There's a Mouse in our House!!!!!

We have a mouse in our house, the cutest little mouse you ever did see...

Chase and I keep finding things that Ruark has chewed his way through...

Candy boxes...


Toys...


Books and so much more...



We started noticing this trend a little while ago, but now more and more we're finding the edges of our books gnawed up. What's a mom to do? Luckily I"m pretty sure it has to do with the two year old molars that are coming in a year early! Hopefully this teething stuff is over soon!

Bronson's Miracle

A few days ago a friend of mine told me about this little boy from SLC (who is only a month and a half older than Ruark, so it really hit home for me) who drowned in the bathtub while his mother was just down the hall. Luckily his mother kept him alive while the paramedics were on their way. Yesterday I found the mother's blog she kept updated during the whole ordeal from her son's bedside in the hospital. As word of her blog spread, people from all over the world were praying for her son and sat vigil with her to read of his progress.

Bronson's Miracle

This blog is filled with faith, disappointment, fear and miracles. I feel enlightened, somber, overjoyed and reminded of how fast our worlds are turned upside down. It follows them through their darkest hours and through their greatest triumph. I would like to share this link to her blog. Mostly to remind us to stop worrying about small incidental things that can wait and to hold our babies a little closer at night. After finishing reading this blog, I snuck into Ruark's room while he was sleeping and held him for a few extra minutes. I gave thanks to our Heavenly Father and lifted up a hopeful prayer. I can't imagine going through this with Ruark, and I pray I never have to experience something so heart wrenching.

The sweet mother kept his alive via CPR, but had forgotten to plug his nose so he aspirated. I know I'm going to brush up on my CPR this week, I suggest we all do the same so we never forget this life saving practice if we are even called upon to use it. It was just a regular Saturday morning...

Click to go freshen up on your CPR

Goodbye Crib

Goodbye crib! We're moving up to a toddler bed!

Today has been a day for changes. Today Ruark decided he no longer wants to crawl. He's been walking here and there, but for the most part he just wanted to crawl or have us carry him. Alas, that is no more. He just decided to start walking everywhere today. Although it's so cute watching him toddle all around the house. It feels like he's finally graduating from baby to...*gulp*...toddler

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To make things worse, his toddler rail came via UPS today! So we fixed his crib into a toddler bed. I laid down the wrench to answer the phone, and apparently he did not want to wait, because he was tinkering with the crib trying to tighten the screws! He must get his mechanical side from his dad!

Trying to teach him the correct way to get off the crib, this is not one of them. Here he is going over the rail. So far he loves his new bed, he loves getting in and out all on his own and is sleeping soundly. Only time will tell! As for now, it will be a while until I see a crib in our house, and I'm just fine with that!

Slumber Party

My sister Danielle and I have always been the best of friends. She wanted a baby sister so badly, she prayed for me every night for years. Finally I was born when she was 12 yrs old. I grew up with her being like my second mom, I babysat her kids growing up and still feel so close to them. Her youngest Elle and I are very close. I was there in the delivery room when she was born, I was just 16. She was the flower girl at our wedding at 2 years old. How fast the years have flown by!

Friends since the beginning. This is my darling niece Elle. She and Ruark are the best of friends, on the day he was born, she got herself showered, dressed and was waiting patiently for her mom to get home from the hospital (Danielle, was my birthing coach) so she could come and see her new cousin. They are so cute together. She calls to talk to him, and loves on him the entire time they are together.

Ruark had his first sleepover a few weeks ago. Elle came over and gave me a much needed break. She played with Ruark with all of his toys, read him books and chased him around all day and night. She bought Ruark that pop-up book with the money she had from Christmas, and now Ruark makes me read it to him at least 3 times a day!

We made Rice Krispie treats and played Dance Dance Revolution, her favorite, and had a great time. When it came time to go to sleep she slept in his room so she could be right there if he needed her :) Ruark giggled from his crib when he saw she was sleeping in the same room, he was so excited to have her stay a little longer.

When morning came, she got him out of his crib and was playing with him in the front room so we could sleep a little longer. Ruark cried when she left to go home. We are so thankful for our family!!! They enrich our life, especially our sweet Elle.

Check up

With all of the toys Ruark got for his birthday and Christmas, his favorite is still the XBox paddle, he loves pushing buttons and watching things move around on the TV screen. This is an older pic from his chubbier days, but still so cute.

We took Ruark to the doctor today for his 1 year old check up! He is such a big boy!!

He is:

31.5" long - 90th percentile

22.7 lbs - 45th percentile

I don't remember how big his head is but it jumped up to the 75th percentile.

He is talking up a storm and mimicking everything we do.

Yesterday I walked into the front room to find him playing with DVR and TV power source in the cabinet. I gasped and said " Ruark, no you can't play with that!"

He kept playing and he said back "I can", I was shocked so I repeated, "no Ruark, you can't play with that"...he looked up at me so cute and said, "I can, I can, I can". I just sat and laughed and watched while he played. He is getting so cute. I love this stage, I love seeing how his little mind works.

What a ONE-derful Day!!!

Our sweet amazing little boy Ruark turned one year old!!!! He's a New Years Eve baby so we partied in style. He loved trucks right now, he pushes them around all day and makes truck sounds. Too cute. So I've been working on this construction party theme, and it turned out soooo cute. Best of all, the decorations were actual tonka trucks, so now he has even more toys! Not that he needs anymore.

Chase was at the grocery store and a woman stopped and was talking to Ruark asking how old he is and he held up a "one" finger. She was amazed, saying we must have practiced for a long time with him. We just thought it was coincidence....not so sure now. He keeps holding up one finger!! Smart little tyke!

His candle, was an orange safety cone! They made him his own personal cake to match for .01 !! Can't beat that, plus it took a lot of stress off not having to make a cake which was my plan until two days before!

A little wired from all the sugar and the excitement!

We was so excited for his own cake, he smashed his face right into it!

He kept trying to feed everyone cake off his fingers...For goodness sakes, this boy was SPOILED! I've never seen a kid get so many presents!!! He was is so excited he's slowly making his way through the big pile of gifts. This is his..."are all these for me?" face.

He loved all the attention! After dinner, cake, presents and toys...we headed outside for a few fireworks.

All bundled up with Uncle Mark so he could be out with all the kids and adults to watch the fireworks.

We are so thankful for all our loved ones who were able to make it to Ruark's first birthday, and so thankful for all the love and attention they shower him with. I feel so blessed to know that he is so loved by so many people. Thank you so much for coming to our family Ruark, you the light of our lives and we can't wait to spend the rest of eternity with you. You fill every day with so much joy and laughter.

Christmas Morning

We had an amazing Christmas this year, not because of any of the presents under the tree. It's because this was Ruark's first Christmas. Everyone said "don't get too excited, he'll only like the boxes and wrapping paper". So not true with my son, he loved his toys!! He was squealing with delight when he saw them. I think the reason people were thinking that way is because most children aren't almost a year old for their first Christmas. Here are some pictures, we did mostly video this year.

This is the dog that Ruark was so excited about. We found it at Kohl's before Christmas and he LOVED it. He didn't know that I bought it for him. When he started unwrapping it he started squealing when he saw it was his dog. He was screaming and smiling while we tried to hurry and get it out of the box. It's a pretty cool toy, you plug it into the computer and program your child's name and favorite things to do and it sings him songs all about them. He was pretty excited.

The stockings were stuffed by the chimmney with care...

He had been playing with these balls through the plastic for a week or so before Christmas, he found the stash of presents. But I wouldn't open them until Christmas morning. So poor little boy pulled these pack of balls around the house inside the plastic. He was so happy when he finally got them out!

Christmas morning, in his Christmas jammies. We do new pajamas on Christmas Eve every year. Love his bed head hair!

We stayed home all day, playing with toys and enjoying being together as a family. We made dinner for my side of the family and had a really good time feeling the joy of the season.