Loving Every Moment!

So my little man is 5 months old! I can't even believe how fast time is going. I honestly can't express how much I love being his Mom. He is so much fun and I am sucking in every moment I have with him. Jaks is full of energy and excitement. He is rolling from his belly to his back and from his back to his belly. He also tries to stand up on his legs and ends up moving himself all over the floor by either rolling or scooting himself on his back. When he is on his belly his legs are constantly in motion and as soon as he gets his arms going this kid will be crawling. Jaks is always full of giggles. He is constantly talking, jabbering and laughing. He thinks everything is funny, especially when we scare him. I haven't quite seen a little one enjoy being scared. He loves it when we hide behind the couch and come out and scare him. He will giggle forever! It's so funny, I can't get enough of his laugh.

He is also into everything that he can get his hands on... I"m afraid once he can crawl, I will be in for it. He is so intrigued by everything and everyone around him. It doesn't matter what I have in my hands, he wants it. I also can't leave him in his Bumbo cause if there is something lying next to him, he will find a way to reach and grab it... quite a few times he has almost fallen out of his Bumbo...which is hard to do! He also has quite the independent spirit. He already holds his bottle by himself, and whenever we feed him, we have to give him his own spoon to hold. This makes it difficult to feed him because I have to dodge his spoon and his hand to get food into his mouth, but its so funny. And it never fails, every time he is done eating it looks as if we had a food fight. Lol, but I love it!!! I Jaks also love to jump on the tramp, I hold him really close to me and I'll jump really high... he will giggle and giggle. He honestly has so much personality and Wes and I love every minute we have with him. Happy 5 Month Birthday Little Man!!!

Here are a few pics from the last little shoot we did of him. Wes and I went up to my parents property in BrianHead and had to get some of him outside. I LOVE the expressions we caught of him... He can move each eyebrow by itself and he always has this mischievous look on his face.... I honestly can't get enough of it!

 

 I’m actually shocked we got as many pictures as we did on this fun shoot, cause this is what Jaks wanted to do the entire time. He was so fascinated by the texture of the long grass and the cat tails, it didn’t matter what I did to get his attention, he wasn’t about to give me the time of day when he was so enthralled by his new surroundings. And it only took me a second before I too was completely consumed by his innocences and excitement as he discovered a whole new world around him.
(ps..in the picture above, he is starting to blow a bubble... if you don't know what it is, it kinda looks funny, but it's one of my favorites. Jaks is always blowing bubble.. :)

I honestly can't express the love I have for this kid! He is so full of light, energy and innocence. I love that every day is a new adventure! My heart is completely consumed with love and I have so much gratitude and feel so blessed for every moment I have to be his Mother!

Jaks....

While writing the list below, I realized that I needed a separate post to update everyone on the MOST important thing that is happening in mine and Wes' lives. Although the events listed below have kept our lives moving forward at a furious rate, they are truly insignificant to the most important reason why I have been absent from most anything this last two months.... and that of course is.. Jaks.

I honestly don't know how or where to begin. What a honor it has been to be this little boy's mother. His innocence has brought to my life a humility that I have never yet experienced. And although a whirlwind of events has transpired this last few months, I have felt time stand still as I have tried with every emotion I can feel, to suck in the beauty and love that comes from holding my little boy in my arms. I can't handle how fast he is growing, yet I love every second of it. Jaks has so much personality and is bringing joy to anyone and everyone that passes his way, especially his parents.

I could go on and on about every milestone that he has experienced in just a short 12 weeks of life, but time would never allow me to do this, which I'm learning is the beauty of motherhood. I've decided the emotions that we feel by watching our children grow and experience life, are gifts from God to us. When Jaks first came to this earth I wanted to make sure I wrote EVERY moment and heart felt experience down.... however, my perspective has changed and I realized this is almost impossible, since EVERY moment I have with Jaks is a heart felt experience. So, instead of writing a five thousand word essay on our little boy, I'll leave the details and emotions in my heart and just give everyone else a few simple words to describe what we have learned about Jaks so far......

Jaks loves life and can not stand to miss out on anything

Jaks loves to be in water

Jaks loves to be outside

 

Jaks loves sleeping with his hand above or behind his head

Jaks loves the sound of birds and water

Jaks has the most animated facial expressions I have ever seen
Jaks loves to be sung and read too

Jaks thinks the only place to take a nap is in his car seat while driving

Jaks loves to laugh, but often thinks that coughing is a way to laugh

Jaks loves to hear his voice, he has been cooing and giggling since five weeks old

Jaks loves to stand and sit up. Instead of learning to roll over, he is trying to 

lift his head forward so he can sit up.. it's so funny. 

Jaks loves to wiggle and spread his toes. He can literally move each toe separately. 

Jaks loves to eat both of his hands, at the same time.

Jaks has lost his hair in the front, but still has a large patch in the back of his head, 

 which looks like a duck tail... I just love it!

Jaks loves to be held in a position that he can see the world, and loves to cuddle 

on my chest whenever he is too tired to fight his naps

Jaks loves his stroller and loves going on walks. He stares at everything around him

Jaks loves having his body rubbed down after bath time

Jaks can hold his head up and loves to fly in superman position

Jaks loves to wiggle and move.... he never stops looking and observing everything around him

Jaks loves to shake his head back and forth when he is falling asleep, and 

often will keep just one eye open

(These last two pictures are my favorite! They really show Jaks' personality)

Jaks is pretty much perfect in every way possible ;) and I love every second I have to be with him!

The Joy of Life....

Well... I am so far behind on my blogging, that it's pretty much past hopeless to even catch up on all the events that have happened this last month in a half. Every week I am bound to determine to write all the details and highlights of the adventures our little family is experiencing, but every week the only thing that happens is me not documenting another worth while moment. And since I know that if I keep waiting to blog until I have enough time to catch up on my life, I will never have another post again. So... I've decided to at least let everyone know in a simple list everything that this last month in a half has brought to us....... 

So here is why my blogging has struggled....
May 25th 2010: My AMAZING brother and best friend, Jared, arrived home from his Mission in San Bernardino CA!! I can't express how awesome it has been to have his smile and laughter in my life again. Oh how I missed him. I can't get enough of him!

May 27th 2010: Tyler graduated from High School... with a 4.0 and all the honors and awards that come from being one of the top students in his class. I am continuously amazed with this kid. I love both my brothers so much and to see the men that they are becoming is quite incredible, I am so honored to be their sister.

May 30th 2010: This was definitely a day I will have to document. Both Tyler and Jadon (Wes' brother) were sustained Elders, Jared gave his Homecoming talk, and Jaks was blessed. It was incredible. I have never felt so much love. The circle of men that encompassed Jaks while he received an amazing blessing from his dad was just amazing. He had three Uncles, two Grandfathers, four Great Grandfathers, one Great-Great Grandfather, and plenty of Great Uncles and Cousins. There are definitely no words to even describe the spirit that consumed my heart this Sunday.

June 11th 2010: My entire family took a four day road trip together to visit Jared's Mission in California. Wes was unable to go because of work, so we fit my siblings, parents, and Jaks and I into my parents Denali and took off.  This was Jaks first road trip and it was simply incredible. We had Shalei, Jaks and I in the very back seat, my mom, and Tyler in our captain seats, with my dad driving and Jared as the navigator. The entire Denali was jammed packed, especially since we had Jaks (traveling with a baby is definitely a new adventure ;)

It had been such a long time since "just my family" had done anything together, and for us to visit all the people that Jared touched while serving the Lord, was simply priceless. I learned so much from the humble people of San Bernardino and can't express the gratitude I have for the Gospel of Jesus Christ. This trip was a needed reminder of just how lucky I really am to have grown up in the church.

June 18th 2010: Wes and I officially became a two car family. We purchased a White Xterra from Phoenix and we love it! Wes and I had to drive down and pick it up at the  Las Vegas auction lot. We couldn't go until Wes got off of work, and when we got there the security guard couldn't find our key.. it became quite an adventure and to make a long story short, we had to track down the actual truck driver who dropped the car off (which wasn't easy) and ended up getting home at 1:30am. Lol.... But we are loving our car and feel EXTREMELY blessed that both of us now have access to go where we need.

June 20th 2010: Celebrated Father's Day with both of our families. It was such a nice and relaxing day and I felt so much love for my sweet husband. It has been such a special experience watching him become a father. He is so involved in every aspect of Jaks life and I am so thankful that my children will have his example and guidance in their life. I love you Wes!!

June 24th 2010: Jaks went on his first camping trip. Wes and I attended the Miller Reunion for the weekend and had a great time. We were unable to go last year, so it was fun to see all my family and spend time being in the mountains. I can't think of anything more rejuvinating than being away from the world and getting some time to enjoy Mother Nature. :)

July 1st 2010: This last month Wes and I have been contemplating the next step in our life. We have felt a strong need for Wes to pursue a job in his degree and to further his education. We have also felt prompted to move to Phoenix, AZ.  However, with a new baby I have been some what reluctant to the Spirit and for the last three months I have tried hard to push the feelings away. But, as most of you know, wrestling with the Lord is never a wise thing. So on a spur of the moment Wes and I decided we needed to make a trip down to Phoenix and see what life had to offer, and to make a LONG story short..... Arizona here we come!

The Big Suprise

This birthday marked a milestone in mine and Wes' marriage. My birthday fell the day after Mother's Day this year and so my sweet, amazing husband decided he would go all out and "suprise" me with something I have had my eye on for quite some time. Now don't read into this wrong, this isn't a milestone in our marriage, just because Wes got me a gift... No, he always get's me good gifts, the milestone is the fact that he "Surprised" me.

Since Wes and I have been married, Holidays have always caused Wes a lot of stress, and it ALWAYS makes me laugh. I'm a pretty simple person and I honestly don't ask for very much. I don't have a collection of anything, I don't window shop, so I guess I make it stressful for Wes because he never knows what to get me. But, I ALWAYS love whatever he does get me and I ALWAYS tell him that. I truly love any gift I ever get from anybody. The other problem Wes has, is keeping secrets from me. It's SO funny! He tries so hard, but never can contain himself, and he will end up telling me what he has bought me or what he is planning on buying me. So I usually know everything I am getting days before I actually get it. And every Holiday I end up having to console Wes who always has remorse from spoiling his surprise. It makes me giggle inside every time as I watch his face while he shakes his head in disgust with himself while I open the gift that I already know about. But, every time this happens I always give Wes a big hug and kiss and tell him that I truly find it a compliment that he can't keep a secret from me.

However... this month Wes broke our Holiday tradition. TO be honest I don't know if I was more suprised about the gift that Wes got me, or the fact that I didn't know that I was getting it. Especially since this is what I got:

Out of all the gifts Wes has gotten me, I'm not sure how he kept this one a secret. He definitely spoiled me rotten. The whole week Wes was acting a little strange and jumpy before Mother's Day/My Birthday, but by the end of the week he broke down and told me that he was so stressed about a gift that he didn't end up buying me anything. I honestly believed him, since he always gets stressed, and I told him I didn't want anything anyways, which was the truth. So Sunday Morning when I walked down to find Wes, Jakston and a big box with a bow on it.... I was more than Suprised. And to see Wes' face beaming with joy, as if the Jazz had just won the playoffs, was priceless. Thanks Wes! Thanks for an amazing Birthday and MOther's Day.... It was Perfect!

Mother's Day

I always wondered what this day would be like when I was actually a Mother. My entire life I have been told that there are no words that can define the power of a Mother's Love. This year, Mother's Day brought with it a great sense of gratitude. I was grateful for a mother who has given her entire soul to raising her children, who showed me through example the divinity of motherhood, and who I am constantly relying on as I have entered motherhood myself. I was grateful for a mother-in-law who raised a righteous son and who is one of the most talented woman I know. I was grateful for all of my grandmothers who I have constantly looked too for guidance. I was grateful for the fact that both my mother and mother-in-law are alive and healthy to be apart of Jaks life, because he has so much to learn from them. And most importantly... I was overwhelmed with gratitude for my healthy, beautiful, perfect little boy. It brings tears to my eyes just thinking about the joy this sweet, innocent little one has brought to my life. He truly has such an amazing spirit about him and I am privileged and honored to be his mother. Thank you Jaks!! I love you more than anything and am so excited to experience life as your mother.

 And of course I have to thank my husband for doing all he could to make Mother's Day as relaxing and perfect as he could. He willingly took Jaks during the night so I could sleep and then woke up early to make me my favorite breakfast, french toast and eggs. He also cleaned up the entire mess by himself. Thankyou Wes! Thankyou for always treating me like gold and for doing all you can to make my life amazing! I Love you!