Monday, December 19, 2011

How are we?!

Lately we've been getting that question a lot! SooOoOo... How are we?!


AMOS


Amos is still as cute and happy as can be!!



He's teething! He has 2 little guys coming in on the bottom! For how uncomfortable it looks, he's handling it well so far. Every once in a while (usually when he's tired) you can tell he's hurting, but he's taking it like a man :)



He had his 6 month Dr's checkup this week and he's growing wonderfully! He's 22.5 pounds and 27.7 inches long!



Lately he's been doing this awesome deal where he doesn't poop... He went 11 days. Yes, ELEVEN DAYS without pooping. He was eating normally, having wet diapers, playing normally, his tummy wasn't hard, ..he was still his happy little self! We went to the Dr's to have him looked at here and there, but they told us he was okay! They also said sometimes when babies grow fast and are still getting the majority of their nutrition from breast milk, their bodies have less waste! Thus, less poop! It sure drives me into all sorts of worries, but I suppose he's doing what he's suppose too! And WE'RE very grateful for his health!



He's also figuring out how to scoot forward! He'll stretch out realllly long, reach realllly hard and far to grab his toys, and, if the occasion calls for it he'll get up on his little tippy toes and inch forward. It's so fun to watch! Sometimes he gets frustrated with it, but he's usually a good sport about it (that is, if mom and dad don't make him work for his toys tooooo often! ;) ).




Amos is sleeping better these days too! He sleeps in his crib for the night, until he wakes up to eat. Sometimes he wakes up hungry at 11pm, sometimes not until 4am! Which is good! So far he has naturally transitioned himself, so we're going to keep encouraging him along that path.



He loves FOOD! He'll squeal and fuss until he gets a taste of whatever mom or dad is eating. Silly man! He LOVES to drink water out of our cups too! His new favorite baby foods are: Peach Cobbler, Turkey and Rice, Mixed Fruit and Carrots. If we time it right, he gobbles them down in a flash!



KIRK
Kirk is doing SoOoO much better now that the semester is over! He has successfully passed his finals and can breathe now! But don't let that fool you, that extra time won't last toooo long! He's signed up for Winter Fire School this January! Plus, he has volunteered to help the Department put together an educational slide show, jam-packed with information for the New Recruit Academy of 2012.



Well, what about all that in between time? You know... early in the morning, late at night, while mom & baby are napping, while waiting for dinner to be done, etc. ... He has made the most out of that time through a fancy pile of books he can't WAIT to tap into! He's been reading and learning a lot about saving money, investing money, saving time, all those good things. He's only finished 3 books in 2 weeks. :) He's so awesome. I'm really grateful to him for putting the time into learning about finances because it has already helped us plan for the future! Goal: Pay cash for our house: that's right! word. (Dave Ramsey, The Richest Man in Babylon and The Four Hour Work Week are books he would recommend to everyone!)



He has also had Christmas Parties galore! Adams CO Management took everyone to The Bell Tower for a very, very generous evening. We were extremely taken away by the beautiful Reception Center that hosted us for dinner and a magic show. It was a wonderful Christmas night! They also gave all their employees exciting gifts and bonus's this year. I am so so grateful that my husband works for such a fantastic company! It's owned an operated by a father and his 4 sons... we're grateful to be part of their success!



The Fire Department also had their Annual Christmas Party downtown. It was relaxing and fun to kick back and spend time with everyone. They gave all the FF's these really cool Medallion's with the Maltese Cross on them, and the year 2011. If anyone of the FF's is caught without their Medallion, they have to buy their crew a round of Beer or Diet Coke. lol. I challenge Kirk all the time, especially when I know he doesn't have it. Hey, I'm always up for a Diet Coke! :) They also gave all the wives a Ladies Auxiliary cookbook, backpack and T-shirt. And of course they advertise that we're a "Fireman's Wife," and we all proudly represent!



Super-Dad. That's what Kirk has been up too lately! He really is a SUPER DAD! Amos is his little pal. They feed Moja together, hand out and watch T.V. together, feed each other, talk to each other and play with toys all the time! I always count down the time until Kirk is off work because I love to see Amos pop up the biggest smile of the day for his dad. It brings me so much joy to watch Kirk father our son the ways he does.



CATHARINE



I'm doing good! I can't complain! I'm a happy mom and wife! (Most days! lol) I'm so grateful to have such wonderful friends, family, good health and a great husband to life me up!



I have completed another year of Christmas shopping (no complaints in this department! I'll take any excuse to shop!), Christmas cards and neighborhood gifts- HOORAY! I've only made 4 double-batches of sugar cookies to sprinkle throughout our neighborhood, circle of friends and work associates... But let's be honest here. I love baking/cooking, so REALLY I've been playing in my kitchen all month! Plus, it's that time of the year to put on 5 pounds in treats, right?!



I have made some great friend in our neighborhood! And it's been a fun month for get-together's! We had a Girls Night Out where we ate junk food and played Dance Dance 3... which was way more fun than I've ever imagined! Also had a Cookie Exchange with the sisters in our ward! And of course, Diet Coke and Chocolate Chip cookies with friends is always a winner. Don't forget all our craft days! I have some amazing crafters for friends!! And, To throw into the list of events, we also had fun at the Ward Christmas Party and have spent lots of time with our cousins who live in town.



December means Christmas Music!! I wait all year to pull out my Christmas Piano Music. I love it! We have failed to decorate this year, but feel slightly okay about it since we'll be in Salt Lake for Christmas, so our main source of Christmas Cheer is music and treats! Yay! It's a good thing Christmas is celebrated for one month, because I sure overplay those songs! By the time January rolls around it's totally time to put them away for another 11 months! :)



I mentioned Kirk investing a lot of time into reading. Well, he has invested time into making a list of books for me to read as well! :) It's a goal we made together. We want to widen our vocabulary, widen our thinking and expand our education together. What better way that reading?! I'm half-way through 2 books hahaha rookie mistake! But hey, at least we're consistent!

Thursday, December 8, 2011

Wiggle Boy!



So, I mentioned how Amos will scoot across the room but on his back. Well, look what he managed to wiggle himself TO and THROUGH while I was doing the dishes! How funny is that!? Of all the fun things in our family room, self-wedging through the couches was the winner! Silly boy! I don't know how he made the tight fit! :)

Tuesday, December 6, 2011

6 Months Old Today!



Amos was exactly 6 months old when we took this picture! He is so handsome, just like his dad! We snapped this picture right before we left for Church.
Amos loves church! He is so cute on Sundays! There's so much for him to look at, which is my guess to why he is soooo happily content to sit on the bench next to his good dad. Kirk puts his arm around our little guy and he'll stay put for most of the meeting! Until he gets a rumbly in his tumbly... that means it's time for something to eat!
I sure love being in church with my family. Amos looks up at me every time I sing and just listens. When I sing to him at home he doesn't do the same thing.... there's something special about singing in the Chapel!
Kirk has always said that he doesn't want our children sitting between us during Sacrament Meeting, so Amos usually doesn't! I can just picture us in 10 years with half of our kids sitting on dads side, the other half on mine, and us in the middle of them all. I love the thought!
I'm so grateful for my testimony of this gospel that keeps me going to Church and doing what I know I'm suppose to do. I'm so grateful for the testimony of my husband who continues to keep our focus on the things that matter most. I love my Savior and I know that every blessing my family has is through His Grace and our obedience to Him. God lives! And He loves us!
I'm really looking forward to teaching Amos about this special time of the year! I hope as our kids get older that I can help keep their hearts and minds tuned into the true reason why we celebrate Christmas. It is one of the most Beautiful Celebrations of the Year!

Sunday, December 4, 2011

Merry EARLY Christmas



Visitng Dad On Duty!







Thursday, December 1, 2011

6 Month Milestones


  • He can roll all the way over! Front-to-back & back-to-front!
  • He can sit up unsupported!
  • He'll hold his arms out to me when he wants to be picked up!
  • He's figured out he can roll to get where he wants to go! But luckily he's not very speedy yet!
  • He has developed his own little fake cry to get what he wants! Stinker
  • He's still mostly nursing, but also enjoys Sweet Potatoes, Plums, and Infant Oatmeal as his new foods!
  • He has had his share of pinched fingers, hitting his head, getting locked in the car and rolling off the bed this month! :( Also his first trip to the E.R. for an exciting Vasovagal episode that we'd prefer not to experience again!
  • He'll pass his toys from one hand to the other to get a full examination of them!
  • He sleeps about 6-8 hours! Then he'll nurse and sleep another 1-2!
  • He loves to drink water out of drinking glass! He'll also take a Sippy Cup but refuses a bottle
  • He wears 12m clothing
  • He is super noisy!!! hahaha
  • He's the cutest darn thing in the universe!

Christmas Cookies!









Halle was in charge of Sprinkles!
Can you tell which cookie made us laugh the rest of the night?! We won't be taking that plate to the neighbors!
(Hint: It's red, and it's not a candy cane!)






Our Gingerbread Man and Gingerbread Lady






We had Kirks cousins (Chris, Brenna, Halle and Addi) over to make Christmas Cookies last night! We also watched a movie, It was a blast! We need to have them over more often! We love those guys! I'm so glad they were able to fit us in! And I can't believe it's CHRISTMAS COOKIE time!

He makes me giggle!





















































Thanksgiving 2011


This is a Thanksgiving tradition for the Thomas girls... making Christmas Candy! I love to cook so I especially love to be a part of this time. I can't wait until I have daughters of my own to play in the kithchen with. Amos will love it as he gets older too!



Cousin Kyjia! No one can cheer up a fussy baby like him! He's the Baby Charmer!! (I promise he is! Even though Amos isn't smiling in this picture!)



Visiting Grandpa McAllister! We love you!





Visiting Grandma McAllister! We love you!







Visiting Grandma Fortuna! We love you!


Thanksgiving was a blast this year! We got into town Wednesday night, after a long drive from St George. The highlight of which, was locking Amos in the car and car keys! We had to call 911 to come help us out!! We're awesome parents :) Luckily, Amos was totally fine. He had just woken up from a nap and was quite entertained by us watching him through the window. I was AMAZED at how easy it was for them to break into our car... it was a little too easy and way too fast! But in this case, I suppose that was exactly what we wanted!

We spent the rest of Wednesday night eating Chinese food and hanging out with my Fortuna siblings.

Thursday morning we woke up just in time to get dressed and rush out the door for Turkey Day football! Kirk dropped Amos and I off and his moms house while he balled it up with his buddies.

Grandma McAllister had a way fun Jumper for Amos to play in. He loved it! We watched the Thanksgiving Parade and enjoyed our morning at Grandma's.

When Kirk got back it was time to head off to Aunt Caren and Uncle Pauls house! And oh my heavens, was it delicious!! No wonder I gained 4 pounds while I was on vacations, dang it!

We, as a Thomas family, talked about what we were most grateful for. Angela's especially stood out to me. She said she was grateful for the stage of motherhood she has passed through, is currently at and will get to experience in the future. I loved that! I am grateful to my Heavenly Father for that blessing too.

We were able to spend some quality time with out Thomas family, feel of their spirit and love. What a beautiful thing it is to be part of a family.

Then it was time for round 2! We returned back to the Fortuna's for even more Thanksgiving feasting!

Everyone loved to see Amos! And what added to the fun was how enthusiastic Amos was about being passed around! His shy stage has come and gone, for now at least! It was a blast! He had his own little high chair at the table and boy was he cute! He liked the Sweet Potatoes but not much of anything else, which was a surprise! Well, except the ice cream of course!

The rest of the evening was filled with movies, family and watching our Priesthood holders give a blessing to Great-Grandpa Burgoyne.


Friday was another day of holiday fun! Grandma Fortuna (my mother), Aunt Libby, Kirk, Amos and I set out for some early Christmas shopping. Grandma bought Amos some toys, dishes and funny Santa Diapers to keep at her house. Oh how he LOVED those noisy, lighted toys! We also couldn't pass up lunch at our family favorite burger place, Hires. D.E.L.I.C.I.O.U.S. After more shopping and playing, we wrapped the night up with the whole gang for family dinner and games. Thanks you Fortuna family for such a great time! We love you! Thank you Grandpa Fortuna for your good advice and the things you always find to help us out with. You're the best! I need to get some pictures with you and Amos next time we're up! xoxo


Saturday was Candy Making day at Aunt Nancy's! My family headed out in the morning to pick up Aunt Kellie and Kyjia on our way to Eagle Mountain. That's where all the fun began for the day! We made Chocolate-Carmel Apples, Chocolate-Carmel Pretzels, Peanut Clusters, Divinity, Turtles.... am I missing anything? It's always a good time when we get to eat sweets all day! After a long day in the kitchen, we met Uncle Blake at Olive Garden for his birthday dinner. It was an excellent way to finish off the evening. Thank you Grandma McAllister for providing everything! We love our McAllister's!


Sunday was quite wonderful as well. It started off with Kirk taking Amos in the morning so I could sleep in. Oh man, I don't remember the last time I got to do that. Isn't my husband the best? Yes he is! That was very appreciated and loved. When Amos was hungry again, he quietly came in my room and snuggled him under the covers to me. It was so sweet and perfect. Amos curled right up and made my that much more comfy! I love my cuddly baby and awesome husband. When we finally got the day started, we headed right our to see Grandpa McAllister. He had just returned from some traveling and brought home some French Candy to let us taste. Aunt Kellie and Ky met us there for some Grandpa time. I loved watching Grandpa play with Amos. He's really good with kids! It sure makes me happy to have such great family! After words, we returned to Grandma McAllister's for Sunday dinner and relaxing. In fact, we were so relaxed that we decided to stay an extra night with her! It was sooo nice!


Monday morning came way toooooo early. We left at 5am to return home to St George, just in time for work. Thanks again for the fabulous weekend everyone! We sure love you! We're sad we didn't get to see our Fortuna, McAllister and Turpin Great-Grandparents but we will for sure see you at Christmas time! We love you!


Libby!

It's always fun when Libby comes, when Libby comes, HURRAY!



He loves his Aunt Libby! Probably because she spoils him SoOoOoOo much!









She's the best! I love having a sister for a best friend!!


We went tooo:


  • SWIG! Diet Coke? Yes Please!

  • Colorado City! To give Lib a grand tour of the polygamist city. It was really interesting, we learned a lot. Some things were a little scary to us because we weren't use to them, but it was fun to see their culture!

  • CHRISTMAS SHOPPING! Lots and lots!

We alsooooo:



  • Made a gingerbread house! Complete with hot tub and all!

  • Watched Ace Ventura -When Nature Calls! haha I forgot how hilarious it is!

  • Made crafts! (Can't share too much, Christmas presents people!!)

  • Most importantly, we caught up on our girl-talk and played with Amos.


Thanks for the great time sis! We love you!







Tuesday, November 22, 2011

Silly Amos!

































This has been the FUNNIEST day! Amos has been sticking his little tongue out all morning! I can't look at him without laughing!