funny story

A funny thing happened today, I was getting a letter ready to send that was full of cash, no message needed. Christen told me that I should put a "cute little note in it." After I finished the note, I asked Christen for a "cute little stamp." It was at this point that Christen got really excited and said yes. Moments later she brings me all of her stamps (the ink kind, thanks to Patience) and I laughed. After she brought me a stamp (the postage kind) I continued to laugh. Why would I want to stamp a note? I still don't understand, but I'm still laughing.

Now for an obligatory picture of the baby...

Yup that's her first impression of rice cereal.

5 months

Mara has unbelievably already mastered the ancient art of bed head.

Well, five months have passed since Mara was born and she is still continuing to amaze us every day. She has started to figure out how to sit up on her own and if she can pick it up then it's headed into her mouth. We are learning more and more every day, it has been an amazing five months. Here are a few select pictures from the past few weeks.

Sitting up makes playing with toys much more fun, although it also might include nosediving...

Reading with Mommy.

Mara isn't exactly conducive to reading, she just wants to play.

5 months old and loving life!

4 Months

Yesterday was Mara's 4 month anniversary! Hoooray!

Length: 24.6 inches (65.4th percentile)
Weight: 12 lbs 15 oz (35.8th percentile)

Head Circ: 16.25 inches (60.9th percentile)

I can't believe how fast time flies! I'm trying not to let it slip past me unnoticed.

I love that it looks like she's a model doing that, "gaze into the distance and look serious" thing, haha!

Mara is starting to hold things now, and she loves the rattle her Daddy made!

I absolutely love KSL! Almost everything in Mara's nursery is from KSL. The wardrobe, glider, crib, and cabinet are "deals" from KSL. The crib was a great deal- if I do say so myself! $40 for a crib (in great condition), mattress, and bedding!!

She sleeps in the crib during the day, but she's still sleeping in the cradle at night.

We love her and are so so glad to have her shining face in our house- the excitement is nonstop!

My Bank

Yesterday we had to run to the bank (we sold a crib on KSL, and we got paid by check- go figure! Just another errand to run), and we went to the one on 9th East. As we pulled into the drive thru, I was telling Ian that this was my bank.

When we were spreading word that we were preggo, I mentioned it to my "friends" as I deposited my paycheck. When we found out we were having a girl, we celebrated as Ian and I made another deposit. Last week when I deposited some plasma money, the girl at the bank counter said, "ooh! You had your baby!!! How old is she now?!"

So yesterday, when we pulled into the drive thru and Ian knew the bank teller (they had a class together) it was no suprise. He asked, "what can I do for you today" and Ian responded with a classic, "give me all your money." We all had a good laugh and made our deposit. After a casual conversation, we got our receipt and pulled away. I looked at it and laughed hysterically.

I love my bank!!

The new dresser/cabinet

I found a great deal on a cabinet today on KSL.

We were on our way there when we had the following conversation....

Ian: Oh, wait! We have to go back to the house, I forgot to grab some cash.

Christen: Don't worry about it hun, I've got the checkbook.

Ian: No one wants to be paid by check. Its like, "here you go, here's an errand to run!"

So...we went back and got the cash.

My husband is so funny- I knew I married him for a good reason :)

Babies are Bipolar

We were talking the night we left Alaska about how funny Mara is and how quickly her moods change. That's when Nick said it- "Babies are bipolar." Such a simple statement, but such a GOOD explanation of a baby's behavior.

When we got home, Mara started with a sniffle. Then it warped into something truly ugly. Coughing, choking, sneezing, sniffling, screaming and crying. Her poor little eyes made my insides hurt. Anyhow, enough with the tragic description. Every one of you mothers I'm sure can remember the first time your first child got a cold. I know, I'm just too tenderhearted, but I jumped for joy when I found out that I didn't have to use the nose sniffer, and Mara is pretty happy about that too. (Thanks Patience!!) Luckily, she's already on the way back to happy and healthy.

Alaska was a lot of fun- we had most of both families there!! Sadly, we were missing two siblings (and their families) on the Pierce side, but we had more than enough people to keep us busy. Hopefully no one felt too neglected- we really tried to make time for everyone, and I think we did a pretty good job, even if I do say so myself. Here is a smattering of pictures, mostly from the baby blessing. Enjoy!!

Mara had a ton of fun sleeping in the suitcase at Grandma Jane's house. I think Grandma Pierce is right, she looks like a China doll when she's sleeping!

It was so much fun to be all together for the first time since 2004. It was pretty neat to have the 4 generations together too. Its crazy to think of my parents as Grandparents!!!

The Bohman house was nonstop fun and games (literally). Naturally, as the one and only grandchild as of now, Mara was the center of attention.

Life with the Pierce's was pretty awesome too! Lots of silliness, fun and excitement!! The Grandparent's Pierce are old hat at this "grand baby" thing. Mara had a ball "talking" to them, being snuggled, and thoroughly spoiled!



There were plenty of "branches" of the Pierce family represented. The way I see it, the more the merrier! And believe me, we had a blast!

Mara had so much fun meeting her family and seeing the people who love her. She's pretty small, so she slept a lot, but while she was awake, she had a ball. Trust me, she misses you all already!

A Quick Photographic Update (with a suprise at the end!)

So, we have had a lot of things going on for the past few weeks and we're sorry we haven't posted for a while. With Thanksgiving in Montana, Mara's two month check-up, Christen's birthday, the end of the semester, and the excitement of the trip to Alaska; we have been busy.

Here is a quick photographic overview.

Thanksgiving was awesome: with the Grandparents, 14 Aunts and Uncles, a ton of cousins, and one baby, 44 people were in attendance and there was never a dull moment.

Man, that was a lot of turkey!

Grandma and Grandpa Robbins had a great time meeting their first great grand-baby. Grandpa is blind, so it was really fun to watch him "see" her, and after 9 children and quite a few foster children, Grandma seemed right at home!

Aunt Holly is definitely one of my favorites, with a personality as wild as her red hair. She loved the baby burrito!

On November 27th, Mara was two months old.
11.6 lbs (70 %)
22.7 inches (61 %)

Mara and Daddy catching up on sleep together.

Last Friday (at almost 11 weeks old) Mara took her first spectacular roll! I was the only one there, and I'm sure Ian doubted me for a minute, but he saw it the next day. I wanted to catch it on camera, but at the risk of sounding like a giddy mother, I opted for this still frame.

My 25th birthday was on Sunday, and Ian made me a rolling pin and a shelf in the bathroom (which I've been wanting- on both accounts), checked out an AMAZING Christmas lights display, got me a beautiful flower, and gourmet chocolates. Yum!

Mara is a happy little girl- sometimes I just call her "Miss smiley."

For those of you that we will be seeing soon, here is a bit of a teaser showing what is to come (forgive my giddiness; I love her reaction!)... For those of you that we won't be seeing this Christmas holiday, Merry Christmas!