The Bourne Reality

2nd Birthday Celebration

2012-02-06T14:14:00.021-05:00

Haven's birthday was a nice and simple day spent with our little family. We had fun doing several of her favorite things, and of course, we enjoyed lots of yummy food.

Her day began with an early morning wrestle on the bed and an apple treat. Haven thought this was perfect:

Then she had a special birthday tubby with lots of Elmo bubbles:

She also tried out a new hairdo - a big girl pony tail!

And of course, Haven had to take a birthday nap because even 2-year olds need their rest:

Then it was off to the Museum of Play! Haven played with the Lite Brite:

Danced on the colorful floor:

Mailed a few letters:

Played with the trains:

And even had a tea party:

After a yummy dinner with Dad, Haven opened and played with her gifts:

And then she enjoyed a very red, and very messy, Elmo cupcake (you have to love Wegmans!):

I can hardly believe my sweet Haven is 2!!
Happy Birthday Baby Doll!!

Let the Festivities Begin!

2012-01-29T20:52:00.011-05:00

The celebration of Haven's 2nd birthday has officially begun! In keeping with the tradition from last year, we hosted a dinner with our medical school friends and turned it into a birthday party for our sweet pea.

Of course, the party was Sesame Street themed with a particular emphasis on our dear friend, Elmo:

Haven LOVED having everyone over and was very excited to be the center of attention:

It's hard to believe she looked like this last year. She has changed SO much!

Haven's good friend, Seth, joined us for the party and they even shared a special birthday kiss. We have great hopes for this young love :-)

Mike worked very hard on Haven's four layer chocolate cake. He frosted the entire thing while I was off baby-sitting for a friend. The man has talent!

Here is a quick video of us singing happy birthday and Haven blowing out her candles. We love our Haven so much!

Turning Into a Big Girl!!

2012-01-24T13:21:00.015-05:00

In exactly one week, my sweet Haven will turn 2. How in the world can my baby be turning 2???? I often catch myself still calling Haven "my baby" and yet, she is doing things everyday that make her seem like she is a big girl. Here are some of our latest photos:

I bought Haven this darling backpack from Mike's aunt, Lizzie. Haven received it for Christmas, but has not paid much attention to it. On Saturday morning, Haven discovered the backpack in her closet and insisted that she put it on! She wore her backpack the entire morning and I even caught her trying to open the front door to leave our house!

Since our Christmas vacation, Haven has had a strong aversion to her crib. She absolutely hated sleeping in it and would scream for hours at a time. When we got Haven back to Rochester, Mike and I both expected Haven to go back to her crib without a problem. Boy, were we wrong. There was absolutely nothing we could do to get her to sleep in her crib! For three weeks, Haven insisted on sleeping on the floor and wouldn't go anywhere near her crib. Finally, Mike and I decided to break down Haven's crib and turn it into a toddler bed to see if that would help the problem.

Haven was very excited about the construction and did her best to administrate and assist.

When the toddler bed was complete, Haven popped right into her bed! She insisted we put her bear rug (what she had used to sleep on the floor) in the bed with her.

It took us a couple of nights to make the transition, but Haven is now sleeping soundly in her bed during the night and at nap time. She loves playing in her bed and often asks me to lay down with her to read stories.

National Pie Day

2012-01-24T13:13:00.007-05:00

Last Saturday, we were at our favorite local diner eating breakfast when I saw this sign:

Now, that's a holiday worth celebrating!! Not wanting to miss out on National Pie Day (who knew there was such a thing?), our little family headed over to the diner on Monday to enjoy two heavenly pieces of pie.

Mmmmmm...peach blackberry

Happy National Pie Day to you all!!

Haven's Current Favorites...

2012-01-20T21:58:00.009-05:00

Drawing/Coloring/Scribbling

Haven loves, loves, loves to color! She is always up for a little art project and keeps me busy making sure she is not coloring on furniture or her clothes. She has even been known to lick a marker or two...

Making cookies with Daddy:

Haven is quickly becoming our little chef! She loves to be in the kitchen whenever we are and is currently perfecting the chocolate chip cookie. I love how amazed she seems by the act of cooking. You can also tell from the pictures that she is a frequent taster :-)

We love our little girl!

Christmas in Utah

2012-01-20T21:43:00.006-05:00

After spending a week in Idaho, we flew back to Salt Lake City to spend Christmas week with the Bourne family. Our time was filled with Christmas family parties, Christmas Eve fondue, Christmas morning presents, and deep fried turkey with french fries (very delicious!). Unfortunately, I hardly took any pictures to document the fun. Here are the few pictures that I did take:

Christmas in Salt Lake City would not be complete without a trip downtown to see the lights at Temple Square. Mike and I took Haven and again, she loved it even though it was very cold.

The one downside of the vacation for Mike was the lack of snow in Utah. He only skied at Alta once the entire time we were there. The only thing that saved the dismal skiing of the trip was our quick trip to Sun Valley. We went with Mike's dad and siblings and actually enjoyed some pretty decent snow. One of the days was a bright blue, Sun Valley day which made for an amazing time!

We cannot thank our families enough for welcoming us home for this holiday season! We love you all so much and are grateful for everything you do for us.

Santa - Year 2

2012-01-20T21:35:00.005-05:00

This year, we took Haven to see Santa again. At first she was hesitant:

Then she was fully resistant (notice the laughing parents):

Santa tried to get down on her level, but that wasn't successful:

Finally, the only smile we saw from Haven came as she was walking away:

Why we put Haven through this each December I have no idea, but I can guarantee we will be in line to see Santa next year!

Christmas in Boise

2012-01-20T21:15:00.011-05:00

After returning from Mexico, Mike and I drove to Boise to pick up Haven and spend a week with my family celebrating the Christmas season. I had so much fun sharing my family's traditions with Mike and Haven. Here are a few pictures:

It would not be Christmas in the Peay household without a real Christmas tree. My parents were kind enough to wait for Mike and I to get into town before picking out the Christmas tree. Haven loved running around the tree lot and seemed pleased with the tree selection.

Haven also helped us decorate the tree. She loved wearing the Santa hat.

We celebrated Christmas a week early and Haven got to practice her present opening skills. I think this is my favorite gift Haven received. My mom made this darling apron and Haven now wears it as an accessory throughout the day, whether she is cooking or not.

Mike and I made a special dinner for Christmas day. It was so fun to cook together and the steaks were pretty tastey.

After dinner, we went to a light display in Boise that was spectacular! It was at the Botanical Gardens and the lights were everywhere. Haven was such a trooper even though it was really cold...I think the Elmo hat makes her happy :-)

Here is the best picture we could get of Haven in her Christmas dress. She is so squirmy now that it's difficult to get a posed shot! I love the color of this dress and I think it makes her look like a little lady.

It was a wonderful week in Boise and I cannot thank my parents enough for making our week special. I love going home...

Cabo, Cabo, Cabo!

2012-01-20T21:01:00.010-05:00

Mike and I had the amazing opportunity to go to Mexico over Christmas break. Thanks to Mike's wonderful family and to my wonderful parents who watched Haven, we enjoyed four days relaxing and being in the sun. It was a great time to be with each other and family.

One of the fun activities we did was we rode 4-wheelers out to the ocean. I had never done anything like this before, and I absolutely loved it!

We also took a sunset cruise on our last night there. It was so beautiful and we even saw a whale jumping in the ocean. It was an incredible sunset and a great way to end the vacation.

E-L-M-O

2012-01-20T20:52:00.004-05:00

Elmo is the current favorite character in our house! It feels like EVERYTHING is Elmo...we have Elmo books, Elmo shirts, an Elmo apron, Elmo plush toys, Elmo coloring books, Elmo stickers, Elmo movies, and the list will likely go on. My dad found this fabulous Elmo hat for Haven and she absolutely loves it! Seeing her in this hat always makes me smile.

What Do You Do?

2012-01-20T20:45:00.005-05:00

Question: What do you do when you are feeling a little under the weather?

Answer: You bake cookies!!

Miss Haven is VERY into cooking these days and frequently screams, "Cookie, cookie!" with great excitement. She often joins me in the kitchen, and if she is there, it means Elmo is there too :-)

This Is What Happens

2011-11-30T12:56:00.006-05:00

...when you try to get a sleep-deprived, stuffy-nosed, very dramatic toddler to take a picture against her will:

My favorite parts of this picture:

1. The smiles on the faces of both grandparents. Those are the faces of unconditional love.

2. Driggs' horrified and open-mouthed stare. As Driggs' dad said, "Driggs is finding out at a young age that all girls are crazy!".

No worries Havey...we still love you :-)

Thanksgiving 2011

2011-11-30T12:19:00.021-05:00

This year we spent Thanksgiving with my family in Williamsburg, Virginia. It was the first time the entire family had been together since my sister had her baby in May. This vacation was the perfect blend of family time, education, and good food! Here are some pictures from our trip:

After our dinner on Thanksgiving, we went on a walk through colonial Williamsburg. It was so neat to see all of the houses and artifacts from that period of history. Of course, Mike had to take advantage of the picture moment :-)

The weather could not have been more beautiful in Virginia! It was in the low 70s every day and it felt more like April than late November. Haven and Driggs took full advantage of the playground at the condo complex we stayed in. Haven is really into slides now and loved going up and down, up and down. And I just had to include a picture of my little nephew, Driggs. Isn't he the cutest little boy you have ever seen?!

Haven loved all of the attention and new things to play with on our trip. She was especially fond of Driggs' bouncer and was grateful that Driggs was kind enough to share. And of course we had to make a visit to the swimming pool!! Haven loved being tossed between Daddy and Grandpa. I love how happy Mike and Haven look in the last picture.

On our last day there, we went and toured through Jamestown. What an amazing place! It had an incredible visitor's center and lots of things to look through and learn from. Haven especially loved Jamestown because it was very interactive. Here she is going through the Powhatan Indian village. She loved playing inside the houses!

Haven really loved all of the presentations and demonstrations at Jamestown. Here, she and Mike are learning about the cooking techniques of the early inhabitants.

Here are Mike and Haven touring through the Jamestown settlement ships.

We also walked through the Fort at Jamestown. Haven was especially fond of this little stool and spent a good amount of time sitting in the shade and eating her apple.

What another fun and memorable Thanksgiving! We are incredibly blessed...

Halloween Fun 2011

2011-10-31T19:52:00.007-04:00

Fall Photos

2011-10-31T13:11:00.003-04:00

Here are some family pictures from a quick mini-session with our favorite photographer.

You can see her work at Lisa Ruth Photography.

Birds Birds Birds!

2011-10-31T12:33:00.005-04:00

Sometimes when our afternoons are quiet, Haven and I like to go to the Erie Canal to feed the birds. On this particular afternoon, Mike was home and decided to come along. Haven loved seeing all the birds and was particularly thrilled when Mike starting teaching her how to scare the pigeons.

And it would not be a Bourne family outing if it didn't include some type of dessert, so OF COURSE we had to stop into the local bakery to enjoy a fresh cupcake.

Sometimes, lazy afternoons are the best.

Virginia Visitors

2011-10-31T11:54:00.010-04:00

A couple of weeks ago, my sister's family came to visit us in Rochester. They came to take family pictures and we had a great time doing various activities. My favorite part of their visit was meeting my darling nephew, Driggs. I think he is quite possibly the cutest baby boy...I could pinch his chubby cheeks all day! Here are some pictures from the trip:

Haven prepared for our visitors by helping me get out some of her old toys which included this bouncer. Haven was so excited to see this that she climbed into it and spent the morning lounging. I think she was having childhood flashbacks :-)

Little Driggsy spent most of the trip sorting through this bucket of toys. He also was kind enough to try on his Halloween costume a little early. He's the cutest giraffe I have ever seen!

We spent one day driving to see Niagara Falls from the Canadian side. The view was stunning and definitely worth the drive and passports. The weather was a little chilly, but we still had a good time.

This picture serves as evidence of how independent and assertive my little Haven is becoming. While in Canada, we stopped to have some lunch. On occasion, Haven would decide that she had had enough of the family and would move to this booth to eat by herself. She can be so funny sometimes.

This was the best shot we could ever get of the two cousins together. They are both so wiggly! Haven loved showing her family around the Museum of Play. Lucky for her, little Driggs loves Sesame Street too.

One night, Driggs was showing interest in Mike's guitars. When Mike started playing, little Driggsy was so engaged and sat in front of Mike for 15 minutes wiggling around and moving to the music. I think Mike might have found another fan :-)

It was so fun to be together as a family...we can't wait for Thanksgiving!

Haven's Guide to Picking a Pumpkin

2011-10-23T20:14:00.008-04:00

Step 1: Arrive at the pumpkin patch relaxed. You must conserve your energy for the pumpkin picking process. If you have access to hired help, use it.

Step 2: Survey the whole patch. A serious, scholarly face helps in this process.

Step 3: Search far and wide for the perfect pumpkin. Leave no pumpkin unturned.

Step 4: Select your pumpkin with confidence. Point with precision. Pick with perfection.

Step 5: Run, do not walk, to your pumpkin. You must secure the finest in the patch.

Step 6: Rejoice in your selection.

Visit to Stokoe Farm

2011-10-23T19:46:00.017-04:00

Fall is a big deal in New York. It seems like the people here really try and celebrate the season and make it special. One of the highlights of the season are the farms that open on the weekend and feature fun family activities. One of the most popular farms here is a place called Stokoe Farms. We recently spent an afternoon here and had a great time.

Our day first began with a walk through the corn maize and pumpkin patch. Haven found a pumpkin just her size that she loved:

We also spent a lot of time looking at various animals. Haven's favorites were the turkeys, goats, and bunnies:

Another attraction at Stokoe Farms was the little kid pony rides. Mike and I were not quite sure if Haven would like it, but we figured we should at least give it a shot. It was a definite success. I love how cute Haven looks in her little riding hat:

Mike and Haven also took a spin on a train that showed them more farm animals:

Even after all of these great activities, Haven's favorite part of the whole day was riding around in the little wagon with her pumpkin. The girl loves the simple pleasures of life:

Celebrating Fall!

2011-10-23T19:28:00.008-04:00

How can you not be happy when you see that face?!

There are lots of reasons to celebrate around the Bourne household these days.

Reason #1: It is Fall and that means apple cider, pumpkin patches, and cool evenings

Reason #2: This is the view out our front door. Could it be any more beautiful?

Reason #3: Mike is currently on a break from practicing sutures on frozen chicken and wearing scrubs to work everyday. Hallelujah for the end of Medicine and Surgery!

Reason #4: Haven's ever changing personality and independence always keeps us smiling (or groaning depending on the day!)

We love this time of year!!

26.2 Miles - COMPLETE!

2011-10-23T13:05:00.005-04:00

I did it. I ran a full marathon. All 26.2 miles of it. Yes it was long. Yes it was painful. But somehow it was amazing.

I have always wanted to run a marathon. For me, running a marathon was a life goal that was always in the back of my mind, yet I never thought I could actually do it. Marathons were for people who were athletic, and I did not consider myself athletic. Marathons were for people who were in-shape, and I was never an in-shape kind of person. I had never been a regular at the gym. I had run cross-country in high school, but my performance was dismal at best and the 3.2 mile races were enough to do me in. Somehow though, I could never quite shake the desire I had to run a marathon.

About a year ago, I found myself at a personal standstill. I was living far away from family, trying to support a husband in medical school and working hard to raise a baby. Even though I was busy and trying to stay happy, I just could not shake the feeling that I felt lost. I felt lost in motherhood and lost in my husband's budding career. I remember sharing my feelings with my good friend Seleta and her telling me that she thought it would be a good idea for me to find something that I loved to do that was just for me. Grateful for the advice and wisdom of a loving friend, I pondered her challenge and decided that I was going to make an effort to start running.

It took me a few months to get up the courage (and motivation) to start running. Finally in March, I decided that I had to get going and I began the long journey of running. Even though I knew I was not athletic or in-shape, I knew that I was stubborn and that had to count for something, right?

I started signing up for races, the first being a half-marathon with my husband. Then came the Wasatch Back Ragnar followed by another half-marathon. In May, I found out I had won a spot in the St. George Marathon and I quietly began training for that race. The training was hard and it took up so much time. I battled with various health issues that came with running long distances. I fought feelings of self-doubt and discouragement. But somehow I was always able to keep going (the blessing of being incredibly stubborn) and on the morning of October 1, 2011 I found myself at the starting line for the St. George Marathon.

I will never forget how beautiful the morning was; how amazing it was to watch the sun rise at mile 3. I will always remember the hill at mile 7 and how daunting it seemed, but how accomplished I felt when I reached the top. I will remember the feeling at mile 10 when I realized that I would finish and finish strong. I will remember when I saw my watch's mileage turn to 18.1 and realized I had never run that far in my life. I will never forget how happy I was to see the downhill at mile 20 or the popsicles at mile 23. And I will always remember rounding the corner and seeing the finish line; the relief and excitement that filled my very tired and rundown body.

I finished far from first and my time was not fast by any stretch of the imagination, but I finished. After only running for 7 months, I ran in and finished a 26.2 mile marathon.

Because of this experience, I learned about the vital importance of surrounding myself with people who believed in me when I did not believe in myself. I learned about the necessity of prayer and asking for help with what I could not do on my own. I learned about taking things one day at a time and celebrating small victories. But most importantly, I learned that I can do hard things. I was reminded that I can set hard goals and achieve them.

What a wonderful "life moment" that I will never forget.

Little Haven Appleseed

2011-09-18T14:30:00.006-04:00

Fall has finally arrived in Rochester and I could not be more thrilled! I absolutely love fall here and look forward to this season all summer long. To celebrate Mike's day off, we took Haven to a pick-your-own fruit farm and she was all about the apple picking and eating. It was a great outing!

Syracuse Half Marathon

2011-09-16T19:10:00.005-04:00

This past Saturday, I ran in my second half marathon. I ran with my good friend Celeste on a beautiful course in Syracuse. The scenery was by far the best part of the race. We ran along shaded trails and farmland, as well as beside a beautiful lake.

Celeste and I both started running around the same time, even though we both despised the activity and knew that we were not "runners". This race was a great personal victory for both of us and it was so fun to accomplish it together! We are already looking forward to 2012...

By far the best part of the race - the finish line!

We made it!! Not bad for two non-runners...

My best support team...I could never have made it through these last 6 months of intense running without Mike and Havey

Random Vacation Photos

2011-09-14T19:45:00.013-04:00

As I mentioned in my last post, Haven and I spent 2 1/2 weeks in Utah and Idaho visiting family. As always seems to be the case on vacations, I was not the best at taking pictures, but here are the photos I did take of some of the fun:

The reason for our vacation was the wedding of Mike's younger sister, Emily. Emily and Thayne Davis were sealed in the Salt Lake Temple on August 22nd. It was a beautiful day and a beautiful ceremony. What a happy happy occasion!

Haven came along for the festivities and kept her parents busy while she ran around Temple Square.

Haven and I went to Idaho to visit my parents and had such a wonderful time! One thing we did was walk to my favorite park to feed the ducks. Haven somehow missed the memo that she was supposed to feed the ducks, not feed herself. Thankfully Grandpa was there to keep the ducks happy and full while Haven snacked on the bread.

While in Idaho, Haven discovered that she could climb, and then stand, on her suitcase to reach the top of the desk. She liked to reach for her music box and then would dance on top of the suitcase. I just love her monkey bum!

Haven has become a little streaker recently and happily ran around my parent's house "naked as a jaybird". I think she pulls off the nude pianist look rather well :-)

Two weeks after the wedding, Emily and Thayne had a gorgeous reception at the Salt Lake Country Club. Haven and I were both bridesmaids and we had a wonderful evening.

The best part of the reception was the live band that played outside. Haven became quite the dancing queen and spent the last hour of the reception dancing her heart out! In the first video, Haven is dancing with her friend, Jane. Haven and Jane are 10 days apart in age and all four parents are convinced they will grow up to be BYU roommates. They sure are darling!

While we were home, Mike's sweet grandpa passed away. Bubba, pictured here with Haven in March, was a wonderful man who lived his life with quiet humility and grace. Bubba was always so kind and welcomed me into the family with open arms when I first started dating Mike. I will always remember Bubba taking pictures at every family event and then excitedly passing out copies of the pictures the next time we saw him. Both Mike and I feel so blessed we were able to see Bubba during the last days of his life, and I am especially glad that I was able to attend his funeral. We will miss Bubba dearly and all he brought to our lives.

What a fun and memorable vacation home!!! Love to all our family and friends who always welcome us home...

Beautiful Utah - Beautiful Alta

2011-09-12T20:39:00.007-04:00

Haven and I recently returned from a vacation to see family in Utah and Idaho. The reason for our trip was the wedding of Mike's sister, Emily. Mike was able to break away from 3rd Year for two days to attend the wedding and he tried to pack in as much fun as he could.

One of the things we absolutely had to do while he was in town was drive up to Alta to look at the beautiful wildflowers. I have never seen the flowers look so spectacular!

Museum of Play

2011-08-18T12:21:00.013-04:00

Haven's and my current favorite thing about Rochester is the Strong Museum of Play. We have heard lots about this museum since we moved here, but I have been waiting for Haven to walk before we took full advantage of it. Since getting our pass, Haven and I have been 2-3 times each week. It is the perfect way to stay busy during the hours of 3-5 (for some reason, I have the hardest time filling those hours!). It is also the perfect place because Haven can touch, spill, and move anything and everything around and it doesn't matter. Here are some pictures and videos from our favorite spots in the museum:

I love this picture of Haven because it perfectly captures her excitement about the museum. I can hardly keep up with her as she explores the various exhibits. She loves Reading Adventureland, especially because it has lots of ramps and stairs that she can climb on. Occasionally, there will be book characters wandering through the area and she loves to go up to them and point to their nose.

This giant Lite Brite is Haven's current favorite activity at the museum. We spend lots of time playing here!

There is a really great Sesame Street part of the museum that Haven likes to play in. I love that they have the big doors from the show! Haven is really entertained here, especially by Elmo's World.

She also likes to pretend drive this taxi cab around. I love how she talks to the characters in the backseat.

This is a really fun train inside the museum that Haven likes to ride on. She loves to wave at the conductor and point at the dog that sits on the inside of the track. She gets so excited when she sees the train!

And finally, to give you an idea of how brilliant this museum is: At 4:50 the museum organizes a "parade" for all the children to participate in. It is such a fun way to leave the museum and it prevents the inevitable meltdowns that occur as children are forced to leave. Haven loves to shake the maracas, but often gets scared when the parade gets going. Because of this, I have spent many a parade carrying her and getting hit in the face with maracas :-)

There will be a lot more posts about the Museum of Play!! We love it here!!

Lollypop Farm

2011-08-18T12:00:00.008-04:00

On one of Mike's days off, we took Haven to the Lollypop Farm. The Lollypop Farm is an animal shelter/farm/petting zoo. Since Haven is really interested in animals (especially dogs and ducks) we thought she might enjoy this little adventure.

She saw horses, cows, pigs, ducks, and even went inside and looked at the dogs available for adoption.

Haven was absolutely crazy about this dog. She kept running back to his cage and saying, "Hi".

By the time we got home, poor Haven was absolutely worn out and snuggled in for a nap with Daddy. Of course, Mike LOVED this. Haven has him wrapped firmly around her tiny finger :-)

First Day of Nursery!!

2011-07-31T21:11:00.005-04:00

Today was my baby girl's 18-month birthday! And with the arrival of 18-months came her entry into Nursery! I have been looking forward to this day (and I think any mother can understand why) and thought we would snap a few photos before going to Church:

Her first day of Nursery wasn't a huge success, but I don't think it qualifies as a failure either. There were some tears, a few meltdowns, and one parental rescue, but she did make it until the end of the meeting! She even managed to greet her abandoning parents with a smile when we came to rescue her at the end of the day. This will definitely be a work in progress!

Beautiful Lake Canandaigua

2011-07-31T20:47:00.011-04:00

We had such a wonderful weekend! Mike was off both Saturday and Sunday and we absolutely LOVED having him home. On Saturday, we drove out to Lake Canandaigua to go boating with some friends in our ward. It was such a beautiful day and the lake and surrounding area was absolutely stunning. I have never seen such beautiful homes on a lake before! It was wonderful to be on the lake and to get out of hot and humid Rochester for an evening.

Mike and I decided that it would be great for Haven to experience her first tube ride! She was a pretty good sport and only cried a little bit. I am not entirely sure if she enjoyed herself, but we figured as long as she wasn't crying too much everything was ok :-) Now looking at these pictures, I think her expression says it all! Oh the things we make our children do...

After her harrowing tube ride, Haven decided that life on dry ground was much better. And it was especially wonderful because she got to walk around while eating her way through a bag of potato chips:

I just love to see her walking around with her big girl shoes on!

Haven and her friend, Taylor, were quite fond of these kid-sized lawn chairs. Darling Taylor is 2 weeks older than Haven and it is so fun for Haven to play with someone who is her age!

On our late night drive home, Mike and I realized that Saturday was the 2-year anniversary of our arrival in Rochester. It's amazing to realize how far we have come and how well things have turned out. We truly feel blessed...

Thank Goodness...

2011-07-21T13:08:00.006-04:00

for good friends who are crafty!

I had to post these pictures of the DARLING skirt Mike's Aunt Jac made for Haven while we were in Utah. As one who does not have a crafty bone in her body, I am grateful for friends who are not only incredibly talented but also willing to share their talents! Thanks to Jac, Haven has a fun and bright new outfit to wear to Church.

I love you so much Jac! I will happily come over and chat your ear off anytime you feel the need to create something wonderful!

*I'm sorry for the slightly awkward looking pictures of Haven...Sunday mornings are always a little rough around the Bourne household and a smile just wouldn't happen :-)

Mike's Post

2011-07-21T12:16:00.013-04:00

At the beginning of it all! White Coat Ceremony - September 2009

Hey everyone out in blog-land, it’s Mike here. Just thought I’d pipe up every year or so and give you a personal update on how medical school is going. It’s hard to believe that it’s half way over; in some ways it feels like I haven’t finished unpacking and in other ways it feels like I've been here forever. Whatever the reality is, we’re having a good time and doing well. Haven has been great and is fantastic motivation for me to finally work on getting a real job before she is 10.

In this post I would really like to explain a typical day in my second year of school. I want to remember this stuff before I forget everything in third year!

Off to school!

So on any given day I wake up and put on my boots and trudge out into the parking lot, turn on the car, crank the heat, plow off the foot or so of snow that fell again last night, lock the car with the other key and come back into the house. Resisting the urge to jump back into bed, Ashley directs me to the shower. Depending on how the night went, Haven is hopefully still asleep or in her room playing with some toys. At about 7:45 or so, Ashley and Haven drop me off at school and the day begins!

We usually have some small group activities called PBLs, or Problem Based Learning sessions, from 8-10 three days a week. We are given a case in sections and have to work our way through it, assigning out learning objectives in an attempt to solve the case, direct treatment, and hopefully learn something. Sometimes it feels like a “choose your own adventure" where you can make decisions on treatment and hopefully not kill someone before 9:30 in the morning. We usually have lecture from 10-12 after that, or some days we have a four hour power-lecture from 8-12 which we come out of looking like our cadavers. About 2-3 days a week at lunch there are lunch talks, conferences, or meetings (also known as free lunch!). Suffering through a lecture on a topic you would never in a million years entertain in your head for a whole hour is the price you sometimes pay for a free Chipotle burrito.

The University of Rochester - School of Medicine and Dentistry

The afternoon is very variable. Sometimes we go to clinic at a primary care office where we have been assigned to work with a primary care physician seeing patients, writing notes, and learning in any way we can. Other days we have lectures that are more treatment and “real-world” practice based. For example, one day we could learn about the practical issues of treating type-2 diabetics in the office. We usually break up into small groups, work with standardized patients (people that act like they’re sick), and practice our physical exam and interviewing skills.

My school day usually ends at 5. I’ll take the bus home most days and then hang out with Haven and Ashley from 5-7 when we put Haven to bed. I’ll usually study from 7-10:30 or 11 and then hit the hay.

As the year progressed, I was more inclined to miss class. I swear there are some classmates that I literally haven’t seen for months! They just hide out in the library and never come to class. Our classes here are pass/fail so a lot of students take advantage of that and just start studying for the Boards in January and never are seen again. I wasn’t that extreme, but I definitely wasn’t at class every day.

So about my books: The pile to your left contains all my books from first year that I read cover to cover at least once. The second column is my selection of second year books that I read cover to cover at least once (I read the “First Aid” book you see up front 4 times, all 550 pages of it). The pile to your right are books that I frequently referenced, but can’t say I read them cover to cover.

Second year is fun because you start to feel like you might actually know something. Then it is all dashed to pieces after your first practice test for the Boards. Then after the Boards you might feel pretty smart, and then you hit third year and you realize that people would be safer going to a witch doctor than trusting you with their cold or runny nose!

Third year has been cool so far. I have to be at the hospital between 6 and 7 am and then I leave anywhere from 5-9 pm. It’s been a good experience and I’m excited for the road ahead. I’ll try to pipe up on our blog a little more often, see ya later!

First day of third year!

What Were You Doing...

2011-07-19T20:40:00.004-04:00

from May 16, 2011 - June 21, 2011

If you can't remember, that's okay. I really can't either, but I can tell you EXACTLY what Mike was doing...

He was sticking to this schedule:

Trying to recall and study all of this information:

While preparing for Step 1 of this exam:

Step 1 is something Mike has been thinking about since he began medical school. Step 1 is the first of three tests which lead to medical licensure. This test, in large part, determines what medical specialties you can pursue and the residencies you qualify for. In short, it is probably the most important test of Mike's life.

When Mike's second year of medical school ended on May 12, it was somewhat anti-climatic as we knew that second year wouldn't officially be over until June 21. That was the day Mike was to sit down and complete an 8-hour, 322-question exam. May 12 was just the beginning of an intense 12-hour a day study schedule complete with q-bank questions, Goljian lectures, flashcards, diagrams, more questions, reading, and the list could go on.

Each morning, Mike would go to the undergrad campus at the University of Rochester, find his favorite desk by the window, and study for hours. What always amazed me about this was that he actually enjoyed the hours spent studying, excited that everything was finally coming together.

In total, Mike completed thousands of practice questions and read thousands of pages in various books. He drew out countless diagrams and memorized long lists of drugs and diseases. And on top of it all, he continued to be an amazing husband and father who made his family top priority. I have no idea how he did it all, but he faithfully stuck to his study schedule and made it to June 21.

This past week, Mike received his score for Step 1. Thankfully, his hard work and dedication paid off with a score that will not limit or hinder him in any way. It is an amazing accomplishment and I could not be more proud.

In marriage, one has the unique opportunity to know his or her spouse better than anyone else. You see your spouse on good days and bad days. You see your spouse happy and stressed. Your spouse, over time, comes to know the deepest parts of your soul. Over the past two years, I have watched my husband with amazement and awe. He is unlike anyone I have ever met and I will never be able to adequately express my feelings about the man I know he is.

As Mike has begun this long road to becoming a doctor, I have watched him push himself further than he thought he could. I have watched him work as hard as he can and see fabulous results. And he has done it all with quiet humility and grace. I have wanted to write a tribute to him for a long time, expressing my appreciation and love for how hard he is working for our family. And yet, words are always inadequate. But I could not let this moment pass without saying thank you to Mike. We are on an incredible journey together and I wouldn't want to be with anyone else.

I love you forever Michael...congratulations on such an amazing accomplishment.

And Then There Were Two...

2011-07-19T20:27:00.005-04:00

Congratulations to Mike who successfully completed his 2nd year in medical school!! We can hardly believe he is halfway done...

This year's photo shoot was much more difficult than last year :-) Things have certainly changed!

She Walks!

2011-07-18T18:06:00.001-04:00

California Here We Come!

2011-07-06T20:32:00.018-04:00

In the midst of our vacation home, we took a trip with my parents to Oceanside, California. It was such a fun getaway, and it was even better because Mike joined us having just finished taking Step 1 of the Boards (more on that later!). It was a relaxing vacation, complete with lots of time on the beach and lots of time with Mike and my parents...life doesn't get much better than that.

This was Haven's first time at the beach. She was definitely skeptical, but warmed up to the idea as the trip went on.

We were able to go to part of an Anaheim Angels baseball game. Haven was quite surprised when the crowd started cheering, but hung in there even though she was scared. You have to love a good major league baseball game :-)

The view from our condo. Gorgeous!

Haven spent one day with Grandma and Grandpa while Mike and I rode roller coasters at Magic Mountain. She spent lots of time practicing her walking and Grandpa even dipped her toes in the cold Pacific Ocean!

One of Haven's favorite things to do was feed the fish in the condo's pond. Grandpa spent lots of quarters on fish food :-)

Haven also loved going up and down the stairs! Since there are no stairs in Salt Lake City, she was feeling a little stair deprived. She was VERY happy when she saw that our condo had stairs and these stairs were extra special because she could look out through them.

What a fun vacation and great way to bring in Mike's 3rd year of medical school! Love you Dad and Mom...thanks for helping to make our life wonderful.

Bourne to Run - Wasatch Back Ragnar 2011

2011-07-06T11:09:00.009-04:00

We just got back from a 3-week vacation to see family in Utah. One of the reasons we went home was so I could run in the Wasatch Back Ragnar. The Wasatch Back is a 191-mile relay race from Logan to Park City. We put together a team of 12 family members, and with each of us running 3 legs, we were able to complete the race. We started at 6:45 a.m. on Friday and finished at 2:45 p.m. on Saturday. It was an exhausting, amazing, educational, bonding, physically difficult, and fabulous experience. Here are some pictures:

Here we are at the beginning of my last leg on Saturday morning. After being up all night, we were exhausted!

Proof that I actually ran! My three legs were 4 miles, 7 miles, and 6 miles each.

I was pretty sick by the time I started my last leg and the family support kicked into overdrive. Grandma Cynthia brought me medication, Haven showed up to cheer me on, Dad ran a little bit with me, and James was always there to give me water. I love love love my family.

Haven was not a fan of me running by her. She cried lots of tears :-(

While I was off running, Haven stayed with my parents who came down from Idaho to be with her. They had lots of fun:

Haven went to visit my mom's old elementary school. It's amazing to think that my parents grew up in the exact same neighborhood as Mike. What a small and wonderful world.

Lots of time was spent swinging and bike riding; two of Haven's favorite Utah activities.

And of course, Haven made her grandparents sit through Tangled. They were pretty good sports about it :-)

The Wasatch Back was definitely an experience to remember. I learned a lot and am so grateful for everyone who made this experience possible.

Here's to looking forward to Wasatch Back 2012!!

We Love Daddy!

2011-06-24T14:27:00.008-04:00

Because Haven and I were out of town for Father's Day this year, we celebrated with Mike a week early. We had a low-key day, but it was still fun and enjoyable.

A celebration for Mike would not be complete without some yummy food. Haven and I went all out with steak, homemade rolls, mashed potatoes, carrots, salad, and chocolate cream pie. A dinner doesn't get much better than that!

For our gift, we gave Mike a couple of chairs so he can sit outside and study on our back patio.

And of course, Haven and Mike ended their day as they have almost everyday of Haven's life; with Mike putting Haven to bed. In this picture, Mike is holding the Father's Day card that Haven made especially for him. The card creation came complete with crayons and finger paint (don't even ask how messy the finger paints turned out to be!).

I am so grateful for Mike and the exceptional father and husband he is. I have no idea how he balances everything in his life with such grace, but we love him for who he is and what he does for our family. I have never met anyone with more passion for life. His enthusiasm is contagious and his optimism is inspiring. I love to see Haven light up when Mike walks through the door. He is a natural father and I will forever be grateful that he is the father of my children. I cannot imagine a better example for our children to follow.

We love you Mike! You are the best...

Some Prefer to Eat Dinner...

2011-06-05T19:45:00.002-04:00

This girl prefers to smear dinner all over her body.

But really, who has more fun?!

Surprise, Surprise, Surprise!!

2011-05-31T13:06:00.005-04:00

When you live across the country, it rarely (if ever) happens that family just "drops in" to see you. But last Wednesday, that is EXACTLY what happened to our little family and we couldn't have been more surprised or thrilled!

On Wednesday, Haven and I had just picked Mike up from school and were on our way home. My phone rang and it was my dad. I thought he was just calling to check in, but imagine my surprise when he said, "Well, I am wondering if you can turn your car around and come and get me because I am standing in the Rochester airport!" I don't even think there are words to describe my shock and happiness!

My cute dad had been in Virginia visiting my sister, and thanks to the perks of a pilot son-in-law, he was able to change his travel plans to come and spend a few days with us in Rochester. It was SO wonderful to have him around, and as always he completed several home improvement projects I didn't even know I needed done.

He stayed until Sunday morning and in that time he managed to: fix and repair the rust spots on our car, clean out and vacuum our cars, install an outdoor storage bin on our patio, research and help us find a new vacuum, install a new bike seat for Haven, take a walk through the Sacred Grove, stroll through Highland Park with Haven, and go on a 9-mile bike ride along the Erie Canal. He also was able to watch Haven work on her walking, stair climbing, and mess making. All in all, it was a busy but fantastic trip!

I wasn't very good about taking pictures, but here are a couple from the bike ride we went on. We rode along the Erie Canal to a fun spot called Schoen Place where we enjoyed a little ice cream. It was a beautiful and warm day.

This great bike seat for Haven was a recent find by my dad. It's awesome because Haven sits right up in front and she really loves it (even though her face looks quite sad in this picture...it had been a long bike ride and afternoon). It's so cute to hear her giggle as she rides and she even keeps her helmet on (which I count as a victory).

As always, we LOVED having you Dad!! Feel free to stop by anytime, even if it is unannounced :-)

What We're Into (Literally)

2011-05-30T20:06:00.017-04:00

Haven has been into her "mess making" stage for quite sometime. Anyone who knows me knows that this is a particular challenge because I love to have things clean and in place. But I have learned (or am trying to learn) to let go a little bit and have even managed to limit myself to cleaning once a day!

Just so I can remember, here are some pictures of Haven's favorite things to get into:

Her Documents:

Haven loves to go through the folder that contains our apartment lease and contract. Why she is drawn to this folder is beyond me, but since this picture was taken the folder has been relocated and Haven has been forced to move on.

Mommy's Bathroom Cupboard:

Haven has an ability to find every open door or cupboard. Yes, my bathroom cupboard does have a child lock on it, but Miss Haven always manages to capitalize on that split second of me forgetting to close the cupboard and not noticing that she has scurried over to empty the cupboard's contents. She is especially fond of pulling out each and every Q-tip...

Diaper Cupboard:

Haven loves to pull out all of her diapers even though she knows it doesn't make others (specifically Mom) happy. I love the little ashamed expression on her face.

Bookshelves:

Haven loves to empty her bookshelves. She routinely pulls all of her books to the floor and flips through the pages. She especially enjoys doing this at night while she waits for the tub to fill.

Anatomy Flashcards:

Haven adores Mike's anatomy flashcards (again, we have no idea why). She likes to pull out the cards individually and appears to spend time studying them. Maybe a future doctor in training???

Shoes and Belts:

Haven often spends time in our closet throwing around our shoes and belts. She then usually makes her way to the carbon-monoxide detector which she just can't stand to leave in the outlet!

Feeding Herself:

Haven is still in the stage when she insists on feeding herself. Some nights go better than others. The chocolate pudding wasn't a good night :-)

Tubby Time:

This isn't a new one, but I still wanted to post these pictures. Haven still loves, loves, loves her time in the bathtub. She especially loves when Daddy adds bubbles to the water. She is now quite fond of standing in the bathtub.

We sure do love our little Haven and she most definitely keeps us on our toes!

A Day in the Park

2011-05-13T14:20:00.012-04:00

It was another BEAUTIFUL day in Rochester yesterday so Havey and I decided to head to the park! This time we went with our friends, Celeste and Seth.

It's hard to believe these two kiddos looked like this a little over a year ago:

As if one trip to the park wasn't enough, we decided to head over with Daddy later in the day for a fun picnic.

If this face is any indication, I think Haven LOVES her time in the park!

Spring Has Sprung!!

2011-05-09T10:49:00.007-04:00

This weekend the temperature rose into the 60s and we were out the door! We live by a beautiful park and lucky for us, the Magnolia trees are in bloom. It made for a very delightful afternoon.

And I think the best part of our walk was that Randi was there with us. She has been here for the past week and it has been heaven. Love her, love Haven, love my husband...

Spring?????

2011-05-06T13:45:00.003-04:00

We are patiently waiting...

2 Years and 13.1 Miles = COMPLETE!

2011-05-02T10:52:00.008-04:00

To celebrate our second anniversary (April 28th) Mike and I decided to set a goal and run a half marathon. For two months, we trained and motivated each other to stick to a running schedule.

On Saturday, April 30th, we ran our race at 10:00 a.m. Because winter refuses to leave upstate New York, we were nervous all week that we would be running in the snow and wind. Luckily, the weather was GORGEOUS on Saturday and Mike even got a sunburn!

Here we are pre-race with our good friend, Steve Carr. Steve is a fellow second-year medical student and he is an AMAZING runner!

The half marathon we competed in, The Grand Island 1/2 Marathon, was an out-and-back race that went right along the Niagara River. Mike and I ran for 2 minutes together and then he was off while I stuck to my strategy of "slow and steady finishes the race". Mike finished 20 minutes ahead of me and then came back and ran the last 1/4 mile with me. It was a great accomplishment for us to finish this race and a wonderful way to celebrate our 2-year anniversary.

Here are some pictures from the race:

Here we are crossing the finish line! I look a little happier than Mike :-)

Here I am with my good friend, Amy. Amy and I have been visiting teaching companions since we moved to Rochester and I love and admire her so much. She is the reason why we all decided to run this race and I am grateful for her idea and initiative to put our group together.

Here we are with the group from our ward who ran in and completed the race!
(From left: Steve Carr, Blake & Amy Gardner, Mike & Ashley Bourne, Shari Bailey)

After the race, we enjoyed a wonderful anniversary dinner and then came home and made cream puffs. We had to make up that calorie deficit somehow right? :-)

Family Time

2011-04-29T12:31:00.010-04:00

The best part about being in New York City was spending time with the entire Bourne family. It has been awhile since we were all together and it really was a special time. We love you all so much and are so excited for the many wonderful events in our future!

Haven has officially fallen in love with Grandpa Mike. She was very intent on giving him smiles, giggles, and claps whenever she got the chance. Special thanks to Mike who organized the entire trip and made all of the activities and experiences possible. We love love love you and are grateful for everything you do!

Grandma Judi was Haven's most faithful companion during the trip. She sacrificed many hours of sightseeing and city time to stay with Haven and make her comfortable. We are so grateful for Judi and her endless love and support.

Haven also loved being with James and watching his face form into the craziest expressions! He was definitely good at keeping her entertained.

Haven was in heaven spending time with Emily, Katie, and Sophie. She loved nothing more than being with the girls and receiving their endless attention. Mornings are not quite as fun now that they have gone, but don't worry Havey, you will be with your aunts again in June!

And I just had to include this picture of Havey with Soph. Sophie was the best little helper with Haven and spent hours crawling on the floor, looking in mirrors, and watching Tangled.

Thanks for a fabulous and memorable vacation!! We love you all and are counting down the days until June :-)

"Fine Dining" in New York City

2011-04-29T12:16:00.013-04:00

One of my favorite things about New York City is the AMAZING food!! It seems like everywhere you go, there is some bakery or corner restaurant to experience. The whole family was in heaven because there is nothing we love more than eating!

Mike and I had to stop by one of my favorite places, Serendipity, for a little frozen hot chocolate. It was still as delicious as I remembered.

Even though Haven ate out with us a few times, it was sometimes easier to bring dinner to her. She loved nothing more than dining on her rice and beans while sitting in the bathtub (the bathtub being a necessity considering how much she loved to throw the beans!).

We just love this little girl. She brings so much entertainment!

Fun in NYC!

2011-04-29T11:36:00.020-04:00

Last week, we were lucky enough to have Mike's family come to visit. Judi, Emily, and Sophie spent a couple of days with us in Rochester and then we all headed to New York City to meet the rest of the family. We had a wonderful time there and Haven was quite the trooper, even though cold weather and missed naps brought a few challenges. Here are some pictures of our adventures in NYC:

Haven got her first taste of luxury when Grandpa Mike arranged for a limousine to pick up the family from the airport. I think she could get used to riding in style :-)

We just had to make a stop at F.A.O Schwarz for Haven to experience the Big Piano. She was absolutely thrilled! I could hardly keep track of her as she dashed up and down the piano. Even though she didn't weigh enough to play music, it was still the highlight of her day.

Sophie was so good about showing Haven all of the neat things in the toy store. This figure was made entirely out of Legos!

And of course, Haven had to pull down a few book displays while we were in the store.

We also took a boat tour around Manhattan. We went right by the Statue of Liberty, saw Ground Zero, and learned several interesting facts. For example, during the day there are approximately 5 million people on Manhattan, but after the work day approximately 3 million people leave. Also, there are over 30,000 registered restaurants on Manhattan alone. What an incredible place!

We also were lucky enough to see a couple of shows while we were there. We saw Mary Poppins and Phantom of the Opera. Even though we enjoyed both shows, I was absolutely blown away by Phantom of the Opera. It was incredible.

Other things we did that I didn't get pictures of included walking through both the Museum of Natural History and the Metropolitan Museum of Art, eating at fabulous restaurants and bakeries (yay for Crumbs!), shopping at Macy's, walking through Central Park, and perfecting both cab and subway travel.

Question:

2011-04-26T21:46:00.018-04:00

What does a girl get when she has a good day in Church?

Answer:

An afternoon watching Tangled

A fun dance with Daddy

And her very own cream puff!!

Mmmmmm...Delicious

Special Delivery!!

2011-03-31T11:19:00.006-04:00

Who knew a box and packing peanuts could be so fun?

Mmmmm...Pancakes

2011-03-30T13:30:00.007-04:00

Last Saturday, we took a family adventure to a little place called Cartwright's Maple Tree Inn. It is about an hour and a half outside of Rochester and it looks like this:

This funny little place is literally in the middle of nowhere (anyone heard of Angelica, New York?), but from February to April of every year, people from all over come to eat their famous buckwheat pancakes drenched in fresh and pure maple syrup.

Because we are Bournes and we love our food, we had to go and try this place out. Haven was pretty excited:

And yes, we are happy to report that the pancakes were amazing and the syrup was even more amazing.

Haven was a fan of the all-you-can-eat pancakes and insisted on picking at the stack meant to feed everyone at the table:

She even insisted on feeding Daddy.

What a little gem tucked away in upstate New York! If you happen to be in the area between February and April, we might just have to let you try the pancakes and syrup for yourself...

Growing Out Is Hard To Do

2011-03-23T23:43:00.011-04:00

I feel like I have given up on Haven's hair. I honestly have no idea what to do with it, so I think she is just going to grow it out. But whenever she wakes up in the morning with her hair looking like this, I have to fight the temptation to rush her in for a haircut:

I can't help but think that her hair looks a little like this:

or like this:

Thankfully Haven doesn't seem too bothered by her constantly shaggy and eye-covering hair.

Hopefully she will one day see from beneath her luscious locks of hair :-)

Where Have We Been?

2011-03-23T22:10:00.022-04:00

Well, it seems that February and March passed us by and I haven't been anywhere near our blog. I really don't have an excuse as to why I have been so slow to update, but here is a look at what we have been up to for the last two months:

I feel like this picture perfectly captures how the Bourne family felt during February and March. At one time or another, we were all under the weather and not feeling like ourselves. We have also been wishing the winter away and dreaming of warm spring days...here's to hoping for sunshine and warm temperatures soon!

Miss Haven has spent lots of time in the bathtub this winter. She has recently fallen out of favor with the tub, but I am hoping it's just a phase.

Haven has also been trying all sorts of new foods. Here she is enjoying her daddy's favorite dessert, banana cream pie.

At the end of February, Mike's medical school hosted a dinner and tour of the George Eastman House in downtown Rochester. It was a great opportunity to spend time with his classmates and to learn a little more about George Eastman, founder of Kodak.

Mike and I have been logging lots of time on the treadmill as we train for a half marathon at the end of April. Again, we are dreaming of warmer weather so we can get outside and run!

Just in case you were all wondering what Mike has done all winter long, I would like to present this picture as evidence: Mike has spent the winter studying!! Shocking, I know :-) Haven and I are so proud of the work Mike has put in this year and we are looking forward to supporting him as he studies for his Boards. Cross your fingers for June 21st!

We recently flew across the country to spend Mike's Spring Break in Utah and Idaho. Haven definitely doesn't travel as well as she did when she was a little baby. She insisted on letting everyone on the flight know she was there by screaming for the entire flight. I think everyone was relieved when we got off the plane! The only way we could keep her happy in the airport was to let her ride on Mike's shoulder...don't let the innocent smile and clapping hands fool you :-)

We spent a week in Utah with family and friends. Unfortunately, I hardly took any pictures! The two pictures I did take are of Haven with her new best friend, Aunt Sophie. Haven absolutely adored Sophie and spent most of the vacation giggling and chasing Sophie around the house. Sophie was able to calm Haven down when no one else could...she is the best aunt/big sister we could ever ask for.

What would a Spring Break be without a little skiing?! Mike was able to fit a few days of skiing into his vacation. These are a few pictures from his two back-country tours. He is never happier than when he is in the mountains.

Haven is all about clapping for herself these days. She loves to applaud herself and everyone else. There is nothing better than seeing Haven sitting in her crib, applauding my entrance.

Haven and I spent a week in Idaho while Mike went back to New York. Haven loved her new high chair and especially loved feeding her new friend, Zoey. Zoey always made sure she was near Haven, ready to scoop up any loose treat.

Haven has also recently discovered the joys of brushing her teeth. Grandma Jill was so pleased :-)

We really have had a wonderful winter, but we are looking forward to Spring!!

Haven's 1st Year Photos

2011-02-07T16:24:00.011-05:00

A few days before Haven's 1st birthday, we had these professional photos taken. I am so thrilled with how they turned out! Lisa did a perfect job of capturing Haven's little personality.

Happy 1st Birthday Haven!!

Photos courtesy of: Lisa Ruth Photography

My Baby Turns 1

2011-01-31T19:39:00.021-05:00

Today my sweet Haven turned 1. I can hardly believe how fast this year has gone and how much she has changed. Haven is, without a doubt, the most wonderful blessing in Mike's and my life. She has brought us so much joy and I cannot even begin to describe how much I love her. Here are a few pictures from her first year:

At age 1, Haven loves to:

* scream Da-Da-, Ma-Ma, and Hi!
* read books. Her favorites are: I Love You Through and Through, Goodnight Moon, The Very Hungry Caterpillar, Are You My Mother?, Ten Little Ladybugs, and Snuggle Puppy.
* eat mommy's necklaces.
* be thrown into the Love Sac.
* watch The Cat in the Hat and Super Reader in the morning.
* eat Macaroni and Cheese by picking up the noodles one by one.
* swim and splash in the water.
* have "Tubby Time" each night with her special bath time friends.
* wake up between 5:30 and 6:00 each morning.
* go to bed at 6:30 each night.
* squeal when Daddy comes home after school.
* be tickled under her arms.
* crawl across the floor to pick up Cheerios.
* put up a fuss when I put in or take out hair bows.
* eat chocolate and smear it all over her face.
* bang Daddy's highlighters together.
* put anything and everything into her mouth.
* eat french fries and drink Sprite (please don't judge our parenting!)
* sleep on her stomach with her Binkie stuck in her mouth.
* have her hair blow-dried each night.
* sit in her special birthday chair.
* eat her shoes.
* give mommy and daddy lots of smiles and giggles.

We love you Haven!! You are our little angel.

Let's Party!

2011-01-30T20:59:00.010-05:00

To celebrate Haven's birthday, we decided to coordinate it with our med-student dinner for January. One of our favorite traditions in Rochester is the monthly dinner we have with the other Mormon med-students in our class. It is a great time to get together and we have made such good friends. We could not think of a better setting to celebrate Haven's first year! She thought it was a good idea too:

For dinner, we served macaroni and cheese (in honor of Haven) and Mike and I made this special triple-layer red velvet cake:

Thank you to everyone who helped us celebrate Haven's special day! We love you all!

(From left: Mike and Shanna Cluff, Bourne Family, Joey and Marie Pawlowski, and Seth, Celeste, and Ben Peterson...we missed you Steve!)

Under the Weather

2011-01-30T20:37:00.008-05:00

Poor Havey has been under the weather this past week. Her combination of sickness and sadness included teething, an earache, and a cold. Thankfully, she has still been a very good baby and I think she enjoyed her several days of pajamas and no hair styles. Even though things have been less than 100%, we have still had some cute moments. Here are a few pictures:

Haven is the funniest baby when it comes to food. She will eat almost anything (i.e. gorgonzola pasta, pea pods, steak, peppers, quiche, bacon etc.) but she won't eat in large amounts. For dinner, she is perfectly happy to eat ONE noodle and then she calls it quits. However, one thing I can get her to eat a good amount of is macaroni and cheese. She does insist on feeding herself by picking up the noodles one by one. She is doing just that in this picture and you can tell she is absolutely thrilled. Her little smile just cracks me up.

For Haven's birthday, Grandpa Mike and Grandma Judi bought Haven this darling chair that is just her size. Haven adores her chair and spends lots of time in it! In the last picture you can see her holding her "birthday wand". Mike found this for her a few weeks ago and she loves to wave it around.

When Haven was really sick, she was hardly eating or drinking. The pediatrician suggested we give her juice just to get some fluids in her. So I put a little grape juice in her bottle to see if she would like it. As you can see, she had a great time with the juice even though none made it into her mouth. She thought it was great fun to bang her bottle on the table!

Thankfully Haven is feeling a little better and is ready to celebrate her 1st birthday!

Happiness Is:

2011-01-23T14:58:00.013-05:00

Staying in pajamas all day, just because I can.

Having really crazy hair and not caring a bit.

Reaching that one Cheerio mommy keeps just out of reach so I can hopefully learn to crawl.

A brand new polka-dot swimsuit.

Being able to swim when it is 16 degrees outside.

Flying high in the air with help from my daddy.

Splashing water in our eyes until my heart is content.

We certainly had a happy Saturday with our happy little girl :-)

On to Salt Lake City

2011-01-09T19:02:00.015-05:00

We finished off our vacation with a few days in Salt Lake. Again, we were not the best with taking pictures, but here are a few of the highlights:

For Christmas, Haven received a gift certificate to Build-A-Bear (thank you Great-Grandpa and Great-Grandma Bourne!). We ventured to the mall and had a great time picking out the bear along with all of the "must-have" accessories. Thank you Aunt Sophie for showing us the ropes.

While we were out and about, we decided to stop by the hospital to visit Grandpa Mike. Haven caused quite the stir!

Here Haven is sitting next to her Great-Grandpa Bubba and another little girl named Haven. Haven is 8 years old and lives on the Bourne's street, Haven Lane. When Haven heard that the Bourne's have a granddaugther with her same name, she decided to crochet a darling pink hat for Baby Haven (you can see her holding the hat in the picture). It was so fun for the two Havens to meet!

Haven had lots of visitors stop by during Christmas to say hello! Here she is with Great-Grandpa and Great-Grandma Bourne. They came by on New Year's Day and Haven did her best to charm them :-)

And of course, what Christmas vacation would be complete without a lot of skiing?! Here is Mike in the backcountry of Utah on New Year's Day. Mike was able to fit in 6 days of skiing during our vacation and he loved every minute of it. He said that he got his fill of skiing in over the break...at least until March.

We had a wonderful year in 2010 and cannot wait to see what 2011 will bring.

Happy New Year!!

A Sun Valley Surprise

2011-01-09T18:56:00.008-05:00

On Christmas Day Mike, Haven, my parents, and I drove to Sun Valley to surprise Grandma Judi who didn't think we would be arriving until the next day. She was definitely happy to see us!

We then spent a blissful three days in Sun Valley with both families. We skied, ate TONS of amazing food, chatted, and loved Baby Haven. Here are a few pictures from the trip:

Haven is in love with her aunts (and she cannot wait to meet Aunt Emily in March!). They enjoyed lots of lazy mornings and Haven had her first taste of grapefruit, courtesy of Aunt Katie.

You cannot be in Sun Valley and not spend a day skiing! We had a great day leisurely skiing down the big, wide-open runs.

Another great perk of Sun Valley is the fabulous lunches available on the mountain. Mom and Haven came to join us for lunch at the Round House. It was heavenly.

Haven rode the gondola for the second time to get to the top.

She was so thrilled with her lunch that she had to share it with Grandpa Mike.

And here is a picture of Haven sitting at the head of the table, enjoying all of the love and attention showered on her by family. This is one loved and adored girl!

A Boise Christmas!

2011-01-09T15:27:00.015-05:00

This year, we were lucky enough to spend our Christmas vacation with both families. We began the two-week break by flying to Idaho and staying with my parents. They were, as always, thrilled to see Havey. And she was definitely happy to see them:

While in Boise, we did so many fun things (most of which we didn't take pictures of...oh well). We saw lots of movies, slept in, made candy, ate way too much almond rocha, took a quick ski trip to Targhee, celebrated Christmas Eve with the Mangums, and made visits to all of my favorite Boise food stops. It was definitely a much-needed break.

The one thing we did get pictures of was Haven's first December 25th.

Here is Haven in front of my parent's Christmas tree. She definitely looks confused :-)

Grandpa John helped Haven open her very first gift of the morning! It seemed like her favorite part of Christmas was tearing and eating the paper.

Grandma Jill did a great job picking presents that Haven loved. These blocks were one of her favorite gifts.

One of Haven's greatest gifts was her first pair of Nike running shoes. She is definitely more interested in chewing on the laces, but hopefully she will come around soon! Special thanks to Parker and Meegan Mangum who are our favorite Nike experts.

Our family on Christmas morning! We definitely look REALLY tired, but I had to post this picture for remembrance purposes.

One of my favorite Christmas traditions is having a yummy and big breakfast after the presents. Haven ate her first piece of bacon and LOVED it!

We are so grateful for my parents who put so much effort into making Haven's first Christmas special. We loved being with you in Idaho and cannot wait to come back in March!

Here Comes Santa Claus, Here Comes Santa Claus...

2010-12-20T21:30:00.005-05:00

Right down Haven's Lane!!

Let the Festivities Begin!!

2010-12-16T20:37:00.009-05:00

We have been doing our best to get into the Christmas spirit! This year we picked out a Christmas tree with Haven and it has looked so beautiful in our home. When Mike brought it into the house, Haven was a little skeptical:

However, she definitely warmed up to the idea of a large tree in our front room and has spent a lot of time looking at the lights and presents.

Tonight we celebrated Haven's first round of Christmas festivities. Because we will be traveling for the holidays, we decided to let Haven open her gifts from her parents before we left town. She definitely thought that was a good idea.

She got lots of great things and even seemed to enjoy the gifts more than eating the wrapping paper (I count that as a small miracle because she always wants to eat paper!). Grandpa and Grandma Bourne sent Haven this adorable walking toy and she was definitely excited to see it! I love how her hands are blurry in the picture because she is shaking them with excitement.

After she was done opening gifts, she spent a little time snuggling with Daddy and inspecting her goods.

And here is a picture of Haven with all of her gifts! She was such a squirming worm that we couldn't get a good picture, but at least the gifts held still :-)

Mike has one more test tomorrow and then we are heading home for the holidays!! We can't wait to see our family and friends.

Let's Go Sledding!

2010-12-16T20:26:00.008-05:00

This weekend, we let Haven try out one of her Christmas presents a little early. Due to lots of Rochester snow, we were able to take her on a sledding adventure near our house. The verdict is still out on whether she liked it or not. She didn't cry, but her face definitely looks more annoyed than joyful :-)

I can't help but laugh as I see her little face and body all bunched up in her large and bulky snowsuit. Her sweet face seems to be saying, "Just endure to the end!"

What a Thanksgiving!!

2010-12-01T18:51:00.030-05:00

This year, we were blessed to go on a quick vacation for Thanksgiving break. We went to Virginia and Washington D.C. where we had a great time relaxing, visiting new places, and being with my family. We took a lot of pictures that will help tell of our adventurous 4 days...

For whatever reason, Haven was not a fan of flying on this trip. We had a rough flight to Virginia, but thankfully things were a little better on the way home. I absolutely love her face in this picture. It's the classic Havey expression of, "Why me?".

Thankfully, we had family to meet us when we arrived in Virginia!! Here is Haven enjoying her time with Auntie Amy. Amy was our tour guide around Charlottesville. Mike and I fell in love with Charlottesville, and I have to confess that I am slightly envious of where my sister lives.

Grandpa John and Grandma Jill loved their time with Baby Haven. They were willing to help with everything, especially food time.

Even though we were staying in a hotel, we were still able to make a wonderful Thanksgiving meal. My cute parents worked hard to fix all of our favorites, and my mom even brought a tablecloth from home. The food was delicious!

Haven especially loved the food. Here she seems to be saying, "Bring on the turkey!".

One of Haven's favorite parts of the vacation was her visit to the hotel swimming pool. This girl definitely loves to swim!

On Friday, my parents baby-sat Haven while Amy took Mike and I to see Monticello. The tour through Thomas Jefferson's home was fascinating and it was fun to see the beautiful views from his home.

We also walked around the University of Virginia, founded by Thomas Jefferson. Amy lives five minutes from this gorgeous campus. What a lucky girl!

By the time we finished touring the sites, we arrived home to find one exhausted girl! All this traveling can sure tucker a girl out :-)

Havey woke up in time to go to a great restaurant in Charlottesville called the Horse and Hound. While there, she insisted on repeatedly flirting with the waiter. She arched her back to stare at him and was always looking around for him when he was not there. I think Haven found her first crush :-)

On Saturday, our little family left Virginia and headed to Washington D.C. for a busy afternoon of site-seeing. Our first stop was the U.S. Capitol building.

It was extremely cold and windy in Washington D.C. on the day we were there. That's why you can hardly see Haven's face in all of the pictures because we tried to bundle her up so she wouldn't get cold! She was such a good girl and didn't cry once while we rushed around outside. Thankfully Havey had a warm hat and the Metro to protect her from the harsh weather. She was a big fan of the underground transportation :-)

Even though it was cold, we still walked around and saw the National Archives, the Washington Monument, the World War II Memorial, the White House, and the Holocaust Museum. We tried to pack in as much as we could in our day.

When we got back to the hotel, Haven quickly made herself comfortable on the big bed. However, Mommy and Daddy were not too anxious to share their bed with Baby Haven, no matter how cute she looked. Because the hotel did not have a crib available, we improvised and Haven ended up sleeping here:

Yup, she slept in a closet! As evidenced by the pictures, Haven slept peacefully and soundly all night. Please don't use this information to judge our parenting :-)

We could not have asked for a better Thanksgiving vacation. Thank you to my parents and sister who put so much work into organizing this trip and making our holiday memorable and special. We love you so much and cannot wait for Christmas!

Lately...

2010-11-23T10:47:00.031-05:00

Mike has been as busy as ever! He recently dusted off his violin to participate in the Medical Center Orchestra. Havey and I attended his concert a few weeks ago and were impressed by the orchestra's talent. (Side note: Haven is definitely Mike's biggest music fan. She loves when he plays his guitar and doesn't mind when he turns his amp up loud to practice. However, she absolutely HATES when he plays the violin! Within a few seconds, she always bursts into tears and screams until he stops. Thankfully, she only had one meltdown during this concert!)

Mike also had an opportunity to present his summer research at a poster session held at the medical school. It was a great opportunity to celebrate all of his hard work this summer.

Besides studying like crazy for his test on Wednesday, Mike has been playing Mr. Mom while I have been under the weather for the past week. He has been cooking, baby-sitting, leading the ward choir, conducting the music in church, doing Haven's hair, and finding the perfect cold and flu drug for his stuffed-up wife. He is definitely a multi-tasking wonder!

Haven continues to be our little thrill-seeker. Her new thrill involves being thrown through the air into her personalized crater in the Love Sac. Here is the photographic evidence (I wish you could hear Havey's giggles):

Haven also attended her first birthday party! Seth, her fellow med-student baby, celebrated his first birthday and his cute mom, Celeste, put together the most adorable party. It was based on the book The Very Hungry Caterpillar. Here is Haven enjoying the book:

She also participated in the craft, with a little help from Mom and Dad:

Happy Birthday Seth!! We sure love you.

Haven also had her first professional haircut. The stylist couldn't believe a 9-month old already had so much hair! Here is the before picture:

And the after picture:

She looks like a little kid :-)

As for me, I have been battling the cold and flu for the past week. I pretty much checked out of life for a few days and am now trying to come up for air. I celebrated (kind of) my 25th birthday on Saturday and am so grateful for all of the family and friends who called, e-mailed, and sent gifts. Sorry that I wasn't better about responding, but I do truly appreciate it. (And yes, I am aware that my post is the only one without pictures. But honestly, who wants to document the diseased?!).

And in happier news...tomorrow we are leaving for Virginia and Washington D.C. to celebrate Thanksgiving!

At this time of year, we are reminded again of how grateful we are for all of our family and friends. It is because of you that our life is wonderful. Have a very Happy Thanksgiving!

Fall Family Photos

2010-11-07T18:24:00.008-05:00

Back in October, my friend Jeannette took some photos of our family. We recently got them back and I am thrilled with how they turned out. Even though I feel like I am spoiling our Christmas card, I was too excited to wait to share these pictures.

Here is a link to Jeannette's photography website. She really is wonderful to work with!

Look Who's Ready...

2010-11-06T13:28:00.006-04:00

To watch Utah beat TCU!!

She is even wearing her special U of U socks for the occasion:

Wish we could be with the family watching the game...love and miss you all so much!

Go Utes!

(Side Note: For all you Utah haters out there who are just dieing to make a comment about the horrible game, I will spare you the trouble :-)...yes, today's game was pretty bad and Utah definitely didn't play well. But come on, Havey did have a pretty cute outfit on!)

The Results Are In!

2010-11-05T07:36:00.003-04:00

Baby Haven recently had her 9-month appointment and everything went well! She continues to grow at her own speed (meaning she still is not on the curve for her weight...oh well), but the doctor says she is healthy and doing fine. Here are her stats:

Weight: 15 pounds 2 ounces (< 3rd percentile)
Length: 28 inches (70th percentile)
Head: 18 inches (91st percentile)

Good thing her head always puts up a big number :-)

Bourne Halloween Special:

2010-10-31T20:25:00.011-04:00

Sweet Peas for Sale!!!

Mike definitely wins the #1 Daddy Award for coming up with a coordinating costume! The farmer look suits him well :-)

Unfortunately, our sweet pea wasn't so sweet (as demonstrated by the annoyed look on her face). I think her large head got squished by the little hat! At the end of the night, Haven was definitely done with her Halloween fun:

We also tried to carve pumpkins. Unfortunately, Haven was worn out from Church and couldn't bring herself to enjoy the festivities:

But lucky for her, she woke up just in time for pictures!

And it seems like the highlight of Haven's Halloween was trying to eat the top of her pumpkin:

What fun memories from Haven's first Halloween!

Pre-Halloween Fun

2010-10-30T14:24:00.011-04:00

Today, we decided to get into the spirit of Halloween by wandering through the Mt. Hope Cemetery. This cemetery is huge and has some of the best Fall leaves in the area :

While there, we stumbled upon Frederick Douglass' grave site:

Havey was quite happy to be on a Saturday outing (she definitely has the cheesy grin perfected!):

She even let us take a few pictures in the leaves! She started out not liking the idea too much:

But she slowly warmed up:

And even managed to have some fun:

We hope everyone is having a happy Halloween weekend!

You Can Never Start Too Young...

2010-10-24T07:52:00.002-04:00

Too bad Haven started eating the magazine right after this picture was taken!

And The Visitors Just Keep Coming!

2010-10-19T19:29:00.014-04:00

Not only were we lucky enough to have Judi stay with us for a few days, but my Dad arrived in Rochester about 10 minutes before we dropped Judi off at the airport! On our way back from Kirtland, we received a call from my Dad saying that he was about 10 minutes ahead of us and that we should pull over so we could meet up. When we met my Dad, he was driving this:

This 1996 Honda is the newest addition to the Bourne Family Car Fleet! Michael and I have been doing the one car thing for a little over a year, and it has worked surprisingly well. However, with Michael's school schedule becoming more demanding we decided that we needed to become a two-car family. So my Dad, being the amazing person that he is, found this fabulous Honda in Boise, did a few repairs, and drove it out to us! It probably seems silly that we would buy a car all the way in Idaho, but it gave me an excuse to see my Dad. And it gave him an excuse to see Haven. So in my opinion, we all win!

While my Dad was here, I decided that I wanted to carry on the Peay Family tradition of going to a pumpkin patch. We found a funny little pumpkin patch by Fairport and had quite the experience picking out pumpkins.

Grandpa John looked hard and found the perfect, Haven-sized pumpkin for his "little girlfriend".

Haven enjoyed some more time up on Daddy's shoulders!

Haven also had her first experience looking at chickens and goats. I think she kind of liked it.

And at the end of the experience, Grandpa John wheeled the pumpkins out in this funny cart. This is definitely NOT how we do pumpkin patches in Idaho :-)

Usually when my Dad comes to visit, we have a bunch of home improvement projects for him to do. This time, I was so proud because I literally could not think of anything for him to do! I thought that he could just enjoy his time here and relax. After all, he had just driven 2,200 miles. Little did I know that he would still find things to do, and did I ever appreciate his efforts. By the time my Dad left, he had installed some shelving, fixed my vacuum cleaner, tightened all of our chairs, touched up the wood on our furniture, washed and cleaned all of the cars, and fixed all of the squeaky door hinges. Don't you all wish my Dad would come and visit your home? :-)

Thanks so much for everything you did Dad! We love you so much and hope you come back soon (it's really okay if you fly next time!).

We Love Grandma Judi!!

2010-10-18T19:40:00.020-04:00

Last week, we were lucky enough to have Michael's mom come and stay for a few days. I think this picture captures Haven's pure joy and excitement. She always loves when visitors come to see her!

On Friday, we drove to Stony Brook State Park to look at the leaves and waterfalls.

Haven and Grandma were very content to be with each other:

While Michael was intent on showing Haven the dangerous side of life:

Okay, maybe a tire swing doesn't qualify as dangerous, but I am still a mother who worries :-)

Haven learned how much fun she can have riding on Daddy's shoulders:

Special thanks to Grandma Jill for sending Haven this adorable Halloween outfit. I just love the pumpkin on her bum.

On Saturday morning, Michael and I left Judi with Haven so she could spend some quality one-on-one time with her granddaughter. Michael and I took a quick road trip to Cedar Point, Ohio where we attempted to ride some of the biggest roller coasters in the world. As luck would have it, we managed to pick the second busiest day of the year. So after 6 hours and only 4 roller coasters, we decided to pack up and head home. However, the amusement park was absolutely amazing and we decided that we have to go back!

We also got to spend a little time in Kirtland visiting some of the Church History sites. I love living so close to these sites and love to feel the Spirit that exists in these places. We toured through the Kirtland Temple and the Newel K. Whitney store and had a wonderful time having a weekend to ourselves.

While we were gone, Haven enjoyed long walks through the park with Grandma:

And a special trip to the Sacred Grove:

We cannot thank Judi enough for taking the time to travel across the country to spend time with our little family! Even though we love our time in Rochester, we still miss our families everyday.

We love you so much Judi! Come back soon...

Haven's Hair Day

2010-10-04T14:17:00.009-04:00

There are so many things I want to remember about Haven's time as a baby. I try and take as many pictures as possible so that one day I can hopefully show her what she was like, how much she was loved, and how much joy she brought to all of us.

One of my favorite things about Haven is her hair. It is a battle everyday; from cowlicks, to uneven growth, to rubbed-off patches. However, it is one of the things that makes Haven who she is so I decided that I would dedicate a blog post to the wonder that is Haven's hair!

Here is a typical Haven Hair Day:

When Haven wakes up in the morning, it is anyone's guess what her hair will look like. Sometimes, it will be blown completely to one side because she slept facing her fan. On other mornings, any or all of her cowlicks will be standing straight up. This picture is pretty representative of Havey's morning hairdo. (And yes, she does look completely exhausted! This is the face of a baby who is having her sleep schedule adjusted. If you think she looks tired, you should see her mom...)

This is the hairstyle we have affectionately nicknamed "The Side Sprout". Haven's hair is now too long to wear headbands, but I can't get her to sit still long enough to do pigtails. So we settle for the combed-over look with a cute clip-in bow. I am sure someday she will be disgusted that I once did her hair like this!

As part of her bedtime routine, Haven gets to take a tubby. Daddy washes her hair every night and gives it a condition every third night (this girl certainly is spoiled!). I love Haven's face when she is freshly out of the tub with her hair slicked back.

Haven and Daddy like to play a game of peek-a-boo with the towel which results in Haven's hair being towel dried.

After the towel dry, Haven makes a stop at the hair dryer. Yes, she has fallen back into favor with the hair dryer. It still makes me laugh to think we have been blow drying her hair since she was one month old.

And finally after all of these steps, Haven's hair is ready for bed.

We love this little girl so much.

A Glimpse

2010-09-28T20:07:00.009-04:00

Here are a few pictures to show you what Miss Haven has been up to. She is certainly a busy and growing girl!

Haven has always loved to sit on the counter while I am in the kitchen. She has recently discovered the fun of pulling and chewing on paper towels! I have a feeling that the toilet paper roll is just around the corner :-)

Haven is also making progress in the solid food area! She is always trying new things and makes the funniest faces when she experiences a new taste. She occasionally likes to nibble on apples. She is putting her two teeth to the test!

Haven loves when the postman brings her packages and love from family. She can hardly wait for her upcoming visitors!

Haven is now fascinated with highlighters. Whenever she needs some entertainment, she grabs her neon highlighters and shakes them or puts them in her mouth. Got to love the cheap toys :-)

Haven loves when Daddy comes home from school. She always flashes the biggest smile and waits for her daddy-daughter time. Michael is convinced that Haven is a thrill-seeker and doesn't mind throwing her up in the air or swinging her by her feet. I wish you could hear her giggles!!

(And yes, this does make me EXTREMELY nervous. Michael will definitely be the one who makes Haven brave!)

Morning Relaxation

2010-09-15T21:37:00.005-04:00

As I mentioned in my earlier post, Miss Haven is quite the fan of mornings. Even though she loves a good morning snuggle, she recently became a fan of kicking both mommy and daddy out of bed so she can have a relaxing morning all to herself! Doesn't she look comfortable?

Life seems pretty good for Haven Emily...

Mornings

2010-09-12T20:36:00.010-04:00

There is one person in our household who loves mornings. Guess who it is?

Every morning Haven wakes up with a smile on her face, ready to meet a new day. I usually grab Haven from her room and then drop her off in our bed to have a morning snuggle with Daddy. They have been doing this for quite some time:

February 21, 2010 (Haven is 3 weeks old)

April 16, 2010 (Haven is 2.5 months old)

This morning I was up early trying to get a big Sunday dinner pulled together. When I ran upstairs to check on my sweet baby, this is what I found:

When I saw the two of them together, I couldn't help but think that I am the luckiest girl in the world...

He Did It!

2010-09-11T14:43:00.005-04:00

Today, Michael completed his first half marathon! The race was in Syracuse, New York and he ran the 13.1 miles in 2 hours, 2 minutes. Haven and I were able to meet him at the finish line. We were so proud of him when he achieved this great goal!

Michael ran the race with his buddy from school, Steve Carr. Steve did an awesome job, placing 11th overall and 2nd in his age division. Thanks to Steve for finding the race and getting Michael to sign up.

Haven, as always, was Daddy's greatest cheerleader

Congratulations Michael...we love you so much!!

Goodbye to the Swaddle...

2010-09-10T20:54:00.008-04:00

From the day Haven was born, she has loved to be swaddled:

Every night, and for every nap, we have swaddled Haven nice and tight and she has slept soundly:

I always assumed that Haven would grow out of the swaddle, but after seven months the swaddle was still going strong!

So in an effort to eliminate one of the many sleep crutches Haven has, Michael and I decided to brave the no-swaddle world. We were pleasantly surprised when we found Haven sleeping like this:

If only we could all sleep so peacefully...

Good Thing We Have Haven...

2010-09-08T20:19:00.017-04:00

To motivate family to travel across the country for a visit!!!

Because who would want to miss an opportunity to eat with that sweet face?!

Last week, we were lucky enough to have Michael's parents and sister Sophie come for a visit. They came to support Michael as he received an award for being the top anatomy student in his class:

We could not be more proud of Michael and his accomplishment! Congratulations!

We also took Haven to see Niagara Falls for the first time. She wasn't sure about the whole thing at the beginning of the boat ride:

And as luck would have it, it just happened to be windy and raining during Haven's first ride on the Maid of the Mist. I think her facial expression and limp bow says it all...

Good thing she had Aunt Sophie there to hold her and convince her that life wasn't so bad!

We also took an afternoon to visit the Church History sites. The Sacred Grove was as beautiful as ever:

(And just in case you were wondering...that binky really does go everywhere!!)

We also ventured out to Lake Ontario. Unfortunately for Haven, the weather was not on her side yet again. I guess you could say she enjoyed the beach underneath all the blankets :-)

I failed to take pictures of all of the wonderful things we ate during this visit...the original buffalo wing, Abbott's frozen custard, dinner on the Erie Canal, Abbott's frozen custard, Magnolia's, and did I mention Abbott's frozen custard? I think Abbott's has found a fan in the Bourne family!

Michael and I feel so blessed to have such wonderful families! We are constantly overwhelmed by the love and support we receive daily. Thank you to Mike, Judi, and Sophie for a wonderful weekend. We are already counting down the days until we see you again...

Haven's New Favorite Things

2010-09-06T20:39:00.008-04:00

Haven is growing up to be such a big girl! She seems to be changing so quickly and both Michael and I can hardly believe she is already 7 months old. We have certainly been busy these past few weeks. New clothes, new toys...so many new favorite things!

I am happy to report that Miss Haven is officially out of all of her newborn sized clothes! After 7 months, she figured it was about time to start growing :-) She now fits comfortably into her 0-3 month wardrobe and has so many new outfits to wear. Her new favorite item of clothing is her big girl jeans. I can't help but think she looks like a little kid!

Haven is now the proud owner of her very own "insanity chair". Grandma Judi decided that Haven just had to have one, and I think she picked out the most colorful and busy chair available! Haven absolutely adores her chair. She loves the sounds, colors, and mirrors. Even though she doesn't quite fill out the chair, we make do by stuffing a blanket in the back.

This bouncer has not been the most successful toy, but I am convinced it will grown on her. I have finally gotten Haven to the point where she will sit in it without screams and tears, but she hasn't quite figured out the bouncing motion. Again, she is a little small for this toy, but she has discovered that playing with the toys at the front of the chair can be fun. Also, she enjoys standing outside the chair and pushing it. Hopefully the bouncing part will come soon...

This little bear rug has brought Haven so much joy! Whenever she is having a rough time (usually after using the bouncer) she can be soothed by laying on her beloved bear rug. Haven and I spend lots of time reading and playing on her rug. Here is evidence of how much she loves her personal rug:

I don't know if you could find a happier baby!!

A True Bourne

2010-08-15T09:57:00.010-04:00

It is no secret that the Bourne family loves their food. And Miss Haven is no different.

When Haven isn't found reaching for any and all sorts of food (including our freshly picked blackberries...and was she angry that Daddy wouldn't share!)

She can be found cradling and nurturing her beloved bottle:

Or covering her body in the joys that are sweet potatoes:

This girl loves her food :-)

Just Keep Growing!

2010-08-09T12:57:00.003-04:00

Our sweet Havey had her six-month doctor appointment on Friday. It was an especially good appointment because Michael was able to come to offer support during the obligatory shots.

Here are her six-month statistics:

Weight: 12.6 pounds (< 3rd percentile)
Length: 25.5 inches (40th percentile)
Head: 17.3 inches (85th percentile)

I can hardly believe this sweet angel has been ours for half a year...