baby faces

I was inspired by a sweet video

5 months

This is way late- 11 days to be exact.

Right now:

-she's getting better at playing 'alone' as long as I am in sight

-still pretty much hates sitting in her carseat

-now likes to be held looking over my shoulder (opposite of what she used to like)

-still loves that hair dryer

-scoots...backward

-gets up on her hands and knees, or feet and sticks her bum straight up in the air

-sucks her thumb!

-laughs when daddy growls and cries if anyone else does it

-recognizes when one of us leaves, and smiles when we return

Smile

I got to clean Colson's teeth last week!

He was such a good patient! More pictures of that later.

Now I'm off to volunteer at Give Kids a Smile!

p.s. his teeth aren't normally pink, that's disclosing agent.

It's a good thing we don't have MTV

Some girls at school have been telling me about this 'teen mom' show on MTV that they are really in to, so here and there I heard bits and pieces of what it was all about.

Well randomly, after putting Liv to bed and finally getting to watch the latest episode of LOST on hulu, I looked up 'teen mom'. I have to put a disclaimer here that I haven't watched MTV crap for about 2 yrs (since we don't have it) so don't judge me for staying up way to late watching this.

I just watched the last 2 episodes of the season and was enthralled.

Of course, while I watched I was relating my own experiences with theirs. I sympathized with the everyday struggles of hearing a splat on the floor and knowing it was your baby spitting up yet again or changing a poopy diaper just to have to change it again 2 minutes later. I felt the pain of not wanting to leave your baby while you go on a date or to school and then having people tell you you're a bad mother for doing it. I understood what a joke it is to try and study and take care of a baby at the same time. I was empathetic with their struggles of trying to support a baby, go to school, and stay emotionally healthy throughout it all.

A few HUGE overwhelming differences in my life compared to theirs that I couldn't stop being reminded of throughout the whole thing are

1) that I have the knowledge of and relationship with a savior in heaven that loves me

2) that I have so much love and support from family

and

3) that I have a husband. Not just any husband, a good one.

What wonderful blessings to be reminded of. What a difference it makes in raising a child to have someone there to help you; someone who loves the child as much as you do. Someone who loves you. Someone you can talk to who understands completely the struggles you're going through, because they're going through them to. Because of that, I don't really see those everyday poopy diaper/spit up experiences as struggles; to me they're just funny stories. Something to talk and laugh about when my other half gets home.

I'm so thankful for him.

I'm so thankful that we can be together, with our baby, forever.

I'm thankful for my full life, and most of all for the love I feel from the people in it.

right now

I just can't get enough of these two photos.

Not the typical smiley ones that I normally post,

but that just might be the reason I love them so.

another burger joint

Finally after a very long week, we were able to do something together. We tried the new burger joint across from the mall.

How cute is this little girl? Just thinkin she's big enough to sit and chill with mama.

The burgers were pretty good, but the smash fries were awesome.

I just had the classic burger, but they have lots of different ones to choose from, as well as salads that also looked really good.

We still like Five Guys best.

UDA convention

This weekend I got to go to my 2nd Dental convention (the 1st was when I was in high school, and I went with my brother- I wonder if he remembers?).

It was at the Salt Palace in Salt Lake, and I really enjoyed seeing all the latest gadgets in dentistry.

Dana and me trying out the ergonomic chairs (for some reason I sat in the assistant chair).

Plus all the free stuff made it pretty cool too.

We went to a class in the morning, browsed the exhibits, out for lunch, and then another class in the afternoon.

Someone had mentioned PF Changs for lunch, but we quickly realized that we had no idea where that was, or if it was even within walking distance from the Salt Palace. We just decided to start walking and figure it out.

I looked across the street and saw Benihana and the Blue Iguana, and remembered it from when we went with B's family. Everyone agreed and we decided to try Blue Iguana.

Kayli, Kelsey, Lindsey, Courtney, Jaycie, and me enjoying our yummy Mexican food!

Always fun to find a new yummy restaurant.

Here's the SWAG!

I'm most excited about the whitening kits, spry xylitol gum, bubblegum fluoride varnish, and colorful air/water syringe tips :)

As much fun as it was, I missed my husband baby girl who I felt I hadn't hardly seen during the week since I had 3 tests this week and was studying for the majority.

Brady took care of Liv for pretty much the entire week including Friday (which is normally the day I get to be with her) while I was at the convention. I am constantly reminded what a wonderful husband I have. I am so thankful for his willingness to help me juggle my life. I learn so much about selflessness from him everyday.

little giggles

She can finally giggle...

Only for daddy though. But she plays peek-a-boo with me :)

All of the sudden

...she just looks like such a big girl to me.

all of the sudden she had lots of hair, so we made a faux hawk

all of the sudden, she's big enough to be facing front in her bjorn

all of the sudden, she thinks she can crawl, and gets up on her legs and pushes forward

she forgets that she just barely learned to roll over to her stomach, and that mom can't handle seeing her grow so fast.

all of the sudden, I am feeling time slipping through my fingers

and selfishly, I don't want her to get any bigger.

rice cereal

We finally decided to try out some rice cereal last week... the first time she had no idea what was going on, the second time was a little better, and this time was even better.

Although you can't really tell since it looks like all the food is on her face.

Happy Valentine's day...

...from the bottom of our hearts!

Make a wish

"It is lovely, when I forget all birthdays, including my own, to find that somebody remembers me"

I woke up to a breakfast of cinnamon rolls and strawberries and cream, while a slideshow B made played in the background. I love my husband.

I love being an adult and choosing to open

all my presents first thing in the morning....

and having a husband who is the complete opposite of me,

but lets me open all my presents if I want to :)

B was so cute and decorated the house with streamers and signs.

He put Liv in this little outfit.

Her shirt said 'Wild about Daddy' and he taped a

paper sign to make it say 'Wild about Mommy'

but it fell off. It's the thought that counts :)

For lunch we went to the Skyroom on BYU campus for a yummy buffet with Brady's family.

We were also celebrating Pat's 50th! Weird that we're almost exactly 25 years apart.

Then down to the bowling alley for arcade games and bowling.

I'm not much of a bowler, but it had been long enough since the last time that I went bowling that it was fun :)

Later that night, B's parents were so nice to babysit while we went on a date!

I had been wanting to try Thaifoon for a while and I loved it.

My dad always makes fun of me for taking pictures of food, but it helps me remember how delicious is was, and those coconut shrimps were DE-lish.

At least my sister understands my affinity for food!

25 is a milestone birthday, and one that I hear a lot of people have a mental breakdown. I did for a split second start feeling way too old, but I snapped out of it quickly.

I am thankful for all the life goals I've accomplished in my first 25 years,

and I'm excited to see what adventures the next 25 holds.