Santa!

In Bryan's parent's neighborhood there is a house that does Santa every year. We have been meaning to take Ryan to the mall to get a photo with Santa, but we drove by this house the other night when we were looking at lights, and they had a sign that said they took donations for the pictures, and the donations went to support a local nonprofit. We thought that sounded better than dealing with the crowds and lines at the mall, so tonight we stopped by (Santa only comes by on Sundays).

These people have a really nice courtyard in front of their house where Santa hangs out and while you're waiting for your pictures to print, they have hot cocoa and cookies. Oh, and when you walk up to where Santa is sitting, they make it snow. I think the snow was actually soap suds, but it looked pretty real.

In any case, it was a fun activity and we got a great picture of Ryan with Santa!

Mesa Temple Lights

Ryan is at a stage where he LOVES anything that moves or lights up, so we thought he would enjoy the Christmas lights at the Mesa Temple. The evening wasn't too chilly and we had a great time walking around and looking at all of the lights and feeling the Spirit that is always present on the temple grounds.

Apparently the whole exxperience was exhausting for Ryan, as evidenced by the photo below, taken at dinner following the lights:

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It's Beginning to Look a lot Like Christmas

We are enjoying the Christmas season in a whole new way now that we're seeing it through the eyes of our little one. Ryan loves the lights on the Christmas tree, and the cool train that Daddy got to run around the tree. We hope you are all having a great holiday season as well!

Sushi? Sushi!

So that pretty much sums up my change of heart regarding sushi. I have always been a bit leery of the whole concept of eating raw fish. I am a texture person, and most of the foods that I don't like have earned that designation because of their texture, not because of their taste.

Anyway, Bryan's brother and his girlfriend invited us to join them for sushi last night, and we figured it was time that we at least tried it. There were 6 of us, and since Gary was the sushi veteran, we let him order for all of us. Gary is the kind of person who isn't going to do anything part way, so it wasn't wimpy California Rolls for us!

I was surprisingly fond of the shashimi--particularly the yellow tail, and also the salmon. The seared ahi was delicious and we had a variety of amazing rolls as well--most of which included raw rather than cooked fish. The only thing I tried that I didn't like was the sea bass--the texture on that one didn't do it for me. But otherwise, I loved everything and am ready to go back!

Getting Ready for Christmas

As I mentioned before, this past weekend we put up our Christmas tree. The most fun part was helping Ryan put his first ornaments on the tree. My mom bought him two really cute Baby's First Christmas ornaments, so of course I had to capture these fun moments. Christmas is a whole different experience with a baby in the house, and I am loving it!

 
 

So Much to be Thankful For

With cousins Zack and Maddie at the cabin

Cousins Emma and Lucy think I am pretty cute

Me with Uncle Keate

Thanksgiving day with Grandma...finally I know where my blue eyes came from!

We had a wonderful Thanksgiving holiday. The weekend before we went up to the cabin with all of Bryan's family, including his sisters and their families that live out of state. We had a fun time and Ryan enjoyed meeting all of his aunts and uncles and cousins.

We spent Thanksgiving Day at Bryan's brother Troy's house. Troy and his wife Teri prepared an absolutely phenomenal meal--scallops wrapped in bacon for an appetizer, turkey that had been soaked in a brine solution, served with pomegranate sauce, wild rice and churizo stuffing, a fantastic sweet potato casserole with banana (and I don't even LIKE bananas!) and many other yummy treats. Initially I had been somewhat of a naysayer, because I am all about tradition when it comes to holiday meals. But I have to say, it was the best Turkey Day meal I have ever had!

The rest of the weekend we did the usual preparations for Christmas. Bryan put up the outside Christmas lights and we set up and decorated the Christmas tree.

Oh yeah, and we bought a new car. Yes folks, I have one child and I now drive a Suburban. Go figure. Actually we put a lot of thought into the purchase, and it really does make a lot of sense for us. It was a sad day to trade in the Lexus, but I dig the new ride, and Ryan is enjoying the fact that his Big Boy car seat can fully recline in the Suburban.

46 Days Until Christmas?

Yep, that's right, I received an email this morning reminding me that there's only 46 days left until Christmas. That's a little hard to fathom especially since it still feels like summer here...yesterday it was 92 degrees!

Anyway, with the arrival of Ryan this year, I am much more excited about Christmas than usual. Even though I've never been a last minute shopper, I'm feeling more on top of things than normal. All the gifts for our parents and grandparents have been ordered, our Christmas cards are on their way, ornaments have been purchased and Ryan's stocking is already here just waiting to be filled. We already have a bunch of little things for Ryan and just need to pick up his big thing. I do need to figure out what I'm doing for Bryan, but other than that, I'm feeling pretty ready for the holidays...

Ryan Update

So today was Ryan's 4 month check up. He now weighs 13 pounds, 14 ounces and is 26 inches long. For weight he is in the 40th percentile and for length he is in the 82nd percentile. I can't believe he's grown 6 1/2 inches already. We've actually had to pack up some of his size 6 months clothes already because his body is so long. Hopefully he gets his Daddy's height and somehow Bryan's and my weight cancel each other out and he'll end up a lean, mean machine.

Here he is showing off his Sesame Street Band-Aids from his shots, poor baby.

Happy Halloween!

Ryan Update

I know it's shocking to find a post about Ryan, but anyway, here goes...

This morning I laid Ryan down on a blanket on the living room floor while I made breakfast. I do that pretty much every day, but when I went to pick him up a little while later, he had scooted his way completely off of the blanket! Pretty impressive since he was on his back!

Usually I leave him on the middle of our bed every day when I shower, and today when I did he turned himself around 90 degrees and moved about halfway toward the edge of the bed. So from now on I won't be doing that!

From the very first time we took Ryan to his doctor when he was just a few days old, the doctor said, "Start childproofing your house now." All we've done so far in that category is buy cabinet locks and electrical outlet covers, but I'm thinking we'll start installing some of those this coming weekend. Not that he'll be crawling tomorrow, but it'll be here before we know it!

Ryan's Blessing

This past weekend was Ryan's blessing. I have to say, the moment you realize that you are married to a man who worthily holds the priesthood and is able to bless your healthy, happy little boy is pretty amazing.

My mom came for a visit to coincide with his blessing, and it was really special to me that she was there.

We took tons of pictures, but none of just Ryan. Boo. In any case, here's one of the better ones...

Isn't He Cute??

This is Bryan's and my new favorite picture of Ryan. We took this at the airport on our way back home from San Diego when Bryan decided to let Ryan borrow his hat.

Ryan's First Trip to California

On the airplane

With my two favorite people

Ryan's first viewing of the ocean

Walking along San Diego harbor

In the Polar Bear cave at Sea World

This past weekend we took Ryan to San Diego for a little getaway. He was an awesome little traveler and we all had a great time. It seems like when we're at home, there's always something to do, either around the house or for the business or for our callings. So when we get out of town, it's like being in a different world. We had a fabulous time taking in the perfect weather, great food and fun shopping. Bryan even bought Ryan his first kite!

You Know You're a Mom when:

~You develop an involuntary reflex to immediately check on your baby anytime you wake up in the middle of the night
~You have more fun shopping at Babies R Us than at Banana Republic
~Your "purse" consists of your wallet, cell phone, keys and a tube of lipstick tossed into the diaper bag
~You get more excited about a $7 formula coupon than you do about Bonus Time at the Clinique counter
~The only time spit up on your shoulder warrants changing shirts is if you are going out of the house
~You finally understand why your husband thinks your next car should be a Suburban, and you agree
~You have Baby Einstein Lullaby Classics on your iPod so that when you travel, your little one's bedtime routine can remain consistent

My Angel Child

So at 9 weeks and 5 days, Ryan slept through the night! Woo hoo! Last night we put him down at 11:00 p.m. (his usual bedtime) and he didn't wake up until 6:30 a.m. Around 4:30 I heard him fussing a little on the monitor, but I just waited a minute and it passed. This past weekend at the cabin he also did well, but not this well.

Needless to say, Mama is elated. I know, I know--there's no way we'll get another baby that's this easy, but I'm sure enjoying it while it lasts!

YAY RYAN!

Ryan's First Road Trip

We decided to take advantage of the Labor Day weekend and head up to Bryan's parents cabin in Show Low this past Saturday. We haven't had a chance to get out of the Valley all summer, and I was anxious to get somewhere a little cooler.

It turns out that Ryan is an awesome little traveler. He didn't seem to mind the long car ride, the different environment, sleeping in a new bed or being passed around between Grandma, Grandpa and Sabrina.

The one eye-opener we did experience was in regards to the amount of gear necessary to travel with a little one. We actually had to borrow Bryan's mom's Tahoe in order to get the three of us, Jackson, Bryan's golf clubs and all of our other stuff up there. As much as I love my Lexus, there is no way it's going to suffice once Ryan gets a little brother or sister.

The weather was absolutely incredible--it didn't get above 82 degrees, and we were able to keep the windows open the entire time we were there. When we left Monday morning, it was 77 degrees. By the time we got home it was 107. Oh well, it was great while it lasted...

Ryan's Nursery

I realized I never posted any photos of Ryan's nursery. I have to say, I think it's the best looking room in the house. It was a group effort--Bryan's dad laid the hardwood floor; Bryan painted the room, installed the new base boards, closet organizer and blinds, and put together all of the furniture; my mom painted the cute mural on the wall; and Bryan's mom made the curtains and the coverings for the closet.

(For some reason I can't get that last picture to post vertical instead of horizontal. Boo.)

It's Official...I'm 30!

So I have to say that my 30th birthday was a bit of a mixed bag, but mostly it was good. My best friend Christine and her little girl came out to visit which was awesome. On my actual birthday Bryan, Christine, Ryan, Kylee and I all went out to my favorite Mexican restaurant. Then on Saturday Bryan took me to an amazing restaurant in Phoenix. It was our first time leaving Ryan, and of course I was bawling as we walked out to the car, but we survived. Ryan enjoyed his time with Auntie Christine and Bryan and I enjoyed some time alone...

Things I Won't Miss About My 20's

I can't believe I'm going to be 30 in two days...I have a philosophy that my 30's are going to be infinitely better than my 20's and honestly, my 20's weren't too shabby. But here are some things I won't miss:

1. Dating. Ugh.
2. Entry level salaries.
3. Feeling like I always have to prove myself.
4. Credit card bills.
5. Being unsettled and knowing that another move is always imminent.
6. Trying to be cool, whatever that means.

I'm sure there are more things, but that's all that comes to mind right now...

Faster than the Speed of Life

I can't believe how fast Ryan is growing. It honestly seems like just last week that Bryan and I were in the hospital, anxiously awaiting Baby Ryan's arrival. Yesterday I started putting him in size 1 diapers (as opposed to newborn) and it really made me sad. I feel like I'm going to wake up tomorrow and he's going to be 10 years old.

I remember being a kid and counting down to "when I got older." I couldn't wait to be old enough to wear makeup, date, drive, graduate high school, etc. Now I wish time would just slow down a little bit. I'm glad I get to stay home with Ryan, because I can't imagine how much worse the whole time issue wouuld seem if I only had a few hours with him each day...

It's all About Ryan

So Ryan is pretty much the man in charge these days. He is such a good baby, and now that he's awake and alert more, we're having a ton of fun with him. Here are a few recent photos...

Ryan's favorite pastime...sleeping!

Happy 1 month Birthday to Ryan!

Relaxing in his favorite chair

I Love Being a Mom...

So I have to be honest...I knew I was ready to have kids, but I wasn't sure how well I would embrace the Mommy role. But I can now officially say it is the greatest thing in the world.

Ryan is an amazing baby. He's really good, and we've actually gotten into a descent routine. He loves to sleep, but now wakes up on his own (most of the time) to eat. We usually go to bed around 1:30 or 2:00 a.m., and then he'll sleep for 4 hours straight, which is wonderful. He's starting to spend more time awake and alert, which is really fun. He has these beautiful, sparkling blue eyes and when he's awake, all I want to do is look at him.

I love our little family and couldn't be happier. Ryan is truly our little angel...

I thought I'd share some new photos of Baby Ryan, since he is changing so much every single day.

We are all doing well, just tired. Ryan is a sleeper, but he lost more than 10% of his initial body weight so we've been on a feeding schedule of every 2 hours since last Thursday. Needless to say, it's a bit taxing, but well worth it.

We are loving parenthood and the joy that comes with being a family. Bryan has completely taken to the role of Daddy and I couldn't ask for a better partner in figuring out this fun new adventure...

Photos of Ryan

Here are a few...there will be plenty more to come, because these give you absolutely no idea just how cute little Ryan really is...

Proud Daddy right after Ryan's birth

Ryan at the end of his first day...he's a big sleeper!
...and baby makes three...

Ryan is Here!

Ryan Taft Colby made his debut on July 1 at 2:47 a.m. He weighed 7 pounds, 6 ounces and was 19 1/2 inches long.

He is an amazing baby and we are so excited to call him our own. I will post pictures as soon as I get them moved onto my computer. He is absolutely adorable.

Labor was not nearly as bad as I anticipated until the very end. After 25 hours, including 3 hours of pushing, the prize was more than worth the effort.

We're still trying to get everything figured out, but as soon as I have some time I will post more details.

Bryan Getting Some Practice

Doesn't he look like a natural? This is Mr. Daddy-to-be with my best friend's daughter Kylee when they were in town for my baby shower...

Ryan's Baby Shower

This was actually the second baby shower for Ryan, but it was the one I actually knew something about! My friend Susan organized the whole thing and it was perfect. Four of my friends from California came down and it was great to get to spend some time with them.

I've always said that I am truly blessed with the friends that I have. Over the years we have all made many treks to attend each others significant life events--bridal showers, weddings, baby showers, you name it. I feel really lucky to have such wonderful people in my life.

Bryan played the part of Host while everyone was here, getting up and cooking us huge, delicious breakfasts, grilling incredible dinners and generally putting up with the estrogen increase when there were suddenly 7 women in the house (my mom and Christine's baby were here, too).

Overall it was a great time. But I do have to say that I really miss all of my California girls...