6 Months

**Please excuse the mommy/baby talk. It's kind of embarrassing

After our appointment today I was waiting for my friend who was helping another patient. I wanted to say bye before we left. The lady sitting next to me holding what looked to me like 3 month old asked how old Canyon was. I told her he was 6 months and she then asked what day he was born. Turns out she had been in the delivery room next to me in the hospital and was induced that morning as well. Her little boy was born a little more than an hour before Canyon. He was half the size of C. hmmmm....

So the official stats.

Weight: 18 lbs 7.5 oz (63.67th percentile)

Height 26.5 inches (51.31st percentile)

Head Circumference: 18 inches (92.66th percentile)

So the little man has averaged out a little, except for his uncharacteristically large head...maybe he'll be the brains of this operation in the near future.

He's been here for half a year...I can hardly believe it...bring on the next 16:)

P&Q Day 1 of 30

A really close friend of mine married this adorable girl, Kylie. She is so thoughtful and creative and I sure hope I get to meet her someday. Good pick, TJ:) I was reading her blog this morning and she is had a little challenge of a picture and a quote on the blog everyday. Like Kylie, I adore quotes and photos so I decided to take her challenge starting today. Not all my photo's will be of my family nor will they all be professional but I'll do my best to give credit to any photographer I use. Enjoy!



"Every foundation stone that is laid for a Temple, and every Temple completed according to the order the Lord has revealed for his holy Priesthood, lessens the power of Satan on the earth, and increases the power of God and Godliness, moves the heavens in mighty power in our behalf, invokes and calls down upon us the blessings of the Eternal Gods, and those who reside in their presence" - President George Q Cannon

Discovery

We have returned from quite the vacation (post on that will come soon) and have found that our "chunky monkey" has grown out of nearly all his clothes, not to mention Zach has worn out a few pairs of his shorts. So yesterday we headed to target to see if we could find Zach some new fashionable shorts. As he was trying on various plaid bottoms I made the most delightful discovery. The baby clearance section...

I always looked for baby clearance items but never knew they were hidden behind the little boys' pajama pants. Oh the joys! There were pack-n-plays for $50 as well as high chairs, travel systems and swings for so cheap you couldn't beat it on KSL or craigslist.org. I started digging and wa la! Affordable clothes that the little man will actually fit in! Yes, a pair of shorts for seventy five cents and another for a dollar. I also found him some new jammies (adorable) for three bucks. Yay for Target clearance. I sure love it.

My two boys sported their new clearance shorts this morning and I was oh so proud:)

Babysitting blues

I'm going to be honest and up front...I'm having the babysitting blues.

The one thing I always swore I'd never do is....DAYCARE

School is around the corner and Zach is going to be gone ALL day. I'm stuck with a need for consistency for my sweet son and no way to get that....unless I go the daycare route. I wish I could find someone but I just don't know who.

Yesterday I cried.

Today I cried.

Honestly I don't think we could even afford daycare.

What do I do?

UPDATE: Thanks for all your comments but I would like to say that Zach and I really do need the money from me working and as much as I'd love to stay home with my son...the bills have to be paid. I love you all but I hope you know that I do love my son more than anything and he will get the attention and care he needs.

Pool Time

Alas, Canyon seems to dislike the water. He kind of freezes up and cuddles. So my goal is to help him realize that the water is a fun place to be. My goal is to go to the pool at least 3 times this week and hopefully by the time we fly out on Saturday he'll be ready to enjoy the water.

The water was a little too cold...so C decided to cuddle up to mom and rejected all offered toys. We got out shortly after and enjoyed the nice day. He was happy to play with toys on the beach chair and made numerous attempts at eating the camera. Ten minutes later he was buckled into his stroller, out for a nap. This is when I assumed tanning position and soaked in some vitamin D while he slept in the shade. Woot woot for one hour naps, I needed a little color.

Hopefully Wednesday will go a little better...

Pictures Pictures Pictures

So big! He's sitting up all by him self. I love him:)

Thanks

I really just want to say thanks. I don't know if anyone will ever understand how grateful I am at this time in my life. I want to say thanks to those wonderful people who volunteer their time everyday to watch my sweet baby boy. I know it's not easy watching someone else's 5 month old who is teething and occasionally cranky. Thank you Jones family (especially Aunt Heather), Lori, the Westovers, Grandma and Grandpa Stailey, the Green's, Mindy, Brittany Bezzant, Emily Fisher and Rachel Hudson (and your roomies too!!) I can't express how grateful I am that I can go to work knowing he is with someone who loves him and will do everything they can to care for him. It breaks my heart to leave him but you have made it a little easier. Thanks.

I need to say thanks to our family. We struggle and you are always there to help us where ever we need it. You put up with delinquent phone payments and late night computer emergencies. You put up with our dog...and that's saying a lot:) Thanks for helping us go on vacations that we could never afford. Thanks for the innumerable acts of kindness, we love you.

I want to express my gratitude for and to our friends. Not only have you got us through the hard times but you have created some of the best for us. Not only were you there for us in the early years but it is you, friends, who introduced us to one another and made this journey possible. Thanks for the late night talks, the game nights, the dinner parties, the softball games and the countless birthday celebrations. Thanks for teaching me to love another's family as much as my own. Thanks for teaching me that service is one of the most rewarding opportunities I'll ever come by. You are amazing and I want the very best for each and every one of you. I think of you often, from those grade school friends to the recent softball team friends and I enjoy the time my family spends with yours.

I know that a simple thank you is not near enough, and hopefully in time I'll be able to give something back to all who have given us so much. I just want you to know you are loved and I appreciate all you do for me. The world would not be the same without each one of you.

Some fairly recent shots!

Thanks Soni for the fun pictures!!

Red White and Blue!!

We had such a fun 4th of July celebration this year! Like many we celebrated on Saturday. We took Bruce to a fun park with lots of water and he just played and played and played. Canyon, who recently became Bruce's biggest fan, watched and giggled. Zach grilled up some delicious steak and we ate it with potatoes, corn, pineapple and grapes...yummm:) He's become quite the griller!

A couple days ago Zach mentioned that there were a bunch (and I mean a BUNCH) of unused glow sticks in his mom's basement. They used to sell them at occasions such as the Fourth of July. Zach suggested we take some with us in an attempt to sell them. We weren't too worried about it but if we could make a buck great. Good thing we weren't to financially committed...there were a BAZILLION people out there selling such goods. We did make two sales totaling $6. Woot Woot. The baby fell asleep just before the fireworks began so we bundled him up and enjoyed the romantic display together. All in all it was quite the enjoyable experience! I'm pretty grateful for the blessings we have in the US and for the opportunities Canyon will have because we are here. I sure do love my little family:)