True Story

Ran Dax to the bathroom because it was clear he needed to....um....use it.  Sat him on the seat and after a few grunts, we had evidence that he was successful.  His grunt face immediately turned to bright, excited eyes as he asked cheerfully, "Mom, is it BIG?"

Yes, son.  Yes, it was.  But remember, size isn't everything.

Happy Dax Day!

The day we were headed back to Moab after Addie was born, we officially named "Dax Day".  It was a day consisting of WHATEVER he wanted to do.  We hoped that would make our 5 hour drive less horrific, as well as give him the attention he desperately needed after everyone had been goo-ing over the baby for days.  

We thought that Build-A-Bear would be really fun, so we stopped in Orem to go find him a fuzzy new friend to hang out with.  

Imagine our delight when Robbie and I noticed that the bears had Halloween Costumes we could purchase for the animals, including BUZZ LIGHTYEAR!!  Robbie and I were thrilled.  We thought it would be perfect for Dax Day, so we marched him right over and showed him.  

Just as we thought, he was excited!  We picked out a super-soft monkey and a little giggle button for his hand, and had the worker put him together.  

We were excited to put the costume on him, but it all went south VERY quickly.  Apparently dressing a monkey in a Buzz Lightyear suit is slightly blasphemous.  

I take it back.  It was the literal end of the world.  

He was FURIOUS!  Threw a fit right then and there.  We were super proud to be his parents.  

He eventually recovered in time to eat only ice cream for lunch.  And watch Toy Story THREE times on the drive home.  

Luckily, he has decided that Buzzard (the Monkey...we thought it would be fitting) is a good thing after all...and sleeps with him every night.  

Hooray for a mostly-successful Dax Day!

Making the executive decision to hate the costume.

Trying to convince Dax that the monkey was a good thing by showing him the giggle button.

Taking a second look at the costume.  He still hated it afterward.  

However, the "Buzz Shoes" were a hit until he found out that his feet wouldn't fit in them.

Dental Woes

I prefer to have my son literally SCREAMING while I brush his teeth.  He's mad at me anyway.  At least that way his mouth is open (instead of clenched shut) and I have clear access to his pearly whites.  I figure it's win-win.

D-Squeezy's Birthday Numero DOS!!!

It was actually two weeks ago....but I'm ALMOST caught up on the blog.
Welcome to Dax's birthday photo hodge podge!

When we began singing "Happy Birthday" to him, he looked around the room, noticed everyone was watching him, and immediately slapped his hands over his eyes until we finished singing.

He can't see us, we can't see him, right?

He WOULD NOT put the sippy cup down.

Of course....it WAS full of Grandma's specialty:  Chocolate Milk!

He held it and tried to drink while he opened gifts from his grandparents:

Buzz bedsheets, Buzz blanket, Buzz backpack....you get the drift.

It was a "Buzz Day" for sure!

Our "big" gift to Dax was THE Buzz Lightyear.

Quite possibly, it was the most excited I've ever seen him.

He ran around the room showing it to anyone who would listen 

(grandparents were especially good for this)

and pushing button after button after button.

Over. And over. And over. And over again.

Yeah....we knew it would be that way....but his reaction was totally worth it.

Also, Buzz's buttons no longer work.

And we're ok with that!

On his actual birthday (the party was a few days before), we opened the rest of his gifts.

Turns out we were right when we figured he wouldn't care about anything except Buzz.

These particular puzzles are a current favorite toy.  He likes to take each wooden puzzle piece and yell,
"Mommy, watch!"

...and proceed to forcefully throw said wooden piece to the ground and watch it bounce.

Gotta love him.

If only he would put them back when he was done.  We're working on that.....

Aside from the Block Puzzle Book below, he also received a new addition to his My First Book of Mormon Stories collection.  We love those!!

And, just because he's so stinkin' cute.....a few more of the little 2-year-old.

Whom, I might add, is currently acting like the stereotypical 2-year-old.

Awesome.

It's a good thing we know how cute he is normally!!

We Thought This Would NEVER Happen...

...and then one day, it did. 

Giddy Up!

Maybe it's Woody's influence, but Dax LOVES my cowboy hats.  

He wanders around the house with them on his head 

(usually sideways so he can see more clearly) saying, "'At!  'At!"

Oh, I love him!  Even after days like yesterday.....I still love him!

Dax's Favorite Game

So funny....

The Other Posts Will Have to Wait

Part of my "updating" of the blog includes going through and adding labels, or tags, to each of the posts.  Imagine my laughter with this one:  http://carlyandrobbieallred.blogspot.com/2008/07/there-are-no-words.html

Funny Man!

Dax doesn't take two naps anymore.  He hasn't for months and months.  He goes down to sleep sometime after lunch.  A few hours from now.

Just now, he dragged me into his bedroom (literally...he has a pretty strong grip), pointed at his binky and asked "Peas?".  I told him that binkies are for nap time and that if he wants his binky he has to go to bed.

Again, those cute little eyes and a "peas??"

I picked him up, he gave me a kiss, and I laid him down in bed.  He rolled over in his crib, snuggled up to his blanket, and less than 5 minutes later, he is asleep.

Ahhhh....mommyhood.

Mommy=Car?

"CAh! CAh! CAh! CAhYEE!"

Thanks to Daddy's tutelage that Mommy's name is "Carly," Dax now thinks mommy and cars are one in the same.  

I guess it's not a whole lot different than the fact that I keep referring to my belly as "the baby."  Everytime I ask where the baby is, he lifts his own shirt up, or pokes my belly.  

This kid is too cute for words! 

Spoils

We love our son.

A "KEEPER" For Sure.

My sweet baby boy has found a love for the sport that I love. He just hasn't figured out how to kick the soccer ball yet. He'd much rather bend down and stop it, then fall over on it, laughing hysterically all the while. I LOVE HIM!
This particular video is of him and a new favorite toy....er...wipes. my favorite is when he attempts to put them back. Dax is one determined boy, for sure!

The AWESOME Award

It's very prestigious, and difficult to be nominated. Don't be fooled, not just ANY person can be awesome enough to score this one. But, for next time, I'll clue you in to how I did it:

1. Wake up "super" early to get a good start on the day (like, say, 5:20 am).

2. Carefully pack and prepare everything you need for a ten-day trip to Salt Lake City, making sure very specific items needed for certain events are included.

3. Be sure to pack your son's items in the same bag for ease.

4. Wait until your cute child wakes up for the day to finish packing his items, so as not to wake him prematurely.

5. Zip closed the bags and place them by the car to be put in the back when you grab the keys.

6. Grab the last few items upstairs as you hear your son tumble the ENTIRE way down the stairs, only to be stopped by the baby gate at the bottom.

7. Calm him down and lovingly place him in his carseat with a sippie cup full of milk.

8. Pull out and head to SLC three hours earlier than intended.

9. Feel proud of yourself.

10. Make it to your son's doctor's appointment 30 minutes early so as to properly take care of paperwork and insurance.

11. Be told by the doctor that your son has a pretty awesome ear infection, and that he will conveniently send the prescription on to pharmacy of choice.

12. Meet my cute little sis and mom to help said cute sis out while she packs to move to Connecticut later this month.

13. Head out to grab the prescription (in addition to one of my own) before the pharmacy closes.

14. Be told by the pharmacy that the prescription has not been called in yet, and deal with subsequent pharmacy/insurance issues for over two full hours.

15. Find out, that when all is said and done, that the insurance didn't work anyway, but you wasted two hours of your life for a measly $7.56.

16. Take dinner to your hungry family, eagerly anticipating your return with Costco pizza.

17. Get your son put to bed in a fairly timely manner.

18. Have Erica cut your hair.

19. Come to understand that 18+ good things you accomplished in the day will never make up for the fact that you left your suitcase in the garage in Moab.

I'm Putting the Bishop on Speed Dial!

We LOVE our new ward. People are super-friendly and nice, and have been so very welcoming to us. One problem....there's three of us, and several hundred of them. When it comes to learning names, we're on the disadvantage for sure.

Rewind to last Thursday. I get a phone call from the ward executive secretary, Brother Shumway. I remember his name, because anyone who has the gumption to have twelve children (yes, I said twelve) suddenly makes themselves memorable enough for me to log that name for good. So, yes, Brother Shumway. He asks if we have time to meet with the bishop that evening, and we agree.

Being a member of this particular church, I knew we were in for more than Temple Recommend interviews. I was surely right. However, I was not expecting to be called into the Young Womens' Presidency! I am officially the 1st Counselor in the Young Women's presidency in our ward. I feel....well, I feel a lot of things, but "prepared for this calling" sure is not one of them.

My favorite part of the interview was when Bishop mentioned to me that this particular set of girls was "in need of someone like me."

Those words seemed hauntingly familiar. Maybe EXACTLY like what President Simmons would say to me in nearly every interview I had with my dear mission president? Maybe....

Fast forward to today. I have been aware of this calling for approximately two whole days, and still no closer to knowing anyone's names than I had been the week prior. We get sustained (Robbie was sustained as the 1st Counselor in the Sunday School Presidency. Oh, and he barely makes it to sacrament meeting with his work schedule. Figure that one out.), and after Dax interrupts Sunday School and I wander the halls a bit, I head to Young Women's.

Trying to get my bearings and notice the sea of faces smeared with chocolate chip cookies from their classes, I take a seat and begin to get settled. I sometimes make small talk with the woman to my right while trying to tactfully tell her I have no idea who in the world she is. Class starts.

I learn that we are having an "all-girl" lesson because the YW President skipped town to go hunting with her husband and forgot to tell people (P.S. ...STILL no idea who she is), and the lesson is short-lived because the new class presidencies need to be sustained and set apart.

So now, class is over ten minutes early, and most of the girls jet.

The prior 1st Counselor approaches me, hands me a stack of books and manuals, and after explaining that she loves these girls but can't invest the time anymore with her health suffering (she just had a major surgery), tells me that many of the girls are from terrible family lives and "need lots and lots of love." No problem, right?? Except that that's all she told me before she left. I think her name is Diana???

Skip to this evening. Robbie had to work a bit late, so I took Dax with me to a Bishop's fireside that was at the Shumway's home. No problem that I haven't been there, right? I can totally mapquest it!

Mapquest has no knowledge of the Shumways.

I remember some of the girls describing how to get there, so I jump in the car, and try to make it. Never found it, didn't have the Shumway's number to call, and STILL know no one's names.

I call Robbie to tell him that I won't actually be making it to the fireside.

My car runs out of gas.

Sweet Love. Counting my blessings, I was in our neighborhood and could easily walk the rest of the way home.

Mind is racing. Instead of mutual this week, they are going to the BYU game on Saturday. Still no idea if I am going. Don't know if there is a ticket for me, or what I have to do. Plus, I'll have Dax with me. Awesome. Still don't know the YW President's name or who she is.

I'm putting the Bishop on Speed-Dial!!

Pillow Talk

"Wait. What are we doing?"

"I'm not sure. What are you talking about?"

"I'm just trying to figure out if these switches will work."

"Switches? What are these switches going to do?"

"They are going to help us figure out everyday stuff."

"Oh yeah? What kind of every day stuff?"

"Just.....stuff..."

"Robbie, are you awake, or are you asleep?"

"Mmmmppffffhhhhhh........"

How to be Awesome

I tried to get up early this morning.

Couldn't.

Woke up at 8:30 with Dax.

Gave him a bottle and put him back to bed.

Ate part of a breakfast muffin.

Left it by Robbie's computer that I was working on.

Dax woke up.

Got him and a load of laundry and brought it downstairs.

Realized I forgot my running shoes upstairs, so I ran back up to get them.

Noticed silence downstairs.

Worried.

Ran back down to find Dax smearing chocolate muffin all over his face and Robbie's open computer.

Dumb.

Put him in his high chair with the rest of the muffin.

Grabbed parts for his bottle out of the dishwasher.

Glass tumbler fell to the ground and shattered.

Awesome.

If you need more tips on how to be awesome, let me know.

Just Because it was Amazing

While blog-stalking at oh, I don't know...midnight, I checked out THIS site.

WARNING: only click on the link if you have time to kill (trust me, you'll get sucked in), an empty bladder (seriously), and are not consuming any sort of beverage.

Don't say I didn't warn you!

Comic Relief

My husband has entire conversations with me in his sleep. He gets embarrassed when I laugh hysterically. Does that make me a bad wife?

Jumping, Jumping, Jumping, Jumping, Jumping, Jumping......

Daxson really likes his jumper.

I'm sorry, did I say "likes?" I meant he LOVES his jumper! He is so freaking funny in this thing. I had to post what it looks like.

He will literally jump in it for an hour and a half. He thinks it is the greatest thing ever.


(Sorry the video isn't that rad, I took it with my phone.)

Too Funny!

I put Dax down a while ago, but he won't sleep, so I am currently listening to him gurgle his spit from the other room. LOVE him!