Halloween and such...

Awhile back we decided that the perfect Halloween costume for Warren would be a SUMO wrestler.. I mean he does have the perfect combination of Asian and chubby!
Although I'm not sure how many sumo wrestlers still suck their thumbs, but he still looks pretty cute to me! He had a cold that night but, of course, Barry insisted that we still had to take him out and show him off. I don't think we thought that one through very much. Once the sun went down it got cold. He stayed wrapped up in a blanket pretty much the whole night, and actually ended up falling asleep while Barry carried him around. I guess he's not much of a party animal yet.

Barry had the day off the Monday before Halloween, and I really wanted to go to a pumpkin patch and get some pumpkins. There is one in Idaho Falls that his brother and sister-in-law had found, so we decided to go check it out. It was really cute, and there was a little train for the kids, but the bad news was it was only fully open during the weekends. Even though no one was there operating the place you could still go and pick out pumpkins and leave your money in a drop box...which I still think is crazy. But the good news was one of Barry's friends works for the person that actually owns the pumpkin patch. He happened to be there unloading some more pumpkins, so we got all our pumpkins for free along with a watermelon, cantelope, and some squash. It was so nice of him!


Later we went home and carved pumpkins...Neither one of us are very artistic but it was fun just to be together!
Then we had all that squash leftover that I didn't know what to do with. I had found on the internet that you could make pumpkin pie filling out of squash. I'm really not much of a pumpkin pie fan, but Barry really loves it, so I decided it would be fun a fun way to kick off the fall season by trying this pumpkin pie recipe out. Amazingly it wasn't that hard, and it tasted pretty good.

On another note...I have loved watching the leaves change colors this fall!! It has made me really miss Portland where I served my mission. There have been a few times when I have actually stopped my car and pulled over to take pictures of the trees. But unfortunately my cell phone camera just doesn't do it justice. These are some leaves that have been collecting on our front lawn. (we've been meaning to go out and buy a rake...but it just never seems to make it to the top of my list, because that would mean we would actually have to go out and rake them up.)


Well there isn't much else exciting going on at the moment. Although Barry and I have become totally engrossed in this book trilogy called the Hunger Games. Our sister-in-law let me borrow the first book. I had never heard of them, but was excited to get into a book again. I started reading it on Sunday, and Barry thought I should instead do something with him because reading is 'boring'. So I decided to read out loud, and then he didn't want me to stop! We finished it together in about 3 days. It was so fun to read together!! On to book 2...Catching Fire!

A little update on Warren... He has learned to click his tongue. It is sooo cute! We'll just catch him playing on his own and clicking away with his tongue. He is getting up on his hands and knees and rocking a lot more now, but I don't think he quite knows what to do after that.
He loves standing up while holding onto the couch and scratching the cushions. He's so funny about textures. He loves his bath times. Last night while I was giving him a bath I brought in the nose bulb suction thingy to clean out his nose. Well after I finished I was cleaning it out with the bath water, and shot some water out at him. He loved it!! I had never heard him laugh so hard.I love this picture because it shows all those wet spots from his slobber. And he totally looks like he's been incarcerated with that gray jumpsuit and beanie.

6 Month Mark!

I didn't want to let this day pass by without wishing Warren a Happy Half Birthday! Don't worry I won't do this every year, but I feel like everything that happens the first year is something to celebrate!! So today Warren is 6 months old!

He can sit up on his own pretty well now. Which makes it so much easier to go to the grocery store, because he can sit in the shopping cart. Hallelujah!!!

He drools so much and soaks through all of his clothes that we have to keep a bib on him at all times. But the bib always manages to get all turned around, so he looks like 'super' baby!








He's been helping Barry out lately with his homework.


So he started doing this a few weeks ago. If we leave the room while he is in his bouncer he manages to turn himself around on his belly and push himself down. It's funny, because he seems to get stuck half way and doesn't know quite how to get himself out . And we can always tell when he's up to this mischief, because he gets really quiet...which is totally out of character for him these days.

He had an ear infection a week or so ago, and we've had to give him some antibiotics with a little dropper every 8 hours for 10 days. This wouldn't have been such a big deal except he sleeps for about 12 hours now, so I've been getting up at 3 am and sneaking into his room to give him his medicine. For the first little bit I was so nervous about waking him up I put a cloth over my head and snuck around his crib to make sure if he woke up he wouldn't see me. I knew if he saw me there was no way he would go back to sleep. I'm sure I was quite the sight, but it was totally worth it because he never woke up.
Last night was the last night and when my alarm went off I was so out of it! I woke up so delirious, and then I kept losing my balance. It was so weird...I couldn't get my legs to work quite right: I almost died laughing. Oh man am I glad that's over with!!!!

Anyways the past 6 months have definitely been life-changing. I'll be the first to admit that it hasn't been all sunshine and rainbows. It's been hard adjusting to being a 'mom'. I can't just hop in the car anymore and go wherever and whenever. Eating a meal seems impossible at times. And let's not forget the spit-up and poopy diapers (nuff said).
But before you think I hate being a mom let me redeem myself: I love when he cuddles with me. I love when he laughs. I love when he smiles. I love when he smiles because he sees my face. I love seeing him learn new things. I love reading to him. I love singing to him. I love looking at him while he's asleep. I love when he sticks his tongue out. I love when he sucks his thumb. I love taking walks with him. I love that the first sounds he's put together are mmm-umm-mma.

I Love you Warren!!!!

Life is beautiful

Well I guess summer is officially over. We had so much fun at the Christensen Family reunion Labor Day weekend in Island Park. On Friday we stopped in Mesa Falls before checking into the cabin.

While we were there we also had a surprise 60th birthday celebration for Tim (Barry's dad). The family all submitted pictures and personalized letters that Jeanie made into a book for him. It was fun to look at all the pictures from his childhood and teen years. It turned out really well (Thanks Jeanie!). His mom and brother were also able to come up for the celebration. He had a hunch that something was going on, but I don't think he quite knew what to expect. I think we can say he was pleasantly surprised!

The guys (of course) went on a dirt-biking trip and thoroughly enjoyed themselves. The women took a trip to West Yellowstone and checked out the Museum and shops there. We had a pie and cupcake (for the kids) eating contest one afternoon. I think there was more pie on the table and floor than was eaten, but it was still fun. I'm sad that I didn't get any pictures of that. But thankfully there is some good live footage! Here is a picture I was able to snap of the kids eating their cupcakes. Madelyn was the big winner!We also played some other fun games while we were there....Although I think "spoons" got the craziest. I cannot believe that the kids slept through all the noise we were making.

The cabin ended up being pretty perfect. There was plenty of room for the kids to run around and not be completely in way. There was a pool table and hot tub (I know Tim enjoyed that!). We really enjoyed ourselves, but it was definitely good to come home. We are so blessed to be a part of 2 great families!

We've got the house pretty much all put together. It's been so amazing to have a home!!! I love it...even if it is more work. We realized right before we moved in that there wasn't a mailbox: We had to figure out how to put one up, so we could start getting mail! Barry bought a big planter pot and mixed some cement to stick the pole in. It was quite a bit taller than all of our neighbors, so I was a little worried that the mailman wouldn't approve it. But we watched intently the next day as he reached way up out his window to deliver our mail. It looks like we're good to go!

We have started Warren on solids. He has had rice and oatmeal cereal, and squash and carrots. He really likes the squash and carrots, but the downside is he has completely lost interest in the cereal now. The other day we had some friends over who brought pizza for dinner. We were visiting and eating, while I had Warren on my lap up at the table. After we finished we went in the living room, and I look down and Warren has a piece of pizza crust stuffed in his mouth! That little sneak!! It was pretty funny, although I'm glad he didn't try to swallow and choke on it. We also got him a highchair, and I think he really likes it.

I can't believe he is almost 6 months old. Time really seems to be flying by. He is giving crawling a good effort, but hasn't quite mastered it yet. He rolls around like no tomorrow though. He still loves squishing himself up in the corners of his crib. Barry and I always fight for who gets to go get him when he wakes up. He gives the best smiles right when he wakes up!! It's pretty amusing to see both of us race into his room...no wonder he smiles so big!

Some of his favorite things to do:

-Play with his toes! He will be on his back and pull his feet up in the air. It's so cute...I need to get a picture of this.
-He loves to put anything in his mouth. He has started to "chew" on things. We think it's teething time?
-He loves scooting himself around with his back legs. He'll push himself from behind while his head is down. We had to start putting a blanket down on top of his sheet, because he was really rubbing his cheeks raw from doing this.
-He loves being outside and going on rides in his stroller. I am going to be so sad when the weather gets to cold for this.
-He loves to be sung to!!! Especially opera style. (for his ears only) We sing lots of primary songs, 'baby bumble bee', and 'the wheels on the bus'
-He also love to watch mom dance around. Barry says Warren must be thinking 'all i have to do is laugh, and I can make people act like complete fools'. Oh well...I'm a sucker for that cute laugh and smile.

Things are so great. I couldn't ask for a better life!
And I just want to give a little shout out to my wonderful husband. He works so hard to provide for his little family. I think sometimes I might be harder on him than is needful. I hope he knows how much I love him! I don't know how he stays sane with all he is juggling, especially when I throw more into the mix instead of trying to ease his load. Thanks Barry for all you do!!! I love you!

P.S.

We have a new nephew Brayden Porter!! Born September 15, 2010. We went to visit him this afternoon, and it was so wonderful holding a newborn again. They are just so tiny and perfect!!
Welcome to the world Brayden! And congrats Celeste and Bo!

Turn, Turn, Turn

I can't believe that summer is almost over! I'm not looking forward to Barry going back to school or for the cold weather to come. But luckily there are plenty of good things to look forward to.

This week is our last week in our 1 bedroom apartment!!! I am so excited to move. For those of you who don't know yet we are buying a house in Sugar City, ID. It's a couple miles north of Rexburg. It is so perfect for us...and really it was a small miracle that we even found it. We have a realtor, but I was looking through all the old posts on craigslist for homes for sale, because we weren't really finding much in our price range. I found this home, and the owner took us out to see it. He told us that it had just fallen through with another buyer a couple of days before, and that there was another interested cash buyer coming on Monday to sign. We were so devestated. We thought about putting in a bid for a little higher than they were asking to beat out the cash buyer but decided we would just wait and see what happened. A couple of days later the owners contacted our realtor and said the cash buyer fell through, so we should go ahead and put in a bid! We couldn't belive it! Needless to say they accepted, and we are set to close on Friday. This is a picture the owners sent us...I will post more once we move in.

My mom came to visit last week. It was so good to see her. We went to the playmill in west yellowstone to see Beauty and the Beast to celebrate her birthday and also Rachel's mom's birthday who was also in town visiting. The performance was really good: I definitely recommend it.

We also went to Bear World. I had gone once before a long time ago, and it wasn't too exciting. This time we were pretty lucky, because we got right behind a guided tour bus that had loads of bread that the people were able to throw out for the bears to eat. So we were able to see a lot of the bears up close and personal.

As we entered the park we rolled the window down to hand the lady our tickets, and she specifically told us to make sure we kept our windows up at all times. Well just our luck the window got stuck right as we passed through the gate, and we couldn't get it up. I almost died laughing! No worries after a few tries it finally went up all the way.

Other highlights from the summer....

We watched the fireworks in Rigby for the 4th of July.

Menan Days...

We have loved going to the park and playing frisbee. I think Barry is just glad that he found a sport that I will actually play with him.

We were able to get some family pictures taken. Barry's boss's wife took a photography class, and is trying to make a business out of it. She needed some practice, so we were able to get them done for free!: And of course we had no problems with her taking the pictures. These are some of our favorites:

Warren is rolling all over the place now. We'll find him completely out of his blanket in the mornings on his tummy with his bum up in the air trying to move around. He is such a little wiggle worm always trying to grab at things. He has also started scratching surfaces. I think he likes the sound it makes. He still loves sucking his thumb and splashing in the water. I will put him in the sink at night and let him kick his legs. He can make some pretty big splashes!


We love this grumpy face he makes....It's so cute!! But all in all it's been a pretty good summer. For Labor Day weekend we are going up to Island Park for the Christensen Family Reunion. We are pretty excited about that. Barry will have that whole week off. Woo hoo!!

Brighter Days Ahead

I never thought I would ever get a full night's sleep again. About 2 weeks ago Warren slept until 3:30, and then the next day he didn't wake up until 5:30! It was so amazing to wake up, and see that it was light outside. I couldn't believe it!! He is sleeping around 7 hours now from 10 pm- 5:00 am.

On May 23rd he had his baby blessing. My mom was able to make him the cutest little outfit for it. I was worried it wasn't going to fit, but it actually was perfect. It was so nice to have all of our family there. After wards we held a luncheon at Barry's sister's home in Rigby. The original idea was to have it in the clubhouse of our apartment complex, but we had to quickly come up with a plan B when we found out it is closed on Sundays. But it all worked out, and it was so fun to visit with family and friends!
We made a spontaneous trip down to Utah a few weeks ago. Barry had 2 days in a row off, and I have a friend in LDS Hospital in Salt Lake that I had been wanting to see. She was diagnosed with Leukemia last November when she was about 5 months pregnant. She had been through quite a bit in the past year...but she is pushing through it and is in remission. Whenever I think I have a hard life I think about her and her husband, and I remember how good I've got it. They have been awesome examples to me of staying so positive in those rough times, and it's also been amazing to see how much Heavenly Father has really watched over and taken care of them.
We were also able to spend time with each of Barry's siblings and their families. It's so fun to see how all of the kids just love Warren: They can never get enough of him! It's definitely a big change for him from our quiet little apartment to houses filled with energetic kids running around. And it's always fun to see his 'twin' cousin Mason. It looks like they are still pretty much the same size. Although Warren has a much bigger head!
It has been so nice, since the weather here has finally started to warm up! I love it!!!!! I have been trying to spend as much time as possible outside soaking up all the sun. I try to take Warren to the park everyday. On Thursdays in Rexburg they have outdoor concerts in the park and Fridays there is a local farmer's market. Next year he might be able to enjoy the splash park. Barry is, of course, taking advantage of every opportunity to go dirt-biking.
Warren is starting to smile a lot now, and is even working on his laugh. It's soooo cute! Before I get him
out of bed in the mornings I will talk to him for a minute, and he will just sit and smile at me. Those are the moments that make it all worthwhile. I was so excited the other day when I was able to catch a smile with the camera on my phone.He has also started to roll over. He isn't totally consistent, but he has done it completely on his own a handful of times. Sorry I tried to upload a video of him rolling over, but it wasn't working.


Last December we decided to sign another year contract on our 1 bedroom apartment. We thought we could make it until next December with the baby in our room, but it's been 3 months and we are pretty ready for him to have his own room. We were able to sell our contract, but we aren't moving out until September. On the upside it will give us time to pack up and find another place to live. We are hoping for a bottom floor this time. Warren is now 14 lbs and I am feeling every one of those lbs when I carry him up and down 3 flights of stairs.

We've started putting him in his exersaucer. I think he is still a little small for it...but he still seems to like it. Hopefully this will help with his thunder thighs!