Free Family Pictures... Twice

So it seems like every year around March, aspiring photographers come out of the woodwork and offer up all sorts of great deals on photography sessions. I remember it happening last March, buuuuut... I was pregnant, working, trying to graduate and managing an apartment complex, so it was so not happening.

This year, it happened again. And unlike last year, I wasn't pregnant AND I happened to have a darling 7 month old who I was dying to get some good pictures of. SO we jumped on and snatched not one, but TWO free photography sessions. It was actually a complete accident, I didn't think I would get the first one that I commented on (there was like 100 comments) so I commented on a different one. And much to my surprise, they both had room to pencil me in, one on Thursday evening and one on Saturday morning... yes, in the same week.

So we thought, what the heck! Lets do it! So we did! And here's what we got!

The week we took pictures happened to be the week that Eric's hair was longer than it had ever been before, we hadn't had a chance to cut it for a looong time, so he was bummed about that. But all in all, we had a great time with both photographers and are so grateful for their generosity! They each had different editing and shooting styles, so it was awesome that we got a little of both!

Also, as a random side note, Eric and I were talking last night about these past 2 years (almost) of marriage and we can't even believe how blessed we've been! Life has been, and is SO good and we are just so happy and feel so gosh darn blessed! 

8 Months of Hallie Grace

So... I've always loved Hallie right? I mean, she's awesome! But this past month... things have changed.

I. AM. OBSESSED.

Seriously, I dunno why all of a sudden Hallie thinks she can be the most hilarious, adorable little thing in the whole world... but she does... and she is.

I have pretty much done nothing but laugh this week thanks to that little beanbag.

She was so unhappy when she was in that stage of "sitting up alone, yet not able to crawl". She just whined all the time! She just wanted to move and get going, but couldn't. Hence the whole, learning to crawl at 6 months thing. But now that she has mastered crawling and climbing and speed crawling, she is the happiest little thing ever!

Hallie is kinda a punk when it comes to social interaction. 

And that darn tear duct is still giving her problems.

At 8 months Hallie is...

Learning to start crawling SUPER fast whenever she hears mom or dad say "Hallie.. NO!" She loves sneaking around the corner and then speeding into the bathroom SO fast just when she's out of our sight.

Standing unassisted for 3-5 seconds.

Has her two bottom teeth popped through.

We think her eyes will either be green or hazel, but its still just so hard to tell!

Eating oatmeal and nursing like a champ. She refused to eat pureed baby food though. However, if we let her eat off of our plate, she eats a ton! She love bananas, yogurt, asparagus and avocado.

Last night was the first night in months that she spent the entire night in her crib! I did wake up to feed her once at 4:45 am, but she slept a good 12 hours in her crib and we were estatic! Except I couldn't even bring myself to fall asleep because she was sleeping with her bum in the air (for the 1st time) and it was so darn cute that I just stared at her for way too long. Seriously though, is there anything better than a sleeping baby with her bum in the air? Ahh I die.

Doing really great with strangers right now. Especially if they are wearing a watch or jewlary. And only if she isn't tired or hungry.

Says "mama, dada, MawM!(very forcefully), buba, and baba"

Loves chasing her daddy around the floor, and loves when he sings her the good morning song about the birds (although, I love it even more when he does it, sooo cute!)

Mornings with Hallie are still the absolute best. She's just so happy to see you and be awake!

She dances (does mini squats) any time she hears music or singing. If she's lying down/eating while there is music playing, she bounces her arm or leg up and down in the air.

Pretty much shes amazing and we love her more than ever! She is SO fun and we're so excited that Eric is graduating soon so we'll have an awesome summer together as a family!

Planes, Trains and Auto-immunities

Hallie and I flew down to Vegas to reunite with Natalie who had just returned from her mission in Ecuador. It was Hallie's second time flying, but it was my first time flying with Hallie by myself. We left out of the IF airport, so I knew that security and the actual airport part would be a breeze (which it was, I love that airport and everyone was so kind and helpful!) but I didn't know how Hallie would do on the plane.

Last time we flew, we had Eric with us ... and Hallie wasn't mobile. Both factors played a significant role in the successfulness of our flight.

 So first things first. We go to board the plane and I'm carrying: Hallie, a backpack, a diaper bag, a car seat and....... pushing a stroller. I have to collapse the stroller and the carseat at the end of the long walk-way thing before I actually board the plane. So I'm standing their trying to juggle Hallie and our bags long enough to get the stroller collapsed... yeah it wasn't happening. Then a shining man in a uniform (I discovered later that it was the pilot of our aircraft) happened to come through a secret side door at just the right time and he helped me get things settled.

Phew. I made it on the plane and now I only have 1 baby and two bags to juggle. I got this.

I had memorized my seat # because I didn't want to have to dig through my diaper bag while I was standing in the aisle to find my boarding pass. When I come to seat 27D (what I thought was my seat) I find a grumpy old man sitting there! Ahhhh did I read my boarding pass wrong?? I must have. Time to dig through the diaper bag and keep Hallie from pulling the lady-behind-me's hair. I found the pass, re-read my seat number. It said 27D!!! There was a man in my seat!!! And the line up behind me was getting huuuuge. Ahhh.

"Excuse me sir, I think this is my seat"
"I think it is too. I guess you're going to make me go sit by my wife"
"Yup, I guess I am. Sorry to do that to ya."
"Bahahaha well the least you can do is give me that baby!"

AND THEN HE PROCEEDS TO GRAB HALLIE RIGHT OUT OF MY HANDS!

Hallie of course starts doing her closed mouth sob. She was not happy, and I was like... what the??? He took my seat and then he snatched my baby!? Uhhh.... seat change please!

Except I didn't change seats. After realizing that this was indeed a friendly (not crazy,..well maybe a little crazy) old man, I decided to embrace the situation. I sat and chatted with him and his wife before the plane took off and it turns out we know some of the same people. And they were really, really kind.

The only thing was... that this old guy would randomly grab Hallie out of my arms to hold her! Like I'd be trying to get her settled down to eat and ... SNATCH! Or she'd be dozing off on my shoulder and ... BAM! He's got her! She was never very happy about this, and I wasn't super thrilled either because he had the most ghastly, mucas-y cough! And he'd cough right into his hands and then grab her! a;lksfjad;j

Uh mom? A little help here?

But he looooved holding and playing with her and I just didn't have the heart to say, "Excuse me sir, but I'd love to not have a sick baby during my vacation." But I knew he was just trying to help and give me a break, and in all reality.. it was really sweet.

It was a long hour and a half. Hallie had way too much energy and didn't take her nap on the plane like I was planning on and she was all over the place. But everyone loved her. The couple behind us would lean in and play with her. The student to the left of us madly underlining and highlighting his text books would look up every so often to smile at Hallie. The man in front of us was wearing a really shiny puffy jacket that Hallie couldn't keep her hands off and he just loved that and could grab her hands and kiss them... and every single flight attendant that passed by stopped and grabbed Hallie's hands and cheeks and told me over and over how adorable she was. It was all very flattering... but If I make it through this whole weekend with a healthy baby... I am super mom.

 Hallie absolutely crashed hard core the second we got off the plane. I strapped her into her stroller, and she was out! Much to the disappointment of Natalie who came to meet Hallie for the first time at the airport.

Anyways, we had a wonderful trip down to Overton. I hardly ever saw Hallie. As soon as she woke up, someone would snatch her up, and I'd roll over and go back to sleep. Awesome! I even woke up late one morning to Hallie giving me eating pretty purple lilacs that her grandpa had helped her pick for me!

Sisters, Sisters

Sometimes I love to go back and blogstalk my old blog. Today I came upon this post, where I shared my feelings on my dear sister Natalie. We had the privilege of being up at school together for a few semesters and our relationship was strengthened greatly because of it. We made some great memories and really came to respect each other.

As I was reading it, I thought about how lucky I have been to have my other little sister Holly here in Rexburg these past two semesters. Our relationship and respect for each other has also grown immensely, but in a different way.

Natalie was here during my fun, crazy single-life days. She was here to help me get ready for dates and talk boy-talk with. She was also the one who came to me at work one day and told me, "I will never forgive you if you break Eric's heart! You've got to make a decision and stick with it instead of stringing that poor boy along!" I just loved having her around!

Holly has been here for my first two semesters of being a mom! I can't even count the times that she has come over to rescue me when I have so much work to do, and a clingy little baby. Sometimes I've just needed another adult to talk to. I love that she will just come over and play with Hallie and talk to me while I work on Delta Phi stuff, clean the house, or make dinner. I love that I don't feel the need to entertain her, I can just do what I need to do. That is the absolute biggest service that anyone could do for me, and Holly has done in dozens upon dozens of times. It doesn't hurt that Hallie absolutely adores Holly and always has a big smile and a happy squeal ready when Holly comes.

I love Holly simply for loving my child. It's hard not to love someone who thinks your baby is the absolute most perfect and adorable thing in the whole world. But I also love Holly for who she is! She is funny and smart.  I love that she is strong willed and will stand up for what is right. She doesn't let people push her around and I think that is admirable. She is beautiful and has great style. She's all around a cool kid and we think the world of her!

So pretty much thank you Rexburg and BYU-I for giving me lots of one-on-one time with my sisters. I've loved getting to know the adult versions of the little girls I played (and fought) with while growing up!