Glendale Glitters

The day after Christmas we headed back to the west side of the valley. We decided we weren't done celebrating so we went to Glendale Glitters, a little light festival in downtown Glendale. All the fun finally caught up with Milo, he crashed hard in his car seat on the way home.

Milo's First Christmas

This year we spent Christmas in Gilbert with the Flake Family. We were spoiled with loads of gifts, great food, and wonderful company. I know its cheesy but, our greatest gift this year was of course Milo. We had so much fun buying him gifts and watching him unwrap them only to play with the tissue paper. He has brought so much joy to our family this year. We feel so blessed to have his sweet spirit in our family.

Watch Milo Grow: 44 Weeks

-In the picture above he is playing with one of his favorite Christmas toys, a wooden grasshopper from Great Grandma & Grandpa Flake. He loves to play with the antennas.
-Celebrated his first Christmas. Loved playing with his new toys and loved the tissue paper.
-Loves looking at the Christmas lights with Grandpa.
-Loves to eat Gerber cheese puffs.
-Loves to eat Oranges.
-Clicks his tongue.
-Sticks his tongue out when he is really focused on something (like his mom).
-Graduated to a new carseat. Still facing backwards, but has a little more room to wiggle than he did in his infant seat (Thanks Grandma & Grandpa).

Watch Milo Grow: 43 Weeks

-We left Milo with Grandma and Grandpa overnight, so we could celebrate our anniversary. Apparently he did well, but really missed us (especially in the morning, when he wanted to nurse).
-Says Mamma and Dadda all the time.
-We got him a little walker and he is so cute pushing it. He hasn't figured that he needs to bend his knees so it looks like he's got a bum leg.
-Loves to be outside.
-Went to the airport to greet cousin Peyton who was coming home from his mission to Mexico City. While we were there he took a liking to Uncle Kevin. He went right to him and the cuddled up on his shoulder and stayed with him for a quite awhile.
-Caught a little cold this week. Runny nose and cough, but he remained a happy little guy.

Happy Anniversary to Us!

Watch Milo Grow: 42 Weeks

-He can clap! ... and it is the CUTEST thing ever.
-Is getting another tooth on the bottom. I just noticed it this morning.
-Loves pulling ornaments off the Christmas tree.
-Loves pulling books of the shelf (catching a theme here?!).
-Has been trying to push bedtime back by refusing to go to sleep. Hoping this is just a phase, but he hates to miss out on any action.
-If he is still awake when we lay him down he will hold on super tight to your arms trying to avoid getting laid down.
-I think he is getting close to walking. He is really fast and getting really good at pulling up on anything and everything. And then using the furniture to scoot around.

Our Halls are Decked ...

It's been awhile since I've done any home projects. Milo has been keeping me super busy, but after we got back from Las Vegas we set up our little Christmas tree. Milo loves to look at the lights, but he actually hasn't been as interested in it as I thought he might be. I also made a pine cone wreath to hang on our door, I saw it on pinterest, loved it and so I had to make it. It was an easy peasy project, until I dropped it and it broke in to a bunch of pieces. So if you look at the back of the wreath you'll see that its hot glued, duct taped, and stapled back together. I also finally painted a campaign nightstand that I got at goodwill a few months ago. It's missing a piece of hardware so I still need to figure that out, but the whole project cost only $6. Not too shabby.

Watch Milo Grow: 41 Weeks

-Went to the Doc for his 9 month check up. He weighs 21 lbs 14 oz and I can't remember his height, but he is in the 80th percentile for both height and weight.
-Always wants to sample what we are eating. Lately he's been eating a lot of tangerines, a true Arizona boy.
-Still loves to nurse. Whenever he sees my boobs he will lunge and dive towards them with his mouth wide open. Its hilarious.
-Met Auntie Marni for the first time.
-Found the toilet paper roll. Unrolled and tried to eat all the toilet paper while I was doing my hair.
-He is so sweet, we love to snuggle and rock him to sleep.
-He is so busy. He is climbing on everything and crawling everywhere. Yesterday, while I was getting dressed, he found the shelf with PJs on it and he tore them all off the shelf and on to the floor.
-Loves to go outside with Grandpa. While we were at Grandma and Grandpas he fell and bonked his head, he was crying pretty hard ... Grandpa took him outside to look at the Christmas lights and he calmed right down.
-Today he has been giving me fives and giggling when our hands make the clapping noise. I am hoping this is a "trick" that lasts.
-Loves string cheese. I had to bribe him with some to get him to hold semi-still this picture. He is always on the move.  
-This parenting thing is just getting more and more fun.

Photo Project

Last year I made a new years resolution to back up and print all of our pictures and put them in albums chronologically. I think its important to actually print photos and enjoy them, rather than just letting them collect virtual dust on the computer. Plus I had a scare with loosing some photos and I don't want to deal with that. So throughout the year, I've tried to go through each of our computers and have all the old photos backed up online and printed. Then every once in awhile I backup and order prints of any new photos. Then when the pictures come in the mail I try to label the photos with the approximate date and names of who ever is in the pictures, then stick them in an album. It's been quite the project, but I am finally up to date on ordering prints and I'm very happy about it. I know that in the future these albums will be treasures. While I was busy uploading today, I found this picture from when Milo was a month old. Its my favorite right now. I miss those early morning snuggles with my newborn.

Santa Claus Comes to Town

Santa Claus came to our apartment complex on Saturday. So Milo got to meet him and get his first picture with Santa. Overall it was a good first visit. Milo surprised us, we were sure that he was going to scream bloody murder. He went from curious, to indifferent, to freaked out.

Briana & Baby Samson

While Marni was in town we were also able to visit Briana, another friend from Hawaii. She recently got married and had a sweet little baby boy Samson. It was fun to all be together and reminisce on good times in Hawaii. Milo was a bit a of a bully to little Samson. Milo doesn't know how to be gentle, he pulled Samson's hair ... I think it was jealously.

Reunited ... and it feels so good!

 Marni, one of my best friends and roommate from Hawaii came to visit us and meet Milo last week. It was so good to have her here. We have so many good memories. Marni is probably the sweetest, most positive person in the world. She can find the good in anyone. We had so much fun having her visit us, it had been too long and its always fun to play tourist. While Marni was here we did a little hiking at Thunderbird. Milo was a trooper, like usual. Jordan said that he was talking the whole way up and amazingly he left his hat on! When we got to the top we found that someone had decorated a little plant- a lovely little desert Christmas tree. 

Watch Milo Grow: 40 Weeks

-Had his first Thanksgiving! Ate mashed potatoes and a little pumpkin pie.
-Did so awesome on our road trip! We were worried after our road trip this summer, but Milo was a champion road tripper. He slept the majority of the trip both there and back.
-Remembered Grandma and Grandpa.
-Did super good in his stroller around Vegas. Grandpa loved pushing Milo around. When ever he got cranky we gave him a mum mum and he was good to go.
-Loved to look at the aquariums at Rainforest Cafe & the Shark Exhibit.
-So curious. Loves to figure out how things work and its so fun to watch.
-Getting more and more sturdy as he pulls up on anything and everything.
-Is super happy and content.
-Loves to people watch, especially kids.

Thanksgiving

 This year we have so much to be thankful for. Mostly our wonderful family and we got to spend time with both sides this holiday weekend. We started the weekend by eating a delicious feast at the Flake's house on Thursday. Milo ate a delicious Thanksgiving bottle, some mashed potatoes, and a little pumpkin pie. Thursday night we drove up to Las Vegas and met the Williams' family for the weekend. Milo was awesome on the road trip, both ways. When we got to Vegas we enjoyed visiting with family, a great sale at Anthropologie, Rainforest Cafe, Walking up and down the strip, Milo opened his Christmas gifts from Grandma and Grandpa, The Las Vegas Temple, Lion King. The time went by too fast ... only 2 1/2 weeks until Christmas break. 

Happiness.

This kid is the happiest when he is outside and I can't blame him. Beautiful, Sunny, and mid-70's ... this is why we live in Arizona. Lately our favorite pastime is taking a blanket, a few toys, and some Gerber puffs outside and enjoying the weather.

Watch Milo Grow: 39 Weeks

-Found the door knocker. Every time we are coming back into our apartment he has to grab it.
-His new favorite bath time trick is to drink the bathwater. He gets on all fours and laps it up with his tongue like he is a little kitten.
-Poor little thing has a nasty cold. Runny little nose and a cough, but he has stayed pretty happy. His little voice is super raspy.
-Can stand on his own without holding on to anything for a few seconds at a time.
-Shakes his cage (crib) like an ape when he wants to get out in the morning. He always has a huge smile on his face when we come get him out.
-Is trying to give up his morning nap. Somedays he will nap in the morning and but lately he only wants to sleep in the afternoon.

Watch Milo Grow: 38 Weeks

-Loves to hold on to something while he is getting changed, usually the tube of vaseline or toothpaste. Its the only way that he will stay on his back long enough to get a new diaper on.
-Finally got comfortable with the ladies at the gym. Still doesn't love to be left, but he will smile at them now and doesn't scream when I hand him over. Big improvement.
-Has SEVEN teeth! 2 on bottom and 5 on top ... seems like they just keep coming.
-Finally says Momma. I know he doesn't really know what he is saying, but it still makes me feel good!
-Getting more hair finally.
-He will cuddle with me when he is tired, which I love! He went through a phase where he wouldn't let anyone cuddle him or rock him to sleep ... now he will curl up on my shoulder and let me rock him.
-Getting pretty sturdy on his feet. Loves to pull up on everything and walk with help.
-Loves to play/rip books of the shelf.
-Hates the vaccum. Thats my excuse for my messy house, I have a weeks worth of gerber puffs on the floor. I tried to vaccum them up tonight but Milo wasn't having it.
-Loves clapping. He loves when I clap, it cracks him up. I tried to teach him to clap but he just clasps his hands.

This is bath time.

This is bath time at our house. Whenever he is home Jordan will give Milo his nightly bath. It has become their bonding time. Milo loves his dad and baths more than just about anything so I think its probably his favorite time of the day. I always hear lots of giggles coming from the bathroom. I love watching these two play together.

I Love to See the Temple

 We headed out for another hike this week. This time we were able to see the Phoenix Temple site. It will be awesome to have a temple on this side of the valley. The Mesa temple is about a hour drive. They got the building permits and started excavating for the foundation last month. So it won't be finished until after we are done with school, but its still fun to watch the progress. It will be a beautiful temple.

Watch Milo Grow: 37 Weeks

-He was crawling/scooting/doing the worm as his mode of transportation. Now he is crawling with his tummy off the ground, he is getting faster and is getting more coordinated by the day.
-Pulling up on anything and everything. Chairs, dressers, bookshelves, the back of my legs, dishwasher, etc.
-Loves to try and take clothes off the hangers when we are out shopping. I had him at TJ Maxx yesterday and he was a one man wrecking crew. Leaning over the side of his stroller as far as he could trying to pull all the clothes off the hangers.
-Scrunches his nose when he smiles and when he is excited.
-Loves to play with the knobs on his dresser. Wants to eat them so bad, but they are out of his reach. He will stand against his dresser and whine with his mouth open trying to get them in his mouth.
-Jordan has a pull up bar hanging in our doorway and Milo loves to hold on it and he is actually super strong. He gets really excited when he gets to play on it.
-Loves to be sung to and listen to music.
-Loves to play outside on the grass.

Thunderbird Hike

Thunderbird Conservation Park isn't too far from our apartment and it has a great little trail system. Jordan has been dying to get up there. We went up a few weeks ago and started hiking, but we didn't get too far. It got dark on us and Milo is a little too heavy for the Baby Bjorn. So Jordan requested that Santa deliver his gift a little early this year, a baby hiking backpack. This morning we tried it out for the first time. Milo loved the ride, he chatted and cooed the whole way up and took a little snooze on the way down. We enjoyed the great views of the west valley and the crisp air (Hooray! It's finally fall in Arizona). I am sure this was just the first of many hikes for our little family!

Watch Milo Grow: 36 Weeks

-Always wants to try whatever we are eating. Has tried all sorts of fruits and veggies. He loves grapes and strawberries.
-Getting more teeth. He now has three teeth on top and two on bottom and another one is coming in on the top.
-Had some tummy issues this week, which was so sad to see him not feeling well, but we did enjoy that he was super cuddly. He will usually never cuddle, feeling much better now and is back to being a busy non-cuddly baby.
-Has started fake coughing if he wants attention.
-When a stranger talks to him and tries to get him to smile he will usually pierce his lips as if he is about to smile and then look at me to make sure its okay.
-Loves to play with water bottles. He would take an empty water bottle over almost any toy.
-Loves to ride in shopping carts.
-Babbles all day long. Says Dadda all the time, I've never heard him say Momma but Jordan claims he heard it (I think he is just trying to make me feel better).

Blockhead

I know I look like a total blockhead (haha get it) but I'll do just about anything to make this kid laugh ... it's the best.

Pizza Picnic

 Jordan didn't have classes last week and our weather is finally getting nice, so we took advantage and had a little pizza party at the park. It's so fun to take Milo to the park. He loves to be outside, and the swing and the slide ... and one day he is going to love Pizza. We love our little guy! 

Pumpkin Carving

 On Sunday we did a little pumpkin carving. Milo sat in his high chair observing the action, eating gerber puffs, and playing with pumpkin guts. Jordan carved a skeleton pumpkin and I really wanted to stuff Milo in a pumpkin, like I had seen on pinterest. When I went to buy my giant pumpkin it was $75 ... so we made due with my small-ish one. We cut the leg holes and a hole that was thought was big enough to stuff him in but no dice, so we cut it a bit larger and stuffed the boy in. Milo wasn't so sure about the whole thing ... both Milo and Jordan think I am crazy. But I think Milo made a cute little pumpkin boy.