MY BABY GIRL IS 6 MONTHS

My Presley girl is everything. Kolby and I just ooooo and ahhh about how cute she is everyday. She's got THE cutest sparkly eyes and smile and we couldn't be more in love. She melts our hearts more than we can handle!

She just started solids and seems to like them pretty well (as long as we add a little cinnamon to the rice cereal). I call her Pres-bug because it just fits her :) I love to just kiss her and soak up all of her baby-ness. She truly is the most perfect little thing. I was pumping 3 times a day (since she refuses to nurse) so at least half of her diet was breastmilk, but stopped right about 6 months because my supply was dying :( The only time she would nurse was early in the morning when she was half asleep.

Presley loves:
-hide and seek...it makes her giggle :)
-eating her toes
-her binky
-plastic bags (she will play with them for long periods of time, but i supervise her obviously)
-watching her brother. She could watch him all day!
-standing up! She can't stand on her own yet obviously, but if you are holding her she has to be standing or she gets fussy!
-bath time
-kissing and hugging her brother
-being out and about, as long as she's not in her carseat too long.
-having her diaper changed
-being outside (we did our first hike up to the spanish fork hot pots and she didn't fuss once!)

Dislikes:
-being hungry or tired
-wearing a bib or having her face wiped
-the few hours before bed time when she cries and cries
-tummy time (she rolls over to her back within 20 seconds every time)
-being left alone in a room. She always wants to be where all the action is!

That toy right there in the picture above is her most favorite toy. It's the Nuby teething blankie and it's been one of our favorite products from them! It has textured surfaces that help relieve teething pain, the lion in the middle squeaks, and one of the colored sections makes a crinkly sound like a plastic bag, which is her favorite thing everrrr. We take it everywhere with us and she happily plays with it. And it's BPA free :) You can buy it here for less than $4. 

Pres-bug we love you more than we could ever express. You make us the luckiest parents in the world!

A SUMMER SPENT OUTSIDE

DRESS: Forever 21/ HAT: Rue 21/ SHOES: Ross/ SUNGLASSES: Target

My mom and sisters are in town for a couple weeks and I LOVE having them here! It means lots of fun outings for me and the kiddos since usually I'm too scared to take both of them out on my own when Kolby's not home. Speaking of my handsome hubby, he's in Tokyo and Singapore right now on business and I'm so proud of him and how hard he's working at his new job. 

Anyways, yesterday we decided to drive the Alpine loop and walk around Cascade Springs. It's a fun little walk, especially with kids. I LOVE LOVE LOVE summers in Utah because there is just so much to do! If I had things my way, I'd be outside in the mountains all day everyday. 

Ok now one last random thought that I just have to share: in 6th and 7th grade, I was obsessed with Pokemon. As in, I lived and died by it. I memorized the Pokemon rap where they name out all 150 pokemon. I was Ash Ketchum for Halloween. When my family asked what I wanted to be when I grew up, I was very determined that I would be a Pokemon trainer...something they have teased me about for YEARS. I played red version alll day longgg. I even started playing it in college again. So fast forward to now, 2016....and being a pokemon catcher/trainer is COOL? Oh how the tides of turned...looks like I was literally ahead of the game and had it right all along. I somehow still haven't managed to download the app though, I'm just too busy with my own 2 little pokemon!

NUBY BATH STACKING CUPS

So lately Kai has been scared of ALL water, including tubs. I'm not sure why he suddenly developed a fear for baths since he used to like them, but it has definitely made things more difficult around here!

One way I have started bribing him into the tub is by saying "Do you want to play with your stacking cups?"

He loves these things and sometimes they are the only toy that will get him into the tub. They are all different colors and sizes and he loves stacking them. They also have holes in the bottom that leak water out, which Kai loves to watch as he holds them up. He plays with them the entire bath, and can't get enough of them. Thank goodness for these cups or I would have one dirt and spaghetti-covered little toddler refusing to bathe!

You can buy them here. 

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4TH OF JULY

Soooo I had all these fantasies about my cute family of 4 happily watching fireworks and Kai ooooh-ing and ahh-ing during them, but it turns out that he is TERRIFIED of them. On Saturday night (July 2nd) we were at a park and some people nearby started doing small fireworks, and he freaked out. He would not stop screaming and clinging on to me for dear life. Then real fireworks appeared in the sky and he was even more terrified. We had planned to watch them with my grandparents from the Provo temple lawns, but there was no way this kid would have been calm for even a second, so we drove home sad that it just wouldn't work out this time.

I wanted to prepare him to watch fireworks on the 4th without flipping out, so I kept showing him videos of fireworks on youtube saying "look, these are so cool! They're not scary!" Well that definitely didn't work because on the 4th he started screaming as soon as the first firework went off. 

It was still fun though- we headed up to Heber city to hang out with Kolby's family and all the cousins, which is always a blast. I seriously lucked out with my in-laws- they are so much fun and I love spending time with them! 

(Kai has 9 cousins, 8 of which are under the age of 5! We love it. And of course Kai is the only one crying in this pic...he seriously hates pictures and ALWAYS refuses to smile...ha)

We drove up to Provo falls near Kamas and all the kids had fun splashing around- it's a great place to take kids because they can actually play in the waterfalls and it's not too deep. Kai, of course was terrified of the water. He's kind of a little scaredy-cat! So far he's terrified of any and all water, including the beach, fireworks...loud sounds in general, like the blender...I sure love him though! I also love that he clings to me and runs straight to me for comfort.

After the falls we came home and grilled hotdogs and burgers. I think my favorite was when Kolby's family whipped out their very own homemade cherry  cordial ice cream. The other night they made strawberry. It is to dieee for. 

Kolby and I were really hoping to watch the fireworks since we have never spent a 4th of July together! Our first year when we were dating, he was on a river trip with his brothers. The next 2 years we were in Japan. Last summer I was in Texas at a Dashboard Confessional and Third Eye Blind concert. So we still haven't had a real fourth together! Oh well, maybe next year... :)

Here's some more pics from our first 4th as a family of 4.... !

Typical Pres face...

Always a dump truck in one hand

His favorite thing in the world right now...picking up rocks with his little dump trucks

The water was FREEZING but she didn't cry when we put her feet in...atta girl!

 He finally got in the water for a few minutes... I was shocked

Hangin with nana and bein cute

Cousin Addler & Presley. He's 4 months behind her but almost her size!

PS my haircut is starting to grow on me, and right now I love it!

SO I CHOPPED ALL MY HAIR OFF...

I've been needing a haircut for months and months now. It's way too long and starting to fall out (thanks post partum hormones), so something needed to be done. I finally booked an appointment with my favorite haircutter in the world, Giovanni. He is THE best. He just informed me that he got invited to be on the hair styling team that works with Beyonce's crew on tour...so yeah, you know he's good.

Anyways, I was just planning to get it trimmed with lots of layers added in. As I was walking into the salon, I happened to see a picture on pinterest of a girl with short hair, and I loved it. I quickly texted my mom and sister a picture of it and said SHOULD I DO THIS?! They said yes, so just like that I changed my mind. Giovanni was like are you sure you're ready to do this?!!"

I totally was.

As I watched him cut it, I felt no remorse at all. I loved it. The drive home is a different story though...

After he styled it, I just wasn't feelin it. Maybe it's just the way he half curled it? I don't know, but the next 24 hours I had serious hair cutters' remorse and desperately missed my long hair. Some days I love it, and some days I just want my long hair back. Today I love it, so I'll post a few pics:

This was right out of the shower, doing absolutely nothing to it.

I found a cute way to braid it, yay!

This was right after he cut it and styled it. I like it better straight though...

PRESLEY AT 5 MONTHS

I would love 4 days to just sit down, kid-free, and blog my heart out. There are so many things I want to write about, and never enough time. It's mostly that I want to write down all the cute little things my kids do, and document all of our outings and vacations so that one day when I'm an empty-nester, I can browse through all our fun family memories. Seriously though, I can't imagine not having kids in the house one day, and the thought honestly terrifies me and makes me so sad! #motherhoodaddict right here.

Well, just like that my little newborn is 5 MONTHS OLD. I blinked, and here she is, rolling over, trying to talk, wanting to hold the bottle on her own...time you are so so so cruel.

Presley bug:

Weight: 12 lbs (3%)...wow she's tiny!
Height: 24.25 in (14%)
Head Circumference: 15.6 in (8%)

Loves:
-being held 24/7 (but the person holding her has to be walking around, not sitting down)
-tub time
-having her feet massaged
-playing on her playmat
-her binky, and playing with it
-watching Little Einsteins

Dislikes:
-the few hours before bed time. She fights sleep so hard and just cries and cries :( Not sure what it is but your doc says we need to let you cry it out.
-tummy time. She rolls over to her back within 2 minutes every time and has been doing this for a few months now :)
-any kind of hat
-being alone in a room
-being in your carseat when the car isn't moving
-being hungry. This girl is the "hangriest" girl I know!

Pres bug! You sleep all night, and for that we are forever grateful. You had your first flight this month and did great by sleeping almost the entire way on both flights :) You are an early teether and started cutting some bottom teeth around 4 months. You have THE cutest tuft of hair on your head. It stands up straight no matter what we do to it, so we just leave it like that and I lovvve it. Everyone says it's crazy how much you look like your brother. I have to agree! You two are gonna be twins. People also constantly stop and tell me how adorable you are, no surprise there. You are starting to reach out and grab objects. You roll from your tummy to your back like a pro. You hate tummy time and always roll back over within 2 minutes. Mommy still pumps 3 times a day and feeds you breastmilk in a bottle since you refuse to nurse :( The only time you will nurse is when you're half asleep at 7am. Not sure what's up with that.

You finally met your uncles, aunt Syd, and grandpa T this month. You LOVED your aunt Syd and Grandpa T, and they were the only ones who could calm you down when you had your nightly crying sessions. You gave us a scare this month when you got your vaccines. That night, you woke up with a very strange scary cry and felt SO hot. Then you started to look dusky and almost blue, and we rushed you to the ER. Doctors didn't know what was going on but you seem to be fine now. I had a heart attack though! I have never been more panicked in my life. We can't stop staring at you and talking about how gorgeous you are. You are perfect and we are the luckiest parents alive to have such a beautiful sweet little girl.

PS I can't get over how perfect her name is. Presley Taylor. It fits her so well and I just LOVE IT!!