Hilton's blessing day 3.16.14

Our sweet baby Hilton was blessed a little over a week ago, and what a beautiful day it was watching my strong handsome give such a tender blessing to our sweet little baby. The morning started with us (me) frantically getting Hilton bathed before I needed to start getting ready. Jared and I planned on changing Hilton into his blessing outfit at the church right before sacrament meeting started just in case we got a surprise diaper or Hilton decided to spit up at all. Luckily for us neither happened and his blessing outfit made it through unscathed.

I had been pretty careful during the morning trying to time it so he would take a nap during his blessing, but unfortunately for me little mister knew something was up and was resistant to his nap. As they called for all those invited into the circle to come up and Jared took Hilton from me, Hilton started to cry on the way up and I thought, 'oh great, here we go'. The instant Jared started the blessing Hilton stopped so I think he was listening to what his dad was saying.

Unfortunately I had been so concerned about trying to make sure his blessing outfit was preserved and he was in a good mood for the blessing that I didn't even think to record or ask someone to write down what was said in the blessing. After sacrament meeting was over and we were saying hello to family before packing up to go to my parents for refreshments, I had a sweet sister from my ward come up to me and give me a paper. She said that she had felt prompted to record the blessing for me and that it wasn't word for word but almost. I was so grateful someone else was listening to promptings that day for me because I was so worried about the physical aspect of it I forgot about the most important part which was the message for little Hilton to be able to look back on and know what had been said.

Once we got to my parents house we had a wonderful time visiting with friends and family who came to the blessing to support our newest member. We felt so blessed and grateful to have so much support from those close to us, and it was so nice to get to visit and finally show off Hilton since it was the first opportunity most of our family has gotten to meet him! Sadly I failed at taking any pictures of those that came, I was so stressed from worrying about the blessing that I completely forgot! However we did get some sweet pictures of the three of us and I'm grateful we got a picture of him in his blessing outfit.

Happy blessing day Hilton, and thank you so much to all those that came. We know a lot of people traveled a long way to come and wanted to say thank you and that it meant a lot!

Little man was definitely worn out from his big day, his nap schedule was a bit off so he slept very well that night! Poor little Hilton! When you're worn out sometimes only daddy will do.

Your Third Month

Oh my goodness how time is flying! I know I say that each time I put an update here, but it just seems to keep speeding up much too fast. You are my little angel and I just love you so much I can't help it.

You are still in three month clothing, which I'm grateful for so we can get more use out of them. But not for long I don't think. We just moved you into size two diapers but that hasn't seemed to help your blowouts. You've already had two this week, both times when poor grandma has been watching you! You've gotten baths those days as well it was so bad. You no longer scrunch up your face and act like you're going to scream when I put you in the bath, but you still seem unsure.

You love to gnaw on your hands and you love sucking on the corners of your blankets so I know that soon we'll have a favorite blanket that must go everywhere with us. You basically still dislike binkies except for when mommy can convince you to take one (but that's really hard and rare). You love talking and gabbing with mommy when she gets home from work before bed, and you have found yourself in the mirror on your playmat and are curious about who that person is and if you can talk to them. You still haven't rolled over, but I think it may happen soon. You've begun to actually like tummy time, and are getting super close to propping yourself up on your elbows and try to scoot yourself a couple inches. You hate to be held like a baby unless you're being fed. Only sitting up assisted or standing assisted for this boy! You want to be aware of what is happening around you and are very curious about the puppies and intrigued by the world around you.

 Your sweet little personality is still so strong and prevelant. However you've started to get frustrated more quickly if we don't know what you want right away so I feel like you are definitely wanting to communicate and trying to figure out what you need. I love and hate when you wake up for the morning because you often start cooing when you wake up because you're wanting to know whats going on, but I also wish you'd sleep longer for mom's sake. You only wake up around seven but on mom's days off it would be nice to sleep a bit longer. It's clear you love your grandma's and grandpa's, they can always get you to smile and you love being sung to by them. I really hope they have a strong influence in your life.

Daddy loves that you love watching Man vs. Wild with you. You love the sound of Bear Grylls voice and literally calm down almost instantly when you hear it. I think you'll be an outdoorsmen like daddy.

Mommy loves your sweet smile and squeaks when she makes faces with you and carries on a gabbing conversation. You love to be tickled and have raspberries blown on your belly. Anything to get you to smile your sweet smile mommy loves.

Hilton loves his food. Eating still only 3.5 oz or so. If you get over hungry you get so worked up that it takes a lot to get you to take the bottle even though you're mad because you're hungry.

The puppies love that the days have been getting warmer so mommy takes a blanket outside and lays underneath it with Hilton and throws the chuck-it for the puppies to run after. We're all so glad spring is here!

I love you so much little Hilton, and I whisper how much I love you each night when I put you to bed and every morning before I leave for work. I hope you remember the sweet things I've told you as you get older. We love you so much and would do anything for you!

Your Second Month

Oh my goodness how this past month has flown. It's gone by way to fast. And yet so much has happened. You're changing and growing at a rapid rate putting you in three month clothes already. You've out grown all your newborn size socks and are have already almost outgrown size one diapers. As much as you've grown physically you are growing in so many ways as well. You have really started to gab, you've found your hands, and have started to drool and blow bubbles all the time.

As you get older your personality grows and grows. You are the sweetest little spirit I've ever met. You smile everyday for hours on end. You smile at everything and you've started to squeal which I love. You're such a happy baby and only upset when you're hungry or need to burp. And even then you're an easily soothed baby. You've basically got head control down, you can turn and look or hold it up for a long period of time now. You've even started to figure out how to balance sitting with some assistance. You've definitely decided you dislike tummy time, but we're determined to get you stronger so we try and do it each day. You love music and will lay on your back and move all your little limbs as fast as you can to the music. You're a fan of Michael Buble, so we play that CD on replay for you which entertains you for over an hour easily.

We're still working on getting you used to bath-time. We only have been doing it once a week because your skin was so dry no matter how much lotion I put on so we've just barely started doing it twice a week. You don't like being naked for very long and scream when we first put you in the bath, but after you get wet you calm down and seem pretty stoic to the concept until we get you out and then you scream again. We'll keep trying to get you used to water, since we've signed up for a mommy-toddler swim class this summer so hopefully that goes well. Lastly we decided around six weeks it was time to get you on a real routine/schedule for bedtime so now you're doing much better, falling asleep around 9pm and only get up 2-3 times per night for a bottle and go back to sleep within ten minutes of eating which mommy is grateful for.

 In this past month we've had our family road trip, first real sickness and scary ER/hospital visit (of which I'm sure there will be many more since boys will be boys), and mom has gone back to work. Our first road trip was to visit our friends Ryan, Alex and sweet little Kayli (who is only ten weeks older than you) in Las Vegas and had lots of fun down there. It was short but you had a great time and really liked being around Kayli which we're hopeful that means you'll be friends. We are going to try to visit often, and hopefully you'll continue to like road trips because we plan on taking lots as a family.

You then got incredibly sick with what we think was a severe stomach flu and it was just too much for your little body to handle without medical help. After two days at Primary Children's and a couple of really scary tests later where mom had to leave the room, you were all better thank goodness and ready to come back home. I can't imagine how mother's of babies who are in the NICU or hospital for long periods of time feel like because my heart broke after just two days there.

Going back to work has honestly been one of the hardest things I've ever done. I think each day as I am going to work about how I would rather be home with you and have tons of guilt about leaving you. But at the same time I need to have time outside of the house so I can be the best mother possible for you, and you are in very good hands with Daddy on Monday's and Grandma Mills Tuesday, Thursday, and Fridays. So our time together now is that much more precious and special, and I can't wait to spend each moment with you when I'm home. My Wednesday's off have become our special time where we snuggle most of the day and do just whatever you feel like which involves staying home almost all day. To help me get by my entire desk is covered in pictures of you and Grandma Mills is wonderful about sending me lots of pictures throughout the day while I'm at work to make the time go faster.

I can't wait to see how you grow and change in this next month and to see what adventures we have. It's just so amazing to me still that you are mine and are here to stay. I can't imagine life without you now, you have become such a permanent part of our family so quickly and we all love you so much. It's so bittersweet to see you grow because you're no longer my small tiny newborn, and yet so precious as you do a lot of first's and become a little more independent each day. I love you always.

Birth: 7 lbs. 15 oz.
1 month: 11 lbs. 14 oz.
2 month: 13 lbs. 8 oz.

Your First Month

You my precious baby are already one month old. How is this possible? It's been a month since they laid you on my chest wide awake and calmly breathing. You barely even let out a cry when the doctor helped you enter into the world. This is how you have been the majority of your life so far. Calm, happy and inquisitive. And you were perfect. I'm reminded of this each day I look at you. You're perfect nose, ears, fingers, and toes. And you are all mine.

You've been very patient with your dad and I as we've figured out what you want and need from us. You have started being more and more active each day for longer. Sometimes too long, you just really want to be aware of whats going on around you and so you get overtired. You resist falling asleep at times, and moms' tricks of walking the floor, rubbing your back, and in times of extreme desperation-car rides-don't always work. But you're definitely starting to figure out day and night time and are only waking up maybe two times each night.

You are such a happy baby. You smile on a daily basis much to the surprise of grandparents and friends. We love it. It makes me happy thinking of all the wonderful experiences that are soon to be yours. Keep on smiling little one.

You're also an incredibly healthy baby. So far dad has had a cold for the last week of your first month and you haven't gotten sick, which we are SO grateful for. You've gained half of your birth weight already, putting you past the 70th percentile in weight for your age. You've already started to grow out of your newborn clothes which makes mom really sad and weepy when she looks at your little clothes, especially your 'coming home from the hospital' outfit which you outgrew a week ago. But it's all good and just the beginning of you outgrowing your clothes I know. 

We're so happy to call you ours and I know you love us as well. I can't believe its already been a month, but I'm sure I'll be thinking the same thing when you turn one year old. Here's to many more memories to be made! I love you my baby, and you'll always be my sweet little baby.

Birth: 7 lbs. 15 oz.
1 month: 11 lbs. 14 oz.

Letter to Hilton: 3 weeks

I can't believe my sweet little baby boy is already three weeks old! Time is going so fast.

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12-29-13

Changes from last week include that you are being a bit more fussy than normal. I think you are definitely going through a growth spurt, and a bit of colic at the same time. You wiggle and writhe with the cutest facial expressions as you stretch your arms and legs every which way as if trying to get each body part longer. It's just to cute.

12-30-13

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You have also decided that you like being swaddled again, I think it helps keep you from startling yourself awake as you try and stretch in your sleep. Oh and you are reverting back to insisting on being held to fall asleep. You make whimpers and little squeaks in your sleep, which I love but it scares your daddy sometimes because he thinks it means your waking up. It doesn't though, you slumber on just fine.

 

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You are definitely becoming more alert in the daytime, you love looking at lights and showing all your facial expressions when you're being held by mom or dad. You have the most expressive forehead already its to entertaining to watch. You are doing amazing at tummy time, you can already lift and turn your head and raise up into a superman poise really well. Even though you're the spitting image of daddy, you have quite a couple of my tendencies. You squeeze your fist with your thumb tucked under your index finger just like mommy did when she was a baby, and you have a bad habit of holding your breath when you fart so your face gets all red.

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You've started being able to lift up your own bottle, and have an incredibly strong grip on moms fingers when you're eating. You're a hungry boy already weighing in at 9 lbs 10 oz. which is almost two pounds more than when your birth weight was! You eat about every three hours which is just enough time in the night that mommy can actually get some sleep and not be a total zombie the next day. Normally 11, 2, and 5 are your wake up times, with seven being your I'm up and not going back to bed for a while time. Mom wishes you'd make this more like nine am instead.

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You're changing so fast little one, and we have really loved watching you change and grow already. We love you so much little man, I can't wait to see how you change this next week.

New Years Resolutions

In the 2013 year I focused on trying to complete some of my bucket list goals, and it turned out being such a great year I think I'll do the same this year. In 2013 I...

1. Graduated from BYU with my Bachelor's in Exercise Science
2. Stayed at Nordstrom for just a year and then had to move on to a more challenging job
3. Got pregnant
4. Became a mother
5. Bought a house
6. We bought a new bed (Tempur Pedic-will never sleep on anything else!)
7. Made a new quilt
8. Got a short haircut for the first time since Jr. high

In 2014 I want to accomplish at least some of these and I've added eight more goals to my list to keep it going...

1. Put a new fence in our backyard
2. Make a new quilt for me
3. Make my own salsa from my own garden that I will grow
4. Go on a monthly date night with just Jared
5. Take Hilton to Yellowstone summer 2014
6. Run Ragnar Wasatch Back 2014
7. Take monthly hikes with the dogs, Jared, and Hilton
8. Do a 365 photo challenge this year

Most of these are big goals, which I think are things that I can all accomplish. Here to 2014!

Our first family photo and we hope for many more to come in 2014!

Our blessed 2013 year

Looking back on this year it was just such an amazing ride. So many goals were completed and life achievements occurred. But most importantly I feel that my close relationships have gotten stronger. I feel that Jared and I's marriage got to be more unified, closer, and adaptable. I've grown closer to my own mother and father as they helped us buy our first house, and especially since the arrival of my sweet Hilton. My mother has shown me so many things about how to be a good mother, and it wasn't until my baby made his appearance that I grew to truly appreciate the work and life of a mother.

 
But most importantly I feel that I myself have changed significantly. I've become incredibly fiscally responsible. I'm the bill payer in our house and am in charge of making sure we save enough for the car payments, mortgage, and general bills. I got to watch and experience my body doing an amazing feat of creating another human being and being able to give birth to that most precious creation. I have seen myself become more determined by finally pushing to the end of my degree and taking the large step of graduating from college. I am officially a college graduate with a bachelors degree! Five years of tears, sweat, and blood went into that and I will (hopefully) never take the experience for granted.

 

The largest change I have seen in myself was becoming more patient. More patient with Jared, with life, and mostly with myself. I have grown to know myself a little deeper than I did at the beginning of 2013, and I hope that I can learn and grow even more in the year 2014. It's funny how so many things were unplanned at the beginning of this year, and how they just feel into place. We wanted to buy a house, but had no real plans too. We wanted to have a baby but had no control over the timing. I wanted to be done with school but wasn't ready to make the last sacrifices to make it happen. It's so true that the Lord has a plan for us and that we cannot understand or control the timing; but we can have faith that he knows what is best for us and what we need from our time here on earth.

I'm so grateful for my life, for my husband, my health, my baby, my dogs, my house and car, my job, but greatest of all I'm grateful for the belief that each day is a new day and that I can always do better today than I did yesterday. It's inspiring and that's what I'm hoping for this 2014 year. To live each day inspired and to take each day as a blessing. To the comforts, joys, and challenges that lie ahead, here's to 2014!