Christmas update

So Christmas has come and gone again. I don't like the next few weeks after Christmas. Its so sad. Everyone is putting away there decorations and the smell of peppermint and cookies is gone.

Santa Claus spoiled Oaklie. She got lots of toys. She wasn't interested in unwrapping all her gifts so I had to do most of the unwrapping. She got distracted by one new toy after the other that she forgot about all the other presents. We also got a little spoiled by each other and by family. We had a really good Christmas. It was so good to be home and spend the holidays with my family. Ty and Ash made it up Christmas night and the next day we  all went and saw Frozen. Which by the way is one of the cutest movies I have seen so go see it if you haven't yet.

Oaks birthday is tomorrow. Crazy!? I will post an update on her birthday and put some of her cute one year photos on here once I get the cd. But until then enjoy some pics of our Christmas at the Campbell's. :)

Christmas Cheer

Christmas is coming too fast. I want time to slow down so I can enjoy the Christmas spirit. I never knew how much fun Christmas would be with kids. I am so excited for Oaklie to see what Santa brought her on Christmas morning even though she won't understand what is going on.

We finally got to Idaho a couple weeks ago and it has been so much fun being home with family and being able to attend family parties so I can see everyone. Oaklie experienced snow for the first time. She liked it until she fell down in it then she wasn't too happy. I knew it was going to be cold, but I didnt expect it to be this cold. The weather so far has been freezing. I dont think its been over 20 degrees since I've been here and it's dropped well below zero a couple of times. Oaklie doesn't seemed to bothered by it but I have had her bundled up everytime we go out.

So far Oaklie has opened up her first present with the help of her cousin Tayzlie. She got to sit on Santa's lap and didn't enjoy that at all. Oak "helped" grandma decorate the tree, and she got to see snow for the first time. It has been a successful holiday season so far. Daddy just needs to get here and we have a few more family parties and its finally Christmas!!! :)

 Playing with cousins

Figured out she can through her shoes downstairs.

              Trying to get past the baby gate.

11 months!

In 3 days, Oaklie will be 11 months and only one month away from her first birthday and Christmas. :) This last month she has mastered walking. She is constantly on the go unless she's asleep. She has learned a few more sounds and words. She walks around the house saying uh-oh! It is just the cutest thing. As of right now, I am currently trying to wean Oak on a sippy cup. I am more then ready to be done nursing. Oaklie has been pretty stubborn so far but that is to be expected at first. I know for the first couple of days it is going to be a battle and there will be a lot of tears, but it is time. So if any mothers have any suggestions or tips it would be greatly appreciated. We learned recently that Oaklie LOVES Candy Canes. She can eat them all day if I would let her. I've been really good at keeping her away from sugar and juice, so her new love for Candy Canes comes as no surprise because that is the closest thing she has tried to candy besides a little bit of ice cream.

The days are counting down until Oaklie and I fly home. :) I am always excited to come home but I am dreading the plane ride. I am a little nervous flying with Oaklie alone... again. But this time she is walking so I have a feeling it is going to be a LONG trip for both of us. On the bright side of things, we will probably be staying until the first of April. Andrew will be going TDY to Cannon AFB in New Mexico for 2 months after the New Year so instead of flying back with him after Christmas then jumping on an air plane again in 2 weeks, we are just going to stay in Idaho. In fact we will be in Idaho for the majority of 2014. After Andrew's TDY ends in April, we will come back to Florida for 4 months then he will be deploying to Afghanistan for 4-6 months. Nothing is set in stone yet for his deployment but it is looking more likely to happen. 2014 is going to be challenging for us, but it is part of his job and I am so lucky that I have a family to go home to so Oaklie and I aren't here all by ourselves for months on end. They are definitely my rock during times like these. So blessed to have the family I do.

Its crazy to think the next time I get on, Oaklie will be turning one. This year has gone by so fast. It is true what they say. I wish time would slow down just a little bit so Oak wont get so big so fast. I still cant believe Thanksgiving is this week and then Christmas next month. Where did the fall go? It never feels like the holidays here. It has gotten a little cold, but I can still wear my flips flops. I know I am going to freeze next week but I am excited for it. A change in season will be good. We all just need to pray for snow so we can have a white Christmas then everything will be perfect. :)

10 Months and lots of Candy!

Oaklie turned 10 months on the 29th. Its crazy she will be one in 2 months. This last month, Oaklie started walking. She doesn't need the help of furniture to walk anymore. She gets into EVERYTHING. I feel like I can never keep my house clean because while I'm cleaning and putting things away, shes behind me pulling something else out. Oaklie has come to like getting in our cupboards and pulling everything out of them and spreading pots and pans out throughout the house. She definitely keeps me busy with all her messes. It is a lot more work now that she is mobile but this is the fun age. As much as I miss her cuddling, I love that she can now interact with us. Her personality is like none other. She has always loved to talk but she now mimics sounds we make and she is now saying mama. :) She is always smiling and laughing. She just brightens up my day.

Yesterday was Oaklie's first Halloween. She dressed up as Minnie Mouse and she was just the cutest Minnie ever. There were a lot of Minnie's this year but no one had the same costume as Oaklie. We got lots of compliments on how cute she was. In Florida they go house to house instead of trunk or treat and Oaklie enjoyed every minute of it. We got lots of candy and Oaklie was all smiles the whole time. So you can say her first Halloween was a success.

Now that Halloween is done with, we can now start getting ready for Thanksgiving and start listening to Christmas music. Oaklie's Christmas and birthday is all done and sent to Idaho. So I can now just enjoy the holidays and finish up last minute shopping with my family. And around this time next month I will be home. Crossing my fingers this month goes by quick. :)

Pumpkin Carving

Last night we decided to finally carve our pumpkins. Oaklie didn't enjoy it as much as I thought she would. She didn't like the feeling of the pumpkin guts. But I am really happy with how our pumpkins turned out in the end. Of course we had to do Minnie Mouse for Oaklie, and being the football fanatics that we are, we had to do one of our football teams. Since the New York Giants aren't doing so hot, (my team) we decided to go with Andrew's team, the Denver Broncos. More pictures to come when we take Oaklie trick or treating. Oaklie looks so darn cute in her costume. Can't wait! :)

Family Time

There is nothing like spending the weekend with my little family. We took Oaklie to a pumpkin patch today and it was a first for all three of us. Growing up I always got my pumpkin from my grandpa or from the local grocery store. So going out and looking through fields of pumpkins was a lot of fun. We then ended the night by going to the beach and doing a little fishing. It is still surreal for us to be going to the beach during October. We definitely miss the change in the season. I'm a boot and sweater kind of girl, but soon enough I will be back home freezing my butt off in the snow. Until then enjoy some pictures from our fun eventful day. :)

9 months!

Another month has come and gone. When I was pregnant, 9 months seemed to drag but now that Oaklie is here, the first 9 months flew by. Oaklie is crawling everywhere. She likes to be on the move constantly. She likes to follow us from room to room. I like to call her my little shadow because she is always right behind me. Oaklie isn't walking yet but she uses about anything she can to pull herself up and walk along. Oak is starting to talk, it is not just screaming anymore. She can say "dada" for Daddy, "papa" for grandpa, and "baba" for.... well we don't really know what that means. She will not say mom. I try to get her to but she doesn't want to say it just yet.

Just recently Oaklie's first two bottom teeth broke through. I thought teething would be a nightmare but she took it like a champ. She never got a fever and she was never grumpy. Just the other day we notice two little white teeth barely poking through. So I hope the rest of her teething goes just as smoothly.

Every month I notice little changes in Oaklie's personality.  She is becoming more and more aware of her surroundings and she knows exactly what she wants. Overall Oak is a happy girl but every once in awhile she shows us her attitude. If you take something away from her or a toy does something she didn't want it to do, she has a scowl on her face and sometimes she will let out a little scream like shes telling us or the toy not to do that. It is so cute now but lets hope in the future she is not as stubborn and outspoken like her parents.

We've had a few exciting things happen this past month. We recently got our plane tickets to fly home for Christmas. It has been 3 years since I've been home for the holidays and I cant wait to see the snow and be with my family for the holidays. We will also be spending Oaklie's first birthday at home. I'm excited everyone will be able to celebrate with us. Oaklie and I will be home for another month. We are flying out the week after Thanksgiving and Andrew will be flying in the weekend before Christmas and we will be staying until the 7th of January. I know I said I would never fly with Oaklie alone unless I had to but I think coming home for another month is worth it. Only 2 more months and we will be home again. Cross our fingers they go by quick. :)

Numero Ocho!

Another month has come and gone. Oaklie is not a little baby anymore, she is well on her way to becoming a toddler. I cant complain much because following Oaklie around the house is giving me a good work out. Andrew and I are having so much fun with her. She is learning to interact with us more and more. She can say "da" for daddy and I think she is trying to say mom when she goes "mmmmm..." She says it when she wants me so I will take it. She now answers to her name and realizes that we are talking to her or about her when we say it. And she wants to eat every meal she possibly can with us. She likes to feel included.

I've come to see that with every milestone she achieves, her personality changes. She loves to interact and talk to people but only from a distance. She is becoming a little shy. She will smile and talk but only if she is by mine or Andrew's side. But when we are home with just us, she is a little ball of energy. She loves to hear herself talk and go wherever she wants and get into whatever she wants. Oaklie has recently learned to clap with her hands and she is learning how to walk using the furniture. I won't be surprised by next month, she will start walking on her own. Until then we enjoy playing with her and watching her grow. Being a mom and having a family is the best thing in the world. I wouldn't change mine for anything. <3

(Popsicles help her with teething)

We're back!!

Tonight is my first official night home from Idaho. I flew back late last night and boy are Oaklie and I wiped out. It was such a good visit. I wish Andrew could have came for a couple of weeks so we could have worked it out where we could stay longer. I could not believe how fast the month flew by. It felt like I was only home for a couple of weeks. But I sure am happy to be back with my husband. I cant imagine deployment because a month was long enough for the both of us. 

So a lot has changed since I was last on. Oaklie is now 7 months, almost 8 and she is getting into everything. She has perfected crawling and can now stand up using furniture. Next will be walking. She will walk if you are holding her hands so I don't think it will take too long until she figures out how to balance on her feet. 

Oaklie was a little shocked when we first got to Idaho. She was not sure about the family since she was only 2 months when she saw them last. It took her a little bit to warm up to everyone but she did. She especially bonded with my dad. She sure loves her grandpa because he would always take her out on walks or I like to call them little adventures. Every time he would come home from work, Oaklie would look around for him and call him over to her so he would take her away. She loved her Aunt Courtney and Grandma too, but Oaklie is not one to cuddle. And that is all Courtney and Grandma wanted to do, was hold her and cuddle her. Oaklie had a lot of firsts while we were home. She tried different foods, went on four wheeler rides, and got to ride in a boat which was probably her favorite part of the whole trip. She would just lay there in her little corner and relax which is rare with her. She loves to be constantly on the go. So it was nice to see her relax and sit back for once. 

We tried to get around and see as much family as we could. Sadly, we didn't get around to everyone. My dad was really busy with work so that made things hard to leave. But we got to spend a lot of time with all of my nieces and nephews. It breaks my heart every time I have to say goodbye to them. They were amazing with "Baby O" (nickname they gave her) and she loved being around them just as much as they liked being around her. But probably the highlight of the trip for me was going to City Creek with all my sisters, where we spent the whole day shopping together. It is so hard to get all of us together so it was nice spending time and catching up with them. As sad as it was for me to leave, it was time for me to come home. I hate saying goodbye. I always tell them I will see them later because it is never goodbye for too long. Crossing our fingers we will be home for another month during Christmas and Oaklie's first birthday. And the best part is, Andrew will be coming with us. I do not recommend anyone to fly alone with a baby. It was tiring. I wont fly alone with Oaklie again unless I absolutely have to. She didn't cry, she just wanted to play and talk. So you can imagine how it was for the people next to me trying to sleep. But luckily for me they were all good sports about it and just smiled at Oaklie. But for now, I am going to bed. We are a bit jet lagged so I hope everyone has a good night. :)

Half Birthday!

Oaklie is now 6 months. I can't believe its been that long since she came into this world. It feels like I just had her. Time really does fly when you start having kids. Before I know it, we will have a toddler on our hands. As much fun as it has been watching her change and grow, I wish she was still my little newborn. But you can't stop time and I am loving every minute of the day watching my little girl grow.

1 month: Oaklie came into our world. All she did was sleep, eat, poop, and repeat. She loved to cuddle and take baths.

2 months: Oaklie started to smile and coo. She also found her thumb and discovered TV. She's been hooked on Mickey Mouse Clubhouse ever since.

3 months: Oaks went to the beach for the first time. She started to laugh and roll from her tummy to her back. She found her feet and started to grab at toys.

4 months: Oaklie really started to make her presence known by talking really loud and everywhere we go. She learned how to pick up her toys and put them in her mouth. She started to learn how to support herself sitting up.

5 months: Oaklie tried Oatmeal Cereal for the first time. She can now sit up and she learned she can roll from her back to tummy. Oak started rolling and scooting all over the house. She is always on the move.

6 months: This month we will be in Idaho most of it and I predict she will start to crawl. I am going to start her on baby food. She will be taking a boat ride and seeing fireworks for the first time.

Happy half birthday sweetheart! I cant believe how much she has changed in 6 months. I cant wait to see what these next 6 months bring and what else she will accomplish in that short of time. :)

Oaklie's Nursery

OK, so it took me 5 months after Oaklie was born to get her nursery done. Don't judge me. I thought I would have plenty of time to finish it while she slept, but I was wrong. When my parents came to visit, they brought a whole suitcase filled with just clothes for Oaklie. Oaklie had more then enough clothes before but when my parents came and we put it all in her room, her room became her closet because it was sooooo much. Last night I decided it was time to finally finish her room up and clean out her closet. It was sad putting all her newborn and 3 month clothes in boxes. Its weird to think we won't use them again unless we have another girl. Her room is not a 100% done yet. I want to get a few things to put in there but with time it will come. But with everything else I thought we did a good job organizing everything. Enjoy!

The angel picture above is really special to me. My mother gave that to me when I was little after my cousin Jordan passed away. The picture represents him watching over me and now I am passing it down to Oaklie so Jordan can watch over her. <3

Just a Bunch of Babbling about Being a New Mom!

For some reason today I am just in the mood to blog. I know all I talk about is Oaklie in my blog, but who wouldn't talk about there new baby girl? My life revolves around Oaks. I can't even picture what my life was like before I had her nor do I want to picture myself without her. I haven't really gone into what it is like for me to be a first time mother. You can get all the advice you want, or say you know enough about taking care of a little baby from experience like babysitting or nieces and nephews. But the truth is, you really don't know until you have one of your own. Lately, it seems all my friends are currently pregnant. I am so happy for all of them because this is one of the best things you will ever do in your life. But I do have to admit I am a little jealous. Its not that I want to become pregnant right now, but I was pregnant all by myself. After I had Oaklie, one by one everyone around me was telling me they were expecting. I am so ecstatic for each of them but you know I wish I would've been pregnant with them also. Pregnancy from my perspective, was the easiest out of it all. Weirdly enough, labor was the best of it. I enjoyed it. But when you actually have the baby, is when things get harder, but its the most rewarding.  Oaklie being 5 months now, I can look back at everything I've done and tell myself what a good job I've done. I think I adapted well with being a new mom. I am no expert but I have one healthy and happy baby to show for it. I still am learning new things everyday I go. I don't think anyone knows what the best thing to do in any situation because each baby is different. I've had my older sister and friends ask me all the time about what it was like for me having Oaklie and what it was like after the hospital. I cant say it is going to be the same for everyone. I was very fortunate to not get post partum. I did get a slight case of baby blues but from what I hear, most mothers do. There were a few times I would cry just to cry. I had no idea what I was crying over. It went on for maybe a week and then I was fine. You can read about my expedience having Oaklie here http://airmansgurl32.blogspot.com/2013/01/the-story-of-oaklie-kaye.html. But I had a wonderful and easy labor. I never wrote about how life was after the hospital. Oaklie for the most part has always slept through the night. She can sleep like a rock. She will normally go to sleep around 11 at night and will sleep until 10 in the morning. Of course she has her bad nights but I have never gone a night without any sleep. She always wakes up to eat around 6 in the morning but she is instantly asleep while I am feeding her. Which brings up breast feeding. There is nothing wrong with bottle feeding. Some people cant feed by choice or have to go to work. I was luckily enough to be able to breast feed Oaklie. It is tough and demanding at first but so worth it in the end. It is a bonding experience only YOU will have with your precious little one. I will admit I just wanted to give up at first. It hurt pretty bad for me especially when I actually started getting my milk in. But I'm glad I stuck to it. I am not going to go into a lot of detail on it but I love it and if you have the ability to do it, I would encourage you do it for as long as you can because it is just as rewarding for you and more so for your baby.

Just enjoy your baby. Time goes by really fast. I still cant believe Oaklie is already 5 months. In 7 short months she will be a year. So when everyone tells you time goes by fast, it does. They change dramatically within that little of time. Oaklie has gained 7 lbs and has grown 5 inches since she was born. They don't stay little for as long as you would like. Oaklie is learning to sit up and is on her way to start crawling and walking. But for all those new expecting mothers, enjoy being pregnant. I miss feeling Oaklie's kicks. And when your little one is here, take in every second you have with them and invest in a camera if you don't already have one. You want to capture every cute moment. <3

Sorry for the long blog and all the babbling but with a sleeping baby and all the questions I get asked, I had the time to do it and I hope that answered some of the question new mothers may have.

1, 2, 3, 4, FIVE!!!!

Is Oaklie really 5 months already? Time is flying by. Oaklie is growing and learning new things everyday. She is learning how to sit up on her own. She can support herself, she just needs help with balance. Soon enough she will get it. She has mastered rolling over. Oak rolls all over the place. This cutie loves to be on the move. I can definitely wait for her to start walking. Anyone who has called me on the phone or has been around Oaklie, know she is a jabber box. Her new thing is screaming. It is really cute but screaming on end all day can give me a head ache. But she enjoys it and think its the coolest sound she's ever heard. The apple does not fall far from the tree. We both love talking. She will be a social butterfly for sure.

I started Oaks on cereal and she is starting to catch on. She still makes funny faces when I first put the spoon in her mouth, but it is actually going down instead of ending up all over her. She now stares at both of us while we eat. She will watch the fork go from the plate to my mouth. She has become quit observant.

She also loves the beach. She will just watch the waves come in and out. I put her feet in and she loved it. She was kicking away and talking the water. And we cant forget about building sand castles with Dad. She was more interested in eating the sand, but she liked watching me and Andrew build them. Luckily Oaklie has Andrew's complexion because I got burnt and she didn't, even with sunscreen I got burnt. It's sad Oaklie has darker skin then I do and she's never in the sun.

Oaklie has a sense of humor now. She likes to play peek a boo and loves to do superman. We can get her laughing every time. She also has a thing for burying herself under blankets. I will go over and pull the blankets back and make a silly sound and she starts cracking up. She just loves to laugh. We got very lucky because she is a VERY happy baby. Her smiles make my day. 

Oaklie seems to change everyday. She learns something new and amazes me and Andrew. She is my world and I love her more then anything. It makes being away from home that much harder because I don't get to share these experience's with my family. Face time helps but she is a totally different baby when we were home in March. But we did just buy our tickets home. Oaklie and I are coming home in the middle of July and we are staying for a month. Sadly, Andrew is staying behind because he is going TDY (training) for a month while we are gone. So of course we are going to use this time to go home. But as for now we are going to be enjoying our time together before we all leave. :)

2 years and 4 months!

Today marks our 2nd Anniversary. It's been two years of wedded bliss. I have no idea where the time has gone. So many things have happened in two years. Andrew joined the Air force, we moved to Texas then Florida. A year from today I found out I was pregnant and we got blessed with our gorgeous little girl, Oaklie. I cant wait to see what comes these next few years. I'm glad I've got to spend it with my best friend. I cant imagine life without him or Oaklie. <3

Today also marks 4 months for Oaklie. It feels like yesterday she was born. It has been so much fun watching her grow and experience new things. She has learned to pick toys up. She loves feeling anything and everything she can with her hands. She thinks whatever is in her hands must go in her mouth. Oak will try to fit a toy and her fist in her mouth at the same time. It is the cutest thing. Oakile is finally laughing. I love hearing her little laugh. Different things make her laugh at certain times but I can always get her when I tickle her neck. She is still learning to sit up on her own. I give it another month and she will be good. And she LOVES to talk. She talks all the time. We went to the new movie The Croods, and I felt bad for all the people around us because she thought it was the coolest thing. She was talking all the way through the movie. She is not a quiet baby. Oak can now scoot on the floor. She likes to get up on her knees and hands. She could crawl if she got the coordination down. Its not going to be too long until she up and going. Its crazy how fast she is changing but I've loved watching her personality grow. Oaklie is one of the happiest girls. She is always smiling. Her smiles make all the late nights and dirty diapers worth it. :)

Tomorrow I turn the big 21. Andrew and Oaklie have a big day planned for me. Andrew took leave for my birthday and he has the next two days off after that, so I have no idea what he has planned for our weekend. But I cant wait to see what he has in store. He knows what I like so I know its going to be fun. I hope we spend a lot of time at the beach. I'm a beach bum. I am determined to get dark this summer. You cant live in Florida and be as white as I am. Its sad when your daughter who has never sat in the sun, is darker then you. We will see how it goes. Everyone enjoy your Monday. :)

The big 3!

Oaklie is turning three months and it is bittersweet. I love how much she is starting to interact with me and Andrew, but I miss my little baby. When we first brought her home, I hated how much she slept but now I wish she slept more. :) I miss taking naps with her. Oaklie is starting to get a little personality. She has started talking A LOT more. She definitely makes her presence known and she doesn't mind letting you know what is on her mind. She will just talk and smile. I love it. She has not laughed yet but she is almost there. You can tell she wants to. I am afraid she is going to be a little goer. We all have a feeling it is not going to take long for her to start crawling and walking. She loves to be up and wants to know what is going on. She is very curious. When we give her tummy time, she digs her feet in and scoots across the floor. She is going to be gone too soon. She likes to think of herself older then she is. Everyone is surprised when they find out she is almost 3 months. She holds herself much better then a normal 3 month old. They all think she is 4 to 5 months. She tries to sit up and she holds her head very well. Even as a newborn she never flopped her head like what they normally do. The doctor always comments on how strong her neck and back are. We are glad we have a very strong, healthy baby.

We just got home from a good vacation from home. It was not long enough. Oaklie met all of her cousins, Aunts, and Uncles. All her cousins just loved being around her. Someone was constantly holding her. I only got to see her when she needed to be fed. Me and Andrew were very good with sharing her. We even went on our first date without her. I loved having so many babysitters. They are the only ones I will trust leaving her with. We blessed Oaklie while we were home and I am so grateful to have the gospel in my life and to share it with my daughter and future kids. It was another amazing experience. After the blessing, we just chilled at home and got to hang out and visit with family and friends. Andria and Haley put a little baby shower together for us and it was so nice of them and it was so nice to visit and see everyone. My poor mom and dad. It just broke their hearts saying goodbye to us, again. It breaks mine leaving them again. It gets harder saying goodbye each time we leave. Two in a half weeks was not long enough. Its crazy to think the next time we see everyone, she will be crawling and possibly walking. Thank goodness we have Face Time. It will have to do for now.

Going on 2 Months

Time flies! I cant believe Oaklie is 2 months. She is just the cutest little baby. She is always so happy and she very rarely cries. She will only cry when she is hungry or when she is really tired and wants to be cuddled. Oaklie is now smiling A LOT! When she wakes me up in the morning, it makes every sleepless night worth it, when I  go to pick her up and she is laying there smiling at me. She is also like her mother and likes to talk. She is a little jabber box. We did face time with her cousins, Grandma, and Grandpa the other night, and she was just talking away and giving the boys lots of smiles. I am so excited to be bringing her home this weekend. We need a vacation. I haven't been home since August. It seems so long ago. And this time Oaklie will be with us, so everyone in the family can finally meet her. She will get to experience snow for the first time. We are going to freeze. We are not used to the cold anymore. Besides freezing my butt off, I am excited to see snow. A change in season will be a good change for a couple weeks. Anyone who wants to meet Oaklie, is more then welcome to come see her while we are home. But until then, enjoy some pictures. She is just the cutest.

                                                                    Trying to sit up.

                                                     

                                                                  Talking to Daddy.

                                                           She loves watching the TV.