2 Months

A little bit about Miss Thea at 2 months

 She is really getting the hang of smiling. I loooove it. There is nothing like having a responsive smile and coo. While she is definitely not as motivated to roll around like Henry was, she is much more into chatting than he was. 

While she still doesn't look forward to tummy time, she will not lay on her back and coo at her little friends above and smile and giggle every once and a while too.

What Thea is most interested in as far as movement is sitting up. She loves doing little baby sit-ups and if you get her head off the ground she can pull it up an inch and a half or so and hold it while she struggles to go further. 

She can bare all her weight, sturdy girl, sturdy legs, and likes standing on hard surfaces and wobbling around when you just hold her hands. 

She still continues to have brown hair and has hardly shed any of it. It's gotten a bit lighter but hasn't all fallen out to be replaced by super blonde hair like Henry's was. So perhaps we'll have a brown haired kiddo this time around. 

Speaking of the blonde boy, he adores his little sister. He tells random people, "my baby is CUUUTE." He is always trying to be next to her, tries to tell me he can hold her on his own and sometimes if he is feeling extra big brotherish, he'll sing her twinkle little star, baa baa black sheep or itsy bitsy spider. 

Bathy time is one of her favorite parts of the day I think. She does a little kicking and splashing but mostly she just enjoys being in the water, relaxing. 

 Henry requested this picture of, "you're nakey kids." Nakey here means in undies, I swear he has some on. 

A little too much lovin' again. 

I am completely in love with this girl! She is a chubalub and it makes cuddling her so much fun. She has a happy disposition, and waking up to smiles every morning is just so sweet. We'll have her doctor's appointment on Wednesday and see how she is doing with everything. I suspect she'll be looking stat-wise closer to a 4 month old than a 2 month old! 

Happy 2 months bebe! 

Graduation Week

The day after Thea's blessing we left for Provo, Utah to attend Johann's graduation.

It seemed to go by way too quickly but luckily we were still about to visit some of our favorite old places, see some friends and enjoy the fact that Johann was graduating. One of his professors summed up the relief and joy of Johann graduating when he said, "I am ecstatic to see you here."

Here are some highlights

 I craved rice krispy treats from Noodles and Co the whole time I was pregnant. It was soooo delicious. Yes, it's worthy of a highlight pic.

Ah. We saw all our old apartments and this was the last we lived in before leaving Provo. Probably one of the best years if not the best year we spent in Provo.  

Miss attending the Provo Temple 

Got to do a bit of visiting with cousin Max and fam 

"you don't have to push a handcart..."

Church history museum  

City Creek Center-holy hannah. 

Met up with Kelly, Nate and Clara in SLC. Thank you for hanging out with us even though it was your anniversary! You guys are the best! 

Got to see Rachel and Abbagirl. I love how these two just pick up wherever they left off as though they saw each other yesterday.

And finally, graduation 

And then convocation

Johann with cohort fellow, Buddy, program director Ellie and Buddy's son, Buddy Jr.  

The whole gang 

The graduate and his kiddos

HOORAY!

Celebrating!

 Lunch at the MOA

"Stop taking pics and let me eaaaat, woman!" 

And a final visit with the Smiths =) 

Henry was trying to get Tanner to do a zombie pose...Tanner's zombie is much cuter than Henry's =)

Three cheers for Johann Simonds, EdS!

Blessing Day

On August 5th, 2012 Dorothea was given a name and a blessing by her Papa in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Ranchos ward.

Those who joined Papa in the circle:

Uncle Aaron

Uncle Jacob

Uncle Hamp

Grandpa Simonds

Uncle Kaleb

Great Uncle Jim

Bishop Bryant

Les Kirk

William Delatore

Some portions of the blessing as recorded by our friend Karen Rafferty and Mama:

Our Father in Heaven,

By the authority of the Melchizedek Priesthood we hold, we take this infant in our hands to give her a name and a blessing. The name by which she shall be known on the records of the church and throughout her life is Dorothea Christina Marie Simonds.

Dorothea, we turn to you to give you a blessing. We bless you that as you go through life you will feel the joy of being raised in a family with parents and a brother who love you.  We bless you to learn the gospel, come to know your Lord and God, keep his commandments, and do that which is right.

We bless you as you come to know what your name means you will know you are a gift from God and you are a blessing and a gift to our family.  We bless you to feel Heavenly Father's love, strength and peace throughout your life.  We bless you that you will be baptized, received the Gift of the Holy Ghost, and find a husband worthy to take you to the temple to marry you for time and all eternity.

In the name of Jesus Christ.  Amen.

I am grateful for the priesthood, for a husband worthy to exercise it and grateful for this little girl.

As time goes by

One week 

2 weeks and a few days 

3 weeks

1 month  

5 weeks 

6 weeks 

7 weeks  

 8 weeks

2 days until she is 2 months. I'm dying. 

Baby Showers

I don't want to forget to post about the wonderful showers friends threw for me and Thea. =)

I hit the jackpot in LV with the visiting teachers I had. They always came, checked up on me and I loved having them visit. They were even so sweet as to throw me a shower there, despite the fact that one of them was also pregnant (due just a few weeks before me) with 2 kids and moving, while the other had 2 little munchkins as well and worked from home. 

We got together on June 9th at the church building and had a good time chatting and opening gifts. It's always fun to talk with other moms about being pregnant, delivering and babies and baby stuff. 

I even had my own little gift opening helpers 

some of the adorable cupcakes 

 one of my VTs and I having the babies say hi.

Then 3 weeks after Miss Thea was born, my sweet friends Emily, Katie and their mama Lynette threw me a shower here in my hometown of AV. It was so much fun to see so many of the women who were my leaders growing up and have supported me for so long and the friends that I grew up with. I was and am very lucky to have such people in my life. 

Thea and mommy, all ready for the shower

 Decorations at Lynette's house. Pink and green polka dots abounding!

Opening gifts

 The green tutu-Henry's fav gift which he asks for Dorothea to wear all the time

The diaper baby my basketball mama growing up made. She is so talented! 

I love this picture-Jessica and I went to HS together, her husband and mine played in a band together, we both had little boys frist and now little girls a week apart, cue the tender music. 

Our little family is so lucky to have such wonderful people to share in our joy. Honestly, I didn't know how the whole baby shower with a second baby worked and since we had just moved *again* I figured there wouldn't be one at all for our little girl so I am very, very grateful for all the thoughtful gifts and the time taken to come and celebrate this little girl's birth!