Happy Birthday to Me and other family fun!!

On Friday February 7 we went out to enjoy all the snow we had been receiving. Aleana was afraid to sit in the deep snow so she sat on my lap while we made a little snowman.  She was fine siting on the ground after I cleared away all the snow.  She kept pulling out our little snow mans arms and then wanting me to put them right back in.  Silly Girl.  

 Two little cuties are with my Dad.

 My family came up on Saturday the 8th for a little Birthday party for me and my mom.  Aleana was tired and really did not want to play with Layla or anyone much. She did like sitting in the big camp chair all by herself.  We had pizza, ice cream, and red velvet cupcakes (which I made).  We were going to go up to Hardware Ranch to see Elk but it was bad weather so we just played at home.

 My sister gave me pink button up sweater with a tie and my parents gave me some money.  The little cuties got some valentine toys from Debbie and a Princess book that plays music from my mom. It was fun having family up.  We did miss Brian and Cadie because they were sick.  

 Cute little family picture!

My Birthday was on Monday February 10th and I had a nice birthday, Curt ended up staying home from work because he had to take the car in that morning, luckily nothing serious just a sensor.  We got to spend the day together!! He helped with Aleana, cleaned the house, and made fish for dinner and homemade apple cobbler.  I am lucky to have such a wonderful husband!  We had friends come over that evening for cobbler and ice cream.

In the Afternoon Curt gave me my presents. 

 Helping me read my card from her! 

Aleana thinks all presents are here's, she is wearing the hat Curt had my friend Chelsea make for me.  

I think it is adorable!! 

 Helping me open presents and trying to still my "mum mum's" as she calls them. 

 Curt also got me an exercise game for the Kinect, and a soft rug to stand on while I get ready in the bathroom (it is supper comfy to stand on :).  Curt's mom gave me a red scarf, socks, some headbands and some money.  

 Aleana in her bright fun outfit (she put on the head band and necklace herself) reading her Princess book from grandma.  What a cutie, she diffidently has a fun personality :)

On another note we had planned to start the adoption process with LDS Family services, we even were getting together references and other documents, but we felt it is not the right time and LDS might not be the route for us to go this time. We talked and prayed about it the night before and made a final decision on my birthday. Some might think that would have been hard but it was actually a weight lifted off me because I was going to have to spend my whole birthday running around getting stuff done for our home study and filling out a long questionnaire.  I also feels good to follow the promptings of the spirit and not just do something because we think it is what everyone expects us to to do and what we thought we should to do. I guess I should have listened to the spirit sooner and we would not have gotten so far into the process, it is hard to obey sometimes when it goes against what you think you want. Curt and I were planning to start again when she was 12 months but I kept getting the feeling we need to wait and then when we went to the temple a couple months ago I had the feeling that we would not be getting our next child through LDS Family services. Well I guess I thought it had been long enough and I LDS Family Services would be the right place to get started, but I the Lord had to remind me that he is in charge and has different plans for us.  I will try and listen better.  We are not sure of our next plans we thought there was a foster care situation to look into but it sounds like the aunt is going to keep the girls. We know the lord is in charge so we will see where this journey takes us :).  I love my family the way it is now and will joy what the Lord has given me!!

Aleana is 16 months old!!

 Fun from her 15th month 

Aleana loves playing in our shoe closets and trying on our shoes.  I caught her walking around in my red Sunday shoes.  I am glad that I don't where high heels those would be a lot harder her for her to walk in. 

 She will also take books into our closet and sit to sit and read.  I think the just likes to be alone sometimes. 

My silly little girl reading her books and snuggling I with on of her many stuffed animals her. 

All suited up and ready to go play.  It has been fun having this snowsuit. 

Aleana and Mommy playing in the snow!

This little girl love being outside and has just loved the snow!  

She discovered how fun it is to throw the cushions off the couch. She is a busy little mischievous little girl! 

She likes having her picture taken, I was taking pictures to show the difference in my hair before and after my hair cut and she kept saying "cheese, cheese" so I picked her up and we got this cute picture! 

Before hair cut! 

After hair cut! I was really happy with the results, Thanks Erin! 

Going sledding! 

She liked it the first couple of times but after that she was afraid to get in the sled. Glad I got happy picture. 

She loves to help us cook!

Helping Daddy make pancakes for breakfast. 

My cutie wearing my snow hat!  I just love her:) 

Looking out the window to see if Daddy is coming home. 

She love looking out the window, she will climb up on the couch and over the arm and watch kids play, cars driving, birds etc. If she is not up watching and she hears a car or truck she has me pick her up so she can see.  She especially likes to watch Daddy leave in the morning and watch for him to come home in the evening.  She will also wave and blow kisses to people as they leave. I think it is so adorable. 

Climbing over the arm of the couch, I have a climber on my hands. Wish me luck! 

Reading! 

This girl loves her books, she will still pull all her books off the shelf and sit and flip through them.  I also love that she will grab books, bring them to us and sit on our lap while we read them to her.  I hope she keeps this love for reading.  She is starting to discover TV more and knows how to turn on the TV.  We will just have to monitor her TV watching.  

She has started loving apples and has even started drinking apple juice and sometimes will eat apple juice.  I have to be careful because sometimes she does really good and other times she will try and choke on apple pieces.  I don't want to stop giving her apples but she diffidently needs to practice her chewing.  She also loves dipping her food, gram crackers in milk, fries in catch up veggies in dressing etc.  

My cool girl eating her apple! 

My sister told us that they turn a park in Logan into a staking rink during the winter so we decided to go one Saturday.  The skates where not the best but we still had a lot of fun.

As you can see from her thumbs up Aleana had fun to! She was laughing and smiling most of the time.  We even let her run around in her shoes for a minute before we got in the car and she thought that was pretty cool. 

Me and my sister Debbie!  She is so fun, I just love her! 

So I attempted pig tails in Aleana's hair, but apparently she has a supper sensitive head.  She got a little upset while I was putting them it but i thought she would be fine after but she started pulling on them and bawling so I took them out.  Luckily I was able to get a picture, I will have to try them again soon.

Daddy and Aleana chilling and reading books! 

Aleana decided she was done coloring on the paper and deiced to try on her legs.  Luckily it was only a couple minutes before I noticed or it could have been much worse.  I am sure this will not be the last time this happens:) 

My clever little girl used the big bowl she was playing with to stand on and get her drink off the counter.  She is a smart one! 

Aleana weighs about 23 lbs and has 8 teeth on the bottom and 4 teeth on the top with one canine on the way, poor girl has been in lots of pain with this tooth.  

Aleana still love to close doors, she will try closing us in the closet, closes her bed room door while we are playing and also close me out of the room knock on the door and pass books back and forth under the door. She will also try and shut me in the room but can't because the door opens in, so she closes it as far as she can and then slips out her fingers.  

She thinks it is fun to sit on us while we are laying down and bounce up and down.  She just giggles, but it hurts us so we can't let her do it to long.  She has decided that playing in her crib is fun so sometimes when I come to get her out she will not want to get out.  Also she will often want to climb in and play during play time, but if I try to put her in for nap time she flips out.  Crazy girl! 

Aleana thinks she is a big girl and wants to sit in big people chairs by her self.  She even think that at meal times she can sit in a big chair instead of her high chair. Sometime I let her when we are home alone, but I don't know if it is a good idea she is fight it more and more. 

She says uh oh when something drops or spill and even sometimes when she drops or throws something on purpose. She dose like to get a cloth or paper towel and wipes up spills.  She also likes to throw trash away and is getting good at cleaning up toys.  I hope she keeps these traits. 

Here favorite movies are Tangled and Finding Nemo. I think she learned the word mine for Nemo and has been her favorite word for a while and she know how and when to use it. 

She has picked up some new word besides mine.  She can say shirt, shoes, cheese, more, done, no, go Jesus, teeth, brush teeth, socks, mom, dad and probably a fee more.  I think her talking is going to start taking off soon, it is so fun to here her learn. 

All animals are still dog but now all animal make a neighing sound like a horse. She is changed a lot and I know she will continue to grow and change.     

 Starting of her 16 month!!

These are some pictures from her 16 month birthday! 

Playing in the blinds.  

My cute little model! 

Getting into the movies! 

Cute pictures with mom! 

One morning we decided to have a little water fun.  She first started spooning the water back and forth, then she started pouring it back in forth from bowl to bowl.  I kept giving her new water when she spilled it all so by the end we had a big mess, but she had fun. Next time I will strip her down to her diaper because her pj's were all soaked.  Then we pulled out the bubbles, it was fun to see what happened when the bubble hit the water because it did not pop right away, so Aleana got to pop them.     

She wanted to help mop up the water.  She also still loves to sweep, but uses her own broom more.

It is fun to see how much she watches us and copies us but we do have to be careful so she does not pick up bad habits. 

15 Month old Aleana!

Here are some cute pictures from her 15th month and so 15 month pictures.  

So we kind of taught Aleana that stickers go on faces and now she only wants to put them on hers or our faces. We are trying to show her that they go on paper but she will usually take them off and put them on someones face. Silly little girl. 

The excitement of the tree never wore off if the lights were not on she would have me come over and plug them in or try to plug them in herself.  She also enjoys playing with all the toys under the tree:) 

She loves this little dog but has not figured out how to pull it and make it walk so she just pushes it like a car. 

Aleana does not like to wear little bows or head band but she thinks it is funny to take the big flowers off the ribbon in her room and wear them. 

I attempted to take pictures of her with a 15 month sign but she was too quick to rip up this one and a previous one before I could get a picture, apparently she thinks it is a fun game.  So I decided to try the white board and it worked pretty well.  Aleana's birthmom likes to have her holding the sign to track her age so I am going to try to take pictures every couple months until she is 2 and then every year until she wont let me anymore. 

My little crazy girl with her penguin hat and classes.  I love this little girl!  

Here is an update on Aleana.  When we took her to the doctor for her sinus infection after Thanksgiving she weighed 23 lbs. and I don't know how tall she is currently.  She has 8 front teeth her 2 bottom molars and her 2 top molars are half grown in, poor little girl has been in quite a bit of pain lately.  Her hair is getting longer and curlier in the back and she is starting to our grow her baby mullet, but she has a major widows peak.  Her hair is staring to turn more auburn it is going to be really pretty when she gets older.  Aleana has also figured out how to get down the stairs, I still like to follow her down because she has tried to fall a couple of times but most of the time she does really well.  She love so scoot down and look at her self in the mirror. 

This poor little girl has allergies she is often sneezing, rubbing her noses and eye, coughing and being driven crazy by her runny nose.  The place she is the worst is at my parents house, we think she is allergic to their birds (darn we will never own birds). Also being out in the cold always make it worse. luckily allergy medicine works.  Also she will throw up when she eats eggs I don't know if she has a sensitive stomach or if she is allergic.  No more eggs or food with eggs in it for a while, she does not really like baked goods any ways so that is not to hard. 

When we got back from her Christmas we took away her bottle and replaced it with a sippy cup.  We have had a couple rough nights and we ended up giving her the bottle the first night because it was just to much for her and she will only take the bottle if she wakes up in the night, but for the most part it has gone really well. Now we just need to have her realize that she can drink milk other times then just before bed and just before naps.     

She is getting pretty vocal and is learning to communicate with us a little better. She has got mom down really well, if she wants out of her crib, high chair, wants helps just wants my attention she say " mom, mom, mom" until I come.  She says mum mum if she wants a snack and stands under the cupboard the snack are in and tries to climb up.  She has still got dog, hi, and blanky and done down.  She uses baby signs to say more, please to wave good bye and often to say done.  She also she likes to copy us.  She has this favorite book "Good night moon ABC"  when we get to the part that say and the quite old lady whispering hush she will say "hush, hush, hush" and when we get the the end where is say "good night stars, good night air, good night noises every where Zzzzzzz"  will make the "zzzzz" sound.  I think it is so cute that I read the book to her at least once and day.  She is also working on the animal sounds for horse, elephant, and cow. They all sound pretty similar just the intonation is different.  Still all animals and dogs.  It is funny we will say "woof woof' and she will say dog, but if we ask her what sound a dog makes she will make an elephant sound.  Some day she will figure it out but right now it is so cute! 

Some of her favorite things are her broom, stuffed animals, magna-doole, balls, sitting in laundry baskets, boxes, or on the couch, helping cook, and helping do the laundry.  She is such a good little helper.  I hope she stays this way when she gets older.  

We are excited to see her grow up but she is no longer our little baby.  It is bitter sweet. 

Happy 2014!

2013 was a great year for us and if 2014 is even half as great we will be really blessed! 

Aleana eating chips and salsa and rice.

 As we often have done in the past we went up to the Hicken house for New Year to hang out with; Chelsea Moore and her son's Andy and Ezra, Nicole and Talon Anderson and their daughter Addalyn and Son William, Josh and Lindsie Boucher and their son Ethan and their soon to be son her in a few weeks, Erin and Scott Lofley and their daughter Ashlynn, and Chase and Yeon Mi Hicken and their little girl Brooklyn.  We had 8 children under the age of 3 it was a bit crazy and we had some crying but all together it was a lot of fun.  All the kids went down for bed except silly little Aleana she just screamed if we tried to put her down.  We left at 11:00  and she fell asleep with in 3 minutes of being in the car and slept until about 9:15 the next morning.  It was nice to be able to sleep in what a way to start the new year!  

Us with Chase photo bombing.

 Review of 2013

 I turned 26 and have enjoyed spending this year home with Aleana who has grown up way to fast. I did just agree to watch my neighbor Sheena's boys a few time a week so I could help save up money for another adoption.  We enjoyed another Easter with Aleana. In April Aleana's adoption was finalized and we took her to the temple to be sealed to us for time and all eternity. She was also blessed and given a name by Curt. April was a great month for us.   Aleana turned 1 years old and learned how to walk.  Curt turned 30 and has been applying for lost of jobs and interviewing for quiet a few but none of them have been the right job for us.  We just celebrated Thanksgiving and Christmas.  Holidays are so much fun with a toddler you can tell she does not quiet understand but feels the excitement and enjoys all the fun.  We are still in the same condo in black hawk and Curt is still in his same job at the hospital. He did apply to be a BYU online professor so we will see if that will help us out until a career opportunity comes along.  We have been enjoying spending time with our Logan friend but had to say good bye to my sister Debbie who graduated and moved home to do an internship.  I will missing having her close and having a babysitter.  I will have to call on my Logan friends more often now. Although she is coming up tomorrow night to watch Aleana while we go see "Ender's Game" with Steve and Damaris Kjar.  Yeah for date night we have not had too many of those this past year.  All is all we have had a great year and so glad that Aleana, Jesica, Brooke, Jeremy and Cindy have been a part of it! 

Here are some project I would like to accomplish in the up coming year

( we will see how many I get done :)

Organize my craft stuff

Print all past blogs into a photo books

Make a book of Aleana's finalization, Sealing, and blessing.

Type up about Aleana's Sealing and her birth and placement. 

Finish Aleana's baby book. 

Start and complete her 2 Year photo book. 

Make my black skirt that has been sitting in my sewing pile for a few years. 

Make Curt and myself aprons (which I have had patterns and material for a few years as well :)

Review and fix up past scrapbooks.

Stay on top of blogging    

Personal Resolutions/ Goals

Exercise twice a week. 

Make healthier dinner and have healthier snacks around the house 

Help save up for another Adoption 

 Listen to or Read lessons for church

Deiced what to do with school money maybe start taking classes.  

Review info from college classes. 

Go to the Temple 2 times a moth (try to set a baby sitting trade with neighbors)

Learn to Index and try to index 30 mins a week. 

Be a better member missionary