Look What Josh Can Do!

Baby Josh is almost mobile. He can scoot himself backwards, and just today he started propelling himself forward in tiny bursts after getting on his hands and knees and rocking back and forth. The only problem is, he can't really control where he is going yet. So sometimes he gets himself into tight places. For example, the other day he backed himself into the space between our entertainment center and our DVD cabinet. And he turned and kept right on going- pushing his legs under the entertainment center.

Don't worry- his head isn't squished. He is just gnawing on the edge of the DVD cabinet. He does that sometimes. Just like a puppy dog. He also chews on shoes. And Steve's nose. (or whatever is near his mouth.)

And, when there isn't anything around him to chew or suck on, he satisfies himself with his own appendages- arms, fingers, and, our favorite, toes. Who needs a pacifier?!

Splish Splash!

So, we realized that we don't have any pictures of how cute Josh is during bathtime. He didn't really enjoy baths at first, but he has grown to like them. See?

Don't worry. We did some creative covering up with his washcloth to make this a G-rated photo.

How can you not be excited to wear a bathrobe with little bear ears on the hood?

He certainly is!

Go Badgers!

Steve and I took Josh to his first Badger football game today here in Ephraim. He did pretty good at first- it was surprisingly warm, and hard to keep him out of the sun. We put some sunscreen on, and he had his trusty hat, so it wasn't too bad. Josh doesn't seem to like football very much- or maybe he would like it better if it was at night so the sun wasn't in his eyes! Anyway, here are some pictures from the day.



Steve and Josh at the beginning of the game.



Something tells me he isn't too into football!



Kristen and Josh- look, he is almost smiling!



Josh and Buster the Badger- I'm impressed he wasn't scared of Buster!


Josh ended up going home a few minutes before the end of the fourth quarter. Too much excitement I guess. Steve took him home so I could stay and watch the game with my parents. The Badgers won! Go Badgers!

And the big news is...

No, we're not pregnant. Not even close! Shame on you for even thinking that!
No--the big news, is that I am officially a breadwinner! And it really came out of nowhere!

My cooperating teacher got a call on Thursday from the Superintendant of the school district asking when I was available to "chat." I told her to tell him anytime during 1st of 7th periods, so much to my amazement, he met me in the copy room on friday morning and told me to meet with him in the principal's office. Ok--meeting with the superintendant in the principal's office? Yikes. He told me, "Usually when we meet with teachers in this situation it's usually a good or bad thing. But in your case, it's a good thing."

He then proceeded to tell me that a teacher at the middle school in Ephraim had just put in her two week's notice, and they were looking for someone to take her position. He told me that he had a lengthy discussion with my cooperating teacher to find out if I was ready or not, and she confirmed that I was. That's when he offered me the position to start on the 29th of this month!

I called up the office at Utah State to make sure that this move would be ok since it's in the middle of my student teaching, and it looks like everything is ready to go. I'll finish up this week at Manti High and then observe a week at the middle school next week before taking the class. I guess being in the right place at the right time really helps out when an opportunity like this arises.

So...a real job. None of this part-time business anymore. It's time to grow up and take that step with a real career. I'm officially a breadwinner, and I couldn't be more nervous! Here's hoping!

Where were you when the world stopped turning?

Today I decided to take a break from my usual light-hearted posts and get serious. Since it is the 7th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks, I thought I would reminisce a little about what I was doing that day.
I remember I had recently gotten into the habit of watching the news in the mornings while getting ready for school. I turned on the TV just in time to hear that a plane had just crashed into one of the Twin Towers. It was insane to just watch the smoke billowing out of the building. I watched as the second plane flew into the other building, and when that happened I ran upstairs to get my parents and have them come see what was happening. I just sat there, dumbfounded, and watched the report.
When I left for school, I felt sick. I wasn't alone. The usually noisy halls were almost empty as everyone was crowding into classrooms to watch the continuous news coverage. I was in seminary when the towers fell. I remember thinking that the world would never be the same. I remember being very scared. Scared for friends and family in the military who might be involved in the aftermath of 9/11. Scared for the future of our country and the possibility of future attacks. Scared that I would never get the image out of my mind of that second plane crashing through the building.
Then the reports started coming about the Pentagon. When will it end? How many more hijacked planes are in the sky?
My favorite (I don't know if that is an appropriate word...) story associated with 9/11 is the story of United 93- everyday people who took a stand to save lives even though it meant losing their own. That is bravery. I sincerely hope that story never stops being told.
I remember my senior year of high school in show choir- the year after the attacks- we sang the Alan Jackson song "Where Were You when the World Stopped Turning?" Even though the immediate fear and anxiety from that day has subsided, I hope I never forget where I was that day.

Pass the Peas, Please!

Josh had his first tast of solid food today! We bought him a whole bunch of baby food vegetables because the doctor told us that if we start with fruits, he will never want to eat vegetables. He didn't scream and pitch a fit like we thought he would, but he did have a few interesting faces!

We thought a green spoon would be appropriate...
Hmmm...He doesn't know what to think...
And, yes. Just like his daddy, he can raise one eyebrow!

Like father like son

So, everybody tells us that Josh looks exactly like me. Except for the nose, which is definitely Kristen's. Josh learned how to make some funny faces, so while he was doing one where he puffs out his cheeks and sticks his top lip over his bottom, I did the same and...yep. He looks just like me.

Make 'em Laugh! A Video

We got Josh laughing last night. Here is a video. Enjoy!



My favorite is the end, when apparently it stops being funny.

Doctor visit

Josh had his 4-month doctor visit today. He is officially 16 lbs, 26 inches long, and is in the 70th percentile for his height and weight. What a big boy! But he had to get shots today at his appointment. I felt bad because I couldn't be there and Kristen had to hold him all by herself. Today was my first day of real teaching, so I couldn't really get it off...But she did a good job and even though he cried, he fell asleep a little bit later and he's ok now.

This is Josh on the doctor's table. The doctor was so impressed at how strong he is! At least Josh had his elephant friend to keep him company through it all.

Weller Family Pictures

We have Weller family pictures! Hooray! We went up to West Jordan a couple of weeks ago so the family could get together and get updated pictures now that there has been three additions since our most current one was taken. We had them taken on a nicely decorated and landscaped roundabout in South Jordan in one of their new business districts off of 106th s and 7th w. Check them out!

This is my brother BJ and his family: his wife Becky, with Kaden (8), Kyla (6), and Sam (3).

These are my parents--great, lovable people, and if you've ever met them, you'll know I'm telling the truth.
What a great looking family! This is me, lovely Kristen, and little baby Josh.
This is our whole family, but our inexperienced photographer didn't really realize that putting BJ's family up so far made them look so small!
Another great Weller family portrait.

These are all of the grandchildren. From top-bottom we have Jonathan, Sam, Kyla, Kaden, AJ, Emma, Josh, Jacob, and Sarah.
This is my oldest brother Dave and his family: His two daughters are AJ (5) and Emma (1) and his wife is Dani.
This is my sister Kelli and her family: Kevin is her husband, with Sarah (4), Jonathan (3), and Jacob (6 mos.).

It was a quick trip, but well worth the photos!