Moments from the life of the mother of a 15 month old

My morning routine usually goes as follows:
Super early in the morning-give Albert a kiss goodbye as he goes to work, then fall back asleep.
A few hours later- wake up and start getting ready. And do whatever until John wakes up.
7:30/8/8:30- johnathan wakes up, I go down and get a sippy cup of milk/water/juice for him, then return and change his diaper.
After that- bring him to my bedroom where we play on Albert's and my bed for a while. (I try to get him to drink...but that doesn't always happen.) Most mornings we make a tent under my comforter and hide from the cold...until the tickle monster comes out and then I delight at the sound of my little boy's squeals and giggles.
About half an hour later we go to the kitchen and eat a full breakfast...usually it's fruit and Cheerios.
And then the rest of the day starts.
 I take Johnathan out for a walk down at the park with one of my co-workers, try to do something that will still be done at the end of the day (I try to make it something like sewing (my craft room is FINALLY organized thanks to my mom) though usually this part gets skipped for cooking or baking...which depending on if I've been experimenting or not SOMETIMES makes it to the next day haha).
My favorite mornings are those where Johnathan decides to just cuddle...and babble on about something that usually includes "lululu ooooo" sounds (we have decided to translate them as "love you" because he usually starts saying that after we've said that we love him) and holding something remotely like a phone up to his ear and saying "oh?"

More favorite moments include the following conversation.
me: hey, John-boy!
John: wa?
me: I love you!
John: Yeah?
me: yeah.
John *satisfied voice* yeah.

It's hard to believe that he's already 15 months old...I feel like he's growing up way too fast.  He's walking and sometimes running places now (if you call trying to catch up with your upper body leaning too far forward running haha).  He LOVES his shoes and goldfish and tub time (despite the fact that he usually gets water on his face when he's trying to squirm away from mom and bits of ham and going on walks.  He loves watching me mow the lawn (which is nice because it keeps him entertained while I'm doing it), but he loves the vacuum so much more.  if ever we accidentally leave it where he can get to it, he automatically goes over and starts to play with it. :P ...He doesn't like going DOWN the stairs (he loves going up them) and nap time...he's developing a dislike for nap time recently.
Johnathan LOVES dogs...doesn't matter how big or small. If they're near him, he get ALL excited.  he calls them "pu-pu" (I think cuz I usually call them "puppies").  While Albert and I enjoy both cats and dogs, we've basically decided that, when we get a pet, we will be getting a dog. :)  
At this month's Check-up, the dr said that Johnathan's tibias were slightly turned in...so he walks a little pigeon toed...no orthopedic shoes yet.  The Dr. thinks he's going to grow out of it. :) for now it makes him walk similar to a drunken sailor... 
Also, John's head only grew 1/4th of an inch this past month...but the dr still doesn't seem too worried about his small head size...especially since his head is fairly round.  the Dr. says that usually kids whose front skull sutures seal early get a triangular shaped head...now we know what happened to Phineas!

but yeah. everything's fine with that apparently.

Albert is back in school and taking 14 credits (6 of which are taken up by a research lab that he went to all summer and thus doesn't have to be there as long during this semester...unfortunately this means he's going to present his project in Washington DC sometime in April), but he's also taking a Kaplan MCAT prep course.

picture of my boys at Albert's birthday party.

:)

chillaxing in his stroller in the airport on our way to VA.

 Albert opening his birthday presents in VA

 building the dock

 two exhausted girls :)

 playing with Ollie and Grandpa

this picture cracks me up.  he loves pretzels. 

apples and pretzels-the perfect combination

my dad and Johnathan

 back in UT...Albert bought me some flowers...

 ...and some cheese pizza with EXTRA cheese...and one half with Roma Tomatoes on it...the side w/o the roma tomatoes went first haha.

 CLEAN CRAFT ROOM!!!

the other half of the clean craft room

Albert has decided to get into golf...so he got golf clubs for his birthday. :)

once upon a time Brit and I got lazy and cooked our men burgers in my waffle iron...and they turned out pretty good! :)

the boys watching the byu vs UofU football game. :)

I gave him pb on his try for lunch...it was a lazy day haha

Albert loves pumpkin pie...especially with whipped cream. :)

This next series of pictures come from a birthday party for Albert's cousin, Kathy.  Albert was unable to attend because he had to do a project for his research lab, but i made sure he got full coverage. :)

trying to eat his rice out of his bowl haha

he stole my grapes

sad-looking grapes.

I suppose we should train him better in the ways of eating with a plate or bowl haha.

he stole my roll and then got it stuck on his thumb. :P

playing with Albert's Aunt Sonia's dog

he likes rocks

with the kids

 she didn't know I was taking this VERY flattering picture of her

 I was too messy to sit at the big table

 the girls next door.

 aftermath

 more aftermath.

jumping on Sonia's trampoline.

13 Months Old! AND What we've been up to that I haven't taken the time to blog about.

Yes, I know.  I've been horrible about updating.  :P Sorry?

So this summer, Johnathan turned one year old!!!  Here are some pictures we took during our celebrations.

 Showing my son just how to demolish a cake.

 eating his first cake EVER.  on his actual birthday.

 yes, this is the cake that was GOING to be in the shape of a car...then I gave up and put cars on it haha.

loves his cake.

 For his birthday, Grandpa H. gave Johnathan a Cars2 mat, but was unable to attend the birthday party.  Dad, this is a picture of him right after we let him get on it.  though, the first thing he did was start pulling it apart...and even now, if I were to put him on it, he'd start pulling it apart...and then play with the pieces.

 Thomas the Tank engine from Mark and Sonia. :)

Johnathan got a lot of really fun presents.  He has enjoyed playing with them all.  Thank you to all who attended and made the day quite happy.

Also, we celebrated the fourth of July.

 John ate spaghetti and LOVED it.

 I made him a fort.  and he loved that too. :)

 I used baby food boxes to finally organize my silverware in something OTHER than cups haha.

 Johnathan got a new suit and loves it. (he even leaves the tie on)

 He also figured out how to open up the DVD case...ugh!

 He loves Peruvian food. :)

as does his daddy (despite the look on his face in this picture...it's at me taking pictures, not the food)

Waiting for Daddy to pick us up after going up to visit some of my family up in Sandy.


And Albert's mom and sisters came over for Pioneer Day (and just for fun too.)

 Johnathan likes it when Kimmi feeds him

 banana mustache...and beard...

 playing with Sammi and Melissa

 couldn't get them all to smile at the same time.

 :) 

 Oh what a cute happy baby.

 playing in the grass (which he is no longer afraid of.)

 he's decided that he likes playing on the sidewalk more than the grass still...despite the fact that it's super hot.

 loves his strawberries...still...I gave him a whole one

 and he put the whole thing in his mouth.

 Some mornings, when Albert gives me enough warning of when he's going to be getting home, I'm able to greet my husband with a spread like this...

 home-made pancakes, home-made syrup (don't let the Aunt Jamima bottle fool you), scrambled eggs (fried eggs didn't work out haha), toast with REAL butter on it, bacon cooked EXTRA crispy (just the way he likes it), peaches (mostly for me...they weren't ripe enough for him), and of course SALT!  

 Trying to get a good picture of Johnathan in his suit for my mom...little bugger wouldn't smile when I wanted him to smile

 Albert stole half of the salad and put it on his baked potato.

See mom he DOES eat healthy! (and I have his permission to post this one haha)

New things that haven't been talked about in pictures:
-Johnathan has started to walk...a lot...still only a few steps at a time, but he's doing it more and more frequently.

-You know how in the movies when the wife is about to tell the husband something that'll make him mad/upset, she gives him cake or pie?  Well, in our family, that's lasagna...Albert has discovered that he cannot stay upset at me if he's got a plate of my lasagna in front of him...I have decided to always keep some for emergencies. :)
-Albert was recently told that if he keeps going with the way he's eating and gets down to a certain weight, his diabetes could go away.
-He also found out that his diabetes has had NO effect on his eye sight (which is WONDERFUL)
-I've decided to finish a story.  like for reals.  and I'm going to try to finish it by the end of this year...but for sure by my next birthday. :)
-Johnathan's new favorite phrase: "bah!" he says this usually when I'm on the phone and am telling the person goodbye.  it is also his response when I tell him to tell daddy bye when I have Albert on speaker phone. :) too cute.
-he still likes to talk a lot...and kind of sing sometimes too. :)  also, screaming...he likes screaming

-Johnathan has also decided that he loves climbing on our couches...little crazy monkey baby! (my mom says he gets it from me)
-I tried to make tres leches cake from scratch and it TASTED good...but when Albert first saw it he asked why I'd made flan.  :P  maybe next time I'll do better...if there is a next time...
-I got a pay raise for working at the library for 3 years (can't believe it's been 3 years already)
-Sometimes my husband throws "temper tantrums"...like when he really wanted a book on CD from the library that we were behind the person in line for and it was the last day for them to pick it up before we got it...and then they picked it up.  I brought him the book and he wasn't THAT happy about it at the start...but right now he's laying on the downstairs couch dividing his time between watching the Olympics and reading the book. :)
-We gave Johnathan some peanut butter for the first time

In the end he decided he liked it.

-Johnathan has decided that sometimes he wants to go to bed before I get home...which is good for Albert, but it means I miss holding my baby and kissing him good night every now and again.. :(
-I got called to be on the extra Relief Society Meetings committee. (oo! don't you wish you were in MY ward!)
-Albert got called as the 13-year-old Sunday School teacher and taught his first lesson last Sunday...I feel like the boys responded well to him...the girl who is in the class wasn't there.
-We have a bunch of apples that are soon to go bad, so I may be making an apple crisp...seeing as we'll be leaving for VA soon and we don't want rotten apples in our house...yuch!
-Yesterday Albert got home late...and found out that his lab that was going to last 24-48 hours long was cancelled AGAIN because all of the cancer cells got contaminated and I had to tell my sister "never mind on babysitting" AGAIN...so he brought me churros (I love churros...like a lot!...almost as much as I love chocolate) :)  Yesterday was a good day. : D

Overall, we're still good, still happy, still loving each other.  We don't really have anything to complain about, which is a big blessing.  We are blessed if we pay a full tithing! <-our testimony continues to be strengthened about that.  So yeah, life is wonderful!  I have to switch laundry over. So I bid you all good night/day, and wish you happy happenings in your lives.