Julie and Morgan Smith

9.07.2008

So I know this is a little late girls, but here's our "Girl's Night" picture! I'm so glad we had such a good time and that we're keeping it up! We really miss Christina and hope she and Ryan and family are doing really well! Also Megan, good luck in school and keep visiting! Also congrats to Jessica and Casie(welcome to the neighborhood too) who are both pregnant and due only four days apart!!!

8.26.2008

Thanksgiving Point Country Farm and Petting Zoo

My stepmom Tami took us to the country farm at Thanksgiving Point! It was so much fun!!! She brought my step sister Leanne's little son Simon too and he and Nixon had a blast! They really loved all of the animals: horse's, cows, baby chicks,bunnies,sheep,chickens,pigs,etc. We had such a good time! I thought Nixon might not really be ready to enjoy it, but boy was I wrong! When we first got there he got so excited to see the cow and donkey that he kept slapping his hands against the gate and just laughing and laughing and was just loving it! Thank you so much Grandma Tami we had a wonderful time!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

8.02.2008

Sweetest Summer Night with My Husband and the Police Concert!!!

For my first mother's day this year one of the gifts Morgan gave me was a pair of tickets to The Sting and The Police Concert!!!Morgan knew I really liked them and heard they were getting back together for one more tour. Well we kind of forgot about it till it snuck up on us. So it was so much fun to go the other night!!! I loved that it was outside and it was perfect weather! The band was sooooo good, they sounded amazing and it was such a fun summer date! Thanks Morgan, you planned such a special night- I love you and I love being a mother to our sweet baby boy!!!!!!

7.28.2008

Summer Fun At Our Community Pool!!!

Aunt Molly and Nixon!

Nixon& I play in one of the fountains!

Elise just gave Nixon a big kiss!

Nixon and I explore all the pools!

Well, we made it out to our pool the other day and it was so fun! Molly, Cathryn&Dennis, Missy, Elise, Addie, Me, and Nixon all packed up a cooler and went to the pool! Nixon was a little hesitant at first and then loved it!!! He especially loved Elise's plastic float tube, thanks Miss! He got to play in the kiddie pool that had a fun fountain to splash in and saw lots of the neighborhood kids! He wore his new board shorts Aunt Molly got him in Europe too, so cute! Thank you for coming everybody and having such a fun summer day, we'll do it again soon!!!

Molly Comes Home From Sweden!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Yeah! After two years traveling all over the world with her husband, my sister comes home! Molly, it's so nice to have you back home! Nixon sure loves his Aunt Molly! Here he is hanging with Maweee (as he calls her) and his sweet little friend, Jasmine(Veronica's new little baby)!

6.09.2008

HAPPY 1st BIRTHDAY NIXON!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Wow! Nixon is one year old today, I can't believe it!!! As I'm writing this I am filled with so much emotion! My beautiful baby boy is growing up! It seriously seems like I just brought him home from the hospital so sweet and little and it was the only time he would fall asleep in my arms. Although on the other hand it has been such a big year, full of so many firsts for Nixon! He was born in Arizona and then Morgan finished dental school. So Nixon, age two months, and I flew home(Morgan drove). I remember that plane ride was such a big deal. I was worried to fly on my own with Nixon because he was so young, but it worked out just fine as everything else did! Then when he was five months we moved again to our new home and finally got to settle down, that was so nice!!! We have had so much fun being back home and love all of our family and new ward and neighborhood friends so much!!! We are so lucky to raise Nixon in such a wonderful area and can't wait for the many more firsts that are still ahead for him!

It has been really neat to get to know Nixon and see his personality really come alive this past year! He is such a fun baby and quite a social little guy for his young age! He seems to really care for people and is always smiling and waving to people wherever we go!!! He loved seeing an old man in the grocery store the other day and just kept pointing and smiling until the man looked over and smiled back! Nixon was so happy to see the man smile that he bobbed his little feet and giggled in the grocery cart! Another fun thing is no matter where we are if there's music, he's dancing and babbling like he's singing! It's so cute and he especially likes to dance to hymns at church and he'll sway back and forth with really big movements during sacrament, it's so funny to watch his styl'n moves! Also he was never a cuddly baby, but the past couple months he has started to really cuddle and give hugs, which has been my very favorite thing!!! Well I could write forever about all the adorable things he does, but better say goodbye-

Your Dad and I love you so much Nixon and it's so fun seeing the world through your big beautiful ever curious eyes!!! Love Always, your mom

Back To California!!!! (Nixon's early B-day Party)

Having fun at Grandma Gi Gi's house after Nixon's Daddy buzzed his hair!

Aunt Molly and Dre holding Nixon at dinner, so cute!

Good Morning and early B-day presents for Nixon, thanks Mom, so fun and Nixon loved all his presents!!!

Well, we went back to California (Nixon's 3rd trip)to visit my Mom! It was so nice! Morgan and I had a really fun lunch(just the two of us) at my most favorite places in Laguna Beach, C'est La Vie (thanks mom)- if you haven't been there you have to go! It's a little french restaurant on the beach, we sat out on the patio overlooking the ocean, it was beautiful and the food was so good as always, my favorite item is the crepes with mango puree, the best! We also got to see my Nana and Papa(Nixon's great grandparents) and we're so glad Papa's doing better. We took Nixon to Newport beach. He walked on the beach and felt the ocean water for the first time and loved seeing Bear(My Mom's white lab)run on the sand. He sure loved playing with Bear every morning too and really missed him when we got back home. We also had an early birthday party for Nixon, it was so much fun and Nixon got some really awesome new toys! We sure didn't want to leave, Morgan got to surf everyday and again is having withdrawals. Thank you Mom, we had such a wonderful time and can't wait to see you next month!!!

nixon news

3 1/2 yrs. We were driving in the car and Nixon had been quiet and contemplative for some time:) finally he sighed and said, "Mom does Jesus sleep?" It was the cutest thing ever and I said, "Well I don't know, he lives in Heaven so maybe they don't have to sleep there!" He was so adroable and so seriously wanting to know! The other day he also said, " Mom Jesus is so nice and when it's time for bed he turns the sun down for us!!!" He is so sweet and so inquisitive about EVERYTHING!!! I LOVE IT!!!
3yrs. The other day Nixon went up to a man at the park getting upset with his dog and said, "When your dog is mean do you put him in time out?" The man totally laughed!!! Also, Nixon just finished swim lessons and loved them and his teacher Cameron, and Cameron would ask Nixon to go under water or do "ice cream scoop" arms and say to Nixon, "Can you do that?" and Nixon would always say, "Do you know what I can do?" And he'd show him some funny pose in the water or just jump up really high and then he'd say, "Can you do that?" So cute! Lately he also still has his imaginary friends, Dough Dough and Will Well and if he does something he's not supposed to he'll say, "Dough Dough did it Mom" it's just makes me laugh so hard and then we have a talk about how they couldn't do it and that he must have! Also when we're talking about when we were younger to him, he'll say "When you where a little "gull" did you do this Mom?" It's so sweet and he'll say to me, "When you were in my tummy....." It's so adorable or he'll say "When I was a little baby or little boy...." Since he's such a big boy:):) now!!!
Almost 3yrs. The sweetest thing happened: I was pretty sick and throwing up a lot and after seeing me go through this for a few days and just feeling overwhelmed, Morgan was comforting me and Nixon put his arm around me and said, "Mom, Jesus will help you!!!" We couldn't believe it, the sensitivity and true love Nixon has is just so amazing!!! The cute things he says lately: "Mom, I like you mom", he also says, "Mom, I love you mom" He says it with such sweetness, it melts my heart! He also will say it to his daddy and grandparents the same way!!! When he wakes up he still yells, "Morning Mom, good morning mom", its so cool! Also alot of times if Morgan and I do something like vacuum, clean something, get a drink:) he'll yell "Good job mom, good job dad" it's so funny no matter what we do he cheers us on:):) LOVE IT! His favorite things to do lately: make fruit/ yogurt smoothies, ride his bike, play with play dough, he loves to sing and is really good at it, he likes to make up his own songs and dance and play the drums like he's on American Idol-it's so fun, he also likes to play at the park and he always pretends he's "surfboarding" as he calls it wherever we go! He also love loves to pay hide and go seek, we play it everyday, he loves going to the sandy aquarium too- I sure love my little buddy!
2yrs 10 mos. Nixon said the cutest complete long prayer with not a word from mommy or daddy "Dear Jesus Christ, thankful for our macaroni and cheese, thankful for daddy, bless Becky and Bennet and Bennet's eating(our cute neighbor and her son who just watched him and Nixon said Bennet ate oatmeal and applesauce so that's why he was blessing them), bless the macaroni and cheese, bless mommy and daddy, Jesus Christ Amen" Just so precious to see him folded arms, eyes closed, head down, and speaking so sweetly and with all the faith of an adorable child!
2 1/2 yrs...... Cute story: Nix and I went to Good Earth the other day and when we got there I realized I switched purses and my wallet was in the other one:( so I said, "Nixon we have to go because I don't have my money" Nixon looked at me so matter of fact and happy and said, "Mom just use your credit card!" It was just so cute!!!!! I had to tell him that it was at home too!!!
2 1/2 Yrs....We've been taking Nixon sledding in the snow and he just loves it, he helps daddy and I shovel the walks with his own little snow shovel, he went snow skiing for the first time and is a little natural and just loves the outdoors and doing anything! He loves to visit animals at Thx Giving Point Farm and often asks to go there and to the Dinosaur Museum, which he also loves! He plays with his little dino's and loves acting out things with me being the other dino being chased or just friends going to the park:)He loves his blue stuffed dog(we call him blue dog, thanks Grandpa David for naming him) and says he's his baby and that he needs to take care of him, which is just so sweet! If he's ever scared he'll say, "My doggie's scared, he's crying mom, I need to hold him":) He also loves to pretend he's cooking still and will always make me pretend pancakes, ice cream, soup, etc. so fun! Also if anything ever breaks or doesn't work or needs batteries he'll immediately say, "Daddy will fix it Mom!" he sure looks up to his Daddy! He got his first real little bike for Christmas and rode it the other day when it was nice outside, lately he's so cute and will say, "It's a really nice day outside, Mom!"!He loves, loves to build forts in our house out of blankets and we do this all the time! He also loves to pretend we're in a cave and a scary bear is coming, he always says that a scary bear or dinosaur or ghost is coming! He also always pretends there's a mermaid or he's a "merman" when he's in the bathtub, hence his favortie show, "Little Bear" which is literally almost the only show he ever wants to watch and he talks about all the characters all the time and acts like he's little bear all the time, so precious! We sure just love his little imagination!!!
A Little Over 2 yrs.... Nixon is just a little sweet talker, he comes up to me and Morgan lately and says, "Mom, you're a nice Mom, or Mom....I think you're cute(which he says to alot of gals lately- it's so funny, the little casanova)" Or, "Dad you're a good Dad" We just love it! He also has a little play group with three other cute kids in our neighborhood and he just loves it! He gets so excited every week to go! His sweet friends, Ava, Braydon, and Lily are just the best! They all play so cute together and we go to the park, play duck, duck goose, hide and seek, color,etc. The other mom's do fun things too, one time they made turkey cookies for Thanksgiving, he got cute little valentines and just loves all the other houses full of NEW toys!!! Something cute: we watched part of Alladin the other day and I fast forwarded it to the end(a few scary parts) and he said, "Mom did they get married in the temple?" It was so precious. We also read the large family Book of Mormon(with pictures)every night with him and he always says," Are they nice(Nephites/Lamenites etc.? Are they bad, Is that guy a good guy(about Alma)?" It's so fun to see him so interested that way and he loves scripture and prayer time, we're hoping this keeps up for when he's a teenager:)
Some fun things lately: A neighborhood friend of ours and her little boy watched Nixon for a few hrs. and while at her house he saw these cool decorative balls on her coffee table. He picked up each one politely and said each time, "Can I play with this", and she would say no to each one! Finally after asking about them all one by one he said, "Can I just go to time out so I can play with them!!!" So funny, he's a smart little guy:) also he has two imaginary friends,"Will Well", and "Dough Dough" they also seem to do everything that Nixon's not supposed to:) and the other day he said,"Mom 'Will Well' is gone, and I said, "where is he?" and he said, "He's at work" and I said, "oh well what does he do at work?" and he said, "he fixes peoples teeth" I laughed so hard and told Morgan! Nixon also really loves nursery and especially "singing time" they said he gets the most excited and most involved in the hand motions and words of every song! We're so glad he loves it and want to thank the cute leaders he has. He seriously can't wait to go and the minute sacrament is over, he gets up and YELLS, "Nursery Time" It is so sweet! Also if he is ever sick or we can't go he cries:(
25 months: His latest: He asked Morgan the other day, "Can I get married Dad?" It was so cute, Morgan just laughed and laughed and couldn't believe it!! Then I told him that what happened was the day before Nixon saw a little show that showed people getting married, and he looked at me and said " Do I get to get married mom?" and I told him he will when he gets "older", which I've told him about chewing gum, riding a bike, and wakeboarding, and many other things:).!!! So I think he thought if he got married he'd be "older" and be able to do it all!!! :):) It was so funny!
24months: Oh my Gosh! I can't believe Nixon just turned TWO!!! He has been so cute! The other day I was talking about him being a boy now and he said, "Mom, I'm just a kid" I couldn't believe it and just burst out laughing, where did he even get that? And I also was singing a song kind of lound and crazy and he said, "Don't sing Mama" He's so funny and he's been doing the cutest thing when we eat, he'll take bites of something, the other day it was strawberries and he'll say, "Mom have!" and then when I go to bite it he puts it in HIS mouth as fast as he can and just laughs and laughs and he'll do it over and over, he's such a little joker and he'll even say, "I'm teasing Mama!!!" One other fun thing is if you tell him he's funny he'll get all excited and say,"No Urrr funny" and I'll say, "Your funny" and he'll keep saying, "No Urrrrr funny" we'll go back and forth forever, I'm so lucky to have such a funny little guy! And he knows all his shapes now and loves to have me draw them he'll say, "Mama draw a circle" and he'll draw them too! He also just tells me so much, nonstop: Mom I need a kleenex, mom that baby is crying, mom I need a drink, mom don't rip that paper, mom you cute shirt, mom I want a cheese stick or pasta or yogurt basically anything he wants, and he'll say numerous times, mom where's Taylor or Baby Lucy or anyone after we hang out with them, especially his grandparents:):) The best is I finally got him to say,"May I open the fridge Mom" and he's saying it perfectly, I can't believe he remembers to say it-the downside is the tantrum he has if I ever say no you may not:):)!!!!!!
23 months: Wow, all I can say is talk, talk, talk!!! Nixon said a 9 word sentence, I said, "I'm going to go get your jacket" and Nixon said, "Is Daddy going to go get his jacket too?" It was so neat and he always speaks so clear, we couldn't believe it!!! He also sings the ABC's now up to "P" and then says a little more and, "sing with me" at the end:) and his 123's up to 10 pretty good now!!! He also will say to me,"Butterfly kisses mom or eskimo kisses mom?" He's also doing very well at putting his shoes on and off:) He says, "Holy Cow and the other day he said, "Oh my goodness cow!!!" He's still so social and says, "Nice to meet you" when he meets new people and says, "my new friend mom" I still cannot believe how much he talks and that we can have such real conversations now, the only tough thing these last months is how he can open the fridge and get whatever he wants and he's been opening all the doors for a long time now, "time out" has been such a help with that:) He also loves to sing and will make up his own little cute songs, we love it!!!
22 months: Well, Nixon sure is a charmer! I just love all the things he's learning everyday!Lately he'll take all the pots and pans out and get wisks and spoons and he'll say, " I making pasta mom" or "I making applesauce mom" and he'll stir them and say " I'm cooking"!! I love it and can't believe he's talking so well, it's like we have REALl conversations now! The other day he said, "Mom I'm happy" and I just died it was so fun to hear. And he sings so many songs now, "The Wheels on the Bus", is his favorite and he'll do all the hand motions of the wheels going round and round and the babies crying, rubbing his eyes and saying wah, wah, wah, so cute. Also if anyone is sad or he thinks they're sad he'll bring them tissues and wipe their eyes and won't take no thank you for an answer. Speaking of no thank you, he's been saying please and thank you for everything all on his own, it's so nice! A friend of his got stung by a bee at the park and all day and the next day he kept saying, "Aida stung by a bee mom", he has such a big heart, we're so lucky!!!
21 months: Lately I love hearing him say, "goodnight mom" or when I sing a bedtime song he'll say, "Child God" meaning he wants me to sing, "I am a Child of God", and he sings along pretty good too, it melts my heart! Nixon also has really been learning his colors and REALLY knows many of them! The other day he was looking at my eyes and said, "Mama green eyes" it was so sweet! And it's so fun when he'll pick up a ball and say "Ornge" or say he'll say his shirt is "Blooo" Also anytime he sees candles or presents or anything wrapped up or in a cute bag, he'll say "HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU"!!! It's so funny, I love it!!!
20 months:WHEN YOU KNOW "Time Out" IS WORKING!!!! The day after Nixon turned 20 mos. he did the cutest thing. He has a little blue and white stuffed dog that he has really started making his little friend.He feeds him, shares his milk with him, tries to wipe his little nose, and a lot of times he'll say,"Doggy needs to go night night", and he'll put him in the crib or couch and put a blanket over him and he'll say,"doggy sleeping" over and over and then he'll say, "doggy wake up" and get him up! SO THAT DAY HE WENT OVER TO THE PANTRY WITH THE DOG, WHICH HE KNOWS IS OFF LIMITS(AFTER MANY BOXES OF RICE AND CEREAL HAVE BEEN DUMPED OUT ALL OVER THE FLOOR) AND HE PUT THE DOGGY UP TO THE KNOB LIKE HE WAS OPENING IT, I LOOKED OVER AND HE SAID VERY SWEETLY, BUT FIRMLY, "DOGGY, NO DO THAT, DOGGY IN TIME OUT"!!! THEN HE NICELY WALKED OVER AND PUT HIM IN THE CHAIR AND SAID, "TIME OUT DOGGY", HE WAITED FOR A MINUTE AND THEN SAID,"TIME OUT ALL DONE DOGGY"! I COULDN'T STOP LAUGHING THE WHOLE TIME!:):)
19 MONTHS: Nixon's latest fun thing is that he says, "bless you", when I sneeze or even cough, it's ADORABLE! Also he's still singing some of the alphabet and doing pretty good and he's loving counting, still putting different numbers in here and there! And we've been playing hide and seek and he counts to ten with some of the numbers jumbled, but doing pretty awesome and he closes his eyes and then comes to find me and when I find him he always comes running out all excited to show me where he is!!!! It's all these fun little things that sure make it fun to be his mom!
18 months: Well, Nixon just turned 18 mos.&lately he's just so fun, he's saying sentences now!!! Lately he says, "Mama snowing outside, Mama raining outside" &the other day a plane flew over us&he said bye bye airplane&then a bus drove by&he said bye bye bus, he says bye bye to everything!!! The other day he picked up a penny& dropped it&said bye bye penny:)he's also counting more, putting the #7 in all over the place, he'll say 1, 2, 7 :) it's just so cute!!! Also he points to Jesus' pictures at church&home and says, Jee- us, it's so sweet! He also now says, "What's up dude&what's up gee" he's hilarious& the best is when he drops something he says, "Oh great or (the one we're trying to have him forget) "Oh Prap" if you can figure what word that is:) he just keeps saying it, so funny!!!!!!!!!
17 months: Nixon says "What's Up" now, it's just hilarious! Morgan also got him to say "Hollar" lately too and wave his hand in the air like a gangster, its so funny!!!!
16 months: Nixon has been saying his ABC's and 123's for a while now if we say A he says A if we say B he says B and he'll go all the way to Z and clap for himself at the end, it's so cute! He also sings the ABC song a little bit now especially in the bathtub, it's so nice to see him really learning and retaining things!!! If I say one he knows to say two, it's so fun. Basically ANYTHING we say he'll say, which makes you careful what you say! :) The other day I said, "Gosh, shoot" and he said "Gish Shooooot", over and over it was just adorable!!!!
15 months: Nixon still is mimicing everything I do, it is so fun! Lately he takes a tennis raquet and pretends he's vacuuming with it! Or he'll take the broom and go vroom vroom like its a vacuum too, so cute!
14 months: Ok, Nixon has been folding his arms for prayers a lot more lately,but usually he stops in middle of prayer- last night before dinner he kept his arms folded the whole time and at the end he said a big, loud, AMEN right when it was over! Morgan and I just looked at eachother so happy, it was precious!!!
13months: This age is so fun! Nixon's been holding up his finger to us saying he's one for a while, but the other day we were in the store and a lady said,"How old are you?" and Nixon put his finger up for one!!!!!
13 months: Nixon takes my purse or Daddy's tennis bag and puts it over his shoulder and says BYE BYE and walks away, it's so funny I laugh every time!!!!!
13 months: Something CRAZY::: Nixon calls me Julie(Jewey) now!!! It's the craziest thing! He wakes up sometimes saying "Jewey, Jewey" He'll walk around the house, peaking his head around the corner saying Jewey, Jewey it seriously freaks me out sometimes, but its so cute! Morgan's trying to call me Mama more so he will again too!!!!
12 months!!! Well, it seems like Nixon just started talking overnight! I really was shocked! He's just saying everything now and it's so fun! His latest: Baby,Ball,Cat,Duck,Quack,Tree,Thank You(but it's dadd dough), Belly Button(but it's bellay bough), and Amen after prayers!!!
11 months: Sign Language= so I had started signing with Nixon a long time ago, but gave up because he was so independent and didn't want me to show him plus he always pointed to everything and we were doing just fine! Well, then I started back up and he totally does it now! It is the cutest thing in the whole world! The sign for "more" is the best!!!!
11 months: Nixon is saying Dadda alot more now and anytime we drop something or anything happens he says UH OH its so cute and he'll say it over and over!!!
11 months, Nixon Says CAR!!!! His first real word other than Mama and Dada!!!
10 month's:I say," where are Mama's eyes and he grabs my eyes, or where's my nose, mouth, ears etc.", and he'll grab them!!! I just love it! He's also waving all the time now at everybody(random strangers in the store, anyone) it's so cute!
10 months, Nixon's WALKING, ahhhhh
When Nixon wakes up as soon as I come in his room he clap's and laughs and it just melts me!
9 months, Nixon calls me MAMA now, wow its so sweet, I can't believe it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
6/7 months, Nixon is crawling