A quick update

So, me and Ali don't have a terribly exciting life as in going out or anything. But my life is exciting because of Ali. I know I've said it, but I'll say it again: I love her to death!! This morning was one of the best mornings being a mom. Usually, I wake up to her being fussy because she's hungry. Well, today, I heard her making noise, but she wasn't fussy. She was just in her bassinet, making noise and being happy. When I leaned over the side and said good morning, she gave me the biggest smile. It just made my whole day. After that, she was happy for a while just "talking" to me. Then she got hungry. But she really is just a good baby. She is awake more and more and I love it. She smiles so much and my family loves it. She smiles at pretty much anyone. She's getting chunky, too. I haven't made her 2 month appointment yet, but I'm kind of excited to see how much she's grown. I don't know how much longer she's going to fit 0-3 month clothes.

I'm doing well. I realized last night that I should start walking or something to try and get back to pre-pregnancy weight or lower. I have said for a long time that gaining a lot of weight was one of my biggest fears. Call me shallow, but it's true. Well, I gained weight while I was pregnant. And now, I regret it. I don't think I'm fat, but there's definitely weight there that shouldn't be. When I was 140, before I got pregnant, I wanted to lose weight. LOL. Now I would be happy to be 140 again. Anyway, overall, I'm doing pretty good. I love living with my parents right now. Me and my mom have so much fun. I know that I need to go back to work eventually, but I'm trying to decide on when. I want to be independent, but at the same time, I don't want to go too far because of my family.

Anyway, that's a quick update. I guess while she's sleeping, I should do something productive like clean our room or something.

(Insert cool title here)

So, I haven't updated for a bit. Um...nothing REALLY exciting has happened except that last sunday was Ali's blessing. It was chaotic, but nice. My dad blessed her, and my mom paid for the blessing dress. She looked adorable. I didn't realize how fluffy the dress was until I took it out of the packaging. Um, I think that's it for her blessing day.

I had a good 4th of July. I know it's a little late, but it was really fun. My family went to the Gunnell's house and the fireworks from the stadium were like at eye-level. I could hear a little bit of the music, and I could see the big screen and that Brad Paisley had a white cowboy hat on. I even tried to use my dad's binoculars to see the big screen better. But it didn't really help. Anyways, that was my 4th of July.

Ali is doing good. She cries more now, but overall she's still a really good baby. She's started "talking" a lot more. I think it's just adorable. She has also smiled for real. I know that the general guideline is not until about 8 weeks, but she smiles, and not just because of gas. She has done it a couple of times for me, but she LOVES my mom. And my mom was the first one to really get it on camera. I love it. She still makes so much noise in her sleep and even giggles sometimes.

Anyway, I think that's it. I should go try to be productive.

One Month...

So, Ali is one month old today. It's gone by so fast, and she's getting so big. Yet, I feel like I've had her forever. I guess part of that is being pregnant for 9 months. She wasn't planned, but I just can't imagine my life without her. I know it sounds cliche, but it's totally true.

She has started trying to suck her thumb, I think. She really likes her fists. She is still a good sleeper. At night, she usually sleeps for 3-4 hours at a time, which is good. I thought it would be a lot worse. She has also started doing little coos. It's adorable. She was in her swing this morning and was just talking to herself. I love her being awake. She's a really happy baby. I was so blessed with a good baby. I know that I'm really lucky. I know that there are good babies other than her, but I also know that there are not so good babies, like apparently I was. Lol.

Yesterday a family friend was visiting with her husband and we (Kerri, Derick, Ericka, Tommy, Shanna, my dad, Michael, Lexi, and Dani and me) all went to the bean museum. For those of you who don't know, it's a place that has "stuffed" animals. Not the kind that you cuddle with at night. Real animals that are dead and have been stuffed and preserved via taxidermy. It was really fun. I had been there before, but not for a few years, and they have changed it a lot. You can see all those animals on TV, but man, you don't realize how big they are until you see them in person. They have an elephant, a hippo head, a giraffe head, different kinds of bears, and lots more. It's very cool, and it's FREE. Which is the best part.

Tomorrow is the stadium of fire, which I'm really excited about. I'm not actually going there, but I'm going to the Gunnell's house with my family and they have an amazing view of the fireworks. They live up on the mountain and they have a clear view of the fireworks from their yard. You don't have to crane your neck, they are pretty much at eye-level. So that should be fun.

I'm so grateful for the country that I live in. We have so many blessings and opportunities in this land and it's just amazing. I love this country and I'm so grateful for the people who have fought and even lost their lives defending this beautiful land. Including my dad, brother-in-law Adam, Granddad, Grandpa Lund, Gramps, my uncle Kevin, my great uncle Paul, uncle Alex, my great uncle Horace, and any more that I may have missed, and even people I don't know. I'm so grateful for you and the sacrifices that you give to protect this country.

I hope you all have a fun and safe Independence Day and keep in mind why we celebrate the 4th of July, and don't just think of it as a reason to party.