Baby's First Christmas

We had a wonderful Christmas this year, and it was extra special because it was Jaxon's first Christmas! On Christmas Eve, we went up to the Anderson's and went bowling. I didn't score very high, but Travis did. :) Jaxon slept for most of the time under the table.

Then, we went back to the Anderson's house for lunch and visiting. Travis's brother and his family were in town from Chicago, and it was great to see them again and finally introduce Jaxon to their family.

That evening, Jaxon opened presents with his cousins. We weren't sure if he was going to be awake early Christmas morning, so we opened most of his presents that night. He did pretty well at unwrapping!

Jaxon got mostly books (which is always great since we read to him ALL THE TIME...) and a duffle bag with his name on it. He also got a johnny jumper from Aunt Kami, and a couple of fun toys from the Talbots, and a couple stuffed animals from his mamita and Uncle Art. 

Christmas morning, Jaxon ended up waking up promptly at six o'clock. Almost like he didn't want to miss anything. :) He found a bottle in his stocking, and we all had breakfast. After which, Travis and I opened presents. He got me lots of kitchen tools, and I got him an extension game of Settlers of Catan, and a couple CDs with his mission pictures (he didn't have a digital camera on his mission, so I scanned them all in). I also got roller blades. We found them at DI for four bucks and got them. I've already roller bladed around the park with Jaxon in his stroller. So much funner than just walking!

After presents, we got ready for church. We went to my family's ward in Orem because I was accompanying them on the flute in their musical number. It sounded wonderful. After church, it was back up to Highland for a much needed nap. Christmas dinner was fabulous, and so was dessert. We were exhausted from the day, but had a lot of fun. We can't wait for Jaxon to be old enough to actually be excited for Christmas!

We Need A Little Christmas

Last year about this time, we found out Jaxon was joining our family! As a result, we didn't decorate for Christmas. Why not, you ask? Because I felt too sick! :) Really, I was lying on the couch practically all December.

So, we made sure to decorate this year. Jaxon loves to look at the lights on the tree.

Last night, we went down to the Riverwoods with some friends and walked around looking at the beautiful lights. Then we came back to our place and enjoyed cinnamon rolls and hot chocolate.

And this picture is just for fun.

Merry Christmas, everyone!

Turkey Bowl

Sports isn't something that my family did a lot of growing up, so when Travis mentioned the idea of our family playing a traditional game of football on Thanksgiving, we kind of laughed at the thought, but went ahead and tried it out. It turned out being SO much fun! Some of us had to be taught the rules and such, but we all had a blast! This is definitely going to be a yearly tradition for our family!

(Notice Travis and my brother-in-law, Chance, exchanging glares...)

Hike that football, mom!

(The turkey is Jaxon's hand print!)

Smiles and Giggles

We couldn't wait for Jaxon to start smiling, now he smiles all the time! His smile just melts my heart. :)

Then we couldn't wait for him to start laughing. He's still in the early stage of laughing, but if we tickle him in just the right spots, we can get some really sweet giggles. I managed to record one of his earliest giggles, it's too cute.

I'm So Glad When Daddy Comes Home...

Travis has really enjoyed MBA school so far, and even though it's kept him busy, he still makes sure to spend time with Jaxon. Enjoy the photos of this adorable duo!

I couldn't spend very much time with Jaxon immediately after he was born,
so I really relied on Travis to start the parental bonding- he was great!

Teaching Jaxon how to use Excel

Clowning around

Teaching Jaxon how to fish

Go Cougars!

And this is my favorite, kind of. Travis calls it their "Circus Act". It scares me to death every time they do this, but it's kind of cute at the same time. It's a scary-cute thing...

A Super Halloween

I always liked dressing up for Halloween, but it's even more fun dressing up a baby! Our family dressed up as Clark Kent, Lois Lane, and Super-baby.

A couple days before Halloween, Jaxon practiced his trick-or-treating for the first time with his friend, Bennett (we went to Bennett's grandma's house).

Trick or Treat!

Yum, Yum!

But on Halloween night we actually stayed home, relaxed, had milk and cinnamon rolls, watched a movie, and answered the door to trick-or-treaters. We got about four groups that came by- a record!

I think Jaxon enjoyed his first Halloween!

A Fall Getaway

What started as an idea to go on a nice afternoon hike up the canyon, turned out to be a 2-day getaway trip up to Heber to enjoy the fall air. We spent much of our time swimming, fishing, and just enjoying the beautiful fall colors around us. It was a little spontaneous, but that's partly what made it so fun, and we figured we deserved it since we hadn't gone on a trip (just the two of us, now the three of us) for a long time!

Bilingual Baby

For those of you who don't know, we're speaking to Jaxon in both English and Spanish. My parents did this with my siblings and I growing up, and even though not all of us became completely fluent in Spanish, it certainly gave us a  strong foundation for learning Spanish, or any foreign language, in the future. And, as a former foreign language teacher, I believe it's good for the brain's development. During the day, I speak, read, and sing to Jaxon in Spanish. Here's a clip of me singing "Soy Un Hijo de Dios" (I'm not the best singer, but this is just for posterity's sake...).

Blessing Day

Travis had the wonderful opportunity of giving his first baby blessing yesterday. He did a wonderful job, and gave the most beautiful blessing to Jaxon. I'm so grateful to have a husband who holds and honors the priesthood, and for those who were able to be in the circle.

My brother-in-law, Chance, is missing from this photo-
 he had a baby to take care of!

After the blessing, we headed to the Anderson's for a nice pasta dinner. I'm also grateful that my mamita and Uncle Art were able to come from California. I hope Jaxon can one day realize how important my mamita is, and the sacrifices she made to join the church when she was young.

It was a memorable day, and our family is so thankful for everyone who came and helped make Jaxon's day more special. :)

Pumpkinland

Fall is here! This is my favorite season- it's such a pity it's so short here in Utah. Today, Jaxon had a play-date with his friend, Bennett, at Pumpkinland. Jaxon slept the whole time, but it made for some good pictures. 

We got a dollar off admission if we came in costume, so we did. :) My friend and I are excited for next year when they'll actually be old enough to walk around and enjoy it more. But there's no rush- I'm enjoying this small stage while it lasts.

Our Little Pig

When Jaxon gets hungry he starts snorting like a little pig. He's also started to roll over from his stomach to his back. 

Here's Jaxon!

Our little guy is 4 weeks old today. Here are a few pictures of Jaxon we've taken over the last month. He's now filling into some of his clothes that used to be too big for him, and other outfits are getting a little tight on him. He's a growing boy!

It's been so much fun to see his little sparks of character come to the surface. I can't stop kissing this baby! Things he loves: mom, dad, milk, walks, milk, baths, cuddling, music, milk, being outdoors, Star Trek episodes (movie nights with mom and dad), and milk.

Betrothed

Travis and Rob have been friends since grade school, so it's only natural we want our families to merge...

They may look like a bit of an odd couple right now, but that's only because Jaxon was born a few months later than his fiancee. But, don't worry, he'll grow to be strong and large in stature soon enough. ;)

Seven Days of Bliss

Yesterday marked a week since Jaxon's been with us.  He's been such a good baby. He eats great, and sleeps well...during the day. He is confused between day and night, but obviously that's normal and I do think he's getting better. Let's cross our fingers, anyway. :)

He still has those newborn blue eyes. They could still change to brown or might just stay blue, which would really surprise me. I never imagined my kids would have blue eyes- I always figured they'd be brown, especially after marrying Travis. So, whether or not they change, I've been taking lots of pictures of his baby blues. Well, we've been taking lots of pictures of him in general. He's our pride and joy!

We love you, Jaxon!