Finn Turns One

 Well I am just finally getting around to blogging about my sweet little boy's first birthday. We threw him a little party with just family (still a big crowd!) and had a great time. We all sang and watched him eat a cupcake (not very messy, surprisingly), and the rest of the time was spent munching and catching up with each other. It made me so happy to be able to have so many loved ones around to support Finn and just show their love for him, even though he will have zero memories of that day. He is such an awesome little guy. Truly. He has a hard time with big crowds, so we were a little worried how he would handle a big birthday gathering. But he did surprisingly well and had a pretty good time! He is starting to be a little more confident around other little kids and strangers. It's so fun watching him change and grow into such a little boy (I know I say that in EVERY blog post, but it's so true)! It was a fun time getting everything ready with Gideon and my amazing cousin Caitie. I of course ended up doing a little more decorating that I had planned, but it was fun and I just couldn't help myself! Gideon even made the banner above the window (I was VERY impressed) and Caitie helped me (ok, she pretty much did it-I have problems) frost all of the cupcakes. Overall the party was a success and I think Finn will at least have some great pictures to look back on when he's 15 and think "aw, my parents really do love me!" Those pictures are all thanks to Caitie. She was such a good sport and took about a bajillion pictures for me. We even got a few family photos of all the Utah Medleys (except Tammy!), and we also took some shots of the grandkids. ALL of the Medley grandkids (with 4 more to be added this year). It was absolutely freezing outside. Everyone was a real trooper for braving the cold for the sake of a photo!

I realize this is not my most flattering picture, but it's a nice shot of the house full of people. And this is even after some partiers had left.

 Medley Family  2012

It was such an adventure getting all the little ones to sit in one spot long enough for a picture. Very fun memory. 

Giving Thanks

 What a crazy few months we've had!  For Thanksgiving, I decided I am most grateful that my sweet little Finnster is finally feeling better. The poor kid has had a double ear infection for the entire past month. He finally got better after his 3rd antibiotic, but not before his sleeping habits went out the window, along with my sanity. BUT, things are starting to get a little better. One step forward, two steps back, right? I just have to remind myself that a sick baby is not a forecast for the rest of motherhood.

I really am loving being a mom. It's awesome! Very very trying and demanding and exhausting, YES. But SO SO rewarding. There's nothing quite like getting peed on straight in the middle of your forehead during a delirious 2 am diaper change, and then laughing about it with your husband in the morning. Or when your little guy doesn't want anything except to snuggle his momma. I love it. It's so awesome watching him realize things about the world, about himself. And it's so awesome helping him realize those things.

Finn will be turning 9 months old on Sunday. I can't believe it! He is just growing up too too fast. He is 27 inches tall and weighs 17 1/2 pounds. He's a little guy, but his big personality is just bursting to get out of that tiny body! He babbles almost non stop lately. He is officially crawling and has also figured out how to stand up by himself (as long as he has something to pull on). Before we know it he'll be walking and talking. I am so sad to see his baby days go, but it's also exciting to see him get bigger and see his personality develop right before our eyes.

Well, our Thanksgiving was a fun adventure this year. Lynn and I made dinner for our two little families and Tammy. It was fun but exhausting! I managed to mess up both the things I made (as usual; I only make good food when it's only Gideon and Me. I always cave under pressure), but Lynn made some amazing stuffing and a gorgeous/delicious chicken! We had quite a spread. After dinner we all headed up to the Smylie's for some pie and family time. It was fun to see everyone and catch up! The thing I love the most about Thanksgiving is that it ushers in the beginning of the Holiday season. I can't wait to decorate and put up the tree, bake goodies, send out cards, etc. I really had so much to be grateful for this year. I have a wonderful husband who is so good to me and who is such a great Dad. And we have the gospel of Jesus Christ to give us hope, help us love, and make us stronger. We have everything we could ever ask for; all within the walls of our little apartment.

*We also had our family pictures taken in back in October. They turned out SO beautiful, and I usually tear up when I look through them. Special thanks to my awesome brother in law Jared Medley. Click the link to get your family pictures!*

Sunbeams and BYU

Gideon and I received the calling in our new ward to be the Sunbeams teachers. We are so excited about it! We team teach about 5 little ones, and we switch off every other week with another teacher.We taught our first lesson today titled, "I Can Be A Good Friend." It was an awesome two hours. Sharing time was such a blast, trying to keep the kids reverent while holding the girls on my lap, Gideon wrangling Finn, and amidst it all I had a little girl sniff my fingernails (I was wearing pink polish-she thought it might be scented??). We sang scripture power during singing time and man, did I miss that song! It's so refreshing to hear the simple truths of the gospel that are taught in primary. It's good for us to be in there and here those simple testimonies and gospel principles. On our way to class we did a potty/drink break. While in the bathroom one little girl pulled off her socks and shoes sitting on the floor waiting for the other girls who were actually using the restroom. So, of course, the other girls want to take off their shoes. I wasn't going to fight that battle; I said go ahead as long as you carry them back to class with you. In class we had a good discussion about Jesus raising Lazarus from the dead, and how that was a kind thing to do for his friend. We also talked about the loaves of bread and the fishes that were dispersed among the 5,000 and how that all happened because of the little boy who shared what he had with the Savior. Other topics that came up randomly (mid-sentence) were Darth Vader hot air balloons, the fact that Jesus lives in the sky (and is also magical), the fair, and a couple "the gospel" answers. It was such a blast. We have the cutest group of kids. We are so happy to get to serve the sweet little kids in our ward and to feel a part of the ward.

In other news, Gideon just finished his first week at BYU. He got pulled over on his bike for riding during the break on campus (always a rebel ;)), which I really don't know when else you would ride your bike. During class?? But he loves his classes and is really enjoying being on campus where you can really feel the spirit and just enjoy the positive vibe. He is currently re-evaluating his degree options, so we'll see where we end up. Right now he's thinking of 3 options: Accounting, Information Systems, and Actuarial Science. If anybody has advice/insights to either of these three fields, we'd love to hear it! We will hopefully be done in about 3 to 5 years, depending on his major. I know, it's a long road. But we really are enjoying the good ol' days right now.

Other than that, I am officially addicted to spray painting stuff; Finn rolled over for the first time COMPLETELY on his own and on purpose today in the middle of sacrament on the floor; we don't sleep a lot, and we've been vegging out on candy corn. Can't wait for fall to get here! I think it's time to bake some pumpkin chocolate chip muffins this week.

That's our life as of late! Sorry for the outpouring of random factoids, but there you go. Happy labor day to everyone!

So Long Sweet Summer

So I've been a horrible blogger and not blogged anything all summer. To my defense, it's been a crazy few months. Along with caring for a wild baby boy, we have also moved 3 times this summer, visited 3 states (for a total of 4 flights), driven 16 hours round trip along the north coast, along with many other day-t0-day events. It has been a wonderful summer. Busy, but awesome. We visited my parents in Seattle, then Gideon's family in California, then finished off our travels with a trip to Arizona to see my brother and sister in law Zach and Caitlin and their 3 gorgeous kids. We didn't get any pictures that trip but we did take finn to the water park and had a blast the entire weekend just relaxing (as much as you can with all of our kids!). This was the first time since we've been married that Gideon has had a break from school. Man did we love it!! He heads back to school monday and we are mourning the loss of our together time. We really have had such a blast spending so much time together, visiting family, and most of all watching our beautiful little boy grow and grow. Finn is 6 months old today!! I can't believe it. It's like I went to sleep one night and woke up to this huge little boy. In my mind I still picture him a tiny little newborn. Hard to believe he'll be crawling and walking before I know it. Well, I am sure to get back into blogging now that Gideon will pretty much be gone all of the time and I'll have more "lonely" time. For now, here are some pictures to highlight our summer.

ADAM AND FINN AT MY PARENT'S HOUSE

OF COURSE WE HAD TO GO TO LOS BAGELS WHILE IN EUREKA. SO YUMMY!

WE TOOK FINN TO THE BEACH, HE LOVED IT!

WHILE IN EUREKA GIDEON GOT TO PARTICIPATE IN ISAAC'S EAGLE SCOUT COURT OF HONOR. WAY TO GO ISAAC!

OLD TOWN EUREKA ON THE PIER.

MEDLEY FAMILY REUNION IN EUREKA

FINN'S FIRST PEEK AT THE OCEAN

FINN SLEPT LIKE THIS THE ENTIRE PLANE RIDE

ROASTING MARSHMALLOWS AT MY PARENTS IN SEATTLE

THE SUMMER ALSO INCLUDED LOTS OF NAP TIME WITH DADDY.

GIDEON AND FINN AT THE PARK WHILE MOMMY WAS AT THE GYM

(NOTICE HOW HE'S PLAYING WITH GIDEON'S EAR, A CLASSIC FINN MOMENT)

FINN AND I HAD A LOT OF FUN STAYING BUSY WHILE DADDY WAS AT WORK. WE WENT TO THE POOL, THE PARK, AND WENT ON LOTS OF WALKS.

Easter Sunday and Finn's Blessing

From left: Kelly, Ben, Adam, Dad, Mom, Gideon, Finn, Me

Last week my parents came into town for Ben's graduation. It was so much fun to have them here! They took us all out to Thai food (which was amazing . . . so wonderful to eat curry and not have heartburn!!), we hung out at their condo in Midway (beautiful), and they also hung around our house a lot. It was such a good time just relaxing and chatting together. My dad and brother and sister hadn't met Finn yet, so it was fun to watch everyone enjoy our sweet little boy. We miss them already, and we can't wait to go visit them in Seattle in June!

Since everyone was in town already, we decided to hold Finn's blessing that week, which just happened to be Easter Sunday. It was such an awesome day! It was Easter Sunday, Finn's blessing, and also my parent's 30th wedding anniversary. Also, it was Finn's 2 month mark. He's getting so old! The blessing that his daddy gave him was beautiful, and it was so special to be able to share the day with all of our family. Afterwords we had a little family get together at our tiny apartment, but surprisingly we all fit! Special thanks to everyone for bringing food and supplies. It was so awesome to be together with both of our families and just enjoy the day.

My talented sister in law took these amazing pictures of Finn for me. Thanks so much Hannah!

He's making a sucking face in all of these pictures because he was one hungry boy. He was crying so we just gave him his binky, then would rip it out super fast and Hannah would shoot the camera like crazy for a few seconds before he started crying, as seen below:

We blessed him in the blanket that my brothers were blessed in, so it was extra special to have the blanket in the pictures. Plus it made a pretty backdrop!

Grandparents

We have been lucky enough to have lots of help these last few weeks. And what a great excuse to have family come stay!

My mom got out here the day after Finn was born, and she was SUCH a help. She was able to come see us in the hospital and then she was here when we came home. It is such a happy memory for me and it was such a tremendous help to have her here those first few days. She cooked us awesome meals, ran to the store a million times, drove me to the doctor, etc. etc. It was so nice spending some quality mother daughter time. It was much needed and it was so wonderful. For some reason one of my favorite nights was just hanging out, watching dateline and eating candy (lots and lots of candy). I guess that's nostalgic for me from my years at home. She cried when she left and about an hour later I called her sobbing, too. For some reason, having a baby makes you miss your own momma like never before. Love you, mom!

*My dad had to stay home with the other kids, but he will get to meet his little grandson at the end of April. Can't wait!*

Then we were blessed with the presence of my wonderful in-laws, Ric and Mary. SO SO wonderful to have them here. We had such a fun time with them staying with us, all of us crammed into our tiny apartment. We wouldn't have had it any other way! They made the long trek from Eureka, CA, to come see the new babe (and also to see the many other grandchildren and children they have out here). It was such a joy cooking together, watching cake boss and house hunters, eating junk food, having wonderful chats, crying way too much (in a good way), and especially having family home evening together on their last night with us. We miss you guys already!



Finn is so lucky to have so many people who love him so much already!

Thanks to both grandparents, we love you all so much and are so grateful that you came!!

Happy Halloween and Merry Christmas

We have had such a fun week celebrating Halloween around here. Sunday night we put on Hocus Pocus in the background, ate sugar cookies until we thought we'd burst, and carved pumpkins. It was a fun night. Then on Monday we had a little Halloween party up in Salt Lake at Sarah's house with all of the family that lives around here. It was fun to get all dressed up. We all hid in different bedrooms with candy and the little girls came around and "trick or treated" to us each. What a fun night! So good to be with family and just have fun. Not to mention Sarah made some amazing chili and treats for us. Nothing better. But I woke up this morning to a car covered in snow, and I won't deny that I was blasting the Christmas music taking Gideon to school. I love the holidays and I am so excited that it's starting!

Jared and Lynn's pumpkins

Mine and Gideon's pumpkins

Sarah, Lynn, Hannah, Me and Kayla all dressed up

Gideon dressed up as Hiccup from HOW TO TRAIN YOUR DRAGON. He made the costume with everything from D.I! It turned out so great and the little girls loved it. I was a cat because, well, nothing else really fit.

Baby Pictures and Video Games

12 weeks! First pair of maternity jeans. My belly has never felt so free and happy. It doesn't look that big yet, but rest assured it's growing. And sorry about the dazed look on my face; lately I always either just woke up from a nap or else I just look like I did. Can't win.

Things have gotten pretty busy around here. Lots of new things going on:

• I started and stopped the throwing up phase of pregnancy since my last post.
  
• Gideon finished his second summer term and still has a 4.0 He worked his tushy off for that G.P.A! So proud of him.
• Our little one is now the size of a lime. 12 weeks!
• For Gideon's birthday, I bought him a Wii. It was also an end-of-school present. I am always sore now from virtual boxing and table tennis.
  
• Ben has been staying with us during the week this month since he has his nursing clinicals down here this month. It's been such a blast hanging out with him! I'm so glad to have at least one of my siblings here.
• Gideon had a birthday (23! Woo hoo!)
  
• Gid's best friend got married. We got to go to the sealing in the Salt Lake Temple. It was so nice being inside those sacred walls and to feel the peace that comes from being there. I am so grateful for temples!
• We are leaving for our cruise on Sunday morning, so I'd better go pack and get my house cleaned.

Here are a few pics of the last few weeks:

Ben and Gideon setting up the Wii. They stayed up until four a.m. playing. Gideon also accidentally threw the remote at the tv while bowling and it knicked the frame. Close call.

Lynn and Grace at Gideon's birthday get together

We had some family over for Gideon's birthday. It was so fun! We had cheesecake, played with the girls in the park, played the Wii, and of course, chatted ourselves to death. Good times.