that is SO 2008...

Ready or not, the new year is here!

I have never been one for resolutions. {probably because I NEVER complete them.} However, 2008 was a success!

I've learned that the goals need to be attainable, and most importantly MEASURABLE.
My former employer was very into goal setting. He always wanted to make sure we could measure our goals. For example, if you want to shed some pounds, you might say, "I am going to loose weight." That's simply not going to work. You've got to be more specific. ie: "I am going to eat out ONLY once a month." This way you can see your progress, and hold yourself accountable.

Last year, my boss took our company goals a step further and asked us to set some personal goals. Everyone thought it was kind of silly that he would intrude on their personal lives, but I went along with it. I no longer work there, but the goals stuck with me and I was able to complete this year's personal goals. Here are two of them:

• NO POP IN 2008
• COACH A GIRLS BASKETBALL TEAM IN 2008

I have been rewarded by completing these goals.

I have to say, the Pop one was somewhat easy. I've never been hooked on soda, but I did have it now and then. I knew it was something that I could live without, so I gave it a shot. I can't say that I miss it. I think I'll have a drink once the year is officially over, but I don't have a desire to drink it now that I've gone so long without it. I honestly thought I would miss it more. There is nothing wrong with a nice tall glass of ice water... ahhh.

I love basketball. I decided to coach girls that I didn't know. At first I was hesitant because I didn't know how these teenage (at times bratty) girls would accept me. I ended up enjoying it. We built great relationships and had fun. I was mostly impressed by the way they looked up to me. They were always excited to see me, and were so bummed if I had to cancel a practice. I feel the benefits of serving and see the rewards that came from volunteering my time. I had a blast.

Thanks, Ammex for motivating me to get off my hiney and DO something in '08!
I'll miss working there!

Here are some big events that happened in our family in 2008:

• Jim got a scholarship and made the honor roll (thanks for all your hard work, Jimmy - you're the BESTEST!)
  
• We paid off our car!
• We started a totally cool family BLOG. :)
• We were able to take a couple mini get-aways before the baby was born
• Jimmy picked up an extra tutoring job, and I quit my accounting job
• Last New Year's Eve, we announced that we were pregnant and in August, Lucas was born!

We hope all of you have a wonderful new year, and accomplish BIG things in '09!

D e t a c h e d

... Lucas that is. I hate to talk about such a personal issue on here, but If nursing grosses you out, don't read this. This past week, Lucas has decided to wean himself. I have been struggling with this, but the more I read/hear about it, the more common it seems.

I was always told that you should both nurse and bottle feed your babies so that when it comes time to wean them, it's not so hard. I think this may have been a mistake. He finally caught on and figured out that he doesn't have to work nearly as hard to get the milk out of a bottle. He also is in the beginning stages of teething, so I think he likes to chew on the hard plastic.
I was glad that he took both because it gave me a little bit of freedom. I've been able to pump and leave him home with a bottle while I work, or when I need to run an errand or two.

Well, I would give that "little bit of freedom" back in a second if I knew this were going to happen! I am so sad that he doesn't want to nurse. Now I have to wash bottles, pump every 3 hours so I don't loose my supply, worry about where to heat up a bottle while on the go, and MOST importantly, he doesn't NEED me anymore! We have lost that closeness that came along with nursing. It was our bonding time and I will miss it so much! I haven't given up easily. I still offer it to him every feeding. I've even been trying to sneak it in his mouth while he sleeps!

Jimmy has been a huge help. I've been down about it, so he has been helping me feed Lucas. I'll hand him to Jimmy, and walk down the hallway... alone... to go pump...by myself... did I mention ALONE? ...and then I hear, "Lucas, why don't you want Mom's Milk Jugs anymore?" Then, I crack a smile which doesn't last long because I remember that I'm sad. and... ALONE. When I'm done, I critique Jimmy. "did you hold the bottle at 45 degrees? Hold him like you're nursing him. Was there air in the nipple? Did you burp him? How much did he drink?" (I bet Jimmy never thought he would be pretending to nurse someday!) This whole detachment has made me a little crazy. I moped around the house for about 4 days. I'm still pretty sad, but at least he's getting my milk.

I guess I have been pretty fortunate to have nursed for 4 months. We have had no problems up until now. He has been such a wonderful baby and has always loved his meal time. Now, he just gets to experience it a little differently.

SO. Maybe I'll do things a little differently with our next baby. (if there is one) Having experienced both feeding methods, I'd rather be nursing.

Just had to get that off my chest. {no pun intended}

Christmas FUN

We had a wonderful Christmas. Here are some Highlights and some not so Highlights:

• We were able to Share Christmas with our "little elf"
• We FINALLY caught Lucas' frowny face on camera
• Highlight for Jimmy: a new 46" way too big flat screen tv. (he took a picture of "LeBron goin' to work")
• Lucas was nearly SQUASHED by the Christmas tree. When Jimmy pulled out Lucas' gift from the back, the tree came crashing down RIGHT where Lucas was doing his tummy time. I scooped him off the floor just in time. Or you could say I saved his LIFE. :)
• We had a WHITE Christmas
  
• We had Oh-so-cute matching pj's with not-so-cute bed head and eye boogers on Christmas morning.
• We had a S U P E R good breakfast with the Miller fam and an equally delish dinner with the Fagan's.
  
• We were missing Jenny in VA. :( ...Thanks for all the gifts, Jenny!
• We were able to RELAX and spend quality family time together.
  

{Merry Christmas everyone!}

Christmas Eve

Each year we have a family gift exchange on Christmas Eve. This year, my sister hosted. It was lots of fun and we had a yummy dinner. The gift exchange was somewhat of a success. I got some candles and Jimmy got a MEGAPHONE which I think I will hide. Hopefully he will forget he has it! Oh, and Lucas got his first ball! It's always fun to get together with family.

Stuck in the Snow

This December has been quite interesting for all of us I think! It's been hard to get out and do anything. I feel a little inactive now that church has been cancelled for TWO weeks in a row. It's also a good thing I'm done with my Christmas shopping! The first day we had snow, I thought it was great that I had an unexpected "day in" so I decided to do our Holiday baking. I made 2 batches of 50 sugar cookies each(my favorite) and some other odds and ends. The sad part is, being stuck in the house we haven't made it out to deliver them... and the goodies are just so tempting... well let's just say there isn't much left of them! I finally made them into plates and will deliver them tomorrow. Until then, we are working on our self discipline. :)

Normally we go play in the snow like we're little children. Last year, Jimmy and I loaded up our arms with snowballs and did a "run by" to some neighborhood kids while we were on a walk. (it was kind of mean, but SO funny) We ended up staying out and playing with them for a while. We had to go back and make peace with them. We didn't want our house egged or anything!

This year it has been too cold to take Lucas out, so we have stayed in for the most part. (lucky for the neighbor kids!) It's been nice to have warm toes, but we can't wait until Lucas is old enough to play with us in the snow!

Silent Night

Last night was our ward Christmas party where Lucas had the opportunity to be Baby Jesus in the nativity slideshow. As I watched the slideshow and listened to the music, I held my little guy and I wondered how Mary felt that night. How would it feel to give birth to a King? A King that would soon die for his Mother. Not only would he die for his Mother, but for everyone. Her little boy was sent to earth to suffer for even those who scourned him.

I enjoyed the program last night. I especially enjoyed the spirit that I felt. I was able to bring the feeling home with me and watch the silent snow fall while rocking little Lucas.

I guess you could say we had our own "Silent Night."

I look forward to showing him these pictures each year and sharing the story of the Christ child with him.

TSA

I'm sending Lucas to TSA. (Thumb Suckers Anonymous)

Jimmy and I vowed not to have a thumb sucker. I can throw the pacifier away if I want that habit to stop. I can't take his thumb away. (although Jimmy threatens to often) I took a few pictures to remember this moment, because it will happen no more. I'm not sure how I'll make him stop, but I will!

I really hope it's just part of discovering his hands...

Swim Party

I came ALL this way - and they're going to tell me not to dive?!? pshhh...

Lucas had his first swim today! His big cousin Gavin turned 8 and threw quite the swim party. I'm not sure what he thought of it. I wasn't the best swim partner for him to have. I don't like to get my hair wet, or get water in my ears, or get chlorine in my eyes, or get raisined fingers... you get the picture. If his Daddy were there, I'm sure he would have loved it. He did like the shower afterwards though. He laughed the whole time.

Belated Birth Announcement

I excitedly designed these announcements BEFORE I even had Lucas. Did I mail them out? no. Did I even finish them? no. I made four. 3 of which I did not like and the one I liked got sent to Grandma and Grandpa. I did get the itch to finish them, but it became time to make Christmas cards. (which I did finish, and are in the mail box as of today. kudos for me!)
So - Because he deserves to be announced, here it is.

hO hO hO...

Lucas got to meet Santa Claus for the very first time today! He wasn't scared at all. He was actually very smiley - not for the picture though. We told him to ask Santa for a flat screen tv. :)

We had a very fun day. Jimmy is on break from school, so we went out on the town and shopped 'til we dropped. (literally) Everyone took naps when we got home.
It's sad to see the economy the way it is this year. Stores are so different. We didn't have to fight any crowds like usual. The mall was pretty quiet. Even though things are tight, I still love this season and the feeling I get when I give. If anything, the slow economy is helping us all to remember the reason for this Holiday. I can't wait to spend this CHRISTmas with close family and introduce long lived traditions to our little Lucas.

Lazy Dayz

Here are some recent pictures of Lucas around the house. He is getting a little personality.

Here he is, sad because I won't let him go outside and play basketball.

This was our first experience with rice cereal... It was fun to watch his faces!

I think I'll wait a little longer though. I'm reading an interesting book my sister gave me about when and how to feed babies. ("Super Baby Food")
He wasn't too impressed:

Merry Christmas!

Send your own ElfYourself eCards

ZZZzzz...

About a week ago, Jimmy casually asked me, "has Lucas ever slept through the night?" I growled back, "NO." I was 1.) suprised that he would ask me such an obvious question and 2.) MAD because he really had no idea what happens throughout the night. At least one of us gets sleep around here.
I know that Jimmy needs his sleep probably more than I do. He's so busy all of the time and I'm so grateful for all he does for our family. I was just a little taken back by his question.

No more growling from me. I have GREAT NEWS: Lucas finally SLEPT THROUGH THE NIGHT. 3 Nights ago, I woke up at 5:30am and realized I hadn't seen the whites of Lucas' eyes since 8:30pm. After noticing that, I looked over at the moniter. It was OFF. I know it was on when I went to bed... Anyways, I ran into his room to find him with all the blankets kicked off because he had been crying! How sad is that? I am awful.
After all of the guilt, I thought maybe he might be ready to sleep through the night - even if the previous night was a complete accident! Instead of feeding him when he woke, I just soothed him with his pacifier and he went right back to sleep. The rest is history. Now I have a child who sleeps through the night - in his own room! (knock on wood) This calls for celebration. Party at my house - 8 o'clock! ;)

Jimmy's response: "I knew he could do it!"

Turkey Bowl

This is Jimmy's form of "touch football". A big thanks to Jeremiah and Jordan for getting him home safe! We spent a good part of our day in the ER. He had 8 stitches. We made it to dinner... a little late and a little bloody, but we were there.
Today, we are thankful for Doctors who work on Holidays!

ROAD TRIP!

Lucas and I went on our first road trip last week! We tagged along with my parents to see family all throughout Idaho. We first went to Payette to see cousins of mine.
Our second stop was in Blackfoot. We stayed there for 5 days with my Grandparents. Lucas got to meet his Great Grandparents for the first time. They're getting old. While we were there, Grandpa managed to hit a parked car and act like nothing happened. (thank goodness there was no damage) Later that SAME DAY, he drove up and over a median, running over a HUGE sign. This all happened with me and Lucas in the back seat! I was scared for my life. Grandma is slightly off her rocker these days as well... she kept seeing people that weren't there and asking me who we were. She loved Lucas though. She wouldn't even stop talking to him for a picture! I love them so much, and we were so lucky to get to see them. (and make it home in one piece!)

Idaho Falls TempleOur third stop was in Coeur d 'Alene to visit my big bro and his family. We were lucky to catch my nieces basketball games. They are getting so big - it's fun to watch them grow up!
Here are some pics of Lucas and his big cousins.

Jaynie and Kayla helped with his bath

Jacqualine is his first babysitter. (I was hers)It was bitter-sweet because we left Jimmy at home during a heavy quarter of school. He wasn't feeling well, either - so a special thanks to Dr. Mom! His Mom came over and Doctored him up.
Jimmy had the house clean, all but a counter full of his mom's homeopathic meds. (We like to call it "witch craft.") and of course there was no toilet paper on the roll. I can't complain, because the bedroom was spotless, the laundry was done and the kitchen was clean. We missed you, Jimmy! It's good to be home.

A Christmas Carol

Grandma, Lucas and I went to see "A Christmas Carol" the Musical. It was so fun. I love this season and was so excited to go see Mr. Scrooge! Thanks Grandma Miller for joining us for a night of fun. It was nice to get away with just the three of us. We had a wonderful time.

twilight

Jim needed me to go to Barnes and Noble today to get him a book for school. I gladly agreed to go because I knew that meant going to the beautiful new Southcenter mall. I got there as soon as it opened and was stopped on my way in by a HUGE "Twilight" display. Now. I can't stand anything "pretend." I stop reading the minute books becomes too imaginary. Attention people: VAMPIRES are imaginary. For this reason, I have had little desire to read the book. Somehow, all of you "twilighters" seem to think vampires are all of the sudden real and in fact a little sexy. I have a client who took the day of the premier off work and told her employer she had to go see "Dr. Cullen."
I casually picked up the book, actually a little scared - hoping not to get bit by anything. (You people have me scared to pick up a book!) I kid you not, with in 5 seconds a womand passed me by and I could feel her looking at me. She circled the next isle, seeming to keep her eyes on me the entire time. After a few minutes of her weird behavior, she approached me. She asked me if I have read the book. I told her no, but have heard it's pretty good. She stopped me in the middle of my sentance and told me, "LOOK- just read it." This coming from someone who just scoped me out as if I were her prey. (The book must have rubbed off on her.) While in the store, 6 other people (ages 13 and beyond) approached me without me asking for advice about the book! They also told me that I needed to go buy some $30 shirt just so I could attend a book signing that will be happening tonight.
I know several cooky twlilighters who have seemed to put their lives on hold until they finish each book. I won't name names, Tammy Shannon Crystal Teresa Ashli Melissa Shirley Lauren Sheena Trisha Andrea. So, for them I will read this book. (not for the creepy lady in the store.)
I will be going on a road trip next week and will read it then. Hopefully after this, I won't be so out of the loop! However, I won't be convinced that vampires are sexy. Wish me luck.

Oh, and I almost forgot to get Jim's book.

A not so Happy Halloween

This season is not my favorite. In fact, Halloween is NOT my favorite holiday. I have always dressed up and joined the crowd, but it doesn’t excite me. It seems like it’s just an excuse for little hooligans to run around the neighborhood past their bed time. (Break-ins, smashed pumpkins…etc) I found a giraffe costume for the little man, which turned out pretty cute. He was ok with it until we went to the ward party. He screamed the whole time. (I think he was just mad that he couldn’t be batman.) So, Lucas and I left early- leaving Jimmy in charge of the haunted maze at the church.

We also had our car broken into last week. Which proves my point. They took our xm radio and broke our window. It could have been worse, I guess. I was just mad because I’m sure I was awake with the baby while all the ruckus was going on. I later found out that we were one of 6 break-ins in a two block radius. It’s been hard to sleep even though I’m sure they won’t come back to this area. Jimmy took a walk around the block at 2am the night after because he saw a man walking around in a hood. What was he going to do with this man in the hood once he found him? I have no idea. It was hard for both of us to sleep. I guess you could say, “Happy Haunting.”

Tonight, we just stayed home and guarded the house. My sister Tammy came over with her three "electronics." Mason, Ethan and Chloe. Better known as the Robot, i-phone and Wii. We just finished locking up the house and hopefully all the "hooligans" will go HOME. :)

Happy Halloween, everyone.