Nolan's Favorite Things

I can't believe my little guy is almost a year old! Time has flown by, yet, it's been so neat to watch him learn new things everyday. Since he's been mobile the last few months he wants to explore everything, soaking it all up like a wet sponge. Here are just a few of Nolan's favorite things:

Being outside. Particularly dirt.

Drawers. Especially Daddy's drawer full of shirts.

How fun to pull everything out and throw it on the floor!

Tearing up the Sunday Comics before I Mommy gets a chance to read them.

Banging on mirrors.

The cupboard full of Tupperware! How else would Mommy get dinner made!?!

Making messes while eating.

That's my little guy! I'm so proud of him and his destructive tendencies. It really helps things stay neat and organized in my house! I think I'll be okay if he's not walking by the time he's two or three years old. But at the rate he's moving, that's doesn't look very promising.

Ball-gowns and Birthdays

A few weeks ago Kirk and I attended a Masquerade Ball fill with dancing and good food! I was really hoping that know one would be able to tell who I was with a mask on, but alas, no one was fooled. We sure had a lot of fun dancing. It had been awhile!

Hard to kiss with a mask on!

Kirk put his wedding tux to use for the fourth time since we got married.

And people were impressed by my $2 garage sale ball-gown purchase (alterations required).

A couple weeks ago was my Golden Birthday. Not really too different from other birthdays except that I got to say, "Hey! I'm turning 26 on the 26th. Isn't that cool?"

Kirk surprised me in the morning with a treasure hunt that lasted throughout most of the day. It ended with the Bluetooth headset I've been wanting. Now Nolan can't pull the cord out of my ear when I'm on he phone. Ha! I feel like I've out-smarted an 11 month old!

And Red Robin for dinner (one of my all-time fav restaurants).

And the best part, my burger was free! Yay for Red Robin eClub!

They also give you a good-size Sundae for free!

But you have to wear the donkey-ear balloons. I was okay with that.

Good times!

Don't Judge Too Quickly

I thought these commercials were hilarious! Have to share.

My baby knows sign language!

Here's how he says:

• "Please change my diaper": Turns beet red and makes a straining expression, then smiles.
• "I'd like something to eat, please": Crams fist in mouth and sucks wildly.
• "I'm tired": Makes a series of weeping gestures before closing eyes and lolling head backward.
• "Please pass me that thing up there that I can't reach": Points and grunts, then continues pointing and opens mouth into screaming position.
• "No thank you. I think I've had enough": Throws food or object to floor with exaggerated grin.

Nolan the Techie

Why do babies love electronics so much? Better question: Why do they make electronics with all the flashy lights and red buttons?

Nolan's favorite items are the TV remotes (all three of them), the blue light on the computer hard drive, and cell phones. We decided to give Nolan his own gadget with the hope that he would stop playing with the spendy stuff. So Kirk gave Nolan his old laptop. This thing no longer works, and only had one flashing light bulb on it. He loves it!

Here's the funny part: while Nolan was slapping away one day, the laptop suddenly turns on and starts working again! We have no idea how he did it! But now it works!

Kids. They get smarter younger and younger these days.

The Cute Couple

Although the star of this blog is clearly the overly-photographed first child, let's not forget the creators of that cutie: The Parents! I think we deserve some credit here. At least some pictures.

These are from our stake Valentine's dance. I think they're the only pictures we've had taken of just us since Nolan was born.

Nine Months Old!

Nolan is now 9 months old (hard to tell exactly when that is though because there's no Feb 29th). Anyway, 9 months old seems like a big milestone. He's officially been OUTSIDE of my belly longer than he's been INSIDE. And I'll be the first to say that the second 9 months goes much MUCH faster than the first 9 months. He's growing up way too fast. But dang he's a cutie.

This is his new cheesy grin. It cracks me up!