Life Happens

I don't feel like I have anything spectacular to post, but I felt pretty neglectful towards the blog so I thought I would just further update everyone.

Life has continued on at its regular pace. I have started work which so far has gone well. I am doing day shifts at the moment for training, but will eventually move to night shifts part time. It is sad to leave Lanie, but I have wonderful family and friends who have helped us care for her. I feel like this is the best time if I am to ever get some real nursing experience and so I have gotten a wonderful job at the hospital where I did my capstone for school. I am very excited to work with the people I am working with. They are fantastic and I know I have been very lucky and blessed to get this job. I hope I can learn quickly and do my best.

James continues to work hard both at school and on the job. He is a very supportive husband with my working and takes good care of Lanie and I both temporally and mentally. Fortunately for his own mental health Final Fantasy XIII has come out and he has loved playing it this week.

Lanie is a real trooper as she is being passed from nanny to nanny and it is so great to come home and see her beautiful smile. She is such a sweet girl. She's getting big and is almost 4 months old.

Well, I have been putting off going to bed and I really shouldn't have. It just spells trouble for the next day, but I'm glad to have finally gotten something posted, even if it is just a little snippet of our lives.

What's been happening...

Hello All,

So much has happened over the last few weeks. James' family came to UT including his sister Jeni and her two boys for Lanie's baby blessing last Sunday. It was wonderful to see everyone. James gave Lanie a beautiful blessing too. The week was a blast. Unfortunately I didn't take any pictures with our camera because I made Jeni take a bunch with her nice one.

As you know, I passed the NCLEX during that time too. It was tough and I am glad it is over. I have been saving up for a sewing machine and told myself that I could get one after I passed the NCLEX. It was an extra incentive to study and it kept me from getting distracted. So the day I passed the NCLEX James and I went out to buy my machine.

Valentine's Day also came and went and as usual, it was one of the busiest days of the year for us. I don't know why but we always have a hard time celebrating it because we are just so busy with other things. It's ok, we did make heart shaped hamburgers and a heart shaped cake.

Also, Lately Lanie has been sooo cute smiling at everyone. She is so responsive now. She has even giggled a couple of times, but hasn't gotten the hang of it yet. It's very rewarding being a parent now that she is becoming more interactive.

Ok, so here are some pics for you all to enjoy.

Lanie in her blessing dress. She was so good for the blessing. James said she smiled the whole time.

Her smiles are so cute and big.

Our Valentine's dinner. You can see the pretty daisies in the background. James gave them to me as a Happy Valentine's Day/Congrats on passing your test present.

Getting cute and chubby.

She has discovered her hands and loves sucking on them.

I finially did it...

After 2.5 years of nursing school plus 2 years before that of pre-requisites I finally took the NCLEX. This is the test that determines if you get licensed as a nurse. I have spent years preparing for it and finally took it on Thursday last week and got my results back yesterday. I passed!

I am now a Registered Nurse. This is both exciting and worrisome. I have a possible job lined up as a part time nurse at Timpanogos Hospital on their Med/Surg floor. After orientation I will hopefully be working night shifts so that I don't have to be away from Lanie too much. This will be a big change, but I feel like it will be a good experience as well.

Wish me luck, even though I am finished with school my education in the real world is just beginning.

The Stats

So today was Lanie's 2 month doctor appointment and the stats are as follows:

Head: 15.5 inches (about 40th percentile)
Though her eyes and cheeks are probably around the 90th percentile. (see below)


Weight: 12.04 lbs (80th percentile)
Length: 23.25 inches (82nd percentile)

Shots: 3
Tears: 10
Doses of Tylenol: 2 today

All in all, she is a healthy, happy baby. She now has four rolls on each thigh and her arms are almost as plump as her mom's. She is really beginning to look at people and even likes to talk to us! It's been very fun so far, and she's such a good baby.

Christmas 2009

This Christmas we had a lot of fun. We stayed here in Provo and celebrated with my family in Salt Lake. We got a bit of a late start on Christmas due to new babies and trying to finish finals/graduate, but we finally got a tree this year. It was beautiful (thanks to decorations I borrowed from my mom). I will definately be shopping all of the after Christmas sales for decorations for next year.

I just wanted to share some pictures with you that we've taken over the last week or two.

James teaching Baby mad gaming skills. :)

Lanora in one of her many darling outfits. I wish she wasn't growing so fast, she's outgrowing them before our eyes!

Happy girl in her Daddy's arms.

Sleeping, shhhh.

She loves making this face. Her lips pucker up into such a small "O."

Here we are Christmas Eve at Brooke's. We had a wonderful dinner as a family and enjoyed each others' company. Unfortunately this picture was taken after most everyone had left. However, I must point out the fantastic white tree behind us. I love Brooke's decorations!

This is about as excited as Lanora got on her first Christmas morning. Hopefully next year she will be a little more animated. It was fun all the same to have Santa drop off gifts for her.

We did the Nativity play Christmas evening with all of the little nieces and nephews. Ashton and Allison were Joseph and Mary and Hunter was a shepherd. Unsurprisingly Lanora played the part of Baby Jesus while her new bouncy seat was the manger. (Maybe next year we will be better with props).

Christmas night we realized that all of Lanie's pictures taken that day were of her wrapped up in a blanket. We finally got some pics of her in her Christmas clothes, but this was the best. What a chub already!

The day after Christmas I took her on a walk out in the cold. This cute snow outfit doesn't quite fit yet. "I can't put my arms down!"

Who can resist a cute face with a huge flowery bow?

The Many Faces of Lanora

Sorry it has been such a while since my last post. School, babies, and life have kept us so busy, but now that is over, somewhat and I can share with you these pictures chronicling this child's first 3 weeks of life. Here are the many faces of Lanora. (ok, most of them are of her sleeping, it's just so hard to catch her cute expressions when she is awake.)

Day 2 at the hospital

This is pretty much what she looks like after being fed. Happy Baby.

Here she is a week old with her Grandma Speirs who came to help us for a week after Lanora was born. Get a look at those cheeks!

My little burrito.

I just love this hat. My friend knit it for her.

And here she blends in with the environment. I just love
how much pink there is in the house now.

And a close up.

My (almost) 2 week old Gangsta

Today was cold, very cold, so this is what we dressed Lanora up in. Unfortunately this cute outfit is still a little large for her and she reminded me of a gangster. I have to say, she is the cutest gangsta ever!