My new haircut

Usually after I get my haircut I feel like it looks like this...


I know, I know, it probably doesn't, but I just get a little insecure when I get a new 'do. It just takes me a couple of days to decide if I like it.

When I got my hair done on Monday this is the picture I brought...

When I told her how I wanted my color done she was a little confused when I told her I usually put two shades of blonde and a darker lowlight. She insisted that all she saw was one blonde and one dark. I know she's supposed to be the professional, but I know how my hair was done last time around! So that was a little unsettling and I was a little nervous about what to expect. Here is a picture of the outcome...

The verdict: I like it. The color looks a little yellow to me and it's a bit stripier than I would have liked, but I like the haircut. So all things considered, I think it will 'do just fine!

Happy Birthday to me!

So my birthday was last Sunday (December 7th, Pearl Harbor Day... cuz I'm the bomb). I turned 25 years old, which seems so crazy to me. I never really imagined being 25, but here I am! Andrew had his first final the day before my birthday and 3 more finals this past week so we decided to postpone the bday dinner. We did celebrate some on my actual birthday. Andrew made me eggs and toast and orange juice for breakfast but I didn't even get to eat it because we were running a little late for church. He also made me cupcakes...my favorite, chocolate with rainbow chip frosting. Andrew also gave me my present on Sunday...

He found a salon/spa in the area and set up an appointment for a massage and to get my hair done! This is probably the longest I've ever gone with out getting my hair done, close to 5 months! So on Monday I get to go and be pampered-I am so excited! This could quite possibly be one of the best birthday presents I've ever gotten (except for quints in 1993).

Eleanor also gave me a birthday present I won't ever forget...the night before my bday she was up about every hour and a half. I was like a zombie all day on my birthday. She did make it up to me though, because twice this past week she went to bed around 8:30 and didn't wake up until about 4:30. Awesome, right! I hope this can become a more regular occurrence.

Yesterday we went to Olive Garden for lunch after Andrew finished his last final exam. It turns out they don't serve frozen raspberry lemonade anymore, which was kind of a bummer, but other than that we had a nice little lunch. Eleanor even slept the whole time until the bill came.

Tonight was our ward Christmas party which included a little production about the true meaning of Christmas. Our family played the parts of Joseph, Mary and baby Jesus. I was kind of stressed out trying to figure out what we would wear, but we just draped ourselves in some sheets and wrapped Eleanor in a white blanket. (I forgot my camera so you'll just have to imagine it.) Eleanor did a great job. She was so calm and even fell asleep while we were up on stage, it was perfect timing.

On the lighter side of things, tonight at the ward activity some lady, who by the way claims to be great with kids and offered to babysit anytime (thanks, but no thanks), thought Eleanor was a 5 month old boy...hmmm....nope...I guess the pink onesie didn't give it away. (But to her credit, Eleanor did play baby Jesus, so maybe there was a little confusion.) Also another lady who has really taken a liking to me...asked if she could be Eleanor's godmother. I said, "Sure, but I'm not really sure how that works." Boy was she excited!

Eleanor seems to be the star of our blog these days so I guess I'll close with some pictures of her cute little face. Be prepared, there are a ton of pics, it is so hard to just choose a couple :)

Oh, the many faces of Eleanor!

I'm cute...

I'm scared...

I'm bored...

Are you done yet?...

I'm shy...

What's up?...

Yay, no more bow on my head...

I'm still cute...

Thanksgiving and a baby blessing

Well we had our first Thanksgiving as a little family. My dad and Andrew's parents both got into town on Thanksgiving night so I decided I'd make a little feast. We got a turkey from Boston Market and I made all the sides. We had green bean casserole, sweet potato crunch, stuffing, mashed potatoes, lemon meringue pie, and chocolate pie. It was kind of fun to cook it all and feel like a little homemaker. I still have no idea how to make a turkey, so maybe I can give that a try next year.

I came across this picture and just wanted to give a shout out to one more thing I'm thankful for this Thanksgiving...that I'm not pregnant anymore :) This picture was taken 3 or 4 days before Eleanor got here (me at about 41 weeks, not too pleasant!)

We took my dad and Andrew's parents up to Kirtland to see some church history sites and they really enjoyed it. We went the day after Thanksgiving and I guess every year they light up their Christmas lights and have a bunch of nativity scenes. I think we might make this a tradition to go up there for this occasion while we live close. It was pretty chilly and we weren't really dressed warm enough to stay outside for very long, so next time we'll go more prepared.

Andrew's parents brought Eleanor a little pink Duke shirt since they are such big Duke fans.


On Saturday Andrew took everyone on a tour of his school. They also really enjoyed this. My dad saw a Duke sweatshirt in a clothing donation bin on campus so he thought he'd join the club and pose for a picture.

On Sunday we had the opportunity to bless little Eleanor while we had some family in town. Andrew was a little nervous, but he did a great job. I'm very grateful that we have the priesthood in our home. It was such a special experience to hear the blessings our Heavenly Father has in store for Eleanor! We are so happy to have her in our family!

Here are some pictures from Eleanor's big day...

One Month Old!

Today we went in for Eleanor's one month check-up. She weighs 10.8 pounds (85th percentile) and she is 23 inches long (80th percentile) and I can't remember what her head is, but it's in the 50th percentile. She is changing so much every day.

Here are some more pictures from this week. I'm still not sure who she looks like...what do you think?












I feel so thankful for her everyday. I am thankful that I get to be a mom and that I have a healthy, happy, little baby. Looking back, I am also grateful for a healthy pregnancy (minus the kidney stone, which by the way was was actually more painful than giving birth) and an easy delivery!

We sure do love our little girl and think she is so cute and so sweet!

3 Weeks old!

So our little munchkin is now 3 weeks old. She is changing so much every day. She's losing some of her hair and it seems to be getting lighter. She's also getting bigger every day...her size 3 month onesies are getting a little snug. I'm curious to see which outfits she fits in, but she tends to get a little frustrated when it's time to get dressed. I guess she's not interested in providing a fashion show for me.

Here's a look at what she's been up to...

She got a new bouncy seat that vibrates. I read somewhere that these help babies with gassiness, a problem that our little Eleanor has. She also takes pretty good naps in this little seat. When she starts to squirm (which would usually wake her up if in her crib) it just bounces her right back to sleep. Woohoo!

She's getting better at using her pacifier-

Sometimes she takes naps in her swing-

She like to do tummy time with dad (notice the milk mustache/beard/goatee)-

The real reason she weighs over 10 pounds-

Don't worry though, she's been working out...doing some leg lifts and bicep curls-

And last but not least, just being really cute-