Beckahm

A few adorable videos of our little guy: loving when Mommy reads to him, and tickles him.

New Photos of Beckahm

I can't believe our little man is nearly 3 months old!!! He is getting so chunky, I love it! And his hair is now so long that it is matted to his forehead. I finally had to pull out Daddy's hair gel to spike it up.

Thanks to Dave and Kimber for this cute onesie they got in Ireland. His clothes are getting so tight around his arms now, this one fits great!!!

I just love this little guy. I can't get enough of him! He is laughing and smiling more and more everyday. He LOVES having me read to him, he loves looking at pictures, he loves his morning naps, he loves his diaper changes, he loves talking, and he has such a fascination with animals and letters! He is such a happy boy! I feel so blessed to kiss him, hold him, laugh with him, bathe him, change his diaper, play with him, and see him grow each day!

TGIF

I dedicate this to Mike today . . . his favorite :)

Things I Love About Mike

When someone leaves you realize, more than ever, all of the things you love and appreciate about them. These are just a FEW of the things I love about Mike:

• I love that he thanked me the other day for staying at home to take care of Beckahm and expressed how much it meant to him to have me sacrifice so much to take care of our family and home. "I don't know how you do it," he said, "but I appreciate you so much!" I was grateful for his recognition and support in my choice to be the caretaker of our boy
• I was so appreciative of him coming in to give me a foot rub while I was nursing Beckahm the other day—so thoughtful!
• I am grateful that he wants to continue fighting for our marriage—to stay committed to our companionship and make sure we are always growing as a couple
• I am grateful he helps take care of Beckahm—plays with him, holds him, changes him, and gives him his nightly feed
• I love that he makes me laugh and is still silly with me
• I am grateful that he works so hard to support our family; that I can count on him as the provider of our home
• I am grateful he is such a "family man"—he is good at making Beckahm and I a high priority in his life
• I love the way he dresses
• I love his kisses and hugs
• I love when we can have good conversations about various subjects
• I am grateful that he is dedicated to serving the Lord through his calling and that he holds the priesthood.
• I am grateful he wants to do more with his success—help those in need
• I love his creative and artistic nature. He makes up the cutest poems for me that make me smile, such as:
• My babes, I miss you one hundred two million three hundred percent...
• My heart is stretching and etching and feeling so bent...
• Geez, I need you...like now! Yep, today would be great...
  Maybe you could fly down... on a plane to this state...
  If I worked out a deal I could even buy you lunch....
  Or if you get here early enough we'll do brunch...
  I'm dreaming I know--it's a little under realistic...
  But I wish...man I wish it was over realistic...
  Cause I miss you one hundred two million three hundred percent...

. . . I miss him already . . .

The Moncur Schedule

Not much by way of new events this past week, although Mike and I did find an amazing, cheap Mexican dive—Carolinas— that I now find myself craving on a daily basis. So I thought I would write about our daily schedule.

Obviously our schedule fluctuates on a daily/weekly basis but there are a lot of consistencies, especially now having our little man.

Monday

Wake 5 a.m.: Nurse Beckahm for 20min. Usually he wants to go back to sleep within 20-30 minutes. After every feed/activity/diaper change I put him in his woombie, rock him, give him his paci, and sing a song before laying him in his crib to sleep (he loves putting himself to sleep). Then I pump for the 11pm "dreamfeed" Mike will give him. Then I eat breakfast and go grocery shopping for the week.

8 a.m.: Nurse Beckahm (20 min). Again, he wants to go back to sleep about 20-30 min after his feed.

This is my chance on Monday's (every other day I go after his 5 a.m. feed) to go the gym or do a variety of workouts for 1 1/2 hours at home, which sometimes I divvy up throughout the day depending on how much time I have in the a.m. I love this time for myself to clear my head and push my body to get back in pre-pregnancy shape which is hard, hard, work btw! :)

11 a.m.: Nurse Beckahm (20 min). Mike plays with Beckahm, we have family prayer, and then B and I either run on errands together (I try and get them done before his next feed) or we start his daily activities (12-1) after Mike leaves for work.

His activities after each feed vary throughout the day (he can usually stay up about 35 minutes): We play, listen to music and sing/dance around the house, read books, talk (I try and teach him something new every day), I make up "nonsensical, magical, stories" for him that he loves (always with him as the hero of course, for example today was "Beckahm the Wizard," yesterday was "Beckahm the Prince" who helped his village ward off an empty-bellied dragon), have tummy time or practice rolling over, have "Beckahm time" (usually in his swing or watching baby Einstein videos), play my guitar and sing to him, go on errands, go for a walk, sit outside and teach him about nature.

2 p.m.: Nurse Beckahm (20min)/activities with B.

3-5 p.m.: "Amanda Time" which is usually project driven (listed below). Sometimes I will take a half—hour nap.

5 p.m.: Nurse Beckahm (20min)/B's bath time.

6-8 p.m.: Make din din (I eat), watch the most meaningless, ridiculous show —"The Bachelorette"— but there is something intriguing about it that I can't put my finger on (my guilty pleasure I suppose).

8 p.m.: Mike gets home some nights around 8-8:30. Mike eats dinner. I nurse Beckahm (20min). B spends some time with his dad and then goes back to sleep. He kind of struggles during the evenings at times getting to sleep but he has slowly gotten better.

9-11 p.m.: Mike and I have our alone time which includes FHE, watching some TV, talking, etc.

10:30 p.m.: sometimes if I am really tired I will go to bed after we have scripture study and prayer. Mike most days of the week gives Beckahm his bottle in his sleep at 11 p.m.

And then it starts all over again . . .

Variations:

Tuesday's I clean the apartment. In the evening Mike and I have a "no TV night," and we work on our goals (usually a service project or something that edifies both of us as a couple).

Wednesday's Beckahm has story time at the library with other mom's and newborns.

TV show: So You Think You Can Dance (LOVE IT)!!!

Beckahm's bath time

Thursday's Mike and I "check in" with each other in the evening— make sure we are communicating, having a good week, fulfilling our weekly goals, etc.

Mike goes to his ward missionary meeting/splits with missionaries

TV show: SYTYCD

Friday's Mike and I usually watch Dateline or 20/20 while Beckahm is sleeping. For some reason we love those mystery/murder shows (weird, I know).

Saturday I get everything ready for Sunday, Beckahm has his bath, and Mike and I have date night. We try and go out to eat and watch a movie (redbox or netflix).

Sunday: church from 9-12 p.m. After church we catch up on sleep, have family council, I update my journal/blog, hang out with family, etc.

Monthly: Visiting Teaching, Home Teaching, feed missionaries, try and serve in community, I am looking into joining a community group where they have discussions relating to things of a political/philosophical manner, and I recently enrolled in some educational classed BYU offers for free online.

*These are the projects I am working on (or TRYING I should say, when I have my down time). There is always stuff keeping me busy, as if Beckahm wasn't enough :)

Compiling a book of my school papers/writings

Getting my Grandma Barbers poetry published

Re-reading college papers (I am always trying to keep my mind intellectually stimulated)

Trying to post all of our pictures/videos on a private website so we have them backed up

Putting together a compilation of videos related to Beckahm for his blog

Putting our wedding video together (FINALLY)

Sewing more cuffs (I can never make enough with all of the different fabric I have lying around)

Continuing to write my book (I have about 40 pages right now)

Compiling/editing my dads stories that Mike was able to record when he was visiting us (hopefully I can get a copy sent out to every one in the family)

Continuing to work on the book Mike and I started and want to publish one day: "Hold It"

Start an organization (Mike and I really want to start a charity and are presently looking into it)

Recovering data I lost on my hard drive—UGH!

Putting our Photo Books together online:

Recipe book

Mikes art book

Beckham’s books

Wedding book

1^st year of marriage (2009)

2^nd year of marriage (2010)

Bahamas/Mexico (all cruises combined)

Road trips—NC, IN, TN

Book for dads bedtime stories he told us as kids

Happy Fourth of July

First I must say it is getting HOT here! But we are still loving it! Mike is braving the heat each day, telling me "it's not that bad," as he continues to knock. I am impressed with his ability to be out on the doors in this weather.

It was fun spending the Fourth with family; we are grateful to live close to Dave and Kimber and to be able to spend time with them and Kimber's family.

Sunday was wonderful—second time being back at church with our little kido and he did fabulous (napped during RS, and sacrament). After church we headed over to Ben and Judy's and enjoyed a yummy dinner, played games, and hung out. Beckahm was once again such a trooper, napping when he could and handling all of the crazy noise we were making as we played a game. He is starting to adapt more which has helped tremendously when Mike and I want to go places. He just needs to start learning how to nap any where and every where other than at home in his crib.

Mike had to work the 4th, but when he got home—around 6pm—we headed over to Dave and Kimber's to watch the Fireworks at Goodyear Park. The heat was a bit hard to manage, luckily there was a slight breeze, but it was worth it to be apart of Beckahm's first firework experience. I was so surprised at how much he LOVED it. He sat on my lap and gazed up into the sky in awe; he couldn't take his eyes off the lights. He got a little scared by the really noisy ones but he didn't cry one bit. I am so proud of him; he did awesome.

It's true what they say: holiday's become even more enjoyable with kids; it's like experiencing everything again for the first time. I love our little man!

We hope all of you had a happy and safe 4th of July!! How grateful we are for the freedoms we enjoy and for those sacrificing so much by being abroad—away from their families—and fighting to keep our nation safe and free.