New Year!

SORRY IT'S BEEN SO LONG!

WE ARE ALIVE!

I have been so bad about getting this done. With me going back to school full time starting on January 5th life has been anything but simple! I went from being a stay at home mom to a full time student and stay at home mom. It's my next great adventure and so far we are doing just fine.

This month has been full of love and new things. Like I said I started school on the 5th. I am taking a full load, but two of the classes are online! My plan was that the online classes would be a little easier and I could just do work when I could fit it in... WRONG!! My math and Business class both of which are online are a whole lot of work and by no means are they easy. I feel like I do school work almost any free time I have. I have gotten really good at doing almost anything one handed while I hold Payten! She has been such a good sport about the whole thing. Mommy going back to school has meant a little less attention for her and more time with people other than mom all the time! I think it's been a bit of a hard adjustment and something we've had to continue getting use to... but she is doing better everyday. Due to all the school work, I have been forced to stay up after she goes to bed most nights to finish what I wasn't able to get done during th day. So, our biggest baby step this month has been her move to the crib. It has been and continues to be a difficult move, it's has meant some long nights for both of us. It's not just her either that misses the night snuggles. I have found myself waking up more frequently missing her warm little body.

SLEEPING IN HER CRIB

As we approach the end of January and Payten gets closer to her 4 month birthday, she just keeps getting bigger! She is now fitting into some six month clothes. I love it... all her roles make her all the more cuddly! She is such a happy little girl, and she has brought so much love into my life! 2009 is going to be a great year!!

LEARNING HOW TO GRAB TOYS AND CHEW ON THEM!!

MY FAVORITE FACE

SUN BEAM NAPS

HOMEWORK SEEMS TO MAKE US BOTH SLEEPY

HANGING OUT WITH MOM

Payten's First Christmas!

Merry Christmas

and

Happy New Year!

Payten had her first picture with Santa and she did great!!

Payten's first Christmas was so much fun! Here are some pictures of our afternoon and evening at great grandma and grandpa's house, where we had a great Christmas dinner. Overall we had a very relaxing day. I did a lot of day dreaming about how much fun Christmas was when I was little. Payten I can tell you already is going to bring out the little kid in all of us again! Oh, she is going to be even more fun when she understands what is going on. I had some nice christmas pictures done of her to frame for mom and dad and grandma and grandpa but I haven't been able to put them on the computer yet. I'll try to get them up soon, she sure is cute! Hope you all had a great holiday as well and a happy new year!!

Perfect picture of us... spit up on the shoulder and all!

I love this picture!

4 generations, look at Payten, all tuckered out. Christmas is exhausting!

Smiles

more smiles

Payten winning over Great Grandpa's heart!

She loved that hat!! Can't you tell?

Down Time

I have been so lucky to have this time off with Payten, and I cant imagine going back to work now. With the economy the way that it is I decided that now is a perfect time to go back to school to get an education so I can get a job that can support the two of us. Although I haven't exactly decided what to major in I have enrolled for this winter term and am excited to be starting school on January 5th!!! I got some really awesome Grants and should hopefully be able to focus on school without having to go back to work. I'm taking almost all online classes so I can still have a lot of time with Payten. I love watching all of her changes and can't imagine missing any of this right now. I feel like everyday is something new, she is so alert and attentive now. She follows things with her eyes and is super responsive to peoples facial expressions. She coos and talks with me and smiles and giggles when she is happy, which is getting to be a lot more often. The last few weeks have brought more sleep into my life and more personality into hers! Hope you all enjoy the pictures! Look at that adorable face!! She is growing up to fast.

She is so sweet when she first wakes up from a nap.

Little baby grins!

More cuddle time together. It is so special and I know it will only last so

long so I get as much in as I can!

A friend of mine Katie is due in February with her second little girl, so

Alyson and I gave her a surprise baby shower. It was a good excuse to

to get everyone together, including the kids! I think even Payten had a

good time!

Payten sleeping in a sun beam! She loves putting her bum in the air!

All Smiles!

I finally got one of Payten's great smiles on camera! This was about two weeks ago but the smiles are more and more consistent everyday! Not a day has gone by in the last three week where she hasn't flashed me a big grin! The smiles started about a month and a half ago but they were very sporadic. The first time she smiled at me she was eating and she stopped, looked right at me and smiled the biggest grin I'd ever seen. I think that would be in my top five best experience so far in my life! Now she makes everyday worth while with her little or not so little grins! She as started smiling at other people now too! She loves it when my mom says "Hi Payten! It's your GRANDMA!!" She gets a smile almost every time! Here is a picture of the adorable grin that helps me get through the late nights! Hope it puts a little holiday cheer in every ones day!

Thanksgiving and Start Of December!

I am up to date now! So hopefully if I keep up with this blog, this will be the last entry that doesn't have a matching date. Hope you are all enjoying the updates so far, there will be many more to come! One of the only picture I have of me with Payten! I love our snuggle time. That is how we sleep most nights too. We are slowly working her into her bassinet. VERY slowly!! It's difficult for both of us to sleep apart now that we are in that routine.

In the mornings we like to sit and talk to each other. Sometimes a couple hours will go by where we just sit like this and talk. I am so lucky to have had this time off with her! Everyday is a new experience and something new she is learning. The time is going by to quickly, she is getting so big so fast!


Just a cute picture, you can see how big she is getting! Look at those cheaks!

Payten in the front carrier! She loves it, although when i first put her in there you wouldn't know that by the way she screams! But eventually she calms down and nestles in! We walked down to the River with my friend Alyson and her son to watch the Christmas Kayak Float. It was beautiful, about 20 kayaks all decorated with lights paddled around after dark!

Payten's Aunt Whitney (Brandon's sister) gave her this adorable onesie!

Payten's first Thanksgiving! My uncle Pat and Aunt Charlotte came down from Portland with My cousin Heather her husband Dan and there boys Scott and Josh. My dad and Grandma and Grandpa also came over! It was a full house... lots of fun and good food! Payten seemed a little overwhelmed but by next year it should be even more fun to have her here!

I guess by the look of them in this picture you can't tell we had to much fun. What duds!! Actually Dad just had hernia surgery so he was tired and Payten looks ready for a nap!

Great Grandma with Payten.

My growing baby!

My other mommy friends and I went to lunch with the kids. It's nice to have friends enjoying the same parts of life that I am. I can't imagine doing this without them. They have been such an amazing support!

Trip To Portland

We think she is going to be a smart one, she loves to just look at you and take it all in!

She is so serious.

Payten and Aunt Erin making faces at each other.

She thinks her Aunt is pretty awesome!

This makes her aunt even better!

Payten and I were lucky enough to hitch a ride to Portland with Grandma Mollie who was headed there for a work conference. It was perfect since Auntie Erin lives there and hadn't got to see Payten since she was born. (No Erin is not really Payten's aunt by blood but since Erin is as close as I'll ever get to a sister Payten will grow up knowing Erin as her Aunt!) We didn't get to stay long just a day but Erin had most of the day free so she got to give Payten a couple bottles and they got to spend some good face time getting to know each other.

I wasn't sure how Payten would do on the drive, but she did better than I ever could have asked. To top it off she slept for her first full night while we were there staying at auntie Erin's! I got my first full night sleep! It was an incredible feeling! I woke up and checked the time... ah... 6:00!!!!

We spent the next day hanging out with Erin, we walked down to a coffee shop in the morning then Erin had class but when she was done we went for lunch and then to an amazing cup cake shop! Best cup cake I've ever had!! It was just nice to see Erin and it seems like before that it had really been a while since Erin and I had gotten to spend very much time just the two of us. I feel like right now since I'm not working or going to school my whole life revolves around Payten... as it should. However at times I don't even feel human, I giggle at myself because when people ask me "whats new?" I have nothing other than Payten's sleep, bowl movements or eating habits to talk about really. I felt like although I didn't get a long time with Erin it was great to get away and spend time with someone who knows me as more than a mom and could have some great laughs with me!

Halloween

Our Halloween was very low key. I had got Payten a pumpkin costume before she was even born. It ended up being kind of big on her but she looked adorable. Payten and I met a couple of my friends and there kids down at The Old Mill (one of our outdoor malls) where they were having some cute Halloween activities for the kids. Payten slept through the whole thing but I had fun still, just watching all the excited kids in there cute costumes!

Later that night I took Payten to see my dad, Grandpa Bill. He thought she looked great! She's melting hearts everyday! My little Pumpkin!

Katie with her little Bumble Bee Chloe

Alyson, Ayden and Clifford

Cutest Pirate

Sleepy Pumpkin