Jovi's 12 month pictures & cake smash

We had Jovi's 12 month pictures done @ Camera Shy in Lehi

(the same studio who took our maternity pictures)

I thought it'd be fun to take the photos myself, like I've always done w/her

Except for the fact that I'm 28 weeks pregnant & huge.

Also, I really wanted to enjoy her eating cake for the first time & didn't want to have to "work" or be stressed for that perfect picture.

So, I decided to just hire someone to do it for me. And boy am I glad I did.

It was so nice to just have Jake and I watch our baby girl running around, playing.

She bonded w/the photographer right away, and had no stranger danger.

Should I have been worried?

She was so sweet (in these first two photos, and always), running towards Jake. 

Jake got on the floor by the camera, and she just took off running towards him.

It was so cute & reminded me just how much it melts my heart seeing the two of them together.

They really do have a special daddy/daughter bond and I love how excited she gets to see him.

The studio had bunnies out, for their Easter mini sessions.

The photographer asked if we'd be interested in some photos w/them and I thought sure why not.

So so so glad I did.

This girl is such an animal lover & went to them right away.

We got the sweetest facial expressions out of her & she was so happy.

I guess it shouldn't really surprise me, as Jake loves animals, and she went to my mom's dog right away, upon first meeting.

I guess it just kinda concerns me that she's not the least bit hesitant to try new things.

It's a good thing and a bad thing. I'd rather have her be curious than timid though.

When the bunnies first came out, Jovi was in a wooden crate and the bunnies were on the floor.

Jovi was so confused & you could tell her wheels were turning. She wanted to get to them!

The photographer eventually took Jovi out of the crate & let one bunny roam around.

It was crawling on Jovi's leg & Jovi was so excited! Hahaha She was squealing!

She really enjoyed her birthday cake & we had a blast watching her figure it out.

I love watching this girl get excited over the little things in life.

We had 60 pictures total, and ALL of them are uh-mazing, but I won't upload all 60 to this post.

I'll just post a few (15ish?)

ENJOY!

I wish so many things for her, as she conquers this new year in life. I wish so many things in general; Especially when I think about the upcoming years w/challenges and trials she'll have to overcome.

I've always wondered and hoped that she would just know how much Jake and I love and adore her. No matter what she does, says, looks like, smells like :) or wears. She is our baby and I love her more than words describe. I can't find words for it. Ever.

We are constantly trying to think of ways we can better any situation for her; Wether it be her fussing when we first lay her down at night (only for a few minutes, but still- We are saddened when we see her sad), or wether we think of upcoming activities we can do w/her. She is always at our best interest, and we want more than anything for her to have the best life she deserves. 

A favorite country group of mine, said it best when they first wrote this song, "My Wish." This is what I wish for you, baby girl. You will always be my baby and I will always love you forever- To infinity (or eternity) and beyond.

I hope the days come easy and the moments pass slow
And each road leads you where you want to go
And if you’re faced with the choice and you have to choose
I hope you choose the one that means the most to you
And if one door opens to another door closed
I hope you keep on walkin’ ‘til you find the window
If it’s cold outside, show the world the warmth of your smile
But more than anything, more than anything

[Chorus:]
My wish for you
Is that this life becomes all that you want it to
Your dreams stay big, your worries stay small
You never need to carry more than you can hold
And while you’re out there gettin’ where you’re gettin’ to
I hope you know somebody loves you
And wants the same things too
Yeah, this is my wish

I hope you never look back but you never forget
All the ones who love you
And the place you left
I hope you always forgive and you never regret
And you help somebody every chance you get
Oh, you find God’s grace in every mistake
And always give more than you take
But more than anything, yeah more than anything

This is my wish
I hope you know somebody loves you
May all your dreams stay big

Eleven month stats

Jovi is eleven months old!

AH! These are the last days I'll have with my "baby" and then she's a toddler! Such a bitter sweet time for me. I know this post is waaaaaay late (better late than never, right?!), but our sweet little honey turned 11 months on Friday (02/13). Almost a whole 30 days ago... Again. (Yes, I'm notorious for posting late, lately, and have been known for posting 30 days late before). 
Here's what our busy girl has been up to:

- She drinks out of a sippy cup. It has handles on the sides and doesn't allow liquid to dump out, when being dunked upside down, so the only way liquid can come out, is when she sucks on it. It's really nice & she's adjusting real well to it.
- Eats mostly everything we eat & is not picky AT ALL.
- Is starting to wean off formula & baby food, the closer she gets to 12 months.
- Does the actions to "The Itsy Bitsy Spider" and "The Rabbit Song." When it comes time to sing the part "Up came the sun," she puts her hands above her head, weather we're doing the actions w/her or not. And when we sing the other song, she waves her hands like a bunny rabbit hopping, and squeals when it comes time to sing "Help me! Help me! Help me! He said." It really is the sweetest thing to watch; Especially when she does it w/my mom. They sing these songs (and a few others) daily.
- Claps not only when we say "YAY," but when we also say "Good girl," now. She's very good at self praise and I love it!
- Has more curls on the top of her head, than last time. Seriously, her hair gets more & more curly every time. Looks like she WILL look like me after all :)
- Doesn't go to sleep SUPER well for dad, and I think it's because when dad's home, she thinks it's play time. Jake's real good about giving her his undivided attention when he's home, but Jovi seems to think that he can't do ANYTHING else when he's home, and that all eyes need to be on her, if he's at the house. That means, no cleaning, cooking, etc. He is all hers! Bah. Makes it difficult when  mom's at enrichment meetings for her calling, and can't always be home at night to put her to sleep. Most nights mom is home, and CAN put her to sleep, so it works well. It's just funny (kind of) that she'll lay right down for me & go to sleep within 5-10 minutes, but she'll give Jake a harder time. Now- He HAS gotten better about not going in her room every time she gets up/wines, so I think that had something to do w/it for awhile, but still even w/that, she still lays down for momma best. 
- Is full on running and walking EVERYWHERE now. She really only crawls when her & dada are on the floor playing together, but for the most part, she's up & running and is FAST.
- Has two soft books in her crib, and will sit up and read them before she wears herself out for a nap. It's also convenient for when she first wakes up as well. She can self entertain & be content until one of us is able to go get her in the morning. 
- She's pretty content w/us feeding her from a bowl and spoon, but is often curious and likes to try to get what's ON the spoon. Makes for messy meals, but I like how curious she is. 
- Can hear a door opening from down the hallway. She's OBSESSED w/the pantry door, and any bedroom door (because we keep them all closed during the day), so when she hears one of us opening either door (s) she'll come running (and sneaks up on us) w/o us knowing! Seriously guys, she'll be right behind us, as one of us is backing out of the pantry & we run over her all the time (non intentional, of course). She's just quick & always right there, wanting to know what's in the mysterious, magical pantry. She'll usually grab the spices that are right there in the bottom row. She likes to shake them like a rattle. If you think about it, they do sound like noise makers, and most of them are still sealed, but I don't ever want to chance it. I'd hate for her to get something in her eyes & have it burn or something. We just like to play it safe.
- And refuses to wear any bow/headband anymore. She may keep it on for a little while, but that's it. She'll find a way to snap it off :(

Albert Family Pictures

While we were in California, we took family pictures on my side of the family. 

We just HAD to since we were all together (for the first time in a long time) during the holidays.

Location: Hart Park in Bakersfield

Here are a few of our favorites:

From left to right

Carlie, Tyler, Austin, Dad, Mom, Kelsey, Courtney, Aubre, Jovi, and Jake

The women. Gorgeous!

The men. Studly!

Special thanks to Jen Wolff Photography

Ten month stats

Jovi is ten months old! 

Holy cow, where does time go, besides out the window?!?! I feel like it just flies right on by!!! We're hittin double digits here folks. DOUBLE DIGITS! I'm no fan. She looks HUGE these days.
Here's what she's been up to:

- She has 8 teeth (4 on top and 4 on bottom), and has 2 more coming in, so pretty soon she'll have 10 total! She'll be ready for a steak and potatoes tomorrow!
- Holds her own bottle now. Sometimes. Only when she wants to :)
- She went to her first amusement park (Knott's Berry Farm), and loved it! She went on her first ride too! Don't worry- It was just the little gold mining ride and Jake held her the whole time. She loved it though, and didn't get scared when it'd get noisy/dark. She also experienced her first show (Snoopy on Ice), while we were there, and she loved that as well!
- She eats baby food three times a day now (both veggies and fruit), and takes EVERYTHING like a champ, still!
- Will "sing" when you sing.
- Loves "The Itsy Bitsy Spider," and does the hand motions when it comes to the "out came the sun" part.
- Tries to climb out of the bathtub during her splash time. She doesn't actually want to get OUT of the tub per say, she just wants to climb out because hey- she can, so why not?!?!
- Claps. That's right. This is not the same baby we had when we left for California. We came back w/a completely different girl.
- Has so much more hair now! I was looking back at photos from November & she has like triple the amount.
- Speaking of hair, her's is curly! Just a few curls on top, but it's enough to swoon me!
- Loves to snuggle w/her stuffed animals (Dumbo and Snoop Dawg). They sleep in her crib even.
- Has learned to fall asleep on mom & dad while being bottle fed. She used to do this as an infant, but became SUPER independent and would only go to sleep if she was alone in her crib. But Nana and grandpa liked to snuggle here on our CA trip, so she got kinda used to that, and is okay w/us doing it now too. Don't get me wrong- She'll still lay down in her crib alone, but when needed (or wanted), she'll snuggle and go to sleep on you, while being bottle fed & rocked to sleep. I'm loving it!
- Will walk w/her new walking toy. In fact, she like runs w/it. I fear she'll just let go & take off running one day. Not walking.
- Loves to sit & "read" her books she got for Christmas. I'm so glad I ordered those for her!
- She feeds herself her own puffs now! AH I witnessed it today, on more than one occasion & it was sooooo exciting watching those motor skills come to life.
- She sleeps w/a humidifier in her room & it's amazing! I recommend one for everyone! 
- Will give you loves if you really deserve it & if she's really in the mood. And, her idea of "loves" (lemme just tell ya), is simply her just putting her forehead on yours, and sitting still for a minute. And that's it. 
- And lastly, she claps when she gets really excited to see a familiar face during FaceTime. She'll even throw in a cheesy grin w/it occasionally. 

Christmas in Cali

We made a last minute decision to go to California for Christmas.

And boy was it a hectic one.

We did all our last minute Christmas shopping in about two days.

Did some maintenance on the car (oil change, tire rotation, etc.).

And then we hit the road.

We left on Friday, December 19th mid afternoon and got to my parent's around 2am.

Jovi did great (as usual), and was SO excited to see my mom when we got there.

Photo taken on my iPhone 

Saturday, December 20th Jake caught up on sleep and I ran some last minute errands/Christmas shopping.

We also went to my parent's ward Christmas party later that evening.

It was so fun running into old friends!

Sunday, December 21st, we went to church at my parent's ward and had Sunday dinner w/the fam afterwards.

The fam, meaning everyone but my brother & his wife, and my sister.

Monday, December 22nd, Jake and I headed up to Kernville to spend the evening and a few nights there.

Jovi had a lot of fun w/her cousin (Ryder), who is 3 months younger.

Photo taken on my iPhone

Tuesday, December 23rd, I caught up on sleep, while Jake went fishing w/his dad & brother.

His Aunt Bonnie & Uncle Dan (and their daughter-in-law, Tracey, and her two kids Martin & Allison), came over later that evening for dinner. 

It was nice to sit & visit w/them during the busy time of the year.

Wednesday, December 24th, we celebrated Christmas Eve at Aunt Bonnie's w/all the other cousins & Jovi got to see everyone again!

It was so much fun getting everyone together, and seeing Jovi open her first Christmas present. 

We then went back to Jake's parents & did Christmas there w/them and his immediate family.

Later that evening, we headed back down to my parents for the remainder of the holidays. 

Thursday, December 25th, CHRISTMAS DAY!!! The biggest day yet! (Other than getting married & having Jovi, of course).

I guess Santa thought she deserved a good first Christmas.

In her stocking she got her own Disney princess chapstick (since she's obsessed w/my Burts Bees), a pink sparkly ball, rubber duckies, measuring cups, and a pink tutu.

She was pretty excited, as you can tell:

She went for the chapstick right away. Great thinkin, Santa!

NOISE MAKERS! That's what those are. Not measuring cups.

Bath toys, anyone?

First present from mom & dad: Foam letters & numbers. We believe in education. 

After we finished opening @ my parent's, we headed to my grandma's house, to open w/my mom's side of the family.

Jovi had to get a picture w/her aunties, since they gave her that ADORABLE Minnie Mouse outfit.

And yes, she she wore that on Christmas day :)

Four generation picture:

My mom's mom, my mom, Jovi, and meeeee

Jovi also got to meet Gabbie (Great Auntie Kel) for the first time!

Friday, December 26th, we headed back to my parent's and got ready for a busy weekend.

Saturday, December 27th, we went to Glendora to celebrate Christmas w/my dad's side of the family. They always get together the Saturday AFTER Christmas.

It was nice for everyone to meet Jovi for the first time :)

She met my Uncle Steve & Aunt Leslie, and my dad's mom over the summer, but other than that- That's it, so there was a lot for her to see. 

Sunday, December 28th, we all went to church together as a family and celebrated my younger brother's Eagle Court of Honor later that night.

We're so proud of you, Austin! Another eagle in the family. YEAH!

Monday, December 29th, we all went to Knott's MERRY Farm as a family, and the grandmas came along.

It was SO much fun and we had beautiful weather all day! (63)

It didn't get chilly until the sun went down.

We enjoyed watching Jovi's reactions, as this was her first amusement park, as was mine.

Oh, and we got photo bombed. Bah!

Left to right. Top to bottom:

Jake, Tyler (my brother), Carlie (his wife), Courtney (my sister), and my dad.

Me, Austin (my youngest brother), Grandma Bailey (dad's mom), G'ma Smith (mom's mom), Kelsey (my sister), and my mom.

Tuesday, December 30th, we took family pictures w/the whole fam since we were all together.

Jake and I went out to dinner later that night. BJs is a must hit when in CA

Wednesday, December 31st New Year's Eve we left California.

We originally weren't planning on leaving until the following day (New Year's Day), but since Jovi was teething really bad & not feeling well, and I caught some sort of sinus infection, Jake and I both decided to just leave and drive home that day. 

We left around 12 noon and got home around 1am.

It was a crazy couple of weeks in California. Not a dull moment & full of traveling.

We definitely took advantage of the cheap gas prices!

Nine month stats

Jovi is nine months old!

She turned nine months old almost a whole 30 days ago (BAH! Latest post ever!!!!), so on Saturday (12/13). I'm slacking more & more!!! I blame this last post on the holidays, and pregnancy. Let's see what other excuses I can come up w/next time. HA!

Here's what our little big lady has been up to:

- She pulls herself up on EVERYTHING & uses her kitchen high chair as a walker. Yeah- She pulls it & walks w/it around the kitchen.

- Growls at people… I'm not sure how I feel about this one, as it's not quite socially acceptable. Then again, she's a baby & can get away w/most things adults can't. And really, it's more of like a cat hiss than a growl. It's pretty cute, I must say.

- We like to play this fun game w/her, where we take her pacifier out of her mouth, and put it in ours. She thinks it's HILARIOUS!…. Let me clarify…. We don't put the part that goes in her mouth, in our mouth. We put the handle part in our mouth. Yeah :) She thinks it's SUPER funny though, and will take it out and put it in her own, after she jibber jabbers (almost like she's scolding us for doing something so ridiculous). 

- Loves to see the baby in the mirror. Not "The Man In The Mirror." I often take her in the guest bath (her bathroom), to see "THE BABY!" and she gets so excited seeing her reflection. I'm not sure when she'll finally realize it's her she's seeing, but it's pretty cute to see her reaction at "another baby;" Especially since we'll be having another one this year. It makes me feel good that she gets excited over other little people & isn't afraid.

- Pulls herself up on the oven handle in the kitchen, just so she can see the other baby (or herself) in the reflection. She then bangs on the glass, to tell the other baby hi. I like to think she's telling the "other baby" hi anyhow.

- Is very active in the bathtub now…. Don't get me wrong- She's always been a kicker and a screamer in the water, but now that she can crawl, she crawls in the tub and is IMPOSSIBLE to contain. IMPOSSIBLE I tell ya! She goes nuts. I miss the days when she would just lay there & get excited over the simple things (her kicking the water & splashing). Now, I love to see her move around 'n all, but it was just SO CUTE to see her get so excited over her just moving water w/her legs kicking hahaha Now she's a wild indian in the water & we love it just the same. 

- She now eats Stage 2 for the baby foods, which means the serving sizes are bigger, and a thicker consistency. She still eats everything like a champ & isn't so bothered w/the thicker consistencies anymore. (Remember how she hated her thick rick cereal, so we had to start making it thinner, so she wouldn't gag? Yeah, she got over that & is fine now).

- Has stopped doing spitty bubbles as often and will instead wiggle her tongue back & forth between the two sides of her mouth. It's the cutest noise really! (She still does spitty bubbles, just not AS often. It's more of a couple days a week type thing).

- Will copy you, or try. 

- Is a handful to put to bed, or down for a nap sometimes, but that's really just depending on her energy level. Most days/nights, it's still real easy for me; Especially if I recognize she's tired early on & act upon it, but if I wait too long, and try to put her down when she's OVERLY tired, it aint pretty. And I say it like it's this huge ordeal. It really isn't, compared to SOME stories I've heard w/kids going down for nap/bed time, but for our sweet little Jovi it's a huge ordeal. Getting up and leaving her room over & over 5 or 6 times is NOT something we do regularly. It's not out of the norm for me to just lay her down, walk away, and know she's zonked for the night/hour. Sometimes she has a hard time when Jake puts her down, though. And I think that's just because she likes to play w/him, and he's more of the "fun" parent.

- Goes from toy to toy to toy.

- Is a very very busy bee and goes up down, up down, on any and everything. For no reason at all really. 

- Has two teeth (bottom center) and is SO close to cutting those top two front choppers. They're right there. So close!

- When she gets really excited, she jibber jabbers to herself, in a whisper. I think that's because we would do that to her when we'd get really excited about something w/her. 

- And weighs 19.69 pounds (56th percentile), is 28 inches long (52nd percentile), and has a head that is in the 96th percentile (46 1/2 cm). Her doctor said she's a beautiful girl, is doing great and to keep doing what we're doing.