Yay!

The presents are all bought, wrapped, delivered, mailed, or under the tree!
I've been basically done with my Christmas shopping since the day after Thanksgiving, other than a few odds and ends, but if feels SO good to have them all wrapped and ready to load up in the car this weekend! I'm so excited for Christmas this year! As I was wrapping last night I realized I'm WAY more excited about what everyone else is getting than anticipating what I'm getting. The older I get, and especially since I've had a kid, Christmas becomes less and less about my own gifts and more about others and especially about Christ. I love it more and more every year!

Um...What are you doing?

On Sunday night after Josh had gotten tired of "helping" me make dinner, he got off his chair and went into the living room. When I heard him dump his basket of toys out on the floor I figured he was just sitting there playing with them. However, when I went to check on him a couple minutes later I found that he had dumped his toys out, but he wasn't playing with them, he was taking the Christmas tree ornaments off the tree and filling his toy basket up with them. I thought it was funny and had to take a picture. I love the look on his face. It's like a "I'm pretty sure I'm in trouble, but she's laughing and taking a picture. What's going to happen next?"

Brrrr

The other night when Josh and I got home from running to the store, it was snowing. I got him out of his seat and told him to go in the house while I grabbed the groceries, but of course he went right out in the snow. It was really one of the first times he's been out in it this year, and he was excited! He was being really cute so I grabbed my camera, but was only able to get a couple pictures before Josh started shivering and we had to go in. We weren't really dressed to play in the snow. I'm hoping that while we're gone over Christmas that it'll snow a lot here and we'll be able to come home and go sledding! I've been dieing to go! Well, I don't think I'll actually be doing any sledding myself this year, but I'm really excited to take Josh. He's going to love it!

I love when he puts his hands in his pockets!

Smile!

When I ask Josh to smile for the camera, I never know which one of these beauties I'm going get.

But it's a good possibility that I'll get one with his eyes closed.
He's such a goof-ball!

Two!

I can't believe our little man is already 2!

Everyday I have at least 3 or 4 moments where I just sit there and think, how did I get so lucky to have this kid in my life!? He is amazing, and the light of my life for sure!
Lately he seems to grow up more and more everyday. The thing that is making him seem so grown up to me recently is his ability to communicate. We talk ALL day long! It's not a bad thing, the opposite really, but he never stops talking or singing! I love it. It keeps me entertained. Being able to talk has made him seem even more like my best friend. He's my little buddy.
The stage he is in now is by far my favorite! It's so fun to have a kid who not only does funny things, but says funny things. He keeps me laughing all day long. I am also loving to watch him learn new things. If you know Josh at all, you know he is an active child, to say the least. Up until this point it has been my trial, but now that I am able to reason with him and he is responding to discipline, him being active is my favorite quality. He plays so well, and is incredibly smart. I love explaining how something works to him and just watching the little wheels turn in his head as he's making sense of what I just said. Then sure enough, 2 minutes later, he's explaining it back to me!
A little over a month ago I realized it was time to start disciplining :/ I realized it was time when we were in Target one day, and he was completely out of control. He wouldn't sit or stand in the cart, wouldn't listen to me when I told him no, and wouldn't stay next to me if I let him down. The whole time he was crying and yelling, making a huge scene every time I would put him back in the cart or grab him as he was running away. I didn't handle it right because it caught me so off guard and had me totally flustered in a matter of minutes. So I left the store as soon as I could and I just sat in the car and cried. I felt like I had lost control and that there was no hope for him, he was just going to be one of those out of control kids that everyone looks at and thinks, what is wrong with his mom, why can't she control him? I'm sure there were people thinking that in Target that day. But Anyway! That is the day I realized it was time. I hadn't done it much before then because I didn't feel like he understood enough yet. Since then I've started time-out and I've had spanked a few times. He responds SO well to time-out, I'm so glad! I've only had to do it a couple of times and ever since all I have to do is say something like, "Josh you can either eat your bites or go sit in time-out." And he'll just look at me with a panic look and say, "no time-out." Then he'll sit there and eat his food. He's SO good in church now (never thought I'd say that), and shopping is getting easier. Not that he was awful before, but all the way around, he's a much better mannered child than he was a month ago. We're working on it more and more each day, and hopefully he'll turn out okay in the end. I definitely don't feel hopeless anymore!
The joys of being a first time mom. We learn as we go, I guess.

At 2:

• Josh is still obsessed with tractors and firetrucks
• Loves to read books
  
• He talks a lot and understands everything we say
  
• Goes to bed at 8:30 and wakes up at 8
• Still takes a 3 hour nap from noon-three
  
• Isn't into watching TV but will sit still for a few minutes to watch certain movies.
• Is the best traveler. Doesn't make a peep the entire 8 hr drive to S. Utah.
• Is such a good eater! Some meals he'll eat as much as Beau and I.
  
• Still drinks a cup of soy milk before his nap and bed time, but we are cutting that out this week getting ready to potty train next month.
  
• Has a binki when he sleeps. Not really sure what we're going to do about that.
  
• LOVES his blanket!
• Will repeat everything and do anything his dad tells him to. Including licking me when I'm not paying attention!
  
• Loves rocking in the rocking-chair
• Is a huge tease
  
• Loves the snow! And thinks he needs to touch it every time he sees it ("touch mom, touch").
• Just started singing. Sings random songs. I have no clue what they are but he sure does.
• Loves to help in the kitchen. Every time I even step in the kitchen, he comes running saying "help help help" then pushes his chair up to counter. I think the count of dropped eggs in up to 4.
• Is totally content just following me around all day as long as I'm explaining whatever I'm doing in detail, and letting him help whenever possible.
• Loves to paint, but will only color for 10 minutes at a time
  
• Loves tools
• Thinks getting his hair cut is quite possibly the worst thing in the world. Not because he's scared of the buzzers, but because the cut hair lands on him and he can't brush it off fast enough. It's like a cat being thrown into water! He freaks!
  
• Loves to jump, just to jump. And he's good at it!
• We have to sing Jesus Wants me for a Sunbeam every night before bed.
  
• Loves his bath time
  
• Weighs 25 lbs
• Wears size 24 month clothes
• Size 7 Shoes

Today Josh was explaining to me how Dad was downstairs working and that Mom was upstairs working, and I told him that I didn't have to work, I just got to play all day with the cutest little boy in the world. And it's true. I am so lucky and grateful to be his mom. He is my whole world, and I can't think of anything else I'd rather do than be with him.

Thanksgiving!

This year for Thanksgiving we celebrated with my family. I was so excited because, of course I love being with my family, but also because it was the first time since we've been married that we've gone to my parents house for Thanksgiving. We have spent it with Beau's family every year except the one year we stayed up here in Idaho because I was due with Joshua 3 days after Thanksgiving. Don't get me wrong, Thanksgiving with the Davis' is great, but I was really missing it with my family and this year was especially awesome because everyone was there! Even Jonathan, Lauren and Jeff came! It was tons of fun!

Because of the amount of people coming, and because it's southern Nevada and we can, we planned on eating dinner outside. But the weather ended up being a little too cold for some so my dad had the idea of putting up big wall tents with heaters in the backyard. It was awesome! I think everyone loved it. It made it really comfortable and something different that we'll always remember. I personally think it should be a new tradition. Definitely one of the best Thanksgivings ever!

The grand kids (all wearing matching outfits), played and played all morning outside. It's so fun to watch them play together. They are all such good friends. It's really cute.

The tents!

Inside was nice and cozy with the heaters.

After dinner we started making our game plan for Black Friday shopping!

At 10:30 p.m. Tia, Tara, Crissy Woods and I headed up to St. George to do some serious Black Friday shopping. We had plans to start shopping at the Zion Outlet Mall at midnight but once we got into town we called Tasha and found out she was already in line at Target because she drove by to check it out and the line was already getting long. So she hopped in to save us a spot! This was at midnight u.t.! We decided to run into a couple shops in the outlet mall just because, but it was pretty lame so we went over to Target and met up with Tasha and Andrea to wait until 4 a.m. when the store opened. Jonathan and Lauren, who had already hit Walmart, came to sit in line with us as well. This year seemed to go tons faster than last year. I really feel like we only sat there for an hour, but it was actually 3. We had a serious game plan, so once the doors were opened we were in and out in 35 minutes. And everyone in our group got everything they came for. It was so much fun this year! Tara, Tahsa and I did it by ourselves last year, but I'm pretty sure we converted everyone else. Jonathan was a big fan! haha...
We ended up hitting one store after another, until 9:30 and then headed over to Taleesa's house to take quick naps before we met up with my mom for the craft fair and lunch. Although it was seriously so much fun, I wont lie, it KILLED this pregnant girl! I couldn't walk by about 7 a.m. and it took me 4 days before I felt like I was back to myself again from the lack of sleep. I think the next time I'm pregnant on Black Friday, I'll be throwing in the towel a little earlier. All-in-all though, an amazing weekend!

Trip to the Fire Station

Lately Josh has been completely fascinated with firetrucks! He loves them! Everything with lights on top is considered a firetruck and he lets you know when he sees one. His siren noise goes on and on. It makes me laugh every time. So while we were home last week we went to visit uncle Shawn at work. He showed Josh and Anni all around, and they were loving it. Josh was seriously in heaven. I thought he'd be shy, but as soon as Shawn opened the door to the garage, Josh gasped and started running for the nearest firetruck. Shawn opened the garage doors and had us go outside so he could turn on the sirens. Josh didn't know what to think at first but as soon as they were off he wouldn't stop telling me about how loud they were. It was so fun to see him so excited. Thanks Shawn for showing us around.

Cute little Anni pants. I love this girl.

This is what Josh did when the sirens were on.

So excited!

Grandma Ott's Funeral

Grandma Ott passed away the week before Thanksgiving so we went down early so we could go to her funeral. It was a very sweet day. The day she passed away we were all so happy for her to be out of pain and even more happy for her and Grandpa to be together again.

Decorating the Tree

This year putting up our Christmas tree was SO much fun! It was the first year Josh sort of understood what was going on and loved helping. It was so cute watching him and Beau decorate it together. It turned out great and surprisingly has stayed relatively untouched since.

Sa.weet!

The coolest thing happened the other day! I was sitting down making a list of baby boy names because I realized we really are going to have to name this kid I'm growing, and I got distracted by baby girl names. I wrote down a couple of my top girl names, and decided that my number one favorite girls name right now is Evelyn. I don't know why, but I'm totally in love with that name! Later that day we were driving somewhere and names came up, so I told Beau how much I love the name Evelyn and how if we ever have a girl I really want to name her that. Then Beau looks over at me with this Duh look on his face and says, You know that's my Grandma Davis' name right? NO! I didn't know that! I thought her name was Lynn. That makes me love the name even more. It will have more meaning.

Too bad something like that can't happen with a boys name! We're having the hardest time coming up with a name for this little bean! Like we can't agree on even one name...

Any ideas?

Day 24

Where I live:

Okay. You're going to have to cut me some slack here. I know my house is unbelievably bare/boring right now, but we only moved in 6 weeks ago, and I haven't wanted to decorate just to take it all down and put Christmas up. I started putting Christmas up last night, but only got as far as setting the tree up. We didn't even decorate it because we're having light issues. SO.... maybe I'll decorate after Christmas. Until then, have a good time looking at my naked house.

The HouseView as you come in the front door. There is a formal living room to the right, but it's empty at the moment.

Family Room

Kitchen

From the fire place looking upstairs.

From our room looking into our bathroom and closet.

Laundry Room

Down stairs half bath

View from the top of the stairs looking into the bathroom. The closed door is Josh's room. No picture of his room because he's sleeping. The two other rooms are off to the left of the bathroom.

Upstairs bathroom. I really like the way this one is set up. The shower and toilet are in a separate room and there are two vanities across from each other. It's a perfect way to have the 3 kids rooms share one bathroom. I'll have to remember this the next time we build.

Play room/ future nursery, whenever we decide to take Josh out of the crib it'll go in here for the new baby. Until then it's a play room that usually looks like a bomb went off in it. I LOVE having a play room. Josh's room stays so clean, there's not toys all over the rest of the house, and I can just shut the door to this room and pretend the mess isn't even there. The guestroom may be converted into a playroom when the baby comes...we'll see.

Guest bedroom/craft room

View from the upstairs looking down. And yes, that is our flat-screen TV on the ground. It's a long story...
I left out pictures of the basement. It's unfinished, so basically it's a huge storage room. I love having it though. Now that it's freezing outside Josh plays and rides his car down, and there is tons of room for all my crap/important belongings :)