Family Pictures 2009

Enjoy our new family pictures! It was definitely exhausting getting our sweet little Haylee to cooperate, but we did end up with some amazing photos. Our photographer, Janelle Bird with Labella Photography is the best! I am so happy with how they turned out!

We tried everything possible to keep Haylee sitting in one place for more than two minutes at a time. Pearls seemed to do the trick!

While Haylee was busy crawling all over the studio, we decided to take a few shots of just the two of us!

Janelle took some "on-the-move" shots because Haylee did not want to sit still. This one turned out amazing! It is actually one of my favorites.

I am a little upset with myself that I did not send out Christmas cards this year. I procrastinated like always. I put this photo session together in one week, outfits and all. I was so lucky Janelle was able to fit us in at the last minute. So consider this our Christmas greeting.
Merry Christmas! May your holidays be merry and bright!

Haylee is now 8 months old! Time is going so fast and she is growing and changing so much! I did not even do a post when she turned 7 months and by the time I got around to it, she was turning 8 months. Well, here is a little update and some pictures .... FINALLY!

Haylee started scooting on November 9th. She is getting around quite nicely as a matter of fact. I wouldn't call it crawling because she is not up on her knees. She really just pulls her body with her hands and pushed with her feet. She is everywhere and getting into everything!

She just started moving one night when Rich laid down his shiny watch on the floor and Haylee was determined to get it. We were so proud of her!

Don't worry! We let her play with the watch as soon as she achieved her goal.

Haylee is such a happy baby! She is always smiling and loves to laugh. If you look close, you can see her two top teeth. Yup! That's right! Haylee had a total of four teeth just after turning 7 months of age. Don't even try and feel for other teeth because this little one bites!

Haylee loves her Daddy! She says "DaddaDaddaDadda...". Sometimes she gets out a little "MommaMommaMomma" too! Rich thinks she says "Dadda" more because she loves him more, but I reassure him that she is just blabbering and has no idea what she is saying. He disagrees of course!

This is Haylee up at the cabin. She loves to play with pill bottles. She just shakes them and loves to hear the noise she is creating. It actually looks bad that I let her play with them, but don't worry. I don't leave her unattended with them and as of right now, she can not get the lids off.

I leave the room for two seconds and come back to find this! My little monster got into the Wii! It is definitely time to do some more child-proofing around the house!

She was very upset when I took it away! She had fun while it lasted!

Turkey Day 2009

Sorry no pictures on this post either! I took the camera with us on Thanksgiving and kept trying to take pictures and the stupid camera would not work. Well, come to find out (and a little late I might add) the battery was dead! I didn't even think of that because it would turn on, it just would not take a picture. Rich told me once the day was over. Maybe I am just blonde! :)

Anyways! We had a great day! It was just me and Haylee driving to Nicole's this year. Sadly, Rich had to work. Actually, I was not that bummed about it because he was paid double to sit around and play cards all day. He joined us around four. Dinner with the in-laws was delicious! I made my yams like always and they were a hit! I was a little bummed that there were not any home-made rolls this year. Not even Rhodes! I do understand that it is very stressful making a Thanksgiving dinner, but come on! It is so crazy how long it takes to prepare for the meal and it only takes about 10 minutes to stuff ourselves. That is exactly what we did! Haylee loved the mashed potatoes and yams. I could not feed her fast enough. After dinner, all of the kiddies napped and everyone else watched Four Christmases. That is a funny one! I totally recommend it.

I really love Thanksgiving. It is one of my favorite holidays. I feel like it kind of gets a little jipped because it seems like we go from Halloween straight to Christmas, but really it is a special holiday. It is all about family and nothing else. There are no gifts involved and no pressure for any. It is a relaxing day to just be with loved ones. I am so grateful for my family. Family is all we have. It is the most valuable thing ever. I would be lost with out them! I hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving!

I just wanted to list some things I am most grateful for:

*My wonderful husband, Rich
*My precious angel, Haylee
*Family
*The Gospel
*Good Health
*Our Home
*Employment
*Health Insurance

More Bad News...

Around 2 am this morning I received a text from my best friend, Lindsey, informing me that her brother-in-law, Aaron Thomas Nemelka, had been shot and killed during a murdering rampage at Fort Hood, Texas on Thursday. I was overwhelmed with sadness and grief for Aaron who lost his life so young and for his family he left behind. Please take a moment today to remember and honor those who lost their lives yesterday and for all of the other soldiers who are fighting for our freedom. I am truly grateful for them and the risk they take everyday for me and my family. My heart goes out to the Nemelka family. You are in my thoughts and prayers at this time of need and comfort. Please keep them in your thoughts and prayers as well. Click on the link below to read the entire story.

ksl.com - West Jordan man among those killed in Fort Hood, Texas

ksl.com - Neighbor: Fort Hood suspect emptied his apartment

A Prayer for Mary

"We said goodbye to Neil last night for this time on earth. It was extremely difficult and comforting at the same time. Again thank you all for your love and support. Please continue to pray for me and my children. We have felt your prayers and we will need them in the days to come. Love, Mary" - from Mary's Facebook
"We said goodbye to our dad tonight. We feel peace and know our heavenly father is here with us. We know he is in a better place and that we will feel his presence with us throughout our lives. Please continue to pray for our family at this time, we love and appreciate all of you. We know we will see him again." - from Mary's daughter's Facebook
On November 4, 2009, Mary said goodbye to her sweet husband. Sadly, he passed away due to complications that began with the flu. Mary works at Cogent Health with me. I do not work directly with her, but do see her on occasion. She has grown extremely close with my good friend, Kalee. It is so easy to be sad when this happens so close to home. My heart goes out to Mary and her family during this time of grief. Please pray for them and for all other families going through hard times during this horrible flu season. Please take care of yourselves and go to the doctor immediately when symptoms worsen or a fever begins. This flu hits hard and it must be caught quick.
You are in my prayers Mary! We all love you and hope you will be comforted in this time of need.

My Little Monster's First Halloween 2009

Haylee was a pink monster for Halloween. I was very proud of her for keeping the hat on her head. She had to get in and out of her costume about five times and hated every minute of it, but once it was on she was ok. I must admit, there was a grin on her face from ear to ear when it came off. We had to make a special stop at Grandma and Grandpa's to take pictures and then it was off to the party at Aunt Nicole's! Her costume was perfect for keeping her warm while trick-or-treating around Nicole's neighborhood with all of Haylee's cousins Halloween night. Nicole made some yummy homemade chile to warm us up when we were done. It was a fun Halloween!

I had a bow custom made to match her costume because I did not think she would keep her hat on. Actually, she only wore the bow for me to take a picture because I am such a dork and camera-happy. Good thing it is a cute bow that will go with some of her other outfits.

Haylee and her Daddy came and saw me at work on Friday. She was the life of the party! Everyone loved her costume. Everyone's kids came to treat-or-treat around the office. All of the kids were so dang cute in their costumes. I dressed up as a cowgirl last minute. I tried to be a bag of jelly beans, but that did not work out so great. After spending nearly two hours trying to melt two plastic bags together, we realized I looked more like a bag of trash than a bag of jelly beans. Thanks Rich for helping me anyways!

Happy Halloween everyone!

Happy Haylee!

Giggling at Daddy! She really is wickedly adorable!

Haylee at 6 Months

Look at my teeth everybody!

Haylee's two bottom teeth popped through last month. It was not a fun process, but once they broke the surface Haylee was back to her normal self. The bad part ... it's not over, but just the beginning!

We went to the doctor today for Haylee's 6 month check up. She is doing great and is generally healthy. She weighs 14 pounds, 4 ounces and is 26 inches tall. Her weight is still pretty low, but she jumped up in height again so the doctor was not concerned. She is still in 3-6 month clothes and only a 1-2 diaper size. She had three shots today. I felt so bad for her! She immediately started screaming and got the biggest tears! She calmed down when I was able to pick her up and then started crying again when she met gazes with the nurse! It was funny! She knew exactly who hurt her. Her development is right on track if not a little ahead. Haylee has discovered her tongue these past few days. It is so cute. She is constantly playing with it and sticking it out. She also wants to touch and play with everyone else's tongue when they stick it out at her. She has gotten very vocal and is always giggling. She will belt out high-pitched screams and squeals, but they have a happy tone to them. She is developing a bit of separation anxiety and will cry when I leave the room. I am not going to lie, I kind of like it. I know it's bad to put her in front of the TV, but she loves to watch Winnie the Pooh and Mickey Mouse. Unfortunately, it only entertains her for a little bit. She enjoys being read to and holds the book just how it is suppose to be held and will even turn the pages. She will look at books for forever! She loves them. She is back on track with her sleeping schedule since getting her two bottom teeth and getting over her cold. She is taking three naps during the day and sleeping through the night. I have figured out that it is imperative that we go to bed at the same time every night. We have to start bedtime off with a warm bath between 8:00 and 8:30 followed by a cereal bottle. If it is a minute past 9:00 she is overtired and she won't fall asleep until 10 and we even take the risk of her waking in the middle of the night. Before 9, it takes 15 minutes. I have really figured out how important schedules are. Her schedule would be a little stricter if I didn't work or if she didn't have as many babysitters. She still eats every 3-4 hours and doesn't spend more than 2 1/2hours awake at a time. That is how her schedule goes for the most part. I recently purchased a bumbo and she loves it! It is really helping her and strengthening her to sit on her own. She is so close now. She absolutely loves sweet potatoes and bananas! She reaches for all food actually. She is really grabbing at everything these days. I am really loving her age right now. It is so fun watching her development and figuring things out. She is my little princess and I could not imagine life without her. I love you Haylee!

I love sitting up!

Under the Weather at 5 Months

The past couple weeks have been pretty rough at the Prescott household. We have all been a little "under the weather" including Haylee. She has started teething, but she caught her first real cold on top of that. She has not been eating or sleeping very well either. To make it worse, Haylee would cough so hard that she would throw up most of her bottle and she would also wake herself up whenever she coughed making sleeping a little difficult. We ended up taking a trip to the doctor today just to make sure her ears were ok and there was no infection. The doctor said it was nothing more than a virus, but more than just teething. She is working on pushing her two bottom teeth through. Right when she started to eat better and sleep through the night, the teething starts. Go figure! I just feel sad for her. It is no fun!

I totally skipped an update at four months so here is a five month update... Haylee is getting so big! In her own kind of way that is! As of today, Haylee weighs 13 pounds, 10 ounces fully clothed. At her four month check-up, she weighed 11 pounds 12 ounces which dropped her lower in the percentile, but she jumped up in height at 24 1/2 inches long. Her weight is low, but her height makes up for it so it was not a concern. Haylee is still rolling all over to get around. When she is on her stomach or back she pushed with her feet helping her get around a little too. She loves sleeping in her own room in her big crib, but is such a mover! When I go get her when she wakes up, she is not where I left her when she was sleeping! I usually find her up at the top of the crib on her stomach stuck in the corner just blabbering on and on! She is still sleeping with her hands being her head just like her Daddy! She still holds on to her left ear for comfort too. She also puts her hands behind her head while in the bath and just kicks her feet. It is as if she is just relaxing as she gets pampered. It cracks me up! Everything she can get her hands on goes straight to her mouth. She is constantly chewing on everything and drooling like crazy. She is already wanting cell phones and remotes! Oh man! Are we in trouble or what?! She is also pretty stubborn (that is her Daddy in her) and has to hold her bottle all by herself with both hands. She holds on so tight so no one will take it from her. We are working on helping her sit up on her own, but she is still working on it. I think crawling is not too far off either. We will see. Haylee loves cereal! She likes it by spoon and in her bottles. It is my favorite to watch her eat. We are going to try bananas and sweet potatoes next. I am loving every minute of every day being a mom to Haylee. She has really attached to me now and will light up when I enter the room and cry when I leave. The absolute best is when Haylee gives hugs and kisses. Well, they are what I call hugs and kisses. She puts her head on my shoulder and gives open-mouth kisses on my cheek or neck. It is more of sucking, but I love it! She has developed a little personality and you gotta love the attitude! She wants it when she wants it. That's for sure. She has also developed quite a scream. To be honest, I hate it. Lets just hope she grows out of it! I love to watch her learn and figure out life. It makes me so excited for what is to come in her development and growth.

Haylee loves playing on her play mat. She is a little monkey and grabs the hanging toys with her feet!

Haylee's favorite place to nap ... the love sac! So comfy!

The Best Three Years

Today is our three year anniversary. I can not believe it has already been three years. I can honestly say that it has been the best years of my life. We have had so much fun being married and now we have added being parents to the mix and we are enjoying every minute of it.

I have been thinking a lot today about this day three years ago. Aside from bringing Haylee into this world, it was the best day of my life. Everything was perfect and so much fun. I didn't want it to end!

I am so thankful that we were sealed in the temple for time and all eternity. We have each other forever!

I just wanted to say how much I love you Rich! I am so thankful for you in my life. You are the best husband and father anyone could have. Here is to many more years and an eternity to come! Love you!

3 Month Portraits

I finally got some professional pictures taken of Haylee. It was so much fun and Haylee was loving the camera giving us tons of smiles. They turned out so cute! Enjoy!

3 Months (and one week)

Haylee turned 3 months old on June 29th. I am a little late with this post, so now she is 3 months and 1 week old. As of June 24th, she weighed a whoppin' 10 pounds, 7 ounces. She has finally passed the 10 pound mark! She is in the 25 percentile for her weight and is just a little peanut! Everyone that meets her says how little she is and I was a little worried at first, but she is growing well and is very healthy so I am content with the fact that she is just a little one. She is totally obsessed with her hands! They are constantly in her mouth or she is staring them down with her big eyes inspecting them. When she is not sucking on her hands, she is sucking on her "binkers". Thank goodness for those! I am so lucky she takes one! She blabbers on and on and is full of smiles. She is constantly moving and flapping her arms and legs. She even ends up hitting herself when she gets out-of-control. I love the way she stares at me or at Rich. She really knows who we are now and it just melts my heart when she stares into our eyes. It just makes me feel so good. My favorite is to look in the back seat and see her sitting in her car seat and see her cute feet crossed at the ankles every time. It is the little details and the little moments that I want to capture and remember. Some of Haylee's nicknames include: Princess, Little P, Monkey, Bubbas, Bubba Lus, and Peanut. We have not narrowed it down to just one! Haylee is pretty much sleeping through the night now. She goes down around 10 or 10:30 and sleeps until 4 or 5 am! She eats, and then sleeps for another 2 1/2 hours. It is great! She naps several times through the day and usually has one long nap in the afternoon for about three hours if we are lucky! My milk supply has decreased drastically since returning to work and we were worried that she was not getting enough to eat so she is mostly taking formula/bottles now and I nurse at night and in the morning. Haylee holds on to her left ear when eating. I think it is a comfort thing, but so funny! Eventually, she will be straight formula. It kills me to pay $24 for a can of formula every week, but we have been lucky to have breatfed this long. We had a pretty good run with it. We are going on Wednesday to take her 3 month pictures. They are going to be so fun and so cute so watch for them! Well, I just thought I would write an update. Pictures to come!

2 MONTHS

I just wanted to share some of Haylee's accomplishments now that she is a whoppin 2 months old! We can not believe it! We are finally figuring her out, but still learning so much! We just love having her in our lives and are so blessed.

• She sleeps with one eye cracked open just like her Daddy!
• If her mouth is open, you know she is in a deep sleep.
• She has found her hands and loves to hold them together. It is funny to watch her stare at them and go cross-eyed.
• She loves sucking on her hands. Oh how I love that sound!
• She has been diagnosed with acid reflux and thrush. She takes 3 different medicines everyday!
• She smiles and is trying to laugh as you talk and smile at her.
• She often sleeps with her arms raised while sleeping in her bouncer seat.
• At about 4 weeks of age, she began to bald like an old man on the top of her head. I am proud to say that it is growing back in. Oh! And it is growing back in dark! Now we have to deal with the little balding spot on the back of her head from rubbing when laying on her back.
• Absolutely loves her bath! She kicks and splashes all over! She will splash herself in the face and stun herself.
• She hates getting dressed and always seems to know when it is coming. She is so happy in the bath and then as soon as we get out, she gets mad. When we are done getting dressed, she is fine again.
• Loves a bare bum, but what baby doesn't?
• I swear she has the loudest burps and farts! She has a little of the Reynolds gene in her! Ha! Ha!
• She has the narrowest feet! I have tried putting shoes on her, but they will not stay on. They fit length wise, but her feet are too skinny to hold them on.
• Will stop crying if you make fart sounds. Rich discovered that one!
• Loves car rides!
• She just barely stopped wearing newborn diapers! The newborns were getting too tight, but the size ones are too big!
• She still fits in some newborn clothes.
• Some of the 0-3 month sizes are too big and some fit perfect, but she has a pair of levi jeans that are 6 months that fit as well. What gives?!

Shots and Tears

Poor Haylee had her two month shots and checkup today on her two month birthday. I felt so bad for her! She was already crying because she was hungry (big surprise) and then when the first poke came, the screaming started! She couldn't catch her breath at first and her whole head turned bright red and then she screamed and the tears started rolling. I fed her after that and she slept the rest of the day! She woke up to eat and that was about it. Man! Getting shots and doctor visits are exhausting!

Check out my cool hot pink band aids! She got a total of 5 vaccines and 3 pokes.

Haylee is growing and developing right on track. She now weighs 9 pounds, 14 ounces and is 21 3/4 long. She can now see across the room, about 8-10 feet away, and some color. I forgot what percentile she is for her height and weight, but she is around average. I can not believe my baby is already two months. She has changed and grown so much. It is very exciting!

:) First Smiles :)

Haylee is really starting to smile. I had to capture some and share. It just melts your heart.

Mothers Day 2009 and Haylee's Blessing

We decided last minute (the Thursday before) to bless Haylee on Mother's Day Sunday at my parent's house. We decided to keep it very small with immediate family only in respect of Rich because he is so shy and nervous to pray in front of people. We just love our little angel!

Rich gave Haylee an amazing blessing. It was truly perfect. He was very nervous, but you could not even tell. He said all of the right things and I am so glad that Haylee has been blessed and given her name by her daddy. The spirit was definitely there. Haylee was getting cranky right before, but as soon as Rich began to speak she calmed down and didn't make a peep until it was done. It was such a special day.

Our first family picture on my first Mother's Day. Mother's Day was so special. Rich was so sweet and made me breakfast and did all of the dishes. I wish everyday was Mother's Day!

Happy Mother's Day to my sweet mom and Haylee's grandma. We are so lucky to have her in our lives. She does so much for us and is always there to help. We love you!