Happy 1st Birthday Andrew!

One year ago today, Andrew Thomas McEwan was born. He weighed 7 pounds 2 ounces and was 18 1/2 inches long. He was the most beutiful, perfect thing I had ever seen. I can't help but get teary eyed when I think of that day. I remember the 1st things I thought when he was born. 1st was "is his ear going to stay that way?" his ear was folded over and stuck to his head. and much to my relief it promptly popped back out. and 2nd was that he was fresh from Heaven. And that I was so grateful that our Heavenly Father would entrust someone so perfect to my care. I still feel that way. I am so blessed to have such a fun, smart, and loving little boy. I feel my Saviors love as I try my best to raise Andrew in truth and rightousness. I may not be perfect, but lucky for me I have the most wonderful husband a girl could ask for. Brian is such a good daddy, and I know that whatever life throws our way, we will get through it together as a family. This past year has flown by, and I feel like he is growing up too fast! I live for the times when he falls asleep on my chest and I can cuddle him and just hear him breathe as he wraps his tiny hands around one of my fingers, just like he did when he was 1st born.

I took Andrew in for his 1 year check up today. (I know what kind of mean mom takes her son in for shots on his Birthday?) and ever since he started walking he has thinned down a little. Here are his Stats:
Height: 29 1/4 inches--34%
Weight: 21 pounds 15 ounces--37%
Head Circumfrence: 45 3/4 centameters--32%

So he is kinda little, but he is healthy, and is developing his motor and social skills super fast. Some of the things Andrew likes are:
*Smiling
*Giving kisses to everyone including his stuffed animals
*Sesame Street
*His stuffed Elmo
*Cars
*Walking
*Eating anything and everything he can get his hands on
*He is very ticklish
*He thinks Grandma Bryant is the funniest person EVER
*His Naps (he loves his crib and will walk over to it and shake it until I put him down for a nap)
*Eating shoes, and lint off of the floor. Nasty I know, he definately keeps me busy!
*Playing with Daddy
*Playing with older kids, he doesn't really know what to do with babies his age. lol
*Primary Songs
*Grunting, sniffing, squeeling, and pretty much any other weird sound you can make
*Saying Dadda
*Chewing on his hands
*Tip over block towers
*Get into the pots and pans
*Climb Stairs
*Chasing the Dog, and sharing his food with him. (its pretty funny to watch him throw food to the dog when he is eating his lunch)
*Mommy's Cell Phone
*The Remote
*Being Thrown in the Air
*Laughing
*Eating Dum-Dums that the girls at Lone Peak Pediatrics give him
*Posing for pictures. (He sees a camera and gives a cheeser smile)
*Playing with the door stop. (He thinks the spring is funny)
*Take Baths
*Sponge Bob Square Pants
*Taking clean clothes out of the laundry basket and throwing them on the floor

I love my little bug, and I am so lucky to be his mommy. Happy Birthday Andrew.

Family Pictures

We had our Family Pictures taken by Brigham Berthold of Royal Flush Photography. I am IN LOVE with every picture he took! These are just a few of my favorites.
ENJOY!

Cutest Boy Ever!

Grandma Triptow turned the BIG 9-0 this year so we had a big party for her on the 16th. Everyone was able to make it, so we took the opportunity to take a big family picture. Shane took the photos and he is amazing! I love all the ones he got of Andrew, I have tried to get these kind of photos and I will tell you it is not as easy as Shane made it look!

Cousins

"Cousins are just Sisters God forgot to give us"

There must have been something in the air this year...

There are so many people having babies this year! I am really excited because I have always thought that by the time I started having kids they would have no cousins to play with. That has been so upsetting for me because I love my cousins!

In fact my cousin Jessica has been my best friend for YEARS! We always talked about how we are connected at the hip, and that wasn't too far off base. I rarely remember having sleepovers with anyone else but her (and Kaylie Palmer) and whenever we were in trouble we were usually together! (I can still hear my Aunt Edie yelling, "HEATHER LEE....JESSICA LYNN!!!!!" it is so terrifying!) When her family was going through a rough time I was there for her, and when my dad had cancer and my family was struggling she was there for me. We were there for each other at a time when we both felt completely alone. We were then roommates at USU and I honestly don't know what I would have done without her. I mean my Pilonidal Cyst wasn't going to pack itself! (also a shout out my other roommates kiri and Ashley for being the spread-ers) We went to class together, partied together, wrote our missionaries together, and when we had nothing else to do we studied together! lol We were both each other's "Maid of Honor" at our weddings (to the missionaries we wrote at USU by the way) and I was able to be in the temple with her when she was endowed and when her and Mac were sealed for all time and eternity. (she was at the temple when I was married but couldn't come inside yet.) In fact the day Brian and I were sealed we forgot our Marriage License at home in Orem and Jess had to run to my house, grab it, and drive it all the way to the Jordan River Temple so we could get married! I know that no matter where we live, or where we go, we will always be best friends. I firmly believe that the only reason we are COUSINS instead of SISTERS is because there is no way either one of our moms could have handled both of us! ha ha

Anyway enough of that tangent and back to my reason for for this post. Brian's Brothers Jeremy and his wife Karen as well as his brother Ben and wife Cassie are having babies this year! Karen is due the end of August and Cassie is due the end of September, then me in December. Also Brian's BFF from the mission Nathan and Angela are due in December and my BFF Ben and Crystal are due in November! Lots and Lots of babies! I have more friends that are due this year too but I can't remember when! lol anyway I am so very excited because even though my family is pretty much finished having babies, my baby will still have cousins, and what a blessing that truly is!

Life Lessons

With all of the drama that has been going on with my family and friends over the course of the last year, I have come to realize a few things. First, no marriage is perfect. And it takes both parties working in the same direction, with the same goals, in a loving manner to get where you want to be. Second, every member of a family has their own personality. And just because you are family doesn’t mean you will get along.

I have also come to accept that no matter how bad I want a relationship with someone, if they aren’t willing to work for one, it isn’t going to happen. I have also learned that some relationships are just brain damage, and will literally suck energy and life from you.

My cousin Charlotte posted this poem as her status on Facebook the other day, and I really liked it.

As we grow up,
We learn that even the one person that wasn't supposed to ever let you down...
Probably will.
You will have your heart broken
more than once
and it's harder every time.
You'll break hearts too,
so remember how it felt when yours was broken.
You'll fight with your best friend,
and lose friends you thought you'd always have.have.
You'll blame a new love for things an old one did.
You'll cry because time is passing too fast
and you'll eventually lose someone you love.
So take too many pictures,
Laugh too much,
and love like you have never been hurt
Because every sixty seconds you spend upset
is a minute of happiness you'll never get back.


This poem is full of all kinds of “hard truths”. But life is hard, and we need to learn all of these lessons one way or another. I have decided to be happier on the inside. I think I am a pretty positive person, but I have found myself crying over dwindling relationships that I will probably never get back. No matter how many times I have written letters, sent cards, and left phone messages, it is all for not, when I am the only one working for it.

I am at a point in my life where I have realized; Who matters and who never did, who won't anymore, and who always will. So, I won’t worry about people from my past that made me frown, there's a reason why they didn't make it into my future!

I want to say a final goodbye to my fickle friends and a GREAT BIG THANK YOU, to those of you who have stuck with me, and continue to buoy me up when I am too tired to swim! I love you guys!

*Sorry if I seemed to ramble in this post, this has been on my mind for a while*