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.