Shocking!

It would take me an hour to get my hair straight after showering, which is way too long for a mom and a soon-to-be student teacher. So I decided to cut my hair to make it easier and faster to do in the mornings. But I couldn't just cut off a few inches. My hair was so long and healthy from my pregnancy that I decided to donate it. The minimum to donate to Locks of Love is 10 inches so that is what I did! I chopped off ten inches and my hair is still below my shoulders. It is perfect for me! It also only takes 20 minutes to do my hair now, which was exactly my goal!

Formal Dinner Attire

I found these pictures while I was going through the old pictures on the computer and I just had to add it!
The first time that Jared came over to my house on a sunday night while we were dating he asked if he had to dress up. (He meant to ask if he had to wear his sunday clothes or just regular clothes) So I told him that he did, and that we would be dressed up. He did not take me seroiusly on the phone, but when he showed up Nate
(my older brother), Hilary (my younger sister), and I were wearing formal attire. It was so much fun and quite hilarious to see his reaction!!

Christmas 2008

This Christmas was so much fun. Jackson was a lot more aware of what was going on than he was last year at 11 days old. He also showed a lot of improvement since his Birthday gift opening was great practice.

Stout family tradition is to open pajamas on christmas eve. We were all matching, it was very fun.
Jackson's ball from santa was not wrapped so it was the first thing he went for when he crawled into the room. "Ball, ball..." all the way to the tree!

Jackson really loved the bear he got from his great-grandparents (The O'Neils) As soon as he opened it he hugged it as tight as he could! It was so sweet! Thanks Grandma and Grandpa!

We had a very great Christmas this year. We were all very spoiled by gifts, and love of family and friends. Thanks to everyone that helped us celebrate this great Christmas season.

Jackson's First Birthday

We just celebrated Jackson's first birthday and it was so much fun!!

Jackson's face lit up as soon as he saw the cake I brought out. I made a football cake for him and only a fifth of a second after he saw it he said, "Ball, Ball" and did the sign for ball. It certainly made the cake mess worth it!!

So I held the cake in front of him as we all tried to encourage him to get his hands in it. Jackson is a very clean boy, so it was very hard to convince him to stick his fingers in the gooey brown stuff. Then when I got a spoonful and fed it to him he immediately made an 'eew, gross' face and scooped the yucky cake out with his fingers. Then he continued to try to get the gooey stuff off by shaking his hands all over. It was so funny, all of us were laughing (except Jackson, who started to cry).
Then we moved onto opening presents. Jackson did pretty good for a one year old. Although, He really didn't like the idea of working to open his presents! On one present he found a wheel and just spun the wheel of the train, that was enough for him because he would have had to tear more paper off to get more toy.
He did really like the train after we tore the rest of the paper off!

Jackson also did not like it when we took the presents away to give him another paper wrapped box. So he got smart and started to just hold onto the toys and wave away the other unopened presents.

The toy that he really refused to put down was an awesome phone from Great-Grandma & Great-Grandpa O'Neil. Jackson loves talking on the phone and pushing buttons. Any time he hears any phone ringing he swiftly answers it by putting his hand up to his ear and saying, "Yeah". Well, now he has his own phone and he loves it!!

Special Christmas Package!!

We have quite a few family members that are too far away to see Jackson. So we decided that we would send a special present to them for Christmas...Jackson!!!

Okay don't worry we didn't really send Jackson in the mail, but he loved playing in the box!!

Last month we went down to Brian Head with Jared's family and had a ton of fun. Jackson especially loved the park that we went to in Cedar City! The swings made him giggle like crazy!!

What a Stud!!

Isn't he just the cutest thing you have ever seen!?!

I think this looks like one of those pictures you see where the little boy and little

girl are all dressed up. All he needs is a girl and a rose! :)

Halloween

Of Course Grandma couldn't resist giving me my first experience of chocolate with a Reese's Peanut Butter Cup!! It was a mess and I got mad at mom when she took the rest away from me.

This was Jackson's first Halloween and it was so much fun!!

Jackson was such an adorable monster! He absolutely loved his

costume! Whenever he would see himself in the mirror he would get a huge

grin on his face and start bouncing up and down.

We were working on his 'ROAR' for a month and it paid off, he

did it a couple of times while he was dressed up! So Cute!!!

Jared and I dressed up to match Jackson for our ward halloween party and we won second place for our costumes. :) It was really fun!

Jackson's First Haircut

So I cut Jackson's hair on Sunday night. It was long overdue as you can see! After his second surgery it just started growing really fast and it was time to make it all the same length!

If you have never cut an infant's hair before let me tell you...it takes a lot of distracting!!

Mommy Tag

1. Typically what time do you wake up? Usually around 7:30 or 8
2. On a good night what time are your kids in bed? 9:30
3. How long have you been a mommy? 266 days! :)
4. How old were you when you became a mommy? 21
5. What is your favorite kids tv show/movie? Baby Signing Time
6. What is your favorite chore? I like vaccuming I guess.
7. What is your favorite meal to cook? Chicken casserole with biscuits
8. What is the meal you cook most often? Spaghetti
9. What is your kids favorite meal? Everything
10. What is your favorite thing your husband does with your kids? When Jared tickles Jackson he laughs harder than any other time!
11.What are 5 things that make you smile when you're being a mom? 1. When Jackson claps he is so proud of himself! 2. When Jackson gets really excited he bounces up and down. 3.He does this funny thing where he scrunches up his nose and breaths really funny it is super cute! 4. He has started army crawling and getting into everything and I love it!! 5. When he gives me loves!
12. If you could take your kids anywhere where would it be? Back to the ocean, Jackson loved it!
13. When was the last time you went out without your kids? When we saw Batman a little while ago.
14. What is your favorite past time/activity to do with your kids? Reading
15. What is your favorite quality that your mom has? She is always making sure that everyone is happy
16. What is your advice for new moms? I agree with Melissa, They grow up way too fast so enjoy every moment!
17. What is the scariest or most heartbreaking moment as a mom? I would have to say that both of his surgeries were equally as scary but the first time they rolled him away from us definately broke my heart!!
18. What is your most joyful moment of being a mom? Oh, my heart melts when Jackson laughs!!!
19. What was the cutest thing your kids said today? Jackson just jabbers like there is no tomorrow and I love it all! He actually uses his tongue to make different sounds it is so stinkin' cute!
20. When was the last time you were told 'I Love You' by one of your kids? He hasn't actually said it yet but when he jabbers and is looking right at me I can't help but feel that he is trying to tell me he loves me!!

Scrapbook Weekend

Jared let Jackson and I leave him for the weekend and head up to my grandparents cabin where all my aunts, some cousins, and my mom and sisters went to have some female bonding time. What do women do for female boding time?...Scrapbook!! I loved it! It was so fun to just scrapbook all day and then to hear stories of my aunts growing up was really fun. The cabin has a back room that is kind of like a sun room so we were all overlooking the beautiful mountain scenery as we scrapbooked, it was just so awesome!!

School Starts

So school started again today. I must say that it was really weird to be back on campus full time. It was also really hard to be away from Jackson for so long! But he was really excited to see me when I got back so at least he did not forget me. :) Jared has a very full load with 15 credit hours in school, teaching two classes at Northridge Seminary, and working 30 hours at America First Credit Union! He really loves Jackson and I as you can tell because that is a crazy busy schedule!! I am doing 18 credit hours and luckily I am not working. Well I guess I am working because Jackson is a full time job!

Happy Birthday Jared!

I consider myself the luckiest female on the planet! I have the best husband and best friend that I could have ever asked for. Jared, you are so special and important to me. I am extremely grateful for all of the hard work you put into providing for our family and our future. Our life together has been full of a lot of surprises already, (especially since you are insistent on scaring me every time I come around the corner!) but it is a life that I would never trade. I love this picture because it shows how much Jackson loves his daddy! You are just such an amazing dad and husband!!

Jared I love you so much!!

Happy Birthday my sweetheart!!!

Happy Fourth of July!!

We spent the fourth of July up in Rupert, Idaho where Jared's dad grew up.
We had some fun times with the family including barbecues, volleyball, and swimming.

When Life Gives You Lemons...

We sure have experienced some 'lemon' times lately. We realized that Jackson's surgery was not working while we were in DisneyLand. I was told to keep measuring his head, and it grew a half a centimeter every two days...which is a lot! So the monday after we got back from our trip we took Jackson to his appointment with his neurosurgeon and prepared for the shunt. Not that a shunt is the worst thing for Jackson, it can really be a good thing, we just wanted the first surgery to work!

So they admitted Jackson and he had his second brain surgery at 4:00 pm on the 16th of June.
Jackson did really well, except for the no eating part...he does not like that!! He also does not like his mom during the times he cannot eat. So he is lucky that he has such a great dad to hold him and to help ease the hunger aches.

Jackson with his GrannyMa just after surgery. He is still goopy orange.
Mickey was at Primary Children's to visit the kids. Jackson loved it!
Mickey gave him a Mickey stuffed animal. He loves it! Especially the nose
because it is perfect for his teething gums to chew on!!


By the time we were ready to go home Jackson was feeling so much better and

we could see a huge change! We are so glad to have our Jack Jack back!!!!!!!!

California Here We Come!!!

For our summer vacation this year we got to go with my family to southern california. We were all over the place...

We went to Universal Studios for a little while.
We spent a whole day in DisneyLand. Jared and Jackson's first time!!


Our favorite ride was the buzz lightyear ride! Especially because
Jackson got to go on it. We rode it like 10 times!!!
Jackson got his first pair of mickey ears!!

We spent a day at the pool and a day at the beach.
"We buried Aunt Hilary's legs in the sand. He He He," says Jackson

We spent the morning of June 12th at the San Diego Zoo. Which was really fun.
Here's Jackson...just monkeyin' around!

And we spent the afternoon at Sea World. Jackson loved the fish, especially the whales!

Then we spent another day at DisneyLand. Jackson's favorite ride this time

was the winnie the pooh ride. Here he is...just loving it!!