Stairs!

Dylan has mastered the stairs and is soooo proud of himself! He goes up and down all by himself now, and is getting pretty good at it. I bought a gate a while back and had it on for about 20 minutes. I hated it so bad because not only did it block Dylan from going on the stairs, it blocked ME out too! I hated taking it down every time I needed to go by. So I took it back and decided that I was just going to teach Dylan the right way to go up and down. So that is what we did, and luckily we haven't had any major falls yet.

When my parents came through a few weeks ago on their way to my sister's house in Missouri, Dylan and I decided to hop in the car and go with them. It was a 12 hour drive so I was worried about how Dylan would do for that long, but we survived! He actually did pretty well. On the way there we were down to about the last hour and he was starting to lose it, so he had his first experience with a Tootsie Pop. He LOVED it of course. But when I decided that it was time to be done with the candy and clean up the stickiness, he was one sad boy.

Rained Out

We took Dylan to his first ever Rockies game the other night, but this is all we got to see. . .

The game never even started because of the rain. We waited around for about 25 minutes and then decided to go home. It was such a bummer. We will have to try again another time.

Fence

My parents came into town this past weekend from Utah. They are driving out to visit my sister in Missouri and stopped here for a few days to help build the last side of our fence. My dad was so kind to lend us his services for a couple of days. He and Paul worked really hard out in the 90+ degree weather for two days and got the project finished! It looks great. . .way better than the other two sides of our fence that our neighbors hired other people to build last summer. Here are the pictures of their handywork.

BEFORE

DURING

AFTER

Helping Mom

Whoever said that babies can't be helpful around the house?? Dylan is such a great help when it comes to cleaning the house, I love it! I don't think I could get it done without him.

He loves to vaccuum.

He enjoys cleaning the fridge

He folds all the laundry (clean or dirty)

And his favorite is the dishes.

So all of you who haven't taught your little ones to do chores around the house should. He makes my life so much easier! :)

Our little monkey is into everything these days. He is a speedster crawler and is getting brave to let go for a few seconds when he is standing up to something and stand on his own. But no walking yet (thank goodness, I am not sure I am ready for that). He is growing up so fast!!

Family Visit

We had so much fun when Darin and Sarah came to visit us from Ohio. Darin had an orthodontic conference here he had to attend, so he brought the whole family and enjoyed a few days with us. Their little boy Roman is only about 10 weeks younger than Dylan so we were excited for their first official 'out of the womb' meeting. Sarah always posts top ten lists on her blog, so in honor of her visit I am going to steal her idea for this post. :) Here are my top ten highlights from their visit. . .just to warn you this is a long post for my own memory's sake.

1. Sarah and I spent a day with the kids at the Children's Museum. I had never been there before and was so impressed by all the fun things they had there. My nieces are both very creative and artistic and they had the perfect activites for them. They spent the day painting pictures, putting on a puppet show, dressing up and dancing in a 'dance studio' type room, putting on bunny and squirrel costumes and playing in the 'forest' and lots of other activites. They had so much fun. I will definitely be going back there when Dylan gets old enough to enjoy it.

2. While Darin was in meetings Paul, Sarah and I took the kids to the pool. The temperature was only in the 70's and there was a little bit of wind (it was in May) so it was a little too cool for my taste, but the kids had a blast. It always amazes me that even if they are covered in goose bumps and their lips are turning blue, they still want to go back in the water for more! Allie braved the big water slide with Uncle Paul and was so proud of herself. This was the first pool experience for both Dylan and Roman. It was really funny to watch them explore the water.

3. I don't know about you, but I usually throw my good eating and exercise habits out the window whenever I go somewhere out of town or have company here. I always use it as an excuse to be lazy and eat whatever I want. Sarah was a great motivator though, and she 'inspired' me to exercise with her almost everyday that she was here. She did better than I did with the eating part. . .but at least we worked out right?

4. Despite Sarah trying to eat right, we did splurge and go out one night for Costa Vida and Cold Stone. And I almost forgot we also had take out Cheesecake Factory cheesecake and Krispy Kreme doughnuts another day. Need I say more?? Our bellies were full and we were happy at the end of their visit (even though I had probably gained 10 lbs).

5. I have lost a little bit of weight over the past few months and most of my clothes were not fitting me anymore. Paul and I had made a deal that if I got to my goal weight by the time they came to visit I would be able to go shopping for some new clothes with Sarah. She is a personal stylist back in Ohio, and I was lucky enough to spend a little time as her 'client' enjoying her expertise while she was here. She helped me find some really cute clothes and we even made it through several hours in the mall with 4 kids with no MAJOR mishaps.

6. Darin and Paul had a boys night and went to a Rockies game. They are both huge baseball fans and were excited to get to do that together. The weather was perfect and they had a great time eating Rockie-dogs and watching baseball. They also took one afternoon and played a round of golf. Any activity involving baseball or golf and Paul is a happy man, so he had a great time.

7. Allie and Kate wanted to ride the light rail so bad while they were here. That is what gave us our bargaining power while we were doing our shopping at the mall. If they were good, they would get to ride the train after. On our way out of the mall we stopped at a bakery and got them each a cookie, I dropped them off with Sarah at the light rail station, and they got on and took a short ride. The babies were sleeping so I took them in the car down to the next stop and picked the girls up there. It was a short 2 minute ride but they were so excited to get to eat their cookies on the train. I love the funny little things that make kids happy.

8. Dylan and Roman were sooooo cute together. They are going to be such good little buddies as they grow up. They both already love the same things - playing with toys, eating, sleeping, and bathtime. :) Honestly they were both so good while they were here. And we learned that they both have the same weird habit of liking to rub their face in a burp rag or blanket or something soft like that when they go to sleep.

9. Darin is a great cook and made us a really yummy Sunday dinner of roast and mashed potatoes. Most of you know that I have the LOWEST maintenence husband ever when it comes to food, and we have a standing menu of either grilled cheese sandwiches or cheese crisps with chips and salsa for our Sunday dinner - unless of course we have company. So I am not that great at cooking the big, traditional, fancy meat and potato Sunday meals. So Darin did most of the cooking and it turned out sooo good. So if anyone wants to come over for a Sunday dinner, I now know how to cook a really good roast.

10. We had so much fun just hanging out. We were reminded again that we have the best family in the world. We love where we live, but we definitely miss having them around. I would love to someday live close enough to someone so that Dylan can grow up knowing his cousins, aunts and uncles. Thanks for the visit guys-it was a blast!! And the rest of you that haven't been to see us in a while, the invitation is open!

It has been well over a month now since we had my brother Darin, his wife Sarah, and their kids Allie, Kate, and Roman come to visit us. We had soooo much fun when they were here! I have been really slow to post about it because there are so many pictures to go through and so many fun things to write about I knew it would take me a while and I just haven't found the time. So I at least got some pictures posted now, and will have to write more about it later because it is my bedtime!

Visit from the Ohio Lunt Gang

Tagged

I know my blog is mostly dedicated to the cute new things that my sweet baby is learning each day. But I have been tagged a few times lately and am finally getting around to answering them. So if you are only interested in Dylan's happenings, you can skip this entry and check back later for his latest news. Otherwise, hopefully you will learn something new about me that you didn't already know!
This ABC one is from my sister-in-law Sarah.
A -Attached or Single - Attached (very happily)
B - Best Friend - Paul, my sisters and sister-in-laws
C - Cake or Pie - Hmmm. . .Both?
D - Day - Definitely Saturday. Paul is home and we get to spend the day together
E - Essential Item - Chapstick for sure, I am totally addicted
F - Favorite Color - I love everything brown these days (clothes, home decor, etc)
G - Gummi Bears or worms - worms, especially the sour ones
H - Home Town - Orem is where I claim to be from, although I have lived several places
I - Indulgences - Cold Stone Ice Cream
J - January or July - July of course, I wouldn't be sad if we skipped January weather every year
K - Kids - 1 little boy Dylan, with more to come (someday. . .not within the next 9 months)
L - Life is incomplete without - my family
M - Marriage Date - December 28, 2001 - 6 1/2 years ago
N - Number of Siblings - 6 sisters and 1 brother
O - Oranges or apples - apples - even better with a good fruit dip
P - Phobias or Fears - any bug, especially spiders, and rodents
Q - Quote - "Enjoy the little things in life for one day you will look back and realize they were the big things."
R - Reason to Smile - when Dylan wakes up in the middle of the night (he has been teething lately. . .need I say more) and Paul gets up to take care of him and lets me sleep
S - Season - Summer for sure. I get so excited when I can start wearing flip flops
T - Tag 3 - Anyone who hasn't done it yet!
U - Unknown fact about me - I like watching PGA Golf on TV. Obviously any of you who know my husband know that he got me into it. I know a lot of the players on tour and like to follow the tournaments each week.
V - Very Favorite Store - Costco lately (I am addicted to their fruit), Nordstrom when I am shopping for clothes
W - Worst Habit - I worry too much, about every little thing, and stress myself out (I get this from my dad)
X - X-rays or Ultrasounds - Ultrasounds - can be exciting during pregnancy
Y - Your Favorite Food - peanut butter sandwiches and brownies - I could eat them every day!
Z - Zodiac sign - Leo


This other tag is from my cute friend Jen. I am supposed to list 7 quirks that I have. So here are all the weird things about me that I am sure you are dying to know!

1. I am grossed out by raw meat. I hate the feel of it, the smell of it, and the sight of it. The first time I ever even touched it was after I was married and I about threw up while doing it. Paul videotaped it because it was such a milestone in my life!

2. I always make a gulping sound when I am taking a big drink. I don't even realize I am doing it so I don't know how to not do it. But Paul always makes fun of me for being a 'chugger'.

3. I am a germ friek. I especially hate shopping carts at grocery stores. I always use hand sanitizer as soon as I get in the car.

4. Sometimes I think I am a hypochondriac. I have one thing wrong with me and I swear that I am going to die. For example, if I start getting lots of headaches I must have a brain tumor.

5. I can't stand to have dishes in my kitchen sink. Paul loves the 'let it soak' method of doing dishes and it makes me CRAZY. So I always have to go right behind him and scrub them off and load them in the dishwasher.

6. I hate sleeping without any covers on at night. It doesn't matter if it is 80 degrees in the house, I can't sleep if I don't have at least a sheet on. And I hate to have my arms out, so it has to be fully covering me.

7. Whenever I eat bread (whether it be a sandwich, toast, or whatever) I ALWAYS eat the crust first. I love the middle part, so I like to save the best for last. Paul thinks I am weird. . .

Grass Fun

What is the deal with kids and the feeling of grass on their feet? I don't understand why they hate it so much. I love when it is a hot day outside and you put your bare feet down into the cool grass. There is something about it that is relaxing to me. But as you can see in the picture, Dylan does not feel the same way. I took him outside today to go for a walk and sat him on the grass while I got his stroller out of the trunk. He sat there whining and holding his leg up in the air because he didn't like the feeling of the grass on his skin. I made him sit there and suffer too while I ran to get the camera. He never did put his leg down the whole time he sat there. He was getting a workout while I laughed and got a couple cute pictures! :)

Memorial Day

We had great plans for Memorial Day. . .take it easy and be lazy. We wanted to have a slow morning hanging out at the house and then planned on meeting some friends at the pool to spend the afternoon. Sounded like a nice way to spend our day off. But good old mother nature had a different idea. It was a rainy, cool, overcast day with lots of wind and temperatures I think peaking in the low 50's. Not a great day for the pool, or the park, or anything else that we wanted to do. So instead we stayed home. Paul worked in the garage on a couple of projects for some friends and I hung out with Dylan inside. Of course we have had gorgeous weather since then but no luck on the one day Paul had off. The one fun thing we did do that day was go to a friend's house for a BBQ in the afternoon. It was too cold to eat outside, but our friend Kevin braved it long enough to get the meat cooked and we enjoyed good food, great company, and even had smores inside. We have such great friends and we always have a good time hanging out!

Teeth

Dylan is now 9 months old and is finally starting to get his first teeth. After a few days of a runny nose and not so good sleep, I was happy to see the reason why. He has one that has cut through on the bottom with the one next to it to come through any day now. Once the tooth came through the gums, Dylan seemed to be feeling a little better for a few days. But then this last Thursday he had a temp of 103, was really whiney and fussy all day, and he woke up with his eyes so crusty he couldn't even open one of them. So I took him into the doctor and he has an ear infection and pink eye. So much fun, let me tell you. He has been on antibiotics for a few days now and is doing much better. We are all a little sleep deprived still but his fever has gone down. I am hoping this is a one time thing with his teeth and that he doesn't get this sick with each one that he gets. Here is a little video to show you what our house has been like the last few days. Hopefully we are at the end of it, it is so sad!

Good Times

We had a fun surprise last Friday night. One of my best friends and roommates from college Jenny came into town with her husband Bryan and sweet little newborn Kimball. They are looking to possibly move here with his job, so they came to check out Colorado. It was a quick trip for them and they had a lot to accomplish while they were here, but they were so sweet to make some time for us and go to dinner. We were able to catch up while we chowed on burgers, fries, and onion rings at Cheeburger Cheeburger. It is always so fun to get together with good friends! Jenny and I had a lot of really fun times together back in college and I miss seeing her more often. She is one of those friends that I knew I would always keep in touch with. Of course we are pulling for them to move here, we even have a house picked out for them right next door!! :) Good luck in your decision making guys!

I FINALLY GAVE IN. . .

Here he is before. . .


And here is the final product. . .

Paul has been begging me for months to buzz Dylan's head. I could never understand why he wanted to do it so bad because there was hardly any hair there to begin with. The little bit that he had was really fine and would stand pretty close to straight up. People would always make comments to me about how much they loved his hair, and that it totally fit in with today's syle of 'the messy do'. You know the style where guys put a bunch of gel in their hair to make it stand up, and then just run their fingers through it for some sort of shape. Well, Dylan's hair did that naturally (sort-of. . .at least I like to think it did :) So I finally gave in to Paul because Dylan was starting to sport the beginnings of a baby mullet in the back, and I had already cut the top twice because it gets long and looks funny standing straight up. I figured we might as well do it and hopefully it will grow back in a little thicker and more even. So Friday night we get out the clippers and I am holding Dylan while Paul starts to go to town. He makes 1 or 2 passes and I see the handfuls of hair fall in the bathtub and I start to friek out. I knew he was going to lose a little hair, but I wasn't prepared for the amounts I saw falling. I gave permission for a haircut, but not a haircut with the #1 setting on the clippers (that is the shortest length possible)! But of course at that point it was too late to go back, so he had to finish what he started. Now Dylan looks like a little tennis ball with nothing but fuzz all over his head. Paul tricked me and now my cute little boy looks like he is ready to enter the military. All I have to say is hopefully it grows back fast. . .for Paul's sake!

New Tricks

It is so fun to watch Dylan grow and to get so much joy out of the tiny little things he learns each day. He hit a couple of big milestones over the past few weeks. First of all. . . .he is crawling!! He doesn't seem to venture off too far yet. He gets part way across the room and then sits back up to think about whether he wants the toy bad enough to crawl the rest of the way. He usually gets distracted by something else and stays where he is, unless it is a ball. He is definitely a true boy and loves any little ball lately that he can pick up and throw. He throws it, crawls over to pick it up and throws it again. He will repeat this little game FOREVER smiling and laughing the entire time.

The other thing he has learned over the past few weeks is how to clap! I know it seems like such a small, insignificant thing but I cannot tell you how happy it makes me to see him do it. He is just sooooo cute when he sits there and claps his little hands. He always has such a huge smile on his face while he does it too. That is definitely one of the things he can do that cheers me up instantly no matter what kind of mood I am in. I am learning that it is all the small things that your kids do that melt your heart and make motherhood so much fun. I love it!!

Play Date

I got together with two friends the other day from our old ward. They both have little girls about the same age as Dylan. It was so funny to watch them all interact together. They are at that stage where they want to 'check each other out' and try to figure out who this new little person is. They tugged on each others clothes, patted and rubbed each others heads and grabbed at each others toys. I wanted to get a picture before we left, so we lined them all up with Dylan in the middle. I couldn't even snap a quick shot before he turned to little Anna next to him and started pushing her until she fell over and started crying. So we sat her up and tried again, but again he pushed her over and made her cry even harder. We finally moved him to the other end so he wasn't next to her, and put him far enough away so that he couldn't do any more damage. So these are the pictures we ended up with. I guess Dylan needs a lesson on how to play nice!

Shopping

Last Friday Dylan and I went shopping with my friend Whitney. With the weather changing and finally starting to get warm, Dylan was in need of some summer clothes. We had a great time, and Dylan was of course all kicked back in his stroller laughing and smiling at everyone we saw. He looked so funny, he was lounging back in the stroller with his leg kicked straight up in the air. How nice would that be to be pushed around in your own little lazy boy all day! He was definitely cozy and loving it. It was too cute to pass up the photo opportunity!

Good Friends

Our friends from Utah, Stasha and Doug came to visit us last week. They were on their way to New York where they will spend the summer. Doug has an internship there for the next 4 months. So the first stop on their drive was here at our house. They came Tuesday and spent the night with us, and then it was back on the road for them Wednesday morning. It was so fun to spend the evening catching up and remembering fun times from our college days. We LOVE to have people come and see us. Here is my official open invitation to anyone who wants to come visit. We will give you a warm place to sleep, good food to eat (depending on what you consider good :) and plenty of entertainment by Dylan. Doesn't it sound tempting??

Date Night

Paul and I finally took the plunge on Saturday night. We left Dylan home and we went out on a date all by ourselves! Except for a couple nights over Christmas when we had Grandmas, Aunts and Uncles around to watch him, this is the first night out alone we have had since he was born. I know that is totally sad, but I guess we are just pathetic first time parents that can't stand the thought of leaving our little baby home without us. I don't know what we were thinking all these months. . .we had the best time! Thanks to our awesome friends Whitney and Jake who came over to hang out with Dylan, we got to spend some time just the two of us again. It was so nice, we will for sure be doing more nights like these in the near future. We went and saw the movie 21 and loved it. There hasn't been a whole lot of movies out lately that we have even been remotely excited to see, but this was a good one. I know this picture has nothing to do with our date, but we didn't take any of us at the movies. So here is a cute one of Dylan from the other day.

Carrots anyone?

Dylan's high chair has a little 'snack tray' that is permanently fixed to it, and the big tray that goes over it that you can take on and off. I sometimes leave the removable tray off if he is just hanging out, but HARDLY EVER leave it off when he is actually eating. But of course I had it off the other day when I was feeding him a bowl of carrots. I turned my head for a second, and he reached out and grabbed the bowl. I guess I wasn't holding it very tight because he knocked it out of my hand and food everywhere. With the other tray on, he first of all probably wouldn't have been able to even reach the bowl, and second of all if he did the food would have only spilled on the tray and not all over him (and the chair, and the floor, and my pants). He thought he was pretty funny. . .