Year End Statisical Report

In the year 2007 we, being Deanna and Charles, did the following:

Ate 60 lbs of cheese (we LOVE cheese!)

Watched 24 hrs of TV (mostly sports games, cooking shows, and devotionals)

Boarded 16 flights

Visited 11 states

Patronized Wal-Mart 30 times

Drove ~ 20,000 miles

Produced 76 gallons of milk (Deanna)

Started 13 books that we did not finish

Watched 29 movies

Changed 1,398 diapers

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Caught in the Act

Azure recently became fascinated with the unsanitary practice pictured above. We were fortunate enough to capture this precious and fleeting moment on camera for all to enjoy. As you can see, she demonstrates a great ability to contort her limber lower extremities comfortably to her mouth. I am impressed at this new development, owing to the fact that big-toe sucking comes to me with much less ease, despite repeated efforts.

Lesson learned as a parent-what I don't get to personally enjoy in my life I can vicariously enjoy through my children.

Nanners

Wonderful news: Azure has finally grasped the concept of swallowing food! She ate almost 1/4 of a banana last night. This means we can leave her with a sitter now :)Azure's first Christmas was a blast. We went to Charles' cousin's house where she got to play with her 2nd cousin John who had lots of toys she liked. She was entertained and stimulated all day! Azure has also been quite the social butterfly lately and has only slightly shown signs of stranger anxiety. (mostly when she's tired) This is our next door neighbor who's only 5 days her senior.

Already showing signs of boy craziness...

with her flirtatious moves

Southern States Roadtrip

After we rented our sweet Jeep we headed to Fernandina beach on the border of FL and GA and then ate some traditonal southern BBQ at Sonny's.

Later that night we arrived in Savannah where we spent the next 2 days. Charles did so well at his interview at South University on Friday that they emailed Monday to tell him he was accepted! That makes 2 acceptances now. After the interview we headed out to Tybee Island and ate at the infamous Crab Shack which apparently was featured on Rachel Ray's $40 a day. It was the BEST seafood we ever had. They didn't give us much but it was delicious, especially the clam chowder, shrimp and crab cakes. Even better they had alligators at the restuarant. What is it about the south and BBQ and alligators, anyone?

We were cautioned not to drop Azure over the railing into the alligator pit but I must say we weren't tempted to do so at all, she had been well-behaved all day.

You can tell that Azure is Charles' daughter in this pic for she has a classic Charles facial expression!

Here's Azure fascinated by the waves on Tybee Island

Then we strolled down River St. in downtown Savannah and passed by some historic homes which we only have video of, maybe we'll upload that...

The next day we left for North Carolina and drove through South Carolina. We stayed at the Hatch's in Durham, thank you Hatches! We got to hang out with Evelyn all weekend, what could be better? We LOVE that girl :) She showed us around Chapel Hill and we almost ate at the Azure Grille, but they were closed.

Though Charles' interview didn't go as well in NC as it did in GA we still had fun driving around the small towns south of Durham and exploring.

Ah-Boof!

Boof (or bouf) is Azure's first word, not mama or dada, but boof. She varies from ah-boof, to just plain old boof. She mostly says it when she's playing quitely by herself. If you are unsure of what this word means you are not alone. But rest assured that boof is the singular of bouves. That is all that we can say.

We just returned from our Southern States Roadtrip! It was fun to explore 4 different states but we are glad to be home and get Azure back on schedule. For the most part she did pretty well. Landing in Jacksonville, FL at 80 degrees was quite different from the 15 degrees we left in Provo that morning!

Destructive Behaviors

Azure is now becoming a destructive baby. She reaches and grabs at her swing mobile to try and pull off her jungle animal friends. She also has succeded in pulling off a dangling toy from her playgym mobile. In the mornings when I get her out of her crib she has almost succeded in untying the strings from the bumper. What does this mean? She is getting too big for the toys she currently has.

We just got back from our first trip to CA to see Aunt Tally graduate from Cal State San Bernadino. Congrats Aunt Tally!

We also got to see one of my good friends, Darla, from high school.

Flying alone with Azure wasn't very fun. I guess it could've been worse, we heard a little boy crying the whole trip on the plane. And luckily Azure didn't do that. I'm looking forward to our next plane ride on Thursday b/c Charles will be with me and we'll be able to take turns with Azure on our lap. It's not easy holding that little cub b/c she doesn't sit, she wiggles and arches her back and slides off your lap which makes holding very difficult. Another battle we've been having lately is sucking snot out of her nose w/ the bulb syringe. I think the worst thing about being a baby is not being able to blow your own nose. Luckily she hasn't had any other sick symptoms, just snot.

Charles heard back yesterday from LECOM, the first school he interviewed at in Florida and they have accepted him! So, we know that we will for sure be going to Pharmacy School next year. We have a feeling that he will be accepted to more than 1 school this year and we'll have to end up choosing between schools. We will go where ever the Lord wants us to be. Here's a pic from his travels at Bradenton Beach.Stay tuned for more fun pics from our southern states road trip!

Sleep in heavenly peace

This may very well be just a phase that won't last longer than it has, but I am excited about it so I'm posting it: Azure has been sleeping for 12 hr stretches for almost 2 wks now! Sometimes even up to 14 hrs. What is the reason for this you ask? Her thumb. I witnessed this great moment by watching her wake up, fuss a tiny bit and then jerk her little thumb into her mouth and suck until she drifted off to sleep again peacefully. Then after 12 hrs of sleep I again went in to check on her and she still was sucking on her thumb sound asleep. Beautiful! On to Christmas festivities... It snowed on Saturday and was a great way to start off the Christmas season. Even though I'm not a big fan of snow it was beautiful and I was grateful for it. We set up our little 4 foot pre-lit tree and are still in the process of decorating it with ornaments. We have been listening to Christmas music and Azure enjoys dancing around with me in the kitchen while I sing to her.
Other things we're doing to get ready for Christmas: We are taking family Christmas pictures this week, going to see A Christmas Carol with friends, participate in Angel Tree, sing and listen to the Hallelujah Chorus at our stake Christmas fireside, read scriptures about the Savior's birth "under" the Christmas tree, drive around the south, spend time with family and friends, and probably other stuff I can't remember right now.

As I've mentioned before, every night before bed Charles and I sing hymns to Azure. We've started singing Christmas hymns and the other night while singing Away in a manger my heart was touched at the humility of our Savior. As we sang the words "no crib for his bed" while looking at Azure in her cozy crib I was filled with gratitude for the worldly possessions we have.
"The little Lord Jesus asleep on the hay", how great of the God of this universe to condescend below all things and sleep on hay. "Stay by my cradle till morning is nigh". And I love the 3rd verse: "Be near me, Lord Jesus; I ask thee to stay close by me forever, and love me I pray. Bless all the dear children in thy tender care, and fit us for heaven to live with thee there." How grateful we are this Christmas to have a beautiful daughter, truly a gift from God, who teaches us so much about the pure love of Christ.

Excuse me sir, your daughter's nose is bleeding

If you have read this blog and asked yourself, "what is that thing on Azure's lip?" don't worry, you are not alone. Whatever the outing may be, we are regularly confronted with persons donning facial expressions of concern and horror, who empathetically quote the title of this post verbatim. Aparently, the public wants to know just what is up with this child's nose. At this very moment, your question will be fully and entirely answered. It is a hemangioma. Some people call it a strawberry. Others a mango. Still others call it a bad omen. I prefer to call it a कारण-कब पाइप. Whatever you want to call it, just don't call it a bloody nose. The social safety net has struck again and we are pleased to know that if we ever needed assistance countering our daughter's epistaxis, it would abound. To the world and perhaps somewhat reassuringly to ourselves, we once again assert: Azure does not have a bloody nose.

Rolley Polley

Whenever we put Azure down on a blanket or under her playgym these days it only takes a few minutes before she rolls onto her tummy and then returns to her back.

For the past month now whenever I go to get her out of her crib after a nap or in the morning, I find her exactly opposite of how I put her down. Here are some of her favorite positions:

1) Her feet are at the headboard

2) On her side, curled up against the bumper

3) On her tummy, feet at the headboard

4) Head in corner, laying diagonally

Maybe Azure gets her flexibility from me; I did lots of stretching exercises with her in the womb. I took a flexibility class at BYU my last semester (almost 3 yrs ago) and it was probably one of my favorite classes ever. We got to take power naps in class! It was there that I was introduced to Pilates and have been a huge fan since. I currently go to Pilates classes once a week at the gym after we put Azure to bed. Sometimes Charles is alarmed at some of my stretching techniques!

Asleep in the swing. I love those lips!

This is my new favorite picture! Who needs turkey? This plastic bee is a delicious treat!

Morning exercises

Pie Plate Eyes

Happy Trails Ahead!

Last week was exciting for us. Charles has been offered 3 interviews for Pharmacy School in FL, GA and NC! And what's even more exciting is that I get to go along with him for 2 of them and accompany him on a road trip through the south. And I get to see my best friend Evelyn in NC too!
Azure news: we gave her a sippy cup for the first time yesterday since she still won't take a bottle, but she didn't quite understand how it worked. We also continue to experiment with rice cereal, but again, she just doesn't grasp the concept of swallowing. She'll be 5 months on Wednesday and continues to grow, mostly vertically, not so much horizontally which is fine I guess, she's long and lean, what girl wouldn't like to be long and lean?
Azure likes to pull down her headbands over her eyes like a bandit. This happens on a regular basis.

Provo Canyon Weenie Roast 2007

Friday night we had a bonfire up Provo Canyon that was long overdue. We used to do it quite frequently but haven't for over a year now. Bonfires are great! And so is Provo Canyon. We have some great memories there including our first date and engagement. Azure loved watching the fire and was mesmerized by it for most of the night. Of course we had hot dogs and S'mores. We invited some friends from our old wards since we now have 2 of them which we are referring to as our "old, old, ward" and our "old ward". Thanks to all who came, it was fun!

Unfortunately we don't have any pictures of our friends, just the fire!

An awesome surprise!

I helped out with the Economic Self-Reliance Conference on BYU campus on Thursday. My previous job (before becoming a full-time mother) gave me the opportunity to meet lots of amazing people in the non-profit world. I was unaware who was speaking at the conference this year but browsed the program to see who I knew and had heard speak before. Imagine my intense shock and excitement to see the name of a man from La Paz, Bolivia, one of my favorite people from my mission, as a keynote speaker!

I immediately rushed through the building to see if I could find him. He was just as surprised to see me! It has been almost 5 years since I last saw him. He said he was planning on contacting me that day to see if I was still in UT. What a crazy coincidence! I called Charles to tell him the exciting news and he came after work to meet him. The Lord is amazing to have planned all that out so that we could see eachother again!

You can see my bangs in this pic :)

5 new things

Some new things for us this week:

1) Azure is becoming more aware of her voice and has begun screeching like a bird of prey.

2) I got bangs cut yesterday for the first time since 7th grade.

3) Charles has finished his job shadow at the pharmacy in the hospital where he was relieved to observe pharmacists who don't work at Wal-Mart.

4) We found out today that we have been going to the wrong ward for the past 2 months. Ha!

5) We have switched to using ground turkey instead of beef and pork.

Gorillas, cholitas, and bears, oh my!

Happy Halloween! We finally got to dress Azure up as a bear. The only thing was that her costume was too big! We ordered the newborn size which is supposed to fit 0-6 months. It even says newborn on the tag. But, it definitely could fit a one year old! So, maybe she'll be able to wear it again next year and actually fit into it.

Hence the rolled sleeves

We think she's the cutest bear cub ever!

I was a cholita (native Bolivian woman) and Charles was a gorilla. The effect isn't the same without his mask though...

4 meses

Azure had her 4 month checkup on Wednesday and was only 13 lbs! We thought for sure that she'd be 15. She also received more shots which gave her a fever :(

Because she already started teething and has somewhat of an interest in food we asked the Doc if it'd be ok to give her some rice cereal and he gave us the go ahead.

So, here she is eating her first "solid" food, which wasn't very solid at all, pretty liquidy actually. She probably swallowed about half of it. We'll try again next week.

We've also started a new bedtime ritual where I feed her before her bath so she can learn how to fall asleep on her own a little better.

And just so you know- in the above pictures with Azure in her Bumbo seat, she was never left unattended not even for a second just in case you've heard about the accidents with said seat. (There is NOTHING wrong with the seat itself)

Autumn in Provo

Provo autumns are quite beautiful so we decided to take some pics in the pretty leaves.

Azure has almost outgrown all of her 0-3 month clothing, which I guess is expected for her being officially 4 months on Sunday but it is still sad to pack it all away for the next baby girl (that is if we have another girl).

And because it has started to get so cold now, her onesies and sleeveless dresses are out too. There are some outfits that she's only worn once or twice, which is also quite sad.

This dress is one of my favorites so I made sure she wore it today b/c it was warm. Of course she wouldn't smile for any of these pics :(

She who laughs last

Azure has started her first stage in teething. It's coming in small spurts and we've just gotten through the first one. It wasn't fun for any of us and we're not looking forward to the next spurt which will probably include lots of crying, no sleep and more severed fingers due to her razor sharp gums! But, just to keep things fun she's started laughing a little more and we finally got it on video. Enjoy :)

Cubby Chubby

Before I explain the title, I just wanted to say thank you to those who've changed their vote to Azure looking like me! As I've mentioned before she looks exactly like I did when I was a baby and unfortunately I haven't had too much motivation to find a scanner and scan my baby pics to prove it to those who haven't seen them or who knew me as a baby.

So about the title, it's Azure's new nickname. Cub has turned into cubby and though she's not really that chubby compared to other babies, she is getting denser and denser. By looking at her you'd have no idea how heavy she was when you picked her up!

I gave in and bought Azure a Bumbo seat. We were looking on Ebay and other discounted websites to find a cheaper one b/c they are somewhat expensive for a chair, but they are about the same price everywhere. (And yes I got her a blue one to match her name)

Buying Azure new toys is like buying myself new clothes, always fun and exciting! I can't wait for her to play with them and try them out. She's quite the wiggle worm, always trying to get out of her swaddles, the swing and the car seat. This chair is specially crafted so that it's almost impossible for babies to get out. It's funny to see her arch her back with arms outstretched trying to wiggle herself out, but alas, it's a futile attempt :) (she really does like this chair though) Watching Curious George with daddy...

Our little girl is growing up. Last night was her first night sleeping in her own room in a real crib. Up to this point in her life she's been in a bassinet in our room. So, as we moved the glider downstairs into her room I thought about what it might be like to help her move her stuff when she goes away to college. (I know, I know, that's 18 yrs from now) The thought of packing up her bassinet and taking it out of our room made me want to cry! She's just getting too big for it now.

Answers

My cousin-in-law/friend Kara "tagged" me with these questions and even though technically this is Azure's blog I'll answer them but I'm changing some of the questions...


What were you doing 10 years ago?
Fall 1997- I was 16, a junior in high sch. My parents had just bought me my first car, a 1979 Chevy Nova. Lots of fun memories with that car but it only got about 8 miles to the gallon, not so fun! I was also singing a lot in choir.


What were you doing 5 years ago?
Fall 2002- I was on my mission in Bolivia so it really wasn't Fall, it was Spring. I was just transferred to my 2nd area, Satelite in El Alto. I was just getting the hang of being a missionary and finally started to love it and my Spanish was improving.

What were you doing 1 year ago?
Fall 2006- Ugh! Probably one of the worst times in my entire life. We just found out we were pregnant! That was exciting, what wasn't was that I threw up about 5x a day and was horribly sick on and the verge of death.


What were you doing yesterday?
Hmm, nothing too significant. I did laundry and finally finished unpacking one box that I've been trying to for the past month. I played with Azure and took a walk with her and Charles before bed.


5 snacks I enjoy...
Vitamin water (not really a snack), ice cream, granola bars, cheese, fiber cereals :)

5 things I would do with a million dollars...
Donate some to Alliance of Students Against Poverty to help with microcredit, save for our dream home, travel, pay off our student loans and travel some more


5 places I would run away to...
Casa Laguna, Madrid, Sicily, Cuba, a secret beach in the Dominican Republic


And b/c I hate TV I'm changing this question. The only thing I watch is devotionals on KBYU and occasionally the Food Network
5 things I love...
warm weather, going out to eat, tropical rainstorms, the temple, time alone with Charles :)


5 things I hate...
TV, bad drivers, washing big pots, predatory lending (mostly payday loans!), freezing cold weather


2 People I tag ...
Julie, Jamie

And just to make it fair to Azure since this is her blog here are some more adorable pictures of our bear cub

I found Charles playing under Azure's play gym after he got home from work and had to take a picture!

Plane rides, bonfires, and great grandparents

We took a trip to Cali this last weekend to visit my family and Azure did a lot for a 3 month old. First she went to the renowned Stinking Rose restaurant in Beverly Hills and watched her dad eat 60 cloves of garlic! Unfortunately we have no photographic evidence of this but Charles reeked of garlic for about 24 hrs after the incident.

Then she headed to the beach to have a bonfire at Corona Del Mar in the city of Newport Beach where her parents were wed. Aunt Tally and Tio Angel joined us and they so graciously watched her while Charles and I took a romantic stroll on the shore :)

Then my mom and sister babysat while Charles and I went to the Redlands Temple. I was away from Azure for a record 4 hours! The longest we've been separated since her birth. Here she is attempting to take the bottle but in the end she refused it!
On Sunday she met lots of family: great grandparents, great aunts and uncles and second cousins!

Azure also realized that it's possible to choke oneself if one puts their fingers too far down their throat.

She did great on the plane! She barely slept b/c she was so excited about the surroundings and kept looking around. She can't wait until her next adventure!