Easton's First Trip to Florida, part 1

Easton was a great traveler! I made sure he was eating or sucking on his pacifier during all take-offs and landings, and just hung out or slept the rest of the time. I'm so lucky. 

Because Blaine couldn't miss school, just the 2 of us made the trip. 

Everyone commented on how adorable he is--and his hair, of course. 

One random lady in the airport even asked to take a picture of him.

As soon as we got there we went over to the Middle School's football games

 to watch my sister Alivia cheer. 

The next day we went to Orlando-

we had to stop at the temple and then headed over to Downtown Disney.

He does like my kisses, I swear

 Everyone loved him. Here he is wearing his Buzz Lightyear outfit my mom bought him. 

And this employee gave him a Mickey sticker to commemorate his first Disney experience.

(She also thought my mom was Easton's mom)

 I had a pair of the classic black Mickey ears with my name written on it in cursive, but they have SOOOO many varieties now. 

I really wanted to buy Easton some, but I figure we will when he's older.

The Precious Moments' lady was there signing her dolls. They were expensive but so cute!

 Abbie had a big crush on him when Star Wars came out

 We have 2 left handers in our family and we tease them about their left handed bond

Mission accomplished, Walt.

 Easton was fine, but then I sit him on the pirate wheel and he freaks out! He must take after his mama. When we were living in California when I was like 2-3 we had season passes to Disneyland and I screamed on the Pirates of the Caribbean ride... 

just a fun fact that always gets brought up when we ride it now.

Wish he was smiling and not drooling, but whatevs 

 

Later that night we headed over to my brothers' game. They were playing a team in Orlando so it worked out well. This was the first time my dad saw Easton this trip and was so excited. 

 I must've got my love of pictures from my dad. He is the unofficial team photographer.

Easton with his Grandpa and Grandma

They bought him some cute Halloween jammies!!! Complete with a pumpkin hat :)

And of course, we had to dress him up in his elephant costume before my mom and dad and Abbie left for Provo. We wanted a picture of all the boys in their elephant costumes, but didn't have time to go find them in storage. 

To be continued...

Easton: 3 Months

Easton turned 3 months last week! We love him more and more and find him funnier and funnier with each passing month. He is growing so big and strong and goes through his clothes pretty quickly. Here are a couple of new things that we've noticed in his third month:

Easton is a happy, happy boy--especially whenever he wakes up. 

He is quick to smile, especially at his dad when he comes home from school. 

He is a chatterbox. He loves to make noises and move his mouth and talk all the time. 

We love his sweet noises. 

He has become aware of his toys and we've noticed him even having favorites... 

2 favorites to be exact.

- His lion that hangs down from his carseat. He just stares and smiles at it ALL the time.

(I didn't get the lion in the picture, but thats what he's smiling at while we were on a walk)

- And the mirror on his play mat that lights up and plays music.

He likes to sleep on his side, which worries me since he's so young and I don't want him to end up laying on his face. But he still sleeps with his hands by his face or with one arm across his face. 

He looks so perfect when he sleeps and sometimes even squishes his face like this.

And finally, Easton took his first plane ride at this age! But we'll talk about that later.

Outside Time

A lot of our days are the same. Blaine goes to school and works hard for us, and then studies and lifts weights when he gets home. 

I stay home all day, except for the errands, and we have our own little activities. We have our walk and our tennis ball hunt with Jake, as well as his playdates with his best friend Roxy.

 isn't that cute? it's the dog hug :)

But we also just like to sit outside together.

Sometimes in a chair, sometimes on an old sheet, we sit outside and feel the breeze and look at the trees and listen to the birds. The older Easton gets, the more alert he is and I like to watch him explore his surroundings.

Lost Little Elephants

When my brother Austin was little, my mom bought him an elephant costume. He made up this game where he would go outside our front door in Miami and knock. Then someone would open it and he would say, "I'm a lost little elephant looking for a home." And then my mom or whoever answered the door would play along and let him in.

It was hilarious and sweet and has forever been a family tradition and inside joke. So when my brother Aaron was born, we bought him his own elephant costume and he joined Austin's herd of lost little elephants.

So when my sister Alexis excitedly called me because she found a baby elephant costume, I had to order it immediately! We tried it on as soon as it arrived, but we'll do a photo shoot later.

Going Back to McLoud

A couple weeks ago we went back to McLoud (where I taught and coached last year) for a football game. Easton is such a happy, low maintenance baby, but if he is fussy, it's always in the evenings. So between that, plus all the people and all the noise, he was not happy for the first half. But the second half was better--we just took turns holding him close and he just watched us. 

I was excited to go back since I loved my time there, but so much had changed since last year. I was able to talk to some of my former coworkers, students, and pom girls. I asked about some of our pom girls that I didn't see that night and they told me that they had either quit or been kicked off.

That really weighed on me because I know personal things about them and their lives and know that some of them really, really needed this. On the way home after the game, I told Blaine that I know those girls' experience/year/lives would have been significantly different if I was still there. But then he said something very special and profound (and true). He told me he understood, but he also knows 2 boys whose lives would also be significantly different if I was still teaching.

My family always comes first and I wouldn't trade my time with them for anything in the world. 

I mean, look at this face :)

When he's fussy at night time and won't go to sleep, he sits next to his dad in the recliner and watches ESPN. I'm not kidding or making it up to be cute. It's all true. 

Love my little family and our Saturday night football parties.