Beautiful Daughter

Here's our beautiful 15-month old girl!

Is it July already?

I know I promised to post some video of MJ... But, I can't get the video to save on my computer. It says I don't have a DVD decoder or something dumb like that. I will eventually figure it out and post the video.
MJ is so darn cute. I love just watching her play, discover and explore. She is very good at climbing on and off the couch, my bed, and the rocking chair. Once in a while she tumbles and has the bruises to prove it. All in all, she's very resilient and keeps trying until she masters whatever she's doing. She amazed me the other day by taking out and inserting a straw into a plastic-lidded cup. I know it sounds dumb, but I couldn't believe that she could be that dexterous and have such good depth-perception.
Any moment that I have free from homework and my job, I try to spend with my little one. She especially enjoys playing outside (and has the tan to prove it), splashing in the kiddie pool, finding bugs, and coloring. Lately she's been pretty grumpy (and cuddly!) because she has three molars coming in. Poor girl! But, generally she's a happy-go-lucky girl that is always on the go. I spend most of my time following her around picking up all the messes she makes. She empties drawers, the DVD cabinet, all the books from her bookshelf, all of the crayons onto the floor, the silverware from the dishwasher...
I am also constantly amazed by how much she comprehends. She can identify and point out nearly all objects in books (for example, we'll be looking at a book and I'll ask "Where is the teddy bear? and she immediately point to it). She can follow simple directions. And, she's starting to identify objects by color. Her vocabulary has increased to about 10 words, in addition to all of the animal sounds she can imitate. On Saturday she said two new words: done and boat. MJ is also very helpful. She'll put trash in the trash can, put clothes in the hamper, help me empty the dishwasher, and wipe off her highchair.
My little girl is growing up so fast! It's exciting and troublesome at the same time. As she gets older she's only becoming more opinionated and harder to catch.
In other news, Summer classes will be over in a month. Business Law is particularly burdensome and I want it to end quickly. I get to enjoy two whole weeks of freedom between semesters and then I'll be taking 18 credits in the Fall! I don't know what I've gotten myself into. Especially since I found out that I need to take the GMAT in early Fall to meet application deadlines for grad school.
Jared switched jobs. He is now working with Velocity Webworks out of St George. He gets to tele-commute most days and is making about $3 an hour more than his previous job. We're really hoping that things will turn out well and he'll be able to get some good experience in web development.
Until next time... Adieu!

Coming Soon

I've been incredibly busy with family, school and daily living. But, I promise to soon post some video of MJ. She does a myriad of animal imitations, including elephant, sheep, cow, pig, lion, dog, cat and monkey to name a few. She also will jump, kick, laugh, hug, kiss and wave on command. Stay posted...

Birthday Girl

I'm a little late blogging about this... but it's been pretty hectic with finals, going back to work full time and everyone's birthdays.

MJ's first birthday was a smashing success. It was a bug theme. We had ladybug and butterfly cupcakes. And, I made a smash cake of a ladybug just for MJ to enjoy. At first she was a little tentative about eating the cake, but after tasting the icing, she dove right in, grabbing handfuls and shoving them in her mouth.

She also enjoyed opening all of her presents. It was hard getting her to maintain interest in opening rather than playing with her other presents. I think her favorite part of the day was riding home in the car from the store with all of her balloons. She was giggling and playing the whole way.

I can't beleive my baby girl is one! She has grown up way too fast. She is now getting a lot more confident with walking and will take several steps before losing her balance. She's suprised us a few times by making it all the way across the living room.

MJ enjoys reading books, singing songs and listening to music, and making constant messes. Some of her favorite foods are yogurt, blueberries, cheese and eggs. She will try to eat just about anything that Jared and I have and really enjoys sharing her food with us too. MJ also likes to make funny faces and give hugs and kisses. She's such a joy to have around. We're thouroughly looking forward to continuing to watch her grow, learn and mature.

We celebrated Jared's birthday recently too. For hating birthdays, I think he still had a good one. Next year we'll have to throw a big party for his 30th.

School is now over for the semester. I suprisingly got an A- in my Business Statistics course. Jared did well, too. We have a 4 week break between semesters before summer semester starts. But, I'm on track to finish my BS in Marketing in Spring 2011- only one more year!

Jared is now working for Ruesch Motorsports as a Web Programmer. He feels he's in way over his head, but is really enjoying the work and is learning a lot. I am working for the Volunteer Center of Iron County. I'll be working full time during the summer and then cut back to part time once Fall semester starts. I'm hoping to use some marketing skills in this position and really grow the program I'm working with.

All in all, things have been pretty good. We're as busy as ever, but there are so many things to enjoy and be thankful for.

Easter & the Park

Our Easter was pretty uneventful. Jared and I had fun coloring the eggs and then later hiding them for MJ. MJ was a champ during the egg hunt. She was very interested in finding the eggs and then promptly throwing them on the floor. It took me about 25 shots to get one of MJ with her Easter eggs. She does not like to sit still.


Later on Sunday, we went to my mom's house for a delicious dinner. I strongly am against ham, so my wonderful mom made us a crown roast. It was heavenly. The Easter bunny left MJ a basket of goodies at my mom's house too! The next day, before I had a chance to put the second basket away, MJ made huge mess with all the Easter grass.


MJ is developing quite the little personality and sense of humor. She thinks she is soooo hilarious and cracks up at her own antics. It's really hard to discipline her when she's laughing her head off.
This past weekend, Jared's parents visited. We had a relaxing weekend and took MJ to the park for the first time, since the weather was somewhat cooperating. MJ had an absolute blast. She was giddy about the trip for days afterwards. She especially enjoyed crawling through the tunnel and going on the swings. Mostly, she just loves spending time outside. Everyday she insists on going for a walk in her stroller. We might be doing something right!

We can't beleive that MJ is almost a year old!! We'll be having a birthday bash for her next Saturday, April 17. Stay tuned for updates. It's going to be a ton of fun.

Blanket

Just a little blanket I made as a gift for MJ's first birthday. It took me two tries, but I think it turned out alright. The first one fell to pieces when I washed it- not really sure why.

11 Months Old

As of Monday, MJ will be 11 months old. Time to get serious about planning her first birthday party! I'm thinking of having a bug theme. I found a really cute idea for ladybug and butterfly cupcakes. I would also like to make MJ her own smash cake. But, I'm having difficulties finding a good bug look and a reduced sugar recipe. (I avoid giving MJ any added sugar, attempting to set her off on a healthy start with food. And, I don't want to give her a sugar-laden cake that will probably make her sick with all it's sweetness.) Any ideas or recipes?

MJ has taken two independent steps. And, she has spoken a few words. She says "ball" and "up". But, the only time she says "up" when she wants to climb up the stairs. She also imitates a variety of animal sounds including barking like a dog, making an elephant sounds and roaring. She is the cutest thing in the whole world! And, no, I'm not biased.