Inside fun

Since the weather has been snowing or clear and freezing all week we've had fun inside. 

Jocelynn tried some new foods and though plain rice cereal is her favorite, she tried peas and prunes this week too. Check out that smile during those prunes! Can't say that'd be me. 

Desoto has been pretty scared of Joce and has tried to avoid her at all costs this past week. So this is what we did to break the barrier. He wasn't much a fan of it but he's been better since.

I love this naked baby and with the cold weather we don't get to see those chubby legs often enough. This day we played in her room and I just laughed at this. She's such a big girl!

She's always played with her feet but became obsessed with eating her toes this week. I guess her hands and food wasn't enough!

This little one just makes my day with every smile. She's into cheesy smiles right now practically every time you smile or come near her. A lot of the time those cheesy grins have her tongue as well. 

It's hard to escape those piercing eyes that seem to never miss a thing.  

We're still hoping for spring to come soon but we're still enjoying life with the weather we do have!

Grateful

I got my hair cut the other day and my conversation with the man cutting my hair left me thinking. Long story short, the conversation left me grateful for my life, my husband and child, my beliefs, the beautiful place I live, my life experiences and spiritual as well as vocational training. Life gets you down sometimes, if you let it, and it can be really easy to focus on the negative. But if you open your eyes you can easily find things to be grateful for, just look.

I'm grateful for...
The sun! Even if I need to sit in a car or by a window to feel its warmth.
Cooking! And secretly glory in my ability to cook halfway decent food for my husband every night since, for the first time in our marriage I've been home before 6 so i have the time to cook.
Temples! Even though I'm far from home there is still the House of the Lord close and my precious little family is sealed for all eternity.
Alaska Friends! Who, without question, opened their arms and lives to us when we moved here, helping it to feel more like home.
Friends everywhere else! Who, no matter how long between when you see and talk to them, it seems like no time has past.
Crafts! Getting in touch with my crafty side, though I can get in way over my head. Love the outlet it provides.
Missions! That stretch you in ways you never thought possible and open your eyes to who not only others truly are, but yourself and your potential as well.
Homesickness! I know that sounds crazy but I'm grateful that I get homesick because it reminds me of the love of family.
Family! (Didn't see that one coming, did ya?!) Siblings, parents, nieces and now nephew too...I'm grateful for their examples, love, support and passions for life.
Jocelynn! Whose smiles and piercing eyes melt my heart no matter how fussy she's been. Who is growing like crazy but is still her mom's little baby. She makes me feel needed and wanted. Who loves food and laughing but spends a lot of time observing as well, nothing gets by her and her hands are getting quick enough to grab what she wants too. She is my comic relief a lot of the time too, keeping me young.
Justin! Who understands me on every level, pulls me out of my shell, makes me laugh and feel like there's no one else in the world. Who takes presiding over our home in righteousness seriously, adores our child and takes care of both of us without a question. Who gets up while the rest of the house sleeps and goes to work. I can't say enough about what I am grateful for when it comes to this man of mine.
New beginnings! Whether it be spring, moving, marriage, babies, friends, tv shows, hobbies or whatever, new things are good and are the best when they change you to be a better you.
The Son! Who understands, empathises and provides opportunities for me to repent, grow stronger, feel comforted, overcome weaknesses and be eternal. Who knows and loves me and who went through the unimaginable so that I don't have to. I'm grateful to be fighting, personally and with my family, to be on his side every day.

Growing fun!

My Sweet Little One

Today marks the day that Jocelynn is 5 months old!  The past few days I've been paying more attention to how she's growing and experiencing life.  I know she's only 5 months, but she's 5 months!  Yes, we have our moments where she's tired and cranky and so am I, but for the most part my time is so precious with her and I'm loving it!

My precious Joce right now:

• Getting down a routine of going to sleep on her own at night, staying asleep longer and is doing better with her naps
• Loves her toes
• So fascinated by anything in front of her and tries to get her hands on all of it
• Loves to make all sorts of noises, from taking a big breath and getting it all out at the same time and loudly to cooing softly and sweetly to her "tired talk" 
• Doing better at tummy time and has rolled over but not too often
• Loves standing up and/or sitting straight up (with help)
• Squeals and kicks her legs when we get close to her
• Quick to smile at those she's comfortable with
• Is always observing everything and everyone around her with the brightest eyes
• Has the greatest hearing
• 14.5 lbs (50%)
• 25 inches long (75%)
• In the 50th percentile for head circumference 
• Loves her baths and typically cries when she has to get out
• Smiles when she sees us
• Tells her Dad about her day when he gets home
• Loves playing and just hanging out
• Plays with her pacifier
• Sucks on her whole hand
• Not so much a fan of rice cereal as she is sucking on the spoon
• Loves and always responds to music (even my sad singing)
• Newly discovered the various sounds her tongue and lips make
• Loves laughing, especially with her Dad
• Still her Mom's snuggly baby

Watching her makes me wonder what she's going to keep as she grows, and what's naturally and sometimes unnaturally going to go away.  I wonder who she's going to be.  With who she is right now, maybe she'll be an introvert but will have deep connections with the friends she does choose.  Maybe she'll be a singer because of her excellent breath support or a swimmer because of her love of the bath.  We're going to try to help her stay happy and carefree as long as possible, and happy even when she's not so "care-free."  And hopefully she will always know just how much she is adored by her parents and even more so by her Father in Heaven.  She's a pretty special little lady. 

Rollercoaster

It has begun. We've been on the rollercoaster of parenthood for 4 months now. Most of the time if we stop  and think about it, we know we're moving right along, but it isn't until sudden drops, climbs, twists and turns that we actually realize things are changing. As Justin put it, "Yesterday started a long line of things I'm going to miss out on because of work."  Just like on a rollercoaster the speed, twists, drops and heights can be exciting, thrilling and all you ever wanted, but at the same time they can be dreaded, sickening and even scary.  Now I know my child is only 4 months old and so what can really be to dread, make you sick and scared right now?  Nothing that at the same time isn't thrilling and exciting.  Watch this video of our little sweetheart, Jocelynn. 

The first time my back was turned so I missed it and turned around to find her on her back instead of her stomach as I'd left her.  I couldn't believe it so I put her right back on her stomach and that's where the video came in.  

She's growing up.  She's still my cuddly little baby who will snuggle with me and fall asleep in my arms.  She's still my happy girl who kicks her legs and smiles to show she is excited to see me and tries to talk and laugh with me.  She's her daddy's girl who giggles when he comes into the room and interacts with him like no one else.  She's my little one with the most expressive and captivating eyes I've ever known.  But she is growing, as she well should and as we honestly want her to. 

 I can't help but enjoy the milestones she is crossing because they ARE exciting and are taking her and us along with her into more of who she really is and is capable of being.  But sometimes I just want to stop the ride and stay in this moment a little while longer.  Joce has a lot of growing to do and many more milestones to accomplish before she even starts school and a whole new part of the ride begins.  Even when that does Justin and I will always be on it, experiencing every twist, climb and drop with her, never really knowing if we're going to be thrilled or saddened by it, but probably always a little of both.  Sad because we're in love with who she is now but thrilled because of who she is becoming.  Either way though, it's a ride we're glad we got on and are so blessed with an incredible little one to be experiencing it all with.  

The sweet things in life....

Loving how snow suits and my baby carrier work wonders on this child...if only it lasted more than 5 minutes after putting her down.

Chatter

Jocelynn woke up in such a chatter-box mood this morning that I couldn't resist trying once again to get it on film.  I don't know how many videos I tried to take but as soon as she'd see the camera she'd stop.  That always seems to be our battle.  So, in my attempt to share the cute and funny sounds she's been making, here's the best video of the day.  I think by this point she was kind of annoyed at having the camera in her face cuz her voice isn't as sweet as it is most of the time, but at least she was still chatting for all to hear!  Literally, I think she had the attention of the bull moose outside our fence :)

Enjoy!