MJ's First Christmas

Merry Christmas to All!
Jared, MJ and I had a wonderful and busy Christmas. MJ is completely spoiled and received a ton (almost literally!) of presents.
On Christmas Eve, we had my mom and brother over. We ate Monte Cristo sandwiches (yum!!) and played some games while MJ slept so that Santa could visit.
Jared was so excited for Christmas that he hardly slept and got up early to put together a kid-size table and chair set for MJ. MJ was only vaguely interested in opening presents. She would tear the paper a little bit and then get distracted. Needless to say, we had to help her out a lot. I think she was overwhelmed with all the toys and books she received. She didn't know where to start to play.
After opening the presents for our family, we headed over to my mom's and launched into the massive pile under her tree. It took us all morning, but we got through and ate breakfast around noon. MJ got this super cool kid-sized rocking chair from my mom (a.k.a. Santa), among many, many other things. It took us 2 car loads to get everything home!

Christmas Eve

Christmas Morning- Trying to play with the ornaments.

The first present MJ opened.

At Grandma's House. We thoroughly enjoyed sticking bows on MJ's head.

In her new rocking chair.

On Saturday, we traveled up north to see Jared's family. It was great seeing his brother and sister-in-law, Jeremy and Trisha and their family. We haven't seen them for 2 years. We had a great time until MJ woke up in the middle of the night and refused to go back to sleep. After 3 hours of trying we finally took her for a drive and she immediately zonked out.
The next night Jared's entire family came over, and while it was great to see them, MJ couldn't sleep due to all the noise and excitement. Our poor little girl was soooo tired, grumpy and just screaming for about an hour and a half. We finally decided to just cut our losses and drive home that night. We missed out on seeing Jared's family a little bit more, but at least MJ was able to get some much needed rest.
Over the New Year's break, we will be cleaning out our house. I know, we're really exciting people... I'm also hoping to finish some paintings for MJ's room. And then, next week Spring semester starts and we're back to running around like crazies!
Wishing you all a wonderful and happy new year!

Schools Out!

Finally, Fall semester is over! It's so nice to have a break for a few weeks... though, Jared is already complaining of boredom.
Final grades posted this morning. Jared received all "A"s. Go babe! I got two "A"s and a "B" in my business calculus class. Which I think is quite an accomplishment considering this was my first math class in over 7 years. Slowly, but surely, we're getting finished with school.
MJ is now 8 months old! We don't have an accurate scale at home- so we think she weighs between 17 and 17 1/2 lbs and is 27 inches tall. She's not slowing down!
MJ now loves to play peek-a-boo, wave bye-bye and walk around with someone supporting her. She's making progress with crawling. She will now push up on her hands and knees and rock her body for a few seconds before collapsing back on the floor. Mostly she just pushes herself backwards each time. But, at least she's moving!

Here she is showing off her push-up skills.

I have a lot to finish up before Christmas, but I can't wait. It'll be fun to watch MJ open presents. Until then.... Merry Christmas!

Thanksgiving

We spent a wonderful Thanksgiving at my Grandparent's home in Dammeron Valley. The food was spectacular. MJ particularly enjoyed the pickles and rolls and even tried some turkey. The face she made while chomping on the pickle was hilarious. Unfortunately, by the time we grabbed the camera, she wouldn't do it any more.
In other news, MJ now has two teeth, which she likes to demonstrate their sharp-ness on all unsuspecting fingers and toys. I'm just glad that they finally cut and her teething pain has diminished. She might sleep through the night now! Here she is showing off her toothy grin.
And, then here she is trying to grab and eat the camera. She is constantly exploring the feel of her teeth with her tounge and is wagging it about all the time.
At this time of year, we'd really like to express our gratitude. Jared and I are so thankful for my mom, that will watch MJ everyday so that we can go to work and school. We're also immensely grateful for my job that allows us to finish our degrees for free and to work towards bettering our lives. We're also beyond grateful for our little girl, the joy she brings to our daily lives, the laughter and the learning. And, we're thankful for my dad and the wonderful memories and legacy that he left behind. We miss him greatly. Happy Thanksgiving to all!

Halloween & 7-months Old

I'm really late getting these posts up...
But, here's MJ when she dressed up for Halloween. She was a chicken. I made the costume by sewing a feather boa onto a onesie, gluing some felt onto a pilot cap and buying some orange leg warmers. She was adorable the whole time. She wore the costume, without complaint, for a whole 3 hours. We took her trick-or-treating in my mom's neighborhood and headed home when it started to get chilly. Jared and I enjoyed her basket full of goodies. Thanks MJ!
We decorated some pumpkins too. Cambria's was a bat. MJ's was a spider. And Jared carved his pumpkin with the imperial symbol from Star Wars (what a geek!).

MJ is now seven months old! Some of her favorite things include squealing, eating squash and bananas, chasing the dog, playing peek-a-boo, playing with toys (especially ones that make lots of noise), and standing. She hasn't made much progress towards crawling or pulling herself up yet. But, she'll get there soon. She does push herself up very well on her arms and sits upright like a pro.

U2!!

On Friday, Jared and I took off to Vegas to see U2! It was a delayed celebration of our fourth anniversary. And, it was spectacular! We got down to Vegas pretty early in hopes to do some shopping, but the mall we went to was outrageously expensive... we ended up not buying a thing.
That night we had some pretty tasty crab and lobster at Joe's Crab Shack. And then we headed out to Sam Boyd Stadium in the boonies of Henderson.
The Black Eyed Peas opened for U2. They weren't bad, but we only know about one of their songs... We had a lot of fun getting to know the people sitting around us at the concert. They were all pretty nice and awesome. Jared really got a kick out of the drunk guy next to us that kept yelling at the performers like they could hear him.
U2 was beyond amazing. They really put on a spectacular show. We had a fairly good view of the stage and enjoyed watching the "special" dance moves by Bono and the Edge. At one point Bono addressed the crowd and told us that Bill Clinton and Tiger Woods were there tonight. Also, during the encore, Bono wore the coolest jacket with lasers in the sleeves. Jared was very jealous.
U2 played probably about 20 songs. It was a long show. And, when they sung "Stuck in a Moment You Can't Get Out Of," Jared and I both starting crying thinking of how much my dad would have enjoyed everything and how much we miss him. The concert ended around midnight Las Vegas time, but it took us at least an hour to battle all the traffic and get back to our hotel.
All in all it was a great trip!

Since we stayed overnight in Vegas, MJ had a sleepover at Grandma's. And, the poor little girl was sick the whole time, as was my mom. MJ seems to be doing a lot better now though. She no longer has a fever and her cough and sniffles have significantly decreased. Jared and I, on the other hand, are definitely coming down with something. Both of us feel like crap (and it's not just from all the drinks we had!).Jared and I- between the Black Eyed Peas and U2.

The stage was made up to look like a giant spaceship. It rotated 360 degrees and had a walkway in the middle of the crowd.

6 Months Old!!

Our baby girl is now six months old. It's amazing how fast time has flown by. It's also amazing how much MJ has changed and developed within six short months. She's developing her own little personality, tastes, preferences and is really becoming her own little person. It's so exciting!

MJ now can sit for short periods of time all on her own. She doesn't yet show much aptitude towards crawling, but that's probably because she doesn't spend much time on the floor. We look forward to all the fun things that will happen in the next six months- crawling, pulling up, walking, playing... Babies are so much fun!She went to the doctor today for her six month checkup. MJ now weighs just over 15 pounds and is 26.5 inches long. An interesting note on the growth chart said that for her height, her weight should be 17 pounds. So, she's remaining really tall and skinny.

This weekend we get the pleasure of having Jared's parent come for a visit. Should be fun! We're going to try to make a trip up to Bryce Canyon on Saturday, if the weather stays nice. Though it's a three-day weekend, I think it will mostly be spent doing homework. I have a calculus test to study for :(.

In other news, we now have grass in our backyard. We just hope that the sod will take before the snow falls. We may try to enjoy it this weekend with a barbecue.

And, next weekend, Jared and I will be going to Vegas for the U2 concert. We can't wait!!! I'm sure that I'll be going crazy the whole time we're away from MJ though. But, I am definitely looking forward to getting one night of solid sleep!

Sometime No News Means Good News

Not much has been going on that is newsworthy enough to blog about. We're just plugging away with school and work and raising MJ.
MJ is now well established in solid foods. She loves rice cereal and oatmeal, but is pretty unsure of anything else. I started her on carrots last weekend and here's how much she enjoyed them...

We started pears yesterday with much better success. To start with, she'll actually swallow a little!
MJ now sits pretty well unsupported and is making advances toward wanting to crawl. But, the most fun of all, is that she will now laugh hilariously when tickled. Here's a picture of Daddy getting her.

Jared and I celebrated our four-year anniversary on Thursday. Since it was a weeknight, we didn't do much exciting. But, we did havee a nice Japanese hibachi dinner. In less than three weeks we'll be in Vegas to see U2 in concert- our anniversary gift to ourselves. We can't wait!

MJ- A Rice Cereal Eating and Jumping Fool!

Yesterday we started MJ on solid foods. After she woke up from her morning nap, I prepared some super tasty, liquid-y rice cereal. MJ sat in her high chair and look very official in her bib. I was expecting it to take us a few times to get MJ to like the cereal, or for her to at least make some funny faces at the new taste/texture. But, she was a pro!
She sat up nicely, opened her mouth for the incoming spoon, pushed the food to the back of her mouth and swallowed. It was like she'd been eating solids for weeks. Needless to say, we didn't really get any exciting pictures. I guess she's saving the funny faces for when she tries fruits & vegetables...
In other exciting news for this weekend- MJ figured out how to work the jumperoo. We ordered a jumperoo for her a few weeks ago, but MJ didn't really have much of an interest in it, mostly because she couldn't touch the ground. But, on Friday night we put her in it and she just started going to town. Since then, she's really figured it out and just jumps and jumps and jumps. She's always sad when I try to take her out.
Here's a great little clip I tooks this morning of her having fun. I'm special and took the video sideways and I can't figure out how to rotate it. You'll just have to twist your neck.

A few other fun things that have been happening:
MJ loves our dog Loki. She loves to pet her and squeals in delight when the dog comes near or if Loki licks her.
MJ now weighs about 14 pounds (double her birth weight) and is 26" long. She's so long that we've had to put her in 6-9 months clothes already, but they all look huge around the middle. Pants especially don't like to stay on.
MJ will be 5 months old on Tuesday!

Our Family's First Camping Trip

I'm a little late in posting this one... But, the weekend before school started, Jared and I took MJ on her first camping trip. We went up to Kent's Lake in the mountains above Beaver and just stayed overnight on Saturday.
Jared was able to enjoy a LOT of fishing. We fish were going crazy for his purple powerbait. On Saturday night they were hitting about every 5 minutes. But, most of the fishes got off the line right before getting them on shore. We were able to reel in 3 or 4 fishes, but only kept one that didn't survive the de-hooking.
I fished a little too, but mostly was busy keeping MJ entertained.
Our dog, Loki had a lot of fun too and attempted to be ferocious in chasing the ducks away. Mostly she just kept getting her rope caught on rocks in the lake and needed to be rescued...

MJ had a little bit of trouble falling asleep away from home, but all-in-all it was a good trip. We may even go camping again. It was a great break before the hectic semester started.
Jared is now going to school full time to get his degree in Information Systems and working part time on campus. I am still working full time for the Finance department at SUU and I'm taking 9 credits this semester.
Coming soon: MJ Starts Solids!

4 Months Old!!!

I can hardly believe it, MJ is four months old. Time really flies by!
She has so much personality now. She's generally very happy, playful and giggly. She still loves taking baths, but now she delights in splashing me. She's trying really hard to master sitting up and rolling over from back to tummy.
MJ went to the doctor last Monday and officially weighs 12 pounds, 5 ounces and is 25 inches long. Her ear infections are all cleared up and she's a much happier little girl.

This past weekend, we all went hiking in Zion. MJ is still a little too small to fit in our hiking backpack, so we just strapped her in the stroller and stuck to some paved trails. Here's some pics of our adventure...

Just chillin' in the stroller.
Hanging out with Mom.
Getting her feet wet at the Narrows. The water was a little chilly.
Checking out some wildlife.We carried her stroller up over a couple dozen stairs to get to the top of the Weeping Rock trail. The view was worth it.

The Little Model

On Saturday we took at trip down to the big city. It had been like 3 weeks since we'd made a trip to Costco! I don't know how we survived so long.
While we were down there we decided to get portraits done of MJ. She's been growing up too quickly and we didn't want to easily forget the times when she was small.
The photographer and her assistant were a little... frightening. Consequently MJ didn't smile for any of her pictures. She was still adorable as always, though and we did get a few good shots.
Today, MJ went back to the doctor for a check-up on her ear infections. They've cleared up and her ears look healthy. They also weighted and measured her. She's now 12 pounds, 5 ounces and 25 inches long. That means she's in about the 85th percentile for height and 25th percentile for weight. On Saturday (the 15th) she will be four months old. And, we'll be taking her for her first camping trip... that is if I can convince Jared to go.

Ear Infections Are No Fun

A VERY unhappy little girl!

Maybe this isn't so bad after all!

Last weekend we spent some time up North with Jared's family. For Pioneer Day, we went to a pool party at his Grandma's house and hung out with all of his aunts/uncles/cousins, etc. Most people that were there we hadn't seen in almost 2 years. All the little kids were so grown up. I can't beleive how quickly time passes.

MJ went swimming in the pool, of course. The first time we tried she screamed her head off because she was kind of tired. But after a nice snack and nap we tried again and she loved it. I think we'll be having a little swimmer in the family...

The next day my 91+ year old Grandma and my aunt & uncle & fmaily came down from Idaho to say "hi". I was scared that MJ would not enjoy being held by Grandma, but things went suprisingly well. MJ had just woken up from a nap and it took her a few minutes to realize that someone other than Mom was rocking her.

The Monday after our big adventure up North, MJ came down with a fever. The Dr diagnosed her with ear infections (in both ears!). My poor baby was soooo unhappy for a few days. All she wanted to do was cuddle and sleep. And she HATES taking her antibotic. I have to give it to her 3 times a day. She ends up spitting the majority of it out each time, getting the pink goo all over her face, neck, hair and anything else within a 3' proximity.

Though she's unhappy with her ear ache, she still manages to smile almost all the time...

Promotion, MJ Updates and Other Stuff

What can I say? Life has been hectic lately.
Jared got a part time job working on campus and will be going to school full-time in the Fall.
I got promoted at work. I'll be making a little bit more money a year and I'll have a some more stuff to do to fill my time. The thing I'm excited about the most is that I move offices (even though I'm staying in the same department) and no longer have to hand out all the financial aid checks. This basically means I have a lot more flexibility and can actually leave my desk for more than a few minutes without having to get permission. Yeah!
And, can you believe it? MJ is almost 3 months old. Time is just flying by. She is getting more fun by each day that passes. She'll now bear weight on her legs, hold her head steady and rolls over from her tummy to back. She went on her first fishing trip this past weekend. She, however, did not catch anything. It was a slow day and we were only there for a few hours before it started pouring. MJ has also discovered her hands and now will try to jam both into her mouth constantly.
Jared and I decided to go see U2 in Vegas for our 4th anniversary coming up in October. We got our tickets and hotel reservation and can't wait for three months to go by... I'm mostly excited that I may get an uninterrupted 8 hours of sleep. It's been so long, I don't remember what it feels like.
With everything that's going on, school, work, parenting, and fun, I'm sure it will be awhile until I update again. But, until then... Adieu.

Looking like a little gangsta.
At the lake, helping Mommy fish.

Two Months Old

MJ is now two-months old! I can't believe how fast time has flown by. Before we know it she'll be crawling, then walking and then graduating from high school...

She had to go to the doctor for her two-month check up yesterday. They gave her a slew of vaccines and her poor little legs are super owie. Her scream of pain when they poked her just wanted to make both Jared and I cry. Poor little one.

MJ was also weighed and measured. She now weighs 9 pounds 5 ounces and is 23 inches long. If she doesn't slow down her height growth, she'll be out of her car seat in only a few more months! I finally retired her newborn size onesies- they were becoming a tight fit.

Blessing Day

This past weekend was a great one! Some of Jared's family and some of my family came to visit for MJ's blessing.

On Saturday, we went with Jared's family up to see Cedar Breaks. We brought a picnic and froze on the mountain. But, it was nice to get out of the house for a while.

On Sunday, my brother blessed MJ in church. He did a wonderful job. I was paranoid about MJ pooping all over her beautiful white dress the whole time, but we managed to keep it mostly clean (spit up clean up easy, right?). MJ looked heavenly.

Thanks to everyone who traveled to be here for this special occasion.

On an interesting side note... Jared came by my office the other day with MJ. We walked down to the bookstore and on our way back, someone from my building stopped us to look at the baby. She gave MJ the most interesting compliment... "What a pretty shaped head!"
Needless to say, I didn't know quite how to respond.

Life Continues

Last week I returned to work, leaving MJ at home with Jared. I cannot describe how painful it has been to be away from her for eight hours a day... but someone has to pay the bills.
Luckily, even though I took nearly seven weeks off, things aren't so terrible and I've already caught up with everything I missed (which is a true testament to how utterly boring my office is).
For those who don't know, I am the office manager for the finance department at SUU. The work isn't ideal, but I get the most amazing benefits- the best of which is that SUU pays for me to go to school and I even get to take classes during work hours! Of which, summer semester started just after Memorial Day. I'm taking two highly exciting classes this semester- Managerial Accounting and Macroeconomics. Woot!
So, between working full time, going to school part time, being a new Mom and taking care of everything else in between, I'm starting to go a little crazy. I probably won't be great at keeping this blog updated.
I did want to let everyone know that MJ will be blessed this Sunday, June 7th at 9:00 am at the Enoch Stake Center. Anyone who would like to attend is invited.

Also, I promised a picture of one of MJ's smiles. Here you are...
Her hair is getting a lot lighter. It makes her look like she's bald.

When she smiles really big, she squints her eyes a lot. It's super cute.

MJ's First Trip

Over the weekend, Jared, MJ and I traveled up North to visit Jared's family. We had a great time hanging out and MJ got to meet most of her aunts, uncles and cousins. Thanks to Jared's parents for letting us stay with them and for organizing everything!
MJ was great traveling and slept most of the way up and back. We just had to stop once each way for a quick feeding. She's just the most perfect little baby.

On Saturday, we took MJ for her first trip to the zoo. She slept most of the time and didn't see many of the animals, but the rest of us had fun. It was just great to actually get out and do something!
We came back early so that we could be home for Memorial Day. After a short trip to visit my dad's grave, we went down to Grandma & Grandpa Rummler's for a delicious barbecue.

Real quick, here's also an update on MJ's development. She is now about 9 lbs and 22 inches long. She's becoming a long and thin baby. She is fascinated by ceiling fans and will spend a good twenty minutes or more just staring at them. She is starting to smile a lot more and make gurgling and cooing sounds. It's so much fun to play with her and actually get a reaction! I've yet to capture a smile on the camera. I never seem to have it close by... I'll post one soon, though.

Mother's Day

I got the privilege of celebrating my first Mother's Day on the same day as my 24th birthday.
We didn't really do anything spectacular, but it was still fun to hang out with my family. Jared tried to make it a special day by cleaning the house, making me brinner (breakfast for dinner) and by giving me lots of gifts. I can't wait until MJ can sit up so we can use the baby carrier he got and go hiking. MJ tried to make my day special too by exhibiting some explosive poo that leaked everywhere out of her diaper.
I've been a Mom for 25 whole days now and I'm only really starting to feel like I can handle it. Being a Mom takes a lot more patience and time than I ever thought it would. I adore my little girl, but it's easy to become frustrated when she wakes up six times in one night. But, for all the messes, the inconsolable crying, constant worrying and sleepless nights, it all seems worth it when she smiles.
I am eternally grateful for my own parents. I am only beginning to understand how much they have loved me.

MJ's Birth

MJ Conlin was born on Wednesday, April 15th at 7:27 pm. She weighed 7 lbs and measured 19 inches long.
I started feeling regular contractions, about 16 minutes apart, on Tuesday, April 14th around 4 pm. We were admitted to the hospital around 10 am on Wednesday. I was having contractions every 4 minutes and was 3 cm dilated. Things were progressing slowly until I was given an epidural around 4 pm. Thank God for epidurals! And, after pushing for nearly two hours, MJ was born.
We were able to bring her home the next night. We were concerned about how our dog, Loki, would react to the baby, but she's been excellent. Our biggest problem is that Loki wants to lick the baby constantly.After only a few days at home, MJ had to be re-admitted to the hospital for jaundice. She had to stay under the billirubin lights constantly. The only time I was allowed to hold her was for feedings. It was terrible. MJ stayed in the hospital for two days, coming home on Jared's birthday- April 21.
Since then, MJ has been perfectly healthy and happy.
She's an excellent baby. She already sleeps mostly through the night (yeah!). She loves taking baths, eating, and going for rides in the car. She's almost four weeks old now and she's growing fast, weighing about 8 1/2 lbs and measuring 22 inches long.