Adam, Wendy, and Amora Joy

Happy Birthday Baby Girl!

2012-01-02T20:08:00.000-08:00

My baby girl turned three last month. It's amazing to think about how it feels like the past three years have flown by, but at the same time, I can hardly think of our family without this precious little girl.

We just love spending time with her and listening to the crazy things that come out of her mouth. She's constantly bossing us, sassing us, or being sweet. She weighs about 32 pounds and has gone through a growth spurt recently. She loves to sing and dance and is looking forward to going to ballet class now that she's three. Her favorite foods these days are tacos and guacamole. I'm pretty sure she thinks chocolate should be a food group. She's a picky eater but will usually eat her meals with the possibility of a dinner treat.

A favorite Amora story of the year: In her nursery class at church in November, the teachers are rounding the kids up for the lesson. Amora stands in the corner and says, "Anyone who doesn't want to hear the lesson, come over here." One little girl, Ivy, decides to join Amora. When the teacher tries to get Ivy to join the rest of the class, Amora holds out her arm in front of Ivy and says, "Ivy doesn't want to hear the lesson."

Yes, I am toast.

Amora is also going through a Tinkerbell phase. So we had to have a Tinkerbell/Princess/Pirate birthday party (pirates for the boys). This was as creative as I could get for the invitation with minimal time working full time, planning her birthday party, and getting ready for Christmas.

She asked for a Tinkerbell cake, so her not-so-crafty mom made the attempt. Not too bad with a cake mold. I was proud of myself and Amora loved it.

And here is all of her loot. Probably one of her favorite parts of her birthday was going to choose what balloons she wanted.

And here is my little princess. We were all set to wear the Tinkerbell costume for the party until she opened this princess costume from an aunt and uncle. Tinkerbell party magically morphed into Tinkerbell/Princess party.

She figured out the art of blowing out the candle. I don't think there was even much spit on the cake. Way to go, Amora!

We love you little girl! We look forward to discovering what 3 has in store for you!

Christmas Letter 2011

2012-01-01T20:26:00.000-08:00

What better way update the world after many months of absence than my Christmas letter? More to come, eventually.

Dear Family and Friends,

As with every year as of late, this year has been a year of change for our family. We have added new jobs to our resumes, experienced new adventures, and felt gratitude for the abundance of blessings received this year.

We’ll start with the most important member of our family, Amora. She has continued to grow and develop into a jewel of a little girl. She loves all things girly, especially princesses, fairies, and dressing up. We successfully mastered potty training which proved to be a challenging yet rewarding endeavor. Her favorite potty activity? Playing on the iPad while doing her business. What can we say? We have a diva on our hands. This year she has shown her artistic and creative sides by speaking “Spanish” (her nonsense language), cutting shapes, drawing people, singing, dancing, and making up silly names for her imaginary siblings and friends. We continue to be amazed at her developing vocabulary and sense of humor.

This year has been the year of many jobs for Wendy. She started the year as a stay at home mom then went back to work as a long-term substitute teacher at a local middle school. She then landed a job as a part-time summer school health teacher at an alternative high school. And in August, she changed careers and began a permanent position with the state of Idaho working in public health. The best part of this new job is the financial stability and the low stress nature of the position. The most difficult part of this has been the challenge of being away from Amora. Luckily, she is in wonderful hands with her daddy.

Adam landed a great job as a psychosocial rehabilitation (PSR) worker that gives him flexible hours and allows him to try to make a difference in the lives of the children he works with. He goes to work part-time in the late afternoons and evenings, takes care of Amora during the day, and does a good job making sure the house is in tip top shape. He even finds time for his fun experiments in the kitchen (which mostly turn out well).

It’s definitely been a crazy year for us, but we are grateful for where it has led us. We have so much to be thankful for this Christmas season and count our blessings daily. We hope 2012 brings us continued stability and maybe home ownership. Merry Christmas and may God bless you this Christmas season!

Amora Quotes and Stories

2011-08-27T15:55:00.000-07:00

I'm back in the blogging world! And of course, my first post back will be all about my funny little girl. The more she knows, the more entertaining she is. Here are a few of our favorite quotes over the past few months:

Instead of the song, Jesus Wants Me for a Sunbeam, she sang, "Jesus wants me for a potty treat." Can you tell we were bribing her with potty training?
6/8: I called her my little side kick because I take her everywhere and she announced, "Daddy's my little side kicker."
6/12: "I'm naked like bath baby."
6/16: When eating a snack or dinner she announces, "Ouch, I bited my tongue. Now I won't have a tongue anymore."
6/18: My bossy little girl praised her mommy, "I said I'm almost done and you listened to me!"
6/23: After eating broccoli cheese soup she says, "Mommy, this is the best dinner I ever had. Thank you Mommy!"
7/2: After Adam and I were talking about him going bizirko cooking a lot she says, "Where's Daddy going." I answer, "Bizirko." She asks, "Can I come too?" I answer, "Of course."
7/11: During lunch time she asks me, "What are you eating?" I say, "Mac n' cheese." "Where's the cheese?" "On the noodles." "Oh, where's the mac?"
8/25: "Daddy, call Mommy if you need help building your castle." Hey, I didn't earn the title Mommy for nothing!
She's getting really into her imaginary friend, Minky. I think she thinks everyone else should just catch on quickly. When she's playing with other kids, she'll occasionally say, "Come on, Minky!" The kids will normally stop, look around, and ask, "who's Minky?"
I let her choose potty prizes from the dollar store. She gets to choose one for every day that she doesn't have any accidents. The item she was most excited about? Really cheap hair extensions connected by a headband. Classy.
She thinks her Aunt Audrey's favorite color is green. Whenever she notices that something is green, she'll say, "Audrey loves this color."
She is obsessed with dancing. She will do interpretive dances just about anywhere. My favorite move of hers is a modified moon walk (MJ lives on!).
After about five attempts to use a public toilet at a restaurant recently (she hates them), I took her outside and set out her portable potty in the parking lot to do her business. Yup, there's a little bit of trailer in all of us.
She is getting obsessed with princesses. About everyday she asks me what princess I want to be.

And of course, a post is not complete with a few pictures. Here are some of my favorites from this summer:

Don't Judge Me, I've Been Busy

2011-06-18T20:16:00.000-07:00

Life has been nothing but chaos since the middle of March. I suppose it's time to catch all of my loyal viewers on what has been going with the Loumeau family.

The end of March we went to Utah for a few days. It was time to get out of town and party it up. And what better place for a poor (in money, not spirit) family to go than to visit extended family. It also just so happened that my sister, Audrey, was to be in Park City that same week (coincidence, probably not). So we hauled the kiddo on a lovely trip that was made more lovely with a portable DVD player.

Audrey, her husband Derek, and I took a day ski trip in Park City. We had lessons and just had an awesome day. I normally snowboard so thought I might not enjoy skiing much, but I was wrong. By the end of the day I was attempting jumps (small but I was still proud of myself). It was probably the first day since Amora was born that I just spent an entire day doing something for me. It was marvelous! Thanks so much to Audrey and Derek for their generosity. I loved spending the day with both of you and cheering Derek on in the Magic Carpet (training area).

The rest of the time we spent with Adam's siblings. We toured UVU with their newest ASB President, Christopher Loumeau. I was quite impressed with the school. Audrey endured my reminiscing while on BYU campus for an afternoon. Andre and Ally made us a delicious meal at their place. Hannah and Mark were super awesome hosts. We loved staying with them. It was so fun to see how cute newlyweds are! They were even understanding with the "incident we don't speak of." I will speak of this one last time in my life and them it will be done.

Hannah is an art major at BYU. She keeps her art supplies in her guest bedroom. Before we arrived, she moved her artwork out of the guest bedroom, but the supplies were not removed (which I didn't realize). She was supposed to be sleeping in the guest bedroom when I hear a scratching sound. I go in to check on her thinking that she found a little bit of trouble and realized that my child was destructive! She found a green Sharpie (permanent ink) and colored all over the walls, the bedding, and herself. I was angry. I was embarrassed. I was frustrated. It was the most horrible moment of being a parent that I have had thus far, and I'm pretty sure I did not pass the test. I ran to Walmart, left the child with her father, and called my mother-in-law for guidance. I was able to get the marker out of the walls, and Hannah and Mark accepted our apologies enough to not ban us from their home. I'm pretty sure I learned an important lesson. I will now search every nook and cranny when we stay with someone else. Please learn from me and do the same. I do not wish this experience on anyone. I was so angry I didn't take pictures of Amora's body art. But I will say that she managed to draw on her scalp, bellybutton, back, and bottom of her feet in addition to everywhere else. What a gal. What a gal.

Luckily, before this incident, we took a great opportunity and had Hannah take our family pictures. Hannah is incredibly gifted in all forms of art, so the pictures turned out amazing. Unfortunately, Amora was not in a cooperative mood, but we still got some beautiful pictures. Here are a few:

Where have the last two months gone?

2011-02-24T14:33:00.001-08:00

After Christmas, I didn't want to do anything. I wanted to enjoy having an open schedule and just spend time with my family. And that's what we did. We had a few outings but mostly played at home.

We went to the temple one day after dropping my mother-in-law off at the airport. Amora was so bummed that we couldn't go in. I told her that I wasn't wearing a dress, so we had to stay outside. She looked down and told me that she was so she should be able to go in. It was a quite nice until Amora fell and cried all the way to the car. I suppose excursions rarely go as planned.

Amora's hair is long enough to be able to do fun things with it. I was quite proud of myself with this one. I don't know how other parents do their toddler's hair, but I like to do Amora's when she is eating breakfast. That way, she's distracted and buckled in.

We also made salt dough hand prints. Amora's favorite part was eating the dough. She was quite bummed out when it came out of the oven and I told her it wasn't a cookie. I'm so grateful for the internet and other blogs for helping me think of fun inside activities for kids. I could never think these things up on my own.

We said goodbye to Jacob, the 3 year old that I had been watching basically since we moved here. Amora calls him her brother and still asks about him. We try to remember the fun times like our photo shoot. It's amazing how entertaining a camera can be to a 2 and 3 year old (okay, it entertained me too).

Some days were not easy with both of them, but I think about times like this when they just cuddled and played nicely. So sweet.

A few fun stories and Amora quotes:

If she drops or spills something, she says, "It's okay, Mommy." Apparently I need to be reassured.
She has been very excited about talking on the phone. She picked up the phone recently when it rang, started talking, and told me it was her grandma. It was a very confused someone from church. Oops.
She paces like crazy when she talks to her grandparents on the phone. I guess that's how I should get her energy out. She is able to have a two-sided conversation over the phone which I am quite impressed with.
On occasion, she tells me that she has to put her baby doll down because it's being too bossy.
If she wants something, she uses her sweet voice and says, "Could I...?"
She loves to sing and dance. We turned music on the other day and had an awesome little dance party.
She can recognize most letters of the alphabet but won't give me the correct letters if she's in a silly mood.
The other day, Amora hit her mouth on a drawer that she opened and began screaming. I called Adam to come up to help assess the damage. As he was running upstairs, I saw something red fall out of her mouth. I screamed as an instant reaction quickly realizing it was her gummy vitamin and not a piece of her tongue. Adam ran up thinking someone lost a limb and was not pleased with my dramatics. Gotta love being a parent.

Christmas

2011-01-26T15:28:00.000-08:00

It's amazing how much more fun this Christmas was for Amora than last Christmas. She understood so much more about opening the presents, learned to sing some Christmas songs (Deck the Halls was her favorite), and found out all about Santa. I don't know why but now anytime we can't find something, she says, "Maybe Santa took it." Apparently she learned that Santa steals things. It's pretty funny.

We loved having Adam's family at our place this year even though it got pretty crazy at times having seven adults and one 2 year old in 1500 square feet. But the close quarters gave us plenty of opportunities to hang out. And as always, even with a lot going on, I seem to primarily have pictures of Amora.

This was our very loaded Christmas tree this year. I would venture to say that almost half was for Amora. She had so many gifts that she was opening them all day long. I think we finally finished by about 7 pm. It took so long because she wanted to play with each toy the second she opened it.

The stocking was very exciting. When her daddy woke up, she had to show him each item Santa placed in her stocking. She also peeked in her daddy's stocking to see what he got. Among the highlights in the stocking was princess chap stick (which has since been taken away because she ate too much of it), princess bouncy balls, new socks, and princess magnets.

Amora got so many fun presents. She got a play cookie set from her cousin Billy that allows her to frost the cookies and cut them. She loved it!

Her Uncle Kevin gave her a real tiara. He said that every princess needs a tiara. She'll definitely love growing into it. It's absolutely beautiful.

Amora also got a few great books. She loves books and loves when she gets new books. We've already read these so many times.

Thanks to everyone for such a great Christmas. I felt so spoiled and loved because so many people thought of Amora. This year, my gifts didn't matter much because I was just so happy that Amora enjoyed Christmas. What a fun time in our lives.

Amora at her Best

2011-01-20T19:34:00.000-08:00

Here are a few of Amora's cute stories. She just gets more fun and animated the older she gets.

One day when I was cleaning up after dinner, Amora was sitting on the couch. I went to check on her and she said, "Go in the kitchen, Mommy." She kept insisting that I go in the kitchen. I then find out that it's because she didn't want me to whisk her to her potty and dismissed me so she could go in her diaper in peace.
Amora thinks that going potty is great. Not so much going potty, but sitting on the potty. She will literally sit there for twenty minutes reading books, playing with toys, and talking to me. She insists that she have an audience and finds it to be the best time to get uninterrupted parental attention.
Amora came in to see her daddy one morning. With a big grin on her face, she pointed to a toy and said, "This is poop." She finished her joke with the cutest, sassiest laugh.
She refers to anything in the past tense as "last night."
If I ask her how she likes something and she likes it she says, "pretty good."
It's always fun trying to think of how Amora will attempt evading bedtime. She'll take literally twenty minutes trying to go potty, insisting that some is coming. Or she'll call out that she has to go potty once I leave her room. My favorite is when I tell her that when I leave, I'm not coming back. She asks "Daddy come?". "No Amora." "Grandma come?" "No Amora."
Another time, when I went to check on her at nap time, I see my daughter with an open book on her lap. She then informs me, "I reading to baby."
I'm talking to my mother-in-law, and Amora says, "Mommy, you sassing Grandma?"
The other day, Amora told her daddy and me that she was a cat fighter. Any ideas on where she can up with that one?
I told Amora that she was going to play with her daddy while Mommy when out. I asked her what she wanted to do with Daddy and she said, "Play with scissors." Your secret is out husband!

I love her!

She had a photo shoot taking pictures of herself.

Mommy and Amora

I love to see the temple.

Andre's Wedding

2011-01-13T20:19:00.000-08:00

We had the chance to travel to Houston in December for Adam's brother, Andre's wedding. Everything was elegant and beautiful. We got to spend quality time with Adam's other siblings as well. We were so grateful to be able to go (but right before Christmas?). It was a nice trip (besides the flight home, see TSA Story post).

We happened to be gone for Amora's actual birthday, so the hotel tried to make her feel special by letting her choose from their goody basket every time we were at the front desk and surprising Amora with a plate of cookies and card. Marriott outdid themselves.

I love this picture of Hannah and me. She's so beautiful.

Two of the cutest newlyweds ever.

Amora with her grandma at the fountain on the temple grounds. Amora was so happy to see everyone again.

The bride with her bridesmaids and flower girls.

The Loumeau siblings. What a bunch of quality people. I love them all (especially my handsome husband).

And the newest newlyweds. Super cute. Congrats Andre and Ally! May the wedding be just the beginning of an incredible journey as husband and wife!

Happy Birthday Amora!

2011-01-13T14:16:00.000-08:00

My sweet angel turned 2 recently, and we had a great time celebrating. We had a jungle themed party because she absolutely loves animals (I figure we'll be doing princess parties for the next few years, so I wanted something different). Among our guests were 7 children and 4 adults. Adam's main job was documenting everything on camera, and he did great. Now I have plenty of photos to share with all of my diligent readers (all two of you). :)

I let Amora choose between two cake designs: a tiger or a monkey. She chose the tiger and was quite satisfied with her choice. She is still talking about her tiger cake. I found a picture online and modified it. I'm very pleased with the way it turned out.

Here's the birthday table with her gifts, cake, and decorations. Each child got to take a fake bug home with them at the end of the party. It was an inexpensive party favor but well received by the children.

The first activity was coloring a jungle picture. I tried to keep things fun and simple so it wouldn't be too chaotic. And what two year old doesn't love to color?

Here are a few of her friends enjoying the coloring action as well.

The next activity was a "feed the monkey" bean bag toss. I maxed out my craftiness on this one by making the bean bags and the monkey box. It was a hit! For Amora's first turn, she grabbed a bean bag, walked over to the box, and dropped it in. She then got the hang of throwing it in and loved that as well. The other kids were also very engaged in this activity.

Then it was time to dig into the cake Amora was lusting after all afternoon. She loved getting sung to. I occasionally will hear her singing "Happy birthday dear Amora..." What can I say? It stuck. I made an orange cake with lemon frosting that was delicious. My only regret was that most of it went to waste after the party because we left town again.

And lastly, we opened gifts. This was much more fun than last year because Amora really knew what was going on. I tried to be very conscious of giving her time to open each gift while still maintaining the attention of the other children.

She received many fun gifts: books, puzzles, a FurrReal kitty, a baby doll that cries, hair clips, and a bedding set (and quite a few more). Thanks to friends and family for joining in on this celebration. Amora loved all of her gifts and is so happy to be two!

Audrey's Wedding

2011-01-10T18:35:00.000-08:00

In December, Amora and I traveled to Florida for my sister's wedding. She looked beautiful, and everything was absolutely perfect. I was a bridesmaid, and Amora was a flower girl.

The wedding was about an hour after Amora's normal nap time, and she refused to nap. I was quite worried about how she would do during the actual ceremony. I asked her if she wanted to walk down the aisle with the other two flower girls and she said yes. She did a great job walking down the first half of the aisle, then stopped and looked very confused. I quickly swooped her up and placed her on her grammy's lap. During the ceremony, I heard a little sucking sound and looked over at her to see my little angel sound asleep sucking her thumb.

Here are all of the Kooistra siblings, their spouses (minus Adam), and kids.

The bride with all three flower girls and the ring bearer:

The sisters waiting in the bride's room for the ceremony:

Audrey's family:

The wedding party:

The reception was great. Delicious food, fun music, dancing, and acting crazy. The kids thought the laser was super exciting.

Congrats again to Audrey and Derek! We're so happy for the both of you! Thanks for a great weekend.

2010 Loumeau Family Christmas Letter

2010-12-22T14:48:00.000-08:00

Dear Family and Friends,

2010 has been another year of change for our family. We strive to move forward and learn the things we need to learn so that we can become the people God wants us to be.

We’ll start with the most important member of our family, Amora. She just had her second birthday and continues to be a joy in our life. It’s incredible at how much she has developed linguistically in the past year. She can now form complex sentences and loves to sing (and sings most of the actual lyrics to songs). Her favorite songs include The Itsy Bitsy Spider and Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer. She’s quite a picky eater, so one of the biggest compliments I can get is “It’s nummy, Mommy.” My heart melts when she says three special words to Adam or me, “I love you.” She loves to wrestle with her daddy and read stories with her mommy. We have a special little girl and are so grateful for her.

I am embracing my task as being a full-time mom and wife. In addition, I have the opportunity to watch a 3 year old boy a few days a week. It’s great for Amora because she has someone to play with, and it gives me an idea of how life will be with more than one child (no, we are not announcing anything). I love to plan activities for Amora, have girl’s nights with the ladies, and go on a few dates with the hubby. We had a new addition to our family this year, Lucy, a sweet little Dachshund dog, who helps keep me busy. I have also had the opportunity to travel multiple times this year to visit family. Recently, we had three weddings in our families that I was able to attend. But all that traveling sure does have me hoping for a more quiet 2011. Maybe I will have time to pick up a new hobby.

Adam has also had quite a year. He started off working for US Bank in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho. After a lot of thought and prayer, he realized that he has an interest for and talent in statistics. So in May, we packed up and moved to Boise, Idaho so Adam could attend school at Boise State University. He acquired a job as a psychosocial rehabilitation specialist (he helps people with mental illnesses maintain as much independence as possible) and went to school part time. He will be attending school full-time starting in January to complete the required prerequisites for a master’s degree in statistics. Adam loves to spend time with his family and participate in an email discussion group that allows him to share his brilliant perspective on many issues. He also enjoys watching football and basketball and is quite happy when the bowl season spreads its Christmas cheer every December.

Thanks to all of our family and friends for your support and prayers. We wish you all a Merry Christmas!

God bless,
Adam, Wendy, and Amora Loumeau

My TSA Story

2010-12-20T13:29:00.001-08:00

I was traveling from Houston (IAH) on Sunday, December 19, 2010 with my husband and 2 year old daughter. We prepared for screening as normal, emptying our liquids and dividing the small liquids in Ziploc bags. I enter the metal detector and am not cleared because of the excessive number of hair pins I left in my hair from a wedding the night before. I am told to hand my child to my husband so I can get pat down. Fine, I get it.

As I am waiting, a TSA agent tells me (not my husband), that our stroller will be coming out of a different scanner. I am then informed that I cannot touch anything, not even my daughter until I am cleared from the pat down. I then wait a few minutes (not seconds) for a TSA agent (while my husband is left on his own to care for a 2 year old and gather all of our belongings).

The TSA agent (Agent A) then begins her speech of what she is going to do. I interrupt her to ask for clarification on what the exact policy is for the pat down, where she begins to get irritated with me and continues on her prepared speech without answering my question. During this speech, I’m watching my husband and daughter to make sure everything is going okay. I then see the stroller going out of the other scanner and call to my husband so he can get it. TSA Agent A then yells at me and runs to grab someone else’s belongings. As I’m trying to explain to her that those are not my belongings and I was just pointing the stroller out to my husband, another agent (Agent B, LT50 Demeke) comes up to yell at me as well. Agent B, LT50 Demeke, informs me that I was being incredibly disrespectful and called it upon herself to oversee and verbally abuse me throughout the duration of the pat down. She also walks over to my husband to lecture him on how his wife needs to learn respect for the sake of our daughter.

I am then cleared and ask for Agent B’s name and ID badge number. Agent B, LT50 Demeke, then scatters my boarding documents over a table, grabs my driver’s license and boarding document, and takes it to her post to write down my information. When I tell her she has no right to take my things like that (remember she was not the individual who was assigned to perform my pat down), she told me that she did indeed have that right and also had the right to have me arrested if she wanted. She kindly gives me back my documents along with her name and wishes me a Merry Christmas.

I arrive at my destination and find that the bag that I checked did not leave the Houston airport. After speaking with a retired airport employee, I am quite certain that Agent B, LT 50 Demeke, used my identification and boarding documents to pull my suitcase off my flight for further inspection (of course with no intent other than pure malice).

This incident makes me sick. As an American citizen, I should have the right to not be harassed like this. TSA needs to have checks and balances. They should not be the god of the airport where they can do whatever they want to passengers. Agent B, LT50 Demeke, should be put on probation at the very least for this malicious and abusive behavior, if not fired. We deserve a right to speak up and create real change.

Another concern I have is this: what if my husband wasn’t there? Who would have looked after my daughter and belongings if I couldn’t touch them? I am scared to find out. So scared that I honestly feel sick thinking of flying again.

Please send this to anyone who will listen. Something needs to change. Mothers and families should not be targeted by TSA like this. Terrorists should be targeted. This is malicious, destructive behavior that needs to stop. If we don’t do something now, how far will we let it go? How many more basic rights will be taken away in the name of safety?

Welcome Aunt Audrey!

2010-11-14T20:39:00.000-08:00

My sister and her fiancée came last weekend from Florida for a visit and to catch a Boise State game. We had a nice time hanging out. I was happy to finally meet her fiancée--they are just perfect for each other. Amora had a nice time getting spoiled by her aunt and soon-to-be-uncle.

We of course had to hit up the Boise State store. The helmet was Amora's favorite sport's gear.

She also loved her little "mop". She "mopped" the entire store in blue and orange. I'm sure the employees were grateful for her help.

Another highlight was going to the Bruneau Sand Dunes which is a park of gorgeous dunes of sand in the middle of nowhere. This is a photo of us girls before we began the hike to the top.

Here are Audrey and Derek hiking up. Notice how far behind I am with the camera. It is not easy hiking up steep hills of sand with a 25 pound wiggly little toddler.

It was quite cold at the dunes, so I let Amora wear my sweatshirt. She loved her little straight jacket until she needed her arms to throw rocks. At least we got a few good laughs out of it.

This is how Amora smiles on cue.

And this is Audrey's impression. Any resemblance?

Thanks Audrey and Derek for a great visit. We can't wait to see you for your wedding in 2 1/2 weeks!

Halloween

2010-11-09T20:34:00.000-08:00

Before Halloween, we had a few friends over to carve pumpkins. This was the first time I can remember carving a pumpkin with a pattern so it would look really nice. I was not disappointed. Patterns make it so easy for non crafty people like me. We had a cute little ghost to decorate our home. A family pose.

I just had to include this picture. I told Amora to show her teeth when she smiled and open her eyes. I guess that was one too many directions.

We went to our church Trunk-or-Treat. Amora was the cutest cow! She got very good at telling everyone the sound a cow makes. Moo!

Here is Amora heading out to Trunk-or-Treat. She's holding her friend Michael's hand. He loved leading her along.

And this is during the Trunk-or-Treat. She got so excited to get candy that she popped one in her mouth with the wrapper on.

Her favorite treats this Halloween include lollipops, Tootsie Rolls, and anything with chocolate. Holidays are so much fun with little ones!

Trip to Oregon Part 5: Done Traveling

2010-10-25T15:10:00.000-07:00

We tried a different route home, hoping for better luck than our first attempt. The plan was to drive 5 hours to Vancouver, stay overnight, and have Amora fly home with her grandma while I drive home.

The thing about plans is that they always have a way of changing. We made it 4 hours to Salem, stopped for dinner at my Dad's house, and began our last leg of the day. About 20 minutes out of Salem, the check engine light came on. I frantically called my step dad asking if I should pull over. He told me I could most likely keep going, so I didn't stop until I made it to Vancouver.

After telling my mother-in-law my concerns, we agreed that it would be best if I fly home with Amora and leave the car in the care of my father-in-law. We readily agreed and made it home, without the car.

Amora is done traveling...

And really cute about it.

And the car? We are still waiting on an estimate with a mechanic in Vancouver. Maybe I will have my freedom again. I'm not feeling very optimistic about it though. Cast your votes: how much will this repair cost me?

Trip to Oregon Part 4: Medford

2010-10-25T14:33:00.000-07:00

After Salem, Amora and I traveled even further south to Medford. While there, we visited her Grammy Fullmer, Grandpa, and Uncle Jeremy.

Amora got to drive her uncle around (or just stay in park in the driveway, it's all the same to her). This is one of her sheer pleasures in life. Bliss.

We went bowling as a family, which Amora tolerated. Really, she just wanted to play in the arcade and darted over until I finally forfeited my position on the bowling roster and let her push all the buttons on every machine to her heart's content.

And of course every visit with my mom includes a photo shoot. Amora clung to me for dear life, so I am pictured in every one of the shots.

We took Jeremy's dog on a walk to the school park almost everyday. The school has two playgrounds. As soon as Amora realized this, she insisted that we hit each playground every time we went. Jeremy absolutely adored her and asked her over and over again if she wanted to sit on his lap down the slides.

Amora also got to enjoy being read to by someone other than me. She was reluctant at first, but agreed to it after weighing the pros and cons.

We packed up and hauled out after a busy two weeks only to be detoured. About 20 minutes out of Medford on our way home, the car overheated and the head gasket blew. I was quite calm about this revelation until the mechanic gave an estimate of $2100 to fix the engine. Luckily, my step dad came to save the day and lovingly labored over my car for 4 days. Here is a photo documenting his hard work. $500 later and almost a week after our scheduled departure time, the car started, passed the 45 minute test drive, and we were on our way home for the second time.

Trip to Oregon Part 3: Salem

2010-10-19T16:07:00.000-07:00

After Portland, Amora and I traveled south to Salem. We had a chance to visit with her Papa, Grammy, Aunt Esther, Uncle John, and cousin Billy.

We went to a pumpkin patch for the first time. There was so much more to do than just look at pumpkins. The kids got to play on a playground, feed goats, climb on hay stacks, and run through a fort. It was a nice way to get them used to each other again.

The cousins also played together almost every night we were there because we all met together for dinners. Here they are playing in the couch pillows. Billy weighs more than 10 pounds more than Amora. I was afraid he would crush her at times! Fortunately, there were no major incidents.

They also got to play with their Papa. Any resemblance?

Amora had some fun cuddle mornings with Papa watching cartoons. It surprised all of us because she generally prefers females, but she took quite a liking to him.

And of course, we took many trips to the local parks. Here is Amora with her Grammy Cyndee.

What a nice trip to Salem we had. The weather was perfect and the company great!

Oregon Trip Part 2: Portland

2010-10-19T14:18:00.001-07:00

After the wedding, Adam went home to go back to work, and Amora and I played in Portland for a few days.

We went to the Portland Zoo (it is so awesome) and got to feed the birds. If you have the nectar, they just fly directly on your arm. It surprised me so much, I spilled half of the nectar on Amora. She loved being so close to the birds.

Aunt Laurie, Cheri, and baby Braylen came with us to the zoo.

Before we left, Amora was able to hold baby Braylen, which she absolutely loved.

We also got to spend a day with Amora's girl cousins. We took the girls to the park and they played for hours. I'm so excited to watch them grow up together. In this photo, they were taking turns going down the slides.

Ella loves to be a mini mommy to little kids and adored that Amora held her hand and took her around the park. Too cute.

Oregon Trip Part 1: The Wedding

2010-10-19T14:00:00.001-07:00

We went to Oregon a few weeks ago for my beautiful sister-in-law's wedding. She and her hubby are such an awesome match, and we couldn't be happier for them. The wedding was absolutely perfect, it didn't rain (a miracle for Portland), and they were both glowing. Here are a few pictures:

Here's the radiant couple exiting the temple. We're all pretty positive that they are going to make beautiful babies.

The siblings. Can you tell these boys love their baby sister? It's so sweet.

The bridesmaids. It was so fun getting to know Hannah's friends. They all traveled to support her. What great friends.

They both looked beautiful. I just love this picture.

And there's my handsome husband. See why I married him?

This is probably the only blog post that doesn't include a picture of Amora. Don't get used to it. Part 2 of our trip is coming up. :)

From the Mouth of Amora

2010-10-19T13:37:00.000-07:00

We have so much fun listening to the complete sentences our daughter is able to conjure up. Here are a few:

We're at church taking the Sacrament water. Amora says (not whispers), "Mmm, nummy water."
At church Adam asked me about where a friend of ours is. I told him that he was probably out in the hall with his son Max because he's a boy and boys are harder to keep quiet. Amora announces, "Max is a boy!"
When she wakes up in the morning or after her nap she says, "Done sleeping, Mommy."
We were at a friends house where I was chatting with the mom and I hear Amora yell, "Mommy, Izzy hit me!" I'm pretty sure Izzy is not going to like that Amora can now tattle on her.
Amora and I were in the car driving to go shopping. She says, "I love shopping Mommy."
When Adam got home from work yesterday, she exclaimed, "Daddy home!"
But probably the best thing I hear all day is when she says, "I love Mommy" or "I love you."

This makes up for her premature terrible two tantrums. I love her.

So Cute

2010-09-08T19:50:00.000-07:00

I love watching my daughter learn and grow. Here are a few highlights at 21 months (don't remind me that she's almost 2--it's gone by too fast):

She loves animals. Pep=Pet an animal
She's learning colors. She'll hold up a crayon and tell me the color, waiting for me to confirm that it's correct. My favorites: pinky=pink, geen=green, boo=blue
She loves shoes and insists on choosing her shoes for the day. She'll try them on and switch them if I tell her they're on the wrong feet.
Anytime we finish a fun activity, she'll say "again!"
Nore=More
Nummy=Yummy
Amora is now getting into dinosaurs, thanks to Jacob (the boy I babysit). She insists that I give her a dinosaur sandwich every day and we read dinosaur books from the library.
Last week as I'm changing Amora's diaper, she says, "Poop, looloo (doodoo)." I explained that poop and doodoo are the same thing but Mommy calls it doodoo. She responded by saying "I call it looloo."
She loves to tease her daddy and call him Mommy.
We got her a pillow that she absolutely loves. Since getting the pillow, she doesn't thrash as much in her sleep and hasn't fallen off the bed.

My shoe girl. This is how I found her after her nap.

At the fish hatchery. She kept exclaiming, "Mommy, fish!"

Looking for trouble.

Purse, check. Phone, check.

Dress up is fun!

Family Reunion

2010-09-06T13:50:00.001-07:00

We went to Utah a couple of weeks ago for a family reunion on the Loumeau side. It was so nice to get to know everyone. We stayed in awesome condos in Park City and were able to sneak away to the outlets as well. Even though a lot of people were there, most of my pictures included one special little girl. I can't help it. Seriously.

She had time to play with her daddy. They love every minute they get to spend together.

She got to see her grandma and grandpa. Here she is taking a look at a picture of herself.

Impromptu family photo without the in-laws (what I called "Team Ron").

With the in-laws. Amora looks a little crazy in this picture, but I look nice. :)

All tired out after a long night of fun.

Thanks to everyone who made this weekend happen. A lot of sacrifices were made for us all to get together and we're all really grateful. Can't wait for the next reunion!

First Haircut

2010-08-23T13:10:00.001-07:00

Amora's hair was driving me crazy! With a comb and scissors in hand, I resolved to cut her hair. I gave her a Popsicle to keep her still (which worked surprisingly well) and hacked away. The only way to become good is by practice, so here is my guinea pig.

The before:

After (not perfect but a definite improvement):

Another after (this time an action shot):

My Obsession

2010-08-20T12:34:00.000-07:00

I love my little girl. She is the sweetest, sassiest thing I have ever beheld. I've been able to spend a blissful summer with her and absolutely loved it. Here are a few highlights:

Having an indoor picnic with stuffed animals. Amora makes sure all of them are taken care of.

Playing computer games. Fisherprice.com has a great game that speaks whatever letter she types on the computer. It also shows an animal that starts with that letter and the animal's sound. This a perfect game for Amora because she loves learning the alphabet and adores animals. She already can identify quite a few letters: A, B, E, O, P, and Z.

We also play in the water a lot. This picture is for you, Aunt Esther. Does the swimsuit look familiar? My friends joke that Amora is in a different swimsuit every time they see her. That's because of awesome family members that keep her stocked up!

This is also for you, Aunt Esther. I know the purse was for me, but I think she's got the 'tude to pull it off!

This is Amora's favorite part of shopping--checking herself out. Of course we love it too.

We found a fun Hawaiian restaurant. Amora enjoyed drinking through a straw.

She also enjoyed making faces. :)

Back to her obsession with animals: We found this "horsie" at the park and Amora fell in love.

Here she is bossing me around. Somehow, I don't really mind.

Going down the slide like a big girl (but holding Mommy's hand to be safe).

Riding the tiger at the zoo.

The penguins are probably our new favorite exhibit. She loved that they swam right next to her. Her daddy loved it too (he is also quite an animal lover).

What could be a better toy than a bucket? This entertained her for the longest time.

"There's a hole in my bucket, dear Amora." I wonder why.

Hope you enjoyed! I see her everyday and still catch myself staring at these pictures over and over. Please, Amora, stop being so cute. Maybe then I can get more done. :)

Interactions with a Rascal

2010-07-19T07:23:00.000-07:00

Here are a few of our recent interactions:

Amora is starting to be naughty. I say, "Amora, do you want a time-out?" She says, "K," and prances to time-out.

At church, another child is playing with her toy. She snatches it and gives her a stare down. She comes to me where I explain that it's nice to share with our friends. She says, "No. Nope."

At dinnertime, she grabs a handful of corn and throws it on the ground (I am at the sink washing dishes). I run over as her daddy tells her no. She stares at her daddy in defiance and throws her entire plate, then her fork, and lastly her milk.

We are at the grocery store. She grabs a can of pineapple juice to put in the cart (her favorite grocery store activity). I tell her that we don't need it and walk to her to put in away. She starts running and throws the pineapple juice halfway across the store (after it rolls a good deal).

She falls off her new toddler bed almost every night and cries for me to get her. I rush in the room, searching for my little girl. All I see are two feet. She is stuck under the bed.

When I'm in another part of the house, Amora stays where she is and yells, "Mommy! Mommy!"

Amora got a set of stuffed dogs. When you put their noses together, it says "I love you!" Amora proudly repeats this with the exact same inflection.

Tell me, do I have a prayer in the world? How can they be so cute all the time, especially when they're naughty?

We Love Summer

2010-07-17T20:46:00.000-07:00

Summer is the best time of year. We have been able to play outside almost everyday with absolutely gorgeous weather. Here are a few of our favorite things:

When Grandpa (as Amora calls him, DaPa) comes to visit. They like to read together.

And give kisses.

And just play together at the park.

Here's Amora giving me a fake smile. How can she be so sassy and yet so little?

We took a trip to Utah to visit siblings and play in downtown Salt Lake. We went to Temple Square. Amora loved looking at all of the pictures of Jesus. She called him GiGi.

Any running water is basically the best thing ever, so here she is playing in a fountain. It was great; it entertained her for the longest time while the rest of us got to visit.

We converted Amora's crib into a toddler bed recently. She loves it! Her favorite part is climbing up and jumping on the bed. I'm sure we'll have to break her of it someday, but for now I don't even care.

Proud mother moment: My big girl went poop in her potty for the first time (18 1/2 months old). Here she is enjoying her throne afterwards.

And of course summer requires many trips to the park.

And also getting into mischief around the house.

Another note: Amora's vocabulary has multiplied exponentially. She will try to say basically anything. She loves to say prayers (she'll repeat the last word of every phrase I say). She's also combining words like, milk fall (meaning the milk fell) and sleep bed (she slept in her bed). Every day gets more and more fun with this little one!

Settling Into Summer

2010-06-27T13:57:00.000-07:00

We've had a nice summer so far. The weather here has been great, so we've gotten to play outside most days. Here are a few of our highlights so far.

We got a pet rat and named him Stu. Amora loves him! It's the highlight of both of their days when Stu gets to come out and play. Amora tries to pet him, then chases him around the house, and Stu just runs away. At least she gives him some exercise.

This is one of Amora's favorite places to relax.

Amora is an outside girl. She's so funny. She walks up to this water spout (must be this one) and sings to it. Silly girl.

We have a pass-through from the living room to the kitchen. When I'm cooking, Amora will climb up on the couch and proudly say hello.

This is my view of her from the living room.

When Daddy's at work, we like to cook together. Amora is very helpful pouring the ingredients into the bowl and stirring the contents. She's already learned that those who cook get to sample the food.

She also helps by putting the muffin cups in the pan.

We went to the zoo with some of our new friends and got to meet the penguins. Amora thought they were pretty fun.

Amora got her own set of pots and pans. Here she is teaching Mommy the right way to cook.

She also got a new swimming pool. It's a great way to cool off and show off her cute little swimsuit.

We've had a great summer so far and have enjoyed exploring our new city. Next weekend we're taking a short trip to Utah to visit some siblings. Pictures to come!

Amora and Her Leopard Friend

2010-06-01T11:09:00.000-07:00

Is my daughter cute or what?

Crazy Month

2010-05-30T19:28:00.000-07:00

We have had a busy May this year. First, my in-laws (who we were living with) miraculously sold their house and closed the end of April. We were scrambling for a place to live, not knowing if we would stay in CDA for a couple of weeks or a few months (it depended on when Adam got a job in Southern Idaho). After learning that no one rents on a month-to-month basis, we realized that we had to rely on the kindness of someone willing to take in a family of three (and having the space to do so). Our prayers were quickly answered, as a couple in our ward opened their home to us. It was such a blessing, and we loved getting to know this incredible couple. We will always remember them and how they lovingly took us in and tolerated a toddler terrorizing their home and cats. :)

Just as we were getting settled, Adam got a job in our target area! The thing is, they wanted him to start 8 days after getting the offer. He found us a place to live (without being able to look inside), we tied up loose ends in CDA, loaded up the U-haul, and moved in. It has been a whirlwind. Amora has struggled with all of the instability and chaos. But we are settling in. Our place is perfect for our needs, we have the freedom to fix things up the way we want them, and we love being on our own again. Although we've been so grateful for all the sacrifices so many have made on our behalf this past year, we love it being just the three of us. Well there will soon be four--we're getting a pet rat tomorrow.

We already miss our old friends in CDA, but we're excited to start this new adventure and make new friends. Thanks to all of you for your love, support, and prayers!

Here are a few pictures from this past month. Amora had to say goodbye to her best friend, Ryan (but not before they had a few laughs).

Amora being super cute in her grandma's hat.

Checking out the horses and chickens at the neighbor's house.

Playing with Daddy.

Picking Daddy's nose--look at how far in her finger is! Silly girl.

Decisions, Decisions

2010-05-05T15:05:00.000-07:00

Being a grown-up requires a lot of decision-making. In our five years of marriage, Adam and I have been quite transitory, moving from place to place and gleaning knowledge and experience from each of those places. We have been blessed in every aspect of our lives and are so grateful. Soon, we will move on to the next chapter of our lives in Boise.

When Adam left his master’s program over a year ago, we were unsure of what career would be a good fit for him. My husband if very smart and very talented, so we knew something would be right. We just didn’t know what. I then lost my job teaching in Alabama. With no ties in Alabama, we headed back west to be closer to family. We agonized over what to do with our future and decided Adam would go into electrical engineering. As an engineer, Adam would adequately provide for our family and utilize his math brain. We never felt great about this choice but pursued it anyway so we would have a goal to strive for.

A couple of weeks ago we were distraught. We were at a very important fork in the road discussing careers and where to put down roots. We discussed a lot of career options and paths to take without any of them feeling great. Then I said, “What about a statistician?” I am confident Heavenly Father put this word in my mouth, as I have never said nor thought this before. We paused and were suddenly overcome with peace and assurance. None of our uncertainties seemed to matter anymore. We found the right path. If you know my husband, this is an absolute perfect fit for him that utilizes all of his unique gifts.

So what does this mean? One year of prerequisites in Boise then a master’s degree in applied statistics that could take us anywhere in the country. It should be about 2 ½ years of school instead of a rigorous three (for engineering). We are so excited! God answers prayers and guides us where we need to be. Sometimes He lets us agonize over things and feel chaotic and scared so that we recognize the contrast of peace when it comes.

So there you have it. Another new adventure for the Loumeau family. Oh yeah, and Amora is still the star of the show.

Easter

2010-04-14T21:49:00.000-07:00

We had such a nice Easter. Amora looked beautiful in her new Easter dress and loved her Easter basket. Holidays are so much more fun with little ones. I'm not sure if you can tell from these photos, but our little girl has a big personality. We love her!

More Toddler Than Baby

2010-03-31T21:30:00.000-07:00

When did my baby girl become a toddler? I blinked and her baby days were gone. Every second with this little girl is precious. Here are some of her recent developments:

She can blow kisses.
She know most of her body parts (eyes, nose, mouth, ears, hair, head, hands, feet). She learned that her finger fits perfectly in her nose and loves to pick it.
She is a pickly eater. A way I have mastered this is by giving her two choices. She points to the food that she wants. It has worked very well.
She can give hugs by wrapping her arms around your shoulders or neck.
She loves to be chased.
Amora’s best friend is our neighbor, Ryan. Whenever she sees him, her face lights up in a big smile. She tries to walk across the street to play with Ryan every time we go outside. Ryan has already proposed (he’s 4).
She loves dogs and animals. She will point and yell when she sees one. She gets to feed the deer with her grandpa when they spot some in the backyard.
She’s cutting two molars on the bottom. She’s a little more irritable when she remembers the pain.
Amora is done nursing. She stopped at 15 months. Instead of nursing, she drinks milk from a sippy cup before bed as we read books.
Amora loves to point to things in her books. She is beginning to identify things when I ask where a picture on the page is.
Amora is learning words. She can say Mama, Da Da, Mum Mum (grandma), hi, eyes, up, dog, duck, and socks.

I love you Amora Joy! I'm so glad you're in our family.

Computer time with Daddy.

Mischievously getting into the fruit bowl.

Pushing Teddy around in the stroller.

Cute Pictures

2010-02-28T20:48:00.000-08:00

Portland Trip

2010-02-28T19:59:00.000-08:00

I got a great deal on a flight to Portland, so Amora and I were able to visit my family and her cousins. We went to a children's museum, played with a lot of fun toys, and played with cousins. It sure is nice living so close to family.

Amora loved swinging with Mommy.

She got to play with her cousin, Billy. This did not fare well for Amora (Billy quickly showed his disapproval).

They made up and played on the slide together.

She finds every opportunity to check herself out.

We got to play with Papa.

And watch the Puppy Bowl with Grammy.

Looking for trouble with Billy.

A day with the girl cousins, Ella and Avery.

Cooking a delicious meal with the play-kitchen utensils.

We always have such a fun time. Hope to come back for a visit again soon!

Christmas

2010-01-28T21:53:00.000-08:00

We had such a busy Christmas season I'm just now getting around to posting about it.

Amora met Santa this year and was not impressed. Adam would have found this encounter to be torture, but he wasn't there. At least I got a photo.

Amora thought her stocking toys were the best things ever. She also loved her new table and chair set from her grandparents. She's still learning to not climb on the table. Hey, no one's perfect.

Amora loved getting even more toys. Birthday and Christmas around the same time may lead to a toy overload, but she's enjoyed most of them by now.

We went to Oregon to see the family and the cousins. She's still not into those cousin pictures. I think this photo is so funny partially because her cousin Cody has no pants on and no one seems to care.

We had such a fun and busy Christmas that I am just now getting around to posting about it.

And my sisters and I took our annual photo with Santa and matching shirts.

It was a great Christmas. We were glad to be able to spend so much time with family. We love you all!

Happy Birthday Amora Joy!

2010-01-28T21:13:00.000-08:00

Over a month ago, we celebrated our little Amora's first birthday. I still can't believe she's already one. She is such a treat. Here are a few things our little girl is doing these days.

She's sassy and loves to talk (although no one else knows what her words mean).
She loves to clap for herself, point to whatever she wants, and wave when someone is leaving a room.
She's learning how to fold her arms to pray and shake and nod her head to communicate.
Her favorite activities include climbing and terrorizing the dog.
She is incredibly stubborn. She would rather go thirsty than drink the vile substance we call milk.
She understands the meaning of no and will make the saddest face and cry when we tell her not to do something.
Some days she loves to give kisses and will lean her whole body and come at you with an open mouth.
She's a really picky eater but will eat almost anything big people are eating.
She would rather eat crayons than mandarin oranges (we discovered that recently at our last family meal out).

Being a parent is filled with so many fun things. This little girl gets more enjoyable and more fun by the day. We are so blessed that she's in our family.

Amora was very intrigued by her birthday cake. I made pumpkin cake with cream cheese frosting, and this is my attempt at creativity. She thought it was tasty. She did a good job opening her presents and loved having new toys. All in all, I think her birthday was a success.

Christmas Letter

2009-12-24T15:07:00.000-08:00

Dear Family and Friends,

This has been quite the year for our little family. We began our 2009 journey in Alabama with Adam working on a Master’s degree at Auburn and me on maternity leave. Then, Adam decided to make a change in his career goals. While he was in-between his career switch, he was a stay at home dad when I went back to work. As with many of you, the economy hit us. I found out in May that my teaching contract would not be renewed. We took this as an opportunity to move closer to family. After two years on the other side of the country, our presence (or maybe just Amora’s) was missed.

So we packed our bags and made the move back to Coeur d’Alene, Idaho where my gracious in-laws took us in (once again, I think Amora may have been the deciding factor). And this is where we are now. Adam is working at a US Bank call center for the year where he has been one of the top employees since he started in August. He has been accepted to Boise State University where he will begin a program in Electrical Engineering next fall.

I have been fortunate enough to be a stay-at-home mom for the past few months. Although it’s the best job I’ve ever had, it’s also the most tiring. My little ball of energy keeps me busy all day every day. I’m hoping to get a teaching job in the Boise area next year and plan to retire from that when Adam graduates.

Our little Amora Joy has been growing and developing at a rapid pace. I can hardly believe that it’s already been a year since she joined our family. It seems like she is learning something new every day. She loves to climb, be chased around by her daddy, and cuddle with stuffed animals. She’s a picky eater but normally loves homemade macaroni and cheese, grilled cheese sandwiches, and Grandma’s hummus. She throws tantrums when she doesn’t get her way and gives kisses when she does. We couldn’t have asked for a better daughter.

Through all our ups and downs this year, we feel like God has blessed us in more ways than we deserve. We pray that all of you are able to make it through these hard times and see the good in life. Merry Christmas!

Love,

Adam, Wendy, and Amora Joy Loumeau

Thanksgiving

2009-12-10T22:08:00.000-08:00

We had a great Thanksgiving this year. Because we are living with the in-laws, for once we didn't have to travel. It was so nice to have all the family together, and my mother-in-law did a great job with the meal.

Amora enjoyed trying new flavors. I think the pumpkin pie was her favorite. :)

I got to spend a little extra time with my husband. He's the best!

Adam and his siblings squeezed a few family games into the week.

And the day after Thanksgiving, we all bundled up to see the Christmas parade and the lights. Amora didn't love the cold, but she loved snuggling with her Aunt Hannah.

Can't wait for Christmas!

My Little Climber

2009-12-09T21:55:00.000-08:00

November's theme for Amora was climbing. She loves to climb everything possible. It's pretty cute but also a little frightening. Here she is on top of a little cooler.

This picture is pretty funny. Notice anything unusual? She realized that it wasn't put on completely, so she pushed the baby gate forward and climbed over it to get on the stairs.

This was quite a brilliant move, if I do say so myself. She climbed first on her car seat then on the box to get to the goodies on the desk.

She can climb up her grandpa's mountain of a chair. It took her a while to figure out, but now she's a pro.

And the reward: playing with the remote. Life is good when you're a baby.

Here she after she opened the cooler. Then she decided, why not climb in? Great idea, Amora.

And last, the refrigerator can always bring great fun. Be careful when you open it, never know who will slide in before it's closed! Love love love that little girl!

My Little Ladybug

2009-11-08T16:23:00.000-08:00

Amora was a ladybug for Halloween. We went to a trunk-or-treat at the church which she didn't really care for. Then she trick-or-treated at the neighbor's house. She looked super cute in her costume and loved playing with the candy wrappers (I ate them, she got the wrappers). Here are a few pictures from her little photo shoot.

SUPER excited to play with the pumpkin!

And this is definitely my little rascal. She's the best treat we had for Halloween!

To Grandma and Grandpa's We Go

2009-10-25T20:34:00.001-07:00

A few months ago, I got a great deal on a flight to visit my dad and step-mom. Amora and I headed out a couple of weeks ago. We had a great time at Grammy and Papa's house. There were so many fun things to play with.

Amora especially loved the cat. She even got to pull his tail a couple of times.

She thought the bouncy seat was awesome because she could get really noisy.

She loved all of the different toys.

She thought Uncle John was pretty interesting.

And she got to play with Cousin Billy.

Here's Billy trying to steal Amora's toy. When she's surprised, she does a really fast blink. That's why her eyes are closed in this photo. Such a funny girl.

Here they are with their toys. They'll be buddies as they get older.

Amora still loves her bath time. She and Grammy hit it off.

It sure was a great trip. Can't wait to see you all for Christmas!

She Walks!

2009-10-25T20:25:00.000-07:00

This is my little girl about a month ago. She learned how to stand and balance without holding onto anything at about 9 months. This last week, at 10 months, she took her first steps! It’s super cute because she takes tiny cautious steps. She realizes that she’s still learning and is very careful. And of course it makes me so happy to know that her first steps were walking to Mommy. She’s a Momma’s girl, what can I say?

Family Photos

2009-10-01T21:51:00.000-07:00

Last month we had the whole family home, so we took some family pictures. The photographer loved Amora, so we had a few fun ones of her. Naked babies are so fun!

She's basically beautiful all the time, but I love this picture. She just looks so sweet.

Here are the siblings. I know, my husband is pretty good looking. I'm a lucky girl. :)

Here are the girls.

Silly faces.

The boys.

My perfect little girl.

The whole family.

And our little family. They turned out super cute. Thanks Terry!

Because I can...

2009-09-08T21:11:00.001-07:00

Because I can, I'm going to post a few more super cute pictures of my little girl. Basically all I do all day is follow her around with a camera. Being a stay at home mom is pretty great.

Most of the day I see one of two things: Amora crawling toward me...

Or Amora crawling away.

Every night after bath time she loves to play with her daddy. They laugh and wrestle until Mommy breaks up the fun.

I love this picture. She looks like such a big girl.

Here she is squirming away. When she's really happy about a toy, she will lie flat on her back and play with it. I was trying to catch that moment but instead got what normally happens when I try to change her diaper.

I love this picture. This is Amora's "I'm super duper happy" smile. Gotta love the cheese.

Getting into Mischief

2009-09-08T16:27:00.001-07:00

Amora is super mobile and loves to find mischief. This is her with the cutest scrunched up face. I know, she's a rascal.

She loves to climb up the stairs.

She loves to crawl under things, especially the kitchen stools.

But she has ulterior motives. She just likes to eat the chair.

She loves making messes. Here she is very excited to get into a box of clothes from Grammy Cyndee.

I clean her shelf of toys up every night when she goes to bed. It doesn't take long for Amora to make a mess again.

But no matter what trouble we find, at least we have a good time. I love my little girl! But seriously, who couldn't?

Coming and Going

2009-09-08T15:49:00.000-07:00

Andre came home from his mission last month. He was very excited to meet his new niece. He was only home for 10 days before he went back to BYU. Here are a few photos of picking him up at the airport (Adam, Amora, and I didn't go to the airport because of her nap, but we greeted him when he got home):

Other news: Christopher is engaged! Here he is with his cute fiance, Mikelle. They are so cute together, and Adam and I are super happy for them.

We took family pictures with the whole family home (which I haven't seen yet but heard they turned out well). Then everyone went back to Utah. The house is quiet again (oh wait, Amora's still here). The house is not as full now. We miss you Andre, Hannah, Christopher, and Mikelle. Come back to see us again soon!

Tinkle Tinkle Little Star

2009-08-09T18:32:00.000-07:00

Adam, Amora, and I went to Costco this week because Amora needed an outing. She loves shopping because she gets to make friends and look at a lot of different things. As Adam was checking out, I figured I would change her diaper. Surprise #1: there was poop. Surprise #2: she decided to pee all over the changing table, her clothes, and her clean diaper. And of course it's the one time I don't have a spare onesie (we used it going to the lake the day before) and I didn't have more than one clean diaper with me. So I called Adam and he was running in the women's restroom to help and quickly running out so as to not look like a weirdo man in the women's restroom. Eventually we made it out of Costco in nothing but a diaper with pee on the outside. Later that night she did the exact same thing after her bath. Luckily, this rarely happens. Ah, memories.

Another kind of funny thing we are experiencing is Amora's hatred for shoes. When we lived in the South, we never put shoes on her because it was so hot. Now that we live in Idaho and with her walking soon, I know that she needs to learn how to wear shoes. For the past few days this week, we've been practicing. When realizes that I am trying to put shoes on, she will curl her toes making it nearly impossible to complete the task. If I successfully put the shoes on, she will cry and sometimes scream until I take them off. I put a pair of shoes on earlier this week and wanting to capture the memory, I grabbed my camera. She fussed and fussed until she saw the camera, and this is our "fake" memory of Amora with shoes.

What a stinker. This is what she did when we took the shoes off. Everything goes in her mouth.

Now that Amora is crawling, she's been getting into things a lot more. She especially loves pulling everything out of the diaper bag.

And of course, she loves getting into cords. I love her face. It's like "what do you want?" She shows no remorse.

She also loves Lucy, Grandma and Grandpa's weiner dog. Lucy tries her best to keep a healthy distance, but sometimes Amora finds her.

And what would a week be without a photo shoot? I love this picture of the two of us. Do we look alike?

And this picture is perfect. What an angel.

Teething and Standing Up

2009-08-02T19:12:00.000-07:00

Since Amora was about 4 months, people have been thinking that Amora could be teething. She has always loved to put everything in her mouth and gnaw on it. She cut her first tooth last week (7 months). She did such a good job even though she was in a lot of pain. We have now achieved another important milestone. It's funny how every little thing becomes so important when you have a baby. Sometimes I just stare at my baby girl and think of how blessed I am. Being a parent is the best thing in the world.

Now for a few super cute pictures. This is Amora trapped in the office. She hates not being able to go wherever she wants.

She eventually got her way. Here she is "jail-breaking" out of the office. Note how happy she is to be doing so.

Amora loves doing things that big people get to do. Here she is in the front seat of the car. She's just hanging out like she gets to sit there all the time.

We went to Art on the Green in CDA this weekend and Amora's grandma and grandpa were suckered into buying a ceramic ornament with Amora's hand imprint. Here she is getting the imprint in the clay. She did much better than I thought she would (the lady only had to do it once).

And this is her daddy's all time favorite picture ever. Amora has now decided that crawling is not enough. She's ready to stand too. She can pull herself up in her crib and on coffee tables. This is what I get to see everytime I get her up from a nap (or when she refuses to nap). Could it get any cuter?

She Crawls!

2009-07-22T11:21:00.000-07:00

Amora just started crawling before she hit 7 months. She will only make the effort if she really wants a toy. She'll crawl as little as possible, then reach for the toy. It's pretty stinking cute. Here's a little video (unfortunately a little choppy). Notice her act of satisfaction in the end. I love my baby girl. :)

Cross Country Move and 4th of July

2009-07-20T13:37:00.000-07:00

On June 23rd, Amora and I flew out of Birmingham to move back to Coeur d'Alene, Idaho. After losing my job and not having any other prospects, we concluded that this was a good opportunity to move closer to family. Luckily, Adam's parents have allowed us to live with them in their beautiful home. Adam and his brother took the three day drive a couple of days later. Here's Adam and Amora on the morning of the flight (she was pretty tired):

One of the first things we did when we got to CDA was visit Great Grandma and Grandpa Hart. Amora was a little more interested in her grandma's necklace than meeting more family, but it was still a nice visit.

For the weekend of the 4th, we spent a day at the lake. Amora didn't seem to mind the cold water.

We spent another day playing Bocce with the family. It's one of the few times Adam actually gets competitive. :)

Later that day, we hung out at the lake and waited for the fireworks.

All-American girl

Amora with her great-aunt Laurie

Amora with her daddy

Family picture

Always a good eater

Adventures in June

2009-07-20T12:46:00.000-07:00

We bought Amora a pool toy so she can get used to the water. We put her in the toy after we eased her into the pool. She absolutely loves it. She kicks her little legs and tries to swim all by herself. She was smiling in every picture we took.

Amora and I went to Oregon to visit family later in the month of June. She was a little shy at first with all of the family but got a lot more comfortable later in the trip. She got to play with her cousin Billy.

She also met her other cousins. She really has a gift for getting attention. :)

We toured Salem and had a nice day at the park.

We also went to Medford and spent time with my mom and brother Jeremy. We took a miserable 4 hour road trip to get there (Amora hates the car), but had a great time once we got there.

Amora went in a big tub for the first time and loved splashing around and playing with toys.

It was a great trip. We were happy to have spent time with all of my family. Can't wait to see you all next trip!

Beach Trip

2009-06-08T06:49:00.001-07:00

We took a trip to the beach last week. Amora hates riding in the car, but we got one happy shot at the beginning of the trip.

She was very intrigued by the sand and had a lot of fun playing in it.

When she's really excited, she rotates her ankles. She was constantly rotating her ankles in the sand. And baby feet are just so cute!

You can't see her face too well, but she did not like the water. She was mad at me for trying to get her to play in it.

We went to a fun little Cajun restaurant on the beach. It was super cute and Amora loved playing with the crackers.

But she is my daughter and loves to shop. We don't have to plan extravagant vacations, all we have to do is take her shopping and she'll be a happy little girl. She loves making friends. She'll look at someone and half smile. If they look back, she'll give them a big smile. If they don't look, she frowns a bit and searches for a new friend. It's so fun watching her grow.

Update on our situation: we haven't been able to find jobs in Alabama, so we decided that we are going to move closer to family. We leave for Coeur d' Alene at the end of the month. We're excited for this change and ready to see what the future holds for our little family. Wish us luck!

Sad News

2009-05-26T19:24:00.000-07:00

I thought that I had it made by choosing a career that is needed no matter how the economy looks: teaching. There are always going to be kids who need to know about the things I teach (especially sex, drugs, and obesity). Apparently I thought wrong. The school I teach (or taught) at decided to cut the health department by half. Sadly, I was the half that got cut. I believe this is because the other half was tenured and I was not. They have assured me that it has nothing to do with my teaching. Either way, as of last Friday, I am unemployed. Because of this unfortunate turn of events we won't be buying a house anytime soon. Our dreams of home ownership are on the back burner. There is exactly one health teaching opening in the area that I am applying for. If I get the job, we will stay in Auburn indefinitely. If I don't get the job, we will move back west and live with my very generous in-laws in Coeur d' Alene. Both options have their pros and cons, but we're optimistic that we will end up in the right place for us. God hasn't let us down yet, and we're sure He won't do so now.

I had my birthday last week and Adam and Amora took me to a steakhouse. It was nice going out as a family. It wasn't my favorite restaurant, but we still had fun.

On another note, I have a really cute child. She's now five months. I swear she gets cuter and more perfect everyday. Everything is worth it because of her and my awesome husband.

I normally don't take pictures of her sleeping because I enjoy being productive during that time, but she was so cute I had to test my luck.

Amora tried rice cereal for the first time last week. She's a woman who likes to be in charge. She takes her spoon and tries to feed herself.

She also is getting really good at sitting up by herself. This is one of my favorites. It's like she's saying "Ta Da!"

And I love her focused face. There could be a huge storm in the background and she wouldn't even notice. I think she may have her daddy's selective hearing.

Cindy's wedding and more

2009-05-10T15:27:00.000-07:00

Last weekend we had a lot of fun seeing all of the family for Cindy's wedding. Amora did okay on the plane and for the trip, but she was a little fussy with her nap schedule off. The wedding and reception were beautiful. Cindy looked great. They went to Mexico on their honeymoon and (as far as we know) didn't get Swine Flu. All in all, it was a success.

Here's my beautiful sister coming out of the temple with her new husband. They are so cute together!

Us waiting outside the temple for pictures. Amora was ready for a nap by then.

Amora met her cousin Billy for the first time. They were instant friends. We didn't even pose them.

The Loumeau's joined us and we hung out the day after the wedding. They sure do love little Amora.

Another cute thing: Amora is really starting to like books. She likes to talk to the books. Maybe she thinks they'll talk back.

Even though it's hard leaving my little girl so I can go to work, I've found it to be very rewarding. Our last unit was on human sexuality. For their unit project, I have my students write a paper about their goals for sex and what they learned over the unit. I love reading these papers because some of them have changed their goals after the unit. It makes me feel like I'm fulfilling one of my callings in life. Also, I had the sweetest student last semester who came and visited me with a Mother's Day cake because it's my first Mother's Day. Isn't that nice?

But the weather's warming up and I am itching to go outside and play with my family. Two more weeks until summer vacation! We don't have too much planned except Amora and I will take a trip to Oregon next month. I'm also determined to take a trip to the beach. I'm normally too cheap to take vacations (hotel, food, gas: it adds up). But hopefully we can save a bit and have a nice weekend trip later in the summer.

So much to look forward to. Update on the house: nothing. We are hoping to close the 29th of this month and put our notice for our apartment to move out on the 31st, but we're not sure if it'll work out on that timetable. Anyone willing to house a homeless family? We'll just have to wait and see how this all unfolds.

10 Secrets to a Successful Marriage

2009-04-19T06:51:00.000-07:00

My beautiful sister Cindy is getting married May 1st to an awesome guy. All of these thoughts about weddings and marriage got me thinking about the lessons I've learned or seen other people learn in the past 4 years. Luckily, I married a very patient man who has been understanding of the mistakes I make. But I thought, "Wouldn't it have been nice if I was humble enough to have learned from others instead of attempting to be a good wife through trial and error?" I'm sure most of you already have an internal list of how to make a good marriage, but I thought I would share mine:

Don't emotionally shut down during problems. Sometimes it's our natural tendency because we use it as a defense mechanism, but it is really hard for husbands to see and basically impossible to solve problems. When I feel like shutting down because I am unable to organize my thoughts, I tell Adam that I need a few minutes. I make sure to think about key points to how I'm feeling and then talk to him when I'm ready.
Understand that your spouse will likely not have bad intentions. There were things that bugged me about Adam, and I would criticize him for them. I finally realized that he is a good person who never (and I mean never) is malicious. He sometimes reminds me "I'm not a bad person, I just do bad things." This helps me be more patient when he can't read my mind.
Try to speak as positively as you can to your spouse. Our culture is often sarcastic and mean. This affects the way we eventually see people. This will eat away at your marriage. Make your jokes and teasings light and try not to manifest underlying frustrations.
When solving problems attack the problem and not the other person. Realize that we all make mistakes. Your spouse shouldn't expect you to be perfect and you shouldn't expect him to be. Try using "I-messages." (I feel upset when you don't pick up your clothes because then I have extra work.)
Spend time together. I can't tell you how many couples say that they are too busy to go out to eat or on a date. Make your relationship a priority. Odds are, if you're that busy, then taking one hour off isn't going to make it or break it.
Choose your battles. If you want to, you can find things to argue about. Choose the things that have a solution and are really important to you. We can't micromanage our spouses.
When arguing, speak in a soft tone. Our natural tendency is to yell back when someone is yelling. The fastest way to calm a person down is by speaking calmly to that person.
Be the first to say "I'm sorry," even if you don't really mean it yet. You'll eventually mean it. The spirit can start to soften our hearts when we humble ourselves enough to apologize.
Don't share all of your problems with the world. Your spouse should be your best friend. You can vent to someone occasionally and ask for advice, but make it a habit to try to resolve things just the two of you.
Know that no matter what, you are marrying the right person the right way. Times will not always be easy and you may look back and wonder, "what if," but it doesn't matter because in the end you are with the person you're meant to be with. Make it work. Believe me, it's so worth it.

Amora the Champ!

2009-04-05T12:00:00.001-07:00

I was so worried about going back to work a couple of weeks ago because Amora is normally a pretty fussy baby. Imagine my shock when I came home the first day and she seemed just fine without me. Maybe it was just a fluke, I thought. But day after day, she has done an amazing job with me at work! No screaming, not much fighting the bottle, just a realization that this was the way it was going to be. Such a blessing. The only day that was miserable was when we learned that Amora has strep throat. We're still not quite sure how she got it, but she sure let Adam know something was bothering her. But she's now on a round of antibiotics and feeling much better.

I think the transition has been hardest for me, though. Going back to work has been a challenge. It's been hard leaving my beautiful little girl and coming home tired but wanting to spend time with Amora. I have a very challenging group of students this term and a some difficulties with not having an actual classroom (the destruction from a recent tornado displaced the junior high school to our school and forced me out of my trailer). I'm convinced that this is the best thing for our family, and that will help me finish the school year strong. And next week is a four day week because we have Good Friday off. I'm also looking forward to having a couple of days off to go to my sister's wedding at the end of this month.

Amora seems to be learning new skills everyday. She's laughing now which just about the cutest thing in the world. She also is tolerating car rides more. I went out yesterday and she fell asleep in her car seat on the way home. Normally she'll just scream when she's tired in the car seat. I'm pretty sure that she gets cuter everyday too. We love our little girl.

House update: we have settled on a price with the seller and have the inspection scheduled for this Tuesday. If everything goes well we will close May 29th. Adam and I are really excited for this new change. And I'm happy that I won't have to deal with the noise from apartment living.

Back to Work

2009-03-22T11:39:00.000-07:00

Tomorrow is my first day back to work after my maternity leave. I'm really going to miss this little face.

I'm feeling a lot of different emotions. First, I'm really sad that I have to leave Amora. Second, I'm scared of how she's going to do without me. She's not the easiest baby and doesn't care for bottles. I'm also reassured though because I know this is the best thing for my family. We need to have money to eat and live, and I need to work to accomplish that. My job also gives health insurance and retirement benefits. But in spite of my worries, a small part of me is excited. I love my job and feel like I can make a difference in my students lives. I love my job as a mommy more though. But I know Amora will be in good hands with her daddy.

She just better not do anything cute without me! Wish me luck. It'll definitely be a trial for our little family.

On another note, we made an offer on a house on Friday. It needs a lot of work, and we're not sure how the inspection will go, but it's a great deal and much closer to my work. Hopefully all goes well. Here's a picture of the house:

Good Week

2009-03-07T15:17:00.001-08:00

We have had a week of some very important milestones. First, Amora slept in her crib for the first time and actually didn't mind it. She slept for an almost 8 hour stretch. It was much more traumatic for me though because I couldn't sleep from worrying about her. Now, we're all sleeping where we belong. Also, I have miraculously begun a pretty effective way of getting Amora to sleep for her naps and for the night. I would say it works about 85% of the time which is much better than what we had been doing. I call it the "5 minute walk-5 minute rock" technique. When I can tell she's getting tired, I walk around with her for 5 minutes to calm her down. Then, I rock her in the rocking chair for 5 minutes. Awake or not, I will then put her in her crib for 3 minutes (because she's almost 3 months old). If she's still fussing after the 3 minutes are up, I'll rock her for another 5 minutes and try again. She has been sleeping for longer periods and without many tears. What a miracle!

Amora also is getting pretty good at turning herself around in the crib. I'm never quite sure where in her crib she'll be when I get her up from naps.

Another fun new skill she's learning is holding her head up. She's getting so strong!

All in all, it's so much fun watching her figure out new skills. It doesn't hurt that she's so darn cute!

Happy Times, Sad Times

2009-02-23T11:59:00.000-08:00

This past week was really sad for Adam and me. We had to take Amora to the doctor to get her 2 month shots. We tried to plan ahead and give her Tylenol beforehand, but the second those shots went in, there was a lot of screaming. We joked that after that, Amora put in an ad for new parents. She was mad at us and we had to pay for the next couple of days. Luckily, the pain has subsided and she's back to her same old princess self. At least she's cute. Our chunky little girl is already 13 pounds, in the 95th percentile. She has officially grown out of 0-3 month clothes and is now in 3-6 months.

This weekend was an exciting one for all of us. Amora got to meet her Grandpa Loumeau.

Needless to say, she's got another person wrapped around her chubby little fingers.

I love this one too. They are just so cute. Any resemblance?

He took us to this really nice restaurant, The Warehouse Bistro, and spoiled all of us the entire weekend. I got his famous eggs every morning. Now, life is back to normal and we're trying to figure out where to live for the next three years. So far, none of our options have worked out, but we're confident we'll end up in a great place.

Beautiful Baby Girl

2009-02-12T19:46:00.000-08:00

Our little Amora Joy is a handful, to say the least. She absolutely hates the car. Unless she's asleep, she will scream until we take her out of the car seat. We think she hates the car so much because she demands that she be held at all times. I love to cuddle with my little girl, but it makes it very hard to get anything done. Also, Adam is sure she spits up everything she eats which increases our laundry loads. Until recently, her nighttime ritual consisted of screaming for a few hours then finally falling asleep at about 1 am. It's things like these that make me understand how people say that being a parent is hard work. But then, it's also very rewarding...

When she flashes me that big gummy smile, it makes it all worth it. My heart absolutely melts when she tries to find her voice and starts babbling. I adore when her hand grabs one of my fingers when she's eating. Also, when she stares at herself in the mirror. But one of the sweetest things is watching her with her daddy. They are so adorable together. It's incredible that we have this beautiful baby girl now. She's shifted everything in our world, and we wouldn't have it any other way. I've got the best little family.

New to blogging

2009-01-30T21:29:00.000-08:00

We're excited to enter the blogging world. The purpose of this blog is for Adam to share some of his many thoughts and ideas on various topics and for Wendy to post about our beautiful daughter Amora.

More to come. Check back soon!