Life as of Late

I know that lately I have using my blog solely for the monthly/yearly updates of our girls. But as I was finishing up Haley's post I got thinking about everything that has gone on this last little while and I thought I would write a little extra post on what's been happening.

So to start off with, Matt turned 30 this year! I threw him a small party with some of his family and friends from school! It was perfect. Lots of pizza and ping pong and laughs. I love the friends he has made and their spouses. He started his 2nd semester of grad school this January. I am glad that the first semester is behind us. That was a tough few months. It was nice to have that Christmas break for us to recharge and spend some time together as a family before the next semester started. Matt is still busy with schoolwork and projects, but it doesn't seem to be nearly as intense and his first semester. Right now he is in the middle of the semester with lots of projects and presentations coming up. He is also looking and applying for internships for the summer. Currently he is looking all over the country, but our focus is a bit on Utah since that would be the easiest for us. He will start interviewing soon and we should know something if not by the end of February then in March sometime

As far as things with me they have been great! I have been able to get into a really good routine with the girls and I even have it so Haley takes her 2nd nap of the day when Kinley naps! It is so great! It allows me to get a little bit done around the house and I get a little nap as well. Yes, I will admit I still nap and I love it! I feel so recharged and ready for the rest of the day! And they are so needed, especially for those days where Matt has to stay late at school. I am currently teaching at a local rec center. I teach Aqua Aerobics on Wednesdays and I am loving it! It feels good to be teaching again and to be in the water! (my class members kept insisting that I get in the water and once I did, I decided I will probably teach in the water from here on out). A nice perk about teaching is that I can also attend other fitness classes free of charge and I am taking full advantage. Right now I take a yoga class on Tuesday nights and a lifting class on Saturday mornings! I am loving both classes so much and have made some friends in each of those classes as well!

As far as the girls, they are doing great! Kinley is still very chatty and very busy. It's been a bit of a rough season with it being so cold. It's been hard for us to get out of the house with the weather and with Haley being sick so much. But we got ourselves a pass to a children's museum here in Salt Lake and it is fabulous! It's called the Discovery Gateway and it's a mother's dream! So many areas where kids can play and pretend and learn. It's amazing! Every time we go it seems that Kinley finds something new to play with! We love going with friends and it has been a life saver for the 2nd half of this winter! Haley is also great, she is finally healthy again and anything else you want to know is on her 6 month post.

We are loving the new friends we have made here and they have been such a blessing to us since we moved into our little complex! In the same breath while the people in our area are wonderful, our living situation is not so much. We have found that we are a little too cramped with 4 of us in a little 2 bedroom apartment and it is only going to feel smaller the bigger the girls get. Once Matt lands an internship we will know more about what we want to do, but as of now we have decided to start looking for a house to rent for the 2nd year of Matt's school. Something with a little more space and a yard for the girls to run around in.

So, that's what is going on with us, for anyone that wants to know! =)

Six months

Dear Haley,

You are six months old now. You have been in our little world for half of a year; that doesn't seem real! I feel like we just barely brought you home! But, six months is in fact here and I have to say that we have enjoyed every minute of those six months with you! Haley, you are quite the little ray of sunshine in our lives! Your smile is so contagious and lights up a room. You are such a happy little baby! Most days are filled with smiles and giggles and little to no crying, unless Kinley has just stepped on you. (I'm sorry) Speaking of which, Kinley absolutely adores you! She is so excited to wake you up in the morning! She loves to dance with you and make you laugh. She showers you with kisses and toys and love! I hope and pray that one day you become the best of friends!

You love to giggle and babble. Most of the day you are relatively quiet, but when Kinley goes to bed at night you pour your heart out in babbles, very loudly I might add. I know it's hard to get a word in with your bigger sister being such a chatter box. I have a feeling you are going to be just as chatty which will make for a very loud household of ours. But I love the chatter, so keep it coming! And now for the milestones:

-You weigh 15lb 1 oz
-You are 24 inches tall
-No teeth as of yet
-Can just about sit up with no assistance
-You grab at everything
-Started a new sleep routine that has worked wonders

We have started you on solid foods a month ago and so far it is going well. You are still learning to master eating from a spoon. You are a little behind with that because you didn't care for the texture of rice cereal and since we had to mix it with formula, we decided not to bother with it. So far you have tried: apples, pears, bananas, mangoes, squash, sweet potatoes, carrots, peas and green beans. Peas and green beans you are definitely not a fan of right now. Your favorites are probably any of the fruits and squash.

You love to smile and interact with others and you love your play mat! You also have gotten so big that you have graduated from your bassinet to the pack n play. I promise you will get a crib eventually, but I think we are going to wait until we have a little more space this fall. For now, the pack n play has plenty of space for you and you have adjusted to it just fine. You nap and sleep like a champ. You take 2- 3 naps a day for about an hour and a half to 2 hours at a time. You can sleep through the night if you wanted to, but because you have been sick so much, we kept up the nightly feedings just to get some more fluids in you. Now that you are normal and healthy again we have decided to wean you off the nightly feedings, which may make for a few not so sleep filled nights. But we know you will catch on and be back to sleeping through the night soon. You are no longer the little night time monster that you were! Mom and Dad have a set routine with you now and you love it! We start with your last bottle of the night, change your diaper and give you a little lotion massage. Then it's PJ's and some snuggles and songs with Mom and that puts you right out! (Yay!)

We love you Haley Loo. You bring us so much joy each day! Happy six months!!