Swim time in sunny AZ

Seein the sights

Sharing a shake and burger with grandpa at Johny Rockets
Riding the "choo choo" with cousin Kelan and Aunt Nikki

Liberty State park...and we went to the statue the next day!

Shopping at Jersey Gardens with grandma

Natural History Museum

Watching the New York Knicks play at the Garden

Enjoying the aquarium in Connecticut

Ending the trip with an entertaining evening at a Hibachi grill....yum yum!

Brooks' Blessing

Stephen gave Brooks his baby blessing last Sunday, the 22nd, and he did a beautiful job. As you can see Brooks slept through the whole thing. We're so glad our family could make it!

Our Friends

Brooks and I have made some really great friends out here.....

Moms: Julee (due on April 14th!), Me, Shannon, and Tamara

Babies: Ashlyn, Oliver, and Brooks

We love getting together for play dates, although Brooks doesn't quite "play" yet, but I love hanging out and talking about mommy stuff and just getting out of the house for some girl time- these girls are so fun!

(but I really miss my girls in Boise too and our ladies nights)

I'm growing so fast!

First Day home from the hospital

One week old


two-three weeks old

Four weeks old

He's gained about 1.5 lbs, and maybe an inch or two......four weeks has flown by, it seems like it was forever ago that we were coming home from the hospital. Mom and Brooks are doing great!

Firsts

First time in his swing.....what is this crazy contraption?!

First bath, he loves it- except when he has to get out, it's cold!

First time meeting G'pa P....look we have the same little ears!

First trip to the Big City....suprising dad and eating "lunch" with him.



First Trip To TARGET!! and he loved it!

He's finally here!!!

I look exactly how I feel, EXHAUSTED!
6 lbs, 8 oz, 18 inches long...pretty bald, brown eyed?....and BEAUTIFUL!

Lots of kisses for Brooks
Our first kiss!

He never thought he'd be so happy to hear a baby cry

A very proud grandma! I'm so thankful that she came earlier than originally planned, it was so great to have her there.

The labor went pretty well, relatively speaking. I started feeling contractions around 12:30am...already about 12 minutes apart. I woke Stephen up at about 3:30am when the contractions were REALLY hurting and about 8 minutes apart. We finally left for the hospital just before 5:ooam, contractions every 3 minutes....I was dilated to a 3 upon arrival....I got the epidural around 6:00...it wore off around 8:30 when I started pushing and he arrived at 9:11am!!

Good food, good company, dissapointing Cardinals

We had our first get together to break in our apartment for the Super Bowl. Too bad the Cardinals couldn't pull it off, I was a little embarrased to be wearing my AZ shirt after they let their win go, oh well. Stephen, Mom, Laura, Owen and Dan.


Andy, Oliver, Tamara, Julee and Matt.

What a great ward!

I have an amazing ward here in Jersey City and I owe a huge Thank You especially to Tamara and Gretchen who organized and hosted a really fun baby shower for me. There was a great turn out of supportive women from the ward who brought great gifts for someone they hadn't even really met. I feel so blessed to have such a great support system already, I really don't know how anyone would survive here without the sisterhood that the church provides!

This is Liz looking at a "poopy" diaper, trying to decide if he ate a Snicker's or Reese's, lol!

A few of the other ladies sniffing "poopy" diapers, what a fun game!

Tamara, the party host (what a CUTE apartment right?) and me (looking really bloated and rosy as always, cute right, ha)

Tamara is really crafty, she made this for Brooks- Ollie the Owl.

All the great gifts from the very gracious women in the ward, we are so blessed.

THANK YOU!