Scott, Ashley, Rachel & Alexa: 2011

Friday, December 30, 2011

Christmas Day

As Christmas began to draw near, everyone at work insisted that it wouldn’t matter what we bought for Rachel for Christmas because she was only going to play with the boxes and wrapping paper. Rachel proved them all wrong. Once she figured out that tearing the paper revealed a friend on a box, she helped us open the presents. Then, the exciting thing happened. Tearing the paper away revealed a toy! Not just any toy, but a toy that makes noise! Rachel was so excited about the songs that she started dancing. We love the little dance she does while sitting on her knees.

This year, we put a request in for Santa to stop at our home. Since he knew it was Rachel’s first Christmas, he left behind two elves to guard the presents. This was probably smart on his part to keep me out of the presents! Scott must have given him a tip.

Rachel made fast friends with our visiting elves. I just hope they are willing to come back for another visit next year!

Christmas Cards

We are always being told how social Rachel is with other people. When Scott is in the lobby at church, she has been known to smile and wave at almost every person that comes in the door. In addition to being the building greeter, she also has to say hello to every child that crosses her path! Our friends Brent and Buffy have two children that are not too much older than Rachel. I opened a Christmas card from them one day while I was holding Rachel and she almost jumped out of my arms to get it! She loved all the Christmas cards we received, but when there was a picture of someone she knew, it was even more exciting for her. I tried to get the card away from her so that I could put it on the fridge, but every time I picked it up from the floor, she noticed and came crawling to get it from me. I was able to capture just a moment with her enjoying seeing her friends. (Notice her hair in the ponytail…it’s getting so long!)

Update

While we were in Utah, there was much encouragement to walk. When we came home, we were to the point where she would lift her hands up so that she could grab our fingers and walk around the house instead of crawl. On December 17, she took her first steps. She continues to actively try to walk multiple times each day. After taking 3-6 steps, she’ll gently fall to the ground and congratulate herself on her attempt by happily clapping. This must show that we encourage her progress often. In addition to walking, Rachel has 8 teeth and possibly one more on its way. We have still not found anything that she won’t eat!

Christmas Decorations

Christmas was the next big holiday for Rachel. We tried to show her the lights at Costco one night, but she wasn’t really interested, nor did she understand why it was special. In addition to that, Scott wearing a Santa hat was just too funny! She laughed until we tried to take her picture with it, then the hat ceased to be funny.

We set up the Christmas tree while she was enjoying nap time and had it ready to decorate just as she woke up. When I went to get Rachel out of bed, she first heard the Christmas music we had playing on the stereo. She was a little confused because it was piano music, but it wasn’t coming from the piano. Rachel has proved time and time again that she understands a lot more than someone might expect. As we were about to turn the corner to see the tree, I had Scott turn off all the lights so the tree would stand out more. Rachel was still trying to figure out how the music was coming from our living room when there was no piano, and then I turned the corner. There was an audible gasp from her at her first sight of the tree! She immediately pointed at the tree and looked from the tree to me and back again with a questioning look as to what it was and why it was there.

I sat and showed her the lights as well as a jingle bell ornament that we placed on the lowest branches for her. We always knew when she was at the tree because we could hear those jingle bells. Eventually, she figured out two things: 1-the jingle bell was the exact size of her mouth; 2-there were other sparkly ornaments on the tree to play with. She could get the jingle bell in her mouth, but wasn’t always able to get it out because it was just the same size as her little mouth! As for the other ornaments, she quickly learned that she could fish hook herself if she wasn’t careful while sucking on the ornament hangers. There were tears, but we were lucky there was no puncture wound or blood. She didn’t do that again.

Rachel made sure to point out the Christmas trees everywhere we went. We went to Michael’s Craft Store one day and had to walk down the aisle with the Christmas trees. The display trees are set up on tables and just happened to create the same view she sees at home…the underside of the Christmas trees. This, again, caused some confusion. She pointed and looked back and forth from the trees to me with a look of excitement and confusion. I could tell she knew we had one at home, but wasn’t sure why they were here at the store. Eventually, she just pointed at everything and said, “Oooooh!”

Thursday, December 29, 2011

Thanksgiving

Lindsay & Jeremy normally come up every year for Thanksgiving. This year, the opportunity fell in our laps to have the entire week off…so we headed to Utah this time. I’m certain they enjoyed the change of not having to make the drive this year. On our way down, we made a stop in Boise to see our friends who just moved. If you remember, Rachel and Kellen were born the same week in January. While Kellen and Rachel played together, Danette and I took the opportunity to go shopping for a little while! Scott and Jeremy stayed home with the kids and watched whatever college football game was on. I honestly think they were caught unaware. Danette and I grabbed keys and just told them we’d be back in a bit, then left! It was so wonderful to spend time with them. We have truly missed having them nearby and can’t wait to get out for another visit. We stayed in Boise a little longer than expected, but it ended up being perfect because Rachel slept most of the 4-hour trip from Danette’s to Lindsay’s. By the time we arrived at our final destination, poor Rylie & Tyson had just fallen asleep. It ended up being fine, though, because it gave everyone a lot of energy to play the next day!

Rylie showed Rachel the kitchen in the preschool area. Rachel started making Rylie breakfast just like she sees Dad make for Mom. I couldn’t help but laugh at how comfortable she looked in the little kitchen.

Just like in any unfamiliar kitchen, Rachel had to look around to find what she needed/wanted. Eventually, she came across something she recognized and didn’t hesitate to use it! It was a bottle in the dramatic play area. Rachel would tip the bottle back to drink out of it, not get anything, then take it out of her mouth and look at it. She didn’t quite understand why she wasn’t getting anything…she could see something in it!

Eventually, she moved on to taking peoples’ orders at the window with Tyson. We had so much fun playing with the cousins! Later in the week, we made it down to visit with Kerri, Brandon, & Austin, as well as Megan and Jacob. Sadly, we didn’t take any pictures there. We then spent Thanksgiving at Jan and Randy’s with the whole family.

Monday, October 31, 2011

Trick or Treat!

The Friday before Halloween is always dedicated to carving pumpkins. Rachel was very interested from the very beginning. We let her put her hand in the pumpkin and the spaghetti-like insides went straight to her mouth. Our job was to then make sure she didn’t get the seeds.

Once the pumpkins were cleaned out, we thought we’d see what she thought of the pumpkins up closer. Rachel had seen us take the pumpkin lids on and off and quickly learned how to for herself. Again, it went straight to her mouth. We figured it would since she loves squash. While we carved with our knives, she sat and carved into the lid with her teeth! Once lit, Rachel couldn’t keep her eyes off the pumpkins. Every time we moved her, she would go back to where she could see the glowing pumpkins.

We decided to only participate in our ward’s annual Halloween party this year. It is very well attended by everyone in the ward as well as all of the friends and family! We had to dress Rachel up and had been trying to figure out since last year (remember the lobster in the pot?) what she would attend the party dressed as. When I was visiting teaching my friend, she mentioned she was getting rid of all of their old Halloween costumes. Baby number 6 (also known as one of Rachel’s many suitors) wouldn’t be a monkey this year, and we were welcome to it if we wanted.

I always dress as a witch for the Trunk or Treat, so it only made sense that our monkey needed wings! Saturday afternoon, Scott and I went to work bending a hanger and cutting up old nylons (I knew I kept those for a reason) to make a perfect little pair of wings. She held so still for Scott while he fixed them so that they hung straight on her back. (Ding! An angel got her wings!) I love this picture because she looks like she knows about the excitement that comes along with Halloween for the older kids. She was much more confused when we got to the church.

We let Rachel crawl to the front door in her costume, which took longer than normal. Those big monkey feet got in her way and she had to stop for a rest. It probably didn’t help that she didn’t nap long enough that morning.

Before we left for the party, she was such a good sport and enjoyed sitting next to those pumpkins again for some pictures with wings. Rachel was the only flying monkey at the party. Everyone loved her, especially all of our friends in Primary!

Our Monkey

We have taken to calling Rachel “Monkey.” She is 9-months now and has been crawling and climbing on everything! She learned how to stand in her crib one day and was so proud of herself that she actually started jumping on her bed when I walked in. Yet another reason she is a monkey. I have a feeling we are going to learn “No More Monkeys Jumping on the Bed” very well! Later that same nap time, I came in to find her at the end of her bed waiting patiently for me. At least she wasn’t jumping this time.

Rachel is 9-months now and I’ve included the results from her appointment below for those of you that are interested.

Height: 2’3” (31.96%)

Weight: 15 lbs 11.5 oz (5.73%)

Head Circumference: 17.01” (27.60%)

The dr’s exact words were “She’s just a skinny Minnie!” We’re not sure how…she eats sooo much!

Sunday, October 9, 2011

Piano

We love to play the piano in our house! If you remember, we acquired a piano last fall, but there was no bench with it. Grandma Jo had an organ bench that she brought down for us last spring, but she was worried because organ benches are typically taller than piano benches. Turns out, it is the perfect height for a small child! Thanks, Granny!

Saturday, October 8, 2011

Pears

Rachel first had pears in the car on our way to Utah in August. She ate them so fast, smiling the whole time! She loves pears! Our neighbor has a pear tree, so we went and picked a couple a while ago. I was cutting some up to freeze several weeks ago and gave her a few small pieces. They were so juicy that they kept slipping through her fingers and back onto her highchair tray. After having a couple of pears, we decided we needed more. Last night, Scott was cutting up some pears to freeze, when we decided to just give Rachel a whole pear. It started with me holding the pear to give to Scott and Rachel just leaned down for it. (Everything goes in her mouth!) We washed and peeled a small portion and let her try to take a bite. She made such good progress that we peeled the whole pear and put her in her chair. She loved every bite! We’ll have to make sure we buy more pears throughout the year so she remembers them next fall when they’re on again!

Curious

We’ve had a very busy week and a half around here! Rachel has become so curious over the last couple of months, that we have been weary of when she learned to crawl. That day finally came a week and a half ago. Since then, she also had another tooth come in, making four now. She has also discovered that she can go from the living room to the kitchen if she hears one of us in there without her. Rachel also has figured out this week how to climb over our legs to get something that we might have “hidden” from her. Rachel has also become very fond of playing! One of her favorite games is peek-a-boo, whether it’s with a blanket or behind an object like the couch, she jumps and laughs so much. In this picture, she was actually looking for Scott, who was just standing behind me.

NBA Lockout

We have a disappointed Blazer fan on our hands. The “smacker” is from the playoffs last spring.

Sunday, September 18, 2011

Carrots!

This morning we got an early phone call letting us know that there had been a small fire at our church building and church was cancelled. No one was hurt, but there was water damage because the sprinkler system went off. Since we were suddenly home for the day, we started working on dinner. The bag of carrots had a lot of long, skinny carrots. I peeled one and cut the ends off to give the Rachel. We haven’t found a food that she doesn’t like yet. As you can see, this carrot was long! She used her 3 little teeth (yes, she just got a new one two days ago!) to gnaw on the carrot. We love this picture because it looks like she is playing a horn.

In case you hadn’t noticed, she does have some crazy hair! It is always like this after she wakes up. We use a soft toothbrush as a hair brush right now. It takes a lot to tame this mess, which is why she always has a hair bow of some variety on.

Family Reunion

We had our first ever Beene Family Reunion! Since Mom and Boop only had two daughters, it was a small reunion, but we all had an absolute blast! We swam at the “Hannah Montana” Hotel (Holiday Inn Express) Friday night, then went to the lake on Saturday. We all made an attempt at wakeboarding, but Scott and I were unsuccessful. Hopefully next year we’ll have pictures of that to share!

Jeremy was in a small accident with the tractor the week before we came down, so he rested next to the pool and drove the boat. I think we saw him more this trip than we ever have in the past! And he was worried about ruining our trip...even Rachel got to sit on his lap!

Rachel was a little leery of the cold pool water, so we went and dipped in the hot tub! We had to sing our bath song, The Wise Man and the Foolish Man, for her to be comfortable enough with the water to enjoy it. Eventually, she warmed up to the idea and got in to play.

There aren’t many pictures of Scott in the pool because he was busy throwing Rylie and Tyson in the air. They were delighted to have Scott in the pool with them since Jeremy couldn’t. We did get a picture of the three of us though. Rachel was trying to push Scott out of the way so she could see everything. She still doesn’t want to miss anything!

Always Someone to Visit

As always, we made our way to Megan’s house for a short visit. When we saw Jacob in March, he was learning to walk. This time, he was much more interested in visiting with us and “Baby!” Jacob and Rachel played together for a few minutes and shared a book. By this point in our trip, Rachel was almost too tired to socialize. She did her best and didn’t complain at all. I hope she is this good when she is older and we are visiting everyone in the state of Utah!

Rachel and Austin

The weekend before we went to Utah, Kerri and Brandon were able to stay with us for Amy’s wedding. We were so busy that we didn’t get any pictures with the two of them. I didn’t really make it a priority since we had a lot going on and knew we’d be seeing the again soon. These are our favorite near the Christus.

We went outside for a few shots next to the summer flowers. Someone walking by didn’t realize they were cousins and commented on how cute these pictures will be at their wedding! They immediately apologized when they were informed of the relation!

Again, Austin has to try and grab that flower! Rachel is not so keen on people messing with her hair.

Updated Picture

When we were in Hawaii, Scott and I were able to visit the visitors’ center in Laie. A very kind senior missionary took our picture with the Christus there. Obviously, the picture was outdated as soon as Rachel was born. As much as we wish we could go back for a new picture in Hawaii, we were already in Salt Lake with Kerri and Brandon. Our picture has been updated to include our whole family, small as it may be!

Breakfast with Rylie

While we were in Utah, Rachel had lots of time to play with Rylie and Tyson! Rylie even learned how to feed a baby. Rachel was very patient while Rylie was feeding her, and Rylie did a very good job keeping Rachel mostly clean!

Monday, August 22, 2011

Playing with Ry-Ty

Rylie and Tyson love to play outside in the summer. This year, Other Nan (also known as Cindy) bought a pool for them to enjoy. We tried swimming in it the first day we were with Rylie and Tyson, but the water was really quite cold. Rachel would pull her feet out as soon as we touched them into the water. We covered the pool and let the sun warm it. The next afternoon, it was almost like a cool bath! We got Rachel in her new swimsuit (Thanks Linds!) and got in the pool. We made slow progress at first, but then got into the floaty. Rylie was so excited that Rachel was in the pool with her! We floated in the seat, then put on the life jacket. Rachel was a little unsure of the life jacket, but quickly became unhappy when I laid her down on her back in the water. It was all downhill from there! It’s a good thing we spent some quality time with Ry in the pool before the life jacket, because we had to get out after that experience.

The other thing we did outside was swing! We use the term swing loosely because the swing is actually a hammock. Scott was outside holding Rachel and playing with Tyson. Rachel eventually fell asleep and Tyson still wanted to play. He gave Scott the choice: “Would you rather hold Rachel while she’s asleep? Or come swing me?” Scott continued to hold Rachel, but they made sure to swing later. Rachel was tired and a little worried at first, but quickly grew accustomed to the swing. She even gave a few little smiles!

Princess Rachel

On our way to Utah, we made a stop for lunch in Boise at the Burger King (hence the cell phone picture). This was Rachel’s first trip to Burger King as we don’t eat too much fast food. I didn’t think it would work out too well, but I grabbed a crown out of the box and put it on her. She actually kept it on! The gal at the register was so impressed that she made me switch it out so that she had a girl crown instead of a boy crown. What a horrible mother…I didn’t even realize there was a difference! We’ll be certain to pay attention to that in the future.