Another month has come and gone. Honestly, I know people always say when you start your family, time just rushes by...but I am ONE of those people now! I feel like Tenley might as well be graduated from sixth grade already.

Our awesome friend, Noelle was so kind to do our family photoshoot for Christmas cards this year. Turns out, with the gift-giving season upon us, we had to make a cut somewhere...and well, Christmas cards got the cut. I'm making progress on a homemade e-card for everyone :) But I figure I might as well capture these moments of having the computer to myself + a napping baby.

This baby girl eats more than any other 1+ child I know. Honestly...I'm not just saying that, I have had STRANGERS comment on what a good eater she is. She'll normally sit in her highchair for a good 30 minutes, continually shoveling food into her mouth. If there's a lull in the food supply, she constantly squeaks, "Mo, Mo Mo" (equivalent = more). She eats 3 square meals a day, 2 snacks...so if I do the math right...that means she sits in her highchair for an estimated 3+ hours a day. She has MANY favorite foods right now: brocolli, peas, CHEESE (like 1 LB every 2 weeks, folks...I promise I am sticking strictly to the "recommended" Food Pyramid for a 1 Year old)...she also loves frozen strawberries, raisins, toast, eggs, yogurt, chicken, beans, PBJ sandwiches, graham crackers, tortillas, rice, cookies;) Not even kidding, we haven't found a food she won't eat. Hallelujah. that might explain her healthy 1 year stats:

20.6 Lbs

She loves to sing....and dance...and jump. She is ALWAYS jumping. In fact, we don't think she will take more than 5 steps of walking because when we start to cheer for her for taking some steps she starts to jump and then falls over! She and I will sing duets in the car when we're driving. I'll start off a song, and then stop, say "you're turn" and then she will start to sing. Melts my heart right to a puddle, I say.

We have had a couple of late nights with her during December, and we our good friend was holding her, then 30 minutes I look over and she has Tenley asleep! Then the week later, our Bishop's wife had her on her lap during a Christmas program, and we looked back to see how Tenley was, and she was fast asleep! Honestly...we don't want to be annoying, but we have World's Best Baby. The only reason I say that on this blog is because I keep this as a journal-ish, and I want Tenley to know that we brag about how amazing she is and how she has raised the bar for all of her siblings :)

Last year of our life = the best.

Almost One

Our little Jazzerciser.

Can't believe she's going to be one this month. Although, with some of the new words/actions/phrases she has started, it's easier to believe. Sometimes I feel like she should be 2 by now.

Some of her favorite things to do:

Jump: Brandon has brilliantly created a "Jenny Jumper" contraption on our wall, so that little T can have the freedom to jump sans doorjams (our apartments has ZERO doorjams). With or without Jenny Jumper, our little girl is jumping all day long. When I go in to get her from her nap, she stands holding onto the crib and jumps. And...she catches AIR. Seriously. Cutest thing ever.

Clap: Not sure if it's her nervous gesture or what, but anytime she meets someone new, once she is done burying her head into our shoulder (bashful little thing), she immediately prepares her hands for applause. It's the most dainty little thing. My personal favorite: even when she is getting her diaper changed (which she now PROTESTS, wha??), if I start singing, "If you're happy and you know it clap your hands" she will immediately wrap-up the tantrum and start clapping. So cute.

Singing: this little girl loves music. Every night I sing her the same 3 songs in the exact order (I'm a woman of repetition, I know)...now it is more of a duet. Whenever I sing, she hums right along with me. Usually on the same key the entire time, but I love the music we sing together.

"Da" = Daddy. And I know she really means it, because the only time she says it is when Brandon walks in the front door, or when I bring her in bed with us in the morning.

"Mah" = More. As in, feed me ASAP. This child is a disposal. She honestly needs a conveyor belt into her mouth. If we are not giving her a constant stream of food, she is ANGRY. (Favorite food: peas...the real ones. I microwave those suckers and she eats at least 2 cup fulls for dinner)

Can you tell this little girl has added a new chamber to our hearts? Love her.

Another thing

I can't let this mass-blog update go without a mention of Fall...which means Football Season. Which means 3 flag-football teams for this guy. Brandon just got his birthday gift in the mail last night....his reaction made me think we had another baby or something....

Too Fast

Where have the last 9 1/2 months gone? Anybody have any idea? I keep having this vision of Tenley being 18 years old, and wondering why her Mother only blogged about her 5 times in her first year of life. Not sure how I am going to answer to that one....Brandon's mom just gave him a photo album of him when he was a baby, and I loved reading through it. And since this is my only sort of "baby journal" I have been keeping, I feel more of an urgency to capture this sweet little baby girl of ours. I remember reading through my Mom's journals when I was younger, and she would write certain things that we had done as a family. I remember thinking I wish I knew more about what she thought as a Mom of 5 young girls, and the challenges she had.

I want Tenley to look back at these and know what I thought about, what I worried about, what she loved, what we loved to do together. Every night as I'm rocking her before she goes to bed, I say a silent prayer for her. I know what it was like to have to be a girl growing up in the world we live in now. When Tenley was given her baby blessing, she was blessed that she would always know that she was a Daughter of God and that would be the only validation she would ever need. If she knows she is loved by her Heavenly Father then no other person in this world would need to give her validation. I pray for her every night that Brandon and I can raise her in this world and help her remember where she came from.

The most defining trait of Tenley Marie is how completely calm and content she is. Even complete strangers have come up to us at the store before and said, "she is just so easy-going isn't she?!" And yes, yes she is. I never dread taking her anywhere, even if she has to sit in a high-chair for an hour while I catch up with family or friends. She just sits and plays, claps her cute little hands together, and squeaks away. I have a friend who is trying to convince her boyfriend that babies aren't ALL that bad. She asked me if she could borrow Tenley for a week, because she just knew if he got his hands on Tenley he would feel differently about babies. I always have to remind myself, as well as my friends who haven't had children yet, that Tenley is raising the bar for ALL babies....and that babies aren't really this easy-going most of the time :) I always tell Tenley that she is certainly raising the expectations for all of her siblings.

Another thing Brandon and I have loved seeing is how completely endearing her personality is. We live in a very close-knit apartment complex, and Brandon and I can hardly ever step foot outside without having someone ask, 'Let me see Tenley!' We have deemed Tenley as the Honorary Court Baby because all of the little kids LOVE holding her/playing with her/making her laugh. It has been so fun to see how much Tenley's face lights up anytime she sees a little kid around because I think she has just come to expect that all little kids want to come up to her and play peek-a-boo.

She is so content and relaxed, that she could really give a hoot on whether or not she crawls. Everytime I put her on her knees and hands, she gives me a pathetic little cry and then proceeds to roll onto her back. However, she will accept all hands/fingers to assist her in walking wherever she goes.

I wasn't quite sure it was possible to love someone the way that Brandon and I love Tenley, but wow. I can only capture that love by saying that my heart is in a constant state of near-explosion. I know this time with my first little baby is so fast, and I already feel like it's over! I am loving this time I have to cuddle, play, teach, love, and laugh with my sweet little firstborn baby girl.

all dressed up for a Costume party

Her makeshift "Jenny Jumper" that Brandon bolted onto our cinderblock, since there aren't any doorjams in our little 2-bedroom apartment :) Pioneer Day Festivities with my Dad and stepmom
Days of '47 Parade
Nana rocking T to sleep
Tenley's little buddy Rylee
Tenley's older cousins who are the BEST babysitters
Cousin Kordin came to visit us...Tenley can't wait to meet the rest of his family!
Relay for Life at the Gallivan Center--Brandon and I were the Entertainment Chairs this year

Baby in a Basket
This little girl has him wrapped around his little finger!
Cousins and BFFs
Cousins and BFFs, Take 2
Mommas and their Babies


My High School besties and I went and walked around Temple Square with the kiddos

Beautiful Temple Square!

Brandon's 29th Birthday Brouhaha!

Update

Well, I have the computer today for 8 WHOLE HOURS, and since Tenley has been napping for ONE WHOLE HOUR, I thought I might as well take advantage of how the stars have aligned for a new blogpost.

So many pictures, so little to say....which ends up perfect for me and the long-distant Aunts:

Tenley with her Grandparents and her bff cousin, Mckynlee

Our 4th of July family picture. Brandon was on a walk with his sister, and I knew that if I waited any longer we would be dipping into T's bedtime = not-so-happy a camper. So here is our happy family on the 4th of July. You can see Tenley looking out in the distance for her Daddy

We did a mini-photoshoot with Tiffany and Mike. I LOVE this picture.

And the 2 little Squishies....we like to refer to them as Best Friends. But you wouldn't know it yet, judging by how they like to clobber each other and make each other cry. One day we'll be having cousin-slumber parties.

And another one. These girls are DELICIOUS.

And in other news, thanks to some prodding by friends, family and most especially our Pediatrician...I had Tenley do the "cry-it-out" method last week for bedtime. It should really be renamed to be, "Mommy cries it out in her bedroom in the fetal position". I will tell you what, WORST 4 nights of my life...but now, the little joy just lays in her crib wide awake and snoozes into dreamland without a peep. Miracle.

One year down, add-two-skip-a-few years more to go....

Brandon is currently at school taking his Comprehensive Final...all 150 questions. And I am sitting here staring at a hamper full of clean clothes that need to be folded, listening to my baby talk herself to sleep in her room. To say that my stresses are much different than Brandon's stresses would be an understatement. But I thought I would at least utilize this nice quiet time to give Brandon some air-time on this so-called journal.

Amazing how quickly a year can go...it seems like just yesterday I was posting about this . That could also be because it was only like 4 posts ago on the blog ;). I remember how anxious we were for Brandon to finally start school. To finally be one step closer on the path to fulfilling his dream of being a Doctor. It's crazy how that one year of waiting we had when we didn't get any acceptance letters seemed to draaaag on forever. And now, he's already got one full year of Medical School under his belt.

At first, I would hear people say, "Oh, you're going

to be having a baby in the middle of your husband's first year of Medical School?", or "Good luck with a newborn and a student in Medical school!" But now, as I look back, I can honestly say...we did it...HE did it. ...I did it. And, it was the best year of our lives to date. Much of that can be attributed to a somewhat flexible-ish first year of Medical School classes...but MOST of it is attributed to Brandon and his commitment FIRST to being a husband and a father. Many people have asked me, "So, how has the first year been with a baby and a husband who is always gone?" And I always respond, "The first year with the baby is deeply gratifying, and my husband seems to be home at all of the crucial moments." Sure, he studies hard and he works extra hard...but he has made some sacrifices which have made a significant difference to us. We wake up in the morning and have an ample amount of what he likes to call, "Family Snuggle Time". This is when I bring Tenley into bed with us and we lay and talk and sing with her. Then, he studies while I do stay-at-home-mom duties like a) exercise, b) sleep-train, c) brush my hair, d) breathe a sigh of relief that I'm not a saleswoman anymore. Then we eat lunch and we drop him off at school. Four hours pass by, and Daddy comes home! (and that is exactly what

we say when he walks in the door!) I welcome my student through the door with a sigh of relief that he is here to entertain Tenley while I work on

cooking the dinner. They play, and then we eat dinner, snuggle some more, and he studies at home. HOME. Yes, I lucked out with a man who would prefer to study at home than in a cubicle. So, Tenley goes to bed, and I make like a library and do my quiet duties (like watch TV or check my Facebook :). I know the demands of Medical School will become MUCH harder once he gets into Rotations/Residency/Boards, etc....but for now, we sure like our little life. And I would be an ungrateful wife, friend, study date, baby Momma if I didn't document a little bit about how his small sacrifice to spend time with his girls makes a significant difference in mine and Tenley's life.

Oh, and guess what: he is rocking those Med School exams!

We love you!

5 Month Honorable Mention Photos

I am learning that the more I make public statements on my blog like, "Check back every month around the 20th for a new post", the more I don't keep my promises. So, from here on out...just come and check the blog whenever you fancy, and maybe ONE day you'll be pleasantly surprised with a new post. Or TWO. SO, since the "four month" post got overlooked..let's just continue onto the 5th, shall we?

We have a friend who so graciously lets me borrow her jogging stroller anytime I want. I am slowly learning that jogging is already hard enough, so why would I want to push a 30lb. stroller + baby in front of me? We have only gone once :) But, we are convinced that if Tenley could do anything in life for 24 hours a day, it would be to be outside in her stroller.

Tenley's older cousin, Mckynlee (by a month) reaching out to give her loves. We have already made an arranged "friendship" with these two and have professed that they will be best friends.


Annnd...not quite sure what Tenley thinks about the cousin hugs just yet.

Rice cereal attempt = she loved it the first day. She practically "drank" the entire thing...since she looked more like she was sipping anything than chewing on it.

And, some Easter pictures we took of our little bunny. It's amazing what a white bed sheet and some plastic eggs from our Stake Easter Egg Hunt will do.

5 Month Stats:

14.11 lbs

25.5 inches long

The nurse called her 50%...average. We like to consider her perfectly healthy :) Oh and yes, the girl has got some cheeks.


And, it's official...there is nothing we love more than this sweet Angel baby.

Tres

Let's just assume that you can all just come and check the blog on-or-around the 20th of every month...that seems to be the trend around here. That way I can at least feel good about posting Tenley's "monthly" stats. And, as is tradition: we have some aunts in AZ, MI and UT County that always hound me for new blog posts ;) (Am I the only person who feels like if I live in SLC, the drive to Utah County feels like it is in a completely different state?)

I can't tell you how full our lives are with this sweet little princess in it. We are a little obsessed with her, I will tell you that. Tenley and I drop Brandon off at school every day, and yesterday the blanket was covering her carseat so that Brandon couldn't see in the window when he was leaving the car. He opened the side door and said, "Babe, you have to uncover her every day so I can look in and see her before I walk to class." You see? We are that obsessed that we just want to even glance at her one last time before we leave. Can't.blame.the.guy.

And, since this blog has turned into a tribute to our baby (hey, just be glad it's turned into anything besides dust)...here we go again:

Still trying to figure out the trick of getting a big smile caught on camera.

Smile fail, Take 2.

Just another cute picture of her "fieldgoal" sleeping position. She is such a great sleeper, she goes down at 8pm, sleeps until 4am, then after a quick meal, she goes back to sleep until 8am. Even when she wakes at night, she hardly cries. We call her our little "kitten" because she rarely cries, instead she "meows" and "purrs" like a little kitty. It is as if she is saying, "Uhm, excuse me? I hate to be a bother, but I am just in my crib and I would like for you to come get me so I can eat. No need to rush, I'm fine here...just come on in at your leisure."

Sweet baby girl at 3 months old. We don't have a Dr checkup until her 4 month appointment, so I'll just assume she weighs about 10 lbs and is about 30" long...okay, not really..but we swear she is as long as some average 1 year olds.

So my sister tipped me off on buying this baby sling...one day after T's nap, I thought I would try it out...turns out, she loved it so much she fell back asleep for 40 minutes. This picture makes me look like I'm multi-tasking. Hold a baby and a phone at the same time? Don't mind if I do!

Proof that she fell right back to sleep.

Brandon has "music time" with her every night after school. She LOVES music, and she sings and coos along while he sings. It is adorable, and if Blogger would let me upload the video of this, I would.

One of my friends is letting us borrow some of her daughter's "snow suits". I had to walk to the church one night with Tenley in the stroller and thought this would keep her warm. I was wrong. She.was.ticked.

Big Girl in her Bumbo Chair

This is her, "Feel free to check my pants" face

Are you still reading this? If so, thanks...look forward to her 4 month update on-or-around March 23rd ;)