Summer Sets

As I contemplate what to write in this post, I can think of many stories to share. I only wish I updated this sooner so that I could have remembered/recorded it all. Not that we had an amazingly eventful summer, but this summer was filled with lots of firsts. 1. Aaron's first college degree. (Biology) 2. Aaron's first full time job. 3. My first time ever without a job. (since freshman year college) 4. My first summer as a SAHM. 5. Sammy's first birthday. 6. Sammy's first words. 7. Sammy's first steps.

Oh yeah, and we moved to Bountiful! The move was bittersweet for me at first... I don't really miss the rabbit hutches... sorry wymountians... I loved that place because that was where we called home for 2 years, we brought our baby home to apt 569, and we had some great friends in our ward, but we're glad to be away from the construction, and the living wall to thin wall and on top of our neighbors. I thought that since I love Provo so much, I would definitely need time to adjust and feel like Bountiful was home, but the feeling came quickly. We know we belong here, at least for now. We still live in a small place (a duplex), and we're renting... it's only appropriate since we are living off half of what we used to! But we feel very fortunate and blessed to be in our situation.

Yes, we've had a low key summer, and I loved it! I think I needed time to adjust to being a full time mom- and let me tell you, it was an adjustment! This job is hard work, but I'm so glad it is me who gets to do it. In saying that, I don't regret leaving my wonderful job. I knew when I left full time employment with BYU I'd probably never have a better office, better coworkers, or better benefits. That job had great perks, this one just has more. Poopy diapers, screaming flailing baby and all!

Sam at 7 months

we are playing catchup. Sam is really 10 months on the 15th. he is growing fast and learning to demand more things. So imagine him even bigger than this.

little buddha

I love this picture. I just wanted everyone who looks at this to see this cute picture of Sam.

Teether

Sam has two teeth! This picture was taken before they sprouted, but as it appears he was taking the cutting part pretty well ;).

An update on our family- We're still very busy! I hope it slows down for us when Aaron graduates next month. We'll basically have a year without school so we'll only be working. That is going to be so nice!!! At least the being done with our undergrads part. :)

Aaron is almost finished taking a CNA certification course. He's excited to start getting healthcare experience for PA School. CNAs are very hard workers. I once had an opportunity to become one, and I took the class for a week, but then another work opportunity working for the Girl Scouts of America came up as a camp counselor. I couldn't pass that up, so I walked away from a summer as a CNA. Aaron will most likely work in a nursing home. I personally found that maybe that kind of work would have been hard for me. I'm so glad though that there are people who can do that kind of work and are very good at it--- because they care. I'm not talking about those who don't. That's why taking care of people who can't take care of themselves can be difficult. Aaron worked with the mentally handicapped last summer, and he told me a story about how a woman did not get to eat any dinner one evening because she did not come when they told her to. He said she cryed because she wanted to eat. I felt so bad for her I even became tearful. He said she was being taught a lesson that when it is time to eat, she needs to come. I understand that, but even still I would feel so bad. I would be way too emotionally involved working in that kind of environment. I guess someone like me should just stick to working with computers and people for now.

I'm so proud of Aaron though. He'll be done after this next weekend. I'll try to get a picture of him up wearing his scrubs ASAP :)

Catching up

Here is another video of my punk! ;) My little one turned 7 months this past Sunday so this video is actually not on schedule, we'll be publishing one more shortly then we'll finally be caught up. After he's a year old, I'll try to be a little more creative and just put the good pics of him up. :). Sam is such a good baby. Against much of my own mind's opposition, Aaron and I decided that we needed to sleep train Sam since he'd been waking up several times a night as well as not wanting to go to bed at night until after 10. Since I have to get up early to go to work, this was just not working for us. We took this past holiday weekend to put him to sleep right around 8pm and let him... cry it out! I know... I feel terrible just saying that! BUT he only cried longer than 20 min for the first 3 nights, and for the past 2 he's gone strait to bed in less than a minute. How about that! So... I guess I don't feel so terrible, just more rested ;). AND I more than welcome his screams and squeals at 6 in the morning. Yep, he's sleeping through the night too. It's pretty crazy!
Now all we have to do is get this going to sleep on his own to work with naps too! We're a little more lenient with that though.

Aaron picked out the fun song

Gold in Them Hills

I'm going to be playing catch up for the next few posts. Sammy's life as you know it will be in fast forward... and I guess the same is true for Aaron and I. Fast forward for us too. We just celebrated our third year of marriage on December 30th. I'll save that for another post though. Here's to the fifth month of the star of this blog- and a treat for those of you in my family who have asked that I make time to share Sammy with you. I like the song I've chosen for this video. It's about optimism, and seeing the good in all the bad. Our country is going through a recession, but we feel blessed. A few things I'm thankful for are:
1. a great husband (my best friend)
2. a healthy baby (need I say more)
3. a stable job (and I work for a university)
I'm thankful to the Lord also, who helps me see all the good, and gives me reason to have joy.
Love you all!

1/3 of a year old!

What? Sam turned 4 months today. I don't know why, but for some reason it seems like 4 months is so much older. 4 month olds can do stuff! Sam is beginning to do stuff! Thank goodness, I mean I've loved his sweet newbornish months (I say ish because Sam was always a bigger baby, and I've never seen him behave like those sweet innocent sleepy newborns I've seen around) but I really think Sam just can't wait to get around on his own! What can I say, he likes things to be the way he likes them. My family says I've already made him spoiled. Aaron's family and others say you can't spoil a newborn. My question is when is a baby no longer a newborn?
Regardless, Sammy is 4 months today and he's hitting those anticipated milestones we've been looking out for. He is so cute... if I do say so myself.
Love,
the Mom.