Jaxson Talks

Yesterday, Jaxson discovered his voice. I took some video so his daddy could see and hear this new development while he's away at work.

Big Fat Update

Kylie began piano lessons this past fall. It's been a joy watching this new talent emerge. I was thrilled to be invited to play a duet with her at her Christmas recital.

Every year the Bodilys host an elegant Christmas Eve dinner. This year was especially fun because Brian's sister Jill and her husband Doug drove out from Indiana to celebrate the holidays with us, and Brian's brother Dean surprised us all (including his wife and kids) by coming home from Iraq for a 2 week leave. We invited the local missionaries to join us, and Elder Ta'Ala and Elder Fransisco entertained us with a few songs on the ukelele. They brought a sweet spirit to our celebration.

Jaxson seemed to enjoy all the snuggles from his family, especially from his Aunt Jill.

Kylie was getting tired of having her picture taken...can you tell? Grandma Bodily gives all the grandkids pajamas for Christmas, and we always have to get a picture of the girls together.

Santa almost didn't make an appearance this year, but even the big kids insisted he had to come and give them their traditional ornament gift. (Brian's dad is a good sport!)

Christmas morning was big and fun with Kylie's cousins and wrapping paper everywhere. Some of Kylie's favorite gifts were a unicorn Pillow Pet...

Playmobil horse stable....

And the Wii game Spyro: Dawn of the Dragon. I think that might have been her very favorite.

Although Christmas Day felt more like Spring, a snow storm came a few days later. Brian and Kylie had made a huge snowman, but his head had melted with the thaw. They took Sallie the cat out with them to make a new head for the poor snowman. Sallie was not happy and yowled in protest. Her tail even puffed up with distress.

Jaxson just keeps growing and getting cuter every day. He makes a cute little gnome baby in his Grandma Mickie sweater at 2 months old. He's such a good baby and has the sweetest smile. He gives his biggest smiles to his big sister, who he watches very intently.

Favorite Baby Things

I was the lucky recipient of 3 amazing baby items that I have come to love and consider must-haves for new moms. First, I love my Tummy Tub! (Thanks, Mom!) My friend Kerry introduced me to this method of bathing babies. While awkward at first, I now love it. The Tummy Tub is a specially designed bucket that creates a womb-like environment in which babies feel safe and secure. The water stays warm for much longer, and the baby can be submersed to the shoulders. Jaxson will play in his bath for a good 20 minutes. When he was brand new, he would screw his eyes shut and howl whenever I removed his clothes for a bath. But as soon as he got in his bath, he immediately relaxed and opened his eyes. It's a great transition from womb to world. And it's small and easy to store--very important for me. As Brian is demonstrating, the bath can take place anywhere. My favorite is to set the tub in front of the tv, pull up the stool, and watch a show while Jaxson has his soak. Don't worry, I spend lots of time talking and smiling at him...but come on, 20 minutes is a long time! It's nice to have the tv to keep me company.

I also love my JJ Cole Diaper Caddy. We currently live in a 2 bedroom basement apartment and space is limited. I do not have a changing table (or room for one) and this is a perfect solution. The caddy holds a large box of wipes on one side and diapers on the other side. The little drawer is perfect for creams, nail clippers, lavender oil, q-tips, etc. I usually leave the changing pad on the floor and the box right next to it. If guests are coming, I fold up the pad and tuck it inside the box. If I'm in another room, Kylie can fetch the caddy for me, or I can take it with me from room to room as needed. Such a handy little thing!

Fisher Price makes this rocker sleeper that is absolutely wonderful. I have heard that boys are more prone to reflux, so I was happy to find a way to elevate the baby while sleeping. This turned out to be a wise choice since Jaxson will spit up continuously as long as he is horizontal. I also love that it rocks. If he starts to wake up, I can rock him back to sleep. It's also the perfect height for placing it next to your bed. I love how small and portable it is too. I put Jaxson in this and push it all around the house with me as I move from room to room. I push it into my bedroom for daytime naps, then push it into the living room at night. I push it into the kitchen so he can watch me prepare meals. It also folds in half for storage or travel.