America's Birthday

My FAVORITE holiday. This was the best one yet. Everything is more exciting when there is a bebe around.

We started the weekend off right by taking a quick day trip to Bryce Canyon. Then Friday we woke up early and saw the balloon fest-- a million hot air balloons. (which apparently is like a sport? people watch them land on certain marks and cheer and such. I seriously could not believe how many people were awake and out and about at 6am. We spent the gloriously sunny day at Seven Peaks and then hit up Provo's Freedom Festival at night with friends and ate way too many greasy sugary things.

Saturday we woke up and ran the freedom 5k. Kind of. (thanks jaron and jess for letting us use your registration!). We got stuck in traffic on the way there, so I ended up just jumping out of the car and running the 10k for about 3 miles until I could meet up with Danny who had parked the car. I veered off the race course and ran through a neighborhood (basically took a short cut) to meet him. And then we ran across the finish line and then hiked a mile or so to our car. So distance wise I still felt fine about wearing my medal all day, ha.

Afterwards we met up with some old friends up the canyon for breakfast. The weather was top choice and we loved seeing our babes interact.

In the afternoon we played in the inflatable pool and baked in prep for a BBQ at another friends that night.

Then, we BBQd, played ladder toss and volleyball, shot fire works, and then watched all the fireworks across the valley a top of the G in pleasant grove. It was pleasant. Then we stuffed our faces with smores, chilled by the fire, and called it a night. We were proud to have shown Max how to do the 4th properly for his first one. Though, he slept through all the fireworks.

Bryce Canyon

Danny had a week off from working in the clinic this week so we tried to pack in as much fun as possible.

We took a day trip to Bryce Canyon-- something we've been talking about doing for the last few months. It did not disappoint! Those hoodoos really are off the hook. Worth fighting the million degree heat and millions of bugs. We combined a few hikes-- Sunset point, peek-a-boo, and sunrise to make a 5 mile loop. Not bad. Max was a champ the whole time and our icey powerades were amaz-za-za-zing when we got back to the car. 

Uninterested in being confined in the wrap at first. 

the only fam bam photo we took the whole time :/

Danny wore the babe the second half of the hike. He got the short end of the stick since the second half was allll up hill and all switch backs. What a guy. 

gnarly switch backs that went on for days 

<3 div="" happy="" hiking="">

One Month of Max

I can't believe how much our sweet boy has grown in his first month of life. He really is the most tender little soul. We love him so much! 

He had some fun experiences his first month of life. We loved bringing him home for the hospital and being our own little family. Danny and I are definitely learning a lot about being parents and how on earth to take care of a newborn. 

Maxwell has had lots of visits from his grandparents, aunties and uncles, friends, and even great grandparents. He is  most alert in the mornings-- that is when we get the most smiles and laughs from him. He started smiling about 3 days after he was born. I'd read that when babes smile that young its usually just a reflex- but i swear he would gaze right into our eyes and smile back at us when we cooed at him! He is sleepiest in the afternoon and fussiest in the evening. 

He recognized Danny very clearly for the first time this week at 5 weeks. Danny walked in the room and sat down on the bed in front of Maxwell and his little face lit up with excitement and he started cooing. Melt my momma heart. I love those two so much. 

He is eating and gaining weight like a champ. He'd gained 1 lb at his 2 week check up and he is quickly growing out of his cute new born clothes which slightly breaks my heart. Fun to watch him grow but I wish he would just stay a tiny newborn forever! and yet, I do not wish that at all. Strange being a parent. 

He started taking a bottle much better this week which has really been a relief to me! We still have not given him formula, but its nice to be able to let Danny (or a nice auntie

 or uncle) feed him once in a while so I can go to school,workout, or sleep. 

He started cooing at us this week. He has been gazing at us and locking eyes for a few weeks now but the cooing is just too much! I die over his cuteness. 

He comes to some lawschool classes with me.My friends gush over him and he really is such a little Christmas ham during class. He just sits there and listens like a good little boy if he's awake but mostly he just sleeps on through them. I've been really thankful for professors who have worked with me and been willing to let me bring him to class or miss classes and make things up late. 

The kid really can sleep in any position. 

This outfit kills me! Hahaha. I love my little sunshine baby. 

Lots of naps this first month. 

Valetntines Day! Uncle Bryce watched Max while me and Danny went to a quick lunch date. We snuggled him all morning and all evening to make up for being gone. 

Meeting his best friend Romney 

Meeting his great-Gramsy and Pete!

Being loved on by Grandma Brown who saved us all by her week long visit of cooking dinners and staying up all night with us 

Maxwell's first walk! 55 degrees in January. Amaze.

NYE 2015

This year was one of the best NYE/days ever. I have really been cherishing these last few moments with just me and my Dan man. Its so nuts to think that our little babe will be joining us soon. As excited as we are, its kind of an end of an era-- its been just the two of us for almost 6 years. I'm so grateful for all the fun adventures and traveling we've done. I know its not like that is all going to completely stop when the babe is here, but I know there will at least be an adjustment period. 

Anyway, for NYE we went downtown to one of our favorite restaurants that we used to always go to when we lived in Florida-- Brio. Then we shopped @ City Creek. We made our way over to temple square where we stumbled upon a broadway sing-a-long of all things-- it was actually way fun! It was just a big crowd of people singing show tunes haha, so great. 

Afterwards we went and found the mirror ball that dropped @ midnight and we made our way back to P-town, making an obvious stop to pick up Martinelli and Coldstone on our way home. 

We watched the NYC ball drop, popped our martinelli's, and enjoyed a pretty great firework show that our neighbors put on through our bay windows. 

Oh and we also turned on these water/light show speakers that Danny's dad got us for Christmas. 

Truly, such a magical NYE. 

Happy 2015! 

New Years Day we spent snow shoeing and trying to get this babe to come out-- no luck, but it was still really fun! Neither my snow pants nor my jacket fit anymore, hopefully my little guy stayed warm and cozy in the womb!

39 Weeks