The Merkleys

Merry Christmas

2012-01-12T12:54:00.001-08:00

A very late Christmas post...

Christmas felt so magical this year. Mostly because I knew Beckham would actually "get it" this year. I don't really feel like the pictures do it justice.

(don't judge the ugly chair - I am still trying to decide what fabric to recover it in.)

Brendon and our brother in law, Jared, made this amazing train table in a few hours. It's huge and Beckham loves it!

Happy Half Birthday

2012-01-04T13:42:00.000-08:00

This sweet little thing turned six months today. She is sitting up, eating solids (apple sauce, rice cereal, sweet potato), and smiling ALL the time. She is a little angel baby. She absolutely worships her big brother (and he does her), and she rewards anyone that will look at her with a huge grin.

At 20 pounds and 28 inches long she tops the charts and threatens to break her mommy's back. She keeps this up by nursing every three hours, and doesn't give mom a bit of a break at night. Although mom complains plenty about being exhausted, the alone time at night is bittersweetly cherished.

Girls

2011-12-22T14:02:00.000-08:00

I am so madly in love with and entertained by my hilarious big boy Beckham, but I feel so lucky to get to have a little girl. She is the sweetest little thing ever.

My Favorite Ski Bums

2011-12-20T13:38:00.000-08:00

On Saturday we took Beckham to Sundance Resort to ski for the first time. He mostly loved it, with the exception of crying about cold hands at the very end (that's what happens when you take off your gloves to make snow angels). They only skied for about an hour, then enjoyed some hot cocoa at the lodge. All the rest of the day Beckster said he wanted to go skiing again. We'll see how it goes the rest of the season. Brendon intends to spend lots of time on the slopes with his season pass and fancy new skis.

First things first...the cutest little red nosed ski fan ever!

Love that kid (and that great daddy) so much!

We Believe

2011-12-02T14:11:00.000-08:00

"Ho ho, I want Cranky the Crane, NOW! Please."

("It's nice to sit on a lap of someone chubbier than me")

Accessorize

2011-12-02T14:08:00.000-08:00

I made some little felt bow headbands last week. Nothing fancy, but I thought they turned out cute for a 5 minute project.

I especially adore my model :)

These Are My Kiddos

2011-11-17T09:16:00.000-08:00

I love them so much.

Don't you just want to munch on Liberty's chubby arms? I do. All day long.

Trick Or Treat

2011-11-01T21:44:00.000-07:00

Oh yes I did recycle! We reused our costumes this year. We moved to Utah in November, so I figured no one around here would know (although all of our blog followers would - the shame!). I just really didn't feel like sewing new ones this year. Beckham loved trick or treating, handing out candy, and eating chocolate. Holidays are so much more magical with two year olds around!

Love Is In The Air

2011-11-01T21:38:00.000-07:00

Beckham adores his baby sister (and she seems to worship him - when she sees him her eyes light up!) and I have to make sure to supervise him or he's sure to smother her with his love.

He's always kissing her...
And "holding" her... (he doesn't seem to realize this is HER holding HIM)

I always check her eyes peeping over to make sure they are not bulging, pained, or panicking; she seems to enjoy his loves.

Lady Liberty Girl

2011-11-01T21:27:00.000-07:00

A few pictures of my happy, chubby, bald baby girl that we love to pieces. She's doing that "growing like a weed" thing that babies tend to do. Today I went through her closet/drawers and pulled out all the things that no longer fit *sob/sigh* and it was a very large pile.

On a side note, Brendon is gathering quotes that he will make her memorize when she is older. One of my favorites: "Now the Lord is that Spirit: and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty." 2 Corinthians 3:17

Sweet Girl

2011-09-22T08:24:00.000-07:00

Nothing exciting to post - just a few photos of my chunky little girl. She is such a good, happy baby. She only wakes up once a night usually - and last night she didn't wake up to eat until 6 am. You can't really tell from these pictures - but she has rolls all over the place (just like her mommy did). She is very big for a 2 month old - in the 99th percentiles.

She loves attention (poor second child - desperate for some attention) and LOVES to stand up on her strong, chubby legs.

Water Babies

2011-09-09T08:05:00.001-07:00

We took the kiddos to visit my parents in California and had a great time on the farm, but the highlight of the trip were the weekends spent on the houseboat.

even Miss Liberty loved boating! Ok...so she loves everything...she's always smiling
Beckham loved loved LOVED the water! He wanted to spend every waking minute swimming (I wish I could type it in his cute 2 year old accent that sounds a little more like "simming"). And every minute not spent "simming" needed to be spent taking "boat wides".
He was a fantastic swimmer. Maybe all two year olds are this good, but we weren't expecting it. As long as he had his life jacket on he would swim for hours without assistance - even traveling good distances. He really had a hang of the kicking and paddling stuff.
Brendon showed him an adventurous time. I love that he looks a little apprehensive in this photo!
And here he is giving a little wave to show that he is having a great time on the wakeboard! Since we got back to Utah he whines constantly about the lack of boat rides.

Thirty

2011-08-08T09:19:00.000-07:00

My two amazing girlfriends (college roommates), Kayla and Brooke, showed up on my doorstep Thursday night. They had flown in from California to surprise and kidnap me for my birthday. I was absolutely shocked. They helped me pack, and then we were off to Park City. They had made reservations at The Stein Ericksen - a gorgeous 5 star resort. They had planned delicious restaurants, relaxing spa treatments, girl talk, and lots of shopping. They held Liberty the whole time so I could just relax. It was a fabulous weekend and I will never forget it.

Early Exposure

2011-08-08T09:07:00.000-07:00

I am the biggest fan of country music, and I am on a mission to make sure my children are too! Thanks to Vivint we have had amazing box seats to two country concerts this month. The night I went into labor with Liberty we got to go to the Brad Paisley concert/Stadium of Fire. I was worried Beckham would be too tired to stay up until 11 pm and sit still for three hours - but he LOVED it. He led the music like a chorister and his eyes were glued on the stage the entire time. This past Saturday I took Liberty to the Tim McGraw/Luke Bryan/The Band Perry concert with some fun girls from Brendon's work. It was amazing. I wish I would have taken pictures - she looked pretty funny with bright orange ear plugs in her tiny ears. She slept through the whole thing.

Brad PaisleyTim McGraw

Chillin'

2011-08-08T08:58:00.000-07:00

...like a villain.

Growing

2011-07-30T13:09:00.000-07:00

Beckham loves to help mow the "wawn" with Dad on Saturday mornings.

Liberty had some thrush last week that left us a little sleepless for a few nights, but since recovery she is back to being a sweet baby and chunking up her cheeks.
Beckham turned two last weekend. Seeing as how I was exhausted and sore at two weeks postpartum (from a csection remember...don't judge me too harshly) we celebrated his birthday at Chuck-e-Cheese with family and friends. As you can see he loved "Cheese".

Brotherly Love

2011-07-12T08:26:00.000-07:00

This is all Miss Liberty ever does. She hardly ever cries. I have to wake her up to eat (although thanks to my fat-laden milk she is already 6 ounces over her birth weight and chubbying up her cheeks...so I'll keep eating my desserts). I have my fingers crossed she just keeps being this angel baby forever.

coming home.
Beckham is in love with his baby sister. Every hour he yells "hu" (hug) and runs all the way up the stairs to give Baby Girl a hug. He loves to hold her on his lap, but make sure to be there to catch her. As soon as he gives her a kiss (which he removes his pacifier and hers for), he pushes her off his lap and is off running to play with one of his many new toys.
Although he is totally infatuated with her, there have definitely been changes (for the worse) in his personality since we brought her home. We try really hard to give him extra attention, but the tantrums have really picked up. It could also be due to the fact that his sleep patterns have been all over the place due to our crazy lives lately, and he is turning [terrible] two next week!

Introducing...

2011-07-05T15:20:00.000-07:00

Miss Auburn Liberty Merkley. Born at 6:44 pm on July 4th (woohoo!!) at 20.5 inches and 7 lbs 13 oz.
I tell myself that her perfect birth date was the reward for a not so perfect 48 hours of contractions/labor. After two sleepless, painful nights with hardly any progress in terms of dilation, I opted to go the cesarean route again and it went wonderfully. We think she's a cutie, and all she wants to do is sleep.

Happy Fourth!

2011-07-01T11:36:00.000-07:00

I am now three days over my due date, and thrilled that I have made it to July. I have always desperately wanted a 4th of July baby (it's my favorite holiday), and every day I'm getting closer to my wish. Although any day in the first few days of July is good enough for me. So now we wait.

If nothing happens before Tuesday the doctors have scheduled me for a cesarean (induction is not an option because Beckham was an emergency csection).

The good news is we have fun things going on every day, so I don't sit around feeling frustrated about being overdue. And if I don't go into labor before Saturday night we have fourth row tickets to the Stadium of Fire! Kind of hoping she waits to make her arrival until after the concert. I am a huge Brad Paisley fan! :)

Happy Fourth of July to everyone. I love America!!

Pink

2011-06-20T20:09:00.002-07:00

I finally got my rear in gear and finished the bedding, hung the shelves and mirrors, and awesome Brendon hung the chandelier (that his family surprised me with at a baby shower!!). I swore to Brendon I'm never making bedding again when it is so cheap to buy, and so time consuming - but I'm sure I'll end up eating my words in a few years.

You can't tell, but the white tiered bedskirt is made of a dotted swiss - so there's lots of texture going on and I love it.

I love how it turned out - it feels peaceful and girly. Now if I have time I'll try to bring a little bit of color in by making a quilt or a throw pillow or something.

Finished Nursery

2011-06-20T20:09:00.001-07:00

Crafting

2011-06-15T11:54:00.000-07:00

Sleep doesn't come easy these days (less than two weeks to go!), so last night I stayed up late making these:

Some I love, and some are just ok, but it will be nice to have variety I suppose.
These didn't turn out quite as cute as I hoped - maybe I'll have to attempt another pair.

Orem Fest

2011-06-15T11:46:00.000-07:00

This past weekend the city of Orem put on a carnival and a parade. We went Friday and Saturday (phew - that's a lot for a 9 month prego woman) and Beck had the time of his life! He loves "yides"!!

The roller coaster was his very favorite. He would cry when he had to get off (good thing we rode it like 5 times). He sat in the front row with this little girl, and he couldn't figure out why she would put her hands in the air and scream. Ha.
The bikes were his second favorite. I love the scowl on the kid behind him. They weren't getting along very well. They kept invading each other's personal space.

After cotton candy, roasted corn, parades, fun slides, bounce houses, and roller coasters, 9:00 rolled around and Brendon and I were wiped out. But not Beckham. We had to drag him out of there in tears. Until next year!

Stencil Sneak Peak

2011-06-10T09:55:00.000-07:00

I finally finished the stenciling in the nursery. I shouldn't say "finally" because it sounds like a hard project - really it probably took less than 4 hours total. It's just hard to find 4 energetic hours when you are 8 1/2 months pregnant!

It's hard to see it in the picture, because I chose a very subtle light pink, but in real life it's just how I pictured it would look.
Now there is bedding to be finished (why do I always insist on making these things myself when it would be so much easier to just buy them??), and mirrors to be hung, and chandeliers to be purchased (hopefull this one if I'm lucky).

After that's finished I will post pictures of the entire nursery.

Little Gym

2011-06-10T09:50:00.000-07:00

We finished Little Gym a few weeks ago and Beckham will miss it. His favorite things were balls and bubbles.

chilling with his cousin Gavin.
Beckham has just started "smiling" for the camera. It cracks me up.

Solar

2011-06-07T08:34:00.000-07:00

When we moved to Utah in November, Brendon was brought on as Director of Energy Management with Vivint Inc (formerly known as APX Alarms), but starting around the beginning of this year he has been focusing most of his efforts getting a new company off the ground, Vivint Solar. Brendon has really enjoyed being so involved in the creation of a new company, and this week they start sales in New Jersey. Very exciting. Check out their website.

We got solar panels installed on our house. We've had them for a few weeks now, and it is really cool to run our air conditioner and lights with no guilt :) I'm excited to get our first utility bill.

not a bad view of the mountains behind our house :)

We are so proud of Brendon and all his hard work. This job has been a perfect fit for him.

This Month...

2011-06-02T11:49:00.001-07:00

[or next month if I'm late like I was with Beckham (sort of hoping for a July baby...but by now I'm so uncomfortable I wouldn't be all that bummed if I went into labor early - like tomorrow).]

...we'll be a family of four

...Beckham's world will get rocked (I'm kind of sad about this)

...we'll start dressing lots more fluffy and pink around here

...I'll be even more tired than I am now (I can't fathom this)

What I've been up to and why I haven't been blogging:

*stenciling the nursery...hopefully finishing this week and I can share some pics

*sewing the crib bedding. I'm loving how it's turning out - but will still be another week or so

*ignoring the dirty house and watching cartoons...oh the guilt (especially about the cartoons) but i'm so tired and achy lately

*feeling anxious that I have lots more sewing/craft projects I want to do for baby girl and not having the energy for them...will they get done??

Yikes Stripes

2011-05-17T18:26:00.000-07:00

Beckham is moving to a big boy room to make room for baby sister (coming in just 6 weeks!!). I desperately wanted to do his room in horizontal stripes, and thanks to my awesome husband and father in law I got what I wanted.

Brendon doesn't really enjoy painting, and groans every time I mention a new painting project - but the irony is he's a fantastic, detail oriented painter. Which means he's always the one painting.
Brendon's dad is equally talented in the painting department, and so generous with his time and talent. He has done the majority of the painting in our house. We owe him big time!!

I love how it turned out! Now just a few more accessories and decorations and Beckham's room will be set.

Showered

2011-05-11T15:24:00.000-07:00

While we were in Palo Alto for the reunion, my amazing friends there threw me a surprise baby shower. I was so shocked, and touched, and thrilled to get to see them all! It was even at the same place I had Beckham's baby shower. A few of us may or may not have cried because we miss Escondido Village so much.

Hop a bit closer...let me whisper in your ear,

Taryn is flying in for the weekend, so lets gather the flock to shower her
(and the first petite Miss Merkley due in June) in surprise fashion!

Bring your wee birdies to play and to brunch,
We'll catch up, we'll giggle, we'll gift and munch.
Wear your spring feathers, bring something share.
And button your beaks, not a secret to spare.

Meet at the Birdbath - Hulme Courtyard, Stanford Campus
This Friday, April 29th at *10.15am, Surprise at half past.

Do chirp back and say you'll come!

Soon,
a little bird

Amazing friends
The beautiful hostess
Girl clothes are so much fun!

I love and miss these girls so much!

Happy Hallow

2011-05-03T13:08:00.000-07:00

There's an amazing little place in San Jose called Happy Hallow, and we met up with Beck's little friends there on Monday.

Beckham was thrilled with the "yides" - he even busted a few shy smiles even though he was trying to be stone face cool.

Another petting zoo with animals that are a wonderful as long as Mom is there to keep them at a safe distance.
Beckham and Fritz love each other. But this aggressive hug caused them to fall in a pile of goat poop and Fritz got a pretty nasty scrape. Love hurts.

Don't be fooled by this face - he loved this "yide".

Best Buds

2011-05-03T13:05:00.000-07:00

While in California we are staying with the Bergers, and Beckham and Fritz are the best of pals. They are exactly two months apart, and love all the same things (especially balls!). They are playing so well together and one of the highlights of our day yesterday was a trip to In'n'Out. Beckham thought he was a comedian pulling his hat over his face.

Stanford

2011-05-03T12:56:00.000-07:00

We flew to California for Brendon's first Stanford GSB reunion. Beckham did fantastic on the plane taking a "yide" in the "sky" with a little help from a ipod full of Curious George episodes. He thought he was a big boy pulling mom's suitcase around the airport.

It was a jam packed weekend of events, but Beckham's favorite was the carnival on Saturday. They go all out with food and activities - some of our favorites were the bounce house, bubble blowing man, mini donut booth, petting zoo and the pony rides!
All weekend people were commenting on how Beckham is a mini-Brendon. Pretty true I suppose.
Beckham loved the bounce house, until too many big kids got in and made balancing a little more challenging.
Beckham was fascinated, yet a little scared of, the donkeys. He loves animals - but he always wants to keep a safe distance.
Beck was in heaven on the pony rides. You'd never tell from his stoic face (like father like son) but he begged to do it over and over again.

Happy Easter

2011-04-25T09:30:00.000-07:00

Beckham was a stud in his easter suit. He even left his hat on all day. The weather was uncooperative for Easter egg hunts on Saturday (seriously spring - where are you???), but Sunday was lovely for blowing and chasing bubbles.

One... Two... Three

2011-04-18T21:47:00.000-07:00

Beck is so fun lately. Every day he says a new word I didn't know he knew. Today he surprised me by "counting" to three.

Nursery

2011-04-07T12:31:00.000-07:00

Finally we own a home where we can paint or wallpaper, or decorate to our heart's content. And I am determined to have a girly girly nursery. I had my heart set on wallpaper, then discovered the limited selection and the price - wow. More than I wanted to spend on just the wall treatment. So then I decided to find a fabric I loved and do the starch to the wall method. Problem is, I was having a hard time finding a fabric I loved. Now I think our best [and cheapest] solution is a stencil. Thanks to Kelly's suggestion to check www.littlegreennotebook.com for the stencil post - I am totally inspired.

Etsy has a ton of stencils and I think my favorite is this one:

http://www.etsy.com/listing/66119710/damask-no5-wall-stencil-reusable-pattern

Although there are a ton of beautiful ones...these are some of my other favs:

http://www.etsy.com/listing/67421127/large-wall-stencil-pattern-fabric-damask

http://www.etsy.com/listing/65962875/wall-stencil-damask-rose-reusable

http://www.etsy.com/listing/64335261/large-wall-stencil-pattern-chez-sheik

http://www.etsy.com/listing/65710860/large-wall-stencil-marrakesh-allover

http://www.etsy.com/listing/62762971/houndstooth-wall-stencil-large-scale

Working Hard

2011-04-02T10:12:00.000-07:00

There is lots to be done around our house...especially in the yard. As countdown to baby #2 ticks by we are feeling an urgency to get the projects done. Beckham loves to help...especially when helping includes rides in the wheelbarrow.

Zoo Day

2011-04-02T10:08:00.000-07:00

The weather was a rare gorgeous day in Utah Friday (hopefully these will become less rare!) so I invited some friends to join us at the Hogle Zoo. We had a wonderful time seeing the animals and spending time with friends. Beckham loves animals, but if they get too close he gets scared. By the grip around my neck in the ape picture, you can tell he thought that thing was real! Lol.

Aquarium

2011-04-02T10:06:00.000-07:00

We spent a rainy Saturday at the aquarium. Beckham liked the penguins, but otherwise he was interested in pushing the stroller than seeing the wildlife.

My Boy

2011-04-02T09:56:00.000-07:00

Beckham (20 months) has become such a boy. I can't believe how he has shot up tall and thin. He just learned "mine" and "no" (I really have no idea where he learned the word "mine"...is it innate in toddlers??) and it's quite the trial. Ha. He has very strong opinions on what he wants, as I'm sure does every toddler. We are heading right into the terrible two's. On the bright side, one of his other new words is "squeeze" (sounds like "skeez") which is accompanied by a tight hug around our necks. These squeezes are our favorites. Beckham has also become quite the kissy boy - we just love his affection. This really is my favorite age so far. He is learning so much and so fast. He says new words every day, and really understands what we say to him. To replace the words he doesn't know, he finds some other sort of body language to make us understand him. This includes pushing - when he wants you somewhere he gets behind you and pushes you there. His all time favorite activity is "driving" the car. All day long he wants to sit in the driver's seat and play with the buttons and the steering wheel. His second favorite activity is a ride in the wheelbarrow.

Favorite words: car, truck, tractor, ride, outside, drive

It's a Girl!!

2011-02-14T08:56:00.001-08:00

And we couldn't be more excited!!!

Model

2011-02-14T08:44:00.000-08:00

Many months back Beckham modeled for the launch of a friend's new clothing company. The onesies were designed by a fellow Stanford GSB wife, and I sewed all of the sample products. It was a really fun project, and I think her designs turned out great.

These pictures remind me how busy Beck was just as he was learning to crawl. Sitting still was a rare occasion!

You can add Big Head Baby as a friend on facebook!

Visiting Dada At Work

2011-01-28T10:08:00.000-08:00

Brendon's work has an amazing cafeteria where all the employees get free lunch. We try to take advantage of this and visit Dada at least once a week. We purposely bought a house near Brendon's work, so the commute would be short and we could visit whenever we wanted. Beckham loves visiting Brendon during the day, and I especially like looking forward to a gourmet lunch that I don't have to prepare (yesterday I had pot roast with smashed red potatoes and Brendon was more exotic with the sushi lunch).

Eighteen

2011-01-28T09:56:00.000-08:00

My big boy turned 18 months last week. He is a joy, and a terror, and a busy bee and we love him so much. Tantrums began about a month ago, and I'm still not quite sure the appropriate way to react. Mostly I just try to stifle my giggles. He has gotten quite cuddly when he's tired, but during the day he is go go go. He is a total daddy's boy right now, and he says "dada" every ten minutes of the day. He seems to be on his own time table for talking and his only words are "cheese", "keys", "hot" and "outside" (besides the usual "mama" "dada" variety). He loves piggy back rides and wrestling and dancing. He is obsessed with keys and asks for them as soon as someone enters the house. He would spend his entire day sitting in the front seat of my car putting the keys in and out of the ignition and pretending to drive. (I have a little anxiety about this since his dad drove into the neighbors house when he was two - lol). He loves taking baths and floating on his back in the big tub. If I try to get anything done (there's lots to be done in the new house!!) I usually end up paying for it with a big mess. As I type he dumped a bag of potato chips on the ground :) He is getting tall and thin and I have a hard time keeping him in clothes that fit.

He gets to be more and more fun every day, and we love him to pieces.

Long Overdue Announcements

2011-01-11T08:44:00.000-08:00

Did you know that...

We moved to Utah. In November...brrr. Brendon got a job offer he couldn't resist (although we really tried...we did not want to leave California). Thankfully he didn't resist because he is really loving his new job.

We bought a house. Woohoo! It has been a lot of work searching, and cleaning, buying appliances, and hauling boxes, but we will be living there by this weekend and we are excited.

We are expecting baby #2. My due date is late June, but I'm predicting the beginning of July. We are very excited, but admittedly a little nervous for two. Beckham's energy level is through the roof...and mine is not :)

Ho Ho Ho

2010-12-18T12:15:00.000-08:00

Boo

2010-10-31T19:26:00.001-07:00

Beckham was an elephant for Halloween. After spending many many hours making his costume (why do I do this to myself??) I was glad that he kept the headpiece on reasonably well.

We had a busy Halloween weekend, with a fun baby boo bash, trick or treating in downtown Los Altos, and a ward Halloween party complete with trunk or treating.

Beckham LOVED the haunted house at our ward party. After an older kid growled at Beckham he laughed, then walked around in the dark spook alley growling and "roar"ing at everyone.

Who Dunnit?

2010-10-26T10:12:00.000-07:00

Last night our friends hosted an amazing Roaring 20's themed murder mystery party. The costumes were fantastic, the food was fantastic, and of course the company was fantastic. This was my first murder mystery party and it was love at first...play.

No, I didn't cut my hair - it's a wig :)
The lovely ladies.

The fellas.

Refined Palette

2010-10-21T13:20:00.000-07:00

Could it be because he spent his first weeks living in Italy??

Beckham's favorite food (no kidding) is arugula with balsamic and olive oil. He gobbles it up.

L.A. Ladies

2010-10-18T11:54:00.000-07:00

My good friend had a birthday this weekend so we surprised her with a girl's weekend in Los Angeles. We showed up on her patio Friday afternoon decked out in scarves, red lips and big sunglasses (our best attempt at old Hollywood glam) and gave her thirty minutes to pack her bags and get in the car. It was an amazing weekend of laughter, food, and fashion.

We did hours of shopping on Santee Alley in the fashion district, but one of my favorite shopping destinations was Michael Levine Fabrics. It was enormous and we scored some fabulous finds on notions and $5/yd fabrics.

Saturday we went to a fabulous fashion show. We had such a great time people watching before the show, and the designs were amazing. It was my first fashion show and I am hooked!
We tried our hand at celebrity spotting by having dinner at The Ivy, but the only celebrity we saw was the next day in Venice Beach - Kim Raver (Dr. Teddy Altman from Grey's Anatomy).
All of the girls I traveled with are major foodies so they put tons of research into all the restaurants we ate at, even using Zagat points to get us into the exclusive ones. The food was so amazing, our favorite place being Gjelina in Venice Beach.
Tons of shopping - and window shopping. So fun!
And girl talk into the wee hours of the morning.

The Great Pumpkin

2010-10-07T20:27:00.000-07:00

Some girlfriends and I drove to Half Moon Bay today for a fabulous play date at the pumpkin patch.

All of Beckham's besties
Oh - and his other bestie :)
He found his pumpkin! (actually he couldn't have cared less about the pumpkins - he just wanted to sneak into the pony ride)

"You've found it Fritz! The perfect pumpkin!" Beckham says excitedly.
And...he's done! No naps and too many photo ops make even this easygoing babe worn out.

Dining Chairs

2010-09-13T15:20:00.000-07:00

Before:

After:
I love the fabric - P. Kaufmann Suzanni Jewel

What a fun, quick project. Now the not so quick (as not as fun) project I am working on - recoving two Crate and Barrel couches we got free on Craigslist. Hopefully I'll have that posted in the next few weeks.

Labor Day

2010-09-13T15:11:00.000-07:00

One last trip to the houseboat before summer ends...

Enjoying the sunset with Daddy.
Who keeps giving this kid licorice?
Brooke, Christian, Friz, Kelly, Tessa, Beckham and Brendon - loving the water
Beckham's best friends, Fritz and Tessa
Beckham's favorite thing to do is be naked on the deck of the houseboat for hours (literally) playing with the hose. He looks freazing in this picture - but that didn't stop him from laughing in the water until dark.

To Grandmother's House We Go

2010-09-13T14:55:00.000-07:00

We took a last minute trip to Utah and surprised Grandma Jeri. Beckham had so much fun playing at his grandparent's house. He especially loved the horse grandpa dug out of the attic.

Excuses, Excuses

2010-09-13T14:49:00.000-07:00

We didn't have internet for a few weeks, and we've been crazy busy around here... so the posts have been lacking (or non-existent I guess). Here's what you missed:

*We MOVED! We stayed in Palo Alto, in a lovely little apartment. We are thrilled.

*Beckster learned to walk. He is so thrilled with his new trick - he's a much happier boy now. He has changed in the last few weeks from my little baby to a total grown up boy who walks around and holds my hand. My favorite new thing... he's become a cuddler!

*We've been out of town every weekend (Gridley, Utah, Gridley again)... and have been trying to unpack the boxes in between unpacking the suitcases. But it has been great to see the family.

Clay Sannar

2010-08-31T14:48:00.001-07:00

I'm sure most people have heard about the tragic murder of LDS Bishop Clay Sannar. He and his family are from my small town of Gridley, and more importantly are my cousins. We grew up working on our grandfathers' peach farms together, and although he was much older than me (or so it seemed at that young age) I have fond memories of peach fights with the Sannar boys, and of swimming at Aunt Maureen's pool.

Please donate to help his widowed wife and six children:

http://pledgie.com/campaigns/12975

My thoughts, love, and prayers are with the Sannar and Daddow families at this time.

Happy Merkley Birthdays

2010-08-09T12:06:00.000-07:00

Brendon's, Beckham's, and my birthday are all within weeks of each other, so we combined them all this year to do one party for the three of us.
The Gingham Gang - CB, Brendon, and James
The Gingham Gang Junior (not in gingham...but children of the GG) - Fritz, Beck, and Tessa - future BFF's
Beckham had lots of help opening presents

61 candles (our cumulative age)
It was so fun to have our friends celebrate our birthdays with us our last weekend in Escondido Village (sob, sob).

A Year Ago Today...

2010-07-22T19:00:00.000-07:00

[after 30 hours of labor and an emergency c-section] this little buster joined our family. Totally worth it!Happy 1st Birthday Beckham! We love you so much!

{eating his birthday cake on the houseboat last weekend}

I Almost Forgot...

2010-07-07T16:28:00.000-07:00

Beckham kneeboarded (with Brendon) for the first time. He loved it.

Water Baby

2010-07-07T11:45:00.000-07:00

We spent the 4th of July weekend (our favorite holiday!) on the houseboat at Lake Oroville. As we learned in Hawaii - Beckham LOVES water. He had a blast. It didn't matter that he didn't get any naps the whole weekend - he was in good spirits the whole time as long as he was near the water. His good mood may also have been a result of his crawling around the floor sneaking junk food off everyone's plates. He developed a love of bbq potato chips and licorice this weekend. His mama's boy for sure!

Beckham loved to stand at the baby gates at the back door and look at the water and the other boats driving by.
Beckham and Daddy feeling the wind in their hair!
Drinking water like a big boy with Grandma Lynn.
Splashing in the lake!!

Just chillin' in the water. I think adult life jackets need that relaxing neck support.
The whole fam damily. My little brother surprised us by driving down from Utah spontaneously so we were all together. How wonderful.
One of our favorite things to do is play "human chain" behind the boat - whoever can't hold on (the boat is moving slowly) is mocked and teased as the weakest link!

Stanford Graduation Weekend

2010-06-15T16:11:00.000-07:00

Brendon graduated from the Stanford Graduate School of Business this weekend. It was an amazing weekend full of lots of celebrations, and sadly, lots of goodbyes. Beckham and I are so very proud of Brendon!

Beckham had the honor of walking across the stage with Brendon!

The MBA graduation was Saturday evening, and the larger commencement ceremony was Sunday morning. Brendon warned us it would be a raucous celebration and it was. It seemed like a parade rather than a graduation. What a fun tradition!

For those of you that don't know already, we are staying in the area for now. We are thrilled about it!

Graduation Gala

2010-06-10T11:06:00.001-07:00

Graduation is the week (crocodile tears...I don't want to leave this place!) and we have been busy with many graduation parties and events. Last night there was a gala. So fun to get all spruced up and enjoy a night out with my husband. Delicious food, a caricature artist and amazing friends...what more could we want for date night?

ps...check my other blog later for how-to's on the dress

The Stanford Ladies

2010-06-10T11:01:00.000-07:00

This week we say goodbye (or have already said goodbye to some) to these cute little girlies that Beckham loves. Just a few of his fave Stanford MBA children. These ladies are all such mother hens to Beckham...they carry him around and play with him even though he weighs nearly as much as most of them. Some day he'll go to BYU and see all the girlies again as hot upper classmen and he'll realize how lucky he was.

First Haircut

2010-06-10T11:00:00.000-07:00

"Hey lady, what are you doing to me?"

...And The Living Is Easy

2010-06-10T10:58:00.000-07:00

The weather is warm in Palo Alto and Beckham is living it up.

eating burgers...
swimming in his pool...
cheering for Stanford!

My Cute Man

2010-05-16T14:37:00.000-07:00

Around this time of year there are wildflowers a plenty on Stanford campus - especially around Escondido Village. We couldn't resist a little photo shoot of our favorite flower eater.

We Heart SF

2010-05-16T14:35:00.000-07:00

We spent Saturday touring around San Francisco with my parents. It's hard to decide what I enjoyed more - a trip to Britex (the most AMAZING fabric store) or the Ghiradelli chocolate factory. Hmm.

GSB Formal

2010-05-16T14:22:00.000-07:00

On Friday Brendon and I went to the Stanford Graduate School of Business formal. We had a great time. It was so nice to get out and actually have a date. Many thanks to my parents for driving down to babysit!

If you want to know how I made my dress check out my other blog.

Fish Out Of Water

2010-05-16T14:20:00.000-07:00

Beckham is taking Mommy & Me swim lessons this month with some of his girlfriends. He loves it. He is trying to teach the girls how to be a little more daring in the water.

Weekend in Review

2010-05-03T22:00:00.000-07:00

The amazing Stanford GSB Reunion Carnival was this past weekend. We attended last year and were so excited to come back as legit parents with a kid this year. Beckham loved it.

He got his caricature drawn, ate cotton candy for the first time, held a monkey on his lap, rode a pony, pet a snake (and a goat, and a pig, a bunny, and a chicken...), watched an amazing [enormous] bubble blower. Maybe next year he'll be old enough to enjoy the bounce house, the carvinal booths, face painting, and the magic show. Brendon and I enjoyed the amazing food, the photo booths, the weather, and the ketle corn, cotton candy, and churros. I have this thing about free food - it tastes so much better!

After the carnival he had time for a quick nap and then off to another party! We are already having end of the year parties and it's breaking my heart! Beckham thought he was such a big boy on his "ride".

Again To The Farm

2010-04-19T10:55:00.000-07:00

We took the 3 hour trek to visit my family again this weekend. As you can see from the pictures, Beckham loves riding the tractors, driving around in Grandpa's big noisy truck, and getting cleaned up after a long day of hard work with Daddy.

We got a chance to visit the Butte's (worlds smallest mountain range...our area's claim to fame) for a BBQ. It was a first for my parents and I and it was definitely picturesque.

Watch Out

2010-04-12T14:40:00.001-07:00

I'm not usually one to post many videos on the blog...but sometimes it's fun to get a feel for what baby personalities are like. Well, this is my baby...he thinks he's so tough attacking the phone charger.

He goes around ALL DAY growling and grunting at things... channeling his inner Darth Vader.

Happy Easter

2010-04-05T17:02:00.000-07:00

Every Easter the Stanford Provost generously invites the student families to bring their children to his home for an Easter Egg hunt and breakfast. Of course Beckham was more interested in chewing on his Easter basket and stuffing the plastic eggs in his mouth than anything else.

Pretty impressive...he got the whole thing in his mouth.

Spring Break

2010-04-01T19:31:00.000-07:00

In no particular order...lots of pictures of our two weeks in paradise.

Sunset on Waikiki Beach
Snorkeling at Hanauma Bay
Polynesian Cultural Center
Luau...Yum!
Beckham was a trooper...hours of shows at the PCC
Samoan Village at the PCC
Visiting my old stomping grounds, BYU Hawaii
Hale 5...where I lived with (and met) this wonderful friend
Lanikai Beach
Waikiki Beach Lagoon...Beckham LOVED to play in the water
Splashing away
Hiking Diamondhead
Eating sand (his favorite activity)
Crawling in sand
Playing in the waves
The best shaved ice ever
Giovanni's Shrimp Truck

Water Baby

2010-03-26T11:50:00.000-07:00

Beckster is in love with the ocean. When we went to the beach the other day, Brendon and I had barely set up the umbrella and towels and sat down and we notice Beckham is crawling toward the water. He hadn't been on the ground for one minute before he started crawling toward the ocean. He doesn't mind the salt water at all...he will just splash for hours on end.

8 Months

2010-03-23T19:49:00.000-07:00

Beckham is busier than I ever imagined. He keeps me running after him all day...especially now that he is crawling!

Some of the new stuff:

*Tooth #2

*Crawling

*Pulling himself up on things

*Pushing himself to sitting position alone

*Says "mama, mom, and mamamama" all the time (I realize he has no idea what he's saying...but it's still fun to pretend like the gibberish has meaning)

*Pulls at the hair behind his ears when he's tired

*He is a MANIAC wrestler every morning

*Loves to smile at people...especially other kids

*Still has the fluffiest, most un-manageable hair in the world :)

*LOVES water (and doesn't mind salt water)

Aloha

2010-03-22T12:45:00.000-07:00

Brendon has a three week spring break from school, so we decided to do a spontaneous last-minute trip to Hawaii. We are having a great time. I am enjoying re-exploring places I loved as a freshman at school here. Beckham is having a blast crawling around on the sand (yes...he learned to crawl!) Brendon is just thrilled to have a few weeks with no homework!

To Grandmother's House We go

2010-03-22T12:37:00.000-07:00

Last weekend we took a quick trip up to my parent's house so we could enjoy one last chance to snowmobile before the spring melts all the snow. The snow was amazing and we all had a great time.

Beckham with his cousin, Bree.
Brendon and Emily playing with Dad's new toy. Emily found all the mud puddles on the farm.
Rylee and Uncle Brendon collecting easter colored eggs (some of the chickens lay green and blue eggs...so fun)
Doing the chicken dance in my parent's coop.

Big Pimpin'

2010-03-12T09:54:00.001-08:00

Beckham took a ride around the courtyard with the ladies. He was all leaned back and loving it.

Seven Months

2010-02-22T15:21:00.000-08:00

We'll have to make do with another Valentine's Day photo today (his grandma calls this one the politician shot) because the poor little guy is sick today...so getting him to pose for a photo sounds like torture to me.

I feel like he grew by leaps and bounds since last month. He is learning so many new things...it is so fun for us to watch. Most notably...(psuedo) CRAWLING. He isn't yet consistent (or very good) at it, but he gets around the room pretty quickly. We can watch for hours as he gets on all fours...then rocks in preparation...then plunges and dives forward or better yet, takes a little hop on all fours. Beckham loves the ability it gives him to move all around the room accessing every little thing he can get his hands on. His favorite things to get into now are the baksets of dvd's on the tv stand and the power cords. Oh heavens!

Some new things happening this month:

*he is no longer content on his back during bathtime...it's on his tummy or sitting up now!

*makes a cute lip-smacking sound...usually when eating

*hates green beans! oh the funny faces he makes when we feed them to him!

*his favorite toys are not toys...but spoons, and power cords, and sweatshirt strings

*sort of reaches out for you to hold him

*drinks from a sippy cup

*got his first tooth!

*crawling (at least learning to)

*loves the playground swing! squeals with delight the entire hour he's in it

Everyone Says...

2010-02-16T16:16:00.000-08:00

"Six months - what a fun age!"

And I agree wholeheartedly...

But part of me wonders if they forgot about the hair-pulling.

XOXO

2010-02-14T13:02:00.000-08:00

Say Cheese

2010-02-11T10:05:00.000-08:00

Ashlee did a photo shoot for us a few weeks ago. She can always get Beckham smiling and laughing...he just loves her! I love these.

*Don't worry grandparents...there should be copies of them arriving at your door any day now.

Carmel Getaway

2010-02-07T15:07:00.001-08:00

Brendon had a five day weekend from school (woohoo!) so we rented a house with some friends in beautiful Carmel.

The first day we drove a few miles to Point Lobos. It was gorgeous and we saw tons of seals and sea lions.

The second day we went to Monterey Bay Aquarium. It was awesome. Beckham surprised us by being truly fascinated by all the fish. He loved to stare at them.

Family picture in the clam. Cheese!
Ok...these two are seahorses. Can you believe it? I loved the seahorse exhibit. The one below you have to do a double-take to realize it's not seaweed.

The last day we drove around downtown Carmel and then did relaxing 17 mile drive.
Brendon and Beckham loved playing on the beach.
We also watched the surfers for a while. Pretty amazing. But brr...I wouldn't want to surf in February.
And the Lone Cyprus Tree on the drive.

The Big Boy Swing

2010-02-07T14:57:00.000-08:00

We took advantage of the beautiful February weather and went to play in the playground in our backyard. We decided to try out the big boy swing for the first time.

Woah...this thing goes pretty fast...
I think I like the feel of the wind in my [fuzzy] hair...
I do! I love it! I love the big boy swing!

Tears

2010-01-29T14:30:00.000-08:00

My friend, Erica, posted about this blog today and curiously I checked it out. And I kept reading and reading... sitting alone on my couch crying lots of tears.

This woman lost her little baby to whooping cough just weeks ago. Her faith is amazing and inspiring, and my heart breaks for her. Only since I have become a mother can I even begin to imagine the pain she must be going through.

One Of Those Days

2010-01-28T19:20:00.000-08:00

When the Diaper Genie broke this morning spilling old poopy diapers all over the nursery floor I thought it was going to be one of those days...

...but it wasn't.

It was one of those days where the weather was perfect so we went for a long walk (Beckham's debut sitting in his stroller like a big boy without the car seat attachment) and we marveled at all the cars driving by. One of those days where Beckham took 2 nearly two hour naps and went to bed without any tears. One of those days where I just love being his mommy.

Woodshop

2010-01-26T10:37:00.000-08:00

I wish we lived in a home with a woodshop and my talented husband could make all these amazing wood creations for me from this website:

http://knockoffwood.blogspot.com

Wouldn't it be amazing to make all your own furniture?

Daddy's Best Friend

2010-01-25T11:52:00.001-08:00

6 Months

2010-01-22T19:03:00.000-08:00

Beckham turned six months today and I am shocked that half a year has flown by already! Although I desperately miss the newborn stage, I have to admit that six months is a pretty fun age.

Some of the new things Beckham does:

slaps toys (or lots of things really) with his hands

sits up!

snorts when he laughs

has really fuzzy hair (but at least he has it now...the patchiness filled in)

LOVES to jump on his jumperoo or in your lap

pulls things (blankets/clothes/washcloths) over his face

makes a hilarious snorting/sniffing sound after pulling things over his face

voraciously chews on chins and noses

laughs and giggle (my favorite!)

LOVES to eat (rice cereal, applesauce, sweet potatoes, bananas)

is sleep trained (yay!)

makes the cutest scrunchy nose funny face...usually accompanied with the snorting/sniffing

has the chubbiest legs known to man (this isn't new necessarily...but worth noting)

We abolutely can't get enough of him.

I can't believe he's changed so much from this little guy we brought home from the hospital:

Solids

2010-01-15T14:24:00.000-08:00

Beckham got his first taste of rice cereal yesterday. He seemed to like it, but it may take a while to master this swallowing business.

Muchas Gracias

2010-01-11T15:16:00.000-08:00

Thanks to everyone for your advice - and mostly for the pep talks. I needed those.

We have been "crying it out" all weekend. We check on him every 10 minutes or so to soothe him. Things are definitely improving - bedtime doesn't involve any tears the last two nights. And he is sleeping the night through in his crib (that's a big step!)

Just wanted to announce that we are making progress for sure.

Confessions Of A Troubled Mother

2010-01-07T10:16:00.001-08:00

I am seeking advice from all you mothers out there with more experience than I on this most common baby problem...sleep.

We had Beckham sleeping mostly pretty well before Thanksgiving - he would wake up only once a night and for naps I could just lay him in his crib and he would fall asleep. Now after a month and a half of traveling and craziness he wakes up 2-3 times a night again and needs me to rock him to sleep for naptime.

His naps are only about 45 minutes to an hour (there are 3 per day...and I should mention that naptime and bedtime happen at the same time every day at least). It should also be mentioned that when he is awake he is a very happy baby usually.

I've read Babywise (a few times actually) and Healthy Sleep Habits Happy Baby. I know they say to cry it out - but it kills me. I can't count on all my fingers and toes the number of times I've said to myself "Ok, today is the day - I can do this...I'll just let him cry". Only to run up to his crib 5 minutes later because my heart was breaking.

It seems like people are split down the middle as far as what is best for baby. My biggest concern is not my sleep deprivation, but if I am spoiling him and not doing what is best for him.

But I just don't have the heart to let him cry. Or the willpower. Any tips???

Tough Guy In A Helmet

2010-01-03T17:56:00.000-08:00

Beckham is getting so much more expressive lately - and of course we think he is hilarious (and adorable)!

Christmas Morning

2010-01-03T17:40:00.000-08:00

Wearing Christmas bows. I think he actually looks kind of like my (Taryn) baby pictures here.
Sitting with Mum and Papa Merkley.
He loves his (cheap) new toys.
Ok...so this one is Christmas Eve. This is the Merkley family posing with our Christmas Eve pinata (the soldier). It felt kind of odd to be beating on a soldier pinata...but it was a tribute to Brendon's two brothers who serve in the military.

Beckham's New Trick

2009-12-30T10:13:00.000-08:00

He learned to sit up this week. What a big boy! He is growing like a weed this month.

First Christmas

2009-12-30T10:07:00.000-08:00

We are in Utah at Brendon's parents house this holiday. We are having a wonderful time relaxing, and Beckham loves all the attention from Grandma, Grandpa, and all of his aunts and uncles.

He loves bathtime in Grandma's big jacuzzi tub. We all gather around to watch and he loves having an audience.
Beckham got all decked out for Christmas Eve movie. Beck and I had to leave ten minutes into the movie because he wouldn't quit talking. Little turkey!
Modeling his Christmas Eve pj's.
Opening his Christmas Eve pj's with Aunt Rissa's help.
As we expected Beckham loved the wrapping paper more than the gifts. Good thing we spent less than $10 on his toys!

Five Months

2009-12-22T19:26:00.000-08:00

Beckham is so much fun to have around. He keeps putting on the pounds, and now my arms (and Brendon's as well) ache to carry him very long.

This month he learned how to put his soother in his mouth by himself, and he is now getting quite good at it.

He loves toys and can grasp onto them very tightly now. Speaking of his grasp...heaven help you should he get ahold of your hair or ear or nose - he has a very tight grip.

He doesn't spend much time on his back, because as soon as he is placed on his back he quickly rolls to his front. He has seemingly forgotten how to roll from his front to his back though (isn't that supposed to be the easy one?) so after a while of being on his tummy he kind of whines that he is sick of it.

When he does stay on his back for more than a few minutes he will no doubt be doing "crunches". He lifts up his legs and head and holds it for long periods of time.

When he is on his tummy he recently started pulling his knees up under him and really gets them working. Practice for learning to crawl??

Whenever anyone is around him they comment "He must be cutting a tooth!" He puts everything in his mouth and bites HARD! His poor little fingers are starting to get callouses from his chewing.

Silent Night

2009-12-06T21:18:00.000-08:00

My good friend Emily, party host extraordinaire, puts on a Nativity pageant every year with the LDS Stanford Business students. Beckham was cast as a sheep this year. I cut up some white hand towels and made him a cheap sheep (say that 5 times fast) costume.

The great thing about an outfit made of towels is you can drool all you want!

Bed Time

2009-12-06T21:15:00.000-08:00

Beckham sleeps in his carseat. Overnight. Everytime I try to put him to bed in his crib he wakes up all night long. He sleeps like an angel if I put him in his carseat. What's a mom to do?

The other night we came in and he had his hands up like this. So funny. I guess his ears were cold.

He Knows What He Likes

2009-12-06T21:14:00.000-08:00