Cooing Baby

Alex woke up from a nap very happy. We missed getting most of his grins on camera but you can hear him make noises.

Bills, Wings, and Falls

We went to Buffalo with some church/school friends this weekend. They went to high school with a player on the Buffalo Bills and they hooked us up! The player's name is Kirk Chambers and he gave us a tour of the stadium, team headquarters, and practice field. Sam and Alex also got to see the locker room but that was "for men only."

First walking onto the field.

Sam was happy. Alex was meh.

We had a professional football player take our family picture.

Sam learning the plays for the next game.

Inside the Bills team headquarters.

Ralph Wilson Stadium

Anchor Bar (where Buffalo wings were invented)

They were delicious.

In the hotel Alex went on Sam's shoulders for the first time!

Alex was pretty cooperative on the drive to Niagara Falls.

My family went to Niagara Falls in 1996. We spent most of our time on the Canadian side though. This time we stayed on the U.S. side the whole time.

We got a little sunburned.

Above the Falls

The Canadians have a better view though.

Breathtaking

It looks like I am standing on the water.

Hey, Alex! This isn't a mug shot!

Sam held Alex and then I pulled the poncho over both of them.

They don't look as high from the bottom.

I didn't get as wet as I was expecting.

There are rocks at the bottom! How do people survive going over in barrels?

The Johnsons and the Merkleys

When we got home we finally finished unpacking Alex's room.

We aren't allowed to put holes in the wall so we have to use hooks.

My full time job

Alex is Aging! (6.5 Weeks)

• Made me fall completely in love with him.
• Cooing and smiling at us. I love seeing his gums. I can't help but smile back at him.
• Reacting to eye contact.
• Discovered that his hands are attached to his body and he can (somewhat) control them.
• He hates his carseat. Nothing can trigger a fit as quickly as getting buckled in.
• He loves his bath time. It will immediately calm him down. He would love to just lounge in the water all day.
• Sam is wrapped around this baby's little finger. Alex loves sleeping on Sam's chest and Sam loves it, too. It is so relaxing watching them sleep like that.
• His entire body tightens up and then he grunts as he poops.
• He has a sixth sense for knowing when I am sitting down to eat. Even if he is sleeping, as soon as my meal hits the table, his eyes will fly open and it will time to eat immediately!
• When he sneezes his whole body shakes.
• Cuddling with me in the morning.
• Leg twitching and occasional wrist twitching.
• Some loud noises will not effect him in the slightest and then other noises will be met with arms thrown into the air in panic.
• His cry is so cute. Is that bad for me to think? Sometimes I don't really mind listening to him cry.
• Only cries when he is hungry or in his carseat. Or if he gets the hiccups. Those dang hiccups.
• He loves our walks outside.
  

I am constantly praying for comfort, answers, understanding, and just to thank God for the miracle in my arms. I want to be the perfect mom for Alex because I can tell he deserves it.

Going to do laundry!

A normal ride in the carseat.

First time wearing shoes.

Learning how to play Rock Band with Daddy.

His first experience with the Bumbo.

Walking and breastfeeding. Awkward! (But I felt like SuperMom!)

Sometimes I can't bring myself to let him go. Even if he's sleeping.

My fat and happy little boy.

Too young?

Sam is trying to brainwash Alex to be a BYU fan. Alex wasn't very interested in watching the BYU football game on Saturday though. So Sam forced him to watch. Child abuse!

Our ward had a corn roast at a park on Labor Day. After lunch we played on the slide and swings. Alex wasn't really into it. Is it possible to be too young for the slide? Sad day.

Sam thought I was going to make Alex go down the slide alone! Not a chance.

The move to NY

The move to Ithaca went very well. It was Alex's first long trip in the car. He actually did really well. He slept almost the entire time. But before leaving Akron I had to say goodbye to Naomi! She is the sales manager's wife and was so nice and always doing fun things.

Goodbye, Naomi! This summer has been so fun talking all about babies with you!

Sam after his first day of orientation. He is a Cornellian now!

This is the only picture we have of the unpacking process. So look past Alex (if possible). Our apartment had boxes all over it like that for almost a whole week! I was going crazy!

Palmyra

We went to the capital of sex, drugs, and rock and roll one day and where the First Vision happened the next day (9/5/09). Sam and his sister went into the Palmyra temple and Alex and I hung out in the car and in the grass.

Almost ready for a big kid seat! :-)

Our little family

The Palmyra temple

The Smith Home

The view of temple from near the Sacred Grove

Family

The Sacred Grove

The statue of Moroni at the Hill Cumorah

Woodstock

I was born almost 20 years after the Woodstock Festival. Because of this, my only knowledge of it was that a bunch of hippies got together to get high. So close, and yet so far. Sam's sister (also named Emily) informed us that the Woodstock Festival happened in upstate New York. We learned that it was a little over 2 hours away so we decided to go on Friday (9/4/09).

Good policy, I guess.

I basically walked around the exhibit slack jawed. It was quite an amazing event. Don't go trying to get me excommunicated, but it kind of reminded me of the pioneer journey. An estimated 450,000 people traveled across the United States for this concert. The location of the concert was being changed until just a few days before it was scheduled to start because of opposition. They all came together because they had a common beliefs: to end war and enjoy life. Once everyone arrived from their long journeys, they quickly ran out of food, sickness abounded, and the weather ruined a lot of plans. But then the neighbors pulled together and brought peanut butter and jelly sandwiches and nurses donated antibiotics and their time. It was really incredible to learn about. There definitely was a fair amount of LSD but I think that fell into the hippie definition of "enjoying life."

Sam and Alex in the gift shop

"I was gonna go to work, but then I got high..."

The John Lennon/Yoko Ono bed-in gallery

Walking down to the stage

Almost time to go home

I wonder how many 40 year olds there are running around who were "made" in these woods...