Um...happy thanksgiving?

I phrase that statement as a question because I am not quite sure this Thanksgiving was a happy one?!?! This morning I woke up to a hungry/crying baby, a barfing husband and a dog eating the uncooked rolls we were supposed to bring to Grandma's. Things are always chaotic for the holidays at Grandmas because that's what happens when you get a big loud family together. Plus, everyone wanted to see the new baby, so I was kinda stressed. The best part of the day was my cousin Jason, who just graduated with his photography degree, took some adorable pictures of little Dallen. I can't wait to get them from him so I can share them with you all. Needless to say I am thoroughly exhausted and will post again when I have some sweet pics. Here are a couple I took myself in the meantime.Despite the madness, I have SO much to be grateful for. Sometimes I think I have even more blessings than I deserve. I hope everyone had a happy Thanksgiving and I hope it was better than mine. This one was a doosie, that's for sure!

Happy Birthday Big Daddy!!

Remember when we first found out I was pregnant and I couldn't do the math and thought you would have to share your birthday with our baby boy? Well, you got your present early this year!!
Happy Birthday, we love you!!
- Jacki and Dallen

Letters for Grandma

Dear Mimi,

Thank you for coming to visit me. I had so much fun eating with you, sleeping with you, shopping with you and playing with you. We did pooping too but that wasn't so much fun! I love my new Christmas clothes and can't wait to wear them. I am so excited to see you again in a few short days for Thanksgiving. Mom says thanks too!

I love you,

Dallen

Also, yesterday was Mark's Grandma's funeral. We will miss Grandma Connie. She's loved by so many.

Pictures from Twilight

I know I am not in all of these pictures but this is the super fun group I went with to the movie. All of Mark's Aunts and cousins make it so fun to live in AZ, I just love the girls nights we have together :) Thanks Lynds for making the collages so I could steal them from your blog.


Also, I stole this picture from my sister's blog because I totally loved it!

Also, Dallen was such a good boy today when we went Christmas shopping with Mimi, we decided we are gonna take him to church tomorrow. We took this super cute picture this morning of what he is gonna wear. I just love this little guy!!
Also, GO COUGARS!!!

Twilight is over

I am still trying to convince myself that I am not crazy for going to last night's midnight showing of Twilight. I am soooo tired but I had so much fun. I went with Mark's Aunts and cousins and we had a blast even before the movie started. I will post pictures after Lyndsie does and I can steal them from her blog :)

As for my opinion of the movie. I liked it. I didn't hate it and I didn't love it. I thought the cast did a pretty good job aside from Jacob and Carlisle just didn't work for me. Also, some of the camera angles were wierd, some of the parts were cheesy and some of the story was wrong or missing. One thing that I was hoping would be in the movie that wasn't was Edward's awesome car, here is the Aston Martin Vanquish (the car for prom), I think its gorgeous. Overall, I liked the book way better and can't wait to read it again! I want to re-read the Midnight Sun version again too. For those who never read it, you should. It's book one from Edward's perspective and I love to hear his thoughts on the goings-on. The finished pages are posted on Stephenie's website, you should check it out: http://www.stepheniemeyer.com/midnightsun.html. I think it is so interesting to hear everyone's different opinions of the movie because everyone imagines something different when reading. It's wierd how some things work for some that didn't for others. So what did you think?
...MORE PICS TO COME...

Happy Birthday Grandpa!!

Love: Mark, Jacki and Dallen

6 weeks

I must be in denial, but I don't believe it has been 6 weeks since I had baby Dallen. He has grown tremendously over the last few days. The other day when I was changing him into his jammies for bedtime, they didn't fit. I almost broke out in tears. He is moving up to the next size diaper and some of his clothes that he was swimming in the last time he tried to wear them are getting too small. Every time I looked at him today I was teary eyed. I just couldn't believe how much he has grown. I am so glad that he is here with me and I get to watch him grow! I love this little kid.

The outfits that no longer fit, never to be worn by Dallen again:


The outfits I thought would never fit and will shortly be put away:

Yes that's a JUICY onesie. So awesome! Thanks Uncle Steve and Aunt Brittany :)

this cute little bum...

...IS CAPABLE OF BIG THINGS!!
Today I learned just exactly what this little guy can do. Let's just say that this morning's diaper change ended with both Dallen and I elbow deep in poopy :) I love this little boy so much, and even more so after a bath!

just a random one

FOR FUNSIES

TWILIGHT

With the Twilight movie just a few days away, I am getting just a little bit too excited! I am trying to convince myself that I am not crazy for going to the midnight showing when we all know how little sleep I am already getting, but I have to go!! I am really interested to see how the cast they selected does, because right now I am not feeling it. I saw a post like this on another blog and have been wanting to do one of my own for a while now. It was kind of a waste of time that I don't have, but I am a nerd and it was a lot of fun. I made my own cast list for the movie. Check it out:

The infamous coupleHonestly, there is no human being that could play Edward because the way he was portrayed in the book is out of this world. This was the best I could do.

The Cullens
Somehow I ended up with like the whole cast of Gossip Girl and I am not sure why?!?! Probably because I don't know any other young enough actors.

The men who want BellaI really picture Joshua Jackson in his Dawson's Creek days playing Jacob Black, but he is way too old looking now to play that part, so I settled. A lot of people could play James but I think this kid is scary looking!!

The Swan FamilyWhen I picture Bella's Dad, he always has a mustache because he is a police man and for some reason in my mind, police men have mustaches :)

Who would you put in the movie?

TEARS

This morning when cutting Dallen's fingernails, he moved his hand and I cut his finger. I took a little chunk out of the top and he did bleed. I am not sure who shed more tears, him or me!! I know this is not the first time my little boy is gonna get hurt in his life, so here is my question to all you veteran mothers out there...will my heart ache for him like this every time? Is it just the guilt because I inflicted the pain? Is it because it was the first time? I am just so glad my poor little baby let me comfort him until he felt better.

Who Knew?

the love of my life would be a chubby bald man

Happy 5 Weeks

GOTCHA!!

It is near impossible to get a shot of this little kid smiling. Although it is often, it is usually very quick and unannounced. The other day however, mid-feeding he was having a smiling fest and I caught him! The picture quality is poor because it was on my phone and it was the end of the smile because I had to wait for it to take the picture so it doesn't do him justice. Nonetheless, GOTCHA Dallen!!

Moments with Mommy & Daddy

I can't believe how much we love this little guy, but what is even more amazing is that he loves us back!! Yesterday was a big day for our little boy. Dallen rolled over, as in 360 degrees rolled all the way around!! I couldn't believe it. I was so proud. Before these pictures were taken, Dallen was lying on his back a foot or 2 away from me on the sofa. He rolled from his back to his left side, then to his stomach and then ended up on his side, right next to his mommy :) I like to think that he just wanted a kiss. And yes, I am wearing my high school track and field shirt, so?!?! I just had a baby and he loves me no matter what I wear!
Dallen has had a surprisingly strong neck since he was born. He has been doing this for weeks. Sometimes when Mark braces Dallen's feet, he'll scoot his way up and over his shoulder. So cute! He loves sitting in the man chair with his daddy and Mark equally enjoys it :) Those 2 are so cute together, I love it!!

SO BIG!!

Dallen is getting so big, and according to him, he is so big that he needs a big boy bed. His favorite place to sleep is in Mommy and Daddy's bed. Of course we let him (when we aren't in it to squish him) because he looks so adorable in it. Just look at how cute he is...
Today is Dallen's one month birthday and I can't believe how fast the time is flying by. Everyone says to enjoy these times when he is so small because I will miss the newborn stage when its over. I can see how that is true but at the same time I am so looking forward to watching him learn and grow. In the meantime, I am enjoying every moment with my little tiny, "so big" baby :)

LIFE: Measured in Weeks

Since the day I found out I was pregnant (seems so long ago) I have been counting my life in weeks. "I am this many weeks pregnant" or "I have this many weeks to go" and now, "My baby is this many weeks old." Today, my little Dallen is 4 weeks old, 4 WEEKS and my how he's grown. Every day I look into his beautiful face and pinch myself because I still can't believe he is mine. I am so blessed to have the most precious gift and the opportunity to spend every week of my life with him :)

He is growing in leaps and bounds...check him out!!

We did our part...

DID YOU?