Chew Time

Rylan is at the age where he wants his hands on everything in sight. And man oh man is he quick! I was holding him on my lap in church the other day and as I reached for the program he grabbed it out of my hands quicker than I could react. And what does he do with it once he's got his death grip on the object? It's in his mouth in no time flat! No wonder kids are always sick. I set Rylan down on the living room floor and left him for literally two minutes. When I came back he had rolled across the room and had Matt's dirty shoe in his mouth. Nasty! Some of his favorite things to chew on: His own hands and feet, socks, paper, wet washcloth from bath time and feeding spoons. Do you notice a trend? None of these objects are actually intended to chew on. Who would have thought Rylan would rather chew on a sock than an actual chew toy. Whatever makes him happy is fine by me (as long as its not a shoe).

Mr. Handy Man

I was pretty lucky to grow up with a dad who could literally do anything when it came to home projects. He was Mr. Handy Man. So when I sought out for a husband, being "handy" was a must. Well, I did it! Matt can do it all. Plumbing, electrical, tiling, woodwork, framing, landscaping, etc. You name it and he does it. The other day we had a big plumbing leak and "BAM!" a couple hours later it's fixed. Clogged tub drain? No problem. Custom judges paneling? Easy. I should probably learn how to do that sort of stuff myself but I think I'll stick to painting for now. I'm one lucky girl. Thanks Matt for being the best (and best looking:)) Mr. Handy Man I know!

So I know that I said we were done with the home projects, but I lied. Matt is going to convert our 100 square foot covered patio into an open office. The office will pretty much be an extension of our living room. This will free up our current office and give us a third bedroom. I can't wait to get my hands on our third bedroom to do a little makeover.

Before: from the outside

Before: From the Inside

Daddy's Little Helper

Belly Laughs

One of the sweetest sounds in the world is that of a laughing baby. I love the fact that nearly any grown adult can turn into a total goofball when they get in front of a baby, making the silliest sounds and faces just to get a smile or giggle in return. I could probably spend hours upon hours just watching a baby laugh or, even better, making a baby laugh. It never gets old. The deep belly laughs are my favorite. Here's a video of Matt getting some good belly laughs out of Rylan during a little game of "peek a boo".

The Jorgensens are Back in Town

Matt's little sister McKayla got married last week and it brought Jorgensens in from all around the country. Family flew from DC, Utah, and California to show their support. It was really great to have everyone (well almost everyone) together again and introduce Rylan to his great grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins for the first time. There were a few moments of choas, like when half of the family was hit hard by a nasty stomach virus, but other than that it was a nice little family reunion. Here are a few photos from the wedding and a professional photo session we had done with the kiddos.

Newlyweds, Robert & McKayla Rose

Four Generations (Grandpa, Great Grandpa, Matt & Rylan)

Cousin #1 & #4 (Dayna & Rylan)

Cousins (Dayna, Ben, Ava, & Rylan)

Family Photo

Busy Bees

I have a feeling that this is just the beginning of a very busy life. Between work, baby, Young Women and Scout callings, and various other activities there isn't much time for anything else. But I honestly wouldn't want to change a thing. Some events since the last post:

• I finally saw my Aunt Linda and her family after 15 years! She drove to San Antonio over the long New Year's weekend just to visit us. Matt, Mark, and Shawn golfed while Linda, Sierra, and I shopped and spent an entire afternoon making Oma's authentic Indonesian food. Yummy!
• Rylan had his 4 month check up. He's 16.1 lbs and 26 inches. That's 75% in weight and 90% in height. What a big boy!
• Rylan started eating solids. We began him on rice cereal a couple times a week and gave him sweet potatoes for the first time the other day with no problems. As you can tell by his pictures, he's a great eater! Rylan is also sitting up very well on his own, gives deep belly laughs, sleeps through the night, and "blows raspberries". He gets more and more fun every day.
• Matt is renovating 5 houses and managing 3 apartment complexes right now. This is the most work he's had at one time and it's definitely keeping him busy. I'm so proud of him and how hard he works for our family.
• Work for me has been crazy busy to say the least. Labatt recently purchased a food distribution company in New Mexico and the acquisition has brought lots of additional work. It's good though. I don't mind a little bit of stress to keep me on my toes and staying productive.

Happy Holidays

This is my absolute favorite time of year. I love everything about it, from the gathering of family and friends, to the delicious holiday treats, scents of cinnamon and winter greenery, twinkling Christmas lights, and the sound of beautiful Christmas music that reminds us of why we celebrate the season. The holidays were extra special this year because of our little man, Rylan. Although he doesn't understand Christmas and all its meaning yet, its still exciting to pretend like he can tell the difference between Christmas Day and any other day. We enjoyed every moment of this holiday season and can't wait for all the wonderful Christmas's to come with our growing family.

Rylan's New Friend

Well, the first week of daycare was a success! Our good friend Camille is watching Rylan and it's nice to know that he is in good hands while we are gone during the day. Camille's daughter, Lily, is such a little sweetheart. Her and Rylan have become good friends and love to laugh and play together.