Flipped Upside Down

So our lives have completely changed as we knew them. First, Xander has been drooling a lot more and has been a little more onry, so we think he is teething, but the worst thing is that he is now standing on his own. Codilyn put him down in his crib while she was running the bath and when she came back he was standing up. Now when we put him down to take a nap he has too much fun standing up, how do you teach kids that the crib is the place to sleep and now have fun.


We all took a WALK the other day just to get out of the house. Xander had a good time and it was a really good workout for me carrying him. I now know why overweight people breathe heavily.

THE WEEK OF WEEKS!!!

So we have had some hard times this past two weeks. First, my laptop, which has all my school stuff on it, especially my graduate thesis, broke and I tried taking it to the Mac store but they have become so popular you have to have an appointment 48 hours in advance with them. I went and they told me that it would cost $1500 to fix it. So we decided to think on it for a while. Then, I found out I did not get the job that I wanted, but it turns out it was a good thing because I only wanted to do it temporarily. Then, my professor has been riding my butt about my thesis because he decided he wanted me to turn it in early. Then, my dad is having a lot of complications with his back surgery and I cant stand hearing my wonderful dad in pain. And some other stuff, but we gained a testimony that Heavenly Father looks after us and helps us in times of need.

Example #1: General Conference was this past weekend and the Priesthood session had a great impact on my week and overall helped us a lot.
Example #2: Heavenly Father sent inspiration to a couple of people that we were having a bad week and helped us greatly. (Thanks Jennifer Roberts, Michelle, Carma, and Grandpa Kendell)
Example #3: We were able to buy a new computer with the help from Grandpa Kendell at the perfect time, when the new Leopard system was announced and when we could not wait anymore.

We are lucky people. Here are some pictures of our little one. The playdate group went to Chesters Party Barn about two weeks ago. Xander had a good time with the pumpkins, which he loved by the way, and actually rode a pony with a smile on his face. We also got him a new little toy. The toy is supposed to help him walk but he is so tall that he can actually use the toy.

Protesting

So I am officially protesting. I am protesting posting any new steps that Xander is taking. I am protesting talking about his new milestones and will not post them anymore. I hate the feeling of competition I have when I hear about another baby doing things Xander doesn't and know that other parents feel the same. I hate thinking that my baby is slow and so when I dont compare, I dont feel that way. This is not an angry post, just a "I dont WANT to BE ANGRY post." So you will not find out when he talks more, crawls more or begins walking. We will just post pictures of our kid and let him grow as he wants without feeling pressure of competiton from his father (I am only going to get worse, never ask me to coach my sons teams). Or Codi says I maybe should not read others blogs, but then what would I do with my time?

Attention CPS

So do you remember when Britney Spears just had her kids and the CPS were called because one of her kids fell out of their highchair and she almost dropped one? Well, I officially feel as though we are worse than her. Sign #1, we put our kid in a cardboard box and left him in there while we ate (he was loving it). Sign #2, we thought it was funny to sign our names to his feet, showing that we made him. And Sign #3, Codi held his head done while I went at him with some scissors and then some clippers, yes, we gave him his first hair cut this morning. He looks a lot older. I guess that it is a rule as a parent that you must feel incompetent 90% of the time, but we must be doing something right to have such a happy baby.



P.S. Dang the Beck cowlick curse.

Thank you Francisco's

The Fransico's found this. He was the branch president in Ulan-Ude when Codi and I both served there. They are a great family.

http://meridianmagazine.com/exstories/070919vodka.html

Bubbalicious

So this past week has been kinda crazy for us. I think Codilyn and I are sick and we hope that Xander does not get it. Its funny how everytime the kids get together from the ward, everyone gets sick, even the parents. We had a doctors appointment for Xander and he is now 29 inches tall and weighs 20 lbs even with his diaper off (the new nurse took it off, weighed him, and gave him to Codi, all the while we were hoping that he would not pee on the way from the scale to the room). I have been busy with school work, then my bosses boss came in wanting to talk to me, very nervewracking, but oddly enough, very enjoyable. Then, I am working for a company at the state fair and on the first day one lady decided not to show up for work, so I had to cover for her and work my butt of this whole weekend and will have to in the upcoming week. It is a lot of fun, but I will have to say that there needs to be a sign posted at the entrance that states: NOT WEARING BRAS IS PROHIBITED!! I have never seen so many people with missing teeth, missing limbs and missing bras in once place at one time. But oddly enough, they can pay 8 dollars for admission, 30 dollars for one meal, and 150 dollars worth of fragrances, but cant afford a bra that could have the potential of lasting years.

Here are some pictures of Xander first experience with bubbles. He loved them...

Do Elephants Have A Good Memory?

Our good friends the Spikes sent us this and it made me think.

In 1986, Mkele Mbembe was on holiday in Kenya after graduating from Northwestern University. On a hike through the bush, he came across a young bull elephant standing with one leg raised in the air. The elephant seemed distressed, so Mbembe approached it very carefully. He got down on one knee and inspected the elephant's foot and found a large piece of wood deeply embedded in it. As carefully and as gently as he could, Mbembe worked the wood out with his hunting knife, after which the elephant gingerly put down its foot. The elephant turned to face the man, and with a rather curious look on its face, stared at him for several tense moments. Mbembe stood frozen, thinking of nothing else but being trampled. Eventually the elephant trumpeted loudly, turned, and walked away. Mbembe never forgot that elephant or the events of that day.


Twenty years later, Mbembe was walking through the Chicago Zoo with his teen-aged son. As they approached the elephant enclosure, one of the creatures turned and walked over to near where Mbembe and his son Tapu were standing. The large bull elephant stared at Mbembe, lifted its front foot off the ground, then put it down. The elephant did that several times then trumpeted loudly, all the while staring at the man. Remembering the encounter in 1986, Mbembe couldn't help wondering if this was the same elephant. Mbembe summoned up his courage, climbed over the railing and made his way into the enclosure. He walked right up to the elephant and stared back in wonder. The elephant trumpeted again, wrapped its trunk around one of Mbembe's legs and slammed him against the railing, killing him instantly.



Probably wasn't the same elephant.