Indoor Fun!

Oh, how I love Nebraska. That might be a little stretch, but we have had to get used to some freezing cold! Right now we are in a blizzard warning, winter storm warning and a wind chill warning. Public schools have been canceled the last couple of days, unfortunately UNL doesn't think along those lines.

Yesterday we went to a friends apartment, just a building away and it was so hard to get over there! I drove because I had somewhere to go after but it was so hard to walk outside. The ground is covered in ice, and then wind blowing with snow and trying to stand up on the ice. Needless to say we will be staying indoors until this blows away! (no pun intended) :)

We have had a few friends over to help get through the day.  Been to the Children's Museum. And many other adventures! We are ready for spring!

Eating snacks with Carson

Flirting in a basket with Riley

Riding the Carousel at the Mall

Playing at the Agar Indoor Play area

Children's Museum

Watching Toy Story 

(the only movie he will sit still for!)

Playing in Buzz Lightyear tent!

Akoy is obsessed with this box, he dumps all of his toys, just to sit in or on it. He's so weird.

Best part of today? According to the groundhog Spring is on it's way! :)

Temple!

In the 7 months we have lived in Nebraska, we haven't had the opportunity to go to the Winter Quarters Temple. I made the attempt once, but it was closed for cleaning. We did get to do a session in the Manti Temple for our anniversary last November.

Luckily for us, our friends made a New Years goal to go every month. Since we live right below them, they came up with the idea of each taking a Saturday a month and we can swap kids. Perfect! We could use a set time every month to take time out of our stressful (okay, really just Bryson) lives and attend a session.

Things went differently as planned, and we both went today! We took the 8'oclock session, and they drove up to Omaha with the kids, and we hurried out and then they went to the 10'oclock session and we headed home with the kids. Awesome plan!

As we drove up to Omaha this morning, I couldn't help but notice the beautiful sunrise! It was so pretty! Helped me prepare spiritually and physically. A good thing about waking up so early, right?! (I didn't enjoy my 5:50 alarm, it's been awhile since my alarm has not been my child)
It was so nice to do a session! I felt the spirit so strongly. Something about actually having to plan a temple trip, making an appointment ahead of time, just made it more meaningful. I am so grateful for our gospel and all that it does for us! Living in Nebraska has been quite the culture change for me. I'm glad I was raised in Utah and was able to have friends that all had the same beliefs/standards as me. I am so lucky to belong to the true church and I know that without a doubt, and I'm so grateful for it! I am proud to be a Mormon! :)

Somethings just don't belong.

For example, cars do not belong in a ball machine/toy. BUT somehow I find cars in this thing everyday.. interesting! Akoy doesn't really grasp the concept of somethings. Like, how this ball toy won't push up cars. It will just play the music. Maybe one day. Cars DON'T belong in the ball machine.

He has definately grasped the concepts of cars though. He has for awhile, but they don't usually make it out of his room. Today he brought the whole box out. Then preceeded to carry around two trucks (that made lots of noise, while we watched tv) all around the family room. They went up and down my legs, all over the couch and the rest of the house. He is definately all boy! Apparently cars DO belong on the couches while little boys make noises pretending to drive them.

For the last hour, he has been playing in his crib and not going to sleep. At least he was happy right? A little break from the grousom bottom molars that are starting to make their appearances. Oh, how I can't wait until we are all done with teething! :) Teething SHOULDN'T be so hard.

Last but not least, Akoy DOES belong with us. Even when he is a naughty little boy, most of the time we still love him! Okay, ALL of the time! :)

Sometimes....

I have days where I don't want to get out of bed. Akoy has been getting up much earlier, and I try and be creative and entertain him with something and so I can get back in bed. Many times this works, but sometimes he just gets into trouble.
First place he would go, is to the dvd's. Bryson finally put a lock on the cupboards so he can't get into those. Since then, things have been a lot better.

This morning, he was all to quite so I went in, and found him dumping the diaper bag to find some treats and toys. He eventually found a sucker, and threw the biggest tantrum when I took it away.


 
I decided to give him his breakfast then get back in bed. It worked for a few minutes, then I heard him screaming and found this:





Yesterday right before we were to leave to have dinner at a friends house, Bryson caught Akoy eating a marker... apparently he was on my watch...?? Good thing it was washable!


I walked into the room one day to find this.. I don't know what is up with boxes on his head?? He loves it! No clue as to why.
 

His snuggle buddy... aka sippy cups or bottles

17 Months!

I'm a few days late, but hey, he is still 17 months! I've been super busy getting everything settled into our new apartment! (some may be asking, wait, you are already moving?! Yes, but another post. Don't worry it's not far.)
A TON has of stuff has changed with Akoy just this last week. I was sooo excited to get him back into his regular sleep schedule after the Utah trip. However we had a slight problem. My doctor keeps getting after me for letting Akoy have a bottle in bed so we took it away! Akoy doesn't have a blanket, or animal that he sleeps with, it's just his bottle. He cuddles it up underneath his arm and falls asleep. For this reason I have not taken it away. It has been a rough week on sleeping. Before he would not drink milk out of a sippy cup. refused. end of story. After a day of realizing that he wasn't going to get milk unless he gave in, he finally did. He won't drink as much but as a result he is eating soooo much better! I can not tell you how much nicer this is. He is eating all foods, instead of just snack foods (which was all he really eat before) Okay, I may still give him a sippy cup SOMETIMES at bed but just for a bit, he doesn't really drink a lot from it. I also still give him a bottle full of water. He likes that, and that won't ruin his teeth.
It's been a rough transition. It's really easy to say 'I'm taking the bottle away' but it's a lot easier said than done. I have wanted to go in a give him a bottle of milk so bad on nights he just cries (and may have given in once or twice) I just sit there listening to him cry, really wishing I could help him. It makes the nights last forever! But I'm seeing progress and it makes me happy that I've been strong about it all for the most part. It's funny that something so simple is so hard! However, once it's done you look back and say "that really wasn't that hard"
As mentioned before, he is eating real food! I have been giving him what I eat for a few months now but he never really touches it. For example, a PB&J, never actually eats it. Just pokes it. Today he ate his half! I was so excited!
His personality is showing more and more. I can't get enough of him. He cracks me up so much! He still is picky about the shows he watches, but I put on Toy Story 3 the other day and he ran, climbed up on the couch and just sat there before I could even get the movie going! He will watch a whole 20 min now! :)
 He's the same little guy he's always been but just growing up a little each day. He is still a lover of the following....

A lover of puzzles

A lover of Balls

A lover of his tippie toes
Even though he is more than tall enough


A lover of Cars

This toy is really funny, you eject the key and then the car goes and hits the "cows" and tips them over and the moo as the fall back

A lover of his dad

Oh how he is missing Bryson, we got a 3 spoiled weeks of him!

 

A Lover of boxes on his head

 

 His favorite love.. phones! (anykind)

Snow Day!

Bryson's first day got canceled due to snow. It's not a ton of snow, but it is still snowing and supposedly the roads are bad. We put Akoy's suit on and through him outside. At first he liked observing but after a put him in the snow, he wasn't a fan. Oh well! Maybe next year!

Now to finish moving in this stuff..... Almost done!

Disclaimer

Not all my posts are showing up on one page, you might have to click older posts. The following blogs are from our trip:

Sea World
Disneyland Day 1
Disneyland Day 2
Disneyland Day 3
Disneyland Day 4
Going home/Beach!