Going on a HIKE...

...in our yard to mow the lawn with daddy!
I needed to clean the kitchen and she was being needy, so daddy decided to take her along for a ride. She wasn't too sure about the whole thing, but we both got our tasks completed for the evening. As you can see in the pictures, she was holding on for dear life to the rope-loop with both hands. She held on the whole time. I don't think she liked the noise...it was scary! What a trooper!

Night #1

(Photo of pathetic baby balling hysterically not pictured)

I was all geared up and ready to do it...put my baby to sleep and let her "cry it out" in order for all of us to sleep uninterrupted. I felt like I had done lots of research on how to do it, plus I had received lots of wonderful advice from friends and family. (Thanks!)

It all started at 8pm. We had company over and after Kendall fell asleep while drinking her bottle (not ideal, but whatever) we put her in her crib. She woke up at 9:15pm and it was on! I waited until she was obviously crying then went in there, put her pacifier back in her mouth- she spit it out, and continued to cry. I calmly told her that it was time to go night-night and that she needed to stay in her crib. By this time, she is already hysterical. I left the room for about 5 minutes and then returned to try to calm her down using the same words while patting her chest. Nothing seemed to be working.

As I stood by her crib she held my hand and screamed like crazy. I turned on an instrumental CD entitled "I am a child of God" hoping that the spirit would calm her down...still nothing. Five more minutes passed and I am playing the "what if" game with myself. WHAT IF she's only my baby for a short time and I didn't do everything I could to meet her needs. WHAT IF we get in a car accident... WHAT IF she drowned... and after a few more scenarios, I was a mess. Yes, it was all a bit too much for both of us to handle. And then to top it all off, the lyrics of the song that was playing began to resonate in my head. "PARENTS KIND AND DEAR"...yeah...there was nothing kind or dear that this parent was doing to her little baby girl.

Now with both of us crying, I finally took her out of her crib. Her hair was soaking wet from sweat, her face was beet red, and her snot was draining into her mouth. So sad! I held her in my arms, sitting down by the side of the crib, rocking her to sleep while she whimpers and tries to calm herself down. She loves to touch my hair and face while she falls asleep. I could not help but think of her sweet spirit as she wiped my tears away.

She is such a sweet, tender, loving baby. I don't know if it's because she's my first, or if she just has me wrapped around her little finger, but for now I will take it. She won't be my little baby for too much longer so I welcome the opportunity I have to be there when she needs me most.

She slept mostly through the night. She woke up once at 3:30am whining for about 3-5 minutes, found herself a comfy position and fell back asleep all by herself. When I went in to check on her, she was sound asleep on her tummy. Then, I realized that she has always loved to sleep on her stomach, even as a tiny baby. She always slept so much better that way. She finally woke up at 9am. I think I am going to try putting her on her stomach to sleep.

This whole bedtime thing is a work in progress. I am still going to try other things, but there's one thing for sure...I will not/cannot let her cry when she needs/wants me and not do anything about it. There has to be another way. Maybe it's a new mom thing, but it is what it is!

Cry-it-out???

Alrighty...we are struggling over here! Kendall wakes up at least 2 times at night and sometimes up to 5. What's a loving parent suppose to do? We make sure all of her needs are met...fed -CHECK, diaper -CHECK, blankets -CHECK, pacifer -CHECK. We have tried the "cry-it-out" method and I cave in every single time. She gets hysterical! I feel horrible. Is that the only way to do it? I just don't think I can do it. Help! Advice needed from more experienced parents...PLEASE!!! What's your secret?

Signed,
Tired parents

Happy 1/2 Birthday!

Last Friday, Kendall turned 6 months! Yeah! I can't believe how time flies. She has grown so much and is starting to develop a very fun personality. She is such a sweet baby...very loving and patient. Today we had her 6 month appointment (shots included). Those are never any fun! She handled it well this time. (above photo professionally editted by Brynn)

At 6 months, she:

• weighs 21.6 lbs., and 28 in. long
• still loves her food
• loves to chew/eat the Gerber graduate puffs
• holds her own bottle
• gets into a crawl position from sitting
• rocks on all fours in the crawl position
• stands holding on to the couch
• is in her new convertible car seat (infant carrier only went to 22lbs.)
• puts her hands up when she wants to be picked up
• crys when you leave the room
• plays with her tongue (a lot)
• drools alot
• squeals when she's happy and excited
• is very aware of everything that's going on around her
• is still not sleeping through the night
• pulls herself up on things (6.5 mos)
• started crawling (6.5 mos)

SIX MONTH PHOTOS

Bedtime

Tonight we started our nighttime/bedtime routine...dinner, Signing Time video (which she loves), bathtime, daddy-daughter storytime, family prayer, followed by the finale... rock-a-bye baby time with mommy. Hopefully, by the end of all this she is asleep. Tonight it worked! Don't get me wrong...she doesn't stay asleep through the night and I just don't have it in me to let her "cry it out". We're just hoping and praying she will outgrow her middle of the night awakenings.

She was just loving her bathtime. She was a big girl in her big girl bathtub.

Parents kind and dear

Words cannot express how much I love and appreciate my parents. They are so kind and thoughtful. My parents drove up to visit us over the weekend. They do things for us without being asked.

My dad put safety things in our windows (as per my mom's request), fixed up my computer, completed our entertainment center, and helped me figure out a work dilemma. My mom always helps with the little conveniences around the house and even came to support me while I gave my Relief Society lesson on Sunday.

They are so helpful with Kendall. I love to watch them interact with her. I wish I would have taken more pictures during their visit. I only took one with my camera phone when we were at the mall. My mom had put Kendall on her shoulders and walked around with her in the store. Kendall was pretty excited to have a whole lot of hair to pull.

Needless to say, I hate to see them go and look forward to seeing them again!

Monterey

This past weekend, we had the chance to spend some time in Monterey, CA. In order to keep up my license as a speech pathologist, I need to have a certain number of CEU (continuing education units) per year. One of the quickiest, easiest ways to obtain those hours is to attend the Speech & Hearing Convention that is held every year. And the best part... is that my job paid for my expenses.

We stayed at the Casa Muras for 2 nights. Shane watched Kendall during the conference. Afterwards, we went to the aquarium, fisherman's wharf, and cannery row. We also took a scenic tour around the peninsula. The weather was absolutely beautiful. We had a great time!

Click play to view the photos!

L.A. Again!

Kendall and I flew down to L.A. for another visit with Nana and Papa. Lucky for us, Uncle Nick was visiting at the same time and since Aunt Toni lives there we were able to spend time with her as well.

Our visits in L.A. usually consist of hanging out at the house, dining out, a little shopping and of course, a pedicure! I love capturing photos of Kendall spending time with all the people that love her. We had a great time!

An added bonus...Nana and Papa set up the crib in their bedroom. They insisted on having her sleep in there. Nana wanted to wake up with her during the night and I enjoyed the uninterrupted sleep. Nana loves to listen to her noises and rock her sleep. Gotta love grandparents!

Kendall was sitting on the floor playing and Papa got down on her level to play with her. It was fun to watch them interact with each other. His glasses were her main focus. She was determined to grab them. Papa also got slimed with a whole lot of drool. Yummy!

Check out the expressions on her face while she experiences a tootsie pop for the first time. Don't worry...she only had a few licks then we took it away.

Lunch with Aunt Toni followed by a fashion show with her adorable hat.

And, of course, we can't forget about Uncle Nick squeezing any and all baby fat on her body...he started at the cheeks, then the cleavage, and then the belly. Kendall thought it was pretty funny.

Once Upon a Garden

We recently had some curbing done to our front yard and need to fill the planter boxes around the trees. I was so excited with the idea of gardening that I went out and bought a cute pair of gardening gloves, a pair of gardening shoes and a hoe. I put on my "stuff" and headed for the front yard. It seriously took me 2 minutes to realize it is NOT my cup of tea. I don't like dirt even with gloves on. My poor husband came to the rescue of the prima donna, valley girl and finished my job... laughing all the way! And all I have to say is where is Juan when you need him! I was totally excited to plant a vegetable garden in our backyard...that's not gonna happen unless I can find me some hired help.

Nonetheless, I took picture of the event just to remind myself and my posterity that it's not my thing. Maybe in my next life.

BEFORE

AFTER

Mrs. PRIMADONNA- herself
The REAL GARDENER OUR SUPERVISOR

Brandon's Funeral

Tuesday evening after work, we drove down to the bay area for Brandon's funeral services. Tuesday evening was the viewing, then the following day was the memorial service. Shane was asked to speak at the service and he did a remarkable job. That has got to be one of the most difficult things to do and Shane was flawless! I was very impressed with his ability to convey his message so eloquantly under those circumstances. He is a great public speaker.

The memorial service was very well done. The stories and memories of Brandon will forever be in our hearts. It was great to spend time with Brandon's family. They consider Shane part of their family. Many of Brandon's relatives thanked Shane for being such a great friend to him. Shane help Brandon on many occasions during the 10 years they were friends.

The night before Brandon passed away he called the house and left the sweetest message on our answering machine for Shane.

This is what he said, "Hey Shane, how are you doing? This is Brandon! I just um wanted to call you and tell you how much I appreciate you for being my friend. I don't think you...I don't know if you understand how much I really appreciate you as a friend and how much you've helped me. And I love you, bro. I hope everything's okay. If you need anything, give me a call. I'll see if I can do anything to help you. I'll do what I can to help you. Have a good evening, good night."

A message to remember! We'll miss him!

Living in the lap of luxury

Tuesday evening, Kendall stayed in a hotel room for the first time. What an experience! She did very well. We had a great time considering the circumstances.