Tuesday, June 5, 2007

So In Love






I just wanted to write a little bit about how my life has been this far as a mother. I am so in love with this little girl it's crazy-love. She is so amazing and each day that my Heavenly Father has given me with her I feel so blessed. Faith is truly a blessing from heaven. I am the luckiest mother in the whole world.

People are always asking Lindsay and I how we like being parents and how things are going for us? Things seriously couldn't be better!! Lindsay and I have wanted to be parents for the longest time and we never went into this whole thing blind or thinking it would be easy or not that bad. We knew (because of all of our family and friends) that being parents can be really hard and stressful at times. We knew there would be a lot of ups and downs but we have tried to be open minded, listen to everyones advice and prepare ourselves. You can never be prepared for parenting but I think that because we have really wanted this and did what we could to prepare we truly, truly love every minute. Even through the worst of times when she's screaming for food or waking in the middle of the night I feel so blessed to be her mother. We are the luckiest parents (did I say that already?).

Faith continues to amaze me. She progresses so well and each month she is learning and achieving so much. I tell Lindsay all the time how I wish she would stay little and be mama's little girl forever. I look forward to our little projects together (cooking, creating art, adventures, etc.) in the future and being able to take Faith out on Mommy-Daughter dates and play together when she gets a little bit older but I absolutely love holding her and rocking her to sleep or just cuddling on the living room floor with her. I love my little cuddle-bug. I don't want her to grow-up.......

I took Faith in for her 9 month check-up last week. She weighs 15 lbs 14 oz. and is 28" in length. She is 75% in height (taking after her mom) but just a wee 10% in weight (at least she hits the charts). The doctor said she look as healthy as can be and he is so happy to see she has put on a pound and a half since we brought her home. He said "what ever you are doing, keep doing it because she looks great". She was a very good girl for the doctor and it was a nice day.

Faith's first word was "mama" and just last week she said "papa" for the first time. She loves her dad and even though it took a few months of big time mama's girl actions she now grins from ear to ear when dad comes home from work. She won't take her eye's off of him and if we are in the living room talking or watching TV she will crawl right over to him and prefers to sit on his lap now. Just yesterday (Monday, June 4th) after breakfast I put Faith down in the living room to play for a little bit and she went straight over to the couch, lifted herself up and grabbed dad's baseball cap. She looked at me and said "papa" three times. IT WAS SO DARN CUTE! The funny thing is when she hears the lawn mower she knows it's dad and wants to watch out the window or go out and be with him (you wouldn't think he works in the yard to much would you?).

Faith can play "patty cake" and "peak-a-boo". She loves it when mom sings "Itsy- bitsy spider" or "Bringing home a baby bumble bee". We listen to music during the day and she now loves to bounce up and down and dance around the room with mom. She can wave "bye-bye" and tonight she seemed to be getting the "high-five" thing down, we shall see tomorrow if it really stuck. She will crawl really fast when I come up behind her and say "mama's gana get you, daddy's gana get you". She trys to get away from us and when I sing "follow the leader" and crawl around she will follow me. One of the many things that makes Faith laugh is when dad is in the shower and sticks his face up against the glass, as she is on the other side of course, and she laughs and laughs and thinks it's so funny! I know, that may have been too much information but what you won't do to make a little one smile.

Faith is becoming more and more familiar with her family and I have noticed her reaching for Grandma Bott when we go over to see her or her aunts Vicki and Sonia. Just the littlest things make me so proud.

I can sit and watch Faith for hours. Watching her little brain tick as she plays with toys, feels new textures, see something new and so forth. She is so curious and has the cutest facial expressions ever. I love when she gets excited as well she makes a little gasping like cooing noise.

Faith is such an angel and I love her so much! I love being home with her. She is so precious and I wouldn't change a thing in my life at this time. I am so happy and so grateful to have her in my life. There are times we are playing and I totally forget that she looks different or is adopted. There are so many similarities between us all it's eyre and she just becomes my little girl, my baby girl who decided in heaven that she was going to come to this earth, join our family and be our little one. She may look different and I may not be her biological mother but I believe I would feel no different if I had her myself. It is amazing how Heavenly Father has opened my heart and my mind and has brought SO MUCH joy and happiness into my world in such a way. I don't know how I could love another little one any greater then I do her.

I LOVE HER SO MUCH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I love being a mother and wouldn't go back or trade it for one second. She is my world!

Going to Church



A few pictures of Faith and I coming home from church on Sunday. She is such a big girl and always wants to walk around. She got out of the car and wanted to walk up the stairs and into the house. Of course mom still has to help her but soon enough she will be running around on her own. My how time fly's and she loves to move.

Faith enjoys going to church and seeing all the people. She's a hit in Elders Quorum with her daddy. They have a "daddy section" on the back row and all the dad's bring their little one's in and share snacks. I try and take turns and take her with me but dad likes the excuse of leaving or snacking all hour while having the little one (men...).

Schools Out!




My sister Sonia is always so crazy-busy with her two kids (Sarah & Jaxson)and she's not only the neighborhood stylest but she is the gym teacher at one of the local elementary schools and it was a crazy day on the last day of school forher. She was watching Faith for me all day and so after all the events at school (Faith is whoo'ed and ahhh'ed over by all at the school and she loves going to see all the kids, she seriously LOVES being at the school) then they headed back to Sonia's home for a water party with all the kids. Faith loves spending time with her cousins.

Thanks for all your help Sonia, we love you!

Snack Time





I just thought these pictures of Faith were cute! She loves food (like her mom in a lot of ways already) and ever since we brought her home she has always been a beggar, he-he! She is always wanting what mom and dad are having. She is very eager to learn and there is no stopping her, she wants to try everything!

She is my healthy eater. She prefers veggies over fruit (like her mom) and she loves bananas (like her.......OK enough).

Any how, she is cute doing just about everything!

Neighborhood Friends




All the little girls in the neighborhood adore Faith. They always come over when we are in the yard or knock on the door and want to see her/play with her. She wasn't to happy to be held down by a few of them for a picture (as you can tell). The girls then wanted to take a picture of me and Faith so I let them (not to shabby, at least they got most of my head). Faith has fun with all the kids in the neighborhood and believe me when I say this, there are A LOT of them.

Unstoppable






Faith is up, down, and all around. The doctor wasn't kidding when he said 9 month old's are curious, all over the place, into things and love to move. Faith always does exactly what the doctor tells me she is going to do. I wish I had all of his knowledge.

She is growing up so fast and all over the place! I spend most of my days following her around and making sure she doesn't end up in the hospital (take after her father). So far we are doing pretty good.

She loves to play outside and LOVES the grass. I took her out with me the other day as I did some weeding and gardening and every minute I had to go pull her back out of the bark. Pick her up, pull her away, pull three weeds and do it again and again. After a good 15 minutes I finally pulled out the bouncer and some toys (I'm learning).

I hope that Faith will grow to love the outdoors, working in the yard, gardening, hiking, camping and enjoying this beautiful world our Heavenly Father has created for us.

Faith Meet's Bullet






We finally took Faith to meet our horse Bullet. We waited until it got just a little bit warmer outside and we had some free time. She loved him (of course). She wouldn't take her eye's off of him and she was so curious, it was so cute! I love trying to figure out what is going on in her little mind all the time. I would move and her head would wipe right around so she could see dad and Bullet. She had fun petting him and we hope to get her on for a ride here soon.

She loves animals and has no fear. I want her to spend time with the animals and learn to enjoy being with them. I know if you start little one's doing things and learning thing's while so little it will be second nature to them and comfortable (easier to do while so little instead of waiting until they are older). We hope she will have a love for horses as her mom and dad do.

Dianasour Park






More fun pictures!

Memorial Weekend '07






I took Faith to the Dinosaur Park with my Sister Vicki and her two kids (Ryker & Ethney), my mom Diane and Vicki's mother in-laws, Beverly and Kris. Faith's cousin Ryker had a school program in the morning and because all the grandma's came to see him perform we all went to the Dinosaur Park together after. It was a lot of fun! I had never been (never having a real reason to go) and it was really neat. I can see why all the kids love to go. It is a big park with walking path's, all kinds of dinosaur exhibits and statues. There are fun games and things for the kids to play with and a really nice big park. Just to go for lunch and let the kids play in the park would be fun. They have a neat museum as well.

Faith loved playing with grandma and her cousin Ryker just loved pushing Faith around in her stroller. He is a huge help! Always wanting to push her, hold her, feed her, hug her. He helps me take good care of her. I adore him and it is so cute to watch him be so kind and loving with her.

We had a really nice time and the weather was perfect (not to hot or cold). Once in the car and heading home Faith was out before I could even get out of the parking lot. She was so tired. She had a really fun day.

Thanks for the invite Vicki!