Our Recent Activities in Photos

Payton's new rocker from Cracker Barrel

New hair cut courtesy of Mom

Payton with Daddy before the big race

Payton sleeping through our walk along the river in Rockford

With Grandma and Aunt Liz in the Rockford Rose Garden

Inner Space Caverns with Aunt Elizabeth

Up in Cambridge, ID, playing in the pool with Aunt Danielle

Lunch in Round Rock with Grandma Swanson

Playtime

This is Payton playing at Ready, Set, Play! He also stars in their commercial. He is getting so big and already 18 months old. He can do all sorts of things like spinning in circles, walking backwards, climbing on everything, and being a big helper. He loves to laugh and make funny faces.

Baby Product Reviews

I've decided to review baby products that we have used with Payton in order to give other moms some ideas of what to buy and what products you shouldn't waste your money on. I see new parents registering for their babies and often yearn to stop them and give them some advice. I will review eight products today and will add until I run out. Hopefully, someone will find this helpful.

Rain Forest Bouncer- I would give this product three stars out of five. It has a great vibration option and baby can produce sounds through moving objects. Payton didn't ever stay in it for long periods of time.

Graco Swing- Five out of five stars. Awesome! Six different speeds and great music. My 15 month old tries to climb in it still. Great battery life.

Rain Forest Swing- Zero Stars. Horrible! Motor moved the swing an inch or two at the most. We thought the plug in feature would be great, but without the swing moving, what's the point?!

Graco Pack-N-Play- Five out of five stars. Don't know what I would do without it. Holds up to abuse from an active boy and folds up for quick packing.

Little People Barn- Great sounds and babies love to carry the life-like animals around.

Little People Noah's Ark- Hard for a 15 month old to open the doors, but love the animals. Helps teach matching with pairs of animals.

Little People Wagon with Blocks- Shaped like a school bus. Large blocks that are easy to build with. Payton even loves to sit in the wagon to play.

Little People Fishing Boat- Sinks in the tub, maybe better for older kids.

Giving Up

I just thought I would let you all know that I'm giving up on posting pictures on here. I have spent countless hours trying to upload pics with no luck. However, I do need to update everyone on our family and Payton.
Jonathan is in his last semester of school! He should have his MBA completed on May 9th. We are so excited about his graduation and our future opportunities because of his faithfulness. God has given me a very smart husband! He is also still serving as our treasurer at church and teaching the high school class. Work continues to go fairly well. Jonathan just received a raise and is up for a promotion. Very exciting!
I am still staying at home with Payton. It is amazing to me how challenging it is. I have definitely been stretched and have had battles with loosening up my perfectionist personality. MOPS has been a blessing to me this year. I have met some truly wonderful ladies and have been asked to serve on the Steering Team (a leadership position) next year. I am trying to open up to new friendships, which has also been hard since I tend to be a bit on the shy side. Payton and I are exploring the nearby parks on days when we have nice weather.
Payton is growing so much! He is walking and running all over the place and will be 14 months on the 31st. He loves to play with all of his toys. His favorite seems to be his shape sorters, but has recently discovered the wonderful world of balloons. Payton has a very strong personality which continues to be a challenge, but he is so loving, that you tend to forget his sassy times. He loves to go outside and explore. He loves to jabber and his favorite word is "da-da". He also says hi and duck.
Jonathan and I are trying to start a once a month get-together for our young married couples at church. Pray that we can get this off the ground so that we can nurture some friendships between Christian couples. There are not a lot of people our age that are faithful to church, so we think this is an important ministry. Well, I think that covers pretty much everything.

The Reason for the Season

NOW in those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus, that a census be taken of all the inhabited earth. This was the first census taken while Quirinius was governor of Syria. And everyone was on his way to register for the census, each to his own city.

Joseph also went up from Galilee, from the city of Nazareth, to Judea, to the city of David which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and family of David, in order to register along with Mary, who was engaged to him, and was with child. While they were there, the days were completed for her to give birth. And she gave birth to her firstborn son; and she wrapped Him in cloths, and laid Him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.

In the same region there were some shepherds staying out in the fields and keeping watch over their flock by night. And an angel of the Lord suddenly stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them; and they were terribly frightened. But the angel said to them, "Do not be afraid; for behold, I bring you good news of great joy which will be for all the people; for today in the city of David there has been born for you a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. "This will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger."

And suddenly there appeared with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying,

"Glory to God in the highest, And on earth peace among men with whom He is pleased."

When the angels had gone away from them into heaven, the shepherds began saying to one another, "Let us go straight to Bethlehem then, and see this thing that has happened which the Lord has made known to us."

So they came in a hurry and found their way to Mary and Joseph, and the baby as He lay in the manger. When they had seen this, they made known the statement which had been told them about this Child. And all who heard it wondered at the things which were told them by the shepherds. But Mary treasured all these things, pondering them in her heart. The shepherds went back, glorifying and praising God for all that they had heard and seen, just as had been told them.

And when eight days had passed, before His circumcision, His name was then called Jesus, the name given by the angel before He was conceived in the womb.

Luke 2:1-21, NASB

Christmas Tree

You Should Have a Blue Christmas Tree

For you, the holidays represent a time of calm, understanding, and peace. You avoid family fights, and you don't get too stressed out - even when things are crazy! You like to make Christmas about making everyone's life a little bit better. You don't get caught up in greed or commercialism. You're too sincere for that. Your blue tree would look great with: Lots of silver tinsel You should spend Christmas Eve watching: It's a Wonderful Life What you should bake for Santa: Chocolate chip cookies

What Color Christmas Tree Should You Have?

Oh My Goodness

I just realized that I haven't blogged in a long time! Time has just flown by recently. Let's see, I guess I have a lot of ground to cover. November was marked by Payton standing on his own for the first time. He just thinks he is the coolest now. My parents were down at the beginning of the month for a few days. We did lots of shopping! We went to Rockford for Thanksgiving and had a wonderful time. Thanksgiving was at Jonathan's aunt and uncle's house. There were so many kids running around. Payton played with Eli and tried to play with Anna. It was pretty funny to watch. Payton also got his first hair cut from Max Hafeli in Rockford. My big boy! December got off to a rough start. Payton and I both have been sick, back and forth to the doctor. I am actually going back to the doctor tomorrow. This cough just seems to be kicking my butt. Payton took his first steps this month and is getting a top tooth in as we speak. Jonathan finished his fall semester with terrific grades, once again. He will be graduating in May with his MBA! Can't wait until he is done! He will be traveling two days a week to San Marcos for his classes next semester, so he will be gone even more! We are seeing to light at the end of the tunnel though. Well, I think that pretty much covers our lives. We will be flying to Idaho for Christmas. Pray that we make it okay and that Payton doesn't fuss too much.

Okay, so...COMPLETELY AWESOME

We drove up to Dallas last night with Justin and Nathan to see a fab concert. Switchfoot and Reliant K were in concert together and let's just say it had to have been the best concert I have been to. I have been dying to see Switchfoot for years and finally got the chance. Relient K came out after a band called Ruth. I really enjoyed hearing Relient for the second time. They are so energetic and just fun to listen to. They played a song from their Christmas album that is coming out this week and I want to buy it. It is totally different than the rest of the Christmas music I have. On to Switchfoot....They are just the best band of all times. At one point, Jon (the singer), jumped up and grabbed a cymbal from the drum set and started playing it. It turned into this huge instrumental masterpiece with lights flashing everywhere. That was my favorite part. I just wish that they could have played longer, but it was such a great time. We did have to get back to Payton, who had a great time with his uncle and aunt.

Ugh Monster

So...by now most people have seen the pictures that I wanted to post. For some reason, blogger was just being a pain to work with every time I tried to post. I have been majorly angry with it! Oh well. Payton is well on his way towards crawling. Thus begins my having to keep up with a very active child. Not that he isn't into everything already, but I imagine even more so in the future. We attended our first MOPS meeting. It was such a blessing. I know that this will really help me. Payton, I think, must have just been overwhelmed by all the activity in the nursery. He has never been around that many other kids his age before. Let's just say that he took a long nap when we got home. Anyway, I am really looking forward to the next meeting. Oh, Payton has a new cousin here, 2nd cousin. She is super cute! That is pretty much all my news except that I am hoping to check out Steven & Barry's store in Temple, where they should have a new line of clothes put out by Sarah Jessica Parker. Not that I am overly fond of her, but these clothes are supposed to be very chic and all for under $19.98. So, for the deal hunter that I am, this is awesome!

Seven Months

Payton and Stella meeting each other for the first time

With Great-Grandpa Ward

With Grandma and Great-Grandma

Payton is seven months old today! He has grown so much in just a short amount of time. It is truly amazing! He is now rolling all over the place and puts everything he can get his hands on into his mouth. We are starting to baby proof as he is working on crawling. Payton can get up on his hands and knees, then launches himself forward. It is pretty funny to watch.
Our trips appear to be over, at least until Thanksgiving. We are looking forward to just having a normal schedule. We will be starting MOPS next week and I am really looking forward to meeting some new people. I have really struggled with not making many close friends here in Texas. Payton will get to spend time with other babies his age too!
Jonathan is back in school again after two weeks off. He is doing very well at work as well. He recently ran his first 5k race and will be running another one in November. Jonathan's brother, Justin, will be moving down here to work at Dell, too! It will be really nice to have one of Payton's uncles around.
Another update soon, I hope!

Six Months and Counting

With Grandpa Swanson

Swimming in the pool with family

Sleeping on Grandma Swanson

Justin, Laurie, and Katie

Nathan, Elizabeth, and David

Payton is now six months old! He is so active right now! He has started moving backwards and in circles. In the last couple days, he has started to pick himself up on all fours. He weighs in at a healthy 16 pounds and is starting to get heavy for Mommy to carry around. Payton is also reaching for people and things he wants (right now, he mostly wants Mommy). He sits up until he gets distracted, which usually doesn't take very long. He had lots of family visit the last couple weeks, including Grandpa and Grandma Swanson, Uncle Justin, Aunt Elizabeth, cousin David, Great-Aunt Beverly, and cousin Kali. We will be going to Idaho next week to celebrate my grandfather and his 75th birthday. Pray for our travels as Jonathan will not be able to go with us.

New Things

Payton is doing some new things! At the beginning of the month, he discovered his feet and would hold onto them for most of the day. He has gotten past that fascination, but still can be entertained by them on occasion. He has tried almost every food in the "1st foods" category. He loves them all! Last night he had bananas, which Dad had to feed him, since I can't stand the smell. He seems to want to eat anything that Mom and Dad are having. He has even had a few sips out of a cup. Payton has also turned over a few times and is enjoying being on his tummy even more. He tries to crawl, but ends up going head first into the floor. We are going to have to really baby proof the place soon. Payton also loves his excer-saucer and talks to all the toys on it. It is pretty hilarious!

Jonathan's parents and siblings will be here in about a week! We can't wait for them to spend more time with Payton and I'm sure he will enjoy being spoiled. Babies can never have enough time with their grandparents! In the middle of August, Payton and I will be heading back up to Idaho for my grandfather's 75th birthday. It will be a wonderful time with family. We will, however, miss seeing Jonathan compete in his first 5k race. He has been training for awhile now, so he should do fairly well. Just finishing sounds like too much work for me! I don't have any new pictures to share, but hope to have a few new ones soon!

Tuesday Thunder

Having fun with Mom

With Uncle David

Sleeping in his swing

As it is storming outside, I thought that it would be the perfect time to share some pictures of Payton.

Bath Time!

This is Payton enjoying time in the big bath. He just loves it! I have heard that many babies are afraid of big tubs, but not Payton. It is his favorite time of the day.

Danielle's Wedding and Today

Danielle and Ross's wedding was beautiful and had a wonderful message. We enjoyed our time with friends and family. I got to see family that I hadn't seen in a few years. Payton got to meet even more people.
Today was the best day we have had since we got back. I feel like I accomplished a lot. I made a big dinner and even dessert. I did three loads of laundry, folded all of it, and went on a walk. What a wonderful day!

Payton with Grandpa and Grandma Warren at the paddle boats

Pond at K. Albertson Park

Payton says 'bye-bye'

Me and my sistas

Great Grandparents (my mom's parents) with Payton

My dad's parents with Payton

Setting the stage

Four Months Old

Payton turned 4 months old yesterday. The day was marked by a visit to the doctor for a check-up and shots. He did very well and only cried for a minute. The doctor said that he is very strong and doing well. Payton weighed in at 14 pounds (25-50th percentile)! He is 25 inches, which puts him in the 75th percentile. So, we have a long, fairly skinny little boy. We also decided to start him on some solids, so we took some pictures of him eating his cereal.

Friday Flights

Payton is just a wonderful boy! He is very active and loves to laugh and giggle. Payton stands up and sits up all the time (with help). He turns himself onto his side from his back. He currently loves "flying" and getting lots of kisses. I think he tries to give kisses too, but just ends up drooling everywhere. He loves sleeping in his crib now, which helps everyone sleep a little better. He will be four months old this next Thursday. Hard to believe! He will have to get more shots which just breaks my heart. We will be flying to Idaho June 5th for my other sister's wedding. Danielle and Ross will be married June 9th and I am super happy for them. The time that we have been able to spend with Ross makes us feel like he just fits perfectly in our family. Pray for Payton and I as we are traveling by ourselves again. Jonathan will be joining us, but it is still hard to travel with a baby all by myself. I miss my family so much, so it will be wonderful to see them again.I will have a ton of pictures to share, so I am going to have to figure out how to do some sort of slide show. Oh, and I have officially joined the rest of the world on MySpace. I will be updating again after Payton's appointment.

Dawn's Wedding and Idaho

Our trip to Idaho went very well and Payton was a terrific flyer. He really enjoyed meeting all of his family and was held by almost everyone. (And slept on almost everyone.)The wedding went well and my baby sister is married! Payton got to wear a little tux. I was sick the whole time, even lost my voice, but I just plugged right along. Here are some pictures of our time there. Sorry, they are in no order whatsoever.

Grandma and Payton, sleeping

The Wedding Cake (Cheesecakes)

Dawn at her bachlorette party

Aunt Danielle with a sleeping Payton

Dawn, before she went down the aisle

Uncle Alex and Aunt Dawn with Payton

Aunt Danielle and Uncle Ross with Payton

Handsome Boy and Idaho

Becca and Payton

Payton smiling at Aunt Danielle

Our Cute Boy

This is our cute boy in the Texas Bluebonnets and holding his head up good and strong. He is growing so fast. More pictures from my sister's wedding to come.