The cutest girl in the whole wide world

I took Maylee to go and get her year pictures yesterday. I know I am biased because I am her mom, but hey- isn't she a little cutie?! You just want to pinch those cute chubby checks. :)

Don't you just love those big blue eyes?

And I dare ya not to smile when you look at this last one!
Overall, the photoshoot went well. I had some backup with me (my mom and sis, Kelsie). Her favorite thing was to sit in the little rocking chair- she would have posed there all day long! ;)

12 month checkup:

Weight- 19 lbs. 2.4 oz (+25%)

Height- 28 1/4 in. (+25%)

She doesn't weigh too much more than she did at her 9 month appointment! The doctor said it was all about nutrition for the first 6 months and then genetics start playing a big role... so needless to say, I think she will be in the lower percentile from here on out!

New favorites:

- playing in the tub... AFTER the water is let out!

- walking around the house with her walker/ car

- opening cabinets throughout the whole house

- sharing food and drinks with mom :)

- saying hi!

Road trip to St. G

We just got back from spending a long weekend in the land of the red rocks, good 'ol St. George! I think that place is so pretty. We had a very nice time spending it with family. We drove up on Thursday and hung around visiting. On Friday, the men headed up to the cabin by Panguitch Lake. They went biking around Brian Head and worked on fixing up the cabin a bit. Us ladies stayed in St. George enjoying some Cafe Rio and the comfortable beds at night! ;) We met up with the guys on Saturday. Of course, just our luck, it ended up raining off and on, but we were able to manage a few little 4 wheeler rides... Maylee's first ride on a 4 wheeler!! She loved it and would scream when you tried to peel her fingers off the handle bars to take her off. We had a fabulous steak and potato dinner from the grill and dutch oven, then made our way back to St. George that night.

On Sunday, we celebrated Father's Day! I'm so grateful for the wonderful examples that we have to look to in our lives. My dad and Jeff's dad are amazing men. They have both done so much and sacrifice so much for their kids. We love and appreciate them!!

Jeff is an amazing father! He works so hard to support our little family. Even when he puts in long hours at work, he always loves to play with Maylee and is willing to help with things around the house when he comes home! I love watching Maylee's face when she hears Jeff open the garage door... wrists and feet start rolling and the screams start coming (talk about getting excited)! We love our daddy!

Maylee's 1st 4 wheeling ride:

Maylee's birthday party

We had a great birthday party for our little Maylee last Saturday. We started out the party with a little swimming and slip-n-sliding action.

We then had a Mexican dinner... enchiladas, tacos, chips and guacamole... yum!

Then, of course, we opened presents.

And played with them (and the fun tissue paper they were wrapped in)...

Then it was time for the best part- the cake! Maylee overall stayed quite clean. At first she only ate a little crumb at a time, but once she realized that she had full access to it she started taking much bigger chunks!

(her polka dot cake and decorations)

For all you moms and moms to be...

I just finished reading the book In Praise of Stay-at-Home Moms by Dr. Laura. I really enjoyed it and got some good insights. Here is a piece I loved:

"One day they can't walk, the next day they're running. One day they can't talk, the next day they won't stop. Everything they see, smell, hear, and do is a new miracle- enjoy the ride, even though the house isn't perfect and your neighbor has more jewelry." (pg. 114)

How true! Time is always going to fly by, and this helps put things in perspective. Sure they can make a mess in seconds that may take an hour to clean up but I am so grateful to witness each new miracle.

Advice from one Stay-at-Home Mom: "I would remind SAHMs that time flies. With my first child I anticipated each stage and kept looking to the next. Now I cherish each stage and appreciate the curled-up little bundle of a newborn, the curiousness and happiness of a toddler, the newfound independence of school-age children... the specialness of each stage. I have found myself saying, 'This is the best stage!' about almost every stage my kids have been in."

I'm grateful that I am able to stay at home and spend time making our house a home. I love being able to see every new discovery Maylee finds. I love when dinner is all ready for us to eat when Jeff gets home from work. I love being able (or trying at least) to get things done during the day so we can relax together at night. Our house definitely isn't perfect -there is always a mess to clean up somewhere- and there are days that seem crazy, but I am so grateful for the opportunity to be home. This book helped reiterate that time flies... so enjoy the ride! :)

A Year in Review

1 month

2 months

3 months

4 months

5 months

6 months

7 months

8 months

9 months

10 months

11 months

12 months

Our little sunshine

Well, it has been exactly one year since our little Maylee came into our lives.  I can't help to think of what a miracle she truly is!!  As I go back to the day she was born some of the memories make my stomach sick to recall (contractions all night, baby not moving, fluctuating heartbeat, emergency C-section, Jeff not able to be in the operating room with me...), but then I see this beautiful, healthy child and know that she was being watched over by our Heavenly Father.  We are so blessed to have her in our lives!!  

I can't believe she is already one... my how time flies.  I am so happy I have been able to be with her everyday to witness and enjoy every new discovery!  She has such a fun loving personality and is definitely spoiling us by being such a great baby!  Happy birthday Maylee!  We love you!

3 Favorite things...

Here are some pictures with Maylee enjoying some of her favorite things:  cousins, swimming, and eating Ritz crackers! :)  For her, the day couldn't have been any better!  April and Rob got a room at the Arizona Grand on Friday.  It has a pretty fun water park that you can get into when you stay there.  I was the free loader!  They had an extra pass so I took advantage of it.  Maylee enjoyed the fountain splash pad and the lazy river, but LOVED the wave pool.  She would crawl back and forth- into the waves and then out of the waves, into the waves and then out of the waves...  Hopefully, she will still love the waves when we go to the beach next month!