6 Months Already!?!

I know I say this every month, but where is time going? My baby is just getting too big!  He's also getting so strong and so smart.  When I'm nursing him I think about the tiny little baby I brought home back in October, now I have this sweet little guy who is looking more like a little boy everyday.  Sunday I had him in a cute sweater vest and shirt combo, and he was sitting on the floor in relief society, and he was playing with another little boy in the ward, and he just looked so big!  He was making friends, and sharing his toys and I just felt at that moment he was a little boy and not a little baby.  So bittersweet.

                                               

He wants to move around, really bad.  He rolls and wiggles and scoots all over the living room.  The above picture was taken the morning he figured out how to get his legs under himself.  I just kinda wobbles there until his arm give out then he falls on his face.  I'm so proud! 

 Here he is trying to catch the plastic Easter eggs.  He can't quite grab them because they're too big for his little hands, but he sure loved chasing them around.  Those are also Scott's legs in front of him, someone has to be there to pick him up when he falls on his face :)

I just love him so much, and he loves his toys so much!  Those plastic rings and the monkey my grandma gave him for Christmas are his absolute favorite! Our decision to start a family was by far the best one I've made next to marrying Scott.  It hasn't always been easy, but it certainly has been the best, and is by far the happiest decision one I could have ever made.  I had no idea I could love another person as much as I love this sweet boy. My love for Scott grows deeper and stronger everyday, but the love I have for Rivers is just there, rooted somewhere deep inside of me.  That love doesn't have to grow or get stronger because it's just there, part of me.  As sappy as it sounds he truly is the love of my life, and I would do anything for him.  It also makes me want to have more kids... Stay tuned :) 

Happy Easter!

I love Easter.  Kids in cute new clothes at church, good candy, ham, and of course wonderful and uplifting thoughts of our Savior and His Resurrection.  I just love it.  We had a great Easter!  I've wanted to be selfish for a few months now and just have a nice quite holiday with just Scott, Rivers and I.  I was blessed to have a perfect holiday.  

 So... Rivers wanted to be the Easter Bunny, well we sat down and told him the best he'd get would be these rabbit ears I found at Target for a dollar.  Worth a dollar? Not likely, but this photo is priceless!!

Rivers looks like he got a lot for Easter, but in reality he got things he needed, like new church clothes, a new bath sponge and some baby food.  My mom also got him a summer outfit, flip flops, and some diapers.  When all displayed it looks like a lot, but not really. He also got some empty toy eggs to play with, yeah, big deal I know.

 So, I hate the Easter Bunny. I know I'm un-American, but I also hate Santa and most Disney movies (mostly the princesses, I know I'm a terrible person, but don't get me on my soapbox about the horrific way Disney portrays women ugh!), but my wonderful husband agrees with me on my Easter bunny argument.  We've decided to have a Spring Time bunny and he will come on the Saturday before Easter, and on Easter it's self we will focus on the Resurrection.  My kid will be the one to tell others that there is no Easter bunny don't worry.

 I do like the idea of wearing a new outfit to church on Easter Sunday, We got Rivers this awesome shirt and sweater vest at babies 'r' us on sale buy one get one free!! And we bought the pants a while ago and he's finally big enough to fit them.  Whole outfit... $10.  I love a good deal especially on clothes!!

We did dye eggs, because its fun.  We don't hide these largely because I have fear of not finding all of them and one going rotten, we hide plastic ones filled with candy, them if you find one of those in July it's a great surprise!!  Scott made some cool eggs including the "puke egg" that is tradition in his family.

I'm glad I was selfish, I had a nice relaxing day with my great love and sweet baby. I'm sure I won't always want to be this selfish, but I think I just needed some family time with just the three of us.  I was able to play with my baby, cook for my husband,  think of our Savior, and re-group for the next few weeks ahead.  I love Easter :)

All Quiet on the Western Front

This is the oldest movie we've watched, and is also on the list of top 100 movies coming in at 54.  It won the Academy award in 1929 for best film and best director. The film is also based on a German novel by the same name.

All Quiet on the Western front is a story about high school aged boys get coerced to join the German army in the beginning of World War One.  After minimal boot camp training these boys get put on the front lines of the battles.  "All quiet on the western front" depicted many early film making war scenes, where these young soldiers have to grow up quickly protecting the "Fatherland".  Many lives are lost, as well as some limbs. 
I found this movie a bit hard to follow, largely because it is a black and white film, and never really distinguished who the star was.  I imagine in 1930 this film would have been difficult to watch, but does show great early pyrotechnics's, and editing.  I gave this film 2 stars.
Scott Says:  I don't make it a habit to watch movies from the 1930's but for it's time it seemed highly sophisticated in it's portrayal of what war does to people.  Until that point there was probably not another movie that depicted what it would really be like to be at war and I think I would have liked it if I would have been born in 1915.  I give this 2 stars.

Annie Hall

So we checked out these first three movies from the Library, so we started with the "A's".
Following Amadeus we watched Annie Hall.
This movie is a classic Woody Allen film, and won 4 Oscars in 1977.  It's a great Romantic Comedy that is pretty witty and funny.

It's a story of a couple, attempting to make their relationship work, set in NYC.  After many arguments and reconciliations the couple splits and Annie moves to California.  Woody Allen's character Alvy tries to get Annie to move back to NYC, but Annie likes it in California.  Alvy writes a play about their relationship with the two of them ending up together.  The movie ends with them talking about how love and relationships are something we all require despite their often painful and complex nature.
I give this movie 3 stars, it's a classic and reminds me of my younger days of Sienfeld watching with all the witty banter.
Scott Says:  "I liked this movie much funnier than thought and not sappy like other romantic comedies.  I give this film 3 stars" as does Mystie

Acadamy Awards, take one

So the first movie on our pursuit to watch all the Oscar winning movies was Amadeus.  Amadeus was the 1984 winner.  This film was nominated for 53 awards, and won 40.

It's based loosely on the life of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, and is ranked 53 in the top 100 movies of all time.
Impressive right, hardly.  Out of 4 stars I'm only giving this film 2.  It dragged, and at times was hard to follow.  We did watch the directors cut, adding half an hour on to viewing time, but I could have done with just the regular version.  The costumes and make up, as well as scenery, was pretty awesome, but it reminded me of being back in High School English when we had to watch this for one reason or another.  I do feel bad for Mozart, this film was told from the view point of a rival composer who feel responsible for Mozart's death.  The rival set out to destroy Mozart and in many ways succeeded. 
So for my review I say, just wasn't for me although I did enjoy Mozart's laugh.
Scott says:  "Looking back I liked this movie much more after it was over than while actually watching it.  It was long winded, but witty and I give this film 2 and a half stars mainly for the Classical music."

Look What I Can Do!

So Rivers has been working on this next trick for a few weeks now.  He's almost got it down, but still wobbles just a bit, and I'm still too afraid to leave him alone sitting up, but his balance is improving.  He's such a strong little boy!  Well so everyone says, all I know is he is super cute and I love him so much! For some reason these photos won't align, oh well                                             

                                                

 

These last two photos I think he looks so much like Scott, only with my huge eyes, in Scott's pretty blue color.

He also got a new high chair (well new to him, it's a hand me down). It must be pretty tasty!

No-Good-Very-Bad-April

I have had a rough week. 
Well, it's been a rough week and a half to exact.
It started on April 1, when I got called into a work meeting only to find out I was in trouble for one thing and got written up for another thing.  I thought it was an April Fool's joke.  I was wrong.  Luckily for me, it was the start of my week off work because both mine and Scott's parents were going out of town, so I didn't have anyone to watch the baby. 
I sulked and moaned and whined, applied for new jobs and had a pity party.  All I wanted was to snuggle and play with my little man.  Having him is so great.
To make matters worse, I planned on having a celebration on April 1, because it was 3 years ago on that date that Scott and I got engaged. I did nothing, and Scott was fine with that.  Scott is always fine, with whatever I want to do, that's what makes him so wonderful. 
I was thrilled though because I got to watch ALL of conference, something that I haven't done since I was a missionary! That made things better.  Also on Saturday night I got to spend time with my Mother-in-Law as well as my sisters-in-law, and almost sister-in-law Jessica, for Girls night out.  That helped, a LOT!
Then On the Tuesday after conference, Rivers got  fever. A super high, call the doctor, fever.  I didn't want to freak out like new parents do, but it was over a 100 degrees.  I've never felt so helpless in my life!  He can't tell me where it hurts, or how bad he feels.  The fever went away as we followed the triage nurses advice.  But I knew something just wasn't right. 
Turns there was something wrong, not serious luckily, but he has an ear infection.  I don't know how this happened.  He never leaves the house, he's rarely around other people, we wash our hands CONSTANTLY, But some how I let my little guy get sick.  Plus Scott never hears him cry, even with the baby monitor next to his ear all night, so I had no sleep, dealing with a sick baby all day and all night.  When we found out what was wrong I felt like such a failure.  Scott has made me feel better, by telling me that this happens to most babies, and the Doc told me there was nothing I could have done to avoid it really.  I hate how much guilt I feel about realizing my baby has the same stupid mortal body that we all have.
I do have some good news however.  Scott passed his practical exam for his culinary degree!!!  The final step is just to pass the written exam, and neither of us are worried about that.  I'm so proud of him.  I asked him what he wanted for dinner the night he passed, anything he wanted, and he picked Cafe Rio.  I was happy to oblige.  He worked so hard, with his crappy job over conference weekend, and still found time to study and pass this hard test!  He's so great even if he can sleep through a earthquake, happening during a hurricane. 
Here's the end of my complaining, and I hope the rest of April gets better.

Summer Activites

Every summer Scott and I make a list of things we want to do before it gets cold.  This year it has become a list of these to do before Scott returns to school in the fall.  This year is also a bit more fun because we have an awesome little boy to take with us!  Here is our list so far.
Visit the Hoogle Zoo
Hike Zions
Go to the Tracey Aviary
Take Bubs to the Pioneer day parade
Go to Disneyland
Go camping with Bubs
Get up to the Family cabin and see Grandma Alta.  And last but not least
Watch all the Oscar winning movies from 1927 until 2010 in no particular order.
Every year Scott and I make a contest out of the Academy Awards, and we've talked about doing this for years.  We have no real time line as when to finish, but will certainly be a feat.  I plan to write a small review about every movie we watch, and this year we want to try and see all the movies nominated before the awards show.  So over the next year you can expect me and Scott to gain a nice amount of weight :)
We do have one exception to our list of movies that we have decided not to watch and that's the 1969 winner "Midnight Cowboy" since the rating was an X rating and it just sounds like something we wouldn't want in our home.
I'm super excited about this little project, because a lot of the winners are musical and have many of my favorite actors in them.  We went on to Netflix today and ordered them after Scott finishes watching Lost season 6.  Scott I think is a little nervous, because some are romances, and like I mentioned, musicals.  They didn't win awards for nothing right?
In other news, Rivers is doing great and growing like crazy, starting another growth spurt.  I'm doing well, looking at finding another job, I just don't feel like they want me there any more and are trying to make me leave, and Scott will his Culinary degree in a few weeks.  Things are good, and we are happy.