Christmas 2010

We were so blessed by our family and friends this Christmas! It was a wonderful Holiday! Thank you to all of you!

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Poem

I am loving the age that Conner is at right now! Some days are rougher than others, but I would not trade it for anything! I came across this poem and wanted to share it!

One of these days, you'll shout, "Why don't you kids grow up and act your age!"And they will.
Or, "You guys get outside and find yourselves something to do ... and don't slam the door!"And they won't.You'll straighten up the boys' bedroom neat and tidy -- bumper stickers discarded, bedspread tucked and smooth, toys displayed on the shelves. Hangers in the closet. Animals caged. And you'll say out loud, "Now I want it to stay this way."And it will.You'll prepare a perfect dinner with a salad that hasn't been picked to death and a cake with no finger traces in the icing, and you'll say, "Now, there's a meal for company."And you'll eat it alone.You'll say: "I want complete privacy on the phone. No dancing around. No demolition crews. Silence! Do you hear?" And you'll have it.No more plastic tablecloths stained with spaghetti.No more bedspreads to protect the sofa from damp bottoms.No more gates to stumble over at the top of the basement steps.No more clothespins under the sofa.No more playpens to arrange a room around.No more anxious nights under a vaporizer tent.No more sand on the sheets or Popeye movies in the bathrooms.No more iron-on patches, wet, knotted shoestrings, tight boots, or rubber bands for ponytails.Imagine. A lipstick with a point on it. No baby sitter for New Year's Eve. Washing only once a week. Seeing a steak that isn't ground. Having your teeth cleaned without a baby on your lap.No PTA meetings.No car pools.No blaring radios.No one washing her hair at 11 o'clock at night.Having your own roll of Scotch tape.Think about it. No more Christmas presents out of toothpicks and library paste.No more sloppy oatmeal kisses.No more tooth fairy.No giggles in the dark.No knees to heal, no responsibility.Only a voice crying, "Why don't you grow up?"and the silence echoing, "I did."

Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas to Everyone!

15 Months

We have a 15 month old! 15 months seems old to me, I'm not sure why though. Conner is at such a fun age right now! His personality is coming out more and more each day! And he is learning so many new things! We love every second that we get to spend with him!

At 15 Months Conner-

~Is wearing mostly 18 month clothes

~Size 3 diapers and size 5 shoes

~Has 10 teeth

~Is still shy

~Loves to run in circles

~Loves to move! He loves to dance, climb, run, whatever-as long as he is moving!

~Can climb off couches and beds backwards

~Knows where his head, eyes, tongue, nose, bellybutton, butt and pee pee are!

~Can say mom (but rarely does), dad, dog, please (with an h in it somewhere), caka (cracker), he can meow and say woof.

~Is still using a bottle but has mastered the sippy cup

~Still hates eating for his mom but will eat for almost anyone else.

~He is very independent

Meeting The Big Guy

This is the first time Conner met Santa! He hated him! And Dad is still in India so he missed it!

Conner was kicking and screaming and was wiggling while this photo was taken, hence the blurriness!

Where and Why

Where did this tiny baby go and

why did he have to grow?

2010 Family Photos

I can't decide if I want to cry or laugh when I think about this day! It was super cold and super windy! I had to wake Conner up from his nap to get them done and he was GRUMPY! He would not hold still and he would not smile. James Locke was our amazing photographer and still managed to get some great shots! Check out his website!

First Snow

We had our first big snow storm here in Utah over the weekend! Conner was only a few months old last year when it snowed so this was his first real time in snow! He fussed as I was putting on all of his snow gear and had a hard time walking in his boots for the first few minutes but he got it down. He didn't really want to touch the snow at first but after I kept touching it he realized that he could too. He even threw a couple of snowballs! I can't wait for Chris to come home and ride on the plow with Conner and throw snowballs with him!

India

This is where Chris will be for the next month!

14 Months

14 Months Old-that seems so old! I don't feel like I am old enough to have a toddler, but I love it!

At 14 Months Conner:

~Wears size 3 diapers but will soon be moving to size 4

~Wears 12-18 month clothes, some 24 month clothes and size 5 shoes

~Has 8 teeth

~Loves to be chased

~Loves to get his own diapers and the wipes

~Is finally learning how to use sippy cups

~Gets red eyebrows when he gets tired (He has always done this but I have never documented it)

~Is still a picky eater! He likes apples and hates hot dogs.

~Is very shy and afraid of people who he doesn't see often

~Loves to talk and read stories

~Has started to dance to songs on the TV

~Likes to give kisses when I ask him for one

And he looks really cute in tight pjs and making funny faces! We love you Monkey!

Binky Thief

Conner never wanted a binky! I tried many many times to get him to take a binky and he never would. But he loves them now! He doesn't like to suck on them though, he likes to steal them! A few weeks ago at a Halloween party we threw Conner stole a binky from his innocent friend Parker! And then Friday night at Ikea a little girl came up to Conner. She went to hug him and he stole her binky instead. Poor girl! So if you happen to be around Conner, hold onto your binky!!!

Dog

I miss him!!!

Halloween 2010

This Halloween was so much fun! The holidays are so different with a child, but I think they are better! We had a fun party on Friday night with our friends, but sadly didn't get any pictures. Then on Saturday we went to Boo at the Zoo with The Gillespie Cousins. Conner had a lot of fun toddling around the zoo, getting treats and seeing

a few animals. After a nap we visited my grandma and moms house and did a little bit of trick or treating! On Sunday, Conner kept walking around with his basket full of candy and eating everything with the wrappers on!

Smile

These make me smile!

For Sure

Next Summer Chris, Conner and I are...

-Going on an out of state vacation

-Eating a Sno Cone

-Eating a garlic burger from The Cotton Bottom

-Going on the Alpine Slide

Chris and I have said for the past 2 years that we are going to do these things and haven't done them yet. But 2011 is the year!!!!

My Shopper

13 Months

Conner turned 13 months old last week! Not only is our baby 1 year old, but now he's over 1 year old! I think I need another baby! Just kidding! Our little TODDLER is becoming a ham and making all sorts of different faces and loves to get into anything and everything! But the best thing is...he has become a cuddler! Conner never really loved to be cuddled up until the past month. We will be sitting on the floor playing or watching TV and he will just come and cuddle me! I love it!

At 13 Months Conner...

~Wears size 3 diapers, size 12-18 month clothes and size 5 shoes

~Walks like crazy and loves to run but runs faster than his feet can go and usually falls down

~Climbs stairs well

~Likes Mandarin oranges, bananas, Spaghetti Os, hamburger and candy corn

~Likes to unroll the whole roll of toilet paper and stick it in the toilet

~Likes to throw his diapers away

~Doesn't really get how to use sippy cups but will suck out of a straw in a cup

~Loves to read

~Loves to brush his teeth (which means sucking on the toothpaste)

~Likes to do things when I tell him NO and laughs at it (or is he laughing at me)

~Is addicted to Diet Coke! Every time he sees me drinking one he has to have a sip

We love you so much Monkey and can't get enough of you!

First Big Ouch!

Conner had his first big ouchie on Friday! I was making a cake and Conner was playing on the floor in the kitchen. Our dog was just walking around the house. All of a sudden I heard the dog growl and then Conner scream and start crying. I ran and picked up Conner and saw him bleeding, smacked the dog and threw him outside! I was crying and shaking and thought our dog had bit him so I grabbed my phone and tried to call Chris and ran to my neighbors house. My neighbor helped calm me down and we cleaned Conner up. Chris finally called me back and we determined that he didn't need stitches and that it was just a scratch, not a dog bite. When I got back to our house I realized that on the floor was an Oreo Stick. So I'm assuming the dog wanted it. I took some pictures about an hour after it happened. I have been putting Neosporin on his cuts and he is doing great! Conner is also 13 months old today! I will do that post later!

Boo Game

I hate Halloween but as a child, I loved it. I always loved the cutesy part of Halloween though, not the blood and guts. I remember my neighborhood playing the Boo Game and I always loved it. I started it tonight in my neighborhood and hope everyone has fun playing it! For those of you who don't know what the Boo Game is... you make a Halloween treat, get a cute basket or pail to put your treat in and pass on the instructions and a ghost that your neighbor leaves in their window so everyone else knows they have been Booed! HERE is the link to the print offs if you would like to start your own game! You do have to create a login to print them off though.

Oh Conner!

Conner has become a whole new kid in the past week! He is walking everywhere, and quick! He is getting into everything and learning how to climb on things. He has learned how to order videos on our TV (and that nice $5 charge will be added to my Comcast bill and no it wasn't porn). He is becoming such a ham! His personality has really started to come out!

I am loving this stage!

Lunch Advice

I am having a hard time coming up with ideas of what to pack for Conner to eat for lunch. I usually pack some combination of yogurt, pudding, cut up fruit, bananas, apple sauce and nuggets. He used to eat Easy Mac but won't anymore. I tried PB & J but he doesn't like that either. I am just stuck! Any other ideas???

1 Whole Year

I know that I say this every month, but time flies by! I can't believe that 1 year ago Chris and I had a tiny little baby and now we have a growing BOY! This past year has been an amazing year! Conner has brought so much happiness into our lives and we love him so much! We love to watch him grow and learn new things each day and can't wait to see the changes that occur in the next year!

At 1 Year Conner-

~Is still wearing size 3 diapers

~Is still wearing size 12 month pants and 12-18 month tops

~Is still wearing size 4 shoes but they are getting small

~Loves to climb up the stairs but can't go down them

~Likes to unravel the toilet paper off the roll

~Loves to dance and bob his head to music

~Says Dada and Kaka and loves to jabber in his own language

~Is really good at shaking his head no

~Is nicknamed Monkey because he climbs everything like a Monkey

~Likes to sort things and empty drawers and baskets

~Hates getting his diaper changed and getting dressed

~Knows where his head is and will touch it when you ask him where it is

~Blows kisses using someone elses hand

~Loves his ride on toys but can only go backwards on them

Stats

Head-19 inches (90th%)

Weight-21.8 lbs (50%)

Length-30 inches (50%)

Grandpa Okeys Funeral

Chris' grandpa, Okey Gillespie, passed away on August 28th at the age of 92 years old. Chris was pretty close to him and for as long as I can remember visited him at least once a year. As people were talking him at his funeral I realized that Chris is a lot like his grandpa. They are both hard workers, like to build things, have a love for the outdoors, will drop anything to help others and love their families. When Conner was just a couple months old we drove to Vegas and introduced Conner to him. It was an amazing experience and I can't wait for Chris to tell Conner about it one day. We love and miss you grandpa!

My Little Family

The Gillespie Family

Folding The Flag

Giving the flag to Grandma

Picture Help

Does anyone know why you can't click on my photos and make them bigger anymore? Thanks!

The Big Birthday Party

We haven't had Internet for the past two weeks so we are going to play catch up here! I guess that we will start with the most important thing first...Conner turned 1 on September 11th! And of course that meant having a party! Conner was spoiled and got tons of gifts! Thank you to everyone! Here are some pictures from his party and I will do his 1 Year Post on Friday after his appointment!

Awesome Family Photo-Not!

The Birthday Boy Looking Cool

Opening Presents

Singing Happy Birthday

Trying to get him to play with his cake

Really mad at mom for making him get dirty!

Dad finally got him to take a taste

And no birthday is complete without a food fight!

Daddy and The Birthday Boy

Content

In the past year I have been asked many times when Chris and I are having another baby! I think it's crazy and dumb to ask somebody this when their child isn't even a year old yet. But the more I think about it and the more Chris and I talk about it,

right now, we are very content with our family of 3!

I think about having another child and how things would change and I don't think that I want them to change. I love my family of 3. I love having a boy. I love spending my time with just Chris and Conner. I love loving Conner. Maybe I'm being selfish and maybe things will change, but right now, I am content with just Conner!

Breakfast

Sometimes this is how we eat breakfast!

11 Months

Oh my, Conner is 11 months old! That means in 4 short weeks our BABY turns 1! I'm in total denial! Conner is getting so close to walking but his poor head is too hard to control and he just can't quit get his balance yet. He tries so hard though. But when he figures it out, we are in trouble!

At 11 Months Conner-

~Still wears size 3 diapers

~Wears size 6-12 month bottoms and 18 month tops

~Is crawling everywhere! This boy can cruise!

~Is having food issues. I can only get him to eat yogurt, pudding, applesauce, Cheerios, Teddy Grahams, Apple and Orange Juice, Chicken and watermelon. Other than that, he will not eat it. Pam (his nanny) and Chris can get him to eat more things, but for some reason I can't.

~Has discovered his tongue. He loves to stick it out and grab it and play with it.

~Has 3 teeth (2 on the bottom and 1 on the top) and 3 more that are coming soon.

~Has started throwing everything.

~Loves to hit people and things.

~Has started drinking whole milk and not formula!!!

Goodbye Harley!

I posted about our Golden Harley on Facebook but I thought that I would post about it here too.

About 1 year ago Harley started scratching the back of his legs and bleeding so we took him to our vet and they said it was probably allergies. They put him on some medication and antibiotics and we changed his food to a vegetarian diet. We tried this for 3 months and it did not help. So we took him back to the vet and they put him on a stronger medication. We tried this for another 3 months and it did not help so we kind of just let it be. The itching and scratching spread over his body. He would eat patches of his skin off and his eyes started getting puss and goobers around them. So we took him back into the vet and she said that he was going to have allergies his whole life and the medication to ease the allergies and his pain was going to be super expensive.

Chris and I talked with the vet and decided it was better to put him to sleep. We thought about it for a couple of weeks. We tried to contact the Companion Golden Retriever Rescue in Utah and got no response from them. We set up the date to put Harley to sleep, Chris even dug the hole in our backyard. The morning of the day we decided to put him to sleep my mom got a phone call from the rescue group, she had tried to contact them too. They would take him in!

So about a week and a half ago we said goodbye to our doggy! I contacted the owner of the rescue group and she said that Harley is adjusting well. He has allergies and they are giving him medication. He also has a toenail that got torn and infected and is going to have to be removed. He also has Etropian in his eyes and this is going to have to be corrected by surgery. We could not have afforded this!

We are very sad to not have Harley in our family anymore but we are glad that we did not have to put him to sleep and that he is getting the help he needs! We love and miss him though! This picture was the last one we took of him before we gave him away. You can see how bad his eyes are!