Keeping up with the Joneses

Sad Story

2012-02-10T10:56:00.000-07:00

So, Joe and I came to a very sad realization today. Carnival Cruise lines doesn't let women who are further than 24 weeks pregnant aboard their ships. I will be 29 weeks at the time of the cruise. : ( So, we just made an expensive mistake since we had already bought my mom's flight and my flight (Joe's work didn't cover my airfare).

I was really looking forward to some quality time with my husband, sitting poolside enjoying the warm sunshine and some R&R before having an all consuming newborn. Uggg. Well, the good news is that I'll get to spend some quality time with my mom while Joe is gone. Side note... Joe will be going on 6 business trips in the next 6 weeks (including the cruise). Yep, it would have been nice to have some time with him in the midst of the craziness.

Babymoon

2012-02-08T12:52:00.000-07:00

This will be Joe and I next month (just pretend that the cartoon version of me has a large bump in her midsection). We get to go on a 4 day cruise to Cozumel with Joe's work. I'm so excited to have some one on one time with Joe before we become a family of four.

My mom is coming to our house to watch Mia. It's going to be hard to leave Mia for 5 days since I've never even left her for the night, but there's a first time for everything. Now, I just need to decide if I can rock a bikini while 32 weeks pregnant...it'll definitely be a sight to see!

My Little Celebrity

2012-02-04T08:10:00.000-07:00

My church congregation got a sneak peek at my little miss last Sunday. My Pastor asked if I would do an ultrasound at church for everyone to promote a ministry called, Alternatives Pregnancy Center. It was great to be able to see my baby and give everyone at church the ability to see the power of an ultrasound. I think the statistic was that if women sees their baby on an ultrasound, the are 82% less likely to have an abortion. These pictures are not very good as Joe took them in a dark auditorium with his cell phone, but you get the idea. The way she was positioned, we actually got to see the details of her face. Joe thought she looked like Mia and had pudgy cheeks. Oh, I can't wait to meet her!

My New Phil & Teds Stroller

2012-02-01T12:59:00.000-07:00

I've been researching double strollers for several weeks now and finally bought one! I actually went to Babies R Us yesterday with the intention of buying the Chicco double stroller that works with the car seat I have. After pushing Mia and an empty car seat around the store, I knew that the Chicco was not for me. I seriously felt like I was pushing a Costco cart full of groceries!

Much to my surprise, they had a Phil & Teds stroller on display (Babies R Us usually only sells this brand online) and were selling the floor model at a discounted price. After going home and doing more research and realizing that the brand new stroller was at least $150 cheaper than Amazon was selling it for, I was sold. So, Mia and I went and picked up our new stroller yesterday afternoon and I absolutely love it! I can't review how well it works with two until my second little lady makes her appearance, but Mia is kind of obsessed with it, so that makes me happy. : )

In the above picture, the baby would be laying down in the black area behind Mia. I should have taken a picture from the back view to give you a better idea but it's a super cozy baby bassinet.

This is the position for two toddlers. Surprisingly, Mia loves the back.

I can buy a connector piece to safely secure the car seat and Miss Mia can happily ride in the back. This stroller can also be used as a single stroller by simply removing the second seat.

Friday Night

2012-01-28T20:06:00.000-07:00

On Friday night, we went to Little Monkey Bizness with our good friends, Hillary, Joe and Kennedy. It was family night which meant a cheaper admission and free pizza! It was pretty crazy!! Haha. Mia did have a ton of fun and I think Joe did too. : )

I think Joe was a tad bit too big for this slide but it was quite amusing to watch him pretend like he was a small child.

Mia's face in this picture explains it all.

Baby Kennedy even went down the giant slide!

Whee.

Sweet, baby Kennedy.

What a fun night!

A good read

2012-01-21T16:52:00.001-07:00

I came across this article today and it was just what I needed to hear. Maybe it will be meaningful to someone else as well...

Click on the link- To the Mother With Only One Child

A Day at the Zoo

2012-01-21T07:37:00.000-07:00

It's amazing how life can change so quickly after having a baby. When I first met these girls, we were newly married and going to a new church. Having babies and becoming stay at home moms has brought us so much closer. It's so great to enjoy this crazy ride with other amazing women. Now we are 3 mommas that find a day at the zoo a really fun time!

Laura (baby Bennett), Hillary(baby Kennedy) and Me (Mia)

Happiness

2012-01-17T12:08:00.000-07:00

I'm not going to lie, this pregnancy has been messing with my body hard core. I feel a uglier, bigger and totally unmotivated. I'm making a point to shower, do my hair and put on make-up every day to make myself feel better. I think teaching helped me overlook a lot of the pregnancy symptoms I had with Mia (either that or I've forgotten). The good news is that even though I'm growing (and for some reason my face seems to try and keep up with my stomach) I am not nearly as nauseous as I have been and haven't thrown up in over a week. I do feel my energy coming back so instead of napping when Mia naps, I've been able to be productive (most days). In the end, I know I'm making a baby and feel so blessed that my body is able to accomplish such an amazing feat. It's definitely the most important job I've ever had and I will do everything I can to be sure that my baby gets everything she needs.

Things that make me happy this week... Mia has started playing independently in her playroom. Mia has a new sleep schedule- 7:30pm-6:30am. Feeling my baby girl kicking and flipping in my tummy on a daily basis. Having meals planned for every night this week. Not throwing up in over a week! My energy is coming back. American Idol starting tomorrow.

Here are some pictures from the last week...

I love these two.

Mia loves her baby. She feeds her, changes her diaper and pushes her all around the house.

This girl is so imaginative. She loves to play in her kitchen from my Aunt Jackie.

Her favorite spot in her playroom, her reading area. We LOVE books at our house!

This girl loves her daddy! We both missed him terribly when he was gone on a work trip last week. Mia just kept kissing, hugging and touching him when he got home; it was the sweetest thing.

The Snowy Day

2012-01-08T10:14:00.000-07:00

After 69 degrees on Thursday, yesterday was cold and snowy. There is something about snow falling that is so magical! I decided to let Mia experience the joy of a snowy day and she loved every minute of it.

One thing I miss from teaching is children's literature. Mia walking in the snow yesterday reminded me of the book, The Snowy Day. Wouldn't Mia be cute on the cover?

Mia loved the snow. She just walked all around and making tracks wherever she went.

She loved feeling the cold snow blowing on her face.

Notice how the houses on the other side of the street don't have to shovel their driveways. At least that warm sunshine shines through our windows on the back of our house.

After being outside for over 30 minutes, I was cold. Mia would have stayed outside all day if I would have let her but...

I didn't and she was NOT happy!

20 Week Ultrasound

2012-01-05T07:06:00.000-07:00

Baby #2 is a... GIRL!!

We had our '20 week' ultrasound yesterday even though I'm only 19 weeks and 3 days but since Joe will be gone next week, they fit us in early. It was so great to see our baby girl and wonderful to see that all of her organs and body parts are working properly. The details of this ultrasound were amazing.

Who doesn't love some tiny baby feet?!

We are not a family that uses the middle finger but we literally laughed out loud when we saw the above picture!

This precious little peanut likes to move...a lot! I told the Doctor that it feels like she is doing somersaults in my lower stomach and he confirmed with, "that's exactly what she is doing".

Now, we need to come up with the perfect name for this sweet baby because I have a feeling that the next 20 weeks will go by really fast! I know she has a lot more growing to do but I am already so excited to meet her.

Zoo Lights

2012-01-03T15:31:00.000-07:00

My Aunt Jane and Uncle David got us a zoo membership for Christmas (such an awesome gift), which included free passes to the Zoo Lights. We enjoyed getting bundled up and looking at the pretty light displays. Being that it's suppose to be close to 60 degrees later this week, we are going to enjoy the zoo during the daytime on Thursday.

Happy New Year!

2012-01-01T15:46:00.000-07:00

2011 has been an amazing year! The highlight of the year was watching Mia grow from a 2 month old- 14 month old. We are in awe by all that she has learned in such a short amount of time.

This next year is going to be an adventure with the birth of our second baby, Joe continuing Grad School, Joe going on a two week international trip and me being in my friend, Kari's wedding. I know 2012 will have a lot more in store for us and I can't wait to see what's on the road ahead.

Here is the Jones family top 10 of 2011:
(Click on each to be directed to the corresponding blog post)

10. Joe winning a trip for both of us to go to Vegas (for being in the top 2% at work) and being able to have my mom join us there to help with Mia.

9. Mia's Dr. Seuss themed 1st birthday party.

8. Continuing to lead a young marrieds group with our church.

7. My sister, Karla getting married.

6. Mia learning to walk.

5. Becoming a stay-at-home mom.

4. Joe getting into the Executive MBA program at Daniels School of Business and being the youngest person ever admitted.

3. Seeing the Eiffel Tower with my loves.

2. Going to London.

1. Getting pregnant for the second time.

Christmas 2011

2011-12-31T19:53:00.000-07:00

Since pictures speak more than words, I'm going to let the pictures do the talking in this post. Overall, we had a wonderful Christmas in MN and loved spending time with family and friends. Mia was a bit overwhelmed by all of the Christmas parties but loved being at Grandma's house.

Christmas Eve

2011-12-31T19:49:00.001-07:00

We just got back late last night from 10 days in MN. We had a great Christmas and really enjoyed relaxing and spending time with friends and family. Christmas Eve is always super fun with church, dinner at my grandparent's house and the dice game.

Once Mia found this perfect sized rocking chair, she was so happy. She sat here for the entire dice game.

Dice game presents

It was so nice that Joe's brother, Jake was able to join us.

Mia playing with her Uncle Jake

Mia and Grandma

My Grandpa and Grandma

Christmas Eve Eve

2011-12-31T19:49:00.000-07:00

We celebrate Christmas with my Grandpa and Grandma Esteb on Dec. 23. My Grandma always makes a delicious meal and it's great to spend time with everyone.

Grandpa and Grandma Esteb

My Aunt Jane, Uncle David and cousin Sara

Baby Bump_17 Weeks

2011-12-18T16:52:00.000-07:00

Christmas Before Christmas

2011-12-18T16:49:00.000-07:00

We had our own family Christmas yesterday morning. Since we will be spending Christmas in MN, we wanted to have an opportunity to celebrate together before we leave.

Best Buddies

2011-12-15T06:35:00.001-07:00

Every week I get together with my friends, Laura and Hillary. We are all stay at moms, so it's nice to have a chance to connect with each other while our babies play. They are our family away from family.

Here is Mia with her little friends Kennedy and Bennett (the are both about 5 months). Playing with Kennedy and Bennett has helped Mia with her nice touch and how to act around babies. I'm hoping it will help her prepare for her role as big sister.

I saw my baby today

2011-12-13T19:19:00.000-07:00

I got a surprise ultrasound at my 16 week appointment today. The baby is growing and moving perfectly. I must say it's pretty cute. : ) There may have been a chance that the doctor could have identified the gender but the baby was being bashful, which was a good thing since Joe wasn't with me.

The picture isn't as great as the live footage but still fun to see. The whole ultrasound was really fast since Mia didn't like the doctor messing with her mommy and decided to scream the entire time. At least she's protective over me. : ) Seeing my baby was just what I needed today. I needed to see the reason I am still throwing up a couple times a week, the reason I can't stay up past 9pm and oh yeah, the reason I've already gained 7lbs! Seeing my my baby was the reminder I needed...to know it's totally worth it.

Christmas Party Potluck

2011-12-10T08:56:00.000-07:00

Last night we hosted a Christmas party potluck for the young married couples are our church. It was great to spend time with old friends and meet new couples at the same time. We had a great spread of food and yummy hot apple cider (Joe's secret recipe) ; ) to keep warm. Since Mia's bedtime is around 6:30pm, she was asleep before the party started.

Yummy food!

Laura and Caitlin playing with sweet Kennedy

Laura has a baby (Bennett) the same age as Kennedy but he was sleeping in our room during the party. Kennedy was suppose to be sleeping but thought the party seemed like more fun.

Me and Elmarie (we are both pregnant...6 weeks apart)

The guys were having a blast flying this toy helicopter in the foyer.

Me, Hillary and Kennedy

My love and I enjoying a baby free night with friends.

Oh, how I love the Christmas season!

Sneak peek

2011-12-05T08:37:00.000-07:00

Here is a picture from our Christmas photo shoot that Joe took yesterday. I love this picture because it showcases Mia perfectly. Don't you love her curls? And her kissable cheeks? I could just eat this girl up! She is so stinking cute! (Okay, so I'm a little bit biased.)

Don't let her innocent face fool you... she has the loudest scream of any baby I know! She usually lets us hear it when it's time to clean up, something is taken away from her or if she is just plain mad. It sounds as though she's been severely injured but this is usually not the case. She is a feisty one. She causes people to stare in public and sometimes cover their ears. But... I must say, nobody could prepare me for the love I would feel for this little person. It really doesn't matter what she acts like, I still miss her when she sleeps and get sad when she denies a kiss. I can't get enough.

This makes me so excited to be a mommy to another baby. I know having two little ones will be stressful, hectic and an all around adventure, but I still can't wait to have another baby to love. I keep forgetting to take a picture of my growing belly, I'll have to post one soon. I'm still in the awkward...do I look pregnant or fat? stage, which makes it really hard to get dressed in the morning but I know that it won't be long until I look very pregnant and can no longer wear my jeans, so trying to enjoy this stage.

Weight Update

2011-11-30T08:42:00.000-07:00

I took Mia to the doctor on Monday to recheck her weight and to get the rest of her 1 year shots. Good news...she has gained enough weight to put her in the 5th percentile! She is now following a new growth curve but the important thing is that she is growing.

I'm super bummed that Joe's work switched their insurance so we need to find a new pediatrician. : ( I will also need to find a new OB/GYN. I've recently got some recommendations so hopefully we'll have a smooth transition.

Here are some pictures from my cell phone that I just recently put on the computer:

This is Mia's favorite spot in her playroom. This girl LOVES books, which makes her mommy very proud.

Black Friday Shopping at Best Buy...Mia's first time in the car attached to the cart

So Thankful...

2011-11-26T19:34:00.000-07:00

This year I am thankful for a healthy 1 year old, a happy marriage, growing friendships and a growing belly. In the last few months, I have learned to be thankful for the time that my family is together. On Wednesday, Joe, Mia, and I went to the Denver Zoo. It was 66 degrees and sunny and an absolutely perfect way to spend time together.

I have never seen a vulture sitting like this.

This hippo was so fun to watch.

This is how I feel when I get to spend a sunny afternoon with my two loves.

Look closely...you will see the monkey decided to pee in front of us.

We spent Thanksgiving at our friend's parent's house. We had a delicious meal and enjoyed great company. I took a few pictures but can't seem to find my camera. : |

On Friday, the three of us went out to get a few deals and enjoy the hustle and bustle of Black Friday shopping. Surprisingly, the mall wasn't too busy and we got majority of the deals we wanted. I'm guessing it helped that most of the crazies (sorry mom and Karla) went out the night before. Oh, how I love the start of the Christmas season.

Walking and Laughing

2011-11-21T16:16:00.000-07:00

Mia is walking more and more everyday. Yesterday, she started standing on her own and initiating walking on her own. It's so weird to see her tiny, wobbly body walking around. : ) She still chooses to crawl most of the time but is getting more and more confident with her new skill.

Mia walks with her hand out, Frankenstein style.

Joe had to spend majority of the weekend doing homework. This week is his finals week. Mia quickly realized that it's very easy to distract daddy from his homework. These pictures show how this frequent distraction unfolds...

Here are some pictures of Mia laughing. She has a signature head tilt when she finds something hilarious.

Random Stuff

2011-11-18T19:26:00.000-07:00

Sorry I haven't posted since "The Big News!". Mia and I have been super busy getting together with friends and I have been soo tired. (Did I mention that Mia likes to wake up between 5-6am everyday.) I nap everyday when Mia naps, which is what my body needs, but that means I'm not getting a lot done. Also, Mia needs to be by my side all day long. I'm trying to treasure these cuddly moments instead of getting frustrated at my lack of space. Like every other phase, I know it will pass.

I don't have any pictures to post because honestly, I don't think I've taken a picture in the past two weeks. Let's just say that this pregnancy is kind of kicking my butt. But, I'm excited to say that I've been throw up free the last 2 days!! I've had a very small appetite over the last several weeks, it's slowly coming back and will hopefully be in full swing for the Holidays!

I promise I'll take some pictures this weekend and post again soon!

Big News!

2011-11-07T19:27:00.000-07:00

Guess What?

I'm going to be a big sister!

Yeah, I know I'll do a good job.

The baby is in mommy's tummy. It's not coming out until the end of May.

I wonder if it's a boy or girl?

Love, Mia

Growing Up

2011-11-06T20:47:00.000-07:00

Tonight I put Mia to bed without nursing her. She didn't even cry. I wanted to.

I don't want her to grow up. I guess she is ready to wean from breastfeeding before me.

I'm still not giving up the morning feedings. I'm not quite ready to stop that morning snuggle time and a chance to close my eyes for a few more minutes.

She will forever be my first baby. The one you taught me how to be a mom.

I love this girl more than I ever thought possible.

Milestones are good, but hard. I guess... hard things are good.

Snow Day

2011-11-02T13:13:00.000-06:00

It snowed quite a bit last night and has been lightly snowing all morning. Local school districts are closed. The roads are icy and dangerous. It's funny how differently Colorado reacts to a snow storm versus Minnesota. I'm not complaining...there's something special about being stuck at home in a warm, cozy house watching the snow from your window.

And, just because she's cute (even when she makes a mess)...

Trick or Treat

2011-11-01T08:06:00.001-06:00

We just recently met a couple from our church that moved within walking distance from us. We are so excited to have friends that are neighbors. They invited us to a super fun, kid friendly Halloween party, which was just perfect for Mia's first REAL Halloween (she was all of 9 days last year).

Halloween 2010

This is Mia before we got to the Halloween Party. I didn't think we would be able to stay very long!

Our little Ladybug

Once Mia was around all of the kids, she had so much fun and the tears went away.

Mia and her friend, Tillie

Hanging out with the girls

Candy apple station

Everything at the party was Halloween themed...it was so fun!

Bee and Ladybug

Mia loved trick or treating! She had a death grip on her candy bag and wouldn't let go even when it was full of treats.

My friend Robyn getting her 80's workout on in the street

The kiddos in our group

Mia with her Daddy

Mia was giving this creepy guy high fives.

We had such a fun night thanks to our friends. Mia was having so much fun that she even got to stay up 2 hours past her bedtime! Unfortunately, she still woke at the same time this morning.

1 Year Stats

2011-10-28T11:28:00.000-06:00

Mia's 1 year stats:

Weight: 17lbs 7oz (4th %)

Height: 29 1/2''

Head Circumference: 18.5'' (93 %)

Diapers: Size 3

Clothes: 12 months

Food: Breastmilk and everything else

Mia's pediatrician is concerned with her lack of weight gain. (At one point in her short little life, she was in the 50th % for weight!) We have 30 days to try and beef this girl up since we meet with the doctor again in a month to revaluate. The big thing is really pushing Whole Milk (since I'm only breastfeeding in the morning and before bed) and feeding her calorie boosting foods.

We think she is perfect and can't imagine her any other way. Mia coming into our lives has made for an amazing year in which Joe and I have had the opportunity to grow as a couple, as parents and as human beings.

Mia's Birthday Bash

2011-10-26T20:33:00.002-06:00

Mia's first birthday was super fun! My Grandparents were gracious enough to let us cram lots and lots of people into their house and totally fill it with the all things Dr. Seuss. Mia's favorite part of the party was opening her gifts. She took her time and enjoyed each and every present...it was the sweetest thing! Thank you to all that were a part of Mia's special day. Sorry if I didn't get to spend a lot of time talking to you, I was a bit overwhelmed by the amount of people.

This is what the cupcakes looked like when I first put the cotton candy on top. By the time everyone ate them the cotton candy disintegrated into blue speckles.

Mia with her Auntie Karla

I hung Dr. Seuss pictures and quotes all over the house.

Beverage and dessert table (the bags hanging are the treat bags for the kids, which were full of Dr. Seuss goodies)

Food...

My Grandma made the green eggs

My mom made the yummy pasta salad and Jello

The Birthday Girl and her Daddy

Me and Mia

Party guests...

Sweet baby Cohen

Happy Birthday to me!

This is the best day ever!

Daddy...don't take my cake!

Noooo!

Gift opening time...

The is the closest thing I got to a family picture

Mia LOVED her doggie sleeping bag from her Great Aunt Jackie (Joe's Aunt)

A worthy attempt at a picture of all three cousins

Mia and Nicki

The is the best picture of the homemade Dr. Seuss bunting I made out of an old Dr. Seuss book

Thank you to everyone that helped make Mia's birthday special!

Wordless Wednesday

2011-10-12T17:05:00.000-06:00

Spoon Practice

2011-10-10T13:03:00.000-06:00

I've been trying to teach Mia to use a spoon when eating her yogurt for breakfast (in the past I would feed it to her). She was doing really well until I turned my back to get a bagel out of the toaster...she decided it was easier to use her hand.

I guess what's the rush, she has the rest of her life to use a spoon!

Swimming and Museums

2011-10-08T07:49:00.001-06:00

Mia and I had a very busy week. She started swimming lessons, which is on Monday and Wednesdays and we made our first trip to the Children's Museum. Mia LOVES swimming lessons and is a natural in the water. She loves to be dunked under water and claps for her self when she resurfaces...it's really funny to watch! I don't have any pictures since I'm in the water with her. Joe is going to try to come on Monday so he can see his little fish in action and hopefully one of us can snap some photos.

Even though I forgot my camera when we went to the Children's Museum, I still took some photos with my phone (not the best quality but they work). The museum has a really fun area that is for ages birth-4. Mia had so much fun saying hi to everyone as they entered and loved making new friends her same age. Mia played for 2hrs straight...we had such a fun time that both of us can't wait to go back!

peek-a-boo

fishing

a quick hug for the lamb

Mia was doing barrel rolls while laughing uncontrollably on the soft surface.

going down

Mia's One Year Photo Shoot

2011-10-03T08:11:00.001-06:00

Mia doesn't turn one until October 22, but we wanted to take her pictures in advance so we could send them out to family and friends. Sorry for the picture overload but it was hard to decide from the 200+ pictures that Joe took. A lot of pictures turned out blurry because Mia was frantically bouncing the balloons! If you can't tell from the pictures, the theme for Mia's first birthday is Dr. Seuss. I ordered the onesie and tutu off of Etsy and got the Cat in the Hat hat from Party City.

Karla and Brad's Wedding

2011-09-27T08:53:00.000-06:00

My little sister, Karla got married on Saturday. It was a beautiful day for a wedding and everything was absolutely perfect. It was so fun to share their special day! Congratulations Brad and Karla!!

Mom, Me and Mia

Colton and Cody (my brothers)

Mia playing with her cousin, Diana.

Mia playing with her cousin, Selene.

My mom and step-dad

I think this might be my favorite picture from the night!

Mia is really good at giving kisses! : )

Mia's First Trip to the Zoo

2011-09-17T11:08:00.000-06:00

My super mom friend, Robyn (she has four young kiddos) invited Mia and I to the zoo last week. Mia loved it! She really just loves being around other kids. She got to see lots of animals and even ride the carousel. I have a feeling that visiting the zoo is going to become a regular occurrence very soon.

Woah! That's a big fish!

Wordless Wednesday

2011-09-14T21:40:00.000-06:00

Take me out to the ball game

2011-09-10T19:55:00.000-06:00

Joe's school had a lunch at the Rockies game today. We enjoyed the afternoon eating burgers with a really nice elderly couple that were Denver University Alumni. The gentleman we were chatting with graduated from DU 50 years ago. It was really neat to hear his stories of the school from half a century ago. After lunch we went to go watch the game. It was a beautiful day for baseball!

Joe's work

My friend Kari bought this super cute MN Twins onesie for Mia.

Love Our Mornings

2011-09-08T21:23:00.000-06:00

Life is good. I am loving being a stay-at-home momma. The transition has been way easier and more natural than I expected it would be. I know that being a stay-at-home mom to one baby is way different than it will be to two or more children, but right now, life is pretty easy. It's always a little weird when people ask my profession, but I usually say, I stay home with my baby and then they respond with..."that's the hardest job." Although this is very kind and makes me smile, they clearly have never been a teacher or been related to a teacher! Teaching is so much more exhausting! Seriously people, love on your kid's teachers!

Disclaimer...Mia is currently teething and has been in a TON of pain with a fever. This last week has been a little rough especially due to the fact that Mia has been waking up a bazillion times a night and at times is inconsolable. One more reason why staying at home is a blessing, I would never be able to function at work after a night like that.

I'm a very routine person and like to keep to a schedule. ~~Every~~ Most mornings, Mia and I go for a run and we end the run at the park, which is like two steps from our house. I've been using the playground as a gym and continuing my work-out with lunges, push-ups, jumping jacks, etc... While I'm working out, Mia barks at the doggies in the park or just laughs at me. Here are some pictures of us playing at the park this morning. Doesn't she look so big?!?!?

Back to School

2011-09-04T16:22:00.000-06:00

Joe started his Executive MBA program at Denver University this weekend. This is an 18-month program that he will be working through while working full-time. He is going to be one busy guy! This is going to mean a lot of changes in the Jones household, mostly just the absence of Joe. Up until now, whenever Joe was home, we would be spending time together (we are not a couple that sits in separate rooms and does our own thing). Now, I need to find new ways to occupy my time since the majority of time that Joe is home, he will need to be reading, studying or doing other homework. Even though, Joe getting his EMBA is a big commitment and A LOT of money, I know it will be beneficial to our family in the future. Also, my super awesome hubby is the youngest person to ever be admitted into the Executive MBA program at Daniel's School of Business. Yeah, he's pretty awesome!

Day trip to Paris

2011-08-28T15:53:00.001-06:00

We took a fully guided day trip to Paris while we were in London. The Eurostar train goes nonstop to Paris in about 2 hours. The Eurostar travels through the Channel Tunnel, which is a tunnel underneath the English Channel. While in Paris we took a bus tour of the city, went to the 2nd story of the Eiffel Tower, went on a river cruise and went to the famous Louvre Museum.

My sweet husband gave me an Eiffel Tower charm for my bracelet while we were viewing the Eiffel Tower. A perfect memory of this fabulous vacation.

I'm going to ruin the romanticism of the pictures and share a picture of a very fancy public toilet. This glorified portable potty had a self cleaning cycle after each use. It was nice knowing that you were using a sanitized bathroom but annoying to wait for it to clean after each use.

Views from the Eiffel Tower.

Cruise on the River Seine

Mia took a nap during the cruise.

The Louvre was soo huge. We were completely overwhelmed by the size so went on a mission to find the Mona Lisa. The picture turned out a little blurry.

On our Coach bus.

London 2011

2011-08-28T14:30:00.000-06:00

On Friday night, we got back from our vacation to London. We had an amazing time and Mia was such a trooper. Warning...there is major picture overload on this post. Paris will be in a separate post.

This was the stuff I packed for Mia. I think our trip went very smooth because I was prepared for anything and everything.

The changing of the guard at Buckingham Palace. This was CRAZY! There were so many people, I thought our stroller was going to get trampled, but it was an ~~awesome~~ experience.

Buckingham Palace. If you watched the Royal Wedding a few months ago, this balcony is where William and Kate shared a kiss. I even got to see Kate's wedding dress, shoes and wedding cake on display during our tour. Unfortunately, we couldn't take any pictures inside of the castle (sorry Elizabeth).

The gate to get into the Palace.

The backside of Buckingham Palace. It was really neat to see several of the Staterooms inside during our tour.

The Royal backyard, which was massive.

Mia loved our bus tour of the city.

Big Ben

The countdown to the 2012 Olympics.

The Tower Bridge

The London Eye. This was a great way to see the whole city.

Inside the London Eye.

Joe loved seeing all of the exotic cars.

Harrods...the world's largest department store. This place was insane.

Sleeping baby.

Hamleys...a famous toy store. Mia enjoyed a break to play with some of the toys on display.

We took a day trip tour to Windsor Castle, the city of Bath and Stonehenge. It was a busy day, but so fun. Windsor Castle was absolutely breathtaking...unfortunately, we were unable to take pictures inside the castle.

The guards walked right by us and shouted, "Make way for the Queen's guards!"

We got a little closer to the changing of the guard at Windsor Castle. It was such a big production!

A beautiful church in Bath.

This is how the Romans made heated floors hundreds of years ago.

Strollers weren't allowed and we forgot our carrier on the bus. Luckily, they had carriers to borrow.

Joe and I drank some of the water from the natural springs. Supposedly, it's suppose to be good for you. All I know is that is was very warm and stinky.

Mia's 10 month picture. She is a crawling, talking, standing, screaming, squealing, laughing, smiling, loud, spunky, social 10 month old.

The mysterious Stonehenge. These rocks were HUGE. It is so amazing that this was created around 3000 BC and how it was was created can only be speculated.

A traditional English breakfast: toast, egg, mushrooms, baked beans, sausage, bacon, potato and a grilled tomato.

We spent a day touring The Tower of London. This castle even had a moat...so cool!

It was a rainy day but Mia loved having raindrops hit her face.

These narrow passages were so cool.

They had animals made of wire all around the castle. When the castle was occupied, they had tons of wild beasts leaving there. What do you buy the person who has everything? Lions, bears, snakes and monkeys of course. There was a polar bear living here at one time! The sad things is that the animals usually didn't live very long because they didn't know how to properly care for them.

The line to see the Crown Jewels was longer than a popular ride a Disney World but so worth the wait. The Royal Family has all of their crowns and family jewels on display here. Of course we weren't able to take pictures so you'll have to believe me when I tell you that I saw the largest diamond in the world! It was beautiful!

Armor just Mia's size.

Fish and chips. When visiting England, one must consume fatty fish and chips. It was so worth the stomach ache. The mushy green food is mashed peas, which is what most restaurants served with fish and chips. (Of course Joe opted to eat a salad and sandwich instead).

Olympic Prep.

The hotel we stayed in was the Hilton London Paddington Hotel named after Paddington Station (train station) that it's connect to. This is the train station that Paddington Bear is named after so of course we had to buy Mia her very own Paddington Bear. Here is Mia with the Paddington statue in the station.

Our stroller became the hold of bags. LOL

Me and my hubby.

Mia and I hanging out in Hyde Park.

Peter Pan Statue.

Mia got her first soccer ball in London. Here is Mia playing with her Daddy.

Here is Mia at her first Sushi bar. She loved it! Our goal is to expose her to a wide variety of cuisine and so far, she likes it all! (Don't worry, we only gave her the cooked fish.)

Joe's friend and old coworker who now lives in London met up with us for a yummy Sushi dinner.

Family time. Mia thought it was so funny when I was impersonating her by waving my hands in the air. Joe captured the moment perfectly.

Just because it's cute...here is Mia eating on the airplane.

Caricature

2011-08-15T07:55:00.000-06:00

At the opening weekend of Ikea, we got this caricature done. Just a little something to put a smile on your face on a Monday morning. : )

Mischievous Mia

2011-08-12T14:53:00.000-06:00

I am loving this stage of discovery and exploration. It is so fun to watch Mia learn as she explores our house. I just wish I could freeze time!

AZ

2011-08-10T11:06:00.000-06:00

On Friday, we went to Arizona for Joe's grandma's funeral. Gram (as she was known by her grandkids) was an amazing woman. It was so good to spend time with Joe's family and hear stories about her life and share memories over the weekend. Thanks to technology, Mia was able to meet her Great Gram on Skype on a few different occasions. Her funeral was on Monday. It was a beautiful service and we were so happy to have the opportunity to attend.

When we were in AZ, we were able to go visit my Aunt Jackie and Cousins, Aliya and Amani.

Mia loves doggies (as she calls them)

Jackie, Amani, Me (holding Mia) and Aliya

When we were in AZ, we stayed with Joe's Aunt Renee and Uncle Gary. Mia loved all of the attention and especially loved the two little doggies. She never got tired chasing them around the house.

Mia, modeling her first pair of shoes.

Mia with her Great Aunt Tess and the doggies

Grandpa, Renee and Tess

Making memory boards

Daddy and Mia

I love swimming!

Mommy and Mia

We totally lucked out on the airplane and had an open seat next to us. Mia did so awesome sitting in her own seat!

Family Lunch

2011-07-29T09:26:00.004-06:00

Last weekend, we drove to Eagle, CO (in the mountains) to have lunch with a handful of people from Joe's family. Joe's second cousin, Shanah, her husband, Craig and their sweet, 3 year-old twin boys live in Eagle and invited us over for lunch. It was a beautiful drive and we had a great time visiting and catching up.

(Left to right)...Mike (Joe's brother who is living with us), Gary and Renee (Joe's Aunt and Uncle), Megan (Joe's cousin), Judy and Jim (Joe's Godparents), Shanah holding Keifer (Kole was too busy swimming to stop for a picture), Mia and I, Kenny (Joe's 2nd cousin), Craig (Shanah's husband) and Joe. Sorry if I misspelled someones name or gave someone the wrong title, I did this without Joe's help.

How fun is this blow-up water slide?! Mia really wanted to go swimming, so we let her go at it in her clothes since we didn't have her swimsuit.

Mia had a lot of fun watching the busy boys running and splashing.

Baby Bennett

2011-07-28T09:40:00.002-06:00

I miss baby snuggles. I used to LOVE when Mia fell asleep on my chest like Bennett did a few days ago. Bennett is about 2 weeks old and is the son of our good friends, Mason and Laura. We are so happy for them and can't wait to watch Bennett grow and become friends with Mia.

Isn't he the cutest??

9 Months

2011-07-25T08:47:00.008-06:00

Mia turned 9 months old on Friday. I have been having so much fun staying at home with her. Mia crawled for the first time on July 2 and has been a busy little girl ever since. She loves exploring the house to see what she can discover. She has already ripped off two door stops and 1 knob from one of our kitchen drawers. Even though Mia is busy, she can play alone for a long time, which makes my job as a mommy a lot easier. She loves to play with her toys and her current favorite are her balls. She will sit and roll and throw a ball back and forth...it's the cutest thing.

9 months stats

Weight: 16.8 lbs

Height: 2 ft 4 in.

Diapers: size 2 or 3

Food: Breast milk, Organic Jarred baby food (she likes it all)

Solid foods she has tried: puffs, cheerios, pasta, bread, pancakes, waffles, bananas, avocado, watermelon and fish

Words she says: daddy, mom

She really tries to say (and i think she's said): thank you, baby, ball, night night, hi and all done

Mia can... clap, wave hi and bye, roll and throw a ball, crawl, stand holding onto something

Adjectives to describe Mia: Happy, giggly, smiley, feisty, independent and smart

My very talented hubby took Mia's 9 month pictures. He was able to capture every essence of her personality in one photo shoot.

Mia actually threw the yellow ball!

Mia did NOT want to take any pictures on the slide. Oh yes...did I mention that she has temper tantrums! : )

Pictures

2011-07-20T18:58:00.006-06:00

Family

2011-07-16T15:10:00.005-06:00

We had our family pictures taken a few weeks ago. All of the proceeds from the photo session went to Royal Family Kids Camp, which is a camp for kids in the Foster Care System. We got to record some family memories while giving to a great organization. Here are some of my favorites...

My normally, very happy baby decided to be Ms. Serious for all of these shots. What a stinker!

Love this picture of Mia and Joe...priceless.

Total outtake but this picture makes me smile.

More Visitors

2011-07-11T18:44:00.009-06:00

On Thursday, my Grandma and second cousin, Jamie, came to visit for Jamie's Grandma's funeral and of course to see baby Mia and spend time together. We spent a lot of time relaxing and talking which was well needed for all of us. (Don't mind the squinty eyes...it was super bright outside.)

Me, Mia and Jamie

Mia and Great Grandma

Four generations minus my mom.

Great Grandma reading to Mia.

Joe's friend and old roommate, Nick, also came to visit last weekend. It was great to catch up and he and Joe had a great time together.

Joe and Nick all ready to go White Water Rafting (this picture makes me laugh so hard!)

Nick and Joe at Red Rocks. Apparently, they took turns trying to test their strength by carrying each other up the steps. I'm just glad they made in home in one piece!

4th of July

2011-07-08T13:21:00.006-06:00

On July 3rd, we went to a concert and firework show in a park downtown with our young marrieds group. It was so nice to be baby free and enjoy the beautiful evening with our friends.

Hillary, Laura and I. (Hillary and Laura are due to have their babies any day now.)

Friends,

fireworks,

lights,

and music...what a perfect night!

On the 4th of July, Joe, Mia and I went to the Rocky Mountain National Park to enjoy the beautiful state we live in.

We saw lots and lots of elk.

I can't believe this is just an hour from our house.

The most amazing spotting of the day...big horn sheep on the side of the road.

Mia and I at the top of the mountain.

Us.

Family Visit 2011

2011-07-07T14:23:00.001-06:00

Here are some more pictures from my family's visit last week...

Mia in her new pool.

Swimming.

We all (except Joe) went to Elitch Gardens when my family was here. Mia hung out with Grandpa Nick most of the time while the rest of us went on rides.

Mia with her Uncles.

My Mom, Nick, Cody and Colton went to the Rocky Mountain National Park while they were visiting. Mia and I didn't tagalong since I wasn't feeling well.

Joe creating a Diet Coke and Mentos Geyser! Fun times.

Pikes Peak International Hill Climb

2011-07-04T20:24:00.004-06:00

Joe, Mike (Joe's brother), Nick (my step-dad) Cody and Colton (my brothers) all went to the Pikes Peak International Hill Climb while my family was in town. They had a lot of fun watching all types of vehicles race to the top of Pikes Peak, which is a little over 14,000 feet high. They got to witness the fastest car that broke a record and saw a few scary accidents. All on all, they had a really fun time and I think this is something that Joe will want to attend every year going forward.

This is the car that beat the old record.

Nick, Colton and Cody

Cody, Colton and Mike watching the 4-wheelers race to the top.

That is some serious lean.

Ouch. This man did survive but took a serious fall.

The guys.

Summer 2011 Family Visit

2011-06-25T21:34:00.004-06:00

Yesterday my Mom, Nick, Cody and Colton arrived for their annual Colorado visit (I least I hope it continues to happen annually). : ) Here are some photos from yesterday and today. We just relaxed today since the boys are heading up to Pikes Peak tomorrow to watch cars race to the top of the mountain.

Joe made milkshakes after dinner.

Mia and Grandma at the pool.

Daddy and Mia warming up after some swimming.

Mia with her Uncles.

Uncle Cody feeding Mia.

The boys being boys.

Last day of daycare

2011-06-22T20:31:00.006-06:00

Today was Mia's last day of daycare at Bright Horizon Montessori. I'm not going to lie, I was a little emotional saying goodbye. The daycare has been such a positive experience for Mia and myself. Her teachers were very knowledgable and able to answer all of my questions. They did an awesome job taking care of my little girl for the last 6 months! Mia is quite social and I know she will miss all of her little friends, but luckily I have a lot of friends with babies so there will be a lot of play-dates in the future.

Mia and her little friend.

Mia's friends.

Ms. Maggie feeding Mia

Ms. Katie changing Mia's diaper.

Sitting at the table.

Ms. Katie

Ms. Jaime

Happy Father's Day

2011-06-19T21:40:00.002-06:00

We had a nice father's day today spending time together as a family of 3. Mia is very lucky to have such an amazing daddy. Even though Mia can't say it herself, I know that she absolutely adores her daddy. It is quite evident in the way she lights up and smiles uncontrollably every time he enters the room.

Last Day of Kindergarten

2011-06-18T08:01:00.004-06:00

Tuesday was the last day of school and of course I read, Miss Bindergarten Celebrates the Last Day of Kindergarten. I didn't cry but had a hard time fighting back the tears when one of the little boys in the class handed me a piece of paper that read...

Mrs. Jones,

Don't forget about me.

Love, Zane

This year's goodbye was definitely different since I couldn't say the usual, "see you in the fall" or "come visit me when you're a first grader". Parents got out of their cars at carpool and gave me hugs and well wishes. Even though I'm leaving the most amazing school (Mia is already on the wait-list), the sweetest kids (this is the school where elementary and middle school boys hold the door for adults) and the most fabulous co-workers, I still feel peace about my decision, which is more than I could ask for.

Thursday was my last day of work. My classroom was packed up, my keys turned in...Goodbye Kindergarten.

Change in Plans

2011-06-06T20:31:00.004-06:00

Hmmm...where do I start. Well, about a couple of months ago I started having some conflicting thoughts with being a working mom vs. stay-at-home mom. My negative thoughts towards working started a couple of months ago because Mia was (and still is) going to bed around 6:30pm. With her early bedtime, I was hardly getting anytime with her. I didn't want to push her bedtime back since we were already waking her in the morning when we had to leave for work. As most of you know, I LOVE my job so I knew I couldn't just make the decision to quit. This decision was too big for me or Joe to make. I needed to listen to what God wanted me to do. So, I started praying. I prayed that it would be clear if I should work or stay home next year. It wasn't soon after I started praying that Joe's boss left the company. It then occurred to me that this could be my answer. I told God that if Joe got the promotion, I would stay home and if he didn't, I would work. This might seem silly to some of you but it made sense to me. Even after committing to this decision, I had more fear about staying home rather than working. My good friend, Robyn, sent me this scripture from Philippians 4:

Don't fret or worry. Instead of worrying, pray. Let petitions and praise shape your worries into prayers, letting God know your concerns. Before you know it, a sense of God's wholeness, everything coming together for good, will come and settle you down. It's wonderful what happens when God displaces worry at the center of your life.

We found out last week, that Joe got the promotion. The promotion that is almost exactly the income that I bring in every month (after paying for daycare). Wow...God it good! On Thursday, I broke my teaching contract for next year. I'm still nervous for my new job as a stay-at-home mom to start but so excited and feel total peace with this upcoming season of life. Someday, I will return to the classroom and hopefully get to teach kindergarten again. Until then, I will be teaching my one, very important, little baby girl.

Happy Birthday to Me!

2011-05-31T20:48:00.004-06:00

Joe and I took the day off today to go to Elitch Gardens Amusement Park. I didn't want/need any gifts this year but craved some good, quality time with my hubby. We had a fun time but I don't think Joe does too well with amusement parks. The reason I make this conclusion is because he has been sleeping/napping/passed out (whatever you want to call it) since we got home at 6:00 (its now 9:00). I knew Joe got me something at Cold Stone since there was a GIANT Cold Stone bag in the freezer so I decided to help myself to my birthday cake since Joe is unconscious(not really, I made sure he is breathing).

My family on the morning of my birthday.

My very yummy, super fatty, cookie dough birthday cake.

Me with my cake. Yes, I took the picture myself and yes, the cake almost fell over.

Big Girl

2011-05-30T15:25:00.005-06:00

I love taking baths with Mia in our big bathtub but haven't in forever because life is too busy! Since we had a nice, long weekend, Mia and I took a bath together Saturday night and it was so much fun! She can sit all by herself in the tub and only fell over once (she was laughing so hard and lost control) but luckily recovered quickly. I love these special moments with my little girl, especially now that she is starting to enjoy them too.

Daddy captured some good "teeth pictures". Her two bottom teeth are poking through. No more gummy smiles for this little lady!

Mia loves playing with her stuffed fish! Just for the record...Mia isn't bald! She has very light blonde hair.

Busy

2011-05-28T11:30:00.003-06:00

I've been a bad blogger lately! Life has been busy with the end of the school year quickly approaching and Joe applying to Grad School as well as interviewing for a promotion at work. I am looking forward to the summer with Mia and excited to have some time to get caught up!

Over the last few weeks, Mia's two bottom teeth came in. She looks sooo cute! I'll post pictures soon. Today we have painters here painting our bedroom and formal dining room. We are going to get a new bedroom set and finally have another completed room in our house. I'm excited for our bedroom to feel cozy. My birthday is on Tuesday and Joe and I both took the day off from work to go to Elitch Gardens; I am beyond excited!!

I'll post more soon...I promise!

Matching Vests

2011-05-15T20:01:00.001-06:00

Mother's Day 2011

2011-05-08T19:29:00.004-06:00

I woke to the most beautiful orchid and presents this morning...

Mia painted this flower at school. I think her teachers did the rest. : )

A cookie cake. Yum yum!

Me and my baby girl.

Pizza and Movie Night

2011-05-08T19:03:00.006-06:00

We had a pizza and movie night with our young marrieds group on Saturday. Joe and I bought crust and sauce and all of our friends brought toppings. It was a full on pizza making party-so fun! Everyone sampled a little of the pizzas that they thought looked the most appetizing. Mason was the pizza judge and ranked the pizzas on a scale from 1-5.

Pizza making in full force.

Notice that Mia is in the Baby Bjorn. She is so social and loves having people over.

A finished pizza.

Joe and Mason

Here is Mason giving the awards for the best and worst pizzas. The Jones pizza was somewhere in the middle.

31 Days to Clean

2011-05-04T19:04:00.003-06:00

I came across this book (see the tab on the right) and am excited to read through it. Anyone interested in taking the challenge with me? I really want to learn to be a little more domestic. I feel like it's really easy for me to say, "I'm a busy working mom of a 6 month old and I don't have time to clean everyday." The reality is, I have time to blog, check my email, check other people's blogs, watch American Idol, etc...

Overall, I'm hoping this book helps me feel more successful as a mom but more importantly, as a wife.

6 months

2011-05-02T19:20:00.007-06:00

Mia turned 6 months on April 22 but we had her 6 month doctor appointment today.

Mia Kathleen

Weight: 14lbs 15.7 oz ( 24th %)

Height: 2' 3.5'' (94th %)

Head circumference: 17.52'' (92nd %)

Clothing: 6-9 months

Diapers: Size 2

Food: Breast milk and rice cereal

Developmentally, Mia is doing great. The only area to watch is her verbal skills. She makes a lot of noise but isn't saying consonant sounds yet (ex: ba, ma, da, etc..). We are working on these sounds so I'm sure she will master them soon. Mia's ears are looking better but still not 100% healed. We have another appointment in a month to monitor how they are doing and also to check on her head circumference. Our Pediatrician wants to keep an eye on Mia's head circumference since it has grown quite a bit since her last appointment.

Mia's has learned so many new things in the past few months. It is so fun to watch her grow.

Her favorite toy is her stuffed fish and fish bowl.
She can sit up all by herself.
She loves peek a boo.
She has discovered her toes and loves to suck on them.
She loves to give and receive kisses.
She likes to go on walks and runs in her jogger stroller.
She thinks her daddy is so funny and needs to be able to see her mommy at all times.
She sleeps worse now than when she was 3 months old. ( I blame the ear infections.)
She has had 3 ear infections in 2 months.
She loves to laugh, yell, squeal and smile at anyone who is willing to watch.

Mia's Great Aunt Renee and Great Uncle Gary came over last weekend to visit since they were visiting Colorado from Arizona. Once Mia got over the fact that her mommy isn't the only person that can hold her, she had a lot of fun!

Renee found the perfect position and Mia was so relaxed that she eventually fell asleep.

Blessed

2011-04-22T19:18:00.004-06:00

Check out this adorable outfit that Mia got from her Great Aunt Jane and Great Cousin Sara. I love everything about this outfit! Also, Mia is 6 months old today and has another ear infection. Please keep her in your prayers because this is Mia's 3rd ear infection in 2 months. I'll have an official 6 month post soon. In the meantime, here is a sneak peak at how big our little girl is getting. She loves to stand and play with her activity table and she is sitting on her own now!

Package from Grandma

2011-04-14T20:48:00.010-06:00

Grandma, Grandpa, Uncle Cody and Uncle Colton,

Thank you for the Easter basket! I really like chewing on all my new toys. My daddy especially liked the outfit with fish all of it! Oh yeah...mommy already ate the whole Reeses Bunny.

Love, Mia

In our Easter package, my mom included a CD with some more Vegas pictures.

Sleep Training

2011-04-09T11:13:00.003-06:00

Being a parent hasn't been too difficult up until now. We made sure that Mia had a dry diaper, a full tummy and plenty of rest and we were good to go. Now that Mia is approaching 6 months old, she is getting smarter and smarter and we now realize that we need to break some bad habits that we've started. (Bad habits including: nursing/rocking Mia to sleep and nursing Mia every time she wakes in the night no matter how long it has been since her last feeding.) I am proud of the fact that we have been fairly strict with being sure that she goes to sleep around the same time every night and once it's bedtime, she doesn't leave her nursery until morning. In the past few months, Mia's sleep habits have been getting worse and worse. She slept better at 3 months then she does now. Since, I am about to lose my mind due to lack of sleep, Joe and I decided that we need to fix the problem before it gets any worse.

We started sleep training this weekend. Friday night was rough and Joe and I had a hard time listening to our baby cry. We decided to follow the Ferber method which means we did our bedtime routine and put Mia to bed sleepy but not asleep. After 5 minutes of crying, we could go into her room and tell her we love her and comfort her for about 30 seconds without picking her up, then we went in her room 10 min later, 15 min later and thank goodness she fell asleep after the third time checking on her. 30 minutes of total crying. : ( Saturday night was a little better, she fell asleep after about 15 minutes and tonight she fell asleep within minutes!! I am excited that the training is working and the crying was for a good reason. Now, I hope she continues to get up less and less in the middle of the night. We were not a fan of letting Mia, "cry it out" before now since we felt she was too young but I feel really good about the decision we made so everyone can get better sleep and Joe and I can feel like we are running the house instead of our 6 month old. ; )

Happy Sleeping,

Kellie

Mia enjoying some rice cereal.

Las Vegas 2011

2011-04-04T19:46:00.009-06:00

Joe won COE (Circle of Excellence) for Qwest again this year. This years destination was Vegas so we had a mini family vacation. My mom met us in Vegas so we would have a sitter while we went to different Qwest activities. It was great to get away and spend time with my mom.

All ready for dinner with Joe's coworkers. Mia came along to meet everyone (my mom didn't get in until late that night).

Daddy and Mia cuddling and giggling.

3 generations

Grandma and Mia

Joe and I got to see Cirque Du Soleil (our first baby-free date night in 5 1/2 months). We've been going on dates but we bring Mia along. The show was a lot of fun and a must see for Elvis fans.

We had the best view from our hotel (see above).

My mom, Mia and I spent a lot of time walking the strip, touring the different hotels.

Waiting to watch the water show in front of the Bellagio.

Our hotel is in the middle of the other two hotels.

All dressed up for the awards dinner.

Joe getting his award. I'm so proud of my hubby for being such a hard worker and so successful!

COE winners and their guests from Joe's team.

One last picture at the airport.