She's cool like that

This little girl sat on Santa's lap like it was no big thing. Sure she looked at him like, who is this guy? But when I called her name for a picture, I got her classic look. Isn't she sweet?

We celebrated St. Nick's on December 5. We each got a new ornament from Santa in our stockings.

The opening of her first present. She preferred to gum it, no teeth yet, pretty impressive.

We headed down to Salt Lake to see the tree at Gateway and the lights at Temple Square. Amelia's favorite was the water show. But I'm pretty sure she loved it all, considering she's looking at anything but the camera in every picture we took that night.

Amele is 9 months now. She weighs 18 lbs and 6 oz. She is 29 inches. She is getting her knees up, she kind of rocks on her knees and elbows. Ha ha, she may be going for a low crawl. She also bounces her bum to music, any music. My phone plays the theme from How I Met Your Mother (naturally) whenever I get a text. She dances to it every time. And as I speak she is pulling all her toys and books off the bottom shelf. She's not a baby anymore.

We love you Amelia.

Our Big News

Juan has been offered a job.

We have accepted.

We will be building our post-student life in the same state that Juan's dad grew up.

It is a 21 hour drive from Utah.

We will know 2 couple friends in the area, and a dear friend from freshman year that lives 4 hours away. That makes 5 people. Total.

It is currently 60 degrees there, in December.

That's all I've got. I know nothing about this place, but I know it's right for us. 

Oh wait, I do know one more thing.

The stars at night...

Apparently they're Big and Bright.

Clap clap clap clap

Deep in the Heart of Texas!

Juan has accepted a job with Dell right outside of Austin, Texas. 

After much prayer and research, we will be headed there September 2011.

So I've got 9 months to soak up my dear Utah. This holiday season is quite special knowing it's the last I'm here for all of my childhood traditions.

I'm thrilled. I'm scared. I'm SUPER excited actually. And most of all, I'm grateful that we have a job come graduation. What a blessing.

Please share any Austin, Texas tidbits with me in the comments. And I mean ANY.

Our Thanksgiving

Amelia's first Thanksgiving was spent at my parent's house (upstairs) with just 11 of us total. Smallest Thanksgiving I've attended in years. Juan and Amelia helped me make the Sweet Potatoes which let me tell you, I don't usually like, but I woke up from my after-turkey nap craving those Sweet Potatoes. Yum.

In the kitchen, helping me cook.

Our Thanksgiving table picture, with my mom's beautiful tree in the background.

 She knows how to do the actions to the whole Patty-Cake song now. She claps, rolls, and throws. She was doing it with us all day, but when I went that night to get it on video, I got this face:

Not a chance, mom.

 She does not do the actions with us often. She sometimes will skip to throwing, and does that action the whole song. Yesterday my mom was trying a few times to get her to clap and roll. She would not cooperate, and then later when I was changing her diaper with just the 2 of us, she did all 3 actions in perfect timing with the song. She likes to prove she can do things, just not in front of others.

And this is her season, folks.

 Doesn't she just look like she belongs in Who-ville? Knocking on Cindy Lou Who's door asking if she can come out to play? 

Happy Holidays!

All Things Amelia

She weighs 17 lbs 11 oz. She gained almost 2 lbs in 1 month. Phew!

Does she look like she's chunking up?

She bonded with her Aunt Kelly. It was their first time meeting.

She loves the pediatrician's aquarium.

Even when she got her shots, she only cried for 10 seconds. Happy baby.

Isn't the coat to die for?

Happy Thanksgiving!

5 Years, Me and The Husband

Every day I watch re-runs of the Match Game on the Game Show Network. I love that show. Almost every contestant is a housewife and they all gush about they're wonderful husbands. I wish I could go back to 1975 and be on that show just to say, I'm married to a rotten husband. I'd love to hear the audience gasp.

May I dedicate this post to my 'rotten' husband, Juan.

We are not together today for our 5 year anniversary, Juan went and scored himself a job interview out of state.

Consequently, we celebrated a week early. At a breath-taking hotel in Park City, gorgeous. Our anniversary is at a brilliant time, 1 week before ski season. Great deals this time of year.

We shopped, ate, watched 4 minutes of Sleepless in Seattle before we both fell asleep. Mills was there with us, couldn't let her miss out on the fun.

Me and Juan, we're pretty good together.

And Mills, she couldn't let her dad miss out on anything while he was gone. So at 8:55 pm last night, she pulled out all the stops and introduced us to what we like to call the swim-crawl.

Things I am Loving

I'm only 38 pages in, but I am loving it. I thought it was a Sci-Fi like Star Wars or something. But I am feeling more of a Hunger Games vibe.

This little number that is on its way in the mail for Amelia. I love winter sometimes.

Her new tub! She can sit up in it, but I don't have to hover over the bathtub quite yet. As you can see, she loves it too.

Olivia the Owl. It is the cutest little carseat toy I have ever seen. Saw it on someone else's carseat at Target and I had to have it. Ordered it on Amazon for only $10.

Home-made baby legs. My friend Angie sent me some when Amelia was born. I picked up these 2 new knee socks at Target for $1.50 each and copied hers to make my baby legs! Technically my mom did the sewing, but I could have done it. Afterall, I am a seasoned sew-er.

This is halloween, this is halloween

This is my favorite church dress/tights combo yet. And for Halloween day, Perf.

Our little sweetheart was a ladybug for Halloween, of course. How can you resist a cute ladybug costume for your baby girl? It just can't be done.

We had a family party and Millie just drank in all the people and kids and their crazyness. She is so reserved and shy. Her little smiles are so sweet, and she is giving them more freely now.

And starting on Halloween day, she learned to clap. I clap with her every day, especially during her feedings. And she's been studying my movement. Well she decided it was time to perform. Here's a cute little video. She gets SUPER excited and gets in a few claps.

She also loves when I pat her mouth while she's talking. She will go aaaaaah and lean into my hand and make me do it. She thinks it's so much fun. She is still rolling around and can manage to get anywhere she wants with a few rolls and some pivots on her tummy.

And I just quick have to brag about Juan. It is recruiting season at BYU and Juan is looking for a job for when he graduates this summer. He took a test to work for the IRS (one of my top choices, all those benefits!) and he got the results back today. They rated him as Superior. The very top notch, their first picks at interviews. I have been calling him Superior Juan all day. He's a genius.