Before I came to my parents house I was counting down the days, I was really excited to go back to Lebanon. Yet, like any vacation, as much fun as I'm having I can't wait to get home. It seems I'm getting less sleep here then I was at home. I thought, because my parents were here to help with Sierra, that I'd be getting more sleep, but I'm getting less sleep. That's okay though, soon they'll be left with Sierra and they'll be the ones getting up at all times of the night. She's so totally off her schedule...the schedule I worked so hard to get her on. I'll probably have to start all over with her when we return home in a couple months. Oh well.

We've been at my parents house now for 5 days and thinkgs are going okay. Sierra has been very good and her grandparents are just soaking her in! They love her so much and they love all the cute things that she does. She can now sit on her very own for a long time. Which is great because I don't have to hold her all the time and we don't have to torture her with a bunch of tummy time. I feel a little bad that Justin is missing out on all the new things Sierra is doing, but there's not much I can do about it, so I don't spend too much time worrying over it. On Tuesday Sierra sat in her high chair at the table and ate bananas for the first time. It was sweet seeing her sitting there like a big girl. Everyday it's something new and that is what keeps me going.

Yesterday Sierra and I went to Indiana by plane. This was Sierra's first time flying and she was soooo wonderful! We got to the airport at 0630 A.M. Pretty darn early! It was quite different then it usually is when one gets on a plane. This time I had Sierra in her carseat and stroller and it took 15 minutes to get through the metal detector. I had to take sierra out of the carseat, take the carseat off the stroller, fold the stroller, take off my shoes and put all our bags onto the convaer belt, then Sierra and I finally went through the metal detector. Fortunately it didn't go off. After that I had to put everything back the way it was. Once we got to the gate I had to fold up her stroller and carry it and the carseat and the diaper bag down to the plane. Don't ask me how I did that by myself. On the second flight 2 nice gentlemen helped me carry all the stuff to the plane. Once we were on the first flight it was smooth sailing. Sierra fell asleep for an hour and I got a little shut eye too. When she woke up she was just great. She ate and smiled and played with her toys. The second flight didn't go as smoothly. It was suppose to be an hour long, but it ended up being a four hour flight! When we started taxying Sierra massively crapped her diaper. I mean it was coming out the sides and top, it was a mess! Because we were taxying I wasn't allowed out of my seat. Fortunatly one of the flight attendants saw me struggling and let me take Sierra to the tiny bathroom to change her. There was poo everywhere! After that ordeal Sierra was fine. But the flight took forever! I was very glad when we finally landed in Indianapolis. What an adventure! Oh well, I got some cute pictures out of it.

SIERRA JUST SAID "MAMA"! She's said it before, but not to me and not in a way that I though she knew what she was saying, but she just woke up from a nap and was crying. I walked into the room to get her and she looked at me and said, clearly, "mama". It made me want to cry because I just felt that she finally recognized me and wanted me and needed me. Oh, now I'm crying! What a great reward! I'm so fulfilled right now!

Gina came to Layton, UT to visit me and our friend, Lindsey, while I was out there on Reserve weekend. We had a lovely chili dinner and our babies got to play together. To the side here is a wonderful picture of Liam (5 1/2 months) and Sierra (6 months) smiling together. After visiting with Gina and seeing Liam I'm very grateful that we had our children so close together. Now I can relate to her problems and her joys of motherhood. Sierra and Liam will grow together and be able to be good friends because of their close age (20 days apart). It's so funny how different they look. Liam is a beautiful porcelein white with bright blue eyes and fluffy white hair. Sierra is more tan, and getting darker by the week, with long, reddish-brown hair and navy blue eyes. She looks a lot like me, but she definately has her dads eye-brows,

nose and skin. Liam is the spitting image of Gina, except those blue eyes. He has the most plump and wonderful lips...the girls are going to go crazy for!

Well, I'm back in Idaho now. Home to an empty house because Justin has left for Arizone, where he'll be the next 6 months (possibly 9 months). He is at Luke AFB training to be a Weapons Director. He was really looking forward to the class (and I'm sure he was looking forward to some time off from being a husband and father). Sierra and I plan to visit him at least once a month, starting in July. On Sunday, the 16th of Apr., we're flying to Indiana. I have to leave Sierra there with my parents for 7 weeks. I'll be leaving for a TDY at Keesler AFB in Mississippi for 7 weeks. I'm sure Sierra will have fun with my mom and dad, but I'm really getting nervous about leaving her. I know I'm going to miss a lot of growing in that time. She may even start to crawl out there. There's not much I can do though, work is work and I have to go.

4/7/06
My goodness time sure does fly by! It seems just yesterday Sierra was a helpless, tiny girl that could barely open her eyes. She's exactly 6 months old now and I can't believe the rate at which she is growing! It seems impossible that she's grown 4 inches longer and 8 pounds heavier. But, I'm loving every day that I get the sastifaction of seeing her beautiful smile when I pick up or talk to her.

This week I'm in Utah working and Sierra has been staying with my good friend, Lindsey Eugster (Tross), durring the work day. I was really worried that she wouldn't behave for Lindsey, but she has been a doll all week long. She loves Lindsey's children! When they run and play around her she just giggles and laughs at them. It's been exciting watching her reaction to the 3 kids. It makes me want to have another child, soon, just so Sierra can be entertained.

Sierra has learned so much since birth, she is sitting up on her own, rolling over, reaching for things, grasping ahold of them. She's laughing so much and smiling all the time. She's really aware of her surroundings and just loves to watch people and things around her.

I will never forget this half year and the way Sierra has changed my life and my way of thinking. I love it when she smiles at me and coos and caws, the way she grabs my face or softly runs her fingers through my hair, her laugh that makes me fill with a tremendous amount of joy, her amazingly blue eyes and the way they tear up when she's upset. I love the way she entertains herself while I'm still sleeping and how she cocks her head to look at me when I enter her room in the morning, always greeting me with a BIG smile and maybe a few baby words. I love feeling her soft hair under my chin when she rests her head on my chest and rocking her to sleep when she just can't get there on her own. I think its sweet the way she stands on my lap, smiles, open mouthed, then leans forward to snuggle before doing it all over again.

Sierra is a dream come true and a wonderful blessing. I thank Heavenly Father for every day that I have with her. I can't believe that I created such a wonderful little human being. She is perfect!

Happy Half Year Bir!

3/14/06
On monday, sierra rolled all the way over for the first time! She was on her stomach, getting pretty upset, and then she decided she'd had enough and she rolled onto her back. For a minute she looked confused, she was probably wondering how she ended up that way. She started crying and I picked her up. I was so excited for her and how much progress she's making. She's picking things up, trying to sit up, rolling over, and baby talking. I feel like my little girl is growing up too fast and she's only 5 1/2 months old!

I've also been trying to ween her into eating solid foods. She loves the baby-smashed-bananas. She's adorable when she eats them. She gets a little frustrated when we take too long to give her another bite. She gets down-right mad when we stop feeding her! It's just wonderful to watch something you love learn new things and grow. I love her soooooo much!