She Sells Sea Shells . . .

We've spent many FHE's this summer searching for seashells on the Beach. I hope to make this a tradition every summer. It's a lot of fun to find the colored ones and especially the ones that are still whole. Newport had a lot of great whole ones earlier in the summer but towards the end it was mostly just bits and pieces. Balboa had the most colored ones. I've claimed Balboa as my favorite beach close to us. It's just a romantic, fun, cute little beachy atmosphere. I've also seen dolphins there twice.

Enjoy the video of my boys at the bottom.

Balboa


Uncle Chase joined the fun one Monday before heading back to BYU.















Newport

Why does this make me tear up?

WHERE THE WILD THINGS ARE MOVIE TRAILER

- is it the music?

- is it because there is a cute little boy named Max?

- is it because I remember my dad reading the book to me as a child and can still hear him doing the monster voices?

- is it because for the first time, I'm seeing the book from the Mother's point of view?

- is it because I'm looking forward to raising a little boy with a big imagination?


I think it is all of these things! Can't wait to see this movie!

We drove 1000 miles . . .

to visit this beautiful place . . .

Yep, we took Max to visit YELLOWSTONE with his Grandma and Grandpa White and Uncle Chase. We stayed in one of these . . .All of us slept in this camper, it certainly was an adventure with a 5 month old who didn't sleep through the night, but it was fun. Cooking on the Coleman stove, making s'mores, no internet, (unless you walked across the road to the cafe) just good old fashioned fun. It was especially nice that there were hot showers and flushing toilets at our campground.
The day we found out Max was a boy we bought these cute overalls that say "Bear Patrol" on them, but it's just been too hot here in Irvine to wear them this summer. Yellowstone was the perfect place to where them, it was cooler and they had a Bear on them, so they got a lot of use.
hanging out in the camper
Bedtime was especially exciting, this was the first night and I wasn't sure how cold it would get, I actually put Max in a sleep sack, which I'd never done here in So Cal, and put a hat over his ears. He looked like his little glow worm!
Sleeping arrangements in the camper were all part of the adventure! Jared and I slept on that bed he's on, it was the table turned into a bed, I actually found it quite comfy, but I'm not 6'3"!

and what's Yellowstone without a few buffalo? This cute little family crossed the road right in front of us.
Waiting for Old Faithful with Grandma and Grandpa.
Old Faithful in all it's glory.

This is Sam the grizzly bear. We didn't see any bears in the "Wild" although I was watching out the window the whole time thinking a bear was going to come running out from the forest! West Yellowstone has a bear/wolf habitat you can visit. This guy was HUGE!
Daddy, Max, Grizzly Bear

Family shot on a trail to see a waterfall.
Chillin' at the campsite with Uncle Chase.

Yellowstone Museum.
Walking around the hot springs in this cool back pack we borrowed from my friend Michelle, the same awesome Michelle who took those cute pics of Max in the last post, she is a good friend to have!

It was a fun adventure. We definitely won't be taking any long car trips for while, but Max was a trooper and he made the trip exciting for all. Maybe he'll even remember it, and if not, we'll have the pictures! Thanks Grandma and Grandpa White!

A memorable moment:
The picture at the top with Jared and Max was taken at place called "Artist's Point" it was absolutely beautiful with the waterfall, and yellow canyon, just like a painting. We sat down in some shade to take a break, Jared, Max and I, and this maybe-15-yea- old boy was just staring at us. Often people will look at Max and smile and say hi to him but this kid was just staring. I turned my head and smiled back at him but he didn't really acknowledge me. A few minutes later he was gone, but as we were leaving he returned with his mother, she approached us, was really sweet and said "my son thinks your baby is ADORABLE! He came and found me and said 'mom you've got to see this adorable baby!'" It was pretty cute. Later we introduced him to Max and he shook his hand. He was a sweet boy.

Just for my memory's sake:
I hadn't been to Yellowstone since I was about 5, before my little sister Annie was even born. I remembered a few things, Buffalo crossing he street in front of our car. My dad cooking on the Coleman. Sleeping in a cabin. My Brother Joel and my sister Becky whipping their Mosquito bites with a wet washcloth. Waiting for what seemed like FOREVER for Old Faithful, and getting lost from our campground with my brother Paul who was very brave and took care of his little sister and found our way back. It was interesting being back there now, 20 years later, as we walked through West Yellowstone by the gift shops I suddenly remembered that I'd been there before, and that when I was 5 my mom had taken me to a gift shop there and let me pick out a souvenir, I got an Indian doll with a little papoose. Then we were using a bathroom next to some cabins and I honestly remembered the bathroom, the cabins next to it must've been the cabins we stayed in as a girl. Also, as we walked on the boardwalk by the geysers and hot springs I remembered that I'd also done that before as a girl, I remember it seeming like a very long walk as a kid. Fun to have those flashbacks!

Photo Shoot

My sweet friend and neighbor Michelle took some fun photos of Max a few days before he turned 6 months old. These are a few of my favorites. Thanks so much Michelle!








Which one is YOUR favorite?

I don't think you're ready for this jelly . . .

Our big little guy is 6 whole months!
(this deserves a long post with video, don't you think?)

Max turned 6 months on August 26th and had his checkup the next day.

Weight: 21lbs 10oz
Height: 26.5 inches

According to Babycenter.com he's 95th for weight and 50th for height. Doc says he's just off the charts for weight and height is just above average. . I like the saying he's growing out before he grows up! It's crazy how he gained 6 lbs between his 2 and 4 month check-ups but just 2lbs between is 4 and 6 month check-ups, and just 3/4".

Milestones:
- He is sitting up unassisted (see above)! Although I still put a pillow behind him because he occasionally falls backwards. He started doing it the other day when we were sitting on the grass and watching the cars go by (he's fascinated by them)
- He rolls over both ways and now sleeps on his tummy or side most of the night.
- He is eating some solids! Rice Cereal, Oatmeal, Sweet Potatoes and Squash so far. The past couple days he's been better about not grabbing the spoon. although I always keep a second one on hand. We also got him a little high chair that I just love.
- He JUST started saying "da-da" on Monday. Sunday night he was moving his mouth like he was going to say it but with no sound, then Monday it just came out and he's been babbling it every since. Before he would just make loud longs sounds and the occasional raspberry or "ah-guu". It's so fun to watch him figure out how to use his little tongue and lips to make sounds.


Other things I love about 6 month MAX:
-His little hands, whenever he's touching something that he can't pick up he always opens and closes his fingers really fast and scratches it with his fingernails.
- He loves COLD things like soda cans and water bottles. He'd rather play with these than his toys.
- His cute laugh when I tickle his ribs and sometimes his armpits.
- When he wakes up and I go in there he smiles when he hears my voice, even before he sees me.
- When i pick him up in the morning sometimes he puts his head on my shoulder, a morning hug.
- When I'm playing with him on our bed he loves to look out the window and see the leaves on the trees, he loves watching them blow in the breeze. When I lift him up, he'll arch his head just to see them.
- One more cute thing. Last Monday August 24th, I was trying to get him to bed, it was taking longer than usual, and I was trying to rock him on my shoulder, he kept wanting to switch shoulders and was very squirmy but was just kind of talking softly to me, then he opened his mouth wide and put it right on my face! A big wet slobbery kiss for mama! he just sat there with his mouth on my face, and then giggled softly to himself, curled up in my arms, and went to sleep. He just wanted to give me a good-night kiss :).

"da da" and "bless this mess"