10. You love to play! You love seeing other kids and being able to play with them. It doesn't matter if they are a few years older or your same age, you just love to play.

Aynsley, ten of the things I love so much about you right now are:

1. You have the biggest smiles! They light up your entire face and make your eyes crinkle.

2. You are so strong and are growing so quickly. I can't believe you have started sitting up...and you aren't even five months old yet! You are also rolling over and love to play with your rattles.

3. You love to snuggle! You absolutely love it when you are being held and wrapped up in a blanket. Sometimes you don't even sleep well unless you are being held. It gives me a good excuse to slow down and just enjoy being able to hold you.

4. You love your big brother! You get such a big smile on your face whenever you see him. I know that you and Jaxson are going to be best friends.

5. Sometimes it seems like you are trying so hard to talk. When you coo, it sounds like you are trying to say "hi".

6. You already love Faline. You are always trying to reach for her and pet her.

7. Like your brother, you also seem to like music. You love it when Jaxson is watching the Fresh Beat Band: you always turn yourself so you can watch as well.

8. You are a very tough little girl! As much as your brother loves you, he is sometimes a little rough. For the most part, you take it all in stride and don't get too upset.

9. You are already very opinionated. You know what you want, and you make sure that we know it, too. I hope that you are able to channel this energy in a positive way as you get older. :)

10. I love your laugh! Sometimes your laugh sounds a little like a cry, but your face is lit up in the biggest smile. I love being silly and making you laugh. I love to see you so happy.

Temple Square

First of all, where has the time gone??? I can't believe that we are already halfway through December! I feel like I have so much to say and post.

On Monday night, we went with my family to see the lights at Temple Square. I was excited to take Jaxson because he gets SO excited whenever he sees Christmas lights and decorations. Needless to say, he had such a great time! Both kids did an awesome job right up until the very end, and it was so much fun to get out and enjoy the lights with my family.

My siblings and me: Khemia, Beth, Kristin, David, and me.

Jaxson all bundled up...isn't he cute?

Mike, Jaxson, and me - Aynsley fell asleep while we were walking around, so we decided not to get her out of the stroller. You can see what Jaxson thinks about having his picture taken.

The whole family (minus Aynsley)

Aynsley and me

It has been so much fun to have my kids experience Christmas and all it has to offer. Although Aynsley is pretty oblivious to what is going on, Jaxson gets excited. I love seeing him experience everything, especially since he doesn't know about Santa or any of the materialistic side of Christmas. He just enjoys the actual Christmas spirit, and I love seeing it through his eyes.

Somebody Turned One...

Wow, I can't believe that my sweet boy is already a year old! He is getting so grown up...time just goes by so fast. He is running all over the house, super curious, and seems to be chatting up a storm. He is such a sweet and considerate little boy...always trying to help his little sister.

Before his birthday, I took Jaxson down to Fotofly for some pictures. They turned out so cute, even with Jax not wanting to leave my side. Here are a few of my favorites:

This picture totally describes Jaxson and Aynsley's relationship. He just LOVES  her and is always trying to give her loves and kisses. Sometimes she gets a bit overwhelmed.

I decided to give Jaxson a Mickey Mouse birthday party since he loves Mickey Mouse Clubhouse so much. We had a lot of fun celebrating with our family, and Jaxson definitely got spoiled.

As you can tell, Jaxson loves eating his cake. He was a little careful at first and kept dipping his fingers into the frosting, but eventually started digging in. It was fun to watch him get so excited over it...I think he was in a little disbelief that he actually had an entire chocolate cake all to himself.

Thanks so much to my sweet boy for such a wonderful year...I look forward to the next year!

Pack's Pumpkin Patch

Last week, we headed out to the pumpking patch at Pack's Farm with my cousin and her kids. Jaxson LOVED the pumpkins! He was kicking his legs and had such a big smile on his face the entire time we were there. It was so fun to watch him get so excited...I wasn't sure how much fun he would have "picking" out a pumpkin.

This picture looks a bit distorted, but Jax loved posing by the pumpkins, simply because there were so many to touch and hit.

Aynsley apparently had fun at the pumpkin patch, too. She was so smily, which was a change from her normally serious demeanor. She has been smiling a lot more in general lately; she is seriously such a sweetheart.

Jaxson loves his pumpkin!

When we first brought our pumpkins home, I had them inside by the front door. Jaxson kept throwing his toys down the stairs, hoping someone would take him down and then he could play with them. He loves to hit his pumpkin and give it kisses. 

Fall Festivities

Fall is definitely my favorite time of year! I always look forward to the changing leaves, the smells, the food...everything! It worked out well for me this year that I had maternity leave during October, because it has given me quite a bit more time to take everything in!

When Mike was off for work, we went to Gardner Village to see the witches with my family. Here are a few pictures:



 Family photo...as you can see, Aynsley wasn't too excited to have her picture taken.



 Aynsley in her stroller. We took a ton of pictures of Jaxson when he was younger, so I keep saying that we need to make sure and get more pictures of Aynsley.

We went for a fall drive to see the leaves over Conference weekend. We headed up Big Cottonwood Canyon, over Guardsman's Pass, and down into Heber. The kids did great in the car, especially since we were gone over Jaxson's nap. Aynsley slept the whole time, so we decided not to get her up for a picture.



We went to Gardner Village with some friends yesterday. I love this picture of Jaxson...seriously so cute! I can't get enough of this cute little guy.

Besides the festivities, we are doing good...just staying busy. Jaxson has started to walk, although it seems he sometimes still prefers to crawl since he is able to get around faster by crawling still. Aynsley is doing great! She only gets up once or twice at night, so I can't complain about that. I am just loving my time with these cute kids...October is going by too fast!

Summer Fun

Wow, I can't believe that July is already over. This summer has been going by SO fast, but we are definitely taking advantage of the warmer weather and having so much fun.

Here is a look at what we've been up to:

{Jaxson's First 4th of July}

We had a great Independence Day and were fortunate to spend a lot of time with family. We got together with some of Mike's family on Sunday for a BBQ and fireworks.

Jaxson is hanging out with the cousins...the boys all looked so cute together in their matching swimsuits. It was so fun to visit with everyone.

On Monday, we headed over to my parent's house for their annual BBQ and fireworks show. For as long as I can remember, my family has invited the neighborhood over for fireworks. Every family brings fireworks and snacks to contribute, so there ends up being a lot of great food and fun. Jaxson LOVED watching the fireworks. He was so tired from staying up so late, but he did great because he was so mesmorized by the fireworks.

Our family on July 4th.

{First Trip to the Zoo}

Jaxson and I went to the zoo with my mom, cousins, Denece, and Kambri. Jaxson seemed to really enjoy looking at the animals and any of the exhibits with water. He especially loved the panther and the lemurs, probably because they were so active. I am looking forward to taking him back next summer because by then he will really be able to enjoy it!

{Bountiful Handcart Days Parade}

Since Mike's work is right on the Handcart Days parade route, we decided it was the perfect opportunity to take Jaxson to his first parade. I was a little nervous that he would get bored from sitting in his stroller, but he was fascinated by everything. He especially loved all the marching bands.

We loved the Utah Utes "Pioneering into the Pac 12" float!

{Water Fun}

Jaxson absolutely LOVES anything to do with water, whether it is taking a bath or playing in the pool. We decided to let him play in the sprinklers, and he had such a fun time. He loves to try and catch the water in his hands and mouth.

{Mueller Park Canyon}

A couple days ago, we decided to head up the canyon for a campfire dinner. This was Jaxson's first time in the mountains.

Unfortunately, we had to cut our dinner short and pack up early. There was a HUGE rainstorm, so we only were there long enough to make a fire and roast one hotdog. Mueller Park is such a pretty area and it is so close to home, so I would love to go back up again this season, but we'll see if that happens.