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. :)