New York Here We Come!

The votes are in.....

we are going to Buffalo, New York. We are so excited that Eric was accepted to that school. It was one of his top picks and he got in. He is really excited about the program because of how good it is and it is a cheaper place to live...just like Rexburg. But it will be fun because we will be able to buy a house and not have to live in an apartment any more. We are super excited.

Walking and Snow

This is our real first snow. Porter was hilarious because he wanted to sit down and crawl away, but when he sat down his hand got in the snow and he didn't like it. So then he was going to do whatever it took to stay standing. It was pretty funny to watch. But after a minute out in the snow he was frozen. Poor kid, and we live in Rexburg. He told us after this that he wants to move to warmer climates, which mom and dad would not object to.

Then this is Porter walking around in our apartment with his little push car. He loves this thing and can really walk pretty fast with it. We changed it into a car the other day and gave him a ride on it. He loved it. He has also learned to sort the laundry and carry on conversations with other babies. Unfortunately I cannot going to put all of little video's that I have. So you will just have to come and visit us so that you can see him and all the cute things that he does.

Ready for Church

I was so excited this Sunday to take Porter to church because he looked so cute. Unfortunately it is cold up here so we have to wear layer. I think I even put on a coat over this for him. But he just looked all schnazzy with his shoes, suit coat, and vest. It was like he was all grown up. Don't you think that he is the cutest boy ever?

Standing Alone

Porter is getting really excited that he can now stand by himself. He is starting to climb up on things and then let go of his own accord other than mom and dad making him. We are also excited as that means that he is going to walk soon and we don't have to carry him everywhere.

Eric also got an elk this year. I don't really understand the picture...but if you want to hear a hunting story that will make you laugh you better call Eric and find out how he got this elk.

Porter's First Halloween

Here I come to save the day!

dut duh duh, duhduhduhduhduh, dut duh duh, duhduhduhduhduhduh, duhduhduh duuuuuh duh, duhduhduh duuuuuuh duh ....you get the picture. (I know that is hard to imagine in your head, but it is the Superman theme song.) Porter had his first Halloween and he had so much fun. He even got to stay up to 9:30 because we had friends over and he didn't want to miss any of the action. He was so cute crawling around in his cape and he didn't seem to mind it at all. I just love being a mom and getting to dress up my kids.

Resting after flying, it really makes ya tired.

He even got to save a local turtle
(This is Avery, I babysit her on Friday's, she is 4 months old)

Hunting Season

So hunting season has been open for 2.5 weeks and in the two weekends that Stephen (Eric's brother) and Eric have gone they both got a deer. Stephen got a 3 point and Eric got a 4x3 before they got rained or snowed out of the mountains. So here is a picture of Eric's deer. I also had the fun experience of cutting up the meat when they got back. I have learned a lot.

Bucky the Wonder Horse

This is Porters first time on Bucky the Wonderhorse. He thought it was great until he wacked his mouth on the mane of Bucky. It was cute until he started crying.

Snow Days

Porter had his first snow this week. He thought it was funny but did not really want to go outside which doesn't usually happen. We will take more to show when it actually sticks to the ground.

8 months in Idaho

Playin' in the tub

Well, we are back in Idaho, and thank goodness. We loved Arizona, but we are excited not only to be out of the heat, but to be back with friends. What a magical place Rexburg is. Porter is still growing like a weed and wants to walk probably more than we can know. He just turned 8 months and I can't believe is getting so big. He pulls himself up on everything and unfortunately has taken quite a few falls. But he is getting better at getting down and is working so hard on his balance. He has had the new experience of grass, but now loves it and will crawl all over it when we go outside, which is a lot now that we can.

8 month picture

Porter has really started to grow up a little. He is seven months old, crawling, pulling himself up on anything he can support his weight on, and getting into everything. I cannot believe how big he has gotten. He is about 20 lbs and about 28 inches long (almost out of his carseat). I just wanted to share a couple of fun pictures that we have of him from the last little while.

Porter has grown very attached to his daddy and loves spending time with him.

We spent the 4th in Utah with family and took our first family picture since Porters blessing.

Porter also loves to stare at himself in the mirror. I guess that he thinks that he is just ridiculously good-looking or something because he will just sit there and smile at himself for as long as we let him.

Solids!!

This was Porters first time eating solid foods. It was so funny to watch his face. I guess it wasn't really that solid because we made it thin enough so that he could eat it. It turned out to be as runny as slightly chunky milk. (I know that sounds kind of gross). Anyway, he wanted it so bad that he would get mad if his mouth was empty and there wasn't more coming right then. He even wanted to try to feed himself. It was great fun. We will see how it works again as we make it a little thicker next time.

But in the end he was a very happy boy!

UTAH!!

Porter wearing daddy's glasses

We went up to Utah for a good two weeks to spend time with Aunt Krista and Uncle Carl while mom and dad were in Norway. It was a lot of fun to be in the cooler weather. But then it got hot again.

Porter playing in the same jumper that his daddy used

Aunt Krista running 100 m hurdles in regional finals

We also got to watch Krista run two day straight and play soccer as well. It was fun because I didn't know anything about track but now I know a little. It was a lot of fun. We had a blast in Utah and Porter got to go on a plane for the first time. He just stared at the screaming baby next to us like "what is your problem?" So he was a good kid. Porter also turned four months old in May. But he did not want to sit next to his bear, he wanted to hold it and eat it.

California Vacation

Porter getting ready to go

We got to take our first real family vacation. It was so much fun to see so much family. And it was fun as parents to have everyone google over our little boy.

Porter sleeping with Great G-ma & G-pa Funsch

Porter hanging out with grandpa

Our families first time to the beach together

Above: Porter with Aunt Kelly

Right: Porter sleeping with Emily, (2nd cousin?)

Fun in the Sun

Sorry that last one was posted so late. We were in the process of trying to get ready to move and I am just a little slow with it. Anyway, now we are here in sunny Arizona where we are already dying of heat. The natives here think we are insane wearing shorts and t-shirts with no jackets all the time. One of Eric's mission companions thought our apartment was cold and kept his sweater on the whole time he was here. I guess it is because when we left Idaho it was in the mid 50's or so. Here it is around 75 or 80 already.

Well, we celebrated Porter's 3 month birthday yesterday and he is just doing wonderful things. He wants to see everything that is around him. He is really starting to play with his toys now. Just this last week he started to reach out and grab the toys in front of him during tummy time. I was shocked and had to call Eric at work. The same with his toys that hang from his carseat (which he hates now because of long car trips.) We are finally getting back on schedule, just to go off it again when we go on vacation to California next week. We are so excited for a real break. And mom is excited to take Porter to the beach for the first time. He likes the pool when he gets to relax in his pool floatie, otherwise he just doesn't know what to do with so much water. But I absolutely love his bathing suit. (Thanks Grandma King) It will be fun for him to see so many great-grandparent and great aunts and uncles (what a weird thought).

We also got to spend Easter Sunday with Kevin, Laura, and Sierra down in Tucson before we moved into our apartment. It was fun to see what the two babies would do with each other. They are eight months apart and hilarious to watch getting used to other babies. Porter was looking at her like he had never seen another little person before. It was great.

Mom is also going to take Porter up to Utah next month to play with Uncle Carl for two weeks. It will be fun for us to see more family and get to know baby Mason (Porter's first boy cousin on the Nielsen side). It is definitely an exciting time in life for our little family.

(this is Porter and Sierra trying to sit up next to each other at Kevin and Laura's. Laura and I could not get Sierra or Porter to look at us for forever. I think Laura finally did, but I don't have that picture. Aren't they cute though?)

Smile

As we come closer to Porter's two month birthday, we are still amazed at all the things that he can do. We caught one of his smiles on camera which was a lot of fun. Especially because most of the time he is staring at the ceiling, go figure. He likes to spend a lot of his time smiling and talking to inanimate objects like his lion on his bouncer seat. But sometimes he talks to mom and smiles at her and dad, which makes them feel good about themselves. He is also really good at letting us know when he needs his diaper changed, this kid does not like to be wet or dirty, which makes mom think that potty training is going to be a little easier when the time comes. He also loves to play in the bath. He has started to kick around and splash a little although he can't quite figure it out yet. He has started to try to figure out his hands. He concentrates really hard when he is trying to hit his toys, or just wants to suck on his hand. What a funny child.

At two months he now weighs 14 lbs. 2 oz. and is 24 inches long. Which makes him in the 90th percentile. What a big kid. He just recently grew out of his 0-3 months clothes, which is sad because he looks so cute in all of them. He was really grumpy on this day, but this is the best picture I could get.

Valentines and 1 Month

We can't believe how fast time flies. Our family just celebrated our first holiday together, and even Porter got valentines from some family members. It was so much fun. Porter has not ceased to grow and gain weight. As you can see he is a little chunker now, which means that he is healthy. (Wouldn't it be great if that was true for every age?) Last time we went to the doctor Porter weighed 11 lbs. even and we think that he is a little over 23" long. Wow! I can't believe how much he has grown from looking at the pictures of him when he was first born. He has really filled out.

We got our first family picture taken on Valentine's Day, but Porter protested and didn't want to participate. Unfortunately, mom and dad made him do it anyway. I think he was actually hungry at that time.

We have also celebrated Porter's one month birthday on the same day as Presidents Day was recognized. Mom and dad ate chocolate cake. (Porter got it a little later that night.) How fun it has been to watch him grow and progress. He experiments with his vocal cords and is learning how to sleep better at night. Mom and dad are very excited for that. But we are still trying to figure out who he looks like more. We have not got it down yet.

New Addition to the Family

On January 19th we welcomed Porter Paul Nielsen into our family after the long 9 month wait. He weighed 8 lbs. 3 oz. and was 19.5 inches long, not counting his long toes. He is a smorgasbord of both mom and dad with definite features from both sides. He is learning and growing so fast. He already knows how to tell us when he is hungry, can get his hands out of any mitten or covers that you put on his hands, and can still squish into a ball the size of moms tummy when she was pregnant with him. His talents are endless. We look forward to seeing all of his new firsts that are going to happen every day.

This was our first Christmas together. And with the baby on the way sometime soon, we decided to stay home and not travel anywhere. (And besides, Eric is tired of me complaining about being uncomfortable when we are in the car.) So we spent the day in our pajamas doing nothing but cooking and spending time together. It was great as both of us have had a very busy semester.

Athough we did go down to Utah for Rebecca's wedding which was so much fun. We got to see a lot of family, which always makes it exciting. I played basketball for a while, which wasn't the smartest idea, and started some contractions for me. Eric thought that we might have the baby the night before the wedding, but they stopped and the baby is doing fine and still playing in my tummy. Oh well, it has a little time to go still anyway.