Playing Catch Up

So, it's been a long time since I have updated my blog. I am terrible at this! Life has been very busy since I last wrote. We have gone through several changes:

*I have been accepted to the SLCC Dental Hygiene program for this fall. I am quitting my job and going to school full-time come August 22nd.
*We have moved back to Murray! Scott's parents have graciously welcomed us into their home so we can be closer to school, save money, and not have to run Alice back and forth while I go to school.
*Scott is going to start his last semester at the U in the fall. He will graduate in business management at the end of December!
*Moving to a new ward has presented more responsibilities than before: I am the 1st Counselor in the YW and Scott is the Gospel Doctrine teacher! He does an excellent job and it's fun to see him teach. I have been enjoying myself getting to know the sweet girls in our ward and teaching as well!
*Speaking of church, Alice can go to the nursery now. Does she, though? NO. She went the first few times without incident and then recently has decided that going to nursery is a death sentence. Simply walking across the threshold of the nursery room gives her anxiety and she cries like I have never seen. I never thought that my happy little girl would be one of those kids!
*Scott and I have been trying harder to get into shape. I have been running a lot and Scott has been dieting. He's lost about 20 pounds and I am so proud of him!
*I have gone back to being a blonde. While being a brunette was a fun change, I have decided that I look the best with blonde hair. Who knows how long that will last, though. I love to change my hair whenever I can!

Here are some pictures that I haven't taken off of my camera:

 back at the old apartment

 Alice in her Easter dress

 on the Hewitson Family egg hunt

 wow, my hair was dark

 at the Dickson Family egg hunt

 Alice with daddy

 the spoils

 Alice in the tubby

 Alice loves to empty cupboards

 Alice with Grandma, Grandpa & cousins

 Alice loves to snuggle with us on our bed

 she doesn't need to take the wrappers off

 she finally got the hang of it

 she eats anything she can (that's not edible, that is)

 is this one mine?

 in trouble

cute little bottom

Alice's One Year Photos

We finally got around to getting Alice's one year photos taken. Last time I got pictures taken, I went to Kiddie Kandids. Big mistake! They charge way too much and the pictures aren't even that great. This time we went to Fotofly in Draper and got a lot more for our money. You just pay a flat rate for a 45-minute session and you get all of your pictures on a CD with the copyright release. Plus they were super nice and by the time we were finished, we walked out the door with all of our pictures. We even got a few family ones. Alice got super fussy at times because she hates it when strangers get close to her, but we ended up getting some cute pictures. Here are a few:

Alice's 1st Birthday Party

It's hard to believe that Alice's birthday has come and gone and that my little girl is one! In some ways it went by really quickly, but in other ways it has seemed like she's been with us for forever. At her one year check-up, Alice weighed in at 18 pounds 12 ounces (14th percentile) and measured 30 1/2 inches (79th percentile). She surprises me every day with everything that she's doing. She loves to say "hi," "hello," "mama," "dada," "ball," "elmo," "no," and an occasional "baby." She gives fives, blows kisses, waves, claps, walks around with her tummy sticking out, and gets into trouble! Lately she holds everything up to her ear likes it's a phone and starts babbling.

We had a family birthday bash for Alice the day after her birthday, despite her being sick (I had to take her to the doctor on her actual birthday). We had kind of a Cafe Rio-esque dinner with cake. It was pretty low-key, but it was fun all the same. The following are pictures from the party:

unfortunately, they messed up her name on the cake

the adorable cake that my sister Emily made

the party table with decorations

the cousins with the pinata

Alice and me opening presents

the birthday banner I put together

Let it Snow!

A few weeks ago, it finally snowed. We borrowed Dude and Korrin's snowsuit to bundle Alice up for temple square and decided to use it again to introduce her to the snow. Although she didn't love the experience of being in the snow (or the feeling that she couldn't quite move in the snowsuit), we did get a few cute pictures of her.

The Daddy Phase

Since after Christmas, I have been working at the office three days a week. This means that I drop Alice off at my parents' house and into the arms of my dad who Alice is currently terrified of. She basically screams until my mom comes home from work half an hour later. Then she's fine. It's not fine, however, for me to see her like that every time I drop her off. Honestly, it breaks my heart. I wish I didn't have to do it, however temporary it is.

Since this has all started, I have noticed a change in Alice. She seems to be more fussy than usual around me and sometimes it just feels like I can't do anything right. She does, however, adore her dad more and more. Although I love seeing her enamored with her father, I would be lying if I said that it didn't bother me. Until now, she has preferred me in almost every instance. When she was upset, she came to me for comfort. Now she goes to Scott and even goes as far as to get upset when I hold her instead.

Honestly, I was surprised at Alice's affection towards me since I became a mother. I thought it was strange that she could love me so much because, after all, I have never considered myself someone special. Now that her affections seem to have shifted, I miss how things were. I know that it's probably a phase and I'm surely making it out to be a bigger deal than it really is. Maybe other mothers have experienced something similar. Anyway, it's a part of growing up and maybe it's time for me to face some of my insecurities. I just have to keep telling myself that it's only temporary. So here's to new challenges and new phases!

Reflections

2011 was full of changes- some good and some not so good. Overall, I guess you could say that it was a hard year for me. I became a mother, my baby was hospitalized, my grandpa died, my uncle died, my dad got cancer, we swam in medical bills, and I left home to work again. On the other hand, I became a mother of an amazingly beautiful daugher, I celebrated two years of marriage to my best friend, I met all of the challenges that were thrown at me, and I was blessed in so many countless ways.
Going into 2012, I feel very hopeful. There are so many things to look forward to: Alice's first birthday, mine and Scott's 3-year anniversary, a trip to Florida, tickets to Wicked, and Scott's graduation. I also look forward to the unexpected surprises and the little moments that make life worthwhile. Even though I am constantly looking forward to the next things in life, I must say that right now with my crappy apartment and meager income I am very blessed!

Merry Christmas!

Well, it has been very long since I've updated my blog. Sometimes I think I just want to get rid of it. My life has been very busy with work and school and Alice, so blogging has not been a priority. At Alice's 9-month check-up she was in the 25th percentile for her weight (17 lbs 12 oz) and 96th percentile for her height. She has 6 teeth now and is practically walking (she has taken about 6 wobbly steps across the room on several occasions). She loves to clap her hands, dance to music, play peek-a-boo, wave and give fives. She will even give mommy big, wet kisses on occasion. She doesn't have a huge vocabulary but she can say "hi", "mama", "dada", and "baby." She gets cuter and more fun every day and we are so blessed to have her in our lives. We are looking forward to our first Christmas with her, even if she doesn't understand the concept yet. Below are some pictures from the Wood Jenkins (which no longer exists) Christmas Party earlier this month. I hope everyone has a wonderful Christmas! Enjoy!

she was fine until she turned around....
absolutely terrified

our little family

the Hewitson clan