Merry Christmas 2016

Christmas 2016

Merry Christmas from the Maxey pad! Someday, hopefully next year, we will jump on the printed and mailed band wagon. I've been mulling on it for the last few years, but never executed on time to

actually do it without oodles of stress.

We are still in Logan, Utah and loving nearly every minute of it! It's a cute little town and we love the community we have within the school and our ward. Our house we bought last year is treating us well and slowly we are making home improvements to make it more functional and nice!

Myles is in his second year of his PhD program in Family, Consumer and Human Development. His area of focus has changed slightly this semester. His focus is a dual focus of development in adolescents with disabilities and the role of the family in their development. He has written a
curriculum for parents of adolescents with disabilities, which is what his dissertation will be now, where he will examine the impact on the family but also on the adolescent's psychosocial development. He works so hard with his schooling, it makes a wife proud. He also holds lot of part time jobs to assist in keeping us afloat and reaching our dreams of bigger better things in life. He taught his first solo upper level undergrad class this semester as part of his contract with the school. He really enjoys teaching so it has been a blessing. Next semester he will continue to teach the same class, along with being a teaching assistant for an online class. The most "real" job he holds is being a support coordinator for people with disabilities, contracting with the state. He is the middle man between the disability funding and the providers, ensuring that the supports they need are being given.  He keeps busy in his "free time" doing basketball and football officiating for the public school systems. Along with all that insanity, he also fulfills his calling in our local church congregation as the ward mission leader, not to mention that he is an excellent father and husband. Somehow he manages to balance it all out beautifully.

I stay busy enough being the support to Myles in his crazy life, but I also have my own activities. I have a part time job using my Massage Therapy License at a Chiropractic office. I love my arrangement there. As an independent contractor I have the freedom to control my schedule, allowing me to only work when Myles or Mariah (we love having auntie Mariah in Logan... For more than just the free childcare!) can be with Lenayah. I also like the structural work I get to do there, working with the Chiropractor. I stay really busy at work, too, which is a nice bonus! I lead the ward choir. That is a blessing and a curse. I constantly feel inadequate, but I do love the music so so much! My most important role right now is chasing after miss Lenayah. What a joy to be around! She certainly keeps me on my toes, learning new things every day, and laughing all the way... I, or Myles, tend my friends little girl a few hours a school day. That is an interesting adventure depending on the day little Raven and Lenayah don't get along quite so well. Good preparation for when our family grows, hopefully soon. Perhaps the most disguised blessing for me this year was the miscarriage we had in the end of October. It has taught me so much, although an immense trial to go through, I have learned to rely on my Savior so much more. I have truly felt His love this year.

Lenayah is almost old enough for nursery! Next month she hits the big 18.... 18 months that is! She is a hefty 30 lbs of absolute comedy! She is a total ham and she knows it! She can work the system, no matter what system it is! Emotion is an on/off switch for her. I don't know how she does it! She is learning more words, but her favorite might be "Gizz", her doggy Grizzly is one of her most favorite things. They are pretty darn cute together, too. Lenayah healed up nicely from her little accident this year. Its totally obvious she is the child of two very clumsy people. We are now about 8 weeks out from her first broken bone. Broke her collar bone falling off the stage at church. She handled it all very well. She is totally enamored by Christmas this year! We have caught her opening presents too early, at least 4 times. She even likes the things inside the paper. She doesn't

love to road trip, but she at least indulges her parents and her grandmas and tolerates the trips a few times a year.

This Christmas season has found us at my parents house for the first time since we got married! I feel so blessed to be here. Que the nostalgia! So many fun memories and traditions! I'm very glad to be able to share them with Myles and Lenayah.

God is good. We have seen so much growth in ourselves this year. The Atonement heals. It heals bones of babes, and hearts that hurt. Turn to him this season, if not during any other. Change is possible, through the miraculous birth of the savior. Merry Christmas to all!

Lenayah is 14 Months old!

Raven, totally disgusted with Lenayah

Somehow i missed a 13 month update... I'm not sure what we were doing but i don't remember it even crossing my mind!
This month we gained a full-time walker, a singer, a very loud kisser, and a mommy wanna be.

Walking: not quite the nightmare i thought it was going to be. She is fast and she knows where she wants to be, so the biggest adjustment I've had is making sure to close all the doors i don't want her to go through. Unfortunately there isn't a door at the top of the stairs so she just stands at the top and plays. Which of course, scares me half to death because gravity is still her only method of getting down. I think her favorite place to walk is out to the car before an errand.

Eating breakfast with her baby

She started singing with us and even though there is very little note change and she doesn't say any words is absolutely adorable. Even Better when she leads the music in sacrament meeting, too!
I recently posted a video on Facebook that you might see of her kissing her New dolly. "Ooooowahhh" is her kiss. That, too, is very cute. However we discovered on Sunday that giving kisses in church is somewhat disruptive... And hilarious.

Drinking the dog water!

This month we started watching my friends little girl a few hours a week. Lenayah is about 9 months older and can't imagine anything better than a little playmate. On the other hand, her playmate is totally mortified by her! Lenayah doesn't even have to touch her and the screams will ring out. Lenayah is always concerned when the baby cries and tries to comfort her. Pats her back, tries to give her a bottle, asks me for help, offers her own toys and binkies.

Dressed up and ready for church!

Nothing works because Lenayah is the reason the baby is crying! It's funny for a little while and then i have to intervene to maintain my sanity.

She still loves to play peek-a-boo. Especially with visitors. The problem is that she doesn't understand that she is supposed to hide behind something. She usually will just lean one way, and then the other while yelling "boo!" she does a similar thing while she squats. Down.... Up.... "Boo!"

She loves to be a helper, too! She unloads the sliverwear for me. Hands them up one by one for me to put in the drawer. She also is a master at putting clothes in the dryer. Hollers with everything she has got if I don't hand her a new something fast enough. Now if only she would enjoy putting her toys away where she got them from...

I am really enjoying this stage. She is a lot of fun! We have more to do together now because Lenayah is interested in more things. We color, read books, rough house, go on walks down the driveway, chores, mother her baby dolls, learn some sign language, cook, play with grizzly and so much more!

Loading into the car!

She is wearing a little of every size now! Mostly 18 and 24 months, but there are a few 12 month stragglers as well. Still as heavy as can be and totally adorable as a result. Thanks for tuning in! Please excuse strange sentences and the choppiness. I had to stop and go a bunch while being mommy this morning.

One Year & Counting!

Birthday present from Grann!

I would like to believe that because I have discovered the blogger app I will be more consistent about blogging. Myles generally has our house laptop for school and work things so this will help a lot!

I cannot believe how quickly a year went by! Lenayah has grown a bunch, but I would venture to say that I have grown equally as much! She has taught me so much! I think the most important part is that she has taught me how to turn to, and rely on Heavenly Father more fully.

She now has 5 teeth. 3 on top and 2 on bottom. Because of the order they came in she had a gap on top for 2 weeks or so. It cracked me up! The 4th one on the top is working it's way through now.

Teeth!

She isn't sleeping through the night right now. I believe that is mostly due to a cold she is trying to kick. She has the boogers to stop her breath and coughing fits that make her almost throw-up. Even daddies (they can sleep through anything) don't sleep

Birthday photo shoot with dad

well under those conditions. Finally, at the urging of many of my friends we got a bedtime routine (including naps) solid and as a result i don't finish the process in tears of frustration after a hour plus, thank goodness!

Cake Smash!

She has discovered a few things in the last week. It's so much fun to watch her learn and problem solve. She can now successfully climb in and out of her toy box. Out was far more difficult and she had to ask for help a few times before she mastered it. She, much to my dismay, also knows that if she pushes her push and ride elephant up to something she can balance ever so carefully on top of it and climb up things. The funniest one, that didn't require trial and error is that she thinks it's hilarious to stick her tongue out the side of her mouth. When she is dancing is the #1 appearance, but she will also do it back to you, if you do it first.

Her rolls and all their glory!

She can walk!! Not that she actually does... It seems like every time she has done it she doesn't seem to notice that she isn't holding on. As if almost by accident. Every time we set her up for success, or bribe her with a toy she immediately sits down and crawls to wherever she is going. She can go pretty far if she decides to. Either way, in a few weeks I'm sure we will have a full-time walker.

Couldn't turn it :(

More cake!

At her 12 month appointment she impressed her new pediatrician with her social skills, her weight, and our extended breastfeeding! The most exciting part of it all is that it has now been 6 months since anyone heard her "squeaky" heart murmur!! Dr Labrum said that it most likely closed and eased our minds even more!. Lenayah weighed in at 23lbs (90th %), 28 in (20th %) and, 47 cm head circumference (95th %). WIC does a weight vs height ratio percentile. She is like 20 points off the charts on that one!

Her tongue thing!

Her attitude and her personality are ever increasing. Things she does not like... Folding her arms for prayer, bathing, her carseat, and being asked to learn/use simple sign language (please, thank you, more, food, all done). Boy, does she let you know how she feels if she isn't a fan!

Words: she knows daddy.
She still play peek-a-boo and say beh every time she pops up from behind her hiding spot.

Stuck in the toy box!

And her beloved grizzly dog. She calls him gigzzz in two syllables

Climbing...

Love this little munchkin! Can't wait to see what the next 12 months bring!

11 months

Our little stinker continues to be an unexplainable joy in our lives! She is making strides to greater mobility every day. The most memorable one for me was on Fathers day. She was down stairs with Myles while I cooked dinner. She often goes to the stairs and just stands up to them, hitting her hands on them. Well, on Sunday she made her way up the first step and was pretty horrified about the whole situation. She just yelled and yelled until someone came to get her.

She LOVES to wave. Especially to her Daddy. I don't know what she enjoys about waving to him, more so than me, but I think its pretty cute. We are trying to teach her to blow kisses, but that was is a little more slow coming.

Lenayah also loves to eat, but what else is knew? She loves grapes most of all! She will throw a fit when the grapes are gone. Every time.

She hates getting adjusted by the chiropractor. Screams bloody murder, tears and all! They stop instantly as soon as mom or dad holds her again.

She and Grizzly are the best of buddies. She climbs all over him and he is so patient and kind.

How in the world did my little baby get to be so big? A year old in just a few weeks! Time has flown by! There are days I need it to slow down, and other days that the hours seem to snail by.

I stink at this blogging thing!

I've resolved to do a little better because well, if we are being honest, I am horrible at updating the blog and a little better doesn't mean much! I've been inspired by a friend of mine who is a brand new momma; she puts a blog up every few weeks without fail! The are to the point and well written. Every time I read one I think to myself, "I think I could find 20-30 minutes every few weeks to put something like this up!" So, with a boosted confidence and new determination, here goes! Thanks, Torrie!

Lasagna for dinner!

Time has flown by over the last year, I have sent regular updates to our parents and siblings, but if you don't fall into either of those categories, I'm afraid you've lost out on the little things in Lenayah's life that we rejoice in. I don't think I could even begin to catch you up, so I'll start with this month in hopes that you'll forgive me for all the others!

Daddys favorite restaurant in NM

Our little princess is nearly 11 months old and looking less and less like the little baby I gave birth to. She is finally starting to get some of my facial features to blend with the very obvious Maxey genes. I've said it before, but now others are jumping on board. She looks so much like her Aunt Mariah! Most people say she looks like her daddy, which she does, but Mariah even more so.

Mariah around a year old

She crawls all over the house, but whenever the opportunity is presented she races for the dog food trying to get there before we notice the dog has left it sitting. She has only won the race twice but she gets very upset when the dog food is removed from her mouth. This may stem from her love of everything food, which I will tell in detail in a moment. Just yesterday she started pulling herself up to standing on things with more confidence. She doesn't need a ledge anymore. It could be our legs, the wall, or the screen door. It used to be only couches and tables and such. She loves to walk all over the place... as long as someone will hold her hands. Without mom or dad, she won't even attempt. One of her best talents is put to use when we try to let her stand alone, or give her to a stranger. The water works begin and the wailing ensues. The second she gets what she wants, the tears stop, the fussing stops and she will even go as far as to have the biggest grin on her face. She is a stubborn little person. I can't imagine where she gets that from.

Got ahold of a TP roll

She is one happy little person over all. She loves to laugh. She is pretty good at social cues so if she sees someone else laughing, she starts to laugh as well. She is becoming very interested in other babies and kids. Over the last 5-6 weeks her hair has grown like weeds! I've only tried two hairdos so far, but how can you not love the little bam bam pony on the top of her head?

Now, as for food. She loves it all! No kidding, she will eat whatever I give her. I'm sure this is bound to change, and probably soon at that! But she continually blows me away with her appetite. We still have a wonderful breastfeeding relationship which I can't foresee  ending any time soon unless there is some drastic change. Last Friday at dinner she ate half a bratworst, a squeezy pouch, and a medium sized banana. The crazy part is that she was mad when I cut her off and told her she was done! This girl doesn't have the legs and pot belly she does for nothing! She works for it! That being said, she is incredibly hard to dress. She is nearly into 18 month onesies, and if pants fit around her thighs they are a good 3 inches too long for her. Oh boy!

Because who doesn't like to play in the bathroom?

Myles and I are doing well. Both of us are working hard. I am working at a Chiropractic office in the valley and I love it there! I get to do the type of massage I love (injury rehab, deep, trigger point) and we get to pay our bills this summer. Myles has a lot of wonderful research projects going on, all geared toward helping him in his degree. He also just found out that he has been asked to solo teach an undergrad class this fall! We were surprised, as that is not what his Academic schedule had planned, but he is excited for the opportunity and we feel blessed that the trust him so much after just one year.