A Winter Wedding

Jeremy, Quinn and I had the honor of spending five days in Park City, Utah celebrating the marriage of my brother, Justin, and his new wife, Abby! We had a great time and Quinn was AMAZING on her first big trip! I will try to keep this short, but there is so much to share and, of course, you know this Mama took a million pics...enjoy!

A Fun Day in the Airport
Wait, this subject might be a great kid's book idea and I could totally write it. I hereby copyright this idea so no one can steal it. Does that count? Anyway, long story short, our flight from Austin to Denver was delayed three hours and so they re-routed us through Vegas so we would make it to Salt Lake City that night. We spent four hours in the Austin airport and then another three and a half in the Vegas airport, and Quinn didn't get fussy or cry at all. I was in awe of our amazing baby and felt very blessed the whole time that we have such a happy, curious girl! She just looked around and took it all in on this 13-hour travel day. On a side note, when you travel with a baby there is no way to avoid the massive amount of crap you have to take. We had to check three bags, the car seat and the pack and play. Luckily, Quinn loves the Moby wrap so I had two free hands to carry stuff.

 Lots of stuff.

Flying at the airport...haha...get it?

The delays were obviously not affecting Quinn...laughing it up!

Perfectly content while we take off for Utah!

One of my favorite things!

Q throwing some quarters in the slots during our layover in Vegas.

Happy Fourth Anniversary to Us!

Thursday was our four year anniversary so Jeremy and I left Quinn with my mom (Nannie Mae) to have a nice quiet dinner on our own. We went to an incredible restaurant called The Mariposa in Deer Valley and had a great time. We reminisced on the last four years, and talked about how blessed we are in so many ways. What a fun way to spend a fourth anniversary! Maybe one day Abby and Justin and Jeremy and I can take an anniversary trip together.

 One of the few pics we have by ourselves lately. :)

I think the wine, altitude and long day of travel got to me. I look exhausted in this pic!
(On a side note, I am wearing my "Push Present"...Kendra Scott necklace and earrings.)

Just One of the Girls
Friday started out with an amazing bridesmaid brunch at the Stein Eriksen Lodge in Deer Valley. The food was delish and we had a great time hanging out with all the other girls in the wedding and our family. Quinn ate a bottle right when we got there, and then Mimi walked her around and she passed out. Sweet girl! After she woke up, we had plenty of time for photo opps with the gorgeous mountains as our backdrop. After our photo shoot, we all went down to the spa for our pedicures and Quinn was a superstar. She just hung out and watched and then fell asleep on Auntie Em's shoulder while Mama got pampered. The only bad part of the morning was her outfit. I put her in a fleece onesie pantsuit thing thinking, "hey it's like 20 degrees outside." Well, I should have thought about that...we weren't spending the morning outside. We were inside where it was approximately 78 degrees with all the cozy fireplaces and whatnot. Poor baby was so hot! Oh well...she looked cute and she was a trooper.

Warm and cozy in her fleece.

 Mama and Quinn in the beautiful mountains.

Hanging out w/ her new Aunt Abby!

Cousin Tobi, Great Aunt Kerri and Mimi loved seeing Q.

Sleeping while Mimi chats it up with the other girls.

The groom's side of the family with Abby.

Passed out w/ Auntie Em while Mama got a pedi.

 The guys went snow mobiling while we brunched. Jeremy, Justin and my step dad, Dennis.

Rehearsal Dinner
I'm so proud to say we left Quinn with a babysitter during the rehearsal dinner! This trip was a great chance for me to let go a little bit. We left her with my mom's best friend, Suzie, and she did awesome. It helps that Suzie is totally a baby whisperer! She fed Q a bottle, played with her and had her in bed when we got home at about 9:30 p.m. Seriously!? Anyway, the dinner was SO fun! It was at the High West Distillery and Saloon in Park City and it was perfect for a huge group from Texas. There was a cowboy duo singing old country songs, the drinks were so unique (whiskey lemonade was incredible) and the decor in the place was awesome. There was a whole wall covered in mason jars sitting on top of lights so they were lit up...really cool! My mom and dad both gave speeches and made everyone cry, and then several others got up to say kind words and offer advice. Abby and Justin have a lot of love surrounding them and rooting them on as they begin this chapter of their lives.

 Posing in front of the mason jar wall with the happy couple.

Jeremy with my Great Uncle Tim, toasting with some whiskey lemonade.

My Dad giving his speech using my Mom's reading glasses.

The Big Day
SNOW! It snowed like crazy all day and it could not have been more beautiful! Abby invited all the bridesmaid's to her family's house to get their hair and makeup done and just hang out. I got my hair done and chatted for a bit and then went back to our house to feed Q and get dressed. At 3:00 p.m., Jeremy and I headed to the St. Regis to start the photo extravaganza. The St. Regis is up on top of a mountain so you have to take a gondola (funicular) to get up there. The view was awesome and the setting at the St. Regis was perfect for wedding photos. Abby and Justin had a "reveal" moment earlier that day and the photographer and videographer captured it. I thought this was a great idea for them since they were both so nervous and Abby was losing it at every little thing. Seeing each other helped them relax and enjoy the whole process. Anyway, I can't wait to see the photos! The photographer was AMAZING but a little crazy. She had us all outside at one point and then even took the groomsmen out on a ski slope! They were all popcicles when they came back inside!

 The funicular up to the St. Regis.

Frrrrreeeezing!

The groom with his two sisters.

Mama with her pretty girl!

Family of three.

After photos we all headed to the Empire Canyon Lodge for the wedding. I had a chance to feed Q right before the ceremony started and my Aunt Kerri, Uncle Mike and Tobi were so sweet to keep Q during the ceremony. Apparently Mike sang some Elvis and Q was perfectly content. She also stared out the window at the beautiful snow and the horses and sleigh that were waiting outside. The ceremony was beautiful! Abby and Justin did a great job (they didn't lose it too much). Emily and I sang "One Hand, One Heart" from West Side Story, which was also the song at Abby's grandparent's wedding. I thought that was really cool!

Pretty girl ready for the big event!

The reception was super fun! The food was so good and the setting was awesome. There were fireplaces everywhere, sleigh rides for guests who wanted to brave the 20 degree weather (I opted to stay warm and cozy) and a great band. I loved Abby's cake...very unique. Abby loves cheese so instead of a boring wedding cake, she chose to have a cake made of cheese! Not a cheesecake, but literally a cake built from different cheeses. So fun!

 Abby's "cheese cake".

One of Daddy's dates fell asleep!

 My Mom w/ two of her besties, Suzie and Ann. (They accidentally matched.)

Jeremy and Nikki (Suzie's daughter).

Yummy cheese melting by the fire.

Chatting with Auntie Em and Nannie Mae at the reception.

 Finally hitched after 14 years! (14 right?)

 Abby and Justin waiting to come down to be presented as Mr. and Mrs. Jorgensen.

Jeremy and I stayed until about 10:00 p.m. so we could hear the best man/MOH speeches and then see all the first dances. Quinn started turning into a pumpkin so we headed out to get her home. She was a hit at the wedding! Everyone loved her precious little pink tuille dress and cardigan. (Kudos to Jeremy for picking that out all by himself!)

Headed Home
Quinn had a hard time sleeping after the wedding. I think her schedule was just so thrown off and her poor little nose was so stuffy from the dry weather. (Luckily, we found a humidifier in the closet of our house, so we used that the last day.) We got kind of a late start Sunday, but we made it to the airport on time with the help of Auntie Em. Quinn did great in the Moby wrap again and slept the entire first flight to Phoenix.

Tired Daddy and tired baby.

By the time we got to Phoenix, it was way past Q's feeding time and we had a bit of a meltdown. All I can say is thank goodness for the family bathroom. She was so worked up that she wouldn't take a bottle, so I had to feed her in the family bathroom and she was fine. We finished and literally ran to the gate and boarded the plane. This leg of the trip was not as smooth. Q cried and we were totally "those people" on the plane for a while. Luckily she slept for a bit, but there was a little more crying than normal. I think the stuffy nose/ears were not great paired with the air pressure. Poor baby! We were all so glad to be off the plane when the flight was over! Q has a way of giving us comic relief when we need it. When we were waiting in baggage claim, she spit-up and then pooped all over me. Nice timing...blow out. Oh, and somehow she squirted it on the floor too. EW GROSS! We all laughed and I was glad to have Q's back-up outfit ready to go.

 Ready to head home!

 Caught Q mid-yawn...poor tired girl!

 Quinn found the information card "in the seat back pocket" quite interesting.

I got resourceful w/ my breast milk bags...snack for the plane!

We Did It! 
It's funny to think we did it...we traveled with a three month old! We survived! :) I shouldn't be that dramatic, but I was a little anxious before we left. Quinn was incredible. On the day we left Austin, an older man came up to us after our four hour wait and said "That's the best baby in the world right there!" AHHH...such a proud Mama moment and I totally agree with him. We are lucky parents!

Congrats to Justin and Abby! What a beautiful wedding for a beautiful couple and Jeremy and I were honored to be a part. We love you!

Lately...

Here are some fun things we have been doing lately!

Quinn has been busting out of her swaddle blanket at night so we have decided it's time to try sleeping without the swaddle. We have gone two nights now without it, and baby girl has done so well! It takes a bit longer to get to sleep but once she is there, she sleeps just like normal...about 10 hours. Naps are a little different...she can't seem to nap without the swaddle. Let's be honest, she has never been a good napper anyway, so taking the swaddle away was a bit much. :) Making changes like this is always a little hard because it's such a huge change for a little baby who is just learning, but this is one of many little learning bumps we will have to get through!

Little Houdini Quinn!

"I'll eat anything!" That's what I think Quinn says now. She has gotten to the stage where she tries to put everything in her mouth. Her hands, the burp cloth, her binky bear, toys, etc. It's funny because she acts like she is starving and will literally eat her hand off the way she quickly brings it to her mouth. We gave her the Sophie giraffe a while back (which looks and sounds like a dog toy, but has some magical baby powers) and she loves it. The way she looks at something and intentionally grabs it with both hands is so cute!!

Quinn and Sophie

Eating her toy that I call a "pentapus".

Quinn trying to eat her new baby Bible. 

Oh no she found her headband!! I have been putting headbands on Quinn since she was tiny so she will be used to them, and hopefully they won't bother her. Last week her little curious, wondering hands found her headband and she made me laugh so hard trying to get it to her mouth. 

"I got it!"

Well, Ella is starting to warm up to Quinn and we have spit-up to thank for that. Ella has learned what it sounds like when Quinn spits up and she comes running. It's actually pretty gross, but she loves it. She isn't jumpy around Quinn anymore and she loves licking her face and hands. Dumb dog! But hey, I can always count on her to clean up spit up when Quinn gets it all over the floor. Gross, right? Anyway, I hope they will be best friends one day. 

"Hi Ella!"

We put Quinn in the nursery at church for the first time last Sunday. I was so anxious about it (going back to work will be torturous), but we all did well. She poked her lip out and started crying right before we left her, so of course I started crying. Jeremy said "It's best to just walk away." We went to our Sunday School class and picked her up an hour and a half later. Hey, small steps!

YAY, our first trip to Sunday School!

HAHA! I think Q's "daddy lawyer face" shows how I was feeling!

We are headed to Deer Valley this week for my brother's wedding! We are so excited to get to the mountains and anxious to travel for the first time with a baby. Quinn will be great and she will get SO spoiled at the wedding with all the family there who will want to love on her. And, let's be honest, I can't wait to dress Q up in her snow bunny outfits! Stay tuned for a post about the wedding with our little snow baby! 

Some Questions for Working (SUPER) Moms...

I can't believe it's here...I have to go back to work two weeks from today. When Quinn was born, March 1 seemed so far away, but it got here way too fast. I am blessed to have had almost four months with her and I have cherished every moment. But, I am so anxious about going back and I am going to miss Quinn so much. I'm sure we will both be fine (after a few days crying at my cube), but it's just the fear of the unknown that makes me nervous. I have no idea what it will be like to be a working mom, and I have some questions for those of you who balance everything so gracefully:

1. When the crap do you have time to work out?! Especially if you are breastfeeding, because I can't just wake up early and hit the running trail or head to the gym. I would have to pump for 30 minutes before I go and be back in time to shower and get dressed to feed Quinn by about 6:45 or 7:00 so I can get out the door by 7:30ish. I don't want to go to the gym after work since 5:30-8:00pm is some of the only time I will have with Quinn every day. I guess I can go after she goes to bed, but again, I would have to pump. Oh, and I guess my evening time with Jeremy is out the window at that point too. Hmmm...

2. What are your favorite things about being a working mom?

3. What are some of your dinner ideas that are quick and easy since evening time with the baby is precious time?

4. How do you get over the guilt of missing out on your baby's life?

5. What advice do you have for taking Quinn to daycare? We love the daycare we've chosen (Primrose), but are there any secrets that will make our lives easier, or make it easier for me to leave her on the first day?

That's all I can think of right now. I would love to hear any other advice, success stories, etc. that you want to share.

Thanks so much!

Happy 1st Valentine's Day to Q!

And now, Quinn would like to show off her Valentine's wardrobe...

 

Q's Valentine book from Nannie Mae and Papa D!

Daddy will always be her first and favorite Valentine!

Three Month Baby Q

Dear Sweet Baby Girl,

My goodness, I can't believe it! You are three months old! It's weird to think back to your newborn days and see how far we have all come. That first two months seem like sort of a fog, and the last month has been fun to come out of the fog and try to get into a normal family routine.

Here are some of my favorite things about three month old sweet Baby Quinn:

-SLEEP! I really hesitate to put this on my blog because I feel like it's going to jinx us, but you have been sleeping really well since around two months. We didn't really do anything special, you just randomly decided to start sleeping longer. During Christmas, you started sleeping five hour stretches and that was awesome, but then suddenly it was a magical 10 hours. You still sleep from about 9:00pm-7:00am almost every night. I can't begin to tell you how awesome this is and I am so proud of you. I am sure a lot of it has to do with 1)The fact that you are a bigger baby and 2) The start of our bed time routine. Whatever it is, I praise the dear Lord for sleep and pray that you don't have any sleep regression as you grow.

 This wasn't taken at night, but it's pretty dang cute.

 You love our bedtime routine...especially bath time!

-SMILES and LAUGHS! You smile a lot when you're in a good mood. There are certain things that Daddy and I can do to make you smile and it's funny how you are picky about what makes you smile each day. One day it's me talking jibberish to you in a lower voice, the next day it's me saying "Mama" and "Dadda" over and over. Yesterday, you laughed out loud at me when I was saying "Yaaayy Quinn!" and clapping your hands together. LOVE IT!! You also smile w/ your whole body. You wrinkle your nose, throw your arms and legs around and tilt your neck back. It makes photo opps a little tricky, but I can't complain with such a happy girl.

Smiling with your whole body.


You did NOT want to go to sleep one day, and you were just laughing it up!

-DADDY FACE! As if you don't already look exactly like your Daddy, you have started to make some if his facial expressions. The one that cracks me up the most is what I call Daddy's "Lawyer Face." It's a very serious face and you have got it down. You better watch out though, because I have a feeling Daddy's "Lawyer Face" will come out when you are being a naughty girl one day and he needs to discipline you with just a look. What?! You will never be naughty, right?

So serious.

Serious Q and Serious Daddy.

-SMART GIRL! You are becoming very observant lately. You found your hands a while back and now you are sucking on them, staring at them, moving them around and figuring out you can touch things. This week you actually grabbed a toy hanging above you! You also love looking at your mobile and talking to your "friends." The funniest thing is that you have found your feet and you are mesmerized. I was trying to take a picture of you the other day, but you couldn't take your eyes off the shoes I put on your cute little feet. So funny! Uh oh...you already love shoes! You have also started to move your legs in a crawling motion. You still hate tummy time and when we put you down you move your little legs like crazy until you push yourself on your head. It's pretty funny! (see video below)

Trying so hard to use your legs!

"OMG, these shoes are fabulous!"

"I am so trendy in my pink boots!"

You got it...now if you could just get it to your mouth.


You love your mobile friends!

-INDEPENDENCE! You are starting to become more and more independent. We can put you on the floor or sit you in the Bumbo chair and you are fine for a while. Your neck is really strong so you love to look around and see things from different perspectives. You get bored pretty easily, so we have to move you or give you something else to look at, but you do pretty well. I can leave you in your crib for a good 20 minutes while you look at your mobile! The only place you hate is the car. In the car you are either crying or sleeping. I think you might be getting a little better about it with your "Sing to Your Baby" CD, but it's still your least favorite place. When we go out to eat, Mama or Daddy usually end up holding you so you can be up at the table with us joining in the conversation. We have decided we should start taking the Bumbo chair to restaurants and just putting you up on the table!

 "OOOO look at my hand!"

"Oh, hello little friends!"

 "I hate the car! Get me outta here!"

Sitting at a restaurant with Mama, perfectly content since you are out of the car seat!

-EW GROSS! You love it when I say that...it always gets big smiles. This isn't necessarily one of my favorite things, but you are still the spit up queen. I am pretty sure every square inch of carpet in our upstairs living room is covered in spit up and the glider is pretty gross too. Confession: when you spit up on the hardwoods or tile, I call Ella to clean it up. I know...so gross, but so much easier. Ella loves it so it's win-win, right? I think we are just going to have to keep a bib on you all the time now. The good news is that it's just spit up and the reflux has gotten so much better. You spit up and go on w/ your day instead of crying like before. 

Ew gross! You spit up during tummy time and rubbed your face all in it!

So, happy three month birthday! You are 1/4 of the way to one year...whoa that's crazy! Mama and Daddy love you very much!

Love,

Mama