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 ;)

Tenley at 2 Months

Well, I had forgotten how much of a rush I get when I actually have COMMENTS on my page! Thank you so much :) Good to see I still have some friends who still read this thing, I'm hoping that will be my motivation to keep it up...at least bi-monthly!

So, this baby is just too cute. We absolutely ADORE her and I am quite confident you would too. So, excuse the post of pictures, but I know there are some certain Aunts (since the Grandmas don't read this :) who want to see her....

And let me just tell you, it is VERY difficult to not have the urge to annotate every single picture of her! I can't just simply give you a picture of her without having to comment on it and pretend like I know exactly what she is thinking!

"Do you like my cheeks?"

This is her favorite position....we swaddle her for every nap/bedtime, but she always manages to wrestle her little arms out of it and above her head. Annotation, "Ahh..feels good to stretch"

Our little snuggle bug. She LOVES to lay on our chest, and I LOVE it. If she is ever fussy, we just toss her onto the shoulder/chest and she immediately calms down. Annotation, "MMmmm...Mommy smells good" :)

Annnd...this is the outfit you get when you put Daddy in charge of jammies. He thought she was too hot in her nightgown, so he figured a pair of spanx would do the trick. Annotation, "Brrr! My legs are freezing!"

2 Month Doctor Appointment Stats

Height: 23 " (45%)

Weight: 9.3 oz (15%)

Annotation, "This doctor has no idea how cold this stethoscope is!!" ;)

Seriously

Alright.

let's just get this out of the way, since it's like the Elephant in the room anyway...I haven't blogged for awhile. As in, since the last time I touched this thing I have now had a baby and celebrated her 2 month birthday. So...yeah. That whole "I have a sweet new camera now so I am going to blog so much more" idea was obviously fleeting.

I'd like to say I have a New Year's Resolution to blog more, but let's be honest. Y'all know that isn't going to happen. I do, however, have some New Year's "improvements". For instance, I would like to improve on my lack of blogging.

So, in the meantime...I introduce to you our sweet, perfect, content, angel baby:

Tenley Marie, November 20th 2010. 6 lbs 11 oz born at 7:00am sharp.

Ain't she a beauty? And with that beauty comes the most peaceful, content little personality to boot. We love her.

Plenty more to catch up on, plenty more pictures where that came from, would love to write down the "Birth Story".

I'll see you in six months :)

Back to School and Baby Bump

The night before Brandon started school was supposed to be a “memorable” back-to-school night for Brandon. I had these plans to go out to dinner, go buy him a new suit (they take their Class Picture at his White Coat Ceremony), and use this coupon for Famous Footwear to buy him some fancy new “kicks”. BUT, of course my plans were foiled because Brandon was on call. Normally, that isn’t too much of a problem because as history proves, he usually gets a case in the middle of the night..so I thought we’d at LEAST be good to go for the evening festivities. BUT, of course before I could even get home from work he was on his way to a case! So, I took the extra alone-time to setup a little “Back-to-School” table in our kitchen (a.k.a. school supplies, backpack treats, Vitamin Water, and anything else under $1 at Walmart). He finished at about 10pm, so we hurried over to Chili’s before it closed. We enjoyed ourselves a late-night “Back-to-School” dinner, which neither of us complained about. Then right when we walked in the door, he got another phone call. He left for a case in Ogden at 11:30pm and didn’t get home until 5:30am! And we left for school at 7am! Poor guy! I know this is just a sob story for you, but it needs to be documented so we can look back at this and laugh. (I know, you Med School spouses will say, “He was only gone from 11:30pm to 5:30am? That’s short!”) So, needless to say I was SUPER excited to wake him up for his very first day of school, but he was very tired! I think he was still hyped up on some back-to-school adrenaline though because I took a picture of him with his backpack on and he gave me a good cheese! It was so fun to drop him off at the same spot I dropped him off at just 10 months ago for his “Medical School Interview”.

And, honestly I can say that I am loving being pregnant. I guess I never really paid attention before when pregnant women would talk about feeling the baby “kick”, but it is the BEST thing ever. This little girl is pretty active, and I think she likes chocolate, PBJ sandwiches, and bread! Just like her mommy...Brandon loves to “talk” to her and give her good advice about the world outside. My favorite is when he tells her that she will be in trouble for “making her mommy ornery”….err…that never happens ::wink::

We just hit our “3^rd Trimester” countdown, which is exciting and scary all at the same time. A huge part of me is of course so excited to hug and kiss and snuggle with this little girl inside of me, and another part of me is trying to “buy” more time before she comes! Maybe I won’t feel so anxious once we unpack our apartment, and once we buy her a crib, and once we buy our first “baby item”.

28 Weeks, and a "Welcome to our new Cubicle, I mean apartment" picture

Catching UP

We have LOT to catch up on friends, practically a whole Summer's worth. AND, I got an amazing new camera from my sweet husband for my birthday so you can bet that one day this blog will be FULL of candid shots.

BUT, for now...Brandon starts school next Tuesday!!!!! and we move into Student Housing next Wednesday!! Which means our nights are filled with packing up our apartment and trying to figure out how we will fit 3000 square feet of things into a tiny 700 square ft living space. Anyone want anyting? We are joining our family for a huge Yard Sale tomorrow if you're interested. And if that hasn't piqued your interest, search KSL Classifieds because Brandon has practically opened up a part-time job wheelin-and-dealin.

And, Baby Junya is doing well, so well in fact that she is kicking me right now! Guess she just wants to say hi.

And as for a belly shot, well that will have to wait since our computer is being packed up.

But the other night, Brandon did say, "Babe, you're starting to look like the Grinch."


And for any of you who know me, you will understand that it was one of the best compliments I have ever received. Now all I do all day is walk around "Schlumping" and "Schlunking" and quoting lines from the Grinch, and my belly has really helped me get in character!


To be continued after we close the next two-most-hectic-weeks-of-2010.