Growing Up

I put him in this outfit the other day, and suddenly he looked SO much older. . .

How did this happen?

Conference Weekend and Nolan

We got some great shots of Nolan over conference weekend that I needed to share:

I put the red hat on him out of a bin of stuff Natalie brought for him to use. I was SHOCKED that he left it on that long. He sat with Jeremy and played with his phone for about 20 minutes without taking it off.

He also spent a good portion of the weekend carrying around a wooden spool in his mouth, breathing through the hole in the middle. . .

Spinning on grandpa's office chair

His new favorite thing to do. . .
it fits up there just perfectly!

Swinging in the backyard after the rain

Today

Things I like today:

-- Redeeming Best Buy Bucks for an itunes card

-- the beautiful weather outside

-- A long baby nap

-- better than expected news on refinancing our house


Things that bug me today:

-- getting emails from Facebook every time someone ELSE comments on a photo I commented on

-- 11 month olds don't understand logic. . . or even the word "no"

-- this fabulous economy of ours, and the anxiety it causes me, despite the fact that it does not yet directly effect me

Cleaning the Carpets

So. . . I'm really not TRYING to be such a loser about posting. I keep MEANING to blog. I'm not sure what the deal is. . .

Oh no, I do know. . .

Work is CRAZY busy getting ready for convention, and we haven't had a normal weekend (or week night, it feels like) in weeks, and we won't for a very very long time. . . So I'll do my best. It's all I can promise. I've taken a bazillion photos lately, I just need to get them organized.

Friday night, before leaving for conference weekend in Syracuse, we decided it was really really TIME to clean the carpet in the living room. We moved all of the furniture (save the entertainment center) into the kitchen so we didn't have to work around anything.

I did the first pass with the vacuum, and Ben did the rest. . .
because he's good like that. . .

Nolan found the vacuum highly fascinating. . . which is a step, because he went through a stage of intense fear of it. This time, he wouldn't move while I vacuumed. I literally had to pick him up and scoot him over lest he be sucked in. . . because Kirbys are powerful beasts, you know. It could have happened. . .
But he didn't seem scared so much as awed.Then, being a new expert on the Kirby, he helped dad figure out how to attach the carpet cleaner and get this project DONE!

11 months old

We had a breakthrough of sorts on the day Nolan reached his 11 month mark.

He drank formula.
Straight.
From a sippy cup.
While I was sitting right next to him.

I have been trying to wean him during the day, as a transition to milk and for my sanity. . . (pumping at work was about to kill me off) He was being a little pill about drinking the formula. He'd rather go without, even when he was home with Tamera.

But Tuesday, she said he drank quite a bit, so I thought I'd try. . .

And he drank 2 full bottles.

And that's giving me a pretty awesome sense of freedom. . . even if he's still a mama's boy morning and night. . .

Little Monkey

Nolan's Halloween costume showed up in the mail today, and I had to try it on him.

Ben calls him "Monkey", so this was an obvious choice. It's nice and furry, and I have to say, adorable.

Best of all, he didn't try to yank it off. That's success, in my mind.

New Hair

So, it's a little tricky to take a picture of oneself, it turns out. And this is after a couple of days without doing it. . .

BUT, here's the new hair:

Walking Man

This is just a little tease of all of the great video we've gotten of Nolan lately, but I had to share. . .

Soundless, sorry. I couldn't subject you to mommy voice and I don't have time to add music. But it speaks for itself. YIKES!! When did he get this big?



His pants are a little big, so they get in the way a bit, but he doesn't let that stop him.

Zoo Day

It was a beautiful day. . . Ben and I were already off work because of the wedding celebrations. . . so we decided it was a zoo day. We needed to use that season pass we bought. Nat and her kids joined us for a couple of hours of fun.

Posing with the rhino. The boys couldn't quite scale the back of it, so we all posed in front of it.

Checking out the monkeys

I really wanted pictures of nolan on the carousel. We rode it the last time we were there, but we didn't have our camera. He got a pretty big kick out of it, but he would never look when we went past Ben.

Bringing back the toe eating

Nolan riding the train
A VERY close up shot

We had a great time at the zoo. Nolan was at least as interested in people watching as he was in the animals, but I'm sure his interest will grow with time. . .

Wedding Time

Hanging with William, lookin' like a ragamuffin. It was too warm out for his sweater vest or shoes. . . and it's always a long wait outside the temple

William, Nolan and KP
Believe it or not, of the 20 or so shots I took, this was the closest to all of them looking at the camera and smiling at the same time


With cousin Molly

William riding on Uncle Ben's shoulders
I never realized how much they looked alike. . .

And, the happy couple

It was a beautiful wedding, luncheon, and reception
We were so happy to be able to be there with them

High Schoolness

Before we move on to the picturey posts from the weekend, I would like to oblige Stefanie and do a little high school tag. . .

1. Did you date someone from your high school:
Well. . . Date may be technically inaccurate. Hang out with, kiss, etc ? Yes.

2. What kind of car did you drive?
The great white beast of a 1985 suburban on a bad day, the boat of a white Caprice on a better day, and the 1994 white suburban (which was totally SWEET) on a great day. But I never got to actually drive to school.
I was an oldest child, after all.

3. What is your most embarrassing moment in high school?:
Oh geez. . . To be honest, I don't embarrass that easily. I'm sure I SHOULD have been mortified MANY times, but I have blocked those things out. Also, I hate embarrassing moment questions.

4. Were you a party animal?:
he he he. NO. I was the Mormon. 'nuff said. I DID throw some pretty killer Calculus study parties at my house, complete with popcorn and Kool Aid. Yeah, I was awesome.

5. Were you considered a flirt?:
I don't know if other people considered me a flirt, but I probably was. Am I good at it? I doubt it. . . but I thought I was.

6. Were you in band, orchestra, or choir?:
None of the above. I was a stage crew girl. Which was a lot less emo than you'd think. . . Not a trench coat or dungeons and dragons player among us. And overwhelmingly girls.

7. Were you a nerd? :
Depends on your definition. Probably. I was in the AP classes and National Honor Society. I'm sure that qualifies me.

8. Were you on any varsity teams?:
HA!! NO. I am the most uncoordinated person on the planet. Not to mention the asthma.

9. Did you get suspended/expelled?:
No. I was a goody goody.

10. Can you still sing the fight song?:
I don't know that I could have when I was IN high school. But I certainly can't now.

11. Who were your favorite teachers?:
Mr. Snyder, my drama teacher. He can be blamed for leading me to the life of theatre. . .

12. Where did you sit during lunch?:
Usually in the drama room or the auditorium, though there were stints outside and in the cafeteria for brief times. . . mostly freshman year.

13. School Mascot?:
The RAM

14. Did you go to homecoming and with who?:
No. We had anti-homecoming cookie making parties at Whitney's house instead. Dances just weren't that cool in our crowd. . . thank heaven.
Being uncoordinated doesn't help at dances.

15. If you could go back and do it again, would you?:
Meh. I guess. Knowing what I know now, it would probably be a lot more fun. I would certainly do it WITHOUT early morning seminary, though, if I had my way. If I just had to reverse time and do it again, no, probably not. . .

16. What do you remember most about graduation?:
Pictures out on the lawn at William & Mary & the party at Jessica's house afterward. . . I have very few memories of the actual ceremony.

17. Where did you go senior skip day?:
I don't think we had that. . . did we have that? If we did, I don't think I participated.

18. Have you gained weight since then?:
Please. Of COURSE.

19. Who was your prom date?:
The first year, I went with David Villareal. . . we decided to go, as friends, at the last minute. . . I can't remember why. He was probably 2 years younger than me. . . And the second year I went with John Hemming. . . again, just as friends. Did I mention I hate dances and never really went on real dates? I do remember that senior prom out at Indian Fields was the first time I had asparagus, and it had sand in it, so it was YEARS before I ate it again. Oh, and both of my dresses were pretty hideous, although I give my mom props for creating the lacey wonder I requested my jr year. . . it was a feat of engineering.

20. Are you planning on going to your 10 year reunion?:
I did! And it was fun. I got to hang out with all of my stage crew girls at once, for the first time in. . . I think 9 years.

21. Looking back, what advice would you give yourself?: Relax. . . Don't take everything so seriously. . . Enjoy it more. . . And eat less Wendys, even if it is cheap.

And I now tag. . . (for what it's worth to you)

The other Stefanie, Lisa, Jenee, Emily & Emily. . . and anyone else that thinks this might be fun. .. it kind of was for me.

Movies of the Month

Wristcutters, A Love Story
This was Rachel's suggestion. . . and she gave it a positive review, so even though it looked odd, I decided to try it. It was insanely independent in feel. And that served it well in some spots and not in others. I LOVED the first section where the main character is cleaning his room. Really well done. But overall, the movie was too bizarre for me to really like it. And Shannon Sossamon. Seriously, people, WHY does she keep getting acting jobs? She's AWFUL. And this movie did nothing to change my opinion of her.

Robin Hood, Season 1
I wanted to like this. I loved Richard Armitage in North and South. . . and he's not at all bad in this either, but the writing is CRAP! Like serious, awful, can't sit through it, crap. The plot lines were un-good, the set ups for the romances were totally contrived. It was like they weren't even trying. . . anyway, skip it.

The Kite Runner
I read this book on my lunch breaks for months. (I know, that's pretty ridiculous) And I loved it. I was amazed at how accessible it was. But the movie. . . the truth is, I didn't want to see the things that happened to those boys. And the adaptation did the story no favors. And the boys acting (bless them, I'm sure they tried) just didn't live up to the characters I'd created in my head. I couldn't even finish it. I tried several times, and then just sent it back, preferring to remember the story my way.

Smart People
The acting is great, the writing is good. . . it's one of those quiet independent films that I sometimes just truly enjoy. It's one of the biggest stretches I've ever seen from Dennis Quaid, and he pulls it off nicely. Did I love the movie? Not really. . . I can't say loved. But it's well made, and worth watching if you loved the Squid and the Whale, for instance.

Starter For 10
Oh, how I love me some James McAvoy. I thought to myself, a British chick movie with James in it. . . YES. And a lot of it, I really enjoyed. But I didn't totally love the script. And I didn't totally understand why it was set in 1985. I guess maybe the Brits will understand that better than I do. . . but I think I would have been pulled out a LOT less if it was set now. . . I don't think I'd really recommend this one unless you really REALLY like Mr. McAvoy.

Rescue Dawn
This movie was a lot less violent than I expected it to be. It was a war movie. . . I just assumed that it would be. The performances were awesome, particularly by Steve Zahn and Christian Bale. Christian Bale was awkward and nerdy in a way I've never seen from him. (it was brilliant!!) It's worth watching if you enjoy war movies.

Miss Pettigrew Lives For A Day
This movie is just FUN. It's got an amazing cast, first of all, so there's little they can do wrong. The art direction is great, the writing is fine (though not STELLAR), and the accents are good. And the whole movie, amazingly, takes place in one day! It's so worth watching if you want a lighthearted little movie.

Then She Found Me
Helen Hunt directed this movie, and she has a different sensibility than I expected from her, frankly. It's a very naturalistic film. You feel like you are literally looking at these people's lives the way they actually live them. About 45 minutes in, I was pretty bored by this movie. . . but by the end, I must admit to having been carried away by it. I think I may even recommend it. It is rated R, and while it's not terribly offensive, it probably deserves the rating. Just so you're warned.

The Fall
This movie was pretty. And I love pretty. The acting was good. I loved Lee Pace in this role. . . it was probably the best work I've seen him do so far (though I tend to like him generally). . . and the little girl was ADORABLE. It's a bizarre sort of fantasy, all the imagining of the little girl hearing the story. I would suggest it, but don't expect a complex story line. . . it's pretty simple.

More Boylike Behavior

Another installment in the never-ending saga of Nolan's climbing habit. . .

We got one of those bench things that looks nice but has tons of space inside for storage. . . I'm pretty bad at keeping it organized any real way, so the toys just get thrown in at the end of the day. (why do I feel the need to clean up the toys for the hours Nolan is asleep? Am I the only one that does this?)

So, without further ado. . . the toy box:


He was pretty mad, so I only took on picture. . .

I took this one intending to show it as a "before" picture, but the truth is, I took it after I fished him out. . . and I just can't lie to you people. . .

Also, my best attempt to document his walking. . . he won't take more than a couple of steps at a time, but this series looks like the real thing.


Also, yes, I know the browns don't match, and yes, I'm a little bit embarrassed about that, but it was laundry day, and that's what he was wearing. . . Don't judge.

Inflatable Fun

What a crazy week! I've been neglecting the dear blog. . . So sorry.

The following is a series of photos, taken with my phone, of Nolan having a grand ol' time on the inflatable jousting set up at Ben's Wyview activity last weekend. We went over for a few minutes to take Ben dinner while they were setting up, so Nolan got some free time playing all by himself.

As you can see, he thought it was awesome!

If only there was a good way to add sides to our Aerobed so he could have one of these in the living room.
That would make life far less dangerous.

Such a Boy

Last night during FHE, Nolan took a little spill into the coffee table. He hits his head on the table several times a day, but not usually hard enough to leave a mark.

Last night was different
Chewing on the ice pack Ben gave him for his head.
I'm sure it felt good on tooth #3 breaking through too.

I'm fairly sure he wasn't pleased that i was taking a picture so close to his injury.

But it's no wonder he ends up with injuries like this.

This is how I found him this morning when I came out of my very short trip to the bathroom.

Yes, if I was a good parent I wouldn't have taken a picture before I got him down. But it was just so perfect! And he actually seemed fairly stable at the time. . .

So sue me. I got 3 hours of sleep last night thanks to this little monster. . .

I've moved the truck since then. Don't worry.

Cupcakes of the Week

As payment for designing a gorgeous little cupcake for my Wee Cakes logo (which I will be sharing soon), I promised Megan some delicious cupcakes. Her choice was chocolate caramel, and I had to add peanut butter, because I've been dying to try the recipe Emily gave me.

I have to say, OH MY WORD!! I have outdone myself with this one.

Chocolate cake, caramel filling, peanut butter whipped frosting, and a drizzle of caramel on top.

I almost keeled over from the sugar rush.

And then I wanted a glass of milk.

New Video

A little video showcasing Nolan's love for his glow worm, our attempts to get him to walk on his own, and his love for his dad. We've showed him how to scratch Ben's back, and he loves to do it. He loves his daddy.

Today's Truths

-- I LOVE FALL. (I know this is just a tease of fall, but still. . . 70 degrees is PERFECT )

-- There's nothing better to a mom working from home than a nice long nap taken by her baby.

-- While it is important to Ben's job security. . . I really hate it when school starts and the students come back in droves. The only drivers in Provo more annoying than Women's Conference attendees, are returning students and their parents.

-- It's ridiculous that it takes Ben 20 minutes to get to his job, and it takes me 25 to get to mine.

**East Canyon - photo by Peter and Monika Wyrzykowski**