Labor Day!

This past weekend was fun and eventful! We had Jordan to ourselves for 3 days! On Friday afternoon we took Axel to his 1-year-check up! Luckily, our family doctor is also a family friend and the Branch President in our ward, so we have a great relationship with him and he is a fantastic doctor. We've actually been really lucky so far, and with all of our moves we've found great Doctors for Axel, but this time it's really nice to know ours outside of the clinic.

Anyways, Axel did really well and we learned some new techniques in "discipline" and bottle weaning. Of course, they took his measurements and, well our child definitely does not have any issues with malnourishment. His head is in the 100th percentile haha! I didn't realize his head was so big! His weight is in the 99th percentile, and his height is in the 87th percentile! I remember about two weeks after he was born I was worried he would never get back to his birth weight because he was having trouble nursing. Obviously that was not the case as his birth weight has more than tripled! I am more than grateful that I have a strong, healthy child. Especially after his colicky infancy. Yet, I know things could be worse, and I know we are very lucky.

On Saturday we pretty much had a lazy day in. I had big plans of going to The Taste of Madison festivities on the square but the weather was really bad. It rained most of the day and was extremely muggy. We had fun staying indoors, and I made a yummy chicken stroganoff in my trusty crock pot.

Sunday was the start of my favorite weather. It was 45 degrees when we woke up! The day capped off at around 69 degrees and it put me in the best mood ever! Yes, the weather does indeed affect my state of mind that much! It was so nice to bundle up a little instead of looking through my closet wondering how to keep myself cool in the heat. Towards the end of church I was hit with a massive migraine and we left a little early. Jordan was so sweet to put me to bed when we got home and watch Axel (and put him to sleep too!) while I slept for 3 hours. THREE HOURS! I haven't taken a three hour nap in ages. It felt so good and really helped with my headache (which is still lingering :S).

Monday was Labor Day, so most Americans had the day off, including Jordan and we were able to spend a wonderful day together. We started the day off with a yummy breakfast and then packed up for the Labor Day Parade in Jordan's hometown of Randolph. It was so fun getting to dress Axel in some of his new Fall clothing! He looked so cute! Jordan's little sister, Jenna is in her middle school marching band, so we watched her March, and enjoyed watching all of the other pieces of the parade go by. The Mommy in me kicked in when the fire trucks went by and blasted their horns. Hello! Didn't they see my child? Haha, but I seemed more bothered by it than Axel even did. He was such a good boy and had a lot of fun!





After the parade we walked down to a Corn Carnival (I think that's what it was called) in a local park and enjoyed some free sweetcorn and walked around to look at some of the booths that were set up by local vendors. There really wasn't much other than beer mirrors and clocks, but hey.. it's Randolph. After the carnival we went over to Jordan's parents house and his Dad bbq'd some burgers, hot dogs, and brats. We had a nice lunch, and Axel had a great time playing with his Uncles Landon, and Evan. He worships those boys (and they him)!





After we left the Stanley's, we all went home and relaxed and tried to rest. Around dinner time I asked Jordan if he wanted to go to the Chinese Restaurant down the street. Normally, I really don't like Chinese food, but occasionally I get a weird craving for it. It's like a gross comfort food or something. Jordan always winces when I ask if we can go so we've never gone! But last night, he agreed. It was extra sweet of him because I know he only said "yes" so that I could have what I wanted, and he had such a sweet attitude about it. He was a great sport and cleared his plate, although we left feeling so disgusting!!

It was a fabulous weekend and I am sad to have Jordan away at work today! Love my boys!!

Finally!

The day has come. The glory day. The day where the opera vvoices "aaaahhhhh" and rays of sun shine down... on our bedroom. Haha, where am I going with this? We have a bed. A BED! For the first time in almost a year. We are once again sleeping on a real bed. When we moved back to Wisconsin from Idaho, we sold our bed to keep moving costs down. Thinking we'd get by on an air mattress for a few weeks, we were fine with the idea. Well, weeks turned into months, and still.. no bed! The other day, my sweet, thoughtful cousin Drew called me and asked if Jordan and I want their Queen Tempurpedic bed. For FREE! They decided to upgrade to a King and were going to put their Queen on the curb. Instead of the curb, it came to us.. and it is not a curb piece! Oh the comfort I felt as I lay in bed last night without the sound of the canvas air mattress in my ear, and without the worry of having to re-inflate the bed the next morning.

Thank you Drew! We love our new bed!

Amazing Baby. Amazing Weekend.

Today I am ever so grateful for the people who made this weekend so special and fun! Yesterday, I started my day with a very long foil session with my co-worker, Chelsie. She spent 3 hours putting highlights into my hair to give me the blonde I have been longing for ever since I made the mistake of going back to brunette. I am not only grateful to Chelsie for being so talented, but for being so sweet and patient as she stood on her feet for so long. She's expecting a baby and that could not have been comfortable. So thank you Chelsie. I love my hair!

After my hair appointment, I rushed home to help Jordan get the house ready for AXEL'S FIRST BIRTHDAY! Friday night we had gone to the store and bought everything we would need and I made the fondant for Axel's cake that night so it would be less work on Saturday. When I got home we started to prep the food and get the decorations ready. At first we were really feeling rushed but as things came together we had a blast! We didn't get many RSVP's but were suprised and had a great turn out! The cake smash was really fun as well.


Before the party even ended, I had to disappear and get ready for Jordan's high school reunion. As people slowly started to leave, we cleaned up and got ready to go. I am so grateful to my dear Mother who stayed and helped clean up so Jordan and I could get ready to leave. Then, Jordan's sister Kelly came over straight from a long day of work and watched Axel while we were gone, and she cleaned EVERYTHING! It was such a sweet and relieving surprise to come home to after such a long day. She did all the dishes, swept, vacuumed, cleaned up the big cake mess, put the food away, and cleaned off all the counters, on top of taking care of our sweet birthday boy! Our house looked so nice. She also spent the night and we had some fun chats. Thank you so much Kelly! You are going to be such a good wife and future mother!

The high school reunion was fun, but I always feel a little out of place among all of Jordan's high school friends. We had a nice time, but let's just say it was everything I expected it to be; A lot of drinking and friendly banter. It was nice getting to know Jordan's high school friends though, and finally putting faces with names.

The next morning (Sunday) Jordan made a yummy breakfast and we had a nice relaxing morning. It was fun talking in detail with Kelly about some of her ideas for her wedding (in December)! I was so excited that Axel fit in his adorable shirt he got for his birthday.


It was such a glorious weekend and I am so grateful for everyone who helped make it so fun! I am so happy to be Axel's mommy. I love my big boy more than anything and find new things to gush over each and every day.

At this time, here are his stats:

*He is 30" long and weighs 29lbs (a year ago he was 20.5" long and weighed 8.9lbs)
*He's wearing size 2T comfortably, but will fit into 18-24months.
*He speaks a lot of gibberish, and calls everyone he loves "da-da". His toys he calls "da".
*He is starting to take steps on his own, but isn't quite there yet. I'm sure he'll be a great walker in a month or so.
*He loves spaghetti, chicken, blueberries, strawberries, and his milk.
*He loves to look at books and "read" them to himself.
*He LOVES dogs, cats, and other animals, but dogs are his favorite.
*Music by The Fresh Beat Band or Laurie Berkner get him dancing every time! He loves to dance.
*He loves to splash in the tub and suck on his sponge. (It's so gross but makes him really happy).
*He loves to "scare" Mama and Dada when we are all laying in bed. He will go to the end of the bed and say "raaah!" with big eyes and a big smile and Jordan and I pretend to get scared. Axel thinks it's hilarious and cracks up every time.
*Axel loves other kids, especially his friends Kylie and Gabe from church.

I love you Axel Jay! You are my shining light and give me a happiness I never could have imagined! You've changed my life and taught me so much (especially patience :D). Thank you for being so smiley, funny, and sweet. Happy Birthday big boy! We love you!

A Self-Induced Intervention

I can't believe it's already the end of August! Do you know what this means? The end of August means that I will have a One-Year-Old soon! Just a year ago I gave birth to my sweet baby boy, who doesn't seem like much of a baby anymore, but I will hold on to whatever I can. Axel, you will ALWAYS be Mama's baby. In the scorching heat and humidity, we haven't really taken advantage of the outdoors too much, but I am anxiously awaiting things to cool down as the Fall approaches. Fall is by far, my favorite season. Don't get me wrong, I love a sunny day just like all of you, but it's the heat and humidity that I can't stand. If I could have Fall weather 365 days a year, I would be a happy camper. If anyone knows where I can live to enjoy that peace, please let me know.

We are celebrating Axel's birthday this coming Saturday, the 27th, and I've decided on a farm theme. He really loves animals, and I didn't want to do anything too "big boy", so farm it is. Plus, I found a really cute invitation that went along with my theme just perfectly!



I really need to get a move on with the party plans THIS WEEK because so far, my plans haven't gone past my imagination. I think we'll hit some party stores tomorrow!

This past week we were graced with the presence of Jordan's siblings all coming to Wisconsin for a visit/Family Reunion. Everyone was able to make it except for Holly and Creed. Unfortunately the dates of the reunion fell right in the middle of their transition from BYU-Idaho graduates (WAY TO GO GUYS!) to entering the real world and looking for jobs, and he found one! We are so happy for Holly and Creed and their growing family. (Baby girl is due in October!).

We so enjoyed having Shawn, Traci and Andrew, Shalyse, Ben, Andrea and tiny baby Ethan, Ryan and Paige, and Kelly all here from different places in the country.





So, you might be wondering why I titled this post "A Self-Induced Intervention". I know, it sounds kind of dramatic, but it is necessary. That's right. I am imposing an intervention on myself, by myself. Lately I have been feeling very...tightly wound shall we say? Knowing my daily obligations are not much different than every other mother/wife out there, I decided I need to dig a little deeper if I want to change my perspective and personal nature in general. So here are the things that I have decided to do to find the old Courtney and give my family the best of me.

*I have found that I have allowed toxic personalities to affect me in ways that only bring me down. Although there are some people I cannot avoid, I need to do my best to not let their strong opinions and hurtful comments disrupt my family, my goals, and my general happiness.

*I need to turn off the TV! We went almost 2 years without a television and did just fine. Once we moved to Wisconsin we decided that being at home with Axel all day would get kind of boring without TV. I set rules for myself and how much tv I would watch, and what shows if any, I would allow Ax to watch. Needless to say, things got out of hand and the TV is on way too much. Now there are set TV times for me, and Axel will only be watching videos (educational of course) from now on. I've replaced a lot of TV time with having music on (thank you Pandora!) and it has already changed the mood in our home. I don't know how I let music slip out of my life for a brief period of time.

*We need to get out of the house! Living in a place that doesn't have any public transportation, it can be expensive to just get up and leave and try to find a fun place to go. Especially with a very rowdy boy in tow. But we need to get out more, and we will.

*BOOKS. Remember my bullet above about less tv? I will be replacing most of my tv time with books. I used to read book after book after book, and before I started reading my current book (The Glass Castle) I hadn't picked up a book (other than a childrens book) in close to a year. A YEAR! NOT OKAY.

*Meditation. I think this goes along with reading and listening to music, but I need to allow myself more time to just relax and release any and all tensions of the day so that I can sleep better and be a better Mom and Wife to my boys.

Those are my big ones for now. I am really working hard to become confident in myself and my roles as Axel's Mom and Jordan's Wife. This fall I will be starting classes through BYU-Idaho online to complete my degree. I am really looking forward to this as I know when I am consistently learning I am happier in general. The only online degree offered is University Studies, but I will be taking two minors in English and Marriage and Family Studies. Right now there are only about five different minors to choose from (slim pickings), so those two seemed to be the most interesting. I'm hoping they open up another that focuses more on culture and diversity, but I'll take what I can get.

Until next time...

10 Months Going on 2 Years

I guess you could say I sort of forgot about this blog for a couple of months. With the packing, moving, unpacking, and everything else, blogging completely slipped my mind. So here's what's up with Coke, Butter, and Axel Jay...

I love being a Mommy more than anything I have ever done. I honestly can't really remember life without my sweet boy! Believe it or not, my little man is almost 1 already! ONE! How can he be so grown up?! For those of you who haven't had the chance to meet my crazy child, or see him lately, here is an update.

Axel is 10 months old.
He is a SOLID 27lbs. 27 HEAVY pounds.
He is loud and loves to talk. He's been saying "Da-da" for awhile, and just started saying "Ma-Ma", although he kind of says "Mum-ma" and it's adorable. He also carries on conversation in gibberish and a lot of character.
He only has his two bottom teeth so far, but we're all fine with that. I'll miss his gummy grin.
He is always, and I mean ALWAYS happy. (A huge change from his early life of colic and reflux..not fun!)
He has the biggest, most contagious smile ever.
He loves getting attention from others and really lays on the charm with the ladies.
He loves other kids and always wants to interact and play with them.
He loves doggies and other animals.
He crawls like the flash!
He get's into everything, and is still putting just about anything into his mouth. His favorite non-edible thing to eat? Toilet paper.
Nothing gets past Axel.
He loves it when Mama says "I'm gonna get you!" and we chase each other around the house.
After instruction from Jordan, Axel loves blowing raspberries on Mama's tummy.
He loves Spaghetti and strawberries, but seems to dislike apples, applesauce, and apple juice.
He loves bath time and squeals for joy when I turn the faucet on!
He loves it when Mama sings to him, and makes up funny dances.
He is also starting to mimic me when I talk, hand gestures and all.




I love my Axie so so so so much and am so grateful for the happy, sweet, loving baby that he is, and the smiles he gives me all day every day!

My Resilient Little Man

Recently I've been asked by different people if Axel has been sick yet in his life. Each time I've very cautiously replied "No, we're really lucky he's been so healthy so far..". With each word I knew I was jinxing our family, and as it goes, Axel is sick. He's caught himself a wee cold that has him sneezing, drooling, and miserable. He has a fever, is clammy, irritable, and a very running nose that he does not want me to wipe for him.

I hate seeing my happy little boy in such a miserable state! It is pretty exhausting for all three of us and I can't wait for this to pass. However, I have to express my gratitude for my sweet baby's ability to try to enjoy things. All day today he has only wanted to be held. I've been so worried about causing him any more pain than he is already in, but somehow we ended up playing a little game of jumping on the bed and his laughs absolutely warmed my heart! I love Axel Jay Stanley so much! His loud laughter puts the biggest smile on my face and I love that he thinks his Mommy is so much fun!

(I apologize in advance for the back fat shots and my blinding white skin!)

Lately...

It's the end of March and it's been one busy month for us! In the beginning of the month I had to go to Florida for a few days for work. Axel stayed with his Stanley Grandparents while I was away and it was soooooooooooooooooo hard to leave him! He had a great time though, and I was able to learn a lot at my sales training. I think Grandma would've kept him forever if she could have! They all enjoyed Axel being there.

Axel continues to grow, engage, amaze, and crack us up all the time! I can't believe he is almost 7 months old! He is on a great eating schedule with "solid" foods and he seems to favor green beans, sweet potatoes, and apples. He isn't so fond of the meats (I don't blame him! They smell like cat food!) or bananas. He has such a strong personality and still has a perma-smile on his fat little face! He is still trying to figure out how to crawl. He gets so frustrated trying to get himself going and ends up looking like he's doing face paced yoga, haha. He'll get there soon enough! He has been a major chatter-box the last few days, and has started to crack himself up!



Axel LOVES music! His songs of choice? He favors the theme song to Jack's Big Music Show (a puppet show on NickJr), and Baby, Baby, Oh.. from Justin Bieber. Sometimes he'll even sing along to the "Ohhhh's". We love it! He is finally becoming more active thanks to some great items some friends have loaned us. He particularly loves jumping in his Johnny Jump Up, and making lots of noise in his exersaucer.