Itty Bitty Baseball

Jackson just finished playing Itty Bitty Football at the Lehi Legacy Center. It is for kids ages 3 & 4 and they teach them the fundamentals of the sport. Jackson has done baseball, soccer, and football and we are thinking about doing basketball. Here are some fun pics.

Husband Tag

1. Where did you meet?  On a blind date, set up by my sister and her husband, Brad's good friend.
2. How long did you date before you got married? 7 months
3. How long have you been married? 6 1/2 years
4. What does he do that surprises you?  How he knows exactly what I am thinking.    
5.What is your favorite feature of his? His dimples when he smiles and his eyes.
6. What is your favorite quality of his? His confidence and hard work ethics.

7. Does he have a nickname for you?  Sweetie 
8. What is his favorite color? green
9. What is his favorite food? Steak or prime rib.
10. What is his favorite sport? golf
11. When and where was your first kiss? On our third date on his parents couch watching the movie Unbreakable with Bruce Willis.
12. What is your favorite thing to do as a couple?  Go out to dinner and hit a bucket of balls.
13. Do you have any children?  1 handsome son who is just like his dad, 1 beautiful into everything daughter
14. Does he have a hidden talent?  He loves photography and takes beautiful pictures.    
15. How old is he? 3o Tomorrow
16. Who said "I love you" first?  He did.
17. What do you admire most about him?  How he puts the kids and I before himself. 
18.Do you think he will read this? Yes
I tag...Kris, Kat, Melinda 

Like Father, Like Son

February 21, 1983

"Brad insisted that the mirror on his dresser was dirty so he used half a bottle of window cleaner and really shined it up!"

September 3, 2008

We sent Jackson into the bathroom after dinner to wash his hands. After about 10 minutes of him not returning I yelled 'Jackson, what are you doing?' He didn't answer so I went to find him and found him in the bathroom cleaning the mirror with hairspray. I just laughed and said 'Thanks bud!' I told Brad and he later on got the window cleaner and showed Jackson how to clean the mirror with the 'correct' cleaner. He left the window cleaner in the bathroom. The next day, I was looking for Jackson and found him cleaning the mirror again. He said 'Mom, I'm cleaning the mirror for you.' Like father, like son. I LOVE it and think its great."

(Sorry Patti and Brad for using your journal entry, but I couldn't resist.)




Another thing that Jackson has started is whenever we get home from going somewhere and Brad is not with us he will ask me to undo his seat belt before I get out of the car and will say "I come and get you mom." I will wait in the car and he will come and open the door for me. He is just the cutest and the best. He has always been so well tempered and so happy and content. Brad is a great example to him and I hope he continues to follow in his dad's footsteps!

Breast Milk

So some of you are probably looking at this title and wondering why in the world am I blogging about breast milk. Well, as most of you know Addison had a hard time nursing which led to us being a "pump and feed" pair. Then we discovered that Addison has cow's milk protein intolerance and they told me to cut dairy completely out of my diet or stop nursing. Making the decision to stop pumping was not hard, but the fact that Addison was not going to get my milk was very emotional for me. So here we were with 125 bags of frozen breast milk with 6oz or more in each bag in our freezer that Addison could not have and I refused to throw it all in the trash, after all to me breast milk is "liquid gold" and I had put a lot of sweat and tears into it. I had heard when I was nursing Jackson that you could donate breast milk and there were breast milk banks. I did some research on the Internet and found the International Breast Milk Program that accepted previously collected milk. I went through the doctors releases and a blood and genetic screening and was accepted. It took two specialized coolers and an overnight FedEx shipment and it was gone. Now 25% of my milk will be sent to babies in Africa born with AIDS and Hepatitis and the other 75% will stay here in the USA for extremely ill preemies. I was so happy that I was able to do this. It helps to know that even though my baby could not benefit from my milk, some one else's baby who is in dire need may.

Balance

I have to say that I am sad to see summer ending, but happy to see fall approaching. I say this about every change in the seasons, but I honestly feel this way for many reasons. So far this year has been one of craziness. In January I was approaching my due date with Addison, quiting work, Brad was out of town a lot, and then Addison came and we have been dealing with reflux and milk protein intolerance and supposedly teething since June and Jackson playing baseball and soccer and starting school and I just feel that I can't find a balance in anything. Addison is six months old now and it seems that the days are just not long enough to accomplish everything that I need or want to. I feel like I should have it down packed by now, but I don't. So, I ask to please keep checking and reading our blog, I haven't posted as much as I would like to, but I hope to be more frequent at it and finding the balance that I am so desperately looking for!!

End of Summer

Well, here she is!! Our third child was born on August 8, 2008. (We haven't decided whether to call her our third child or the mistress, Ha Ha Ha!) Brad has really enjoyed having her and I think that it is a way for him to relax and let everyday stresses go. There are different themes that you can have for the accessories and Brad has chosen to have the "Live to Ride, Ride to Live" with the eagle theme. I like his choice. No, I have not been on it, YET. Brad wanted to get comfortable on it himself before he takes any passengers and I would like us both to have helmets. So until that first ride.....

About three weeks ago Brad's brother, Justin, left on a mission for the LDS church. He will be gone for two years teaching the faith that we so strongly believe in, to those who are looking for it. He is serving in Sydney, Australia (which is the same mission that Brad served in, which for two brothers to go to the same place we all feel is pretty unique.) I have to say that the day Justin went into the MTC (Missionary Training Center) was a bittersweet day and a testimony builder for me. We were all so sad to say our good-byes, but happy that he believes in it so much that he wants to preach the gospel and serve the Lord.

We went camping September 5th and 6th at Payson Lakes. We had a really fun time. We tie-dyed shirts, hung around the campfire, the kids had craft time, Jackson took his camera and we have about 300 pictures that I am still deleting, we had BBQ ribs and banana boats (YUM!), Brad went fishing, and we also had the pleasure of listening to the fun campers across the way sing and play one chord on their guitar till 3:00 a.m. both nights. The morning that we left my mom woke up and yelled across the way that she wanted to use the guitar for firewood. We all got a good laugh out of that. Jackson had a good time with his cousins and just being outside. Camping with an infant is nice in some ways and not so fun in others, overall Addison did well, but I feel that next year will be harder with her being mobile. I feel that Nichole said it right camping is a lot of work and is not a poor man's vacation!

Well, Jackson turned 4 on the 9th, what a big kid! We had his birthday party on the 13th (I will post about the party later) so Brad and I decided to give him a couple presents that morning. We gave him a bike helmet and this puzzle. The helmet we initially gave him was a "Cars" the movie helmet, but it did not seem to fit right so we told him we would have to take it back and get one that fits. The sad look on his face was enough to crush any parent with the feeling of failure. That's when we decided to give him this puzzle and everything was fine. Brad went into work a little late and stayed home and helped Jackson put it together. My mom called that morning to wish him a happy birthday and she asked him what he wanted them to get him for his birthday and he said "A helmet that fits." My mom got a good laugh out of it, but it crushed me even more. We also decided to take him anywhere he wanted to go for dinner and he chose Carl's Junior with a playland. Overall it was a fun day.

Addison is Six Months Old

Addison had her six month well child check on Monday. She is getting so big. She weighs 17 lbs and is 26.75 in. She is in the 70% for her weight and in the 90% for her height and only in the 25% for her head circumference. Her development is fine, but we need to work on sitting. She rolls wherever she needs to go and she is figuring out that she can go further with every new day. I will turn me head for just a second and she is off the blanket and has ran into



the coffee table. It makes us laugh. We try so hard to make Addison laugh and she will but she will hold it in. Dr. Feindt does not seem to be concerned because Addison is meeting all her social developmental goals and feels that Addison is just a more serious natured baby then Jackson was. Addison has begun to talk more and more. A few weeks ago I would say that she would just talk to get your attention and if you did not give it to her she would just get louder, but now she is just content to talk to herself with a quiet sweet voice. She didn't give me much information about Addison and her reflux, but we see the Pediatric Upper GI Specialist on September


5th, Yeah!! We were finally able to start baby food. We had to wait because of the possibility for food allergies since she has cow milk protein intolerance and eczema. We started out with squash and even though it may not look like it she really did enjoy it. She is getting so big and is a ton of fun. She is a great addition to our family!