Amelia Visiting Grandparents

As I posted just moments ago, we went to Colorado this past weekend so spend time with family and go to Kyle's graduation! We left home at 7:30pm on Wednesday night to arrive in time for Kyle's 9am graduation on Thursday. We arrived at my dad's house at 4am and Amelia would not go back to sleep. Around 6am she and I got in the shower to prepare for the day. After the shower, I laid her down on her towel to dry off (she has a bum rash) and she fell asleep.

I finished getting ready and sweetly woke her up so that she too could get ready for the day. After she was ready we were on our way to Red Rock Amphitheater for Kyle's graduation. Amelia loved seeing her Nana, but the heat did finally get to her and Amelia, Vicki and I sat in the shade trying to keep cool. She eventually fell asleep so when it was time to take photos she was out for the count!

After graduation we went to Olive Garden and Amelia had fun sitting with her dad in the waiting area after we were finished eating. I really can't believe how big Amelia is getting!!

We stayed up at my dad's house this trip. My dad lives up in the mountains and has a beautiful landscape. Amelia loved playing with her grandpa! Grandpa took Amelia outside to see the elk in the pasture.




Amelia also enjoyed spending time with her Nana and Uncle Kyle! My mom is a nanny for a family and the kids love Amelia. It was fun to watch them play with her too.






All weekend we had to let her bounce in our laps because we didn't bring her bouncy chair, so the first order of business was to put her in her chair, and she went to town. Here is a little clip from her fun once we got home!!

Kyle's Graduation & Mission Call

We went to Colorado this past weekend to see my brother Kyle graduate from high school! His graduation took place at Red Rocks Amphitheater, which was an amazing venue. After graduation we went to lunch at Olive Garden and then went to my mom's and checked the mail. In the mail was Kyle's mission call!!! Seeing my sister Kelly waving the letter in the air reminded me of the day I received my call. We all ran inside and started making phone calls to my sister Aaron, my brother Peter and Kelly's husband, Jason for all to hear where Elder LaBarre would be sent. Of course we gave Kyle rules, such as he was not to jump ahead and read where he was going before reading it out loud, and he had to read every line. As Kyle began reading the spirit hit me so hard that here my baby brother was going on a mission, something he has been preparing his whole life for. Kyle is called to the Honolulu, Hawaii mission and reports to the Missionary Training Center in Provo, Utah on September 3, 2008. Kyle will be English speaking. This is so exciting!! I think it is interesting that he and I (the only missionaries in our family) were both called to the South Pacific. I am so excited for Kyle! Since he received his call, he went to the temple in preparation for his mission. Rob was his escort and it was a wonderful day. It was a very filling weekend!

Amelia's Blessing/Mother's Day

This year was the first happy Mother's Day I have had since we lost Landon. The day was bitter sweet as I still miss and think of him often, but felt so blessed because we blessed Amelia at church that day. Rob blessed her and did a wonderful job. He reported that Amelia was extremely squirmy so holding her was a bit hard. That's alright, there were many in the circle helping hold her up! Before her blessing I had her photos taken in her dress and other outfits too! I will update this post when I get more photos from the actual day, but here are some of her 8 month photos we had taken. Enjoy!








These are just a few of the excellent photos that were taken! I look at them and am amazed at how much Amelia has grown in the past 9 months. And I can hardly believe it has been 9 months since she was only 1 pound. She is such a joy in our lives. Rob and I are truly blessed to have her. She is our miracle!

Preeclampsia

As most of you know, I suffer from Preeclampsia when I am pregnant. Preeclampsia affects many women and the only current cure is delivery of the baby. I had to deliver at 27 and 28 weeks with both of my children. Because of this, I participated in a walk to raise awareness of Preeclampsia. Here is a brochure about preeclampsia and also some photos from my walk. My dad and Vicki came and walked with Amelia and I. It was a lot of fun. I am going to make this a annual thing I attend.

Outside Fun!

It is finally getting warmer outside, and that means that Amelia can now play outdoors while we are in the yard! I have been waiting for this all winter! Mind you it still gets a bit cold, so we keep a jacket/sweater on her. Rob bought a new soccer ball so Amelia and I followed outside to play with him. This was the first time Amelia has felt grass between her toes...and she LOVED IT! I was amazed since I had heard that most babies hate the feeling. Well she did not. It was fun!

She also helped Rob with the soccer ball. She kicked it and the held on to it so it wouldn't roll away. I think that she did not know what to really think about the whole experience, but she did amuse us!

Rob took a photo of Amelia and I after all our fun!


Today, I needed to get some yard work done (as it looks awful after the winter). So, Amelia and I once again headed outside! Today, since the sun was out we put some sunscreen, shades and a hat on so Amelia wouldn't get burned. When I put her sunglasses on and laid her down on the blanket, she closed her eyes and acted as though she were just soaking it all in. She is an amazing little girl.



She decided that sun bathing was not that fun so, we pulled out her chair and she sat there playing. Obviously, things do not keep her attention for long, so we had to end our yard work a bit early...but at least we had some fun!

The Tag Game

Tag

Two names you go by:
1. Heather 2. no other name...
Two things you are wearing right now:
1. Khaki pants 2. Black sweater
Two of your favorite things to do:
1. Attend sporting events 2. Play with Amelia
Two things you want very badly at the moment:
1. Sleep 2. a vacation
Two favorite pets:
1. No pets 2. I have enough smells and hair w/o a pet
Two people who will fill this out
1. Jen 2. Cammie
Two things you did last night:
1. visit with my cousin 2. Spent time with Rob
Two things you ate today:
1. Fiber One Bar 2. Healthy Choice Pizza
Two people you last talked to:
1. Hollie 2. Janalee
Two things you're doing tomorrow:
1. working 2. watching the Office
Two longest car rides:
1. St. Louis to Rexburg
2. St. Louis to New York City
Two Favorite Holidays:
1. Christmas 2. Thanksgiving
Two favorite beverages:
after water...
1. Hot Chocolate
2. Chocolate Moo'd from Jamba Juice



I tag: Aryn, Cammie, Nichole, Monique, Anna, Lindsay and Jen

Month of Firsts

So Amelia has had a month of firsts this April. I know...she will continue to have firsts since she is so young. But It has still be a lot of fun. At the beginning of the month, Amelia and I went to get our first pedicures of the year. Yes, that's right, I had those Asian girls paint my 11 pound baby's toes! After having such a great time in getting pedicures we decided it was time to venture out. Amelia and I went on a trip with my sister Kelly to Philadelphia to visit our other sister Aaron. Aaron had her first baby a month ago and she turned 25 over the weekend, so we thought it was a perfect time to go and surprise her. Which we did!! Amelia, Kelly & I took the 11:45pm flight to JFK and had a great adventure trying to navigate through New York City rush hour traffic to find our way to Philadelphia. Luckily we own a GPS and it got us there with no hiccups. It did take quite awhile. We did not tell Aaron or her husband Chris that we were coming (Chris would have ruined the surprise and told Aaron). We showed up on her doorstep and she was very surprised!! We had a wonderful trip spending time with my sisters and getting to have Aaron meet Amelia and I meet Lilly. We went shopping in New Jersey and then we went to the Art Museum in Philadelphia to have our picture taken with the Rocky statue. It was so fun! We wish Rob could have gone with us, it would have been a great trip. But it was very nice to spend time just with my sisters and our two girls. I'm truly blessed to have wonderful family. I just wish Aaron, Chris and Lilly lived closer. Maybe one day! I've attached a slide show of our activities from the month!! Enjoy!

Landon's 2nd Birthday

Yesterday was Landon's second birthday. It is interesting how our lives change when we are faced with situations beyond our control. Last year I decided that I would always take his birthday off work and enjoy myself. Last year I went and got a pedicure and wrote in his journal. It was a wonderful day. This year, Amelia and I went shopping and then went to Rob's work to spend time with him. It too was a wonderful day. It is hard for me to imagine that it has only been two years. Some days it feels like a lifetime ago and other days it seems as though it were just yesterday. My heart still aches for him but I do have this beautiful little girl who helps to heal my pain. I know that he is mine and I will be reunited with him again where I will get to raise him. I look forward to that day with great anticipation. To all my friends who remembered me, I say Thank You. Sometimes the hardest time is when no one remembers with you and you face your pain alone. I have been bouyed up by you all and appreciate it. I got in to work today and turned my quote calendar for today, but for some reason I stopped it on yesterday's date and I find that it fits nicely. It says, "As you know, we consider blessed those who have perservered. You have heard of Job's perserverance and have seen what the Lord finally brought about. The Lord is full of compassion and mercy." Isn't that wonderful? That is how I feel. I miss my angel, but the Lord has had compassion and mercy on me and gave me my miracle. I am blessed.

Rolling Over

Amelia has started to roll over! She has also started playing with her toys...which just a few weeks ago she had no interest. It has been fun driving down the road and hear Amelia playing with her keys and talking as she does so. She is going to be a talker!! She hates tummy time now a days but she has started to roll so she doesn't get as mad as she used to since she doesn't have to stay on her tummy long. Once I get video of her rolling over I will add it to this post! She is doing so well!!

Amelia's First Easter!!

Easter came early this year, but that did not stop us from celebrating the birth of our Savior. I read the Easter story to Amelia that day and Rob and I took her to church for the very first time in her life!!! She is 7 months old and finally attending church! Here are some photos of her on Easter in her first Easter dress before church! She is still so little that she can fit in her Easter basket! She is so cute! I can't believe how big she is getting! She weighed in at 11 pounds last week. It is amazing!! I am so grateful for the blessings we have received! Amelia is a miracle and we are blessed!

First Vegetable

Amelia's pediatrician had indicated that after Amelia has had rice cereal a few times that I could start introducing orange and yellow fruits and vegetables. Yesterday was that day! I decided to go with carrots since they are a great vegetable and they have a lot of vitamins that Amelia needs. Anyway, I pull out the carrots and give her her first bite...she spit it out immediately. I didn't think much of this since the first time I had given her rice cereal she had spit it out. I go to give her her next bite, and she was having none of it. She clamped her mouth shut. So of course I start to chuckle because I'm pretty stubborn with eating certain foods too. I put the spoon down and she opened up, I quickly put the spoon into her mouth. This was her response.

Yeah, I know funny huh? I was trying not to laugh really hard. I get her calmed down, and then start to feed her again...the same response. WOW! I never thought carrots would be so hated! I, of course, am talking to her about how great carrots are and she just has this pleading look on her face...begging me to never feed her carrots again.

Isn't that the saddest face? I put the carrots away for the night. Well today, I decided we would give it one more go just to be sure. She ate the carrots!!!! In fact she ate almost the entire container!!! She likes them, she really likes them! I just hope she is more open to new foods next week when I introduce sweet potatoes!

Liz, you are correct...it is a ball feeding her for the first time...I wonder if I pulled the same faces when I was a baby!

Amelia's First Road Trip!

So we went down to Colorado this past weekend because my baby brother Kyle was being ordained to be an Elder (I know for all of you who have known us since Kyle was born...it's weird). Anyway, we weren't too excited about the trip since we were going to be driving and we weren't sure how Amelia would do. Well...she slept most of the way there, only waking up to eat. She did, however, wake up half an hour before we got to my mom's screaming because she was done being in her seat.

The driving there was not bad since she slept most of the way. It was strange trying to figure out when the best time to stop would be, but she did great, waiting for us to stop before she woke up. She is such a great baby!! Then comes the hotel...so she had been constipated for a few days (I'm sure she is going to love this when she is a teenager!) and I had given her juice everyday but nothing was happening...until I laid her on the hotel bed to play with Rob. EVERYWHERE!!!!! It was hilarious! We had to strip the sheets, put her in the sink to be washed up. The whole thing was just funny.

Rob gave her a quick bath in the sink (as I said above) and Kelly, Jason, Rob and I laughed pretty hard since she is a bit too big to be taking baths in the sink. Not only that but it was the first of 4 explosions that day. WOW! We better lay off the juice!

This was the first time Kyle had seen Amelia and I had him feeding her for me. He is such a great uncle! Amelia loves her Uncle Kyle!

Our trip home was pretty uneventful as well. She slept most of the way...then about 20 minutes from home she got mad. After we got home and unloaded the van, Rob and I put her back in her car seat (to which she was completely opposed) and went to his mom's for a visit. His mom lives 5 minutes away and Amelia screamed the entire time! WOW! It was a fun trip overall.

6 Months Old & 10 Pounds!!

Our sweet baby girl is growing up! Amelia is 10 times her birth weight! I proudly proclaimed that at her 6 months appointment after she weighed in. Okay, so she is a little less than that since she was 1 lb 10 oz. But still...close enough!! She is doing so well that we are not allowed to attempt to feed her rice cereal! To say the least, it has been fun just watching her facial expressions and how she responds to eating. On the second day of rice cereal, she grabbed the spoon from Rob and started to try to feed herself! It was quite amusing! She gets these funny looks on her face during the first bite, but then she warms up to it! Here are some photos that capture the day! I can't believe how much she is growing and all the things she is accomplishing! I'm so grateful to have this beautiful little girl in my life and that I am the one that gets to be her mom. What a wonderful blessing!

Visit with Kaden

Amelia and I went to visit Kaden, who was in the NICU with Amelia. Kaden is a few weeks older than Amelia and was released from the NICU the day after Amelia. He was a pound bigger than Amelia when he was born but now, they are about the same size! He is an adorable little boy and his mom, Malissa, and I will be friends forever! He is such a good little guy and we are better for knowing Malissa and her sweet angel! Thanks Malissa for being so great! I was trying to hold both of them upright for the photos...it turned out to be quite funny! They both were looking at their own mom...so they are never really looking the same way.

Amelia's First Valentine's Day

I am really big into holidays! I think that it is important to enjoy them all as they come. Rob and I over the years don't really celebrate Valentine's Day by buying gifts. Typically we just go out to dinner and spend time together. This has proven to be a great way for us to show our love for each other and we always have a great time! This year was no different, my sister Kelly and her husband Jason, watched Amelia while we went out to dinner the Friday before Valentines (to beat the crowds). The day before Valentines Day I was given a sweet surprise! Rob sent Amelia and I roses! They were beautiful. Unfortunately I did not think to take photos of the actual flowers, but I did take some photos of Amelia with her rose from her daddy. She is not even 6 months old yet and already has the flowers coming! We spent a quiet night at home, just the three of us. It is wonderful to have a great family to spend time with and appreciate all year long, but also on holidays such as Valentine's Day!

Visits with Great Grandmothers

Amelia has now visited her two great grandmothers! Rob's Grandma Allen is still living and Amelia and I went down to Orem to visit her. It was a great visit and Grandma Allen showed that she still has the touch to put babies to sleep! It was wonderful! This weekend we met up with my grandma while she is on a trip here and Amelia just stared and Grammy and Chris. It was fun to visit with them and for Amelia to meet these legendary women in her family. Amelia is named after my grandmother's mother, so it was a sweet treat for Grammy to see her mother's namesake. Here are a few photos.

Hinckley Challenge

As the previous entry mentioned, our beloved prophet, Gordon B. Hinckley passed away this past week. I felt it fitting to include a challenge that has been sent throughout the world to honor President Hinckley. It has been entitled Hinckley Challenge and it is one to read the Book of Mormon in 97 days to honor the 97 years President Hinckley was on the earth.

Almost two years ago, President Hinckley issued the following promise and challenge, "We studied the Book of Mormon in Sunday School this past year. Nonetheless I offer a challenge to members of the Church throughout the world and to our friends everywhere to read or reread the Book of Mormon. If you will read a bit more than one and one-half chapters a day, you will be able to finish the book before the end of this year. Very near the end of its 239 chapters, you will find a challenge issued by the prophet Moroni as he completed his record nearly 16 centuries ago. Said he: "And I exhort you to remember these things; for the time speedily cometh that ye shall know that I lie not, for ye shall see me at the bar of God; and the Lord God will say unto you: Did I not declare my words unto you, which were written by this man, like as one crying from the dead, yea, even as one speaking out of the dust?...And God shall show unto you, that that which I have written is true" (Moroni 10:27,29).
Without reservation I promise you that if each of you will observe this simple program, regardless of how many times you previously may have read the Book of Mormon, there will come into your lives and into your homes an added measure of the Spirit of the Lord, a strengthened resolution to walk in obedience to His commandments, and a stronger testimony of the living reality of the Son of God."

I know that these things that we were promised will still come to pass. All good things come from reading the Book of Mormon. If you want to be part of the challenge, follow the link and sign up (it's free). The challenge begins Monday February 4, 2008. http://www.hinckleychallenge.com/index.php

I know that ours is the true church on the face of the earth. The Lord has prophets in our day to guide us to Him. I am truly blessed to have lived in such a great time to hear the words of President Hinckley. He is loved and missed.