2009 recap

What a year 2009 has been!  It has had many highs and lows and all of the in between.

I sure appreciate life.  I appreciate health, family and friends much more…and my job!  As I try to think back on what the year started out with my mind goes to New Years.  We spent the weekend with friends at a cabin in Midway.  It was different because I was pregnant, but it was fun.  We ate, and drank, played in the snow, watched movies and played guitar hero.  It was definitely a fun weekend.  One bad thing I remember is we were finishing our kitchen wood floors and they stunk so bad that I could not be in the house.  We thought it would be cleared out by the time we got home from the cabin, but no way!  Just to be safe because I was pregnant, I slept with all of the bedroom windows open and the door shut…burrrrr!

February approached quickly and we had something fun to look forward to, a weekend with our friend Toddy Woddy in Portland.  We went over my 30^th birthday!  OMG, I know, 30!  Now that seems so long ago!  We had a great weekend.  Enjoyed beautiful weather, scenery, and food.  We went to some great pubs like the Rogue Beer pub and a distillery.  Todd is so much fun.  We even ate at a breakfast place that was just a hole in the wall.  It was where they found the Nancy Kerrigan evidence in the trash bin.

March we were back home.  Finishing up our kitchen and small odds and ends.  Man was it great to have a kitchen again.  Living out of the bathroom sink was no fun.

April we were coming to an end in pregnancy.  Only one more month to go and I was getting so excited.  Luckily all of the sickness had gone.  Just getting round.  We signed up for birthing classes! Hehe, Robert was not excited, but he was such a trooper.  We didn’t really go anywhere.  We just worked around the house and yard.  We started to finish Dalyla’s room and get that all ready for her.

May, the big month!  Dalyla was on her way.  The 25^th couldn’t come quick enough, just to find out that she was 2 days late!  This month was quite warm.  We went for walks in the evenings, enjoyed movies together and just hung out around the house.

Of course the 27^th was the best day of the year.  Little Dalyla made her showing and our year and life was changed forever.

June was an adjustment month.  Robert went back to work and I was at home with the baby.  I can’t believe that this month flew by.  We celebrated our 8^th wedding anniversary!  We left Dalyla with my dad and Becki to go have dinner and I was having anxiety after two hours!  We couldn’t leave her much more than that because I was breast feeding. 

July came and went.  We went to a Bee’s game with Adam, the boys and Dalyla for the 4^th of July.  That was really fun.  We really didn’t venture to go camping quite yet.  I still wasn’t able to make it out of the house before noon.  By the time I was ready and she was ready it was time to eat and change and nap. J

August was a good month.  It was Robert’s 34^th birthday and we also took a weekend trip to Bear Lake with Kandace and Greg.  That was a lot of fun.  We took Dalyla to the beach.  Her first feet in the water and sand experience. It was nice to enjoy a couple beers and relax.  Although a couple was max because I was still breast feeding.  Dalyla was very well mannered and she slept surprisingly well.  It was hard to get her to sleep but other than that she did fine. We took a trip to the gas station to buy some lottery tickets.  I told Robert to grab the diaper bag and he said, oh she will be fine we aren’t going to be gone long..well wouldn’t ya know it, she pooped…all up her back!  Luckily I had some wipes and one diaper..no clothes though.  We had to go back to the cabin and change her clothes. Haha!  Then late August I had to return to work. Weird thing is I was sort of excited to get back into the swing of my professional life, but at the same time I felt like the worst person ever for leaving my daughter to be raised by someone else after wanting her all these years.  It really was a big mental battle of priorities.  I still have a hard time leaving her.  The only thing that has made it easier is knowing that she is with family that loves her and takes very good care of her.  I am very lucky to have a Mother in Law that is so great!

September we took our first family alone vacation to Moab.  Dalyla was unusually whiny and sleepy.  She was great though out in the desert and on hikes.  We hiked a lot and it was hot.  She mostly slept.  We had a wonderful time though.  Hiking with Robert and my daughter was the greatest thing ever.  I really enjoyed just hanging out with my husband.  I couldn’t have been more happier.  This weekend was Dalyla’s first time ever to sleep through the night.  From there on out we couldn’t figure out what it was that made her sleep. J  We did find out later the next weekend that she had a UTI. So sad, her fever shot up to 103 degrees.  Scared me to death.  That was our first afterhours weekend visit to the dr. 

October, football season!  The Jags and Bears suck this year..but oh well!  We did get to dress Dalyla up in her Bears bibs for the first time. J  Daddy loved that.  We took our first weekend trip away from Dalyla to Vegas with Kandace and Greg.  We went to the Ute game.  Super fun.  It was hard to leave her, I was excited to get home, but it was so nice to conversate and enjoy a drink with Robert.  We went to ESPN zone before the game.  It was great weather. 

And Halloween was great.  Took Dalyla all around to the grandparents and my work.  We went to Larry and Ellen’s house for a party and took Dalyla along.  It was her first experience of her Daddy’s crazy Halloween costumes.  Yes, he was Wonder Woman!  So HOT!  I couldn’t keep my hands off of him, I mean her all night!  Something is just so hot about a hairy Wonder Woman with long sexy legs!

November quickly approached with cold weather.  We went to another Ute game at the stadium.  That was fun.  Thanksgiving was a blurr.  I cooked dinner at my house for my dad, Becki, Scott, Randy and Jana and Cal.  It was a good day.  We started off the cold morning with a 5k turkey run.  Then went to Court and Amanda’s for brunch with Mom, then rushed home to finish dinner.  It was a great day.

Wow, and here we are December.  The end of the year already!  Work has been insane, life has been insane getting ready for Christmas. 

Christmas was fantastic.  My dad and Becki came for breakfast and my mom and Haylee came for brunch.  We got to visit and see so much family.  The only regret is that we didn’t get to spend more time with Lael in Park City. Visiting at my Grandmas was very precious.  I was able to get some great pictures with Grandma.  Dalyla loved my dad playing the guitar.  She actually was very content just listening.  I really will treasure this Christmas in my heart.

Christmas is a reminder of how wonderful my friends and family are and how little we see of each other.  It really makes me emotional because I think of how selfish I can be at times and how some people go without and have so little.

It makes me realize how much I truly enjoy my friends and family.  How much I adore each relationship.  Each of my friends have had trials throughout the year that we have shared.  From Milonie and Gayle having breast cancer, to Travis and Merri adopting CJ, and my mom divorcing F-R-A-N-K, what a year for everyone and I was lucky enough to be on the side line to root for each of them.  Each of us have so much inner strength that we have to reach down deep and discover.  Sometimes the help of friends is what makes this possible.

So as the 2009 year come to an abrupt end I would like to say Thank you!  Thank you to my friends, my family, my husband and my higher being.  Thank you for sticking by me in my time of need, listening to my whines and moans, and sharing the most wonderful experience in my life so far.  Thank you to my husband for being there and rooting and cheering for me as a mom.  Thank you for always making it possible for me to achieve my goals and dreams.  Thank you for working so hard on our house and making a better life for our family.

Thank you to my best friends, Mandi and Trish.  You two are my favorite. I couldn’t have had a great 2009 without you.  Mandi, always giving me smiles and positivity.  Letting me gripe about new mother hood and understanding.  Sharing those cups of coffee and ice cream means so much.  Trish, thank you for the great hikes and wine nights.  Thanks for taking fat prego pictures of me.  Without you they wouldn’t have turned out. Thank you for always being there and your wonderful thoughtfulness.  No one could be a better person than you!

Thank you to my family for being such a great family.  Sharing Dalyla with each of you has been fun.  All of you have something personal and special to pass down and share with her.  She is so lucky to have you in her life.

Cheers to a merry 2010!  May this year been fun filled, exciting, and positive as ever!

Ms. Dallas Stewart

Account Manager, Client Consulting Services

Christopherson Business Travel

www.christophersontravel.com

(801) 327-7760

 

 

Thanksgiving at our house

new pics

First Sickness

What a week! Dalyla and I have both been very sick. It started out as just a simple cold. I then decided I better take her in just to have peace of mind and what did we hear, Oh she has an ear infection! Poor sweet baby! Me, I went to the dr. the next day and she says, oh you have a Sinus infection. Man o man, I didn't realize what moms go through when they are sick and they still have to be mom. :) No rest! But that is ok because to nurse my baby girl while she is sick means so much. I get to be that mommy that makes everything feel better. I tried brining her to bed with us just so that we could be close and snuggle but unfortunately she couldn't get comfortable with her ear, so back to her bed she went.
Dalyla isn't much of a cuddler, but what is so cute is when I pick her up now after work she will put her head in my chest. That is her snuggling. She gets so happy to see me. It makes me super happy. She loves her daddy too. When he comes home from work she just stares and smiles at him. She gets pretty excited for him.
It was so funny last night. Robert was pulling out his bottom teeth making a funny face and kind of growling, and she totally copied him. It was hilarious! We were both cracking up!
Dalyla likes to just stare at her hands. She will twist her wrists and look at her fingers. It's quite cute. It's like she is finally realizing that they are hers.
She loves her cereal and food now. She definitely likes fruit over vegetables.
And since she isn't much of a snuggler, I have to steal my snuggles and loves when she finally goes to sleep. She rests her little head on my chest and her arms. It is the sweetest moment of motherhood.
Reading is quite fun with her now. She loves to goo and touch the pictures. She tries to turn the pages but shuts the book instead. :) We bought her nursery rhymes with a cd, she liked it. I don't think she quite correlated the two together but she still seemed to enjoy the music too.

Thanksgiving was fun. It was her first. Grandma Jana took pictures. I have failed to load them on this computer so I will have to post them later. We had quite the busy day. We started off running a 5k at 7am. Then we went to Courtland and Amanda's for brunch with my mom. Then when that was done, we went home and I cooked dinner for my dads side and Robert's family. It was a great day! I was surprised because my turkey actually turned out superb! Dalyla had enough though by dinner time. She needed one on one mommy time.

Christmas is drawing near too. So much to do to prepare. I really haven't bought Dalyla much because I feel like I am constantly buying her new things. Either she grows out of her toys and needs different ones, or it's her clothes! But I am pretty excited. She is going to get a few new toys and clothes. I think she will have a lot of fun unwrapping everything. She hasn't cared much for the tree and lights. We will see how Xmas day goes. I have been making a special surprise for everyone this year. Yes, I know, me make something..it's blowing you away! Im very excited to give gifts this year. I think making things makes it more fun. I think as a family we should start a rule, it has to be home made and not store bought!

I am just glad that this week is almost over. It has been a rough one and I would like to feel better now. Root canal, teeth problems, sick baby and sick mommy....makes for a long week!

Dalyla is a sleep now, and so I am going to go lounge on the couch with Daddy. Even though I should be working out because I still have some fat to shed, I don't feel well and might as well continue through the week with no exercise, right?

Good night!

Dalyla Skye Mommy's Butterfly

She is so amazing! She is laughing a lot now. She can sit up all by herself and stay sat up. She rolls but only if she gets so mad from being on her tummy. She just doesn't care to roll much. She loves to stand up and jump with her legs. In her Jumperoo Im afraid she is going to give herself whiplash from jumping so much.

She got a new high-chair now. She loves it. And she loves to try to feed herself.

She has two new teeth now and still teething. Im thinking she will have her 4 bottom teeth pretty quickly.

Robert and I went and spent the night at the Hilton downtown and had drinks. It was a nice night to get away. Although of course I didn't sleep at all. We really enjoy having some time to actually have conversation. I forget how that feels sometimes. Day to day life gets so busy with work and remodeling and being mom. What a great time it is though. I wouldn't change it for the world.
We are so happy and we are so happy to have Dalyla. Sometimes I think it is too good to be true.

week night quiet time

It is Tuesday night at 930pm and all is quiet. I rocked my precious Dalyla to sleep and Robert is outside working. It has been a long day. Work is so stressful. Somedays I think of ways to possibly quit my job but still make my salary. :) If anyone finds a way to do this please let me know.
New things with Dalyla this month:
She is splashing all around in the bath. I took a video of her but need to grey out her unmentionables before publishing. They say this site is secure but ya never know. She is so much fun. Teething has not been too fun. She has been a bit more whiney. Although she is never a bad baby. She is always so sweet and easy going. When I go to pick her up after work she rubs her head on my chest and starts fussing because she wants to breast feed. I was going to ween her off this month but now she comes to expect it. I love it though. So who knows, maybe I will put up with one more month of pumping. She is worth it.
SHe loves to jump in her jumperoo. She has figured out how to really work those legs. She really can concentrate on small things and loves to put anything she can in her mouth. Her shirts are drenched in minutes from slobber. She has been trying many different foods. She has had squash, sweet potatoes, bananas, peas, green beans, pears, peaches, applesauce, and rice cereal with probiotics of course. :)
She doesn't much care for the green beans. And when I fed her the peaches they were much too tart, however Grandma J tried them again and she seemed to like them. Her tastes change every day.
She is sleeping mostly in her own bed. She wakes up once a night, I feed her and she goes back to sleep until about 6am. Then I go get her and put her in bed with us. She will usually feed and go back to sleep sometimes til 10am!

Robert is working his guts out on our addition. He has been going at it nonstop for a week plus working his normal job all day, which is getting very busy. Im very proud of him. I can't help much because Dalyla takes my time and it's too cold for her to hang out outside. I did help him survey and come to find out..ha-ha, well the walls aren't level. WOOPS. See what happens when I help.

Thanksgiving is coming up already. I am going to cook dinner and have my dad and that side of the family over and also Robert's side of the family. It will be a big dinner. Brunch is the usual with my mom. I look forward to her biscuits and gravy! She is a great cook!
a couple exciting things to look forward to this month is my favorite annual date night with Trish to the Trans-Siberian Orchestra and Dalyla will be 6 months on the 27th.

Well it is now my time to get ready for bed and have 5minutes to wind down. How I enjoy my family and don't regret a single moment of it. I do regret not being wonder woman like my husband was for Halloween.

First Tooth!!!

Dalyla cut her first tooth today, November 5th!! It is her bottom front tooth! She is now just a little over 5 months.
What a big girl!!

Dalyla's 1st Halloween

What a trooper she was! we had a lot of fun!

Pictures

My goodness how time flies. It's already half through October! Dalyla will be 5 months. She is so big. weighing in at 16 lbs and as happy as can be! She loves to scream to hear herself. She laughs now and loves the bath. She kicks and kicks. She dunked her face in the water and snorted some. She didn't cry or fuss.
Her big milestone this month was learning to eat food and drinking juice. She also held the spoon and it put in her very own mouth.

I have been a slacker on posts and pictures.

Robert is beginning our excavation for our basement extension and carport build. What a project this will be.
We are looking forward to having a big common room so we can have lots of friends and family over to visit.

Work has been very busy for us both. We did manage to take a weekender alone to Vegas. We left Dalyla with Grandma J. I think I missed her more than she missed me. :) Well probably my boobs missed her the most. :)
It was great to laugh and have a good time with Robert though. It has been a while.

It was Aspen's 4th birthday so Dalyla got to go to her first birthday party. She had fun playing with the other kids (haha).
Dalyla played at home with her best friend Avalin and little Easton. She played so hard she fell a sleep in her Jumperoo. :)

Rock a bye baby

I just rocked my sweet baby to sleep tonight and thought I needed to share how wonderful it felt.
I want to rock and hold her all night and all day. I think about how much she means to me at night as I hold her. What a joy she has brought us and how much I enjoy doing all of the challenging work because rocking her to sleep at night makes it all worth it. As she is suckling and rubbing my skin and as i rub her hair and skin we bond so deep. It is absolutely amazing.
Dalyla, someday when you read this I hope you know how much rocking you to sleep at night meant to me. And how much I will cherish these times deep in my heart.
Your mommy and daddy love you more than anything in the world!

New foods

Dalyla is trying all kinds of new foods. She is now starting to drink juice. She likes apple and prune juice. and thanks to the prune juice she is keeping regular!

We have tried apple sauce..which she likes. Pears were a no go so far and she didn't like peaches much at all. I think they were a bit tart. We just tried butternut squash and she loved it! She hasnt quite figured out how to swallow and keep it in her mouth but she slurps and licks it right up. :)

The Stewart Family Update

Dalyla-
Today she is crying/whining herself to sleep. Tonight is the first night she is going to sleep in her crib. She is not too happy with me. I am taking ship on the spare bed upstairs to be closer. We will see how this goes tonight, Sunday, and then Monday. Monday afternoon is her ultrasound. This is to check to make sure her bladder and urinary plumbing is working correctly. :) So far so good. The infection is all cleared up.
She is getting so big. She is 15 lbs now! She wears 3-6 month clothes but also in Old Navy pants she wears 6-12 month. So crazy! I look at her everyday and I am just amazed at how beautiful she is and how lucky we are. She is almost sitting up on her own. She flops herself backwards so I have to keep an eye on her. She kicks with her legs in the bath tub now. She really likes the water. When she lays on her tummy she will try to kick and scoot. She hasn't really rolled over quite yet but she is very close. She has done it a couple times but hasn't since.
She is giggling and so much more interactive. She likes to try to eat her toes too. She doesn't sleep well at night so we are hoping to get her in a groove and like her bed.

Robert and I are doing great. We are still trying to juggle work, house, parenting, and our relationship. It's going well though...aside from my obvious lack of sleep.

Butterfly Update

Dalyla is growing so fast. She is grabbing her toes and eating everything. She likes to smile and chatter now when nursing. She likes now to also grab your face and nose. She slept through the night for the first time. It hasn't happened since so I hope that it happens again soon.

We went on a family trip to Moab for Labor Day weekend. She did so well. We went hiking every day and she mostly slept. ON the way home we decided to take a 4 wheel trip and that turned into quite the ride. She was a trooper.

Dalyla rolled over too while in Moab but she hasn't done it since so Im not sure if it was a fluke or not. She is the apple of our eyes until about 8pm. :) Then she loves to cry. She weighs now 14.4 lbs and growing like a weed.

Being back to work is hard because I am just so busy. Seems like the days just fly by. Night time flies by too. Hardly enough time to eat, bathe, clean up, and work out in the same night. :)

We are hoping to plan a trip to Hawaii in February. Still thinking about taking our Little "D" or not. Mommy and Daddy might need some alone time soon.

Enjoy our newest photos.

Another Day in Paradise

I just love my little family. I couldn't be more proud. I can't wait to take a family vacation. It's so amazing at how Robert and I communicate more and how great it is that we work together as a team.
It is so hard to come back to work. Being a mom is all about guilt. I feel guilty about everything I do. Going to lunch instead of being with her, or working, or weeing off of breast milk. Parenting is hard..but I love it!

Dalyla is just the happiest baby ever. She loves to be naked. She has the cutes little rolls.

Back To Work

Oh man, is this the hardest thing I have done!
It is so hard to leave my beautiful baby girl to go to work. I hate knowing that I am missing out on so much during the day. Her giggles, smiles, jibber jabber, movement..>EVERYTHING!

I have peace of mind knowing that grandma is babysitting and not some stranger. Thank goodness.

I just looked back through my blog posts and at pictures of Dalyla and how much she is changing. It is amazing how fast it happens.

She has started grabbing her toys. She loves this Lion that I puton her bed. It attaches to the side and has a mirror on it. Then the feet are rattles that dangle. She will lay and talk and play with him for an hour or more. I feel bad if i leave her in there for too long but Im sure she would love it if I did.

She talks so much. She makes some of the cutest noises.
Dalyla is a drewler. She drewls so much. I think she is close to teething. Her shirt will be wet in 10 minutes.

I had to take her to the doctor for a cold in her eye. Poor little thing. 3 months old and her first dr.appt that wasn't for shots. ;)

Life

Life has definitely changed..but the weird thing is I cant imagine it any different. My beautiful angel is perfect. Just today she started to reach and grab her crib toys. How amazing is it that in one day she learns so much?
Next week I start back to work and I think it is going to be the most difficult thing I have had to do in my life yet.

We tried to give her formula and noooo way, she wanted nothing to do with it!

So I guess my pump and I will become best friends for a while.

Thank you to all my friends and family for all of the love and support through these few months. Being a new mom has its challenges and I couldn't have made it through some of the days without you all.

I have an amazing husband and he truly has been a great supporter. Although, sleepless nights..he can't help with much when I Im the food source.

Love you all! XoXo

Dalyla Skye 9 1/2 week pics

Family Hiking trip to Lake Mary

sleepy time

Dalyla 11 weeks

Little miss loves to suck on her hands and fingers. when she goes to sleep she often searches for her hands for comfort. I think she is going to be a thumb sucker like her mommy.

she talks and goo's so much. She is so interactive. She has found herself in the mirror and loves it. I think she is almost laughing.

She loves to stand up and use her little legs. She gets pretty excited and it makes me laugh.

Her sleeping isn't that great. she will sleep for 4 hours at a time and then wakes up every 2 hours after that. She has a lot of gas! That kid farts like her dad but all night long!

Here are some pics in a little onsie that Auntie Lael bought.

She is the little sunshine of my life!

Dalyla and Family-10 weeks

Wow, time is flying by!! My little angel is so big! She is so beautiful and learns so much every day. She does something new, either a new smile, goo, or some noise.
She had to have her first round of shots yesterday...it was sooo sad! She was not a happy camper the rest of the day. But she did like Daddy. Dalyla was content in his arms.

Dalyla puts her hands in her mouth and she likes to slobber. She kicks and squirms a lot. She likes to try to stand up in our arms now. She is so strong.

Saturday we got Dalyla's pictures taken. As soon as we got there she poopied. she wasn't liking it, but we managed to get some cute pictures.

On Sunday the family went for a hike up to Lake Mary. We went with Mandi and Nate and family, and Aunt Fishy. It was so much fun.
Dalyla loved it! She loves to be outside. Daddy packed Dalyla and Mommy packed the water and blankies.

Today we are going to try to get some yard work done. It is going to be another hot day.

Here are some pics.

bumbo time...look how strong i am!