testing.. testing.. 1..2...3..? hello???

 well it has been quite some time since i last posted on this blog... does anyone even read blogs anymore?  i don't think anyone really does, except for my little sister laura who has been complaining about my lack of blogging since... well, march.  so, since she decided to move away from me (tear) i told her i would update my blog, even if it is only for her. 

so, here is a super condensed recap of what we have been up to since march:

took a trip to st. george with our alaska friends.  had such a great time and got some much needed sunshine!  this baby LOVES to swim!

ran the salt lake city half marathon in the POURING RAIN! most miserable and cold race we've ever done. don't let this picture fool you (it's an awful picture too), we were not thrilled to be running. 

my baby girl just keeps getting cuter and cuter!  everyone always tells me how happy and social she is. 

took another trip to st. george with my family.  got in some good food, hiking, family time, and sunshine!

may 12th- celebrated my first real mothers day which was also my first birthday as a mom!  

reached our 5 year anniversary (actually back on april 30th) and went on a trip to china to celebrate!  too many pictures to add now, but just know that it was awesome.  we especially loved the great wall, the terracotta warriors, the pagodas, and the tarantulas :)

i've got the happiest baby on earth but also a baby that attracts sicknesses!  just another dr's appt to try to get her sinus problems under control.  it also probably doesn't help that she is a teething queen and already (at 12 months old) has 15 teeth!

funny baby loves her dogs!  dog is one of her first words and she calls every animal she sees a dog. 

what a ham

ran ragnar again with my sisters, my friend molly, and my brother in laws family.  we had a great time!

millie's first 4th of july complete with a murray parade, breakfast with the sponbecks, fireworks, snowcones, and naps! 

baby girl loves the water.  we spent lots of time swimming at the pools and reservoirs this summer.  also got a chance to go boating at deer creek.

spent a weekend at the family cabin in heber 4 wheeling

took another quick trip with laura and zac to st. george in august.  also headed to vegas for some shopping, food, and a show!

my sweet, amazing baby girl turned 1 on 8.22!  what a sad day to realize that she is no longer a baby, but what a celebration of her life!  she is the best thing to happen to our little family. millie is social and quite advanced for her age.  she's been walking and talking since she was 9 months old, she is a cuddle bug, she loves to play at her sitter's house, she is such a sweetheart... the list goes on.  i couldn't imagine my life without her and can't wait to see how her personality develops over this next year!

my baby sister katie got married to this cutie, danny, on 8.29

we went to swiss days the day after katie's wedding and had a great time.  the day after that, we took a spur of the moment trip to disneyland!  what a fun time with my family and millie absolutely loved it!

went to the zoo with laura (and zac, kinda haha) and had a great time!  laura and zac decided that they would take a job offer in victoria, texas so they left us a few days later.  we miss them terribly already and can't wait to see them for the holidays!

family pictures complete with a rock holding/rock loving baby girl :)

there you have a very condensed summary of our last 6 months.  here's to hoping that i'm better keeping up on the next 6 months.

hope you're happy, laura :)

6 months!

photo credit: shaylei grace photography

my little munchkin is already 6 months old and i can hardly believe it!

she has been the best baby we could have asked for and is an absolute joy in our lives.

at 6 months:

she popped another tooth and now has 3 bottom teeth

was sick most of months 4-5 which meant a few trips to the dr, lots of tylenol, fevers, double ear infections, first round of antibiotics (that didn't clear up those darn ear infections), an awful 3 weeks with bronchiolitis, lots of nasal suctioning, plenty of time spent with the humidifier, etc.

she's finally feeling better but she is still congested and has a bit of a cough.  and her dr says she still has an ear infection but being an ear doctor myself, i'm a little skeptical so we're not doing anything about it right now (especially because she doesn't seem to be bothered by it)

she giggles all the time, especially when being sung to, when you blow on her face, or being tickled on her tummy or her thighs.  she also likes when you blow raspberries on her tummy/neck.  

still sleeps like a champ- sleeps every night from 9:30-7 and usually takes 2 naps during the day

very curious and skeptical of people these days.  she doesn't give everyone the big smiles that she used to upon meeting them.

is becoming more "clingy" and is getting some stranger danger.

nicknames: millie june, millie moo, stinker, stinker-face, princess

rarely cries unless she needs something.

likes to pull the dogs ears and tails.  they're good and quite tolerant of her!

sits up like a champ and is practicing going from her tummy to sitting

started crawling just days before her 6 mo bday.  she's not very graceful with it, but it's a crawl none-the-less.

loves food and always wants what we're eating.  we've started giving her small bites of "big people food" and she is in heaven.  she even had her first bite of a sugar cookie thanks to her uncle zac :)

moved up to size 3 diapers

is in some 3-6 and mostly 6-9 clothes.

babbles all the time and lately it has been the /mamamama/ and /bababa/ sounds.  soon enough she'll be talking!

she is understanding turn-taking and having conversations- we'll babble to her, she'll babble back (or grunt back, haha) and the exchange can go on for a long time (like up to 5 mins!)

she loves music.... i'll usually dance with her while i'm singing to her and if i stop doing both, she'll start shaking her body to tell me she wants me to keep going!

she (we) survived her first extended time away from mom and dad while we went to new orleans.  i missed her like crazy but it was reported that she was a good baby the whole time.

she thinks she's bigger than she really is.  she's getting to be a smart cookie and is quite inquisitive.  people tell me all the time that there's no way she's only 6 months old with how developed she is.  

it has been so fun to watch her learn and grow every day!

weight: 17.4 lbs   60th percentile

height: 26 inches  75th percentile

months 3 & 4 (and a bit of 5)

here's a little update on our little family

mostly a little update on millie:

on november 4th she was given the most beautiful blessing by the best daddy around.  she looked like an absolute princess and was such a good baby the whole day.  we had so many family and friends attend the sacrament meeting and the brunch afterward.

at 3 months she:

has little giggles

rolls from her tummy to her back

is becoming even more alert and aware of the world around her

still comes to work with mom

still sleeps like a champ- at least 2 naps during the day and sleeps all night long

refuses to suck on a pacifier or her fingers- we've given up

is still in newborn and some 0-3 clothes

in size 1 diapers

loves to cuddle

is a very social baby- loves to smile at anyone and everyone

got her first little cold

started sitting in her bumbo

at 4 months:

millie got her first jumparoo and loves it so much

she jumps and jumps and jumps until she passes out- she'll nap for a few minutes, wake up and realize she is in her jumparoo and she'll get excited and start jumping again.  crazy girl.

giggles constantly

can roll from her back to her tummy but only when going to her left

got spoiled at christmas and loved all the attention she got

is starting to play with toys more

loves music and certain music instantly calms her down

started on rice cereal- doesn't love it but doesn't hate it

is starting to get a little chunky

still comes to work with mom, but not for much longer

has been grabbing for things and has quite the "death grip"

her 5 month birthday is next week so here are some new things she's doing:

got her first 2 bottom teeth (at the same time!) that popped through on jan 12th

started going to the babysitters and they love her and say she is such a good baby

fits into most 3-6 month clothes

needs size 6-9 month pjs because she's tall

graduated to size 2 diapers

usually goes through 2 outfits a day

started on solid foods- she'll eat just about anything but her favorites are apples and bananas mixed with oatmeal

while laying down she will spin around in circles

can finally roll (kind of) to her right

is intrigued by the dogs

still sleeps in mom and dad's room but not for too much longer

her umbilical hernia is just about healed up

loves to stand on her feed and usually bounces up and down when she does

weighs 15 lbs (50th percentile)

in the 80th percentile for height

happiest and gosh darn cutest baby you've ever seen