Funny Bones!

Jace waiting for his shots.

Well Jace is 5 months!! He is growing big and doing great! He had his shots last Thursday and after having a fever and being sore the next day, he is back to his old happy self. He now weighs 16 1/2 pounds and is 26 1/2 inches long! Jace is really getting into a fun stage. He will play in his jumper and laugh at nothing! And it's not just a little laugh, it's a LOL laugh. He just cracks all of us up when he does that. He is getting better at sitting up and I got to snatch a picture of him today practicing on dad's lap.

Friday after his bath (which made him feel better) something tickled his funny bone. I sneezed and he just busted out laughing! He kept laughing after I'd done it a few times, so Grandma JoAnn grabbed the camera and we got to record this little funny. He isn't laughing as hard as he was because he loves the camera and it distracted him, but it's still pretty darn cute! I love being a mom!!!!!!!

Jace's New Trick

Hey Everyone!
Jace has finally let me catch his new trick on camera. It's about time too! He's been able to roll over with help the last month, but now his practice has paid off and he can do it on his own. Now we just have to get him to go the other way :)
My big boy just keeps getting bigger!

Happy Birthday Isaac!!!!

This year Isaac turned 7! We got to have him for his birthday this year because he was here for Thanksgiving, and it was a blast! We had a small party at Grandma Hartle's with Uncle Troy and Aunt Jamee and their kids as well as Grandma and Grandpa Merkley. Isaac wanted me to make him a cake, so I bought a Harry Potter cake pan and decorated it. It took a couple of hours, but I had a ton of fun making it for him. And it actually turned out great!!

We're Thankful For....

Well it's finally Thanksgiving, and that means we have a special day to reflect on things Ryan and I are thankful for.

Ryan's Entry:

This year has been exceptionally eventful from selling our house to having Jace come into our lives. As I celebrate this day of thanks, I would like to give thanks for Katie, Jace, and Isaac. Our little family grew this year with the birth of Jace and he has been a true blessing that has brought our family closer. You can never know the meaning of true love until our Heavenly Father entrusts you with one of his special spirits to raise. Both Jace and Isaac have been special spirits in our lives that has taught us much. I am so thankful that Heavenly Father trusted Katie and I enough to send us these two special spirits. Even though Isaac does not live with us always, it is a blessing in our lives to have him with us, teaching us patience and love. I am so thankful that Heavenly Father through these rough times, has allowed us to sell our home and now we are building our dream home. Even though it is not in Lapoint like we thought we always wanted to live, our journey is continuing on with our new home in Vernal. Most importantly however, as we enter the holiday season by celebrating Thanksgiving and then to continue with the season by celebrating Christmas, I must contemplate on the thing that I am most thankful for and that is my Savior Jesus Christ. He has been my true friend through everything. I am so thankful that he loved me and all of us so much, that he gave his life for us that if we live true and faithful, we can live with him for eternity, as well as our families. I am thankful for my family. I am thankful that heavenly father sent Katie to me to make my life whole.

Katie's Entry:

There isn't enough room on this page to write everything I'm thankful for. Ryan is right to say that a lot of blessings have come into our lives this year, and words will never be able to express how wonderful and precious they are. Jace has truly been a godsend! I didn't know what motherhood would be like, but it is the most wonderful journey to be on! I'm also thankful for Isaac! He teaches me patience and love. He is such a good big brother to Jace. He always talks to him when he calls, and he is always telling me that he loves being his brother. Isaac sometimes even tells me he worries if he can love two brothers (He has another brother in Rawlins) but he always manages to show each of them his love for them.I'm so thankful for my husband Ryan. He means so much to me and I don't know what I would do without him. He works so hard to provide for our family, and he never complains. Ryan is truly an amazing husband and father. I love him with all of my heart!

Most of all I'm thankful for a loving Father in Heaven who loves me enough to send me a wonderful family to take care of on Earth. I'm thankful for the Gospel and the lessons it teaches me so I can return to live with Him and my family forever. I'm thankful for this holiday season! I love the aromas, the lights, the feelings of love and thanks that last for the rest of the year.

I hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving!

Big Boy

Well, I know this was supposed to be Jace's appt post, but the doctors (all of them) are out of town and won't be back until early December. So this is going to be the "Oh my gosh he's gotten so big" post.

You know...I knew Jace was a big baby. 9 lbs 3 oz for a newborn just spells big doesn't it? I know that babies grow everyday and that in that process their personalities change and their awareness of you and people around them grow. I just didn't realize how much or how fast until now. What made it click? Andrea had her baby on November 13. Landon Brent Cook weighed 7 lbs 3 oz and was 20 inches long.

Jace and I went to visit her on the 14th and when I got to hold the little (and I mean little) Landon I had to double check he was in my arms! He was SO light I thought I was just holding the blanket!! Thankfully I took my camera and got a picture of Jace laying next to Landon. That's when it hit me. My little boy is growing. I knew he was, but when I put him next to that small baby, my heart both jumped with joy and cried. Over the last few weeks Jace has learned to grab everything. That includes moms hair, moms nose and mouth, and when I change his diaper he grabs his toes and legs. It's easy to see how I could get caught up and not notice time passing by. He's so darn cute! When Jace and I got home I just looked at him and marveled at what a little miracle he's been for Ryan and I. So over the last few days I've pondered and looked at all the pictures of Jace as a newborn. I miss those times so much!! The soft fat cheeks, the wrinkles, the way he would lay in my arms and snuggle close to hear my heartbeat, and the times that I would watch him open his eyes for a second and see them looking at me seeming to say "Hi Mommy".

I still see those same eyes, but they've changed and the newness he had is growing dim ready to shine light on the next chapter of his life. I'm really excited to see him grow and move onto those fun things of crawling and banging pans and maybe even chewing on dirt! I want to see him trying out everything because it's all new and fasinating. I can't wait to hear him say "ma ma" or "da da" and hear his laughter fill my home even more than he does now.

So here is to all the moms! For the ones who have held their babies, maybe even a grandchild or two, and remember the miracle they are. And for the new moms who hold their baby now and get to experience it for the first time. Enjoy every minute of it!

1st picture: Landon Brent Cook (taken by Andrea & Brent Cook)

Sorry I copied it Andrea! It was too cute!

2nd: Landon & Jace

3rd: Jace as a newborn

Good Luck Andrea!

Hey here's a shout out for Andrea who is going to meet her first son Landon on or before Thursday!! Good luck with labor, and all I can say is HANG IN THERE HUN!!!!!! It only lasts one day. It only lasts ONE day! Just keep thinking that. :)
(Plus it's SO worth it when it's all over. ) Call me when he's here. Love ya!!

New Changes

Every now and then we all have to go through changes. While some are not fun, like packing up and moving, others are quite enjoyable. In our little family we've had two changes in the last few days.

First, is something I guess I've been expecting since Jace was born. Thumb sucking. Yes, yes, Jace has finally learned how to suck his thumb. For those in my family who know me, you remember that I was an avid thumb sucker. I sucked my thumb until I was probably 5 or 6. (Mom remembers, I don't) And despite my Aunt Dawns warnings it never turned black and it never fell off. Sorry Aunt Dawn. I knew you said that only because you love me. :)

Second, is something I think every new mom needs every three months (pay attention Andrew) A NEW HAIR DO!!! Ryan and I went out to SLC this last Saturday and I had the chance to pamper myself and get a new do. I love it!! Shannon, the stylist, cut off about 4 inches and it feels so weird to have my hair so short. But she did an awesome job and I think this is going to be my look for a while. I feel like the lead female singer of Sugarland which is where I got the idea for my style. The best part is that it has a lot of volume now. Shannon made it so some of my hair actually holds up the rest. I didn't know hair could do that! Well I hope you all like it!

Coming up next week......

-4 month check ups. Jace's weight, height, and how he did with shots.

Happy Halloween!!

Oh my gosh Halloween was AWESOME this year! I had so much fun dressing Jace up and taking him Trick-or-Treating at the school. The only sad part of the day was Isaac didn't make it here in time to do it with us. He and dad got stuck in Rawlins and didn't make it home until 9:30! Luckily little brother Jace got some candy for big brother Isaac and it all worked out.

Jace is dressed up as a dalmation dog. Isaac was going to be a firefighter, so the costumes would go together. But everyone at the school thought Jace was a cow!! Cow or dog he's still the cutest little monster around! Mom and I decided to send Erin and Andrew and Taci and our missionary Cami some Halloween sugar cookies. I decided to star tip them, and I had a blast!! In the pictures the ghost has the word Holy on it because we wanted to send Cami a "Holy Ghost". I hope I don't get struck by lightning for it :)

Well I hope everyone had a safe and fun Halloween like we did! HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!!

Happy Birthday Mom!!!

Well another year has passed for my mom. Today is her birthday and she looks a year younger than last year. Happy Birthday Mom!!! Love Katie

This is the cake I made for her. And yes family I know I only put 5 candles on it. I think it's the best looking one she's ever had for her birthday :) (Right Erin?)

Everyone say Goodbye house!

Well it finally happened. We sold our house!! After living in it for almost two years, Ryan and I decided to sell it and get a new bigger one. It was an awesome starter home, but it lacked room for our growing family. Right now we are living with JoAnn and Clifford (a.k.a. Mom and Dad) until our house is finished hopefully around Christmas time. We decided to get a manufactured home that will be about 2800 square feet which is almost double what the old one was. It will have four bedrooms and 2 bathrooms. I am really excited to be getting an extra bathroom because one is never enough! It will also have a family room, living room, dining room, a nice laundry room, and a walk-in pantry that I could die for! Ok maybe not die for, but at least fight for. When it's up and ready for eyes to see I will take pictures and post them. If anyone has good ideas for decorating let me know! My Christmas present from Ryan is furniture, so I want to have all the ideas ready before I go shopping.

The people who bought the house are named Doug and Natasha. They have a 8 month old son named Stetson. He is SOOO cute. They are like us in many ways and can't wait to move into their new home which should be tonight! Yeah for them!!! They have become really great friends and it's nice to have someone to share baby stories with.

As for Grandma Lois and Grandma JoAnn, I don't think they are too excited for us to be moving. I think that will change for Grandma JoAnn in a week since we're living with them and have invaded their empty nest now that Cami has left on her mission. Hopefully we'll all survive and the soon to be 30 minute drive to see us will be worth it.

Poor Baby

Well it finally happened. My worst fear as a new mom is if I would know when my baby was sick. The answer: no. Not right off the bat. But I did learn that my motherly instincts are intact. I knew something was up.

I guess I shouldn't be hard on myself though because he's such a good tempered baby. He would smile instead of cry. We drove to Provo twice last week. Over the mountains and a long trip later, it didn't occur to me that it would affect Jaces' health. But a week after those trips he acted different. He was a little more fussy, and I noticed his nose was a little more stuffy than usual. He also picked up a small cough and yesterday he had a fever. I went to visit my mom at her work and she suspected an ear infection. Crap. I was only 2 months old when I had to get tubes in my ears and I didn't want that to be the case with my son. So now it was time to call the doctor. I set up an appointment the next day. I was mad at myself because I didn't catch this sooner. The poor kid had been suffering a whole week!! I felt like a terrible mom. Thankfully my husband came home that night and told me I was a great mom and reminded me of all the things I do right for Jace and I felt better.

At the doctors office Jace was weighed. 14 pounds!!! My son had gained 2 pounds in the last 3 weeks. That made me feel even better. Pretty obvious he's not starving and that's a good sign of being healthy. Then his doctor came in and said his ears looked great and so did everything else. YES!! No ear infection!!!! I was so happy to hear that news. She did say that it looked like he caught a small cold and that with a little t.l.c. he would be fine. Happy day! It makes me glad to know that it wasn't as bad as I thought it was going to be. And not only that I realized that I AM a GREAT mom. I was already giving him the medicine he needed and doing the things that would help him feel better and get better soon. That sounds like a mom to me. Yeah I'm still in the learning stage, but I feel that's how the best mothers come to be. They learn and they perfect those skills they learn. There always has to be a starting point to everything. And I got through mine just fine.

Baby Jace

Jace Ryan Hartle is the 2nd love of my life! He was born July 15th, 2008 weighing 9 lbs 3 oz and was 21 1/2 inches long. As you can tell labor took it's toll on me and I was sick for about 2 weeks after he was born. When I was finally feeling better we both got dressed to go to town. It was so nice to be outside and feeling good. Jace is such a fun baby! He loves to look at everything and he is so strong! Since he was born he's been able to hold his head up and smile. Everyday he shows me a little more of his personality. He's now 2 1/2 months old and he can grab things, sit on his tummy for a few minutes while holding his head up, he can laugh a little, he talks non-stop, he tries to stand on his feet while I'm holding him on my lap, and when he gets excited he moves his whole body like he's doing ju./mping jacks. I never knew motherhood could be so rewarding. Even though he throws up and makes huge messy diapers for me to clean, it's worth every minute!

2 month appointments for babies are not exactly fun. They have to get a regular check up then get shots! Jace weighed 12 lbs 10 oz and was 23 1/2 inches long. WOW he grew. Such a big healthy boy. Then came the shots. Poor kid! When she poked him he immediately became red and he cried his "I'm in PAIN" cry. I didn't cry, but when the nurse was done I was SO happy to hold him and comfort him. My poor baby got a 100 degree fever the next day and was on medicine and bed rest all day. Over the next couple of days he became more like himself and by the end of the week he was his normal happy self. I'm glad those are over! Jace is really into making bubbles and if it wasn't so darn cute it would drive me completely insane! What can I say? I LOVE MY SON!!!

The Boys

Here is a picture of our boys. Isaac 7 and Jace 2 1/2 months

First timers

Well after looking at all the fun things my family and friends have been doing with their blogs, I decided to join the crowd. My only hope is that mine can be as fun filled as theirs. (Like my brother-in-laws Yogurt story.) Awesome Andrew!

Well I guess I should introduce you to my family. Ryan Hartle is 31 and the proud father of two amazing boys! Ryan works as the manager of a Conoco gas station called Lavern and Shirleys. He also has a fun filled job as a bus driver on the side. Ryan is the love of my life and my other half. He is hardworking and does everything he can to make sure his family is well taken care of. I couldn't have asked for a better husband or father to be with for the rest of eternity. I tell our story another time. The oldest son is Isaac Dean Hartle. He was born November 28, 2001. Unfortunately he lives with his mom in Rawlins and we don't get to see him as much as we want to, but we love him and enjoy every minute he does get to spend with us. Next in line is Jace Ryan Hartle. He was born July 15, 2008 and is my first child. I can't get enough of this little miracle and he has just been one heck of an amazing baby! As for me, Katie Hartle, I'm 24 and a stay at home mom! (Whoo-hoo!!!) I love to play piano and take care of my son. I am trying new hobbies like scrappbooking and exercising more, but I'm still in the first stages so I will have to write more on those later. (Lots to talk about but I need to space them out as to not overwhelm the page on the first blog.)

Well I think that looks pretty good for my first post, so I'll stop there and you'll hear from me soon!