6 + months

Noah has reached 6 months, actually he's now closer to 7 months than 6 but we went and got pictures taken to remember the age. He has been so much fun these past few weeks!! I'm really liking this age the best so far. He has been scooting and rolling around the floor but not crawling yet. He loves to play in his crib so I let him. A few times Alan or I have gotten him up from his nap and he'll look back with a face of: I'm not done playing in there, can I go back? We'll put him facing one way and when we get him up from his nap he's usually turned around on the other end on his stomach playing with his stuffed animals.

It's much easier to take Noah out and about because he can go in his umbrella stroller now and we have enough time to go do something before he needs another nap.

Noah has developed a high pitched scream that can just about drive me crazy. We called it the puppy dog scream because he sounds like a puppy dog getting squished. It's just him exploring his voice but I can't wait for this sound to pass.

Here's our smiling rolliepollie.

Morro Bay

Labor Day weekend we rented a house on the beach in Morro Bay with all of Sarah's siblings and families. There were 10 of us total. We had a great time. The house was beautiful and fit all of us in it. It had a great backyard and the house was across the street from the sand dunes that lead down to the beach. It was so nice to get away from the heat in Santa Clarita. We watched the fog come in and go throughout the day. Something you never get in Santa Clarita. I love it when the weather changes throughout the day, especially fog. There is something about fog I just love. That could be a whole another blog in itself. Maybe my next one- my love for fog.

Some of the activities that went on during the weekend were: Bocci ball, flying kites, playing the Wii, surfing, running to the rock and back, going into SLO, reading, cooking lots of Mexican food, eating salt water taffy, cousin's playing, bad coffee (we could never figure out the coffee maker- it looked fancy but couldn't produce good coffee), trips to Spensers grocery store, walking the wharf, early morning strolling the kids in the strollers so they wouldn't wake up the others, cookies, home grown tomatoes, and much more.

We had a great time and hope to do it again. Here are some of the pictures. You'll notice that whenever Alan, Noah and I go on vacation it always ends up being to the beach. I guess we just love to beach.

Just before the sand dunes and bird reserve.

The sisters (Renae, Lisa, Me, Ruth)

Playing Bocci Ball

Flying Kites

There were massive jellyfish everywhere.

Noah and Jack playing. Jack liked the pet Noah's head.

Noah sleeping in the stoller while we ate lunch on the wharf. He had his first cold so he didn't feel his best all weekend.

Blog Makeover

How do you like my new Blog makeover?? It was time for a new refreshing look. Here's some fun that's been going on in the life of the Martinsens. Captions below pictures.

"I can't take my eye's off of you, well the paper that is!"

Mommy, can I please have the paper? I LOVE paper. Just saying "hi" to Nana and Papa, Alan's parents.

Opps, was I not supposed to eat it? Sorry ;)

Noah just loves his bouncer. Here he is having fun.

Up in the amphitheater again. Alexia, me, and the boys, Noah and Malachi.

Noah and Malachi and their matching shirts.

Life is too easy when you're a baby.

The latest and greatest

Well, this is my last full week of maternity leave with Noah. (actually not even a full week because I have to go in on Friday to get my classroom started) I've been so blessed to have 5 months off to stay at home and take care of my little guy. On Monday, the teacher meetings begin and then Thursday is the first day of school. I'm am very excited to be able to job share so I only have to work 2-3 days out of the week except for next week. I'll work Thursdays, Fridays and every other Wednesday. Alan is going to get as many possible days I work off since he's work schedule is more flexible than mine. The days we both work we're lining up some friends who are able to help out, one being my best friend, Julie, who is adopting a 2 year old boy from Uganda.

Noah has been really wanting to crawl. I see it in his face everytime he gets on his tummy. This week he sat all by himself for about 10 seconds and then face planted. He smiles at anyone who smiles at him and loves to entertain or be entertained.

Here are some of the latest pictures with captions underneath.

Noah and I walk to the mailbox each day and he loves to grab the mail we get and chew on it. If he's not letting go I find the cleanest piece and give it to him to suck on. Here is a Bed, Bath and Beyond coupon (or remains of one)

Our friends, Renelle and Cole, gave Noah the cutest shirt that says "Martinsen Creations" The size is for 1 year but after we washed it, it fits him perfectly now.

Don't you just want to kiss him?

Noah sitting up for the second time

More Summer Fun

Waiting for our "Big Band/Swing" concert at church to begin

Noah loving his camping chair

Fourth of July

We went down to Oceanside for the fourth. We stayed at my Dad's condo with Sharon's two crazy cats. Actually one is nice and the other is crazy mean. We thought the mean one (Murphy) was going to attack us in the night because he was not happy we were there. I did wake up at one time with Murphy four feet from my head staring at me. I was startled so the cat hissed, growled, etc and ran to his hidaway cupboard. Let just say we're glad we have all body parts intact when we had to go home. Noah slept in a different room away from the cats so they wouldn't get near him. Below is a picture of Noah laughing on the beach but the camera caught him with his eyes closed. Rice cereal are the new words in our house. Yum Yum.

Noah in his crab floaty on the living room floor. He loves this ball and was having a ball playing with it.

Noah was unsure of the water at first so didn't smile very much which is very unusual for him. After a while he warmed up to the water(no pun intended) and enjoyed the experience. He started splashing and kicking his feet.

June

Yikes! It's been a month already so this post will be for the month of June. It has been a busy month. It started with part of Alan's family coming to visit. His sister, Carlene, and her husband, Robert, and their daughter, Caitlin all came to stay with us from Mississippi. Noah met his Uncle Rob. We got some pictures of the cousins while they were out visiting.

My birthday came up while they were out so they watched Noah for us while Alan and I went out to dinner at Ruth's Chris (our favorite) and a movie (Indiana Jones). Another day we watched Caitlin so Carlene and Rob could go see Indiana Jones. While they were gone we converted a huge box that came in the mail the day before into a car for Caitlin. Here we are in the garage designing and decorating the car and Noah tried out the exersauser for the first time (he's not quite ready yet)

Caitlin loved her car. Alan and her pushed it down the stairs a lot and when Rob and Carlene got home Rob put Caitlin in it and had her go done the stairs in the car. It was pretty funny. Caitlin was a little unsure after the first time but was a good sport for the next 4 times.We got sunglasses and summerwear (swimtrunks, rash gaurd and hat) for Noah so when the pool gets warm enough (at least 85 degrees) we'll put him in the water. Noah loves his sunglasses and doesn't mind them on his face. He looks like one cool guy in them.Just the other day we took Noah to the pool in all his swimgear hoping that the water would be warm enough but it is still a little too cool (high 70s). We put his feet in though. Just a few more hot spells and it will be perfect for him. Last year the water got to be about 95-100 degrees because it's solar heated (it wasn't refreshing at all) so they pumped cooler water in to bring down the temp. We can't wait to take him swimming.


So I asked Alan for the Ab Rocket for my birthday and he got it for me. That's what came in the huge box that we made Caitlin's car out of. Anyway, I caught Roxy trying to work out the other day but she had a hard time getting the back part to go done so she just cried at me :)

So "lets get down to the nitty gritty" -Nacho Libre. Noah will be four months on the first of July. He loves putting his hand and fists in his mouth. He discovered them a few weeks ago along with grabbing his feet. Many times I'll go in his room to wake him up and he's awake with his hands firmly grasping his feet all four sticking up in the air. It's quite cute. This week he started fully rolling over by himself and on Monday he woke up in the middle of the night crying because he had rolled to his stomach and couldn't get back over. He sleeps at least 10 hours at night. I give him his last feeding between 7:30 and 8:30pm and put him down after he's all burped out usually between 8 and 9. He'll sleep until 6:00-7:30 depending on when he finally got to sleep the night before. His baby babble voice is influxing a lot this week like he's telling us a story and he laughs like crazy when he's tired. It's like he's getting silly because he's tired. He's very ticklish.

His weight gain has slowed down the past few weeks but he weighs about 14.3 pounds. The last 5 times I've weighed him it's been the same. I'll find out for sure what it is when we got to the doctor on Tuesday. I think he's growing longer right now instead of wider.

I know it's weird place to leave the blog but I've gotta get some things done so hopefully I'll blog sooner this time. Feel free to say hi via comment. I love to see whose interested in us. Tell me what you've been up to lately. What are you doing to beat the heat this summer?

Just for cuteness

What a cutie! I can't believe how big he is getting.

6 years and going strong.

Yesterday Alan and I had our sixth year wedding anniversary! I can't believe it's been six years already. It's hard to believe that in another six years it'll be twelve years. So if it goes as fast as the first six, twelve years will be here before I know it. Noah will be finishing up kindergarten ready to go into first grade, crazy!! So what has happened in six years. Well we got married fresh out of college, in fact it was 2 weeks after graduation for me, (1 year after for Alan). We lived in a one bedroom apartment and Alan was pursuing a youth pastor position and working as a pool technician. I was about to start my student teaching in fall but until then I was a nanny for the summer. Since then we have moved to our townhome, had 2 cats (although we only have one now- sad death story) changed churches, Alan has had a few jobs (pool technician, junior high and high school teacher, youth intern, and now cruise agency owner and police officer), flipped a house, gone on a few trips and then the best; we had Noah. I stayed the same with my job of teaching first grade for five years. I guess you could call me boring but I like it because I'm so familiar with it. Anyway, much has changed since we were fresh out of college ready to embark the working/married world. It has been a great six years and we're happy. It'll be fun to look back on the next six years and see where we've come to.

My advice to any newlywed of any age. Marriage is a COMMITMENT of strength and love. There will be times where you feel weak and unloving but you must stick to it- endure! Just like it says in Philippians- endure and run the race. Don't just run it but run it hard because at any moment of weakness sin can creap in. Any moment you are not putting your loved one or anyone else first you are being selfish. NEVER talk bad about your spouse. One thing I can't stand is when people talk bad about their spouse. If you talk bad about your spouse, you're the one who married them so what does that make you. PRAISE your spouse. Sometimes it's easier to pick out the bad stuff and forget the good stuff. The good stuff is what's important. HAVE FUN with your spouse. Make time to go out and have fun and laugh. It's the fun times that your memories will build upon. Know your spouse's LOVE LANGUAGE. If you don't know what it is, read the book, "The Five Love Languages." That's the way your spouse will feel loved and if you're showing it the wrong way they are not going to feel loved. And above all FOLLOW 1 Corinthians 13:4-8.

Sadly our photographer didn't take the picture digitally so I have to scan the loose ones in my computer. The best photos are in our album and I can't get them out without the pictures ripping :( So these will have to do.