The Gillespie Family

12 Years

2012-02-09T13:18:00.004-07:00

I'm a couple days late in posting this but oh well! As of February 7th 2012, Chris and I have been together 12 years! I won't go into detail because I think I've talked about our love story on this blog before, but we met on the 7th and our first date was on the 14th. So this Valentine's Day we will be celebrating the 12th anniversary of our first date! I love Chris more than anything and anyone in the world and am SO SO happy to be his wife and to have him as my best friend!

Here are some OLD pictures for your viewing pleasure!

We're Having A...

2012-01-24T09:55:00.002-07:00

BOY!!!!!

Most everyone knows that I really wanted a girl and really thought this baby was going to be a girl, but I'm finally OK that we are having another boy! They are going to have so much fun growing up together and playing together and getting in trouble together! We are working on some name options but nothing is set in stone yet!

Funny Things

2012-01-06T11:13:00.008-07:00

These are just some funny things that Conner has said lately that I want documented!

Sometimes when we put Conner to bed, he cries and knocks on his door to come out. This week he has started saying, "I want Mom, No Dadda, Mom!" Usually followed by "Let me out."

He says upside down as Upiside (up-e-side) Down. This morning he woke up at 6:30am and I wasn't ready to be awake so I brought him in my bed. When he woke up a couple of hours later, he had moved so his head was on my chest and he was looking up at me. He said, "Mom, I upiside down!"

When we ask him if he wants a brother or sister he says "Sista." And when you ask him what a baby says, he always looks at me then smiles. Then I cry like a baby. Then I ask him what he says when the baby cries and he says "Hush!"

Every single morning he looks around the house and says, "Where's Dadda?" I say work. He says, "Oh, he come home, see me, see you. "

Christmas 2011

2011-12-30T19:51:00.005-07:00

We had a wonderful Christmas this year and feel so blessed to be surrounded by great friends and family that spoiled us! I was a little bummed out this Christmas Season because I had great plans to do fun and exciting Christmasy things all during December (like The Polar Express, Lights at Thanksgiving Point, Temple Lights and Sugarhouse Christmas Street) but Chris was in Poland up until the Thursday night before Christmas. We were able to do a couple fun things and it was nice to spend time together and time with our family! I hope that next year we will be able to have Chris home and do more fun things, but we will have a 5 month old so we will see what happens! Here are the highlights and lots of pictures!

Friday: Dinner at Little America with my family. We were supposed to go to Temple Square after dinner, but Chris was still on Poland time and was exhausted, so while my family went to Temple Square, we went home and went to bed.

Saturday: I finished making our neighbor gifts and while I made peanut butter fudge, I watched my boys out the window delivering our neighbor gifts-so cute! We finished wrapping gifts, exchanged gifts with our good friends The Lockes and had a surprise visit from The Snells. I had planned on making sugar cookies for Santa with Conner, but lost energy and decided not to do it. I feel bad about this, but Conner is still young and doesn't really get it anyways, but for sure next year!

Sunday: We got to spend the morning at our house this year and opened our family gifts to each other. Conner was up at 8am and ready to go! It was so nice to take our time, eat breakfast and do our own thing. In the early afternoon we went to Chris's sister's house and exchanged gifts with his side of the family. We attempted to get a picture with all of the cousins and did an OK job! After a quick lunch, we headed to my sister's house. We opened some of our gifts, then paused to make dinner, then continued opening gifts after dinner.

Monday: We met all of my cousins and their kids at my Grandmas house and exchanged gifts and had a yummy dinner there. It's so nice to see all of my cousins, I only wish we saw each other more.

We feel so blessed for all that we have and to have such wonderful people in our lives! We are very excited for 2012 and our new addition coming in July! We hope you all had a wonderful Season and that you have a Happy New Year as well!

Monkey

2011-12-11T23:13:00.006-07:00

These are just some things that I want to remember about Monkey!

-He loves peanut butter cups right now and tries to get me to let him have them for breakfast.

-He loves cars. He goes to sleep with race cars next to him in bed. He wakes up and grabs the race cars and runs into the living room to play with the rest of the cars. And he has to watch the movie Cars 2 at least once a day.

-He yells, "Lay down Rowdy" "Hush Rowdy" "Get your bone Rowdy" at the dog. He doesn't like Rowdy to be around him so he yells at him to get away.

-He loves to get a cup of ice water whenever I get one, but he rarely drinks it.

-His diapers have 2 designs on them, one with just Mickey, the other with Mickey and Minnie and he always says "Mickey Minnie" and picks that diaper.

-Whenever I ask him where the baby is he points to his tummy and says "My tummy." Then I say "Where's my baby?" And he points to my tummy and says, "Yours tummy." And then I ask him if he wants a brother or sister and he always says sister!

-Is obsessed with the Ipad. He loves to play games on it and watch movies on You Tube on it. Whenever he wants to use it he comes over to me, tilts his head and says "My Ipad?" And of course I always give it to him!

We're Having A Baby!

2011-12-07T14:17:00.002-07:00

Gpie Baby #2 is on the way!!! So we decided it would be fun to announce it on our Christmas Cards this year. We are really excited! We had our first appointment today and I am 8 weeks along and due July 14th. I have not been as sick as I was with Conner so that is great news. And we are hoping for a girl, since this is probably our last baby!

Merry Christmas Everyone!

Grateful

2011-11-01T23:00:00.004-06:00

I am SO SO GRATEFUL for these 2 boys tonight! I love them with all of my heart!

25 Months

2011-10-27T09:45:00.007-06:00

I have been debating whether or not I should continue doing the monthly updates and I think that I will continue them for now since my blog is kind of like a journal. I found a great idea to keep a notebook in your kitchen or living room to write down little things your kids say or do so I might start doing that.

Conner amazes us everyday with the things that

he knows and the things he is learning. He is one smart kid! Like the other day a loud plane flew over our house and he said "Is that thunder?" How does a 2 year old know and remember what thunder is? Conner also loves to do flashcards and will often bring them to me during the day to go over. He knows circle and we are working on the other shapes, he knows the colors red, blue, yellow, green and purple and he knows a lot of animal sounds. He is at such a fun age and we love spending every second we can with him!

At 25 Months Conner:

-Wears size 4 diapers, size 7 and some 8 shoes, Mostly 2 T clothes, we are getting into some 3T shirts and he is still in 18 month pants(skinny like his dad).

-Has a hard time falling asleep. I think he gets that issue from me. He is also a night owl and loves to sleep in late. Like me!

-Loves Mickey Mouse, Chugginton and Little Einsteins

-Loves to sing and dance

-Loves to help me with whatever I am doing-cooking, cleaning, shopping

-Anytime we say we are going somewhere he says "Shopping? Target?" Oh he is so my kid!

-Is still a parrot. He repeats everything we say, especially when we are on the phone talking to someone. And he loves to talk on the phone. He knows how to call Chris on my phone and likes to call him several times throughout the day.

-Hates bath time. He loves playing in the water, but hates being washed and especially hates his hair being washed.

-Can count to 10 by himself and 20 with assistance. He always skips #7 though!

-He has always done this and I don't know why I have never written it down, but every time I hold Conner on my hip, he loves to hold or play with a piece of my hair.

Good Times

2011-10-10T09:21:00.007-06:00

I love weekends like the weekend we just had! We had no real plans, except for dinner on Saturday night but it was a fun filled weekend. Friday night we got some pizza for dinner and then headed to Ikea. I got some spice racks that I'm turning into book shelves, Conner got a stuffed dog that he is in love with and we dreamed about finishing our basement as we walked around. Chris is probably leaving town this week and I wanted to go to a pumpkin patch, so

Saturday morning we went to Petersen Farms by Daybreak. We walked through their patch and found our perfect pumpkins and we even got a small watermelon. Then we headed to Chick Fil A for some lunch! We had dinner with our friends, Pam and James, at Tepanyaki, headed to the mall for some shopping then hit Coldstone on the way home! We had a lot of fun catching up with them! And on Sunday I tried to fry donuts. I found a great Apple Cider Donut recipe on Pinterest. The dough took forever to make, my oil got too hot and I burned half of them, but the ones that turned out were good! Oh well, it was worth a shot!

It was cold and windy and Conner didn't want his picture taken

so Chris is tickling him to smile!

They had 3 goats at the pumpkin patch in a fenced in area, but the baby goat snuck out. I kept trying to get him to come over to me, but he kept running away!

Realizations

2011-10-06T09:38:00.002-06:00

So I've been a Stay At Home Mom for about 3 weeks now. I have finally realized that I am no longer a working mom (well employed outside of the home mom). I got my last pay check from my employer today yet still haven't received my first paycheck from my new job! So far...

I love:

-doing what I want when I want

-sleeping in

-getting ready when I want

-playing with Conner as much as possible

-being the one to brush his teeth, get him dressed, feed him, play with him and not having to ask someone else what he did all day

-getting to see HIM! I don't know how to really explain this one. I know my kid, but it's different to be around him all day and to see the silly things that he does and says all of the time.

I don't like:

-being bored. I love being with Conner but sometimes adults are nice to be around too. We also stay home a lot. Maybe I need to be more creative and come up with things for us to do, especially since the weather just got ugly.

-our schedule right now. I like my me-time in the morning, so he's been sleeping in until around 10am. But then he's up until about 10pm, which cuts into my time with Chris. So I need to fix our schedule.

-feeling like I have to do it all (with Conner and the house) because I have the time and I don't work anymore.

I'm still adjusting to this. But I'm liking it so far! I still think that Chris and I made the right decision and for the first time in a long time I can say that I"M HAPPY!!!

Guardsmans Pass

2011-10-03T10:19:00.004-06:00

We have a tradition of driving Guardsmans Pass every year to see the leaves change colors and the beautiful mountains. We did that drive yesterday! We drove from the Brighton side to Park City and then had lunch at Rotary Park. I spent most of the drive up the mountain with my head ducked-I'm terribly afraid of heights, especially up the canyons-but the rest of the drive was beautiful! I'm so grateful to live right by the mountains, they are so amazing! We need to take advantage of them more!

Hill Aerospace Museum

2011-09-26T23:17:00.002-06:00

Chris had a great idea to take Conner to the Hill Aerospace Museum to see the big airplanes and helicopters. So on September 18th we met some family up there and had a great time looking at all of the giant planes, helicopters and atom bomb! We even got to sit inside one of the helicopters. We had to go during Conner's nap time, so he wasn't as into it as we were expecting, but he still had fun!

It is free to visit the museum, they do ask for donations though. So if you are ever bored, go check it out. It's worth the 30 minute drive!

2

2011-09-11T23:17:00.004-06:00

Our baby boy is 2 today!

I just can't believe it! I remember the day he was born like it was yesterday. I remember holding him for for the first time. I remember taking him home from the hospital and the rest has just flown by! Chris always says that he was not prepared for how fast they grow up and I agree with him. I wish that I could freeze him and keep him this little forever, but at the same time I love to see him learn and grow!

Conner-your dad and I love you more and more each day! Your are the greatest thing to ever happen to us and we love you so so much!

At 2 years old Conner:

-Wears size 8 shoes, size 4 diapers, size 2-3T shirts (depends on the brand) and size 18-24 month pants (depends on the brand)

-IS BOTTLE FREE!!! He has been bottle free for 2 weeks now

-Is having a hard time falling asleep lately. Since we decided to go bottle free, his bedtime routine has changed and he usually has to fall asleep next to one of us and then we take him into his bed. I hate this and hope he gets back to falling asleep on his own quickly.

-Loves music. He loves to dance and he loves to sing and make up his own songs.

-Is a parrot! He loves to repeat whatever we say or do. My favorite thing that he says right now is, "I help you" which means that he needs our help. He also says "Rowdy Powdy" which is what we call our dog. And he says "Mishka Mooshka Mickey Mouse" from Mickey Mouse playhouse.

-Gets really mad if we don't do what he wants, when he wants and the way he wants. We are working on this though. I can usually count to 3 and he stops getting mad.

-Is really shy but once he warns up to you he is his goofball self.

-Has been getting better at trying new foods. He likes green beans. He recently tried waffles and macaroni but didn't like them.

-Has finally started playing on his own!

-Loves to help us and do whatever we are doing. He loves to help me cook and mix things and clean. He loves to help his dad do yard work and he loves to watch sports with his dad!

Conner's Cars Birthday Party

2011-09-10T22:25:00.004-06:00

Our Little Monkey Turns 2 Tomorrow! CRAZY!

We had his birthday party today and it was so much fun! Conner is really into the Disney movie Cars right now, so I picked that as our theme. I didn't want it to be too Lightning McQueen, more race carish and I think it was perfect!

This party took months of planning and a lot of hours to put together, and because of that I have decided that he will only get a big party every other year. The other years we will just do cake and ice cream with family.

So here is his party, in pictures!

Conner in his new chair, Conner getting tattooed, Conner playing bean bag game, Family Pic

GAMES!!!

Popcorn to eat while watching Cars, Cupcakes, Food Table

Decorations and Our New Tradition-Birthday Balloon Wreath!

Ramone's House of Body Art Tattoo Table, Thank You Treats-Coloring Pages, Crayons, Car Pretzels, Prize Basket

I quit my job!

2011-09-02T07:56:00.006-06:00

On Monday morning I quit my job! I will officially become a Stay At Home Mom on September 16th! I am excited. I am scared. I am nervous.

This was not an easy decision to make and took months (and years) of thinking and praying, but was made when we found out that our daycare lady took another job at the elementary school down the street and wouldn't be able to watch Conner anymore.

I have been very unhappy since having Conner and having to work. And someday we will have another child and I'm sure I would've been very unhappy leaving two kids to work. Being unhappy has taken a toll on me and I just decided enough was enough.

I'm not going to lie, I'm excited to not work anymore. I won't miss having a boss, waking up early to go to work, driving 30 minutes in traffic twice a day or clocking out for lunch. I'm excited to spend my day with Conner and to teach him things and to finally be able to take care of him. I'm also scared to do this! I'm scared that we might lose our house, that we won't have money and that due to my anxiety I will be afraid to go out in the world with Conner and will stay inside all day. I think it will be weird to not have to work. I have had a job since I was 15 years old and have always had my own money and provided for myself or my family. Now it's up to Chris and that puts a lot of pressure on him! Chris just told me that I need to raise Conner, keep the house clean and make dinner! Sounds easy, but we will see!

So there's my thoughts and feelings. Not everyone has been happy or agreed with the choice that Chris and I have made, but I have to try staying at home. And if it doesn't work out, maybe I will get a night job or something!

23

2011-08-14T22:23:00.004-06:00

Oh my goodness, we are 1 month away from having a 2 year old! I love this age! Conner is like a sponge and soaks up everything! It's fun to see him learn new words, do new things and just grow!

At 23 Months Conner:
-Wears size 4 diapers, 2T clothes, size 7 shoes
-Says so many new words. He repeats everything that we say. Loves to say "bless you" after you sneeze or cough. Loves to ask why. Loves to say There it is and What's this? But he will not say I love you and it's driving me nuts!
-Loves to go potty in the potty. I am not full blown potty training him yet, but when we can we let him run around at home with no diaper and he will tell us or go in to go potty. However, he will not go #2 in the potty. He brings me a diaper and will wait until it's on to go. And the past couple of days he has been telling me when he goes #2.
-Can not be alone. If I leave a room he will say "Mom," over and over again and will come find me. He is kind of a mommas boy.
-Loves to dance whenever music comes on-in the car, on tv, when a phone rings!
-Will now drink milk from a cup-just not for us-only for daycare.
-Still has issues eating. He did try green beans and carrots the other day!
-Is really excited for his Disney Cars birthday party happening next month! Ok maybe it's just me that's excited, but he will be too!

Jumping

2011-07-28T23:20:00.003-06:00

One of Conner's new favorite things to do is to pull the couch cushions off the couch and jump on them. I snapped a few photos of him doing it the other day and I love them!

Raise The Roof

2011-07-28T23:06:00.003-06:00

Chris teaching Conner how to raise the roof!

I have tried to figure out how to rotate it and I can't sorry!

Addiction

2011-07-18T08:39:00.001-06:00

This is something funny that happened this morning and I thought I would document it!

Chris woke Conner up while I got all of our lunches ready. He changed him and then Conner could hear me in the kitchen so he came running out of our bedroom. Well I had gone to the garage and grabbed a can of coke to put in my purse. Conner had his arms open to give me a hug, saw the coke and said "Oh!" and grabbed the coke instead. He might be addicted like I am!!!

22 Months

2011-07-11T18:41:00.006-06:00

Time is flying by! In just a short couple of months we will have a 2 year old! I was watching Conner play the other day and turned to Chris and said, "When did our baby become a boy?" It's sad but at the same time, I love it!

Instagram Photo. I usually try and post pictures of just Conner, but I love this one so much.

At 22 Months Conner:
-Wears size 4 diapers, 2T tops, 18 month-24 month bottoms-it just depends on the brand
-Wears size 7 shoes-we have determined that he has wide feet and needs bigger shoes to fit his wide feet in them.
-Is getting his 2 year old molars. I thought he was sick a couple of weeks ago, but he kept sticking his finger in his mouth and saying ouch. He also had a fever, runny nose and would not eat a lot of food. I haven't seen the molars though, so I might be wrong.
-Has learned a whole bunch of new words and pretty much repeats everything we say. He loves to say please and thank you and loves to ask us "What's this?" He also say Ru-Roh like Scooby Doo!
-He can spot a plane anywhere in the sky, even the tiny ones way up high, and squeals Plane when he sees them!
-Likes to go to bed at 10pm-a night owl like his mom.
-Still drinks 1 bottle at night, but just today drank milk from a cup!
-Still hates water and the swimming pool. I'm not sure if this will ever change.
-Loves to be outside doing anything! He likes to sit on the back porch, he likes to play outside, he likes walks and he likes to follow his dad around the yard as he does yard work.
-Will tell us NO if we are doing something he doesn't like
-Has a little temper. This mostly happened the week he was sick or getting molars, but he learned what time out was quick and it was used frequently that week, but only a couple of times since then.
-Likes to take things that he shouldn't have (like cell phones, remotes) and hide/carry them behind his back, like we can't see them.
-Is a ham! He loves to tease us and make cheesy faces!

4th of July

2011-07-10T07:58:00.005-06:00

Here is our 4th of July in pictures, lots of them!

At the Murray Parade in the AM

Xander being messy!

James and Conner doing fireworks

My cutie!

My 2 favorite boys!

US!

Us with the Lockes and everyone else in the background!

4th of July Decorations

2011-07-04T13:52:00.003-06:00

I went a little crazy making decorations for the 4th of July this year, but I really love this holiday-celebrating being an American and all of our traditions! And the best thing is, I can leave them up all month because of the 24th of July! To see how I made all of this go to my other blog, ambersnook.blogspot.com!

Still need a white wood star in the blue part of the flag and twine on the candy jars

Fatherhood

2011-06-29T08:29:00.004-06:00

The perfect picture of Fatherhood!

Anxiety

2011-06-23T08:57:00.012-06:00

Anxiety: is a psychological and physiological state characterized by somatic, emotional, cognitive, and behavioral components. Anxiety can create feelings of fear, worry, uneasiness and dread.

I have anxiety. I haven't always had it though. It started when I got pregnant and grew worse when I gave birth.

I have anxiety at night as I try and fall asleep. I lay awake at night worrying about everything from the bills, to what chores need to be done, what is going on the next day, did I brush Conner's teeth that day, is Conner growing up ok, Am I an awful parent because my child drink diet coke and doesn't eat vegetables, etc... This prevents me from actually falling asleep until after midnight. I'm pretty used to this schedule and just know that my mind and body won't be getting sleep until after 12!

I have (the worst) anxiety when I have to take Conner somewhere by myself, anywhere, like the grocery store, the park, Target, etc. Conner is a good kid and I can control him so I don't know why I get it so bad. Maybe it's the thought that he could run off and get lost or taken by someone, maybe it's the thought that he will break something in the store, I just don't know. But I really hate taking Conner anywhere by myself. I will usually make my hubby go to the store with me or watch Conner while I go. And if my hubby isn't home I will usually have someone watch him so I can to the store. Very rarely do I take him with me.

I don't have any physical side effects from my anxiety though (like sweating or anything). I don't think that I need medication for my anxiety, yet. I think it's just a healthy amount of anxiety that I get (is that possible), but maybe I'm wrong. Does anyone else have anxiety or am I just crazy?

1 Year Difference

2011-06-11T23:43:00.001-06:00

21

2011-06-11T22:58:00.003-06:00

Conner is 21 months old today! This month has been a big growing month for Conner, not really physically but intellectually. He has learned a lot of new words and especially this past week. I had the past week off work and it was amazing to spend so much time with Conner and to see him learn new things each day! Conner is such an amazing part of our lives and we love him so, so much!

NOTE: He is too active to get good pictures of right now. Most of the recent pics are him sleeping!

At 21 Months Conner:

-Wears size 4 diapers, 2T tops, 18 and some 24 month bottoms, size 6 shoes

-Has not been eating well lately. He hasn't tried any new foods and is more into snacking than eating actual meals (maybe due to the heat). But he is loving that watermelon is in season! He has also rediscovered orange juice and prefers that over apple juice right now.

-Loves to put the food and water on the porch in the morning for the dog.

-Loves to stand on the porch and watch for airplanes! Our house is relatively close to the airport so he sees a lot of them.

-Loves to be outdoors!

-Loves to take our hand and lead us to what he wants us to look at or get for him.

-New words: star, slide, shoes, cold, owl, down, cars , eyes, mouth, nose, head. He also says "I spilled", Iss Good (puts on extra s on is), Iss cold. He also says "No, No, No!" It can't just be 1 No.

-Still drinking 1 bottle at night.

-Knows some colors. His cousins have a toy that has different colored balls on top and you hit them and they slide down a track. He can put the balls in the correct colored slots! I haven't even tried teaching him colors, so I'm not really sure where he learned them, but he knows them!

-Has to have 2 of everything. 2 suckers, 2 utensils, 2 cups, 2 blankets, 2 frogs (his cloth toy that he sleeps with).

-And is still the cutest thing in the world and he knows it!

6

2011-06-08T00:15:00.005-06:00

6 years ago today I married my best friend, the love of my life, my partner, my husband!

And I could not be happier! Happy Anniversary Baby!

Dentist

2011-06-01T21:44:00.003-06:00

On May 20th Conner had his first trip to the dentist! The office was amazing and so child friendly and our dentist was great with Conner! Conner has no cavities and has 2 teeth coming in and everything looks great. I need to work a little harder at brushing Conner's teeth every day and actually brushing them and not just letting him suck the toothpaste! And despite his face in the picture, he actually did great! He even got to pick a toy at the end of the visit and he chose a bouncy ball!

Quote

2011-05-25T15:27:00.002-06:00

"Life Does Not Have To Be Perfect To Be Wonderful."

Boston

2011-05-20T14:52:00.001-06:00

Chris is a huge Boston Red Sox fan (remember he tattooed their logo on his back) and he has made me one too! Every year we try to go see the Red Sox play somewhere in the country but this year we scored tickets to see them play in Boston! And it just so happens that I have a cousin living there right now! So we left our Conner Boy and took a much needed vacation!

We saw a lot of historical buildings and really cool articheture.

Walked most of the Freedom Trail in pouring rain and saw a lot of history!

Which also made me realize that I need a huge crash course on history before

Conner starts school.

Hit up some touristy spots and took cheesy tourist pictures!

Toured Fenway

And watched the Rex Sox win in extra innings!

Toddler

2011-05-20T13:49:00.002-06:00

I love finding the little treasures around the house that remind me that I have a toddler in my house! Like chapstick that got run through the dishwasher!

Doors

2011-05-16T22:37:00.004-06:00

Growing up my parents marked our height on the coat closet door in their entry way. I always loved doing this and seeing what my height was and I still love looking at all of the measurements on it (I have also shrunk, or was measured wearing really high heels one day)! I have carried on this tradition and have been marking Conner's height since he was born. I measure him every 6 months. He loves to open the door and look at it and point at the lines. I am amazed at his growth every time I measure him! I hope that my door will someday be as full as my parents door and if I ever have to move, you better believe that door will come with me!

My Parents Door

Our Door

20 Months

2011-05-13T23:25:00.004-06:00

As of last week, our "baby" is 20 months old! That means in 4 short months we will have a 2 year old! And we are not ready for that! Conner is so full of energy lately and loves to keep us on our toes. He is always active and doing or getting into something and is constantly making us smile and laugh! Conner is at such a fun age and we love every second of it!

At 20 Months Conner:

-Is wearing size 4 Diapers, 2T clothes and size 6 shoes

-Has 2 new teeth coming in, thankfully! He has some large gaps just waiting for teeth!

-Says mom, dad, no, yes, shoes, coke, bus, dog, cat, meow and a lot of stuff we don't understand

-Loves bubbles outside from his bubble blower machine but hates the bubbles in his bath!

-Only drinks a bottle before bedtime. We have cut out his morning bottle and he is adjusting well, we just have to feed him pretty quickly after he wakes up.

-Loves to go on walks! He loves riding in his stroller but sometimes likes to walk or push his stroller

-Is becoming such a busy body. He is always getting into things.

-Sleeps in his big boy bed, but sometimes ends up on the pillows on his floor

-Goes potty on the big boy potty before bed and has gone POOP in the potty twice!

-Went to nursery for the first time and loved it

-Spent his first few nights away from his mom and did great!

The Yard

2011-04-29T07:59:00.003-06:00

On Easter my crazy husband decided to plant a tree in our yard and new flowers and bushes. Last year we planted late in the season and could only purchase annual flowers but this year we bought early in the season and purchased perennials. I have always wanted a weeping will tree so we purchase a smaller one to plant in our flower bed. I can't wait to see everything grow! Thank you Babe for all of your hard work and for making our yard look beautiful!

Easter

2011-04-26T22:40:00.004-06:00

Easter was so much fun this year! Conner was more into it and actually understood what was going on. He woke up in the morning to a trail of eggs leading from his room to his basket/wagon. He has never seen Easter eggs before, but saw them and started picking them up and shaking them, which I thought was cute! I really wanted to go to church on Easter but it is at 11am, which is nap time, and of course Conner fell asleep at 10am so we didn't make it. And Easter night we had a wonderful dinner at my brother's house with my family!

Conner's favorite thing from the Easter Bunny is his bubble blower machine and of course the candy! We haven't really had a chance to use his wagon due to weather, but we have used it in the house and he loves it!

19 Months

2011-04-17T19:30:00.004-06:00

I can't believe that we are nearing 2 years old! Time is flying by and Conner just keeps growing and learning! He amazes us everyday with the things that he knows and things that he does! We just love him so much!

At 19 Months Conner:

-Wears size 4 diapers, size 2 T tops, 18 Month pants and size 5 shoes

-Says Don't and will push our hands away if he doesn't want us doing something

-Loves to read books. He can't read but he will open up a book and in jibber jabber talk pretend to read the book.

-Loves to get into anything and everything! Every drawer, bag, cupboard, ANYTHING!

-Loves to be around us all of the time. He has to be in the same room that we are in or he will come and find us if we leave the room.

-Eating a little better. He has discovered peanut butter and likes it. I still can't get him to eat cheese, bread or pasta.

-We bought him flip flops to wear this summer and he loves to wear them.

-He loves to play outside. We are dying for summer to get here.

-Likes to wash himself in the bath.

-Likes to feed himself and use utensils.

-Is still very stubborn and likes to do things his own way and on his own time!

Pink Eye 2

2011-04-14T08:34:00.000-06:00

Guess who else has pink eye? I do!

I Am That Mom

2011-04-05T09:55:00.002-06:00

I am loving THIS post from Little Miss Momma! She always writes things that I want to say but can't figure out how to say and she always make me smile! And she has the second cutest boy in the world (mine comes first)!

Chocolate Lover

2011-04-04T16:14:00.004-06:00

This is funny to me and needed to be documented!

I cleaned out my purse this weekend to wash it and left a mini Hershey bar on my nightstand. On Sunday I was getting ready for a baptism and was in my bathroom putting my shoes on. Conner was just walking around my bedroom, getting into things. I came out of the bathroom and he was standing there, with the wrapper in his hand, eating the chocolate and gave me the guiltiest look ever!

My boy loves sugar, especially chocolate, and could possibly get that trait from me!

Got Pink Eye..

2011-03-30T18:40:00.002-06:00

Got Pink Eye?

Conner Does!

Chris said that he looks like a boxer that got beat!

Redneck

2011-03-25T13:21:00.002-06:00

How Redneck can we get?

18

2011-03-15T23:01:00.002-06:00

The little man is officially 1 1/2 years old!

At 18 Months Conner

-Wears size 18 month pants, 2T tops, size 5 shoes and size 4 diapers

-Still hates food but has a LOVE for apples!

-Has added Door and Uh Oh to his vocabulary

-Shakes his head No at pretty much everything

-Waves to every car that he sees

-Loves to blow kisses and nuzzles my nose

-Loves to color and draw

-Is very shy and a Mommas Boy (and I love it)

-Loves to brush his teeth and suck the toothpaste from the tube (don't worry it's the baby kind that doesn't have fluoride)

-He loves to take tissues and pretend to blow his nose

-Takes wipes and wipes his face (This is copying me taking my make up off with a wipe)

-Loves to clean! He will load the clothes in the washer and push the buttons to start it. He also takes the dishes out of the dishwasher 1 by 1 and hands them to me! Let's hope this continues!

-When he wakes up in the morning or from a nap he has to grab every blanket and anything else in his crib and take it with him wherever he goes!

-Will not give up the bottle! We tried to give him milk from a sippy cup several times and he has a fit every time!

Advice

2011-03-09T14:18:00.001-07:00

So Chris and I are taking a little trip to San Diego next weekend! I already have anxiety! Does anyone have advice on traveling with toddlers, especially airport and flight advice?

Thankfully it's a super quick flight!

17

2011-02-13T12:41:00.003-07:00

I remember Conner being a new born baby, needing me to change him, feed him, hold him and doing everything for him. Here we are 17 months later and I feel like I'm already losing him! That is a little dramatic, I know but this kid is growing up fast! He is so independent and that kills me some days! I also love it because he is learning and growing and that is so very cool to see!

***Please the note the giant bruise on Conner's head. He fell hard in the grocery store!

At 17 months Conner:

-Wears size 3 diapers still but going to 4 the next box we need to buy

-Wears size 18 month-2T clothes and size 5 shoes

-Has 11 teeth and 1 trying to poke through

-Can do 2 puzzles by himself. The pieces even go in the right place!

-Has food issues-let's not talk about this subject! He loves sugar, eats chicken nuggets almost every night for dinner, loves BBQ chips and loves apples!

-Has no fear! He loves to climb on anything and everything, he loves being thrown up in the air and spun around until he can't walk!

-Loves to give kisses and I love to receive them!

-Likes the idea of bath time but hates actually get in the tub and getting washed

-Does the phone dance. I can't explain this in words and will have to try and record it one day. He spins around trying to find the phone and his face looks shocked or surprised-so cute!

-Can do all the actions to Pattycake.

-Hates Chris and I touching each other, like holding hands or kissing. He will come over and move my hand or push us apart.

-Loves to shake his head NO at everything you ask him.

-Laughs when he burps or farts-such a boy!

11

2011-02-06T15:20:00.004-07:00

11 years ago tomorrow, the 7th, I met Chris Gillespie! We met at the Sports Mall hair salon, had a snowball fight in the parking lot and saw each other everyday for the next week. We went on our very first date on February 14th (I know, I know) and the rest is history! It's been the BEST 11 years of my life and I owe it all to him!

I love you Chris Gillespie!

I found my old journal and this is a piece of the entry from when we first met:

"There is something there, sparks are flying. He makes my stomach turn into little knots. I'M IN LOVE! I LOVE CHRIS! I don't know if that is possible at 16 years old but I have never felt anything like this before and I like it! "

I was a smart girl and knew in my heart that I was going to marry Chris.

I also found some really old pictures of us and I don't know how to work our scanner, so I took pictures of the pictures with my cell phone, so excuse the poor quality !

Boston

2011-01-30T23:26:00.001-07:00

We bought tickets to go watch the Red Sox play IN Boston in May!

And we are very excited about it!

How am I doing?

2011-01-26T13:53:00.004-07:00

Are you wondering how well I'm doing on my New Year's Goals? Should I lie to you or tell the truth? Ok, ok the truth is I am doing about 2 of my 3 goals. I bet you can guess which 2!

#1 is to take more pictures and I am doing well at that. We have a large camera and it's not easy to whip that out and take pictures. We will be getting a smaller camera soon and hopefully I will take more pictures!

#2 is better time management. I am doing well at this. I am making sure that things are getting done and then relaxing or getting on the computer.

#3 is my cleaning schedule. I did this the first 2 days and then life got in the way! Dinner has to be made, playing with my son has to be done and my husband has not been home to help out. So this goal is on the back burner. It seemed reasonable but it's just not right now.Maybe I can pick it up again at a later date, but I'm not stressing over it.

So how are you doing????

28

2011-01-21T11:04:00.003-07:00

It's this guys 28th Birthday Today (the big guy)! I will spare you mushy stuff and just say that he's an awesome dad, husband and friend!

Happy Birthday Dad!

We Love You!

16 Months

2011-01-12T21:29:00.004-07:00

Our little baby has quickly become a toddler! It amazes me how much he changes daily and the things that he learns! Chris always says that he was not prepared for how quickly kids grow and I 100% agree with that. If we did 1 thing right in our life, it was having him!

At 16 Months Conner:

-Wears 18-24 Month Clothes, Size 5 shoes, Size 3 diapers

-Has 11 teeth now! He got another tooth on the bottom in the front which means his cute little smile that only showed his 2 bottom teeth is gone. I'm kind of sad about that.

-Jibber jabbers like crazy!

- Anytime the phone rings he wants to talk to whoever it is. I just wish that I knew what he was saying!

- He has learned to say vroom when he pushes his cars around.

-Loves cars!!!

- Thinks it funny to climb from his chair to the couch to the coffee table and play with everything on it.

-Threw up for the first real time (he had the normal baby spit up) and it scared him, poor guy!

-Does not like to be held on my lap when he drinks his bottle. He likes to sit or lay by himself.

-Will not drink milk from a sippy cup, which makes bottle weaning really hard.

-Loves to brush his teeth

-Loves to help me put on my makeup especially my blush. The brush tickles his face!

-Learned where his ears are. But instead of touching his own ears, he touches mine.

Playroom Remodel

2011-01-09T19:00:00.004-07:00

We have 3 bedrooms on the upstairs level of our house, 1 is the Master, 1 is Conner's room and the other has been a storage room, guest bedroom, office and now the playroom!

We wanted to paint the white walls and picked a neutral gray color so that if the room needs to be changed into something else again we will not have to repaint it. I also wanted some type of storage that had bins to hide stuff but I also wanted it to be a furniture piece so we could use it later on. I picked a bookcase from Ikea and bought some bins from Ikea as well. I am still needing art on the wall and am planning on doing THIS when I can get around to it!

I absolutely love this room! It is working out great for us. It came together exactly the way that I wanted it to and I'm sure that Conner loves it as well!

I think the ABC Art will go on this wall (above pic)!

Smallest TV ever! We are getting a bigger one soon!

Goals

2011-01-03T12:34:00.006-07:00

Happy New Year Everyone! I have set some goals for this year, not resolutions, and would like to share them with you and maybe inspire.

1. Take more pictures. I always forget my camera when we go to family functions or when we hang out with friends and I always miss out on taking pictures of the memories. So hopefully I can do better with that.

2. Better my time management. This means no blogging or Facebooking when I should be doing laundry, or paying bills, etc.

3. Keep up on the cleaning. This was very neglected in 2010 and I was always in a bad mood and complaining about our messy house. So how will I do that? I'm not going to deep clean everything everyday but do 1 simple task each day. This will hopefully keep things a little cleaner, making me a happy wife and mother! (we will see)

Monday-Swiffer 1 floor that needs it
Tuesday-Clean the toilet, counter and mirror in 1 bathroom
Wednesday-Dust 1 room that needs it
Thursday-Vacuum
Friday-Empty trash cans and clean the fridge (cleaning the fridge consists of getting rid of anything old and cleaning out any containers that need to be washed).
Saturday is deep clean day and Sunday is rest!

Wish me luck!!!!

Christmas 2010

2010-12-30T18:12:00.002-07:00

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

Create your own digital collage

Poem

2010-12-27T14:17:00.002-07:00

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!

2010-12-25T00:55:00.000-07:00

Merry Christmas to Everyone!

15 Months

2010-12-10T23:34:00.003-07:00

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

2010-12-06T16:37:00.003-07:00

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

2010-11-30T23:04:00.003-07:00

Where did this tiny baby go and

why did he have to grow?

2010 Family Photos

2010-11-28T21:39:00.005-07:00

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

2010-11-21T20:52:00.007-07:00

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

2010-11-16T10:58:00.001-07:00

This is where Chris will be for the next month!

14 Months

2010-11-10T21:02:00.006-07:00

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

2010-11-06T20:49:00.002-06:00

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

2010-11-05T10:01:00.000-06:00

I miss him!!!

Halloween 2010

2010-10-31T18:07:00.005-06:00

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

2010-10-25T21:21:00.006-06:00

These make me smile!

For Sure

2010-10-21T14:11:00.004-06:00

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

2010-10-20T08:48:00.001-06:00

13 Months

2010-10-17T22:53:00.003-06:00

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!

2010-10-11T08:59:00.004-06:00

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

2010-10-09T21:27:00.004-06:00

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!

2010-09-29T15:22:00.002-06:00

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

2010-09-24T11:06:00.002-06:00

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

2010-09-17T11:34:00.004-06:00

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

2010-09-16T21:25:00.008-06:00

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

2010-09-15T16:42:00.002-06:00

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

The Big Birthday Party

2010-09-14T21:30:00.014-06:00

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

2010-08-31T10:52:00.005-06:00

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

2010-08-27T09:03:00.002-06:00

Sometimes this is how we eat breakfast!

Photo Giveaway

2010-08-17T11:56:00.003-06:00

My friend Tracy is a photographer and does amazing work (she did my maternity photos) and is doing a giveaway! The deadline is tomorrow so hurry and enter! Check out her work HERE!

11 Months

2010-08-10T21:15:00.004-06:00

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!

2010-07-20T22:17:00.003-06:00

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!

He Walks!!!!

2010-07-19T11:36:00.003-06:00

Conner has started walking, kind of! Last Thursday he stood up on his own and took 3 steps and then he fell! He has done it twice since then! I haven't video taped it yet but I will. I am so excited for him to walk. He gets so frustrated that he can't move and hates crawling so I'm excited for him to start walking and moving around!

My Princess

2010-07-15T10:36:00.000-06:00

10 Months

2010-07-11T10:30:00.005-06:00

We can't believe that in only 2 short months our baby will be 1 year old! Conner is not a baby anymore and is turning into a little man! He is getting more active and wanting to move around! His personality is coming out more too. He is such a content little boy until he wants something and then he screams, cries or yells until he gets it. We love him though!

At 10 Months Conner:
~Still wears size 3 diapers
~Still wears 12 month clothes, but the necks are getting tight
~Can army crawl really well and has started crawling on 1 knee
(he drags the other knee behind him)
~Loves to play bumper cars in the kitchen. He walks around in his walker and crashes into everything and laughs!
~Loves to crash! When we say crash he will fall backwards into a pillow and laugh!
~Loves to walk when you hold his hands. But you must hold both of his hands! He will not take a step unless you are holding both of his hands!
~Love Orange juice, Honey Nut Cheerios, Nutri Grain Bars, Chicken, Pears, Peaches, Cake, Fries, Ice Cream, Mac & Cheese, any noodles and anything you give him or anything he steals off your plate!
~Loves music and will always dance (bob his head) to it.
~Loves to jibber jabber
~Loves to go for walks!
~Has 1 tooth on the bottom and another coming in
~Will randomly laugh! It's kind of creepy!
~Hates wearing shoes but when we can force him to he wears a size 3

~Loves to sit on your lap and listen to stories

~Can stand for about 30 seconds on his own!

**I don't know why the last 2 are double spaced and I can't fix it, sorry!**

4th of July Part 2

2010-07-06T23:12:00.019-06:00

The 4th of July is one of my favorite holidays! I love the fireworks, food, weather and being with family! This was Conner's first 4th of July outside of my tummy! We started our 4th off with the Murray Parade. My brother is awesome and camped out so we could have front row seats! We had lunch at my parents, naps at home and then a big BBQ back at my parents and fireworks! Conner was so tired when the fireworks started. He jumped when the first one went off and then just sat and watched them. Towards the end he was falling asleep so Chris sat with him on the swing on my parents porch. The fireworks were too loud for him to fall asleep though. He crashed on the way home! We had a great 4th of July and I'm so glad that I got to spend it with family!

Eating His First Red Vine

4th of July Part 1

2010-07-04T21:23:00.005-06:00

What a difference 1 year can make!

July 4th 2009, 8 Months Pregnant with Conner

July 4th 2010, Conner almost 10 months old

9 Month Stats

2010-06-26T13:10:00.003-06:00

Conner's 9 month appointment was last Friday and here are his stats:

28.5 inches (just above 50%)

20.1 lbs (just under 50%)

18.8 Head Circumference (above 95%)

Yeah, he has a huge head. He's cute though so it's ok!

Blah

2010-06-24T15:09:00.002-06:00

I feel ugly, tired, worn out, haggard, drained, unhappy and I need a change! The hair didn't do it for me so any suggestions?

The First Hair Cut In Photos

2010-06-18T23:59:00.004-06:00

Pudding

2010-06-15T13:35:00.005-06:00

Pam (Conner's Nanny) gave him some pudding today!

And then a bath!

I Need Advice

2010-06-13T22:25:00.001-06:00

Conner has learned how to open our kitchen cupboards so we need to get some locks on them. We do not have handles on our cupboards. Does any body have advice on what type of locks to get? Thanks!

9

2010-06-09T21:02:00.011-06:00

***Correction to this post----Conner started army crawling this afternoon!!!

Conner is 9 months old today (I wrote this post on Wednesday so it's posting for that date, but he is 9 months today, Friday the 11th)! Conner has had a rough week this past week. He started teething, got a yeast infection and a rash. The poor kid has had a ton of medicine and creams used on him the past week but he's doing better!

At 9 months Conner
-Is still wearing size 3 diapers
-Is still wearing 12 months clothes
-Still loves his TV! His favorite show was Oso but now it Mickey's Clubhouse.
-Loves to dance (bob his head) to music
-Loves to wiggle and/or sit up when we change his diaper
-Has tried lots of new foods like fruits, pickles,avocados and loves them all!
-Can feed himself cereal
-Can walk if you hold his hands
-Is still NOT crawling but is closer
-Hates to be left alone. He will scream and cry if he's alone!
-Loves electronics (cell phones, remotes, computers)
-Wakes up around 4am every night but goes back to sleep with a bottle
-Loves to empty baskets, purses his diaper bag and anything else

It's so much fun to see Conner learn new things, grow and develop! His 9 month appointment is in a couple of weeks and I will post his stats then!

5

2010-06-08T10:00:00.003-06:00

5 years ago today Chris and I were married! I will spare you the mushy stuff and just say that it's been an amazing 5 years! I love you Baby!

The Past Week

2010-06-07T22:18:00.004-06:00

In the past week...

-Amber got strep, didn't take her medication and it hit her again
-Conner started teething
-Amber and Conner got rashes from the fertilizer on the grass
-Conner got a yeast infection (We probably looked like freaks walking out of Target with a bag of medications and creams)
-Took Harley to the vet and we are probably going to have to put him to sleep because he needs $500 worth of medication a month (I will blog about that one day)
-And to top it all off our central air has decided to malfunction and the serviceman can't come until Wednesday!

Does anyone want to come over???

Our Memorial Day

2010-05-31T21:45:00.005-06:00

Chris has been out of town for the past 2 weeks and we both had Memorial Day off work so we finally put in some flowers in our front yard (it's only taken us 2 1/2 years of living in our house)! I really hate yard work but planted some of the flowers and actually liked it! Chris worked really hard putting everything else in, thanks babe! And thank you to my dad for helping us pick out the flowers!

More About The Dogs

2010-05-27T07:58:00.002-06:00

Alright so as much I want to, we can't get rid of our dogs, we do love them! I didn't actually think anyone would be interested.

I am just really sick of the dog hair all over EVERYTHING! It's on the floor, Conner, our couches, our bed it's just everywhere and driving me nuts. I could handle it but I hate having it on Conner. And yes, I vacuum all of the time but it doesn't help. Our bloodhound drools. And it's not just a little bit, it's wraps around his nose sometimes! Sick! And our poor golden has allergies and I can't afford the $300 a month medication for him so he itches and then bleeds and I feel really bad for him that I can't fix him. They both need a bath and a haircut but they need their shots first and I can't afford those either.

So I'm really not giving my dogs away they just drive me crazy sometimes! I want Conner to grow up around animals and not be afraid of them. And he will like playing with them in the yard when he's older. So I guess I will just deal with the dog hair and keep giving my dog Benadryl until we can afford to fix him!

Free Dog(s)

2010-05-26T15:33:00.002-06:00

If any one is looking for a dog or two let me know. I have a golden retriever and a bloodhound that need a good home! And yes, they are free, please take them away!

Sick!!!!

2010-05-20T08:11:00.003-06:00

This is a vent post about being a working mom, so if you don't want to hear it then dont' read it!

I'm sick of packing the daycare bag every night, waking up early, hurrying to get ready in the morning and dropping Conner off at daycare, commuting to work, working 9 hours a day and missing Conner every single second of the day, driving home in traffic at night, picking him up and hearing about his day knowing that I didn't get to be part of it, hurrying home to make dinner, trying to find energy to play with Conner, running errands and cleaning the house. And then the very last part of the day I finally get to spend time with my husband but I am usually just too tired and fall asleep!

This past month has been really hard. Conner is growing and getting more active and I feel like I'm going to miss something! I want so bad to stay at home and raise him! I hate paying for somebody to watch him! I wish that I would've thought about being a stay at home mom years ago and made it work. I feel like Chris and I are doing something wrong. I look at blogs of people who are stay at home moms and they travel and go on vacations and I wish that could be me (I know that's bad). It just sucks!

Alright, vent over, back to work! Thanks for listening!

Upgrade!

2010-05-12T22:13:00.004-06:00

From this

To this

in 8 months! It makes me sad!

8 Months

2010-05-10T21:32:00.005-06:00

Only 4 months of formula left and yes I'm counting! Conner is 8 months old! These have been the quickest 8 months ever! I wish that I could say that Conner was crawling or walking or running, but he isn't yet! He is dying to move but just can't figure it out yet! I feel bad for him sometimes. I think that he is just going to start running and skip the crawling and walking!

At 8 months Conner:

~Can say dad (pretty sure he doesn't really know he's saying dad though)

~Can pull him self up when you hold his hands

~Loves food! He loves pudding, yogurt, orange and apple juice, honeydew, cantaloupe, pineapple, cheese, eggs, sausage, chicken, fries and anything with sugar in it!

~Likes to click his tongue and blow bubbles

~Is wearing size 3 diapers

~Is wearing 12 month clothes

~Still loves to watch TV

~Loves to walk in his walker. He loves to walk in the kitchen over to the stove and pull my towels down!

~Giggles when dad says his name

We love you Stinker Bum!