The Mother of ALL Blogs

WARNING: You are about to read the mother of all blogs. This entry contains within copious amounts of photos from the last 4 weeks or more, so if you can't handle that, then back up from the computer and walk away. I would suggest that you have plenty of time when you gaze upon this awesomeness.

On July 24th, we had our annual Relief Society game night. I did pretty well and won 3 candies out of 20 in the first game- more than anyone else!

Since the beginning of July, Lars has let Jonathan sit by HIMSELF on the piano bench. With his beefy little hands, he's sure to be the next Franz Liszt!! XDJonathan gave himself a booboo because Mommy couldn't find his nail clippers. He would scratch at it, so I finally put a Band Aid and some Neosprorin on it and he felt so much better! (As you can tell by his expression.)
I suppose you're not supposed to take pictures in church while it's Sunday and there's a speaker talking, but I hadn't gotten to take any pictures of Jonathan is his 4th of July outfit and he was so loud and happy. Besides, we were in the cry room- no note that prohibits pictures at the doorway in there!

On July 25th, one of Larry's and my bffs was in California for her baby shower and all of our other friends we never see came to it, too. Left to Right: Christine (her baby shower), me, Candy (who's also expecting), and Abby. And later that same day, Lars and I went to the Pioneer Day celebration for our church combined wards. I baked deep-dish apple pie and made my dad's special "missionary salad". Both were gone before we left (and we left an hour early). I participated with Wendy Miller, a good friend of mine in our ward and won the women's record for the pull-saw with 23 seconds! It was a crazy, busy, fun day!

July 29th (the day Larry had the interview that got him his job): It was SO STINKING FUNNY! I left Jonathan in the middle of the floor in FRONT of the couch to switch out the laundry and use the 'facilities', when I heard him whining in distress. When I went to check on him, I found he'd pushed himself in a circle BACKWARD and into the space BEHIND our couch!! I was laughing so hard and ran to get the camera. Jonnie didn't like being left alone while I left for a few seconds, but I HAD to have a picture!

That same night, I made low fat stuffed shells for the first time for dinner with the missionaries. We had a great time and a wonderful discussion on how to be a better husband and wife.

After the missionaries left, I had a hankering to go check out IKEA since I've never been there before. I've been spending all my time online lately planning furniture and all that stuff for when we have our own place. In the children's section, we found this cute little toddler bed (no we won't be spending money to get something he'll only use for a couple years at most) and we put Baby on it. He LOVED all the bright colors and kept grabbing the tags and trying to put them in his mouth.

July 31st: After we had Larry's extended family traditional Saturday breakfast, the little kids got to run around in Tia Yoli's back yard in the sprinkler. Here's Jonathan with his cousin Christopher who, after soaking his own skivvies, borrowed a pair of blue girls undies from his older cousin RaeLynn who's visiting.

Jonathan loves to sit and watch movies in our front room. We give him what we call "Naked Time" for 15-30 minutes two to three times weekly. It does his skin good because the skin in his folds is so very sensitive and fragile. We put him on all our old blankets and surround him with old pillows just in case he wets all over- which he has... several times. But it's all good. Everything gets washed.

In the last couple weeks Jonathan's been getting more steady. He figured out how to pull himself up and now he cruises in his play pen and on the coffee table, but only if he knows Daddy's behind him. He's had a couple falls that have made him a little insecure by himself. Here he is cruising the coffee table for the first time.

August 5th: I set Jonathan down in his crib after he woke up and changed him, so I could do the same for myself. I heard him grunting and singing to himself while I came out of the bathroom. When I saw him I nearly had a heart attack. He'd pulled himself up for the first time in the crib. If he'd figured out how to get his legs out from under him to stand, he would've launched himself out onto the floor!

When Lars got home that night, I had him lower the crib, but now the gate lowering mechanism doesn't work, so I have to heave Jonathan into bed every night, which he wakes up for. For the last 3 months he'd become a side sleeper, but every since the beginning for the month or so, he figured out how to flip himself over to sleep on his tummy so now that's how I put him down for the night. He rarely sleeps on his back now, unless he's sick and can't breathe well.

Sleeping with his bum in the air, just like Mommy at this age.

August 6th: Lars and I went to check out the Pico Rivera Walmart and found out it was a SUPER. I was on the phone with my sister and I started laughing uncontrollably. I had to have a picture. Does this remind anybody else of a certain feminine product brand? BWAHAHAHA!!

Same night- Mormon Night @ Dodgers Stadium: We had one heck of a time finding our way there. We overshot the off ramp by a half hour. And when we pulled off at Universal to call and ask how to get back, Jonathan had been screaming for 10 minutes. We parked so I could nurse and after he was done, all he did was scream more when we put him back into his carseat. We opened the windows to dissipate the sound and save our sanity. We got to the stadium during the third inning and almost didn't even go in. The stress had elevated our emotions and let's just say we'd had enough.

We DID decide to go in, but we kept getting sent further and further around the stadium to our seat and I really, REALLY had to go. We finally found a security guard who let us in on the lower level to use the bathroom and go up on the elevators. It was SO hard to figure out how to operate without a stroller. We each took turns holding Jonnie and eating. Half the stuff we brought we didn't need and we ended up needing to leave before the end of the game so we could make traffic in time for bedtime. We listened to the rest of the game on the radio and ended up missing Dodgers WINNING and at the bottom of the NINETH, 5-4 against the Atlanta Braves.

Manny Ramirez up to bat.

YAY! WE finally made it! It was my first time to the stadium in ten years!

Jonathan briefly happy before the cheers from the crowd made him upset and cry.

August 7th: More cousins from Larry's side visiting from Texas. Left to Right: RaeLynn, Hunter, and Jonathan. (The underwear Christopher was wearing was hers.)

August 10th: My baby boy turned NINE months old! **sigh** He's so big and learning to do SO much! I want his to slow down!

Phew! Now that that's done, there'll be room to post Jonathan's nine month photos soon to come! Hope you're not too exhausted from that little reading marathon!