Picture Round Up

So, it's a new year, and I had big plans for writing a Year in Review post and what not, but then life happened and keeps happening, so this will have to do. I know you're all wondering what Colt has been up to. Well, if you haven't been keeping up with him on FB (i.e. you've been living under a rock), wonder no more. He's 18 months and going strong! The following are in no particular order:

Baby boy likes going to the grocery store with Daddy.

Lil boy has had a hard morning of adventuring at the grocery store.

Yes? (this photo is from yesterday, for the record)

Someone got some toothies coming in (this is from today!)

This is a pic I got in response to a mid-morning text I sent to C inquiring about how my boys were. Colt was still in those PJs when I got home. BC that's how we roll.

So, not too many, but enough to tide you over until I have more than five minutes to blog...which will likely be never, considering the state of things currently, and considering the schedule of events for the next two months. In February, we'll be off to San Antonio to see Honey GG! The highlight of that trip will definitely be the fact that I bought Colt his own seat on the plane. Then, in March, we'll head back up to my frigid hometown to celebrate my little brother's wedding, again....they got hitched in January, but the reception is in March...it's complicated, but it means we'll be back in ID before temperatures are back above freezing. Aaaaaand the Spring semester ends in May, so plan on me resurfacing at that point.

Busy Busy Busy: It Never Ends!

First off: This baby boy is only getting more adorable by the day.He's just this beautiful. You'll have to forgive me for gushing. Right this very second he's in his play pit (which was formerly our awesome adult seating area in the living room) playing with his toys and babbling away. He's getting better every day at entertaining himself over there with his toys. He's climbing all over everything. I honestly cannot keep him contained for very long. And, I'm pretty convinced that he's going to skip over crawling and go straight to walking. I mean, he still scoots around on his belly using that right leg to push himself forward, but he no longer seems interested in actually crawling. He is interested in getting to nearest vertical object and pulling himself up. And over, if he can manage it. He's fearless, of course, but it's his parents' fault. We may or may not throw him around all the time because it makes him laugh. Why is baby laughter like crack? His mom and dad will do anything to make him smile.

Anyway. I can't babble. I've got too much to do and not enough time to do it in. The Spring 2012 issue of Ingredients is being published this weekend, and then I take the General Securities Principal (Series 10) licensing exam next Thursday. The majority of my free time (i.e. the brief minutes between the blocks of time I spend sleeping, at work and making faces at my baby) is dedicated to studying for this damn test. So, I'm pretty excited about having it over with, even though it only means that I'll have two weeks to cram for the second part of the license, Options Principal (Series 9), which is scheduled for April 19. I've got about 10 more finals (2-3 hours each) to take before I'll feel anywhere close to comfortable taking the actual Series 10 exam. It sucks, is what I'm saying. It will be worth it, but it totally sucks right this very second.

So, my house is a total disaster, I'm frazzled about the magazine and the exam, and I feel guilty about the time I don't get to spend with my boys. I love them so much, and if it were up to me I'd spend every moment of every day with them :)

January 2012 Photo Update

I'm totally fired from blogging. In my defense, January was crazy and February has been so far too. So, whatever. Here are some pictures!

This is the baby boy at 6 months. Isn't he precious?? I heart him.

These pics were taken while we were in Texas last month, visiting Baby Boy's greatgrandma (Honey GG). Don't you just love his little hat?? It was really awesome being there and meeting the woman that C respects and loves more than any other. And, of course, she loved meeting that baby. I'll post more pictures of that trip sometime soon when I'm at my own computer.

These ones are just a random sampling of pictures taken on my phone in January 2012:

No, it's not consequence that "random" sampling of pics from my phone are all of the Baby Boy. He's really my only subject these days.

Oh, and also of note in January, this bad boy:

It's a Colt Revolver (get it???). There is still some work to be done, and eventually I'll add onto it, but this was as far as Sue and I got during the first session. I may or may not be addicted to ink...

4 months

Holy crap it's almost December. When did that happen?

So, here we are, staring the end of 2011 square in the face, which means I'm also about to have a five month old on my hands. So far, I think it will be fun. He's eating solid food really well nowadays, and he's sleeping really well, and the rest of the time he is just chill as chill can be. He loves to play on his mat and in his bouncy chair. He's turning himself over and starting to scoot around on his belly. Yup, he'll be crawling in no time, I'm sure of it. And then the fun really starts.

Anyway. Here's Baby Boy over the last month:

Laughing at Daddy. That's all this boy does, I swear!

Getting huge. This adorable knight/castle/dragon outfit no longer fits him :( good thing we paid $1 for it at D.I.!

Really starting to fill out that car seat.

Loves from daddy :) He gets them pretty much all day every day.

On his 4 month birthday. The owls just get me. (P.S.: Buy baby clothes at the Thrift Store and D.I., trust me!)

So sleepy.

Hanging out with Cousin. Chris thinks Colt is pretty awesome, and always wants to hold the baby. Chris' mom is having a baby in May, so this is good Big Brother practice for him :)

More smiles :) They're happening all the time now.

Huge eyes! The camera's flash always surprises him.

He's officially outgrown all of the newborn sized stuff. Within the next week he'll be completely out of the 0-3 month sizes too.

I saw this hammer at Albertson's and had to buy it. He digs it.

Baby Boy is spending much more time on his belly these days. He's even started sleeping that way. Yup, mobile in no time.

Here's yet another outfit that has to go :( This one is by far my favorite. I guess I'm going to have to find him bigger, skull-themed pjs.

That face just gets me every time! How is it possible for a baby to be this cute?

He's constantly got his hands in his mouth. The best is when he's sucking is thumb while waiting for a bottle. He wants to complain but he won't let go of the thumb, so it comes out as a muffled whining that just makes C and I laugh and laugh. Bad parenting? Maybe. But it is hilarious!

More loves from Daddy :) This boy is getting SO BIG! I swear he has gained two pounds just within the last two weeks. It's crazy! He is so much fun, though, and he turns his parents into complete clowns. Seriously, he can't see his daddy without smiling and laughing, even when C isn't trying to be funny. I suspect that's because C is making funny noises and faces at him all day. I really could not ask for a better baby, or a more awesome baby daddy. I've got the best boys in the world! <3

Playing Catch-Up: Shnookie's Wedding

Even though she got married at the end of July and it is now almost her birthday (next Wednesday, November 16), I still have to remind myself that my little sis is married. Perhaps it's because I'm still just coming out of denial about the fact that she's not 10 years old any more. Nope, she's an adult now, and I'm just going to have to get over it!

We had a lot of fun at her wedding, of course. The Baby Boy was all of three weeks old for the event, so he slept through most of it (his Mom and Dad were very grateful for that). He was still too newly hatched at that point to care much about being passed around from relative to relative as long as he was allowed to sleep on whomever was holding him, so taking a three week old to a wedding out of town turned out to be much less of an ordeal that I had originally thought it would be.

The weekend started out with the Bachelorette party, naturally, which I utilized to inflict as much embarrassment as possible >:) I take my role as older sister very seriously, you know. So, I got the bride this sssssssssssuper sexy nightgown:

Yes, those are puppies. I may or may not have cackled just a little (okay, a lot) when I found it on the clearance rack. And she looks AWESOME in it:

I also bought her the cute bra. Her best friend/MoH also got her an awesome nightgown, one that is quite possibly the best lingere I've ever seen. When both were finally in place and all of the accessories were accounted for, Shnookie was definitely ready for her wedding night:

Rawr! Watch out, Jeff. And I'm not sure what she's got in her hands in this next photo; I just really like the smile on her face...and the bra on her head :)

Bahahahaha! Oh man, I <3 this girl. After dinner at Johnny Carino's these young girls went onto Victoria's Secret and Target (?) for some more (ahem) appropriate bridal lingere. I, however, had to bow out to attend mommy duties. Dinner was a LOT of fun, despite that we had a small turn out. I always knew Shnookie had good taste, and her choice of friends only proves it:

Good times :)

So, onto the main event! The lovebirds got hitched at the Idaho Falls Temple, naturally, which was fine except for the whole place was under construction! That is, except for like 30X20 feet worth of space that is the Bridal Garden. We all squeezed in to take the family photos, and between Jeff's family and ours, it was almost a tight squeeze. Before the bride and groom made their entrance, I snapped a few pics of my 1st favorite (chronologically speaking, that is) little guy:With Uncle Matt who, I daresay, could pass as this little guy's dad! Chris is obviously more interested in the fruit snacks than in the picture taking at this point. And whatever Grandpa's got to say:It's a serious matter, I'm sure. And if Chris isn't enough cute by himself, he was lucky enough to have a partner in crime the whole weekend:Those are some BLONDE kids! Particularly PG, whose hair is not only white but curly and thick. I feel your mom's pain, kiddo.

Anyway. At long last the bride and groom arrive!Yes, the shoes are yellow, and no, she did not wear them for very long. This girl makes for one beautiful bride, no?After they shuffle through the Bridal Garden taking the first official "man and wife" photos, the families shuffled around to take all of the group shots. These are presented with one comment: Shnookie, I'm sorry about the sun glasses. You see, they're prescription so I can't see without them. It didn't even occur to me to take them off....my bad. Forgive me?

Oh my Abuelita! She traveled up here from TX for the event (and to see her newest great grandchild). We just don't see her often enough. There was never a happier bisabuelita than this:Yup. She loves those baby boys! And, of course, as the uber matriarch, she's always first in line to hold the baby. He liked her too, and slept like a champ whenever she had him.

The reception was held at the stake center, of course, and the decor amazing:Not surprisingly, the bride changed her shoes for the reception:

The reception was beautiful, and featured everything that is supposed to be at a wedding reception.

The Cake:

Plenty of Shenanigans:

Some of our first Family Pictures :)

Four Generations on Both Sides:

Wedding Party Photos:

Embarrassing pictures of the Newlyweds, with the Engagement photos thrown in:

Shoe clips:

A bouquet toss:

And one tired groom:

Whew! That was a lot of photos! I didn't mean to post so many but then I got to going through them and remembering what a good time it was. I may have gotten a bit carried away...I hope it was worth it!