Lots of Laughs

I have mentioned before that Liv LOVES our dog, Jessie. If she is in a bad mood all we have to do is bring the dog in or take her outside to see Jessie and it makes her so happy. In this video I am feeding Jessie treats. Something about the jumping and chomping (and mom's silly noises) makes her laugh. I love how at about 38 seconds she has to take a few deep breaths. She must be thinking, "All this entertainment sure is tiring.'' This video is just a few hours after her 6 month well child visit where she also had a bunch of shots. I didn't even cry this time... Liv was so proud of me. At 6 1/2 months old, Liv was 18.08 lbs (78%) and 26.77 inches long (74%). Her noggin is 17.4 inches (87%).

Christmas Present Spoiler Alert

So, for the last year and a half I have been telling Brett how excited I am because I don't have to think about what to buy our parents for Christmas... I just have to pick out a nice frame.

I am glad we got a good shot of Liv's kiss sandwich. 

And those big, blue eyes....

Mom is clawing baby in this picture... Don't ask me why. Probably too much on my mind: sit up straight, eyes open, smile pretty, suck in, chin down and out.

Don't Liv's ears just scream "NIBBLE ON ME"!?

Here is one of just a few smiles we got that day...

Family Pictures

We had our family pictures taken by Stephanie with Giovannalou. You can also check out her blog. We liked the way these few preview shots turned out and we can't wait to see the rest of them. The whole experience of having pictures taken is so nerve-racking: getting off work early, planning what to wear, worrying about a bad hair day, cooperation of the weather, driving to Utah county...Brett and I have a major aversion to that place. We ran into a snow storm and she almost talked us into canceling but I persisted and I am glad I did. I really didn't want to have to go through it all again. We were in the middle of a random field and it was so cold! It was a little difficult to get a smile out of Liv. She is so funny....

Liv's First Halloween

We had a fun Halloween weekend. To point out the obvious, Liv was a flower. She was really good to not rip the flower off her head but after a couple of hours she was done with the costume. It rained a little on Saturday so we didn't have a lot of trick-or-treaters come by the house. We put Liv to bed at 7:30 so we turned out the lights and snuggled on the couch with a big bowl of candy. Here is a picture of two of my favorite things: Liv and big bowls of candy.

Brett dropped her off at my work on Friday and we did a little trick-or-treating (more like show-and-tell). Of course, Brett and I ate all of the candy we collected. Someday she will wonder why all of her Halloween candy is disappearing and blame mom and dad. Is it okay to make up stories of candy-thieving trolls?

I hope she is not a sugar freak like me. I am not sure where I acquired my addiction to sugar. I blame the overwhelming availability of amazing candy in my hometown... places like Riddle's, Christensen's, Sprouse Reitz, Ideal Dairy, LK Pharmacy and the Richfield city pool. I have earned a regular paycheck since I was eight. I worked at my dad's auto parts store cleaning and sometimes making deliveries (on foot). I would eagerly anticipate payday (which I still get excited about) and I would cash all of my funds at Valley Central Bank and blow my entire check on candy. Occasionally, I would buy useful stuff like Barbies, purses, jewelry, school supplies and random stuff from Hallmark. Most or all of these stores were between my dad's store and home so I would walk or ride my bike and load up on candy.

I have a love for most candy with the exception of circus peanuts (sooo gross!!). I wasn't really into chocolate as a kid, mostly just the sugary, junky stuff like laffy taffy, slap sticks, tootsie rolls, licorice, cinnamon bears... I could make a list a mile long. Let's just say my picture was never on the "No Cavities Wall" at the dentist's office. I have a mouth full of silver to prove it. I am looking at my list of things to do and Call the dentist is at the top of my list.

Back to Her Cuteness... Liv loved this frog outfit from Grandma TT. It is so snuggly and warm... she wore it all day on Saturday.

We only have a couple of years to choose what Liv will be and then it's entirely up to her. I think it's so much fun when parents get excited about dressing up with their kids. Brett and I need to stop being lame and start thinking about good costumes. We can't wait for next year!