Go Utes!

Reed and I were able to take Jensen to his first Utah game. They played TCU and killed them. It was a good game for the Utes and for Jensen. He loved it! He couldn't take his eyes off the court. He is a lot more like Reed every day (which is a good thing).

Aloha Oe!

Having Matsumoto's world renowned shaved ice. It really is pretty freakin' good!

At Shark's Cove on the North Shore of Oahu. And no, there are no sharks.

At the luau, at the Polynesian Cultural Center. We all got an orchid lei, even Jensen.

Jensen with his Uncle Benny. Benny Kai is a good friend of ours. He is the ambassador at the luau and does a fantastic job. He is so talented. If you end up going to Hawaii make sure you catch his act at the luau and tell him I say aloha.

In Lahaina we were able to go to a street market they had near the famous Banyan tree at the center of town. It was very cool.

This is a snorkeling excursion we took to Lana'i. Jensen doesn't look too excited about the fact that he's in Hawaii, but he does look pretty cute in his Hawaii outfit. That's Lana'i behind us. We were able to see tons of fish, turtles and dolphins. It was pretty sweet.

Jensen's had a long day of boat rides and snorkeling (not really snorkeling).

This was Jensen's first experience in a pool. At first he was a little freaked out, but he definitely warmed up to the idea and started splashing around. He looked so cute in his bathing suit.

Reed and I on the North Shore near Hau'ula.

Mom and Dad at Pearl Harbor. What a nice day. We were so lucky, it never rained.

The black sand beaches of Hana. It was definitely a once in a lifetime experience, because after you do that drive once you never want to do it again.

Pretty cool black sand!

Jensen's sporting his Hawaiian look!

We woke up at the crack of dawn (a lot earlier actually, 3:30) to see the sunrise on top of Haleakala. It's a dormant volcanoe on Maui that has fantastic views. I don't know if you can see but we are above the clouds. And also in the background you can see the Big Island. It was very cool. Then we got to bike down 23 miles (all down hill, baby).

Even in Hawaii, we gotta represent!

We were so sad to leave Hawaii. We had such a good time. My parents were able to go with us, along with my brother Dan and his wife Katie. We stayed on the North Shore of Oahu for 3 days and did the regular tourist things: go to PCC and the luau, see the big waves up on the North Shore, get Matsumoto's shaved ice, etc. It was also fun to attend one of the old wards I served in Kahuku.

The rest on the time we were on Maui, staying on the south part of the island in Kihei. There we were able to: bike down Haleakala (the volcano), go snorkeling off the coast of Lana'i, see dolphins and whales, go boogie boarding and surfing, drive the road to Hana and see the black sand beaches, and lots of beach time. All this with a baby (thank goodness for grandparents). Jensen was great the whole time and did such a good job on the plane. I would tease everyone saying that this was my I-can-still-have-a-life-trip. And it's true! Even with a baby you can still do the things you love, just a little slower and more planned out. We couldn't have asked for a better trip with our new baby boy!

A Fun Filled Week!

This is the day Jensen was blessed in church. What a crazy day, but so much fun!
Here's Jensen's oldest cousin, Olivia. He just loves her.
The Edwards grandkids...8 and counting!
Can't get enough of this baby boy's smile.
Todd, Erin, Jonah and Luke were sealed to their beautiful baby girl, Kira. What a cute family!

What a blessing family is!

Our first Christmas together

We had a great Christmas! It was Jensen's first, not that he will remember anything. But it was fun for us (and I'm sure for the grandparents too). We had a great time seeing family and meeting up with old friends. I love Christmas time for that reason. We're excited for this next year, especially with a new baby and what that brings. Happy New Year!

Santa's little Helpers

My friend Sara and I decided to buy these cute Santa's little Helper onesies for Jensen and Oliver. Our husbands think it's cheesy, but we thought it was pretty freakin' cute. I'm sure they'll thank us one day when we show these pictures to their prom dates.

Reflecting

Well now that I've had some time to reflect on what has happened these last 2 months, I am so amazed. Going from being miserably huge and pregnant to having sore boobs and feeling tired all the time. I can remember feeling so frustrated my last few weeks of pregnancy, every visit to the OB telling me that this baby was in there for the long haul (I was a "0" in diameter up until the day I delivered). I remember feeling so excited to meet my new baby boy and wondering what and who he'd look like.

And now I have the most beautiful baby boy in the world. He couldn't be more perfect. He's a good eater and sleeper (who could ask for more). He started sleeping through the night last week. Which is great, but no one tells you that YOU are still not sleeping through the night for fear your boobs might explode. He started smiling and laughing a few weeks ago. I've never heard a sweeter sound than hearing my baby "coo" for the first time.

I love being a mom. This is definitely different and nothing like I expected. It's the most natural and awkward thing I've ever done. I'm not as tired as I thought I would be, I didn't think my chest could hurt as much as it has, I never thought a stream of urine could look like the water show at the Belagio, a shower has never felt so good, who knew all my nursing skills and knowledge would go out the window and be completly useless, and I've learned to eat faster than anyone I know. So to sum it up, being a mom is great and I'm adjusting.

Smiling!