The Hogle Zoo

Like Amy said, I know people just want to see pictures of Colton, so I'll make this short and sweet. Yesterday, I was offered a seasonal job in the EdZoocation (education) department of Utah's Hogle Zoo in Salt Lake. It's perfect, since I'll be starting grad school in the Fall, because it ends when school starts. It's basically an interactive interpreter of zoo exhibits/animals and live-animal public presentation kind of job that allows me to teach the public and zoo visitors about conservation and animals all day long this spring/summer. I'll be doing several daily live shows in their amphitheater and public demonstrations with animals that people can touch and ask questions about. I also act as an interpreter in their forthcoming seasonal attraction "Nature's Nightmare's", which is in their Tropical Gardens building. It's where they used to have the famous white alligator, Komodo Dragon, Lemurs, and the butterflies on display. Perfect theme for me, because I'm used to removing people's prejudices and fears of animals fairly often.


My mom bought us journals when we were small, and there are pictures I drew when I was four or so, of me holding snakes and large lizards. So, even though it's like an internship, this job is sort of a childhood dream come true. In many ways, this job is more fulfilling for me than being a zookeeper, because I've been keeping and breeding animals for the last 24+ years, and have sort of gotten bored with it. But teaching the public about conservation and helping others learn how to make a real difference is something that I think about at night when I can't sleep. It excites me, because I feel as though it is my purpose. I mean, the love of snakes has to be a gift, right? There will be lots of interaction with kids, which will be fun -- they even do overnight camps for kids, and families can schedule campouts at the zoo. The zoo is one of the few places where the general public, no matter what age, gets REALLY excited about learning recent findings in science, and it'll be such a privilege to harness that excitement in people. I'm thinking this will be a fun, fulfilling summer job.

So anyway, there will be a lot of opportunities for our Utah friends to stop by the zoo and give me heck during one of my presentations throughout this spring and summer.

You can read more about my job as an Eco-Explorer *here*. (Amy really likes messing with me about the job title.)

Okay, I said I'd keep this short. Colton, sorry to take up your blog space, little buddy.

March Maddness

Colton LOVES tummy time and is getting so strong. He grabs, reaches, pushes, kicks and is rolling over a lot now. We love to have tummy time in our day!

This is Dusty with his Ole' Miss cupcake. Dusty has got accepted to University of Mississippi for their graduate program. He got a full tuition scholarship and a teachers assistant job. He is super excited and we will find out if we are going to take it soon. He is waiting for another offer from University of Texas- Arlington. CONGRATS to Dusty!

My friend owns a cupcake shop here in Provo and I got them to do a few custom cupcakes to celebrate! This is the Ole' Miss logo. Dusty was way surprised.

Mommy and Colton snugglin'. Look at those rolls will ya! No, not mine...

I am so grateful to have borrowed that double pump but I am SO excited to get to that 1 year mark where I don't have to use it anymore! :-) It's crazy just how things just change overnight and your life starts to revolve 100% around eating/pumping and nap schedules!

Grandma and Grandpa Rhoads on their visit. He loved getting to snuggle and play with them. It's so fun for me to get to see him with family. I can't wait till I come to KY!

snoozin' in his car seat

More tummy time!! He can push up so high nowadays. He loves to look at that book.

This was the first time he wore a t-shirt and sweats. That was like his 3 outfit in 5 minutes. Poop, pee and spit all in a row as soon as he was in something clean! haha I LOVE his t-shirts, Angela!

We call him jail-bird in this get up

Dusty loves to feed Colton. Sometimes Colton will just be looking at you and when you look down at him he just smiles SO BIG. It melts your heart. He kept doing that and I am so glad I got that on camera.

Well hello, handsome! Those eyes just melt his mommy and he knows it! I love kissing his perfectly shaped head. And his hair line is just so cute....I could go on here...

You know there really isn't much else to blog about other than Colton. No one cares anyway; they just want pictures! I can't blame them. Seriously.

Colton has rolled over a ton and he's grabbing with his hands and sucking on his fist 24 / 7. Yes, I do feed him, he just loves those fists! He's more than 14 pounds and cute as EVER. He is taking naps without being swaddled but his nap schedule is all over the place. Bedtime is like 9:30 or so. Is that "normal?" He loves to laugh and be touched and talked to and tickled. Dusty and I are just in awe of his sweet nature and love fills this house!

We had a great day at Church today. He was awake for like all of Sacrament and he didn't really make a peep. He HATES using the mother's lounge. I think cause the chairs are on the small side and he just can't get comfy. So I brought a bottle today and he did fine.

We took a walk today on a gorgeous spring day! We went to the temple grounds. I am going to miss being able to do that when we move. I don't think we'll ever have a temple so close again.

Enjoy the pictures of the most handsomest fellow there is!

More video...

Some of my favorite videos won't load for some reason :-(

I have joined the ranks of sounding stupid on video...

Cut and Color

I got a cut and highlights put in a week or so ago. I like it a lot.

Colton: 3 Months

This is the pose he gets into when we wash his backside during bath time. He loves it! He sticks his little tush out all of time.

He's starting to really puff that bottom lip out when he cries and tears are coming too. SO SAD :-(

Daddy and Colton for some reading time. He loves to look at the pictures and colors.

Doing some tummy time on a beautiful blanket that Aunt Becky made for him. He is doing great with tummy time and head control and strength.

One of his MANY smiley moments with mom and dad. He responds so well to being talked to, touched and loves to be engaged in conversation.

Colton is such a happy baby.

Here he is with his Valentines present, Mr. Froggy balloon. He loves to watch it move and kick the string to make him bounce.

I know I am a few days early but I actually have time to blog right now, so there ya go! I can't believe that I am writing a 3 month post already. I remember amid a lot of tears in the early stages that 3 months would NEVER come, that he would NEVER sleep longer and that colic would NEVER go away. Boy was I a rookie. :-) Things are still hard but it feels more and more like he's always been with us. I love Colton so much and am just amazed at him and his determined, social, sweet and loving spirit. Oh, he just melts my heart all of the time. When he gets up at 6 am and I stumble over to him to pick him up and feed him and all I can think about is the sleep I am loosing, I bend down and say good morning to him and his face lights up with the biggest most adorable toothless grin and then I just don't care!

Here are a few updates of what's been going on with us all:

• Colton is still the cutest thing ever
• He is starting to mimic sounds we are making
• Colton studies your face and tries so hard to copy your motions and facial expressions
  
• He sucks on his little fist 24/7
• He has so much more body coordination
• He loves, loves, loves to watch TV...he'll watch an entire Baby Einsteins video and fuss if I turn it off too early
  
• Either going to sleep or just waking up, Colton will reach his arms up really high and kick his legs out straight and toot every time
  
• Colton loves to be in his activity gym now to grab at and kick all of the toys
• Colton is sleeping for like 5 hours at a stretch now on most nights! He just dropped his midnight feeding on his own. Can I get a whoot whoot?!?!
• He still loves to be swaddled but is getting too big for his swaddling blankets
• His face lights up when you start to talk to him
  
• Colton will follow you across the room when you walk
• He still hates his car seat but is getting better and easier to travel with. Yesterday we went to a movie and later out to eat and he did great. He was just soaking everything in.
  
• Colton is now wearing just a few of his 0-3 month clothes and is now graduating into 3-6 months today.
  
• Amy is doing pretty good with her workout routines
• Dusty and Amy started the Dave Ramsey Financial Peace University class
  
• I don't think I ever blogged this but DUSTY HAS GRADUATED FROM BYU!
• Amy got laid off from work and we are both looking for jobs

And on that note, I can't think of what else is going on... :-) We have had another FUN month with lots of love in our home and smiles of joy with our sweet little one.

Colton: 2 months

Dusty thinks he looks like the fat caterpillar on A Bug's Life when he cries.

Right after Colton rolled over for the first time: Feb 13, 2010

kickin' it on the bed while mom folds laundry

Asleep after Baby Mozart

Watching Baby Mozart

tuckered out and asleep on the Boppy

Colton grabbed a toy and shook it for the first time: Feb 8, 2010 (Grammy's Birthday!!)

Shake, Shake, Shake!

Chew, Chew, Chew!

This was right after he was giving me some drama!

First day Colton went to Church: February 7. 2010

Another month has passed...wow. Colton is growing strong everyday and melting my heart even more. Colton was weighed the other day and that scale said he was 12 lbs and 23". He is growing out of 0-3 month clothes and doing things to amaze us everyday. Yesterday on February 13, 2010 he rolled over from his tummy to his back. I was so proud of him. He was laying on the floor on a blanket and pushing and kicking and trying so hard. He also grabbed onto some toy keys the other day and shook them for a few minutes. One of the many things that I love about Colton is how he loves to do new things, explore and exercise :-) He loves to just kick and talk and smile. He loves to be read to and look at pictures. He loves to have his face touched and talked to and talk back. He is making new sounds and you can tell he is gearing up to say a whole lot one of these days. He sticks his tongue out each time he sees Dusty as if that's their way to say hello to each other.

There are so many things I love about Colton, but here are a few:

I love it when Colton...

• flashes his BIG toothless grin my way
• lets me kiss him as much as I want
• explores his world and soaks it in like a sponge
• gets a determined look on his face and tries so hard to do new things
• grabs on to me with his tiny little fingers
• snuggles with me
• settles down after I go to calm him. It's a special feeling when I can calm him down and know that I am meeting his needs and he feels loved.
• stares at his handsome self in the mirror
• gets giddy and happy when we talk to him
• buries his face in my shoulder as if he is warming his cute little button nose
• kicks around when listening to music
• looks at me with his big beautiful eyes
• scares himself when he is trying to poop lol
• gets in the bathtub and relaxes and pees in the water
• lets out a big squeal for no apparent reason
• lets me know the very moment he doesn't like something :-)
• discovers new sounds with his voice
• falls asleep watching Baby Mozart
• sucks on his paci and his fat little cheeks gets a red ring around them
• grunts like a machine gun
• stretches REAL BIG and sticks his little tush out over and over when he is trying to wake up
• sleeps hahaha
• lets me lay next to him and talk, play or snuggle

There are so many things through the course of a day that make me love him more and more. I am so happy to be a mother despite how hard I feel it is a lot of the time. I am so excited to have the chance to spend everyday with my little man and to have the honor to love him and meet his needs and help him learn. In my heart it's as if Colton has always been here and it feels so natural to have a family of 3...although I am far from feeling like I have it together :-) Thank you, Colton for being in our family and giving us tremendous joy each and every day.

Hanging with our little man!

When Colton is really drowsy he loves to be put in his swing and USUALLY he will fall asleep!

Giving a crazy smile to mommy

Just beautiful :-)

Look at that junk in the trunk!

Kickin' it with dad

Snug as a bug

All I can says is that we are novice parents! HA He soaked us both in a matter of just 2 minutes!!

He likes his hands warm. Thanks Aunt Lissa.

Being this cute seriously has to be tiring...

Talking and smiling with mom and dad

Fat 'n happy

Well, Hello!

Look at that handsome face!

Now check out those eyes and lips!

Gettin' dressed up so mommy can go show me off to her friends. :-)

This was after a night where he was up kind of a lot and fussy and him and I were both tuckered out. Why doesn't he just sleep like that in the first place?!

Wow. Look at Chubs! As of February 3rd Colton was 11 lbs 7 oz! I guess he has a milk complex like his dad.

Those pretty blues melt my heart when he flashes them my way.

Colton in his favorite spot waiting for his Auntie...