Good Intentions

I have been meaning to post for some time now, but just haven't gotten around to it. Honestly there hasn't been a ton of interesting stuff going on. However, I will attempt to highlight the main things we've been up to the past month:

We've all been sick. We caught a miserable cold/ cough and were all down for about a week. We were especially worried about Gabe, since it seems to have been really hard on him, but today he is back to his perky self and he even slept pretty much through the night last night (a first for about a month).

This kid is growing so fast! These pajamas were too big not too long ago.


Gabe's favorite toy is still the jumperoo.

From The Cutest Jumping Video!

We went to Oregon to visit my family for a quick 4 days. We didn't go visit for Christmas, and we wanted to see everyone and visit with Tayler as he has received his mission call to Brisbane, Australia and is scheduled to leave in March. (Yes, those are tears. Having a cold, being in a new place and not sleeping well left the little guy somewhat emotional- both happy and sad!)
We had an enjoyable time with everyone, and Gabe did ok on the plane, all things considered.

Gabe napping with Grandpa! Sorry the picture is so bad, I didn't want to turn on the flash and wake them up, but I thought it was a sweet picture all the same.


Gabe at the airport.


We've pretty much been up to the usual this month. I have been working my 2 half-days at the clinic, and BJ is busy at his job as well. I have sort of been craft- crazy this month, learning how to do new things, and finding new projects I want to work on. I love making stuff. After I finish some of my projects I will try to post pictures of what I make. I also love to know what ideas other people have for crafting, so if you have any awesome ideas, let me know!
Here are a couple of pictures that we took tonight. I have no makeup on, so don't judge me!

Six Months Old!

I can't believe it has been 6 months since Gabe was born! Sometimes it feels like it has been longer, but for the most part, it feels like the time has just flown by! I am amazed at his development, his growth, and the host of little changes that have turned my little newborn into a baby boy with personality!

Gabe is now sitting up almost completely by himself, he loves jumping in his jumperoo, and playing in his walker, but doesn't like laying down or reclining back much. He loves his rice cereal and baby applesauce, carrots, and sweet potatoes. He doesn't like prune juice much, or having his rice cereal mixed with baby food. He loves it when we play peek-a-boo with him or patty cake. He loves being tickled and he thinks low growly voices are hilarious. He is still pretty cuddly, but definitely wiggly and curious. If he can get his hands on it, he will try to put it in his mouth (it doesn't matter what "it" is). Gabe has 2 teeth, and boy are they sharp! He has recently begun taking some naps, which is a relief for me. Sometimes he falls asleep when I vacuum or when I blow dry my hair. Gabriel does pretty well in the car, but he doesn't really like being alone in the back when it is dark. He wants to be entertained. If he is crying or fussy, we can almost always calm him down by making "the elephant noise". He likes getting bundled up and going for walks in the stroller even when it is cold outside. He is starting to be a little wary of strangers, but he loves watching other babies. The people Gabriel knows best are his Mommy and Daddy, his Grandma Sue and Grandpa Ron, and his Aunt Marissa and Uncle Richard. He would like to get to know all his other family members and friends too! He is learning how to use the webcam so he can talk to his far- away family (with the help of Mom and Dad, of course). His vocabulary consists of the sounds "d", "g", "da", "aguh", "ha", "yuh" and grunts and squeals. Bathtime is one of Gabe's favorite times, especially now that he has toys he can kick and splash in the tub. Gabe seems to be going through a growth spurt, because he isn't sleeping quite as long at night before waking up to eat, he is hungry more often, and he is growing out of his clothes at an alarming rate.
I love this little boy more than I can express, and I treasure every smile, laugh, slobbery "kiss", and even the diapers and feedings, and comforting him when he cries. We are so glad he is part of our family.

Taylor Family Christmas Party

So, sorry this took so long. Having a video camera is new to me, so it has taken me a while to figure out how to use it, convert the files, find an online video site that I feel comfortable with (didn't like youtube's permissioning system) and other details. But now I've got the whole process down, future posts like this should be much easier. I'm also going to help mom to see if we can get videos off of her camera tomorrow too. There are some key videos that we didn't get at this party that I would like to include. These videos are mostly for family who couldn't be there. Not that the rest of you shouldn't look at them or anything like that, it's just that they may not be all that entertaining to somebody who doesn't know this cast of characters. ;-)

Video 1
Video 2
Video 3
Video 4
Video 5
Video 6
Video 7
Video 8

This week...

1. We have enjoyed the snow in that it has made us feel the Christmas spirit more. There's just something about cold weather that makes the season seem more exciting.
2. Gabe has taken a 40-60 minute nap EVERY DAY! What an improvement. He has also been happier and more willing to try to entertain himself. This may have something to do with the fact that...
3. Gabe finally cut his first tooth. I am both excited and saddened. My little baby is growing up so fast!
4. My brother Tayler got his mission call for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter- day Saints. He will be serving in the Brisbane, Australia mission. I am so excited about this!
5. We saw some friends of ours (Danielle and Scott) we haven't seen for quite some time who were in town visiting. We enjoyed catching up with them.
6. I finished my last BIG Christmas project. I can't tell you what it is. Shhhh.... it's still a secret. Just one or two more tiny little things to do. Also, I am done wrapping presents! Wahoo!
7. We were involved in a minor car collision on Saturday. In spite of not really fitting in to what we had hoped to accomplish during the day, we are so grateful that we all came out of it safe and sound.
8. Today in Primary, Gabe was the baby Jesus for the Nativity scene the kids acted out. He did a marvelous job! He seemed to be amused by it all. He just watched the kids do their parts all around him. The 15 or so kids who had parts were just mesmerized by him. By the end, they were all crowded around the laundry basket/manger he was laying in and gently reaching in to touch him. It was very cute. No one seemed to mind that the baby Jesus was wearing a puppy-dog-print onesie (he messed his church shirt right before... oh well.).
9. We had a family Christmas dinner and party. My rolls turned out well (a bit of a worry for me, since I have traditionally maintained that I do not bake- though I think I may be turning over a new leaf), and we all had a fun time making music and celebrating the birth of Christ. I believe BJ will be posting clips of all the songs he videoed.
I am looking forward to this coming week! We plan on watching old Christmas movies (favorite recommendations, anyone?), seeing the lights and nativity on Temple Square, visiting with more friends, web cam -chatting with my family in Oregon, and maybe taking some fun drives if the weather isn't too bad.

A Few Highlights of November

Visiting with our nephew Taylor before he entered the MTC to serve a full- time mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.


Giving Gabe rice cereal for the first time (at least consistently).


Donating my hair to Locks of Love: Before


After


Getting all ready for the last BYU Football game of the season (I say getting ready for it, not watching it, as I don't think the sad outcome of the game could be considered a "highlight").


Visiting with my family, who were all here for the week of Thanksgiving. I had so much fun, and we sure enjoyed having them stay with us!










Finally framing and hanging this awesome Noah's Ark trio that Cara painted for Gabe before he was born!

More of our laughing baby

So Rochelle posted pictures, and I thought that a video was in order too... so here is baby Gabe laughing with Rochelle.

From My Videos

Happy Baby!

I just thought this recent collection of smiling/ laughing Gabe was so cute, I had to share it!

Four Months Old!

I can't believe the time has gone by so fast and my little "newborn" is a newborn no longer! Gabriel is growing so fast and I can hardly stand it! Gabe can hold his head up as well as his upper body to an extent. He reaches for and grabs things, and puts them in his mouth. He smiles and laughs all the time and babbles and coos. He knows when Mom leaves the room... He seems to have gotten through the waking up every 2 hours at night phase- and (maybe I should knock on wood) I think we are starting a pattern of sleeping 7-8 hours at night before waking up to eat! Gabe loves to play peekaboo and pat-a-cake games, actually any old game or song or anything that makes you smile, laugh and talk with him. He is done with the whole pacifier thing, but we are working to keep him taking a bottle. We get a kick out of the way he laughs any time we laugh, or blow raspberries, or tickle him. I love going to pick him up when he wakes up and he gives me the biggest grin! He likes playing in his baby- gym thing and his walker. He still isn't big on taking naps, although sometimes he gets a short nap when he is in the swing.
This kid pretty much has us wrapped around his little finger. Before Gabe was born, I just didn't have any idea of how much we would love him and be thrilled by every little thing he does. But it is true- Gabe has brought more love and happiness to our happy little family than I thought possible.

We have a new president elect

I'm sure you are not hearing this first from me, but it is fairly certain that Obama has won the election. I know many conservatives are fearful of what may follow, but here are my thoughts: We all know that Obama is our new president, and as such we need to lend him our support. He has many difficulties ahead, the economy being the foremost concern, and an atmosphere of optimism is crucial for making a economic recovery. Let's give Obama a fair chance to see what he can do, and let our prayers be with him. I'm sure he will need every one.

On outings, updates, and pasta

I wasn't able to post this past week due to sickness in our home, but we're definitely on the mend now, all feeling much better. Here's a quick update on some of the things we've done:
We did have a nice weekend trip to Park City, which we enjoyed, as well as a little outing to Vivian Park- the weather was beautiful. I will include some pictures from that. We also enjoyed having my brother Tayler come visit us two weeks ago for the weekend. I have continued to work two afternoons a week seeing patients at the county clinic. Work has gotten steadily better for me as I receive more training, get more experience, and become more comfortable doing it all in Spanish. I really like the people I work with, which is an added bonus. Gabriel has become interested in playing in his baby gym, wanting to sit up ALL the time (with help), smiling and laughing (especially if you laugh at him), playing pat-a-cake, and sucking on his fingers all the time. He is NOT interested in laying on his tummy to play, drinking from a bottle (although we are working on this one, and hopefully he will take it a little bit easier for his wonderful sitters!), or sleeping through the night. :( BJ has been busy as usual at work, but he takes time to help cook, take out the garbage, and do other chores around the house to help me out- he is also awesome at getting Gabe to fall asleep at night and calming him when he is upset.



I meant to make a post this week from the Holidays for Everyday site (which is now one of the links included on my blog- scroll down on the right side). It is National Pasta Month. So, in honor of that, I am going to post one of my very favorite pasta recipes, that I never make because BJ makes it sooooooooo good- why would I want to change such a great thing? Anyway, he made it for me for the first time on Valentine's Day a few years ago, and several times since (and he just bought the ingredients to make it again this weekend- Yes!). It is from a Gooseberry Patch "Meals in Minutes" cookbook that we love. It is tasty as well as pretty to look at once it is made. Here it is!

Chicken Primavera

1. 1 onion, chopped
2. 1 c. sliced mushrooms
3. 1 green pepper, chopped
4. 2 Tbsp. butter
5. 1 to 2 c. Italian salad dressing, divided
6. 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cooked and chopped
7. 1 tomato, chopped
8. 16 oz. pkg. angel hair pasta, cooked

Instructions:
Saute onion, mushrooms and green pepper in butter with 2 tablespoons dressing until vegetables are tender; reduce heat. Add chicken and tomato; heat until thoroughly warmed. Add to pasta and stir in remaining dressing (to taste). Serve warm. Serves 4-6.

YUM!

October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month

Many of you know that I am a nurse, and that I work in a clinic where I do- among other things- breast cancer screenings and education. Consequently, this is something that I have come to feel strongly about. Since I care about you all, please read this and try to make changes in your life if you are not doing all you can to prevent or detect breast cancer early.

Breast Cancer is a frightening disease. Most women fear that they or someone they love will get it. Our fears may or may not be well- founded, but they are made worse when we hear things like:
Every 2 minutes, there is a new breast cancer diagnosis.
Every 14 minutes, a life is lost to the disease.
Over 40,000 people will die this year; about 400 of them will be men.
85% of all diagnoses have no family history.
1 in 8 women will be diagnosed with breast cancer.
Breast cancer is the leading cause of death in women between ages 40 and 55.
(source: http://www.breastcancerawareness.com/facts.php )

Please read a few things that I have listed that can help you lower some risk factors for breast cancer:
Exercise and make healthy food choices.
Limit alcohol intake.
Know your family history. Talk to your doctor if breast cancer is in your family. This may affect the recommendations your doctor has for you. (Source: http://www.cdc.gov/)

In addition, set aside a few minutes each month to do a breast self- exam. Women, if you are at least 20 years old, you should be doing this (as well as getting an exam at the doctor’s office once a year)! I know you may feel uncomfortable, or it may be difficult to remember, but do whatever you have to do to remind yourself! Put a note or sticker somewhere you will see it, or choose to do it on your birthday- date each month. If you are at least 40 years old, you need a mammogram every 1-2 years (ever year after age 50). Men, please encourage the women in your lives to do this- it may save their life, because almost 70 % of all breast cancers are found when women do their self- exams. When breast cancers are detected early, women have an excellent chance of survival- the 5- year survival rate is 96%. If you find a lump, call your doctor ASAP, but know that 8 out of 10 lumps are non- cancerous. If you need a reminder on how to do a self- exam, check out this link that has step- by- step instructions: http://www.nationalbreastcancer.org/About-Breast-Cancer/What-Is-Breast-Cancer/Breast-Self-Exam.aspx

A great resource for people who need a little extra reminder is this Early detection plan you can sign up for- for free- and it will send you email or text message reminders.
http://www.nationalbreastcancer.org/edp/

There are programs that offer free or low cost mammograms to women over 40 each year if you meet certain income requirements. The clinic I work at is one of these programs, and there are programs like this all over the U.S. You can check out the CDC’s website to find out if you qualify.

Well, we need to say "Happy Birthday" to Charles (a bit late tho' we are) and wish him the best of years! Hope you had a fun time celebrating!

This picture was taken just a few days ago, and my first thought was that BJ and Charles look almost like brothers, right down to their semi- matching outfits! Haha.

We also need to post an update of Gabe's cuteness! So here are the most recent pics:

October is SIDS Awareness Month

Not the typical light and cheery post... yet I think the subject is very important. Most people have heard about Sudden Infant Death Syndrome, but while there is a lot of fear out there, maybe not enough is known or understood about it. Here are two important points about SIDS:

• SIDS claims the lives of almost 2,500 infants in the US each year (nearly 7 babies every day).
• Twenty percent of SIDS deaths occur in a day care setting, emphasizing the need for safe sleep practices to be universally understood and practiced.

However, there are some things you can do to help prevent SIDS in your infant under the age of 12 months. Here are some points that I think are key:

DON’T:
• Let your baby sleep on soft, loosely filled surfaces (including comforters, pillows, water beds, couches, adult beds, etc.) because these can interfere with breathing.
• Allow hanging crib toys or thin plastic wrapping materials within your baby’s reach.
• Allow your baby’s head to become covered during sleep.
• Smoke during pregnancy or around infants.
• Dress babies too warmly- this may cause them to overheat. They can sleep comfortably in light clothing.

DO:
• Always place your infant on his or her back to sleep.
• Place infants in their own sleeping environment to sleep: a firm crib mattress covered by a sheet is the recommended sleeping surface.
• Keep all soft objects and loose bedding out of the crib.
• Consider offering your infant a pacifier after breast feeding has been established.

Some good news: Since the “Back to Sleep” Campaign began in 1994, the SIDS rate in the United States has declined by more than 50 percent. So these tips are definitely worth following!

Sources: http://nisa-sids.org/view/581/23192/Risk-Reduction.html
https://kr.ihc.com/ext/Dcmnt?ncid=51062836

Holidays For Everyday... a blogging mini- series! Part 2

See previous post for background on "Holidays for Everyday" and a great website resource. I'm on a roll with food; here is a recipe in celebration of "National Cookie Month"!

Last week my sister Marissa came to my house and brought with her some cookie dough she had made. We baked the dough, and I enjoyed the best home-made cookies I have had in a long time! I asked her for the recipe, and she said that she just used the recipe from the JIF peanut butter canister. Here is the awesome recipe:

Irresistable JIF Peanut Butter Cookies
¾ cup Creamy PB
½ cup Crisco All- vegetable shortening
1- ¼ cups firmly packed light brown sugar
3 TBSP milk
1 TBSP vanilla
1 egg
1- ¾ cups All- purpose flour
¾ tsp salt
¾ tsp baking soda

1. Heat oven to 375*F. Place sheets of foil on countertop for cooling cookies.
2. Combine PB, Crisco, brown sugar, milk, and vanilla in large bowl. Beat at med. speed with mixer until well- blended. Add egg and beat just until blended.
3. Combine flour, salt, and baking soda. Add to creamed mixture at low speed. Mix just until blended. Drop heaping teaspoonfuls of dough 2 inches apart onto ungreased baking sheet. Flatten slightly in crisscross pattern with tines of fork.
4. Bake at 375*F for 7-8 min. or until set and just beginning to brown. Cool 2 minutes on baking sheet then move to foil to cool completely.

Marissa actually used crunchy PB, and although I’m not usually a fan, I really liked it in this recipe. She also put in chocolate chips- a girl after my own heart. Seriously the best PB (and choc. chip!) cookies ever! I think I’m going to make them again tonight!

Also, in response to the request for more pictures of Gabe, I will make sure to post more photos as we take them. I actually have some that were taken last week and a couple from this week and today. Here they are:

Holidays For Everyday... a blogging mini- series! Part 1

One of my favorite websites that I check periodically is www.holidaysforeveryday.com. It is actually a website created by a preschool teacher and is a compilation of interesting and unusual holidays. There are many holidays to choose from each day, and it is a great resource if ever you would like a reason to celebrate or learn about something. I noticed that this month, October, is the National Month for_____ (like 80 different things- I’m not exaggerating!) Some of the things were just downright strange, but others were really interesting and exciting to me. So I chose the best ones (to me of course) and decided to share them with you, along with my two cents on each topic.

National Pizza Month
My two cents on pizza:
Pizza pizza pizza! I love pizza! There are so many great options for yummy pizza. If you live in Utah, you may have tried Pier 49 Pizza… a higher end sourdough pizza restaurant. This restaurant is a personal favorite of BJ’s and mine. In fact, we bought a pizza there this evening, and enjoyed it very much! We love their Barbeque Chicken pizza, their Alfredo pizza, and their Little Italy pizza. The pizzas are a little pricey, so we enjoy them as often as we can, otherwise, we occasionally go for a greasy $5 Little Caesar’s pizza, or we try other local pizza places, such as Two Jack Pizza, or the classic Brick Oven Restaurant, which has much more to offer than just pizza.
We also enjoy putting together our own pizzas. One very easy and quick option is to use slices of sourdough English muffins, topped with tomato paste, garlic salt, oregano, grated cheese, and your choice of pepperoni, ham, pineapple, or anything really. We put them in our toaster oven or on a cookie sheet in the regular oven, and they are ready to eat in just minutes!
We love homemade pizza, although we don’t make it often. Here’s a link to a great healthy-cooking-on-a-budget blog a friend of mine writes, which has a pizza dough recipe. Home- baked pizza has a great texture and gets baked so evenly if you bake it on a pizza stone. We got one for our wedding from Pampered Chef, and we love it!
I ate a lot of pizza in Argentina. The “pizza experience” there is so different from here… it is all about aesthetics- meaning the pizzas are works of art, with everything arranged just so! Also, they put very different things on their pizzas. I actually had one very tasty pizza that had nothing but grilled vegetables on it (including squash and carrots), and another that was just a cheese and garlic pizza (bad for the breath, but great for the taste buds)!