McMillan Family

Family pics 2011

2011-11-26T12:10:00.008-07:00

YAY! This is probably my favorite part of the year, getting family pictures taken for Christmas cards! Rory and Heath did so great, Heath was so patient and happy, I was thrilled at what we got out of them!!

This is the Christmas card going out, I love it!

My absolute favorite of all my boys!

Awesome head shot of Heath...man this boy is handsome!

And a great one of Rory's smile...I am in LOVE!

This is my favorite one of them both! Rory is like "whatcha doin' Heath?" and Heath's face is "whatcha doin Mom?" just too cute!

And of course had to get a cute one of Paul and I...I am so madly in love with this man!

And last but not least, my little Santa man!

I am thinking the next GAP baby...what do you think?

And he's here!

2011-09-28T15:49:00.003-06:00

Yep, we had our adorable little Rory Daniel! This is the announcement we are sending out to friends and family, photos and design by Amy Bennion, a very good friend of mine :)

Ok, here's the crazy story of how Rory came into the world...

On the morning of August 24th, Paul got up at 5 AM to be to work early, and of course, I was awake. The last few weeks of pregnancy really get you prepared for a newborn :) Anyway, he went to work, and I laid in bed for a little while longer, hoping to fall back asleep for an hour more before Heath got up for the day. While I was lying in bed, I started to have some pressure waves (contractions). Now, these were very different than the practice pressure waves I had been having since I was 6 months along, these were much lower, and more in my back. I was not uncomfortable, just mild pressure waves. I had a midwife appointment scheduled that day at 2, so I just went about my day, playing with Heath and making sure he was being taken care of, all the while having mild pressure waves, and wondering if today would be the day! I was texting Paul all day, giving him updates about how I was feeling, and so far, everything was fine. I did seem to have a bladder issue though, or so I thought. I thought I had peed, just a little, and was wearing a pad, in case I had lost control of my bladder...kind of embarrassing!

Heath and I went to the appointment in Orem, and as I was walking in, I felt a little more pee come out...luckily I was still wearing the pad, so it was ok. We talked to the Trinette, my midwife for the day, and just kinda gave her the heads up about how I was feeling, and told her I might have lost a little bladder control. She told me it was probably just early stages of labor, that it could happen tonight, could happen next week, but that the pressure waves I was feeling were definitely ones that change the cervix, and that got me kind of excited :) I called Paul after we left, to tell him what had happened at the appointment, as I did every appointment. He said "Well, that's great! Can I go to Farmington tonight to look at a boat?" And I said "Sure!"

We got home, and Paul was home working in the garage. About an hour and a half later, around 4:45, I could definitely tell that I was not, in fact, peeing on myself, but gushing a bit of fluid every time I sat down or got up. It started to dawn on me that my water might have broken, so I called back, and told them that I wasn't sure if my water had broken, so they told me to come back so they could see what was happening. All 3 of us got into the car again, and headed back down to Orem.

When we got there, Suzanne was there and asked for the pad I was wearing so she could test to see if it was amniotic fluid. And indeed it was! She said she wanted to check me, just to see where we were, and I said ok. I laid down, she checked me, and said he was posterior, meaning he was face up instead of face down, and I got a little discouraged. I had kept turning him by being on all fours and sitting forward, and he had kept going back and forth all throughout my pregnancy. I was also completely thinned out, and at about 7 cm dilated. I was shocked! I was not in pain, not uncomfortable, and not ready to have a baby yet! Suzanne said she didn't think it was an active 7, meaning my pressure waves were not close together, not consistent, and that I was still very comfortable. So, I asked her if I could go home, thinking it would happen much later in the night, even very early morning. She said I could go home, but as soon as I started to hurt, don't dawdle, and get back there quickly.

So, we went home, had dinner, and Paul went to Farmington to look at the boat. I called my mom, to come and stay with Heath, in case we needed to leave in a hurry. She came over about 7:30, and that's when I started to feel some stronger pressure waves. At this point, I am sitting on my birth ball, listening to my Hypnobabies tracks and needing to say "relax" out loud to myself to keep calm and relaxed. My mom started timing my pressure waves, and using counter pressure on my back, because it was starting to get a little more intense.

At about 8:30, I called Paul and asked if he was coming home soon, because I was starting to feel alot more pressure, and contractions were about 6 minutes apart. He said he was on his way, that he would be there in a half hour. I said ok, and kept going, staying relaxed, listening to my tracks, and praying he would be there soon. I decided to get in the shower, to see if the water would help, and it did. I still was feeling intense pressure, but it felt better to be in the water, I noticed they started to get really close together, but they were shorter, which confused me, because I knew they were supposed to be longer...I got out, and got dressed in a t-shirt and sweatpants, and called the midwife on call, Sarah, to tell her we would be there in an hour. Paul got home, got in the shower, and was shaving really quick, when all of a sudden, I am leaning over the coffee table, and I have to push! I have this crazy intense pressure just drop into my pelvis, and I have to push! I start yelling "I gotta push, I gotta push!" and Paul comes running down the stairs. My mom starts pulling cushions off the couch, wanting to see if I am crowning! I can't move, I am literally stuck leaning over the coffee table. Now, I also felt the need to go to the bathroom, and I know that is the feeling of needing to push, but I could tell the difference, and I needed to go to the bathroom! I told Paul this, and he says "No we gotta get in the car!" I told him I had to go to the bathroom, and to help me to the toilet. He did, and I was able to relieve myself, but not have the pressure go away. Now I am really starting to have a ton of pressure in my pelvis, and we need to go NOW! Paul gets me to the car, with me stopping every 2 minutes to have a crazy intense contraction, and involuntarily push at the same time. I get into the front seat, and lean my seat all the way back to get the pressure off my pelvis, and we take off!

Paul drives like a mad man, with me wailing and screaming with every contraction, my Hypnobabies pushing baby out track in my ear, but I can't hear it. Paul is using the cue words he learned, saying them over and over to me, but I can't hear him either. All my training to stay calm, and quiet, has flown out the window, and I am pushing and making this crazy grunting sound with every contraction. I start to feel burning, and stinging, and stretching, and I know its my baby's head trying to come out, and I am so scared! This was not what I had planned! I wanted to be in a tub, with the lights low, and quietly enjoying my baby's birth. Instead, I am in the front seat of my car, going 90 MPH down I-15, in construction, pushing my baby out and just screaming! At one point, there was a semi-truck that tried to cut us off, either because he didn't see us, or he did see us flying down the freeway, and decided to take matters in his own hands and get us to slow down. He had 2 trailers hooked up, and we were halfway up him when he started to come into our lane. There were only 2 lanes, and we were on the left of him, in between him and the concrete barrier. He starts honking on the horn, and I opened my eyes to see a wall of semi trailer coming at me...Paul got us out of there, and we kept racing to the birthing center. With every contraction, I am still grunting and pushing and just freaking out!

We finally got to our exit, got off the freeway, and I know that baby is coming...as we turn onto Center Street, I feel his head pushing through further and further, and I yell at Paul "His head is coming out RIGHT NOW!!" Every time I pushed, Paul reached over to feel if his head had come out yet. As we are turning onto State Street, I feel another push, and insane burning, and then relief, as his head pushes through! Paul reaches over, feels a bulge in my pants, and says "oh CRAP!" I strangely feel better, but now I am terrified, because his head is out, and I don't know what to do except breathe...

We get to the parking lot of the birthing center, and Paul is wailing on the horn like there's no tomorrow. I am just freaking out, feeling this bulge in my pants, and have kind of lost touch with reality. The midwives come running out, with everything to help deliver a baby, and Paul slams the car into park, jumps out, and yells "the head is out!" My door flies open, my sweatpants are ripped off, and I push one more time, and he is out and on my chest!

Wow. He had a good healthy cry, and I looked at him, looked at Paul, and just cried, still in shock that this just happened to me! I looked at Rory, and said "You look just like your brother! Happy Birthday Rory!"

Now, he is still attached to me by his cord, and the midwives are trying to decide whether to deliver the placenta in the car, or try and get me inside. They start talking to Paul, saying they wanna carry me inside. Now, I know I am not a small girl, and I am not about to let these 3, 100 lb girls and my husband try to carry me inside! So I just say "give me just a minute to breathe, and I will walk in"

I slowly move my legs over, still holding Rory, wrapped in towels, and get out of the car. they put a chuck under me, just in case things fall out, and they rally around me, 3 midwives and my husband, and we walk inside! I delivered the placenta, which was super healthy, and weighed 1 lb 11 oz, and then got to be sewn up...which let me tell you, was much worse than having the baby! I had torn pretty good, and it took them 45 minutes, and 4 shots of numbing stuff, and was just excruciating! After they were done, we weighed and measured Rory, and he was 9 lbs 15 oz, and 22 inches long. He pooped 3 times before they had weighed him, and they all said that he would use up a lot of diapers, which he has!

I just can't believe that I had him in my car, and that he was 10 lbs...I love my little boy, and he has been such a joy! Next post will be pics and what has happened in the last month...thanks for reading!

Rest in Peace Brynn Barton...

2011-06-08T10:05:00.004-06:00

I just found out a girl I went to school with died last night in a hit and run. She was riding bikes with a group of friends, and someone in a black VW Jetta or Passat hit her, and took off. She died at the scene. I am completely in shock and disbelief, if ANYONE sees a black Jetta or Passat with front end damage, PLEASE write down the plate number and call SLPD. Her friends and family will be in my prayers. The link is on FOX13.com for her story. Please be on the lookout, her family needs justice.

It's a.....

2011-04-04T14:15:00.006-06:00

BOY!! We went today for our ultrasound, and we are having another little McMillan monkey! We are so excited, and I am just over the moon! Isn't he beautiful?

Profile

Rubbing his face with his arms

And I hope he doesn't get mad at me for this later...but it's a boy!

I have been having dreams about having a boy, so I was so excited when the ultrasound tech typed this up on the screen...I said "I knew it!!" I couldn't believe how fast he found it too, this little stinker is a WIGGLER! He moves so much, my midwife couldn't locate his heartbeat before this! He kept wiggling away from her! She actually had to come in with us in the room and ask the tech to measure his heart because she couldn't find it! Too funny! I was worried that we wouldn't be able to find out the gender, but luckily for us, we did in the first 10 seconds of looking! And, the ultrasound tech even moved my due date up by a few days! I am now due August 21st, instead of the 27th! I am so excited, Paul is thrilled, and Heath was very cute about seeing the baby on the T.V., and says boy when he points to my belly, it's adorable! Well, that's all for now, I just had to share the good news! IT'S A BOY!!

Cruisin...

2011-03-17T12:26:00.003-06:00

We had such a GREAT time on our Mexican Riviera cruise! We went to Puerta Vallerta and Cabo San Lucas, and the sun was AMAZING! I wasn't able to do much, due to the fact that I am expecting! But it was still nice to enjoy my family and the warm sun. This was our Christmas present from my parents, and it was a blast!

This is Heath and I in our beautiful room, we got to have a window because they consider Heath a full person, so he slept on the pull out couch. Made me happy that he has been in a regular bed for awhile, so he was used to the height and no railing :)

Here we are swimming in the ocean-filled pool, Heath did not like getting his face wet, and licking all that salt water made him gag a little bit, but he LOVED his floaties and had a great time swimming!

more swimming

Here is Lena, she was brave and got in too, and I look a little silly...teehee

Here is Heath walking towards Daddy, and wanting to rinse off in the fresh water shower. He loved jumping in the water to me, and giggling.

Here we are in Puerta Vallerta, I just had to get a cool picture of us on the map. We had an excursion planned here, but unfortunately, due to poor planning, we weren't able to go on it :( It was supposed to be a pirate adventure, with all of us going on a cool pirate ship with lunch, but they did not plan for the 3 cruise ships that were docked, and we ended up sitting for 2 hours. Now, with an almost 2 year old, and being pregnant, it was exhausting and HOT! Thank goodness for amazing husbands with lots of energy! Paul walked around with Heath for the longest time, keeping him occupied. We ended up getting tired of waiting, got our money back, went shopping at the little shops, and got back on the ship for lunch and naps.

Heath LOVED putting on sunscreen, and thanks to that, he had NO sunburns! Good boy!

Sitting in front of the ship after shopping, waiting for everyone else to get back on.

One last picture before we say goodbye!

Here is one good picture of Heath at dinner time...he really had a hard time with dinner, and would do the 6 o'clock tantrum, every...single...night! It was so hard to keep him happy, he just didn't want to eat and be happy. And the thing was, our dinner table was more of your formal dining than just grabbing a hamburger on the outdoor deck. We all ate such good food, delicious fresh fruit, awesome fish and shrimp (none for Paul, obviously) and yummy steak and chicken! Not to mention at LEAST 2 desserts! It really was so fun! AND, I came home, expecting to have gained at LEAST 10 lbs...nope! Only 2! Wow was I surprised!

My sisters got to do some awesome stuff, and I am SO glad they had a good time. Hope and my dad got to play with dolphins, swimming with them, and teaching them some new tricks! Paul, Hope and Lena got to go parasailing, and according to them, the girls got twice the ride than anyone else! Lena and Paul went deep sea fishing, but didn't catch much. Heath and I did alot of walking around and shopping, and just enjoying not having to be anywhere! He did really well napping, and he loved being outside!

I don't have pictures up yet of Cabo, but I will get those up ASAP.

Fall 2010 family pictures

2010-11-08T12:38:00.016-07:00

We got our family pictures taken this year by my wonderful dad...doesn't he do a great job? Heath's faces are deceiving...he was not happy most of the time, didn't want to sit still, didn't want to smile, just wasn't in the mood for pictures, but you couldn't tell with these! My dad did such a great job getting him to look and smile!

This one is my favorite of all of us.

I absolutely love Heath's face...he is such a goober!

This one was fun to shoot, Heath went down all by himself, and was having a good time!

Heath laughing while we threw leaves at him!

We were trying to get him to giggle, and this worked!

Just looking at Grampy and showing his cute silly face, while Mom and Dad look at him with adoring eyes.

This just shows how incredibly happy I am with this man. I am so lucky to have found someone who is so loving, kind, willing to work, and such an amazing husband and father. Heath is as crazy about him as I am! Paul comes home in a few days from a 3 week trip, and it will be so nice to be with him. Both Heath and I have missed him so much, and it will be so good to have him home! I am so blessed with my family, and I don't ever forget it! I love my boys!

I also think about how much Heath has grown. He will be 2 in just 3 and a half months, and it blows me away to think about that! He has been saying more words lately, like Izze, who is our dog, Mom, bye bye, and my favorite, EW! Its so funny, when he throws something away, he says eewww, like its the grossest thing he has ever done, and it cracks me up every time! He has been making friends around our neighborhood, and he loves playing with his cousins! He is very good at sharing his toys, and learning to not throw tantrums, but to ask me for what he needs. I try to stop his tantrum before he really freaks out, and just tell him, quietly, to show me what he wants, and it seems to work!

He is also a VERY good helper, which is so much like his Daddy. He loves to help me fold laundry, put dishes away, and get Izze's food. He especially loves being outside, and will get excited if I suggest getting his jacket and hat on. He is learning to give kisses with his lips, instead of huge, slobbery, open-mouthed kisses, and knows just about every body part. He loves to sing with me, especially the ABC's, and he loves fruit and vegetables! He really is such a good kid, and I am proud to be his mommy! Anyway, that is all for now, happy holidays everyone, and enjoy life!

Hay

Just thinking....

2010-09-28T13:24:00.003-06:00

I was just thinking about my wonderful husband, due to the fact that he is gone on a business trip right now, and just was looking through some pictures that we have taken together over the years of our relationship. I still get so giddy and silly when he calls unexpectedly, or surprises me at work when he comes to visit and have lunch.

The most perfect day of our lives, before our little Heath.

on our honeymoon

first anniversary, camping at our favorite spot

just goofing around in the snow at Snowbird

again at Snowbird

I am just so truly, madly, deeply in love with this man, and so incredibly lucky that we are together forever. I had to let the world know, what an incredible man he is. He takes such good care of me, and our son, he works so hard, but he plays hard too, which is important. He is sensitive, happy, funny,(not to mention cute as all get out), and I love him more than I could ever tell him. I love you Paul!

Wedding, Tuahcahn and more bridals

2010-08-03T16:38:00.011-06:00

I know that it's been over a month since my last post, but we have been so busy! To start off with, my best friend got married July 8th! It was a perfect day, and she looked beautiful! I know these pictures are a little small...but oh well.

This is Jenny and Cameron, and the 3 of us.

My beautiful best friend

This year's McMillan family trip to Tuacahn St. George was so awesome! We went boating at Sand Hollow, and the water was shallow and warm! Which is fun to play in, but also makes for some fierce swimmer's itch. Swimmer's itch is a reaction to tiny parasite bites. These parasite love the warm water, and they just hang out, waiting for legs to bite. It doesn't hurt until you get home, and your legs are covered in little red itchy bumps. I got a mild case of it, probably 20 or 30 bites, but poor Paul got the worst of it, over 180 all over his body! We counted! He went and got some anti-itch cream, and we counted each one as I put it all over him, poor guy! Heath was just fine, he didn't get any at all, thank goodness! He had a great time playing in the water, and we took him on a VERY slow ride on our big 3 man tube. He thought it was awesome, and got upset when we took him off. He loves water, and it was so fun to watch him play in the sand and little waves.

This year's plays at Tuacahn were Tarzan and Cats. I love the Disney Tarzan movie, and was so excited to see it come to life on stage! They did a ton of acrobatics and tumbling, as well as aerial stunts, like swinging over the audience's heads! Wow it was so fun! I didn't get any pictures at the Tarzan play, sadly, but we did get some of the cats from Cats. I didn't really get Cats, I have never seen it, and didn't really understand the storyline, until at the intermission we read the program and it kind of explained that it's about living a good life, and making a difference in the world. After that, it was more enjoyable! And the makeup was phenomenal!

Me, Wendy and Shawn with a couple of the Cats characters, super fun!

Wendy, me and Shawn with my favorite character. I don't remember his name, but he was very Elvis-like, and the most fun to watch!

We had a great time at Tuacahn, and are so grateful for this family vacation that we look forward to every year!

And now, more bridals! These are just a couple of the bridal pictures of my friend that got married on July 31st. She asked me to do her hair and makeup, and I had such a great time! I didn't take the pictures, just did her hair and makeup. She looked so beautiful, and it was such a great day! I am starting to put together a portfolio of all the bridals that I have done, and its so fun to see my friends so happy with how they look! I put a lot of work into doing bridals and weddings, and it's such a great feeling when it pays off! Again, sorry the pictures are small, but you can find the bigger size on my Facebook page.

Courtney loving her flowers

beautiful black and white pose

the back of her dress and hair, she got these taken at the Capitol

She looked so beautiful on her wedding day, and I am so happy for her!

Heath is learning and growing every day, and now knows how to sign 12 words!

He can sign please, thank you, more, milk, cookie, cheese, banana, eat, which he will also do as hungry, mom, dad, grandma, and grandpa, and is learning more every day! He will also give me "knuckles" which is so cute! He doesn't say many words, but he understands everything I say, and will show me what he wants by signing! It's so fun to see him learn new words, and he loves it too! He thinks its a game.

We are all doing well, and we are all excited for Jay and Anna to get married in September. That's all for now, more later...

For Sale!

2010-06-08T20:36:00.004-06:00

I know this is kind of lame, to put a for sale as a blog post...but oh well! We are selling my 2002 Oldsmobile Alero. Its silver, has 120.000 miles on it, brand new windshield, low profile tires that still have good wear on them, some cool chrome rims that look awesome shined up! Its also got a black bra, an after market stereo, with a remote control and hidden Ipod hook up in the center console. We are asking $4,700. If anybody knows anyone that needs a cute car to drive, let me know!This ad is also on KSL.

the back passenger side

the back drivers side

front passenger side

front drivers side

The only reason we are selling is because we bought a new car! Well, new for us. Its a 2004 Saturn Vue, and I absolutely love it! We needed something that was easier to get Heath in and out of, we kept bumping his head, and in case we decide to expand our family, there will be more room! We would keep my car, but we paid cash for my Vue, so we just want to sell mine for a little extra money. It really is fun, and a cute car! Let me know if you know anyone that wants it! Thanks for reading!

RIP Sean Martella

2010-05-31T10:29:00.005-06:00

I just wanted to write a quick post, I just found out that a friend of mine lost her husband this morning at 12:51 to testicular cancer. They have fought so hard, and he has gone through countless chemotherapy and radiation treatments, as well as traveled to New York for studies, for over 3 years. He had been seeing the top TC doctor in the United States, and even he was stumped. Before he started chemo, they did a sperm retrieval for the possibility of kids. Just this last January, they did IVF and she became pregnant with twins! They were so thrilled at the chance to become parents, and even more at the fact that there would be 2. Just 2 days ago, doctors found that he had leukemia, and gave him 2-3 months to live. He promised to fight like hell for his last few months so that he would have the chance to hold his babies. This morning, at 12:51 AM, he passed away peacefully, surrounded by family and friends. I am so sorry to Karen, and the rest of his family, and am praying that they will find peace and comfort in knowing that our Heavenly Father is with him now, and that he feels no pain, and he will be taken care of until his family can see him again. I can't imagine what Karen is going through, being pregnant with 2 babies, and losing her other half. Anybody who reads this, please pray for her, she has a rough road ahead of her. We love you Karen, and will be there for you when you need someone. Rest in Peace Sean! You will be missed.

This makes me think about my family, and really brings home how much I love them. We don't know how much time we have, and we HAVE to tell the ones we love that we love them! Mom, Dad, Geoff, Lena, Hope, Ron, Lynn, Pat, Wendy, Ryan, Aubrey, Aiden, Oliver, Kevin, Christie, Cade, Myla, Gavin, Jay, Anna, and the rest of our extended family, WE LOVE YOU! Thank you to all of you that have helped us, laughed with us, cried with us, and been there, no matter what. We are so blessed.

Paul and Heath, you two are my world, and I would be lost without you both. I am so grateful to have found a man, who loves me unconditionally, who has vowed to spend Eternity with me, and who is there for me every single time I need him. And I am so blessed to have a son, who loves life, is so quick to smile, and wants to help out, just like his dad. I am so incredibly blessed!

Thank you for reading, and again, please pray for Karen...

Mother's Day and new pictures

2010-05-12T15:25:00.007-06:00

So this year for Mother's Day, my mom asked for another calendar, like the one I had given to her last year. I had taken pictures of my sisters and uploaded them onto Walmart.com, and created a very simple but cute calendar. My mom loved it so much, that she asked for another one, and lucky for us, my little brother was home on leave from Afghanistan! So I asked my awesome Daddy to take our pictures, because he does such an awesome job! These are some of the pictures that we picked for the calendar...

my beautiful sister Hope

my other GORGEOUS sister Lena

Heath was not happy with this pose...teehee

Geoff's tattoo he got while he was here. I asked him why it was backwards, and he said because we were at war, and it represented them going into battle...kinda cool!

my cute brother Geoff

cute sisters

Mommy and Heath

Heath clapping

what a silly boy!

my little monkey looking for bugs...

We had a great time taking pictures, and everyone looked so great, and best of all, Mom loved her calendar! We weren't able to get Paul in the pictures, because he was out of town, but we will be getting cute pictures done in Tuacahn. We all get matching shirts, and take a big family picture, as well as individual family pictures, so that will be fun!

Paul has been out of town for about a month, with 4 days in between that he came home. On the 5th, our anniversary, he was traveling home, and I was so excited to see him. He has been gone for 3 of the 4 anniversaries we have had, so it was kind of a bummer that he was gone for this one, but that's what you get for getting married during the busy season...teehee...

He came home at 11:00 PM on the 5th, gently woke me up, and surprised me with 3 beautiful orange roses, and an adorable card saying how much he loved me...AWWW!! CUTE! I was so surprised, and so happy to have him home! And we have been married for 4 years...wow! What a wonderful ride it has been! And for Mother's Day, we went out to dinner at Rodizio Grill on Saturday night, and on Sunday I got to sleep in and he made me breakfast! I love him so much, and he is so perfect for me, not to mention an awesome Dad...he is just so wonderful! He leaves again tomorrow for another couple weeks, and hopefully will be back before Memorial Day weekend, so we can go camping over the weekend! We will keep our fingers crossed!

Heath is walking ALL over the place! He will now choose to walk instead of crawl, and will go from crawling to standing up all by himself, without touching anything, and gets around quite well! It so wonderful to have him walking, and he loves the mobility! He has always been a wiggly worm, and when he started crawling, he loved being able to be mobile and move around. Now that he is walking, there is a whole new level of baby-proofing I am doing...very interesting! But he is a good listener, and if I tell him "no touching" he will try to test me by putting a finger on whatever it is, but I say it again, and he will leave it alone! Let's hope he continues this!

We have been watching "Your baby can read" and love it! He is very attentive and will copy the motions that the kids will make, but I am not sure if he is getting the words...we will just have to keep practicing...

Anyway, that is the latest from us...more later...

New hobby and Heath's first birthday

2010-04-25T10:43:00.012-06:00

I have a new hobby! I love to do hair and make-up, and have found a couple people that have asked me to do theirs! My best friend, her sister, my aunt and Paul's brother are all getting married in the next few months, and all have asked me to do their hair and make-up for their bridals and wedding! Wow, I am so excited! This is my best friend Jenny, who is getting married in July, doing her bridals, and I think she looks absolutely stunning!

sheesh....that is one gorgeous girl!

I love her dress!

a gorgeous bride!

close-up of her hair

This is my aunt Lori, who is getting married in June to her cute fiancé Jason. These were just a couple practice runs, to see what she liked.

Zulu curls (when you wrap the hair around the outside of the curling iron)

up-do with her veil

Jenny's sister is getting married in May, I don't have any pics of her yet, but soon! And Paul's brother Jay is getting married in September, and I did a practice run on her, but our camera broke so I didn't get those...but I am so excited to be doing these girl's hair! It's seriously going to be so much fun!

And now, finally, Heath's birthday party!

I know I'm a little late in getting Heath's birthday party up, but oh well! We had such a great time, and so many people came to celebrate with us! Heath wasn't quite sure what to do with the cake, but Mommy helped him out a little, and he got the hang of it. We had a monkey theme, and I found some cute inflatable monkeys, and some GIANT bananas to hang all around the room, as well as a ton of balloons! He really was spoiled with tons of toys, trucks, and clothes, and we really had such a blast! Thank you to everyone who came and made this such a special day for him!

Not quite sure what to do about the candle....

His cute construction utensils from Aunt Wendy

Heath getting ready to open his gift from Ryan, Aubs, Aiden and Ollie, which were 2 really big Tonka trucks, for Heath and Daddy to play with!

And he loved his cake!

My poor attempt at trying to write Happy Birthday Heath on top of sprinkles....teehee :)

We really had so much fun, and now he is a year old! And, he is walking so much, all over the place! It's so cute to watch him think about what he is doing, and walk down the hall, and catch himself when he gets going too fast.

What a cute boy!

He has 4 teeth on the bottom, and 3 on top, with lots more pushing through! He is growing up so fast, and we love him so much!

That's all for now, more later....

Exciting updates!

2010-04-13T10:34:00.006-06:00

Well, I can safely say, that I now have a TODDLER!! Heath has been walking, and doing so well! At first, he would stand on his own without realizing that he wasn't holding onto anything, and when he realized nobody was holding him, he would sit down quick! He got good at leaning on the couch, and would push off the couch and walk to you. And now, he will stand all by himself and balance with his toes, and when you hold your arms out to him, he will lean forward and walk all the way across the room to you! Yay Heath!

I can't believe he is FINALLY walking. I know all kids are different, and develop at their own pace, but I am so glad that he is walking, and he is so excited to! He get a huge grin on his face, and thinks its great fun! And its not a fluke either, he has consistently gotten better at balancing. Sometimes he gets too excited and will almost run, and then he falls down on his face, but I help him get right back up, and we keep practicing! He took his first steps while we were in San Diego for vacation, and that was so fun. As soon as I figure out how to get video on here I will put it up.

Speaking of San Diego, I realize I didn't put anything up about our fun vacation! Paul had a business trip in Texas, and was going to have to go to San Diego for a conference after Texas, so he asked his boss Dave if we could come along, and he said yes! Paul drove from Texas to San Diego, and Heath and I flew. That was quite an adventure! I had no idea how he was going to do on the plane, and I was a little nervous that we would be that "mom with a screaming baby" on the plane. But luckily, he did so great! We got to the airport, and going through security was interesting. I had my bag that I checked, and a backpack as my carry-on, plus Heath in the stroller. I didn't realize that baby food and diaper rash cream was a liquid that had to be taken out and checked, so I had to fold up the stroller and put it through the X-ray machine, then take both of our shoes off and they went in, and then my bag went through and they saw I had food in there, so they took everything out, checked it with their little drug-sniffing machines, and put it all back in. Then shoes went back on, and we got through security. PHEW! I kept thinking "I'm gonna kill Paul for making me do this by myself" but we ended up being just fine. Little did I know that security would only be the first of many adventures.

We got to the gate, and only had to wait a few minutes before we boarded. They took the stroller and stored it underneath and I figured I would get it back after the first flight....oh yeah, we had to change planes in Vegas...woohoo. He did really well on the first flight. I apologized to everyone ahead of time, saying I had no idea what to expect, and everyone around us was really nice and forgiving. He was a little wiggly, and didn't like to be stuck on my lap the whole time, but I kept him busy with snacks, and singing and toys, and he did great! When we landed in Vegas, he was excited to get out and crawl around, except we only had 40 minutes to get to our next plane.

Now, if you have ever been to the Vegas airport, you will know what I mean when I say we had to BOOK it to the other terminal. For those of you who have never been there, all the terminal gates are in different buildings! Like Terminal A in one building, Terminal B is another, and Terminal C is another. So we had 40 minutes to get from the end of one building, to the opposite end of the other! And they had already taken my stroller to the other plane, so I had to carry Heath all the way! I had my backpack, which was basically full of my purse stuff and his diaper bag stuff, and Heath was on my shoulders, and I was literally running to the other building! We barely made it, they were boarding as we got there. But we did make it, and on that flight, he fell asleep on my shoulder! He had missed his morning nap due to the first plane, and was totally exhausted! When we finally got to San Diego, Paul picked us up, and we headed to our apartment! Paul had rented an apartment in downtown San Diego, and it was so fun!

Paul's mom was able to come with us, and she was there the next day. Paul only had to do 2 days of conference stuff, and Pat, Heath and I just walked around and saw little shops and just had a fun time. We all went to the beach one day, and Heath got to play in the ocean for the first time, which he loved! It was warm, but pretty windy, and we watched kite surfers on the water, which was so neat! And we collected sea shells, that was fun to watch Heath pick them up, and just had a really great time! We really enjoyed the 80-degree weather and sunshine.

And then, sadly, it was time to go home. Pat left the day before we did, and she had quite the adventure trying to get home! They had grounded all the flights going out because the wind was blowing too hard. We left the next day, around 6:30 AM, because my sister was doing the last night of her play that she had been working on for 4 months, and she was really sad that we weren't going to be there. We left really early to try and be there, because it was a 12 hour drive and her play started at 7, and I really wanted to surprise her and be there. We did make it, and Heath only slept for 2 of the 12 hours! He was kinda grumpy at being in his carseat for that long, but he eventually gave up and did really well! Lena's play was great, and she was so excited that I had made it in time!

So we had an awesome time, and I really want to go back! It was nice to have some down time, and be able to enjoy nice weather!

Paul is away again this week, in Casper WY, working on another job. He left last Monday, and will hopefully be back Thursday night, or Friday. But the plant they are working on keeps wanting them to do more things, and adding to the contract. So he will be home for a couple days, and then leave again for another week and a half. Its hard to have him gone, but he makes really good money when he is away. Paul will be getting a good bonus, because he has been the one running this job, and has been doing a great job! We are almost out of debt, which is an AMAZING feeling! Medical bills almost all paid, credit cards paid, and my car almost paid off! We are selling my car, and hopefully be able to put a nice down payment on a small crossover SUV, like a Honda CR-V, or a Saturn Vue. I love both those cars, and we are keeping our fingers crossed! So we will see.

Well, that's the update for the McMillan family, more later....

One year ago....

2010-03-07T16:03:00.013-07:00

One year ago, our precious boy was born! It was March 6th 2009, my long awaited due date, and boy was I ready to have my baby! My mom has a friend who is a labor and delivery nurse, and on this day I asked her to check me to see if I had dialated any more since my last doctor visit 4 days before. I went over to my mom's house early in the morning so she could check me there, and then go to work. She checked me, and said "oh you are a good 4 cm....oh, and there goes you bag of water!" My water broke while she was checking me! WOW! So, luckily we had my packed bag in the car, and we headed over to the hospital to have a baby! I had taken a Lamaze class, and wanted to try going without medication. We got to the hospital at about 7 AM, they put a monitor on me to see how he was doing, and I wasn't really contracting enough to let me try on my own, so they ordered pitocin for me. They started pitocin around 8:30, and boy, did my contractions start! Those are painful! Almost to the point where I couldn't breathe! It feels like a charly horse you get at night, except over and over and over again! I did all my breathing excersizes to try and stay relaxed, but my body felt like it was ripping in half. I made it about 8 hours, and finally couldn't take it anymore. I was not disappointed to ask for the epidural, because I knew I had done the best I could. After I got the epidural, they checked me and found out that I had only dialated 2 more cm in 8 hours, and that was because I couldn't relax! But finally, relief came, and I was able to relax, and let my body do what it needed to do!

Paul was so great, he held me through my contractions, let me lean on him and squeeze him, held my hand while I was trying to stay still through contactions while they were putting the epidural in, just was such a trooper! My nurse Kim was awesome too! She really helped me by talking to me and telling me that I was doing a good job, and that I could do this. After I was relaxed and pain-free, Paul was able to go eat, and he also got me flavored ice chips! I had green apple, grape, and cherry! That was so fun, better than no flavor! While we were eating ice chips, Kim, Paul and I watched Brian Regan, our favorite comedian, and we got her laughing and quoting him too, it was so hilarious! We actually gave her a copy of the DVD we were watching so she could watch it at home. I was able to dialate the last 4 cm in 2 and a half hours, thanks to the epidural, and at 6:40, they wanted me to try some "practice pushes". I asked for a mirror, I wanted to see the action! They got me a mirror, and I started pushing. Kim left at 7, her shift was over, and I was really sad that she wasn't going to be there for the birth, but the new nurses came in (2 of the 4 that were in there were pregnant).

The only problem was, the epidural worked so well that I couldn't tell when I was having a contraction! They had to look at the moniter to tell me when to push. I pushed and pushed, and the mirror was so helpful. I could tell what was working and what wasn't by the mear fact that I could see his head! Wow, it was so cool to see his head come out a little, then back in, but not as far, then out a little more, and back in just a little. Finally, I heard the doctor say, "ok Hailey, give me one more big push, I need everything you can give me!" so I did, and I actually felt his body leave mine! They put him on my chest, and he stayed there for a good 10-15 minutes! I had asked them to do all the shots and eye drops and everything in my arms, because I knew that they could, and I had worked so hard to bring this life into the world, and I wanted to hold my prize! I just held my new baby, and looked at him and cried and said happy birthday, and just basked in the moment of this brand-new life with my husband. They finally had to take him, because he was blowing bubbles, and that is a sign that he had inhaled some amniotic fluid. The doctor who had delivered Heath had told me to give it all I had, because his heart rate had gone down due to the cord being around his neck, and getting squished by his head coming out, so he wasn't getting oxygen, and so she told me to push as hard as I could, and she pulled on him too, to get him out. Paul was a little worried at seeing the doctor pull on his head so hard. When he finally came out, he took a big breath, and swallowed some fluid, so after I got to snuggle him for a little bit, they took him and in the same room, put a tiny tube down his throat to suck out the fluid. He recovered just fine, and then they weighed and measured him. They tell me " he was born at 7:46 PM, he is 9 lbs 5 oz and 21 inches long"....HOLY COW! No wonder I was so uncomfortable! And all this time, I am still spread-eagle, and at this point I look down, and the doctor is sewing me up, I had tore pretty good trying to get my big baby out! After I had recovered enough to walk, we got to go to our room, and enjoy our precious son! Now, because we did not have maternity coverage on our insurance, we were only able to stay 24 hours after he was born. But those 24 hours were packed with visitors! We didn't sleep at all, because we wanted him in the room with us, and we just relaxed with him in our arms. But the next day we had visitors in and out all day, it was fun to show him off! He was a little bruised up from his trip down the birth canal, but we were so in love with him!

The cutest boy ever!

Daddy holding him for the first time

Mommy holding her beautiful boy

one of the pictures we got of him the next day

I just can't believe its been a whole year since this day, and we look forward to many more birthdays! I love you Heath, you are my world!

There are no words....

2010-02-26T22:17:00.002-07:00

Just some cute pictures of the H-man doing his thing...

This is what we do when he occasionally has a hard time going to sleep. He loves listening to music, I did a lot of singing in the car and listening to music while I was pregnant with Heath, and I think it is soothing to him. Here he is listening to music on his dad's old phone, going to sleep. He also loves to dance, he moves his shoulders up and down and gets a huge grin on his face, its so fun. I will get a video of him doing it and get it up, it's really too cute!

I left Heath home alone with Daddy, and this is what happened! He loves the tub, and Dad likes to tease him, its so funny! He is in the big tub now, no more infant tub....he's growing so much and so fast! He has 4 teeth, 2 on top and 2 on bottom, and a couple more are trying to push through on the bottom. He is still not walking on his own yet, but gets a little braver every day, standing for a little bit at a time, and will walk along the walls, couches, table, just about anything! But he will be walking soon!

He is just too much fun! Such a happy and sweet boy, he brings so much love and life to our house! He will be one in a week, and we can't wait to celebrate his birthday! Saturday March 6th from 1-3 at our house. If you need our address or directions give me a call!

Well thats it for now, next post will be of his birthday party! Hope you all can make it!

Update

2010-02-16T15:12:00.002-07:00

So my Dad has been doing really well! He has had his stitches removed, and I think he said that this week he gets to try and walk on it! He has been getting around on crutches this whole time, with a boot on his leg! I guess they don't put casts on anymore, I'm not sure why, kinda weird. But he is doing well, and healing super fast! Go Dad!

We celebrated Valentines Day yesterday, which was the 15th. We like to do it the day after, because if we want to go out its not a crazy 3-hour wait in a zoo, and everything is cheaper! If you know Paul, you understand. But he surprised me good by coming home from work with a BEAUTIFUL bouquet of a dozen of my favorite, red roses, a box of Dove chocolate truffles (YUM!), a cute card with a note inside that made me SOB, a gift card for a massage, dinner out at Goodwood Barbecue, courtesy of my parents (thanks Mom!) and a movie! Whoa, it was positively THE BEST Valentine's day a girl could ever ask for! Wow I got so spoiled! I got him a cute card that really said how I felt about him, and the movie P.S. I love you, which we both love. Oh, and ever Heath got Daddy a card with some chocolate, and he even signed it! So cute!

It's been so nice having Paul home, he really does alot to help me when he is here, and I appreciate it so much. We have been talking about how far apart to space our kids, and have decided instead of trying to get pregnant this summer, we will start trying next summer, because....we might be moving to Kentucky this year! Paul has been working out there for a while, and there has been some talk between Paul and his boss about expanding the Company, and we might be moving out to Kentucky so Paul can help get the company out there. Nothing is set in stone yet, but to be safe and not risk trying to move while I am pregnant or with a newborn, we are going to wait to expand our family. Lets just hope everything goes according to plan! And if not, then we will do what God has planned for us, and have faith!

We are so enjoying life with our son, he is seriously so much fun to be around! He will be 1 in 2 and a half weeks, and we are having a big party for him! It's gonna have a monkey theme, and I am so excited for it! I have lots of ideas, and can't wait to see it all come together! Those who read this are invited, and if you will please send me your addresses I will get invites out this week. My email is yeliah87@gmail.com so please email me your address so you can come to our fun party!

This year seems to be the year of love! My best friend Jenny is getting married in July, as well as Paul's brother Jay in September, and my aunt Lori in June! And I am doing all 3 girls' hair! So excited! I have been practicing a ton, and can't wait to see how it all turns out! YAY!!

Well thats all for now, more later....

New Hair

2010-02-02T18:17:00.003-07:00

I decided to have a little fun and play around with my hair. I had it colored with a really dark, almost black color all over, and then got some really cool coppery-bronze highlights. I've never done copper before, and I really like it! Here's some pics....

I had a little bit of fun...

my favorite shot outside before the sun went down

my "vampire" shot, my eyes look like they are 2 different colors

love the bangs!

It was kinda fun...I know I'm a big goof, but who cares? I was looking through and realized there are a TON of pictures of Heath, and not so much of me...so I did a solo photo shoot, and had fun!

More later...

Pics

2010-01-29T16:35:00.005-07:00

I love his face in this one, he is such a goober!

He likes playing with Izze, and will laugh so hard when she tries to take his socks off....

I just had to put this one up, mainly because he doesn't fit in this anymore! :( Kevin and Christie got this tux for Cade when we got married, and they sent it to us. I think he is so stinkin handsome in it! Look at those BLUE eyes! He doesn't like it so much as you can tell...haha

He is getting so big, and cruises around so fast! I love watching his little butt waddle as he tries to crawl away from me as fast as he can, its too funny. He now knows how to flush the toilet, go up the stairs fast enough that I won't know where he is until I hear him in our bedroom upstairs, and will eat 2 jars of baby food, crackers, and still whine for our food! He is just growing so fast and wants to be a big boy.

I still have not taken him for a haircut, although he badly needs one, he is starting to get little curly wings behind his ears, that I'm sure will soon turn into a mullet....and we can't have that...but I'm not brave enough for that yet...maybe on his birthday...

Which brings me to...my boy will be a year old in 5 weeks! Oh man, I'm not ready for this! I can not believe how fast this first year has gone, and yet, I am so excited too! He is so smart and I just love being his mom. He says Dada too, but Paul has yet to hear it. I try so hard to get him to say it on the phone for Paul, but he just won't. I think he's waiting to say it to Paul in person. Paul has been gone for about a week now, so I kind of feel like a single mom. He did get a webcam for us though, so we can video chat and he can see Heath, so that is nice.

I also wanted to give a shout out to Christen Snow and tell her how much I miss her. She has been such a great friend to me over the years, I think I've known her for 5 or 6 years. We met at Noodles & Co where we both worked for awhile. She has moved to Washington D.C. with her cute hubby Josh and adorable son Henry, so Josh can go to law school, and we miss them tons. Love you guys!

I also wanted to tell my Mom and Dad and sisters, and all of my wonderful in-laws how much I appreciate and love them. I am so lucky to have come from and married into such a wonderful family who really cares about us! We really are blessed.

And to all of you who read this blog, thank you. This has kind of become my public journal, and I appreciate all of you who take the time to read my life. Thank you and good night! :D

the INCIDENT

2010-01-19T10:13:00.004-07:00

So, last weekend was quite interesting! It started out well, with my little sister, Lena's, birthday! She is now 15 going on 21, so grown up and adorable! We went to Classic Skating on Saturday, the 9th, to skate and have a good time! It was fun, until I heard Dad do his famous "hockey stop". Now, my dad is so graceful on his skates, he's been doing it for 20+ years, and is really so good at it! So, I hear him do his hockey stop, where you stop really fast by turning fast and shifting your weight so you don't fall over. This kind of stop makes kind of a loud skidding sound.

I hear this and look up over at my dad. He is sitting on the step that separates the main walking floor with the skate floor. My first thought is "Oh he's just resting there for a minute", but as I keep watching him, he starts rocking back and forth and has his left leg raised up. At that point I know he is hurt and I run over to see what happened. I ask him if he's ok, and his reply was "Um no, I think I broke my ankle." Very calm and collected. I run over to my mom and tell her what he just told me, and she says "Are you serious??" Uh, yeah Mom, I'm not lying to you! While she comes over to look at him, I run and grab some ice to put on his "swollen" ankle, which I later found out was not swelling, but the actual bone poking out. It didn't break his skin, thank goodness, or I probably would have thrown up on him!

So I grab the ice, and run over to the manager, who I know from working there a few years ago, and let him know what happened. So he comes over with a makeshift ankle brace and a wheelchair to get my dad out to the car. Mom and Dad go to the hospital, and the doctors tell him that from the X-ray, it looks like he broke both the tibia and fibia bones, which are the 2 bones in your lower leg connecting your knee to your foot, and also dislocated the actual ankle! Poor guy, he was in so much pain and was such a trooper, but he didn't panic, which was good because it might have made us all panic. Later I also found out he thinks this happened because there was something on the floor that stopped his left foot too quickly, and that's why he fell.

The surgeon was not there to put it back together (which I found interesting, isn't there supposed to be one "on call"?) so they set it, wrapped it up, and sent him home....WHAT? Sent him home? Yeah, and with Lortab.....your kidding right? Lortab? Thats for when you get your wisdom teeth pulled out, not a floppy broken ankle! Yeah, I was pretty upset. He went home, and Sunday morning, the 10th and Lena's birthday, Mom called me and said that she was taking him back, because he was in so much pain (duh, stupid doctors). They put him on a morphine drip, and kept him there overnight for observation. My sisters ended up spending a couple nights here, which they were excited about.

Monday morning the 11th he went in for surgery (finally!) and it took them 2 and a half hours to put in a metal plate and some screws to get his ankle back where it needed to be. Mom said he was pretty funny afterwards, waking up from anesthesia saying things like " the meaning of life is 42", and asking her " do you think the doctors have any experience with Legos?" HAHA, funny stuff Dad!

So he is now home, and doing pretty good! He has a walker, crutches, and a wheelchair....so now I can make fun of him, saying he's an old Grampy now! He does pretty well getting around, and he is pretty happy as long as he has his pain meds. I love my dad, and I am so glad he is ok. Thank you to all who have sent their prayers and thoughts his way, we are so grateful for the support and love! Get better Daddy!

On another note, Heath has now cut his two top teeth! He is so cute with them, and loves to smile a big cheesy grin to show you his teeth. He also now recognizes his name, and will look up at me when I say it, so cute! Paul has a couple of jobs coming up, and is excited that things are picking up a bit for him. He leaves this Sunday, and will be gone for about 2 weeks, so if anyone wants to do something, Heath and I would love the company! We love Paul, and are grateful that he has been able to go to work everyday, but he is excited to travel and make some money. Its almost harder to have him home for longer periods of time in between jobs, it makes it that much harder when he does leave. I still cry every time I drop him off at work before he leaves on a trip. But again, we are grateful for work. It allows me to stay home with Heath.

Although I do try to help out in more ways than one. I do get paid to donate plasma, which is the fatty, blood-clotting substance in your blood. Its kind of like kidney dialysis, where they hook you up to a machine that cleans your blood and gives it back to you, but with doing plasma, it takes your blood, spins it really fast and the plasma separates from the blood. The plasma goes in a bottle, and your blood gets returned to you. They use the plasma to help hemophiliacs. A hemophiliac is someone who has a condition in which their blood doesn't clot, so if they get a cut, they would bleed to death. Its pretty serious, and the plasma is used to treat them. So I am helping here by making a little money, and I'm also helping someone else who has a serious condition. And, I get a couple hours to myself to read or watch a movie. Its pretty rewarding.

So far, 2010 has proven to be exciting, and I hope it stays that way! I have made a New Years resolution to get healthy and lose some weight, and have been doing really well! I have lost 8 lbs, and it really has been a fun challenge. Just changing what, when and how I eat has made a big difference, and I also jog early in the morning about 3 or 4 times a week. I am also looking for a good deal on rec center memberships, specifically for swimming, because I have heard that swimming is one of the only sports that you use all of your muscles at the same time, and its no-impact. This is a really big deal for me, and I am excited to keep going! If anyone wants to join me, it would be fun to have someone to push and to push me!

Happy New Year!!

2010-01-03T10:36:00.003-07:00

This years New Years party was awesome! Pops and Lynn were out of town visiting Kevin and Christie, who also sent us a box full of New Years stuff, and they gave us permission to have our party at their house.We had a bunch of games, both video and board games, tons of yummy food, and lots of good friends! Some of Paul's friends, a couple of my friends and some of my family. My dad kind of turned into a little kid, we actually got him to play Guitar Hero and Rock Band, and he picked it up pretty quick! Go Dad!

everyone playing Rock Band

Dad gettin down on Guitar Hero!

Dad learning the guitar and rhythm

We all rang in the new year with Martinellis, and some of us went outside and banged pots and pans, and made a bunch of noise using all the fun noise makers from Kevin and Christie! It really was such a blast, and thank you to all who came and made it such a fun night! Bring on 2010!

Here is a couple of funny picture of Heath being a cheeseball....

He just thinks he is so funny....

Heath showing me his "touchdown"

Heath will be a year old in just 2 months...I can't believe how much he is growing and learning. He has new funnies too, lately he likes to shake his head no back and forth really fast, that one is pretty funny. He also will use the back of his hand and tap his mouth, sounding like an Indian, too cute! And he claps his hands, and giggles so hard when I play peek-a-boo. He is so close to walking, and gets braver every day. He will walk along side me and only use one of his hands to hold onto mine. It will be so cool when he starts walking by himself!

The holidays were so much fun, and we had a blast celebrating for the first time with Heath. It really reminds me how blessed we are to have such a beautiful, healthy family! I love my family so much, and every day is a blessing! Here's to 2010, may it be full of love, happiness and blessings!

Christmas

2010-01-03T09:09:00.005-07:00

We had such a great Christmas this year! It was so fun watching Heath open presents and enjoy all of his fun toys! On the 23rd, we went over to my parents house to do Christmas, and it was so fun! Paul and I had made new blankets for everyone, and I think they really liked them!

Lena, Hope and Mom with their blankets

Dad and his BYU blanket

Heath's cool TAPOUT shirt from Uncle Geoff

me loving the surprise pictures of Heath

Paul opening his gifts

We decided to stay home on Christmas day and have our own family Christmas. It was alot of fun, seeing Heath rip open the wrapping paper and play with his toys.

Heath and daddy on Christmas morning

Mommy and Heath with his cool new motorcross shirt

his goofy face. I think he was kinda sleepy.....

His cute outfit from Kevin and Christie, thanks guys!

Later that day, Pops and Lynn came over with a bunch more gifts for us! After they left, we relaxed for a bit, and then had Pat and Wendy come over that evening for dinner. She brought another slew of gifts! I can't believe how much we are loved and blessed!

Heath's cool new sled from Grandma

riding around in his sled

Grandma Pat hanging out with us

Heath and his goofy self

Daddy getting Heath set up in his cool sled

Getting ready for Christmas....

2009-12-07T15:59:00.005-07:00

Our awesome candy cane Christmas lights that my Uncle John put up for us.

We love them and think they are gorgeous! Thanks John!

This year's Cedar City trip was so much fun! We all drove down Friday night, and spent the night at Doug and Donna's, who are Paul's aunt and uncle. After a good night's sleep, we all woke up and had an AMAZING breakfast that Donna cooked for us, so delicious! After that, we all bundled up in our snow gear, and drove up the canyon to look for our trees! Paul and I had just gotten a baby backpack so that we could have Heath come with us, and he didn't mind it! After about an hour of traipsing around in the snow, we found one that we both liked! Paul used the chain saw to cut it down (but I did help trim it) and we drug it back to the truck.

I was pretty surprised at how well Heath did, he is quite the wiggle worm, and has to be moving all the time. I was worried about him being in the backpack for awhile, but he did great!

After we all found our trees, we went down to warm up and eat some awesome chili and hot coaco. After we got fed and changed into dry clothes, we packed everything up, tied it all down, and left for home!

Paul had a good time, can you tell?

When we got home, we had a fun time decorating it with tons of lights, and a few ornaments....

It's so pretty lit up! I love this tradition with Paul's family, it really is something I look forward to all year!

We also got to see a TON of Jay and Anna while they were here, and I think we got them hooked on Guitar Hero....

Here they are, battling each other! Anna picked it up pretty quick, and Jay did really well too! Woohoo for Guitar Hero!

Heath has also turned 9 months old, and I can't believe how grown up and funny he is! He goes up the stairs now, so fast its hard to believe! He is eating so much, and loves trying new foods, but I must say, his favorite is still bananas!

here he is enjoying some lasagna....he loved it, just like his daddy!

such a happy boy!

He is so silly, he starts laughing when I dance with him, or I will count to 3, then tickle him! I do that quite often, and now when he hears me say "oooooone, twooooo, THREE!" he starts giggling before I even touch him! It's so cute, and I always end up laughing harder than he does! I am absolutely stoked for Christmas this year, and can't wait to see my boy open presents! I have become fully aware of how blessed I am to have such an amazing family!

more cute pictures....

2009-11-17T12:09:00.002-07:00

His modeling picture

look at those eyes!

big cheesy smile

and he owns my heart!

Love my baby...I mean....my little boy!

8 months and 10 days....

2009-11-16T17:10:00.006-07:00

So this week, Paul left on a business trip, and Heath and I have been spending some quality time together. Not that I don't spend time with him every day, but its different when it's just the two of us in the house. I can't believe what a good boy he is, and how easy it is to be his mom (most of the time). I got some funny shots of him interacting with himself in the mirror...

He was confused, he could see 2 of me

kissing himself

He loves the mirror!

And I love waiting for him to wake up from his nap, he will usually just talk to himself til I come in, or sometimes he "calls" for me, and says "mama" over and over til I come in...it's so adorable!

such a happy boy when he wakes up

Heath's favorite doggy, Izze, who loves to get him up too

I walked in and his legs were stuck! And he thought it was funny!

Look at that crazy morning hair!

He is such a fun little boy, and is crawling all over the place and pulling himself up onto EVERYTHING! He will be walking soon, and that blows my mind! This is such a fun age, he is exploring the world and starting to be so independent. He is changing every day, getting so tall, and he eats like a pig! He loves bananas, and will eat any veggie I give him without complaint...except for peas. For some reason he doesn't like them (like his daddy). Paul has been gone for about 10 days, we miss him, but it will be so good to have him home soon!

We are so excited for the holidays this year! We are going to Ben and Julia's new house for dinner and socializing, and then my grandparents for dessert and socializing. Sometimes its hard trying to get everywhere and see everybody during this time of the year, but somehow we make it all work, and get to spend a little time with everyone. I can't wait for Christmas, it will be Heath's first one, and I'm so excited to see him open presents! I know he won't care, but I still can't wait!

Little sister time was really fun, they spent about 10 days here, and we really had a good time! They said they didn't want to leave, which was really sweet. They are such good girls, and I appreciate all the help they lend! Love you girlies!

Well, better go fix some dinner for the Heath-nater and I, more later.....

Bathtime

2009-11-03T12:13:00.003-07:00

gotta keep some sense of privacy

big grin, playing with his bubbles

he loves the bath!

Look at that happy face! I just love giving Heath a bath, he gets so excited when he hears the water running, and starts kicking his legs like he's trying to swim. He splashes and plays in the water, sometimes even gets bubbles, and thinks its great fun! He is too funny....

So my sisters have been here for a couple days, and we are having a blast! They have come to stay with us while my parents are out of town for their anniversary. They are such good girls, and I love having them around. Its a little bit of driving everyday to get them to and from school, but its not too bad, and Izze LOVES them! She gets so sad when we leave for school and I come back without them, and she whines at their bedroom doors til I let her in and she curls up on their beds. Sad huh! But she loves it when I leave to get them, and she jumps all over them, it's too cute. Well, I better keep this short, I can hear Heath talking in his bad, ready to get up for lunch, more later...

Bowling and bruises

2009-10-29T19:02:00.004-06:00

So this weekend was pretty fun, Paul and I got to go out on a date, just the two of us, and we had a great time! We went with my best friend Jenny, and her boyfriend Cameron, and it was so nice to have some adult conversation! I feel like I speak baby all day every day, and don't get me wrong, it is great fun, but I do enjoy talking in a normal pitched voice, with some actual English words here and there every once in awhile....haha. Anyway, we all went to Noodles & Co for dinner, and then went bowling at Fat Cats. We played 2 games, and I got a better score the last time, and even beat Paul! It was so fun to get out and reconnect with him.

such a fun night!

Paul bowling

and me beating him on the last game!

Earlier this week, we went to the zoo to do their annual Boo at the Zoo, its where you can go dressed up in your costumes, and the kids all trick-or-treat around the zoo. It was fun, in spite of the cold temperature and RAIN!!! Wow it was so wet, and I had definitely not prepared myself for it! But before we left, we went to go pick my sisters, and I decided that I wasn't having enough excitement in my life, and fell down the stairs at my moms house! It was pretty scary, and hurt pretty bad....here is the evidence of my losing fight with the stairs!

my smallest one

the medium sized one

and the big one! That one is a good 3 or 4 inches long...

Crazy huh!! Not to mention, my knee, foot and tailbone all hurting as well....yeah crazy! Anyway, on a happier note, I got some funny shots of the Heath-nater eating some dinner....

ready for dinner!

and licking the bowl

what a funny boy!

He gets so excited when he sees me come in with his bowl of food, he knows whats in there! He's doing so well with veggies, I am so proud of him! Although he does take after his dad with peas....not a big fan! But he LOVES bananas, just reassuring me that he is a monkey! I love him so much! Well, gotta go fix dinner, more later!

Zoo and Gardner Village

2009-10-21T18:31:00.006-06:00

Ok.....so this week has been pretty busy, but so fun! Paul, Heath and I went to the zoo with some of our friends, actually our neighbors who live across the street from us, and had a great time! Heath loves Izze, our puppy, and he gets so excited when she comes in the room to play with him, so I figured he would like all the animals at the zoo, and boy, did he! He looked at the penguins, the monkeys, the tigers, and the bears! It was pretty fun to watch him. We rode the carousel, saw some pretty cool birds, and he tried cotton candy for the first time, WOW! He wasn't sure at first, because it kept disappearing in his mouth, but was sweet and wanted more! But mommy is a Nazi and said no....oh well....anyway, we had a blast with our friends, and look forward to visiting the animals again!

the cute penguins!

he loves his daddy!

look at his bottom lip....this is new! and he does it all the time!

He's as big as a baby gorilla

My cute family!

We decided to have a Heath and mommy day, and we went to Gardner Village, a cute little place with a fabulous restaurant, tons of fun shopping, and just a great atmosphere! We went with my mom, and had a blast. Its my favorite place to visit in the fall, and is decorated so cute, with lots of fun different witches, and hay and pumpkins. I got some great pictures of Heath with some fun friends.....

a HUGE witch!

playing in the hay!

another fun witch

he is such a STUD!

what a handsome boy!

So much fun! He is such a funny boy, and we had a great time! And no, he doesn't stand on his own yet, but he does pretty well at leaning against the wall, and I am never far away....oh....and here are a couple funny picture of my goofball husband....

yes, he is 5 years old....

racing up and down the street

So much concentration!

I came to his work to get the stroller out of his car, and walked into his shop and saw him riding this tricycle around! I asked him, "Is THIS what you do all day here???" and he replied, with a giggle, "No, I was just riding it for a minute!".....who knows how long he has been having fun at work!! Ha ha what a goober! And I am so lucky to have him!

And right now, I can feel the house shaking, from the TV sub-woofer....Paul is watching Transformers 2, so I will go join him! more later....

crazy week.....

2009-10-17T09:43:00.008-06:00

So, this week it turns out I have been fighting Adno-virus....at first I thought it was just the same cold that Paul has been fighting all week, but my symptoms were a little different than his. I have had ABSOLUTELY no energy, my muscles are so sore and achy, and I haven't been eating very well. I am still feeling the effects and its not fun! Poor Paul, when he first talked to Lynn to see what it might be, she said that it could've been Swine Flu, and he was pretty nervous, but when she examined me, she said it was probably just the Adno-virus that has been going around, thank goodness! I'm so glad to have a husband who worries about me. My days are so messed up, I have been sleeping in really wierd patterns and some days I don't know which end is up, it's pretty pathetic. And there really isn't anything you can do to make it go away, just take it easy, which is pretty difficult when you have a 7 month old energy ball to take care of. Thankfully, Heath's grandma's were willing to take him for the day to play! So thank you to Lynn and Mom! I so appreciate it! But today, I just noticed that Heath has a runny nose, and I'm hoping he doesn't get sick....stupid germ bugs.....

Anyway, tonight (if I am feeling up to it and can make it that long) we are going to Paul's uncle's wedding. Bryce and Dawna are getting married, after 2 long years of dating! YAY!! Such a happy day, and Bryce's son, Paul's favorite cousin Adam will be there! He just got back from his mission, and we are so happy to have him home. He missed Jenna's wedding, but I'm so glad he will be here for his dad's.

I just love taking pictures of Heath, he is so photogenic, and such a goofball! Here are some that we've taken recently, some on family trips, some just goofing off at home.....

He makes me laugh every day! What a goober! Anyway, off to take a nap so we can go tonight!

Camping

2009-10-12T13:09:00.005-06:00

We went camping with my family this weekend up at Diamond Fork, which is up Spanish Fork canyon, and had a great time. While we were up there, we knew that my mom is allergic to bees, but we discovered how badly when she was stung on her neck and started swelling up like a balloon! My dad took her to the Insta-care in Spanish Fork and they gave her a shot of Epinephrine and a bunch of Benedryl. They came back and all was well, until the next day, Saturday, when we were pulling out of the camp spot, and she got stung again! This time on her pinky! We took off to go back to the clinic, and they helped her out again. She now knows not to go camping without her Epi-pen. We also found out that the Heath-nater has achieved a new milestone.....he has cut his first tooth! We are so excited, and yet, this has presented a new problem......no sleep for his parents! He isn't very fussy during the day, but night time is a different story! His sleeping schedule has been great until about 4 days ago, when he started getting up 4 or 5 times a night! And, he munches on EVERYTHING, like socks, his fingers, my fingers....you get the idea :-D His little tooth is so sharp, I feel so bad. It was a fun trip though...all things considered. Also, I just walked into his room to get him up from a nap, and he has pulled himself up onto his knees! I can't believe it, its already time to lower his bed so he doesn't fall out! My big boy.....This is what we saw when we walked in....

silly boy!
Well thats about it for now, more later....

7 months old...

2009-10-06T16:22:00.004-06:00

WOW, my baby is 7 months old today! I can't believe how fast the time has gone. He is such an amazing little boy. He makes me laugh every day, with his goofy grin and funny laugh, and every day is a gift that I have learned to not take for granted. I wish there was a word that is cuter than cute to describe his personality and attitude. I can't imagine my life without his happy face and infectious smile, and how he lights up when he sees me or Paul. He's just the most precious little man, and I am so loving being his mom. It's so crazy to think that he will be a year old in just 5 short months! I have loved each stage of his life, and look forward to all the rest. I love you Heath!

Canning

2009-10-05T11:31:00.003-06:00

So, yesterday was quite productive! We made homemade applesauce and canned it, that is quite the process! It takes like 3 hours to make about 7 jars of it, enough to boil all together in the big boiler pot. We also had Paul's parents over for dinner and a movie, and it was so fun! I made spaghetti and meatballs, and Lynn brought salad, garlic bread and dessert, so yummy! After dinner we watched the Pink Panther 2 (Pops reminds me of Steve Martin as Inspector Jacques Clouseau) and it was so funny! to anyone who hasn't seen it, you should definately watch both of them, super funny! Heath has been crawling around like crazy! Not quite the alternating hands and feet system yet, but he does the butt scoot. He sticks his butt up in the air, then rolls his belly forward, and gets around quite well! I gotta watch him because he likes to get into stuff, like Izze's food, or the TV cords, or Izze's food....haha its pretty funny! He's also got his sleeping schedule down pretty good! He goes to bed about 8 or 8:30, up at 3 to eat, then back to sleep til about 8. He'll take 2 naps during the day, which is nice, usually I'll take one during his morning nap, then get stuff done during his afternoon one. Anyway, this post is too long, so I will end it. More to come later!

2009-10-04T09:00:00.000-06:00

Haha! I am now a blogger! I am so excited to start a blog, to kind of document my life as a wife and mom. Lets get started!