Tag: Milestones

Abigail’s 1st Disneyland Trip

Leave a comment

So on Sunday February 1st, Shaun and I celebrated Abigail’s 4 month birthday! We decided to take a little trip to Disneyland since we hadn’t been in a long time and we are annual passport holders! The trip was fantastic. Abigail seemed to really enjoy herself, as much as a 4 month old can. She seemed completely engrossed in all of the sights and sounds. Mary Poppins and Burt even caught her attention and made her giggle. She is getting so big and doing so much… I cant wait until she is old enough to go and really appreciate everything! It was sooo much fun!

Abigail’s first trip to Disneyland! February 1st, 2009

Abigail has her binky, her puppy and her blankey… shes good to go!
Jocelyn is very happy and excited to be at Disneyland and sharing such a special place with her little girl!

Mommy and Abigail

You just have to love that face! Such a happy little girl! This one reminds me of a picture of my mom and me when I was this age.

Sleepy girl with her cozy blanket… too precious!
Mom and Abby in front of Sleeping Beauty’s Castle.
Abigail and mommy stop for a food break… Yummy!
Daddy and Abigail snuggle for a while before continuing on with our day at Disneyland.

Growing Even Faster!!!

Leave a comment

So on Friday January 9th, Abigail went in for her 3 month check up. Once again Dr. Calig gave her a clean bill of health and said she looked wonderful. That is always music to a mother’s ears (and daddy too). Abigail now weighs 13 pounds 9 ounces and is 23 1/2 inches long. She gained nearly two and a half pounds since the last visit and grew about an inch and a half in length. I swear I am not feeding her miracle grow.

Abigail is doing very well. She is babbling, cooing and laughing like crazy. She sits in her little chair very steady and seems to enjoy watching the world around her. Its to the point now where she doesn’t like laying down unless its time to sleep. She is trying very hard to sit up on her own. If she is in the right position she can do it, but she is generally already close to sitting upright at that moment anyways. She uses her legs a lot and will stand steady on them as long as you are holding her. She isn’t too fond of tummy time, but we still do it anyway. I don’t want her to skip the crawling process. It is very important! She pushes her head and chest up when she is on her tummy and while she doesn’t go anywhere, she is kicking her feet too. She also rolled over from her tummy to her back for the first time. Unfortunately I was at work when this happened, so I missed it. Shaun had the chance to see her do it though, so I cant complain! We will keep working on it so that I can see it too!

Abigail appears to have started some teething as well. We cant seem to catch up with all of the drool and her hands are constantly in her mouth. She chews on them a lot and seems to prefer them over her binky. Her little cheeks get red as well and shes had a stuffy nose. Thus far the teething isn’t bad, but then again… its just the beginning! We will see what the next few months bring.

Jack is doing well too! Certainly cant leave him out of anything. He’s our big baby and definitely shows affection towards Abigail, but does get jealous when he is not being attended to. He has had an ongoing problem with his ear on one side, but after spending a bit on him… his ear looks great and he seems to be on the mend. He is still the affectionate, smart yet goofy dog that we fell in love with that day at the shelter back in October of 2006!

Abigail is enjoying her “Bumbo seat”. She likes to sit on the bed with mom and read books, talk and watch t.v.

Abigail sitting in her bassinet watching football, yes you read it right, football! Im sure its all the little men dressed in brightly colored uniforms running around all over the field that gets her attention. 🙂 She loves hockey even more!

Gotta love that adorable face! January 18th, 2009

The big baby of the family… That’s Jack! Gotta love that adorable face too!

Catching Up After the New Year!

1 Comment

Greetings and Happy New Year!

Well I said I would get everyone caught up on what has happened since I last posted and that is what I plan to do. I think I have basically left everything out from Thanksgiving until now. So here I go!
Thanksgiving in the Wharton house was quiet, fairly uneventful and wasnt even spent at home! I think after moving, adding Abigail to the family and not being completely settled yet made us want some quiet time away from it all. So there wasn’t too much to report there. It was nice to have some quiet time with Abigail and Shaun and just forget the stress we have been under.

Abigail seemed to enjoy her time, although she slept a lot. We helped her celebrate her First Thanksgiving by dressing her in her cute little turkey “onsie”. Hehe… our little butterball!


Before we knew it Thanksgiving quickly slipped by and all of a sudden Christmas was upon us. This year Christmas felt a little detached for me, as we were still in housing limbo, my parents were far away and it was the first without my Grandpa Prueter. It hit me hard and for the first time in my life, I actually had the blues at Christmas. I was determined, however, to keep the blues from getting the best of me. I continuously reminded myself that this was Abigails’s First Christmas and it would be a joyous occasion. Which it was.

Christmas Eve was spent at Mary and Tom’s (Shaun’s Aunt and Uncle, mine too now!). It was wonderful to visit with family and see all of the Oliver’s and Wharton’s together. After the party we came home and I stayed up way too late packing and getting ready for our getaway(more about that later!). It was our plan to leave early in the morning the day after Christmas and I knew Christmas day would be a busy one. I also had to throw in some holiday baking and try out the recipe that Patrick gave me for Molasses Cookies. They came out great and made some wonderful snacks on the road. Thank you Patrick and thank you Grandma Pat.

Abigail, dressed completely in red and looking a lot like Santa’s little helper in her red Santa boots, gets ready to leave her first of many Christmas Eve parties at Mary and Toms. By the time we got home she was passed out and ready for Santa to come!

Christmas day started off at a decent hour. Give it a few more years and I am sure that wont be the case! We opened presents at home and enjoyed our version of a Christmas tree. We opened gifts from my side of the family and all I have to say is that Abigail beat both Shaun and I in regards to the gifts under the tree, not that there was a competition! Daddy also gave her a very special gift from Tiffany’s. The first piece of jewelry a little girl receives should always come from her daddy. Now she has something very special to wear when she gets older. It was so wonderful to spend this time with Abigail and I know we will cherish her first Christmas always! Jack even enjoyed the day too and got a stocking full of toys from Grandma Taylor as well.

Its hard to see it among the presents but there is a little tiny tree in there somewhere.

Even though Abigail is far too young to remember or understand Christmas, it certainly looks as though she had a lot of fun! It was all of the bright colored wrapping paper.


After opening presents at home, we headed over to Patrick and Fiona’s house to celebrate. We had a wonderful breakfast complete with sausage, bacon, danishes, and Fiona’s famous egg souffle. Abigail received several books and outfits from the family and an absolutely adorable dress from her Aunt Brittany. James and his girlfriend Samantha were there as well and spent plenty of time holding and playing with Abigail. Although it seems that James always makes her cry!! (Just Kidding..its a bit of an inside joke.) I think Abigail is loved by all and I know as she grows older and understands it more, she will appreciate it and love every moment of it.

Uncle James certainly loves his niece! Its show in the amount of time he likes to spend with her and hold her. He also seems to like to share things with her like Grandpa’s new hat! She’s too cute!

The Wharton’s together at Christmas! Unfortunately Brittany was unable to be in the picture, that’s OK though, well get one of all of us soon!

After we had brunch with everyone, we made our way to the final house of the day. Around 4pm we arrived at Zoe’s house ready to make a tasty and simple Christmas dinner. Shaun and I worked in the kitchen making the stuffing and mashed potatoes while Grandma Zoe had the chance to spend some time with Abigail. We ate a lovely dinner and then opened gifts afterward. Abigail received a handsome amount of clothing, books and toys from Grandma Zoe. She’s set for quite some time! More importantly though is the amount of love that she is given. That is truly what makes Christmas special. That night we spent time together until about 9 or 10pm and then had to head home. Shaun had planned a getaway to Park City Utah for us and we needed to finish packing.

Not sure what this was all about… but I think it has something to do with the shirt…


Grandma Zoe and Abigail… look they match!

The next morning, Shaun and I jumped into the car with Abigail in tow and headed toward Park City. It was a bittersweet trip as I was excited to go but I also knew that even though we wouldn’t be far from Montana, we wouldn’t have the chance to visit with my parents due to their schedules and the fact that this trip was planned at the last minute. The drive through California and Nevada was nice, just a little bit of snow on the ground. Just outside of Las Vegas we stopped for a break and it started to hail and snow for a little while.

Across the California desert… the moutains appear to be getting a bit of snow!

Crossing over into Nevada… this is the first time that Abigail has been out of state! Only 3 months old and a national traveler!

Just outside of Mesquite Nevada, Shaun let me open a pressent he had placed under the tree with a note attached, banning me from opening it until we arrived in Park City. It was a little purple box, beautifully wrapped I might add. When I opened it I found a little scroll inside and the message the scroll contained blew me away. Shaun had written a note, letting me know that we werent going to Park City at all. We were actually on our way to Montana to see my parents!! He got me good!! Apparently everyone else knew about this, except for me! Unfortunatly we were driving when it happened so he was unable to take pictures or video of my reaction, but lets just say that I was at a loss for words, aside from saying “really??”, over and over again. Yes I cried… but most of you already knew that. It was the best Christmas gift ever! That night we stayed in Salt Lake City and the next day Shaun planned to drive from Salt Lake City to Bozeman.

The trip to see my parents was incredible! The weather going up was a bit crazy at times, but we survived. We arrived in Bozeman late Saturday night and the next morning we were over at their house with bells on. Even though it was a few days late, we had the traditional Christmas breakfast of German Pancakes and enjoyed each others company. Mom, Dad, and Jillian had the entire day to cuddle, hold and play with Abigail. They even had the chance to babysit Abby while Shaun and I took a drive. We ended up in Trident, which is the headwaters of the Missouri River. The Jefferson, Gallatin and Madison Rivers come together to form the beautiful Missouri river. This time we had the chance to see it completely frozen over! Seeing them spend the holidays with Abby, especially her first, made my heart soar. Shaun is the best husband in the world for giving such a gift.

Interstate 15, North of Tremonton… trust me it was worse then this, but I wasnt thinking about my camera or pictures at that point!

Stopping to get a bite to eat in Pocatello… in the Jack in the Box parking lot. Hey when you need to eat, you need to eat!
All bundled up and warm.. which is good considering its only abut 10 degrees out! Her cozy sleeper was a Christmas present from daddy! He did a great job picking something out for her! She’s adorable!

The Headwaters of the Missouri River… completely frozen over.

Me…

Shaun…

The next day, Grandma Prueter, Aunt Diane, Uncle Barry and Mike (who was visiting for the holidays as well) came over from Anaconda to visit and have lunch. We went over to the Baxter Hotel in downtown Bozeman to Ted’s (Ted Turner’s restaurant). We had a lovely lunch and enjoyed each others company. Abigail did a wonderful job and was a little lady when it came to sitting in the restaurant. Grandma Prueter was very proud and extremely happy to get the chance to see Abigail again.

Great Grandma Prueter getting the chance to spend some time with Abigail… such a special moment!

Aunt Diane (Great Aunt Diane to Abigail if you want to get technical) spends a little quality time with Abigail.

Shaun and Abigail laughing it up. What a cute smile! She is growing so fast, its hard to believe it!

Mike, Jillian and Shaun at Ted’s in the old Baxter Hotel.

The rest of the trip was spent hanging out and enjoying family. We didnt really do too much, but that was all I could ask for. We had talked about driving out to the road through Yellowstone that goes out to Cook City, but the weather stopped usfrom doing so. One night Shaun and I ran to Target while the Taylor’s spent more time with the little one. We went into the store with chilly but nice weather. When we left, you could barely see out through the front doors. Within a half an hour a major storm blew through causing a blizzard. It was a fun ride back to my parents house!

My parents street after only about 45 minutes of the blizzard… it was lots of fun!

Abigail sitting with her Grandpa Taylor, doing one of two things… 1. attempting to eat the cupcake on her shirt or 2. staring at her little toes and trying to figure out how to reach them. She’s only 3 months old, what do you think she is actually doing?

On New Years Eve, we jumped into the car (me with tears in my eyes) and headed home. Our intent was to stay in Jackson Hole that night, but unfortunately the weather prevented that as well. Pesky snow! Instead we stayed in Pocatello, Idaho. This did work out though, as it allowed us to stop in and visit with Grandma Pat, who was absolutely thrilled to visit with us and meet her great granddaughter for the first time. That night we stayed in Las Vegas and ended up there for two nights due to holiday traffic.

Abigail and Great Grandma Pat meet for the first time. Grandma Pat looked so happy to have us there. Put a smile on my face!


Coming home was bittersweet but I felt blessed that I have a husband who was so thoughtful. It truly made my 2008 end with a bang and start off my 2009 with nothing but love and a smile on my face. Happy NewYear!!

She’s Growing Too Fast!

1 Comment

Well here were are… Abby is now 1 Month, 1 Week and 2 Days Old! I cant believe how quickly time flies! Was it really only 6 weeks ago that I was pregnant with her? She grows and changes each day and I am so glad that I get to see it. Her sounds, even her cries are starting to sound like a person. She looks more and more like an individual every day. She is absolutely beautiful and precious.

On Monday November 3rd, Abby went in for her 1 month check up. Once again Dr. Calig said she was perfect and mommy and daddy certainly agree. At her check up, Abigail weighed in at 8 pounds, 4 ounces and 20 and 1/4 inches. This means she has grown nearly a pound since birth! She is doing great and we couldn’t be happier!

I also had my postpartum check with Dr. Freedman and I am now back to my old self. I have been cleared for all activities again which means that I can drive, go to the gym, walk, the essentials in life. I am feeling great and happy that I can get back to normal life and back to work as well.

On another topic… I can drive again and its great to do now that we have a brand new car!! (Funny, as I was typing that, in my head it sounded like something they would announce on the Price is Right). Last weekend Shaun and I bought a new 2008 Honda CR-V and boy is it pretty! I love driving it and now we officially have the family car. Luckily it doesn’t look like the family car! One more thing down! Next on the agenda… a HOUSE! We will let you know when that actually happens! Once that happens, we promise not to move for a long time!

Happy Halloween… Another First Us!

Leave a comment

Happy Halloween one and all! Its Abigails very first Halloween and while she cant do much and we didn’t dress her up in anything fancy, she is still cute as a button. Our first Halloween was spent doing very little. Visiting with people, watching Ghost Hunters Live, and buying tons of candy for the Trick Or Treaters that never came. Oh well! We had a wonderful quiet evening and we had the chance to spend it with out little girl! Isn’t she cute! *Abigail thanks Grandma and Grandpa Taylor for her Boo!! hat.*

Happy Halloween 2008!

A Big Day of First Time Experiences

Leave a comment

What a big day for little miss Abigail! Today was her first official doctors appointment and the news was great. She cried only because she hates to be stripped down to nothing, but got her revenge on the nurse by peeing on the scale! That’s our little girl! 🙂 Abigail is growing and developing right on target and looks to be physically perfect, just as Shaun and I thought she was! Abby is now 20 inches long, which is an inch of growth over the last 2 weeks since she was born. She now weighs 7 lbs 9 ounces which means she regained all the weight that a baby will lose after birth plus a few extra ounces! Dr. Calig says she looks great, her heart sounds wonderful, her eyes look healthy and she is right on track. We go in 2 weeks from now for her 1 month check up and I am sure she will have grown considerably between now and then. Once again I cant believe how fast time moves!

Now that her umbilical cord has fallen off, Shaun and I were able to give Abigail her first official bath this evening. She protested, as I would have expected considering she hates being naked and exposed, but did an excellent job and is all clean! Once again she did get her revenge by leaving a wonderful gift down the front of mommy’s shirt before placing her in the tub and then again in her towel after she was all fresh and clean. Let’s just say that she earned a new and endearing pet name of “stinky”! I am sure she will appreciate me sharing that information when she is much older. Oh well, that’s the fun of being a parent!

I am sure that there will be more to post so stay tuned! Have a wonderful day!

2 Weeks…Already??!!

Leave a comment

Its hard to believe but Abigail is officially 2 weeks old! Its amazing how the time goes so fast when you don’t want it to. Abigail still looks like the little peanut that we brought home from the hospital not more then a week and a half ago, but there are definitely some changes. While we are still working on a schedule, Abigail is sleeping better at night and seems to fall into a real peaceful sleep around the same time. Mommy and Daddy are pretty darn thrilled about that one! Abigail is also opening her eyes more and has more time during the day where she is awake and very alert. She is also one strong cookie who wiggles like crazy and is already lifting her head and looking around. Overachiever!! I wonder where she gets that from? 🙂 She smiles a lot in her sleep and whether that’s because she is dreaming of something good or she is working on a gift for mommy or daddy to take care of, it still warms our hearts. Its overwhelming to think that only 2 weeks ago I was still pregnant and waiting for our beautiful girl to make her grand entrance and now Shaun and I are parents. It is a wonderful feeling though and I know we wouldn’t change it for anything in this world. There is so much to look forward to! I know we will have something new to report very soon, as she changes every day. What a little blessing and miracle! Happy 2 Weeks Abigail!