See you on the Flipity Flip!

So, because my efforts with this blog have proved to be completely fruitless.

(Let's face it, it's been almost a year since I last posted)

I have decided to start completely fresh.

Now that I have actually incorporated reading blogs into my regular routine, I decided I should and could actually contribute and maintain one of my own as well.

I will leave this active for the time being, mostly for posterity/journal purposes.  But from now on, I'll direct you to the newest and best blog I own here.

See you there! 

The Last 3 Months

Well, having a 5 month old has proven to make me want to sit and do nothing whenever I have a few minutes to myself; which is the cause for my lack of updates over the past few months. I'll do my best to catch up with everything we've had going on.

I have started working again part time at a variety of different places. I work as a hygienist what has turned out to be 1 Saturday a month in an office just down the street from my house. They advertised it to be more regular than that, but I'm ok with what it's turned out to be. It's still some nice extra money once a month.

I also went to Baskin Robbins in May and am now managing the store here in Queen Creek. I still am working very part time there, but it's very flexible and easy work for the money.

I had a working interview at a dental office in Mesa about 3 weeks ago. I loved the office and the staff probably the most of any office I've been in yet. The position would be every Thursday, every other Saturday and eventually (in about a year) Fridays too. The pay is awesome. They had 2 or 3 more interviews after me, and since they're looking for a Thursday hygienist they only do the interviews on Thursdays. So, I'm still waiting to hear back either way from them. We're really praying so much that I get it.

Dan and I celebrated 4 years of marital bliss on May 25th. It is crazy to think that 4 years has gone by already, and just as fun to think about everything that's happened in that 4 years. We didn't do anything especially exciting for our anniversary. We had lunch at one of our favorite places, Tia Rosas, then did a little shopping, took some "family pictures" outside the temple, and then had dinner at the Landmark restaurant. We had Tyler with us all day except for dinner which was actually perfect. We enjoyed spending the day together with our little family.

Our ward was realigned in June which has been an adjustment to the new ward we're in, but it's getting there. We loved our old ward, and we didn't think the realignment would affect us that much since we'd only been in the old ward for 6 months, but we were wrong. We didn't realize how much we really had acclimated to the old ward and made lots of friendships in the short 6 months we were there. But, we are making new friends little by little in the new ward and still have lots of our old ward members with us now. Just like anything though, it will just take time.

Tyler had a great time for his first 4th of July. We spent the day at my mom's visiting my grandparents, relaxing and swimming. Ty also enjoyed his first swim. He was quite tuckered out from a day full of activities and was kind of out of it, but he loved it nonetheless. He was more interested in looking at the fruit trees, grape vine & sky while in the pool.

We were able to get tickets from an old co-worker of Dan's in Tucson for the All-Star Game Fan Fest down at the Phoenix Convention Center in July. We took Tyler and rode light rail downtown and really enjoyed celebrating the All-Star Game being here in Phoenix this year.

The next weekend, we took a day trip up to Snowflake & Taylor with Dan's entire immediate family. Tyler LOVED going on the trip and being outside with so many trees and nature things to look at. (He loves anything to do with outside. Trees, flowers, the sky, birds, etc.) It was a lot of fun to spend the day with family and get out of the heat.

Our little man is growing so much so fast. He started solid foods at the beginning of July. He loves eating now haha which is pretty comical to watch sometimes. When he sees a bottle being made he starts quivering and chuckling with his mouth as wide as he can make it, until he gets it. He loves pretty much all solid foods except peaches. He'll only eat peaches if they're mixed with cereal.

At his 4 month dr. appt. at the beginning of July, he was 15 lbs. which was the 46th percentile for weight, he was in the 50th percentile for height and the 86th percentile for his head size. We've always known this kid was a smart boy, but he proves it to us more and more everyday! He goes back to the Dr. September 2nd for his 6 month check up and shots, and I'm excited to see where he's at with height and weight now after 2 months of solid food and increasing his formula amounts too.

Dan is starting school again for what will hopefully be the last time. He wants very much to have a degree and is pretty set on going until he's done this time. Hopefully he'll be able to finish in the next couple of years. He is such a good husband to me, and daddy to Tyler and really wants to do this for himself. It will be difficult I'm sure to balance everything he does already with school again, but I know he can do it if he puts his mind to it and he definitely has.

We're working more and more on landscaping our backyard and little bits in the front yard too. We planted a new little tree on the side of the house in the front to replace an old dead tree that's been there since we first walked through the house last fall. It's doing well so far and has already grown a bit. We're excited to watch it continue to grow into a large shade tree for the eastern side of our house. We're planning to lay down some grass seed in the backyard as soon as it gets a little cooler and the monsoons pass. We're also planning to plant a large ash tree in the front of the house once it cools down a little.

We're also planning to paint the inside of the house room by room starting somewhat soon, and to refinish two dressers for our room once it cools off. So stay tuned for lots of updated pictures as we start working on these various projects!

Our Growing Boy!

I have so many things to post about Tyler, mainly pictures from the past couple of months since he was born, so I decided to just lump everything I would have posted about him into one big post.

Our little boy is growing so fast! I know everyone says how fast they grow, but you really don't realize it until it's your own. Especially within the first few months. Tyler is now 2 and a half months old, and has changed so much since he was born at the beginning of March!

He is so strong already and tries to pull himself up to sit and/or stand up all the time. His legs have always been really strong (since he was in my tummy...I felt them all the time!), and his neck and back have been pretty strong too since he was born. He was trying to hold his head up on his own at just a week or two old. He still is a little ways away from sitting on his own, but he's getting there and loves practicing. We joke about how he likes to "work out" because he loves to go from laying down, to sitting up, to standing up, to laying down, etc. etc.

Over the past 3 or 4 weeks he has started smiling and cooing/baby talking. Now over the past 2 or 3 days, he has been talking it up ALL the time. Pretty much anytime he's awake he's trying to talk and making all kinds of noises. He also loves when I imitate the noises he makes. He is getting to be much more interactive, which is SO much fun!

We made it through the short colicky period he had towards the end of March and into the first few weeks of April. It seemed like much longer than it actually was, but nonetheless we're so glad it's over and that he has become such a happy boy over the past month.

We blessed Tyler in church on April 10th. We had a ton of family come out to attend church, including my dad, step mom and maternal grandparents all of which are not members. My dad has actually been avidly against the church for pretty much my entire life (well since I was baptized at age 11), but he came and sat through a portion of Sacrament meeting, and was even asking some questions about the logistics of the church to my father in law. Dan gave a beautiful blessing to his sweet little boy. It was short and sweet, and only included the most important things, which I think was absolutely perfect for Tyler. He was asleep for about an hour, even while Dan carried him up for the blessing, and then Dan said he woke up just for the blessing, and as soon as it was over, he fell back to sleep. What a sweet and special boy I have!

We went for Tyler's first round of vaccines on April 29th. I was pretty nervous since I had to take him by myself, and I knew he'd be getting multiple needle sticks. Not to mention all of the controversy about vaccines in general and what they can or can't cause, etc. etc. I was questioning the whole morning whether it was the right thing to do or not, but I finally just decided to suck it up, remembering that we all had all the same shots and have all been fine. Not to mention how terrible I would feel if he caught one of these horrible viruses that could have been prevented if I would have vaccinated him. He actually did stellar at the appointment. Of course he cried, but as soon as they were done, I picked him up and he stopped crying right away. He was even talking a little in the car on the way home.

Now, without further adieu, here is a collection of pictures of Tyler from his first 2 and a half months of life! What a precious son I have been blessed with!

Easter

We had a wonderful Easter holiday this year. Saturday evening, we had dinner at my dad's "burger stand" style. Hamburgers and fries in plastic baskets with milkshakes to drink and ice cream for dessert. We got an Easter basket there with a bunch of things for Tyler (a polo onesie, a couple of toys, hand & foot print kit with frames) and a Nerf type gun for us. It was very enjoyable to be able to spend some time with my dad and his side of the family.

We attended church Sunday, during which Dan played a piano solo and sung with the ward choir for their program. What a spiritual feast that was! He did a terrific job.

After church we headed to my mom's for lunch and visiting with my grandparents. Again Tyler got Easter baskets from both my mom and my grandparents. Both were filled with goodies for him like bibs, books, toys, etc. He made out like a bandit and it was only his first Easter...I can only imagine what it will be like for his first Christmas!

Tyler with Great Grandma & Papa Miller

Tyler with one of his Easter baskets

When we finished at my mom's we went to have dinner and visit with Dan's grandma Lanette. She made a delicious meal and we had fun going on an Easter egg hunt in her front & back yards when we were done eating. We were at her house for quite a while visiting about all kinds of things. Tyler did a great job for his First Easter! Being out all day and traveling from place to place can be tough, but he took it like a champ. It was really nice to be able to spend time together with our families and enjoy each other's company while rejoicing in the resurrected Savior.

Tyler with Papa Bienz

The REAL Royal Wedding

On Saturday April 2nd, I was honored to be a bridesmaid in my step sister Andrea's wedding as she wed her best friend Loren Royal. The ceremony and reception were held in downtown Phoenix at the Sheraton hotel. The ladies spent the afternoon on Friday getting manis and pedis, which I was totally stoked about! Then Saturday we took a limo and spent the afternoon at Dolce Salon & Spa getting our hair done. The ceremony was beautiful and Andrea & Loren looked so happy. I can definitely say that Loren has been such a good thing for Andrea. They complement each other very well, and we were all very excited and honored to share their special day with them.

We were all a little nervous about whether or not I'd be able to be in the wedding; even since last year, since my due date to have Tyler was exactly 2 weeks before the wedding and then the weekend before the wedding I was in the ER with Impetigo...

But all in all, everything worked out. My little boy was born 2 weeks early and my recovery (from pregnancy and impetigo) was much quicker than anyone expected (thank goodness). I was looking and feeling enough like myself again by the wedding that I was able to take part in it as planned. It was also so nice for Dan and I to have time out together again, while my mom watched Tyler for the evening. Everyone had a blast!

My dad's side of the family (from left to right: My brother Alan, my dad, my step mom Ana, Dan, Me, Andrea, my step brother Adam, and the groom Loren)