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.

And Daddy Was His Name-O

So Xander officially uttered his first word yesterday, oh should I say words. He now says Dada and Dad. It is very clear and I was so excited. I just got lucky that his first sounds were d sounds and not m sounds.

There's always a first time....

So I have decided to get over my silly fear of blogging and give it a try! If however something happens to our computer or our webpage is mysteriously out of commision for some time I will deny ever even touching the computer whatsoever. Anyhow, now for the reason I have decided to make a blog.... I recently came to the sad realization that my "baby" is no longer a baby anymore. It happened while I was holding little Cole, and had Xander standing next to me on the sofa. As I took a few quick back and forth looks from one to the other, I realized just how quickly time is really passing by with my little guy. So in light of my AHA! moment I decided to put together a little picture tribute to my "little" one and come to the realization that (no matter how much I wish it weren't true) sooner than latter he will be my little MAN.

P.S. This is Zach now and I just realized that Codi said she had " an AHA moment." Someone has been watching a little too much Oprah, aka, Satan in the flesh. Give me an Oprah hug.