Whew!

What a whirlwind these past 3 1/2 months have been!  Being a Mom is seriously amazing.  I didn't realize I would love it so much.  It has been really hard too but it's the best thing ever!  I'll start from where I left off last time.  June turned out to have colic.  Luckily it only lasted until she was about 3 months and it went away.  It was stressful for a while though.  She would just scream all day long and she would literally rip out my hair.  And I had Mastitis that kept coming back and makes you feel like you have the flu all the time and is really painful.  By the time Jake got home from work, I was a bawling crazy person.  We tried every possible kind of formula for Junie, special no-bubble bottles, acid reflux medication, "cholic calm", probiotics, and pretty much every reasonable thing people suggested.  Nothing seemed to work.  She just had to grow out of it I guess.  I just danced around the house with her all day singing "give a hoot, don't pollute" because that was all I could ever think of when she was screaming like that.  Right when I was to my breaking point is when things got better.  I guess the Lord knows how much we can take.  Jake's sister Mel took some cute pictures when she was about 1 month:

That last one is the way I mostly remember her.  She would stiffen up and stand on my lap while screaming in my face.  We affectionately call it "the stand and holler".  But, at around 3 months, she started acting happy most of the time!  It's been so much fun!  She only freaks out sometimes.  We like to walk to the library, lay on the lawn, play peek-a-boo, and sometimes just chat.  She is very social for a baby her age as far as I can tell.  Sometimes she just wants to lay there and babble at me.  Her favorite words are "ggggoooooo", and "awoooo".  She loves when I talk or sing really high.  We blessed her in June.  It was great weather that day and both families came up.  We had the meal at the park around the corner from my house.  Here are some pictures. 

with my Mom

She is growing so fast!  I was amazed how fast she was out of her newborn-size clothes.  She learns new tricks all time.  She loves to eat her fists and wring her hands together like she has an evil plan. She recently discovered her feet and now they are all the rage.  When I put her in her crib at night, she rolls on her side and arches her back.  Then she kicks her legs in her sleep and runs in circles all night.  I find her in the craziest places in the morning!!  She even rolls over (from belly to back) and sleeps through the night!  Woooooo!  I never thought that day would come.  But I'm lucky.  I hear it takes a lot longer for some.  Here are some more recent pictures:

with our nephew Cooper

talking and talking

What fun!!  As for Jake and I, lots of the same.  Jake's business is going well!  It gets better every year.  This Summer has already been better than last.  He is optimistic about the future.  He is an advisor in the Young Men's in our ward (a calling that suits him really well I think.)  He really loves mowing the lawn with the new (actually old bought from KSL) riding lawn mower.  He even takes June for a spin and she loves it.  I am keeping busy.  June is my main thing of course all day every day, but it is fun to have a few extra hobbies on the side.  Jake is really supportive of that.  I am Vice Pres. of Cache Regional Theatre Company which is now called Top of Utah Entertainment!  We are producing Les Miserables the student version right now involving students from all the different high schools in Cache Valley.  I am music directing.  It is a huge job but is lots of fun!  I'm thankful for the opportunity.  This valley has lots of talent!  I'm also going to be Jane in Jane Eyre the Musical this coming Feb. with Music Theatre West.  I am so excited!  Just when I think opportunities have run out for me, the Lord opens a door (or a few)!  It always amazes me.  It is like they say, after harsh trials come the good stuff.  "rain will make the flowers grow".  I can honestly say that these last 2 years have been the hardest of my life so far.  It has made me thankful for the blessings I have.  There were some serious low points like the miscarriage and the depression that followed, or when were were homeless living in the attic at Laser Precision and I was throwing up in a bucket all day and night.  I remember at that moment not wanting to wake up in the morning.  When I was asleep I could escape that life just for a little while.  But I always did wake up.  And I would just have to put one foot in front of the other and say "here goes another day".  We are still working on our house.  It is starting to look really nice!  It is unique and our own.  The kitchen is finished and the wood floors are almost completely redone.  I need to upload some pictures soon.  It is so amazing to have a kitchen!  I'm going to start teaching a few voice students again next month.  I fortunately inherited my Grandma's piano.  It is old and not worth much they say, but it is beautiful and special to me.   We just got back from a trip to Seaview with Jake's family.  I'll post some pictures of that later.  Here's one though:

(and you thought this post would never end ha ha)