Being a Mom

I had promised myself that once Cormac was born I wouldn't devote my entire blog to posts about him. I would, of course, update you on the little lad, but I was going to continue to write other things. If you've been reading this blog (which I have been horrible at updating lately, sorry) you probably know that I have not kept that promise. I pretty much only write about Cormac. But then, he is my life. I am a mother. And that's about all I do and have to write about.

I have some funny stories of our little man that I wanted to share. You know Cormac has been threatening to walk for a while now. Well, a week ago (on Tuesday the 7th) Cormac discovered that he no longer needed help from people or furniture to stand fully upright. Since then he has become an exclusive walker. He won't crawl anymore. It doesn't matter how short the distance. If he falls then he stands up and walks the extra couple of steps. And he is so proud of himself as a walker. He just beams as he moves from room to room with no other purpose than to walk.

Cormac has become very possessive of his father. It's okay for Mom to hold other babies and children (as long as she isn't giving them a bottle), but it is not okay for Dad. We were visiting with family about a week ago and Ammon was helping our little cousin, Hunter (who's just a few months younger than Cormac), stand. Hunter was holding on to Ammon's hand. Cormac went over to see what was going on. He started to touch Hunter's face, which he normally does when he meets a new kid. I was telling him to be soft when he suddenly grabbed Hunter's face in his hand and pushed him on the ground and then demanded that Ammon pick him up (it was a rather nice tackle, maybe he'll be a football player if we channel it right). Fortunately Hunter's mom has a sense of humor about it. It was kind of funny that he acted that way. But not so funny that he acted that way. You know. I felt (and still feel) horrible that my kid was such a bully.

Well, yesterday when Ammon came home from work Cormac lit up like he normally does. Ammon was holding him when I went over to get a kiss from our returning hero. Cormac gave me a dirty look and as soon as I moved back a little he grabbed my face and pushed me away. We laughed and then I decided to show him who was boss and gave Ammon another kiss. After which he pushed my face away. Cormac gets dibs on his daddy apparently. And maybe I'm not the boss after all. Either way, Cormac adores his father.

Cormac has learned to say uh-oh. In fact, he purposely throws things on the ground or knocks things over just so he can say uh-oh. He has also learned to say hi. Which he intonates like a valley girl for some strange reason. It's hilarious. He has been using our old cell phone to practice. Actually, he won't talk into the phone, but he says "hi, hi, hi" as he puts the phone up to my ear. He'll keep repeating "hi" with the "i" drawn out nice and long until I finally say hi into the phone. Little nut.

We sometimes struggle with getting Cormac to eat. He likes to feed himself and he likes to throw food. So it's a hard balance of trying not to get too much on the ground and at least a little bit into his mouth. Lately we have been giving him the spoon and having him put it in his own mouth. Then he hands back the spoon and we reload it. But that hasn't been good enough lately. So today I held his bowl so he couldn't dump it out but so that he could reach it, and he loaded up his own spoon. I was surprised at how skilled he is at it. But it's so funny to watch as he sticks the spoon into the bowl, moves it back and forth really fast a few times, and then sticks it back in his mouth.

I was thinking about how much fun it has been lately to watch my little man grow and learn. He has changed and learned so much in the last two months. As I was watching him load up his spoon this morning I realized how lucky I am to be able to be home to witness his progress. I'm so lucky that I get to be the one watching him learn and grow and not have to be told about it by someone who could never love him like I do. I am so thankful for my husband today and for what a wonderful man he is. I'm so thankful that he goes to work every day and puts in the long hours that he does so that I can stay home with Cormac and see him grow. I'm a very blessed woman. And so while I didn't live up to my promise to keep blogging about things other than my son, you should know that I blog about my life and what is most important to me. Because most of all, I am a mother.

Snowmobile

We had a wonderful Thanksgiving. The food was divine, the company was good, and we made it to our destination and back in safety (though it was rather uncertain at times, the roads were horrible). One of the best parts was playing in the snow. That's always a favorite.

My family has two kayaks and one extremely large canoe. We like to use them to sled. They make excellent sleds in fact. The canoe wasn't as good this year as it has been in the past, but the kayaks were great. We took them down the hill then had snowmobiles tow us back up. That's really the only way to sled. All the fun, none of the work. I suppose it negates any workout that may come out of it. Oh well.

Ammon and I had decided to try again on the kayak (we wiped out hard the first time down the hill resulting in me getting run over by the kayak and Ammon). I shifted my weight to my left foot and the snow sort of gave out. I rolled my ankle. It was pathetic. I had wrecked several times going down the hill and even once on the snowmobile that day and I managed to get hurt while standing. I rolled it again on my birthday a few days later. It is still swollen and really sore. Maybe Santa will bring me a new ankle for Christmas. I could use it.

Anyway, Cormac also got to have his first experience in snow. He made this face pretty much the whole time. We didn't keep him out too long. But he was fascinated.

Then my dad took Cormac on his first snowmobile ride. My dad has been looking forward to this event since he found out I was pregnant. I think Cormac liked it. Being the good girl that I am I took my camera with me to the party, but then the only pictures I took were of Cormac in the snow. So enjoy.

Pictures of your favorite Dahl

Because I'm too lazy to write a blog post I figured I'd share a few pictures. I've not been very good at updating on here lately. I'm sorry. Cormac and I are sitting here listening to Christmas music and watching Baby Einstein without sound. Cormac keeps taking my hands off the keyboard and placing them on his stomach so that I'll tickle him. Then he laughs a lot. He's a character.

Here he is enjoying a green drink, yum.

Hanging out with cousin Ruby. She's just a little over a month younger than Cormac. She's so cute. They already enjoy playing together a little. Or at least seem fascinated with each other.

And Cormac's "pipe" which is actually a little hammer. What a nut. He kept crawling around with this in his mouth. It was extremely hilarious.

In other news, the boy is still not walking on his own yet. At least not unless there is someone to catch him at the end. But soon, very soon.

Happy Thanksgiving.

Happy Veterans Day

In my family we happen to have quite a few soldiers. I'm thankful for all of them. I worry about those who are currently away, but am so proud and thankful for them. I am lucky to be related to such wonderful and devoted people.

My Great Grandpa is one of our Veterans, and he's still with us. I'm thankful for him. Just this last October my family went to see him. We wanted Cormac to meet his Great Great Grandpa. Grandpa was rather taken with Cormac. I think Cormac was a fan of Grandpa as well.

This plaque hangs on the wall next to a plaque with all of the other stories of the veterans living at the facility where my grandpa stays.

It reads: "Harlen Garrison, U.S. Army WWII

"Harlen Garrison enlisted in the Army at the age of twenty three, even though he had a wife and four children at the time. He volunteered to be a paratrooper, jumping from C-47 aircraft so he could earn an additional fifty dollars a month to send back to his wife and family. Harlen was aboard the McAndrews, a troop carrier, with 1,900 soldiers on board when it collided with a French aircraft carrier. "It was like going to hell" Harlen said. According to news reports the collision tore a hole in the side of the ship, and sent 135 soldiers into the cold, choppy water. Sadly, rescue efforts were only able to save 14 of the 135 soldiers who went overboard. After surviving the collision on the McAndrews, Harlen was then shipped to England and later went on to France. From France, Harlen travelled to Germany via boxcar. While in Germany, Garrison joined a machine gun squad as a rifleman and they were given assignments to clean up towns. Before leaving Germany Garrison had the opportunity to see the remains of Hitler's bombed house. Harlen still wears his 82nd Airborne wings around his neck."

And here we are, five generations of Garrisons.

Grandpa and Cormac checking each other out. Grandpa kept saying what a "good one" Cormac was.

It was a really neat experience to see Great Grandpa and to be all together as a family. Happy Veterans Day to all those who have served and are serving our country.

One year recap

Yesterday Cormac started taking steps on his own. Up until now he wouldn't dare take a single step without something to hold on to. So in celebration of my baby growing up I have made this movie. It's a recap of my little guy going from new born to toddler. As you know, I'm not great with videos, but I think it works for those fans of Cormac who don't see him often.

The songs are by Mindy Gledhill and I love them. I may or may not cry when I hear the second one and think of my little boy.

Happy Halloween

We hope you had a wonderful holiday with lots of sweet treats.

One Year Old

Well folks, it's true. One week ago our little man decided to turn one. I won't bore you with how incredibly fast the time has flown for me, just know that it has. And let me just say that it is horribly difficult to get a picture of this little guy these days. He is busy. Thus, we had to wait until Ammon got home from work and I had to hold him in place in order to get this picture. At one year Cormac:

~ loves to say rawr, boo, mama, and dad.
~ wants to walk so bad. He won't let us set him down on his bum anymore, he must be set down on his feet close to something he can grab onto. He's still a little chicken to venture out on his own though.
~ enjoys eating bananas and anything off of Mommy's plate.
~ crawls at turbo speed.
~ has a mischievous side. He gets this little look on his face when he knows he is about to do something I would not approve of and then goes for it as fast as he can.
~ jabbers a lot.
~ walks like a drunk sailor (with assistance of course).
~ has 8 teeth.
~ is finally getting hair. I mean, enough that other people can even tell, not just me.
~ loves to laugh and smile (but he still makes you work for it some).
~ is wary of strangers.
~ love, love, loves to play peekaboo.
~ enjoys helping Mommy paint (It's pretty cute too. He dips his dry brush into the dry paint pan and then moves to whatever object he has chosen and starts painting.).
~ still not sleeping through the night.
~ needs attention. He sure likes an audience (he gets it from his dad:)
~ is the sweetest and funniest little guy ever.

No really, he cracks me up routinely. We are so thankful to have Cormac in our family. I really can't imagine my life without him. I just adore this little boy more than I can say. And look at what a change a year has had on this little guy:

The requisite family pictures when your child turns one

A year ago today Cormac finally decided to show up after 2 days of labor. I remember feeling panicked because he wasn't crying as much as I thought he should. He made up for it during the nights following us bringing him home. Last night Ammon and I were talking about how it seemed only a few days ago that Cormac was born, and yet at the same time it felt like he had always been part of our family. Either way, I'm happy to say that we have a most adorable, mischievous little man here who has managed to survive an entire year of me.

A few months ago I entered a blog giveaway and somehow won. It was a miracle. What did I win? A photo shoot with the amazing Staci D. I love her work and am glad that I was introduced to her by our mutual friend Heidi. Here's a sneak peak.

We had the pictures taken in Midway. Isn't it beautiful? Incidentally we also lost our only car key while we were out there, and after searching for it for nearly an hour in the dark, tall grass we ended up having to call a shuttle to come pick us up and take us all the way back to Lindon. It's a long story and one I'm sure we'll laugh at some day. But I think the pictures are worth it.

I may have won the giveaway, but Staci has won a client out of me. I love these pictures. There are more that you can see on Staci's blog. I didn't post them all.

New Things

New things at the Dahl House:

~ Cormac had his first ear infection.

~ Cormac threw up for the first time.

~ Ammon started a new job. He is now involved in the hated road construction.

~ Melanee gets to eat tomatoes tomorrow for the first time in weeks.

~ It's October! Holy Cow!

And because I was wasting time, for your viewing pleasure:

Eleven Months Old

Cormac has now reached the grand age of elven months. We are all a little shocked over here considering he will be one so soon. Can it really have been a year? But enough with the cliche comments of how fast time flies, let me tell you about our boy. First off, it is hard to get a picture of this busy, busy, busy guy. Most of the pictures look like this:

He's on the move with tons to do and say. But that's not new. At eleven months Cormac:

~ loves to play and play and play.

~ needs a lot of attention.

~ has 5 teeth.

~ repeats a lot of the things we say (like uh oh, dada, mama, all done, bye bye, and others).

~ is completely binkie free.

~ loves raspberries and peaches.

~ has figured out how to turn the water on in the tub and is obsessed with trying it whenever possible.

~ cruises on all the furniture.

~ can bend over to pick things up off the ground rather than having to sit down on his bum to get things.

~ enjoys wrestling. Especially with Daddy and his big stuffed bear.

~ is a pro at grabbing things, particularly Mommy's eyelashes.

~ is finally growing some hair see:

It's there. I promise. Well, we will soon have a toddler instead of a baby. Bring it on. We love you Cormac.

Monopod

Cormac's pj's are a little big on him. But he grows so fast who can blame me for getting them large? Anyway, this morning he managed to become a monopod. It's hard to see from the above photo, so here's another:

My one legged son. He was so annoyed that he couldn't get around very well. Instead of helping him, I ran for my camera. Some mom. We did finally get him all situated and he is now the proud owner of two legs once again.

Living Room

The living room has been a rather slow project. There is still a lot I want to do with the room, but I finally got it far enough along that I wanted to show off my progress.

So here is the before, complete with bug spray on the fireplace and little green bowl on the floor.

Before:

After:

The fireplace is still there, I just wasn't backed up enough. Please ignore the paint samples on the wall in the hall (I like to rhyme). I haven't gotten that far yet.

Things I'm still working on:
~ refinishing the piano.
~ reupholstering couches and chairs.
~ replacing the ceiling light and fan.
~ finishing the ceiling.

Here are some detailed pictures of the room:

I want to replace this bookshelf here with a small entry table or something of that sort. Someday.

My little art project over my piano.

The drapes I made myself and the funny little ladder that was left here. I think Ammon thinks I'm strange for bringing it in the house but I love it. The drapes need a few more clips on top so they hang just right, but I haven't done that yet either.

Ammon took this picture and we had it blown up. I found the frame complete with mat and glass at DI for $5. I painted it and there you have it. Cheap and easy. We did actually break the original glass and had to replace it, but other than that, it was a pretty good deal. At least I thought so. I am proud of my thrift.

And the view going the other way. Still working on the ceiling and the kitchen and dinning room area, but we are making progress. Slowly, but surely as they say.

And finally, one more look at the before and after:

Side by side:

F is for Football. . . and fall

Fall is in the air. Summer is good and wonderful. It was too short this year. But I love fall. I get excited for it every year. This year is no different. Fall brings so many wonderful things:

~ Fallen leaves.
~ Lots of color. I love color.
~ The renewed desire to work on our house.
~ Cider.
~ Holidays.
~ Football.

The football season started off with a bang. Thanks Cougars for not letting us down! We are excited for the new season.

Back-Up Plan

We have had a series of unfortunate events the last few weeks at the Dahl House. One of which involved our favorite furry friends, Sandy and Charlie. We have been having trouble keeping them contained ever since we moved here, but they finally crossed the line. They killed the neighbor's turkey and some other large bird (we still don't know who it belonged to). So, it was time to part ways. I have been sad and heart broken about it. Still, ever since we had Cormac I really haven't been spending as much time with them and they are probably happier with new families. But I do miss them from time to time. I sure did this morning.

Every morning when Cormac wakes up I bring him in bed with me to feed him his bottle. It gives us both a chance to wake up a little more slowly. Ammon is usually already gone to work when we do this. This morning Ammon had left as usual and about a half hour later I had Cormac snuggled up to me in bed when I heard the front door open and close. I assumed it must be Ammon. He must have forgotten something. But still... what if it wasn't Ammon? My mind started to race. My plan in case of break-in has always been to somehow get Charlie in between me and whoever is breaking in. My dogs may have been spazy, but they loved me and would protect me. But I no longer had a Charlie. I panicked. I didn't know what to do. I kept looking to see if Ammon would come around the corner. Rather than do anything active I just stayed in bed.

Then the doorbell rang. ? I carefully left Cormac tucked in bed and cautiously walked to the door. I peeked around the corner only to see a lady in a short pink bathrobe  standing at the door. My first thought was that she used to know Preston (the previous owner of the house) and must have just walked in. When she realized it was no longer his home she bolted and then decided to find out where he was. Wrong. She was looking for a pool a friend of hers told her she could swim in. I had no idea what to tell her, but since we are pool-less I sent her on her way.

Once again my first thought through all of this was that I needed my dogs back. But since that isn't really a likely option I need to come up with a back up plan. Want to hear the really scary part? Ammon locked the door before he left this morning and yet this woman walked right into our house. I guess our first line of action will be a trip to the Home Depot tonight to invest in some better door knobs and locks.

I miss you Sandy and Charlie.

10 Months Old

I can't believe it, but it is true. Cormac is officially 10 months old (as of a little over a week ago, I'm a bit late). He is such a sweetie. At 10 months Cormac:

~ is into everything.
~ crawls and cruises all over the place. He has even started to climb (uh oh).
~ HATES to have his diaper changed.
~ loves to play peekaboo.
~ is so loud. He loves to sing and jabber all the time.
~ still spits a lot.
~ has finally slowed down a little in the growth department. He is still 25 lbs and has only grown half an inch making him 29.5 inches long.
~ is about to get his 5th tooth through.
~ likes to make funny faces, like sucking in his cheeks or biting his bottom lip.
~ still bites everything. He has chewed up his crib.
~ enjoys eating paper (little twerp).
~ still has amazing eyes.
~ likes small ping pong balls. He likes to have one in each hand.
~ bangs his hands and head on everything.
~ is fascinated with books (but more in the ripping them up than the reading them up stage).
~ does not know what "I'm going to get you" means. He thinks it means "attack."
~ is fearless.
~ likes to put his face in the water in the tub (what baby does that?).
~ when you go to chase him he turns and comes after you.
~ lights up when he sees his parents.
~ loves it when Daddy comes home.
~ cracks us up on a regular basis.

This boy is so much fun. We just adore him. I can't believe my little boy is closing in on one year so quickly. Oh, and did I mention he says "mom" and "mama" all the time? Yeah, he likes me. And I adore him.

Bad Aunt

I'm embarrassed and ashamed that I failed to acknowledge the newest addition to our Dahl extended family. Things have been extremely insane around here. More on that later. Either way I'm not the best of aunts, but I do want to introduce you all to someone special. Finally Ammon can tell the world where he got his name. He is named after his adorable nephew.

Ammon Alejandro Cobian:

Isn't he sweet? We are so excited that Cormac has another cousin and that we have another nephew. We can't wait to meet little Ammon.