Our Holiday Happenings

I can't believe that December is almost over and that our little one has been with us for 5 weeks already! I figured that before I post about New Years I better get Christmas up so that I do not fall too far behind. We started off our Christmas fun by meeting Blake and Liz up at the temple to look at the lights on the 20th, and as luck would have it we both forgot our cameras so the picture we did get was taken on our phones. The lights were beautiful and the temple was packed...it is great to see so many people there celebrating the true meaning of the season. The next day we took Bailey to church for the 1st time so that we could see the Christmas Program, and I have to say that her dress was pretty darn cute! Later that night we had Blake and Liz over for Sunday dinner (sorry we missed you Kevin and Melissa), cookie decorating, and the annual Clinton Christmas tradition of watching The Christmas Story. This year is The Christmas Story's 25th anniversary and my parents got Clinton a gift that included the movie, a Christmas Story apron, cookbook, and cookie cutters. We didn't quite get all of the cookies frosted, but the ones that did were pieces of art! Then it was off to Long Beach for Christmas.

Me and my bundle of joy enjoying the Temple Lights

1st Sunday at Church and looking like an angel

Our Christmas Story Cookie Extravaganza

On Christmas Eve we opened our traditional Christmas PJ's, sorry the pictures don't have us in the pajamas, I'm not very good at capturing every moment yet! Christmas morning was very fun watching our niece and nephew open and play with their gifts, it is so great seeing Christmas through their eyes and I can't wait for Bailey to be big enough to enjoy it too. The day after Christmas Brent and Sandi rented electric Duffy Boats that we took around Sunset Harbor to look at all the Christmas lights. It was a lot of fun and the lights were pretty amazing. Clint got to drive our boat which I know he enjoyed, and after watching the boat almost get taken out by a much bigger yacht I actually felt somewhat safe!!

We ended out the weekend by attending Church to be a part of Rylan's baby blessing. This was our first time meeting the not so little guy and he is adorable. He and Bailey may have weighed the same at birth, but Rylan is chunking up and I guess our Bailey is working on her girlish figure already! Donovan did a great job with the blessing and I am so glad that we got to be there to celebrate with them. After the blessing we ate and visited with family and then it was time to head home to AZ. All in all it was a great trip and a great Christmas, thanks again Brent and Sandi!!

Three weeks ago today!

Bailey is 3 weeks today and we are slowing starting to ease into a schedule, a schedule that changes almost daily, but we are working on it. She is a good sleeper (which hopefully will last), totally mellow and alert when she is awake, and a crazy girl when it comes time to eat. She goes from 0 to 60 in no time and her arms become weapons as I try to nurse her. We have nicknamed her Bailey, the Barracuda and we will continue to work on it! I really can't complain though, she is a great baby and has given us the best and craziest 3 weeks of our lives...Happy 3 weeks Bailey!


Ready to shop with mom and grandma (when my mom was still in town)




Smiling for the camera




Tired of tummy time!

Two Weeks Today...Oh how time flies

Bailey is two weeks old today and I can't believe how much she has changed already! Last Tuesday we had a photographer come to the house to take pictures of our little girl (only 5 days old at the time) and they turned out great. Bailey did great for her first "real" photo shoot, she slept through most of it, opened her eyes for a few, and screamed a little when we put her in a cold room in just her diaper. She was a trooper and we have some great shots to prove it...Baby Gap here we come! I will post a few of them on the blog, but we are most likely going to use some of them for our Christmas cards so I can't put them all on display just yet.

Other then getting the pictures taken and heading off the the doctors office for her check-up we haven't done a whole lot around here. Trying to plan life in three hour blocks to work around feedings is a little difficult, but according to all my friends with kids it will get better in a few weeks so I will just hold out a little longer. Clinton went back to work on Monday and I dropped my mom of at the airport this morning so today was our first official 1/2 day on our own. Things are going well, but I will say that it sure was nice having other people around. Tomorrow is a new day, and Bailey and I will begin our adventure together of trying to figure this thing called parenting out (wish us luck)!

*Thanks to my MOM*

Nobody can even begin to prepare you for how your life will change after having a baby. I was prepared for labor and in control of what went on there, but once this little person was in my arms I quickly realized that I was not in control anymore. What do I know about being a mom? Thankfully I had my mom here for the last two week to remind me (usually in the midst of a break down) that I know enough and the rest will come in time. I am so greatful to be a mother, and I am equally greatful to have a mom who knows me the way I can only hope that I will know and understand Bailey one day. So thank you mom for everything you did these last two weeks and for teaching me (my whole life) how to be a great mom! I found this quote and used it to tell my mom we were expecting and I now know how true it really is...Mothers and Daughters become closet when Daughters become Mothers. I love you MOM!

Home Sweet Home

We got to bring our little turkey home on Thanksgiving Day, and that along with the fact that everyone is healthy and doing well is something we are very thankful for! We have had Bailey for 4 days and she already looks so different so we wanted to put up a few more pictures for everyone to see. It has been nice being back at the house and so nice that we have my parents here to help us. Sleeping, pooping, eating, and crying is pretty much her life at this point and ours is trying to figure out all of that while still trying to get rest and stay sane (maybe that is more for me then Clint though). I could seriously just sit and stare at her for hours and can't believe how much I love her already. I am so thankful that Bailey is part of our family, and I am so thankful to be her mommy!

Ready for the ride home


Sleepy little girl


Wide awake and checking things out


Love those chubby cheeks

She's here!!

Introducing

Bailey Holloway

She made her debut this morning (11/26) at 3:21am
Weighing 9lbs 1 oz

and 21 inches long

Mom and Bailey are doing great, and Dad couldn't

be more proud of his girls!

Little Ute in the Making!

Obviously, as you can see the baby has still not come yet. I have decided that her and Donovan's kid are up there saying, "You go first," No, you go first," little does she know that all she has to do is pull out the old "I Triple Dog Dare You" and Donovan's boy would be here, but for now we will all wait! My parents flew in from Washington late Friday night in hopes of holding their granddaughter when they arrived, but she has other plans I guess. So in the meantime while we all wait I decided that it is never to early to let your children know where theirs alliance in college football teams should lie. It was rival week in college football and yesterday the undefeated Utah Utes faced the team from down south known to most as the Y. Yes, I do realize that I did not graduate from the U, but I did go there for a few years and my dad is an alumni...what can I say there is crimson in the blood. Kiara, a friend from our ward, let us come over to watch the game even though they are die hard BYU fans (thanks again). We had a great time and for those who watched you would agree that it was a great game! The Utes completed their season 12-0, ending with the huge win over the Y with a score of 48-24. What a great season to be a Ute, and I was glad that I was able to have others here to cheer with me. Now that all that the game is done and my parents are here I think it would be alright for our Little Ute to come out, but we will see. Hopefully she will be our next posting, but until then GO UTES!

Me and my Dad sporting the Utah gear!

(I had to borrow one of his, cause mine don't fit very well right now!)

Yes, this is how we really feel!

A Blog, a Baby, and a Boxer named Bronco!

Let the Blogging begin! So after months of saying that I was going to start a blog so that everyone could keep updated on what was going on with us out here in AZ, I figured starting it two days before my due date was a great idea (because starting anything two days before your suppose to have a baby is smart, right)! I guess I will just say, better late then never! I have so much I could post about what has been going on with us since we moved out here, but for now I will make it somewhat quick and fill in the details later. In the last few months there are really just two words I can say that have been keeping us very busy...Baby and Boxer!

Clint (and I) decided that since we finally had a backyard big enough, three months before we have a baby would be a great time to buy a puppy. We have always wanted a dog and I know that it will be CRAZY with a newborn and somewhat trained puppy, but we decided that it was either now or much much later. So about three months ago we bought a boxer puppy from a local breeder and named him Bronco.

Bronco the day we brought him home









He is a hyper and stubburn puppy, but that face is just so cute how could you not love him! Bronco has been in puppy training classes for the last 5 weeks in hopes that he will beable to listen and behave when the baby comes and I am hoping that is the case but we will have to see. For now he is our kid and is sometimes a handful, but I just figure it is good preparation for what is about to come.

Now for the next word...BABY. As you may all know, Clint and I are expecting a baby girl on November 18th which is two days from now, but who's counting. We are so excited to finally meet her and hope that she comes soon, but until she does I will give you the most recent belly picture and you will have to wait just like us.


Taken today - 39 weeks & 5 days


Besides gaining weight and feeling like my belly is getting bigger by the hour, I have been busy trying to finish the nursery and other baby projects I decided to take on. Thankfully I have had a lot of help with those and will post all of the finished projects in the next couple of days. So I will end by saying welcome to our blog and please come again soon!