Joseph, the Moose

Aside from our blog's makeover, Joseph is the most exciting thing about us. So we'll just start out talking about him. Our most recent info is his four month check-up. Here are all of his stats. He weighs 19 pounds 8 ounces and he is 27 inches long. For those of you who aren't baby savvy (which is a small few) Joseph is one really big boy. Joseph averages in the 98th percentile with the 3 percentages the doctor gives you. So that is most definitely exciting, though terrifying for us since his car seat only holds him up to 22 pounds and after that we will have to get a four door to hold those mammoth-sized car seats that come next. A sister in our ward saw him for the first time a few weeks ago and was so surprised by his size she called him a moose. We thought that nickname was funny, and pretty appropriate.

This first picture is Joseph's 3 month picture. This is our favorite one. Julie looks forward to January when she wants to get Joseph's 6 month picture taken, as well as our first family portrait. Joseph's grandma Denney unknowingly provided the clothes he will be wearing for that by getting him his next church clothes.

Okay, onto his recent adventures. Well, there was Halloween. We had lots of fun, although Joseph's costume was already too small. Even though he was only 3 months old, his 0-3 months costume was too small. Had Julie known how fast he would grow, she would have gotten it in 6-9! He is sitting next to his cousin Cardon. Then on Halloween, Julie and Joseph went to the local mall with a few gals from the ward and they all took the kiddies trick or treating. Julie pinned that paper bag to the front of his costume and he collected candy for his mama and papa! We would've let him try it, but he's just too young. Maybe next year. He did have a fun time getting out his candy and looking at it so Julie could take some pictures.

The real fun lately has been hitting milestones. The one which we enjoy the most is his smile. He shows it much more regularly and not just for us, but for other family members, people in the ward, or at the grocery store. Julie is worried he is going to become quite the flirt. Our other favorite is his laugh, which is hard to get on the digital. We do have videos, which we are going to learn how to put on here so those of you who are farther away can see the fun too! Other fun milestones he's been hitting...He rolled over twice! He hasn't done it since, but it still counts. Joseph is also getting quite good at sitting. This picture is from Thanksgiving. He's wearing the very handsome shirt that his Great Grandma McNett gave him. Yes, the size is 12 months. Doesn't he look cute? The yellow really brought out the red in his hair. Another ridiculous thing he does for a four month old is he is starting to stand against furniture. Of course we prop him up against the couch, but the standing is all him. Joseph has quite the strong legs! Because Joseph eats so much, we have started to give him cereals. He does pretty well with sitting in the high chair and eating with a spoon. He usually doesn't spit it out. Although, he does grimace every time the spoon touches his mouth. We don't know exactly what it is he doesn't like, but it is a bit funny to watch. Joseph has officially found his feet, although his feet have not yet been introduced to his mouth. He does love grabbing them while we change his diaper. And his latest sounds, which he loves to make on the changing table, are basically screaming, screeching sounds. But you can tell from his face that he is as happy as can be. Another milestone for Joseph is he now sits in the front of the stroller. We're glad he fits so well, because he was starting to get really restless on walks when he had to sit in his car seat. He is very content to sit and look out when we go out now. Well, I think that is almost everything I can think of. Our little boy is growing so fast. He wears clothes for 6-9 month olds, and it probably won't be long before he is in the next size if he doesn't slow down! Joseph is catching up to his older cousins faster than we thought. He already outweighs his 10 month old cousin Brayden. Although Brayden can out-crawl Joseph any day! Oh, and Joseph's belly button is looking quite normal now and doesn't poke out anymore!

In other news, Joseph's cousins Ashley and Riley both turned 1 year old this last month. Riley on November 14th and Ashley November 15th. We had a fabulous party, despite the birthday kids were both exhausted and wanting their naps! They both had their own cakes. Ashley wasn't too interested in hers, but Riley was! I'll let Stacie enjoy posting those pictures on her blog. (There's a link to her blog on the left) After the presents and cake, we enjoyed the park for a little bit. Joseph was able to go down the slide (on his papa's lap of course) and feel the sand with his bare toes. Overall, it was just a great time.

In Aaron's news, he is now working part-time in the refrigeration department at Sears. But the real exciting news is his new substitute teaching job! He has his first one today! They called at about 6 this morning. He also has a job this Friday, December 1st. He will be with 7th and 8th graders. Please keep a prayer in your heart that day! He may need it. But we are really very excited that this new opportunity is finally getting rolling. He has finished his four grad school applications. He applied to UCLA, Cal State Fullerton, Northern Arizona University, and University of Montana. We haven't had any word back yet, but we will let you know!

As for Julie, there's not too much news. She takes care of Joseph full-time, which is a lot of work, but doesn't make for very exciting reading. She has learned how to crochet, making baby hats for the local hospital with the Relief Society. She also made one for Joseph! Her mom has had two "Sew Days" with all her sisters. Those have been tons of fun now that they all enjoy sewing and have multiple projects constantly. The most exciting isn't Julie's, but Stephanie, Stacie, and Heidi too. They have been making clothes (and Heidi is making quilts) and selling them on eBay! They make some really cute stuff! Stephanie and Stacie had a store (on e-bay)filled with baby items, but since then they've found they enjoy making clothes more, they have ended their store and just sell on e-bay like everyone else. Their clothes are really cute. We're sure they would send out notices of their new items for sale if anyone is interested in checking them out.

In miscellaneous family news, Brittny is scheduled to have their baby Emma on January 10th, and Heidi will hopefully find out the gender of her baby on December 14th. We are extremely excited for them both and will update you all on their sweet babies when the time comes.

Well, hopefully we've covered most of the bases. If you are farther away, please keep us up to date with your latest as well! We look forward to your comments. We love you all and hope all is well!

What's new

Well, since our last post we have managed to come up with more important news and changes. First, the latest on Joseph. He is growing so fast. As of his last doctors appointment at the end of September, he was 14 lbs. 4 oz. and 25 inches long. He had his first set of vaccinations and did really well. He is getting more and more interactive, smiling often. He's also starting to experiment with sounds and noises. We enjoy how he is growing and changing. As difficult as it is when we still don't get a full nights sleep, Joseph is a joy. Joseph has had a few more trips to the beach. He still hasn't learned how to quite enjoy it, but he has time. Joseph also experienced his first camp fire. He actually did enjoy this one too, because he was awake almost the whole time. We've learned he really likes being outdoors. It keeps him really calm. Joseph also has become quite the observer. He loves to look around and see new things. Here are some random bits of information about Joseph. We thought he had a really pronounced outtie belly button. But it turns out he has a herniated umbilical cord. Our pediatrician assured us that as he gets older and his stomach muscles grow stronger it will suck his belly button in and look very normal. Joseph has also taken very much to laying on Aaron's chest. Julie tries it, but he just doesn't fit quite as nicely on her as he does on Aaron. Below is a picture of Joseph in his new church clothes. We think he looks very nice in his pin stripe pants. He is going to have a formal picture taken in those clothes as well. We will share those with you all after they are taken.
For those of you who don't know, we are going to be moving quite soon. Our last day in Ventura is October 28th. We are going to be moving in with Julie's parents temporarily until a specific apartment complex has an opening. Our plans for Pomona are the following: Aaron just took the CBEST, which is a standardized test for those who want to substitute teach. We are quite confident that he will come through with a passing score. Then he will be able to substitute teach. Julie's mother Eris works as an office manager at Pueblo Elementary School. The principal there has told Aaron that if he is able to substitute teach she will get him work every day.
For news outside of our little bubble, Julie's sister Heidi is pregnant! She is expecting in May. We are so excited for her and Ryan. Somewhat older news (I don't think we've mentioned it yet) Julie's brother Justin and his wife Brittny are expecting their second girl in January. Her name will be Emma. Here is a picture from the end of September when Joseph was just two months old. I forced all the kids to gather on the couch for a picture so I can start documenting how they are growing. It's neat to see. In this picture, from left to right, are Brayden (8 months), Riley (10 months), Joseph (2 months), Cardon (14 months), and Ashley (10 months). In not so good news, a good friend of Stephanie and Nathan's, Tyler Stanger, recently passed away in an airplane accident with baseball player Corey Lidle. He was married, with a one year old girl and baby on the way. It was a most tragic accident, and we would ask you all to keep his wife Stephanie and family in your prayers. I hope we haven't forgotten to share any news. We try to keep everyone up to date, on both sides of the family! We love you all very much, we miss you when you are far away and love when you are close.

Joseph Caleb Denney!

Well, needless to say, the biggest development since our last blog is the addition of Joseph to our family! Hopefully by now, most of you have seen Joseph, or at least seen pictures. If not, we have plenty that we'll try and put the best of on here. Well, now for a quick recap of what has happened since last time.
We are more or less settled here in Ventura. Julie was able to take it easy at the end of her pregnancy, which was a nice change from being a working student. She was also able to spend a lot of that time with her sister Stacie who lives very close by. Though the weather here is extremely mild (heavenly, really) Julie got a maternity bathing suit so she could give floating a try, as her doctor said it would feel really good and remove pressure from the pregnancy. Here is a picture of Julie the night that she went into the hospital. It is really hard to believe that Joseph used to be in there. He is getting big so fast.
For those of you who want the exact details and numbers, Joseph was born on July 24th at 4:27 p.m. He weighed 9 pounds even and was 22 inches long. He has blue eyes, and his hair was brown, and is now showing a little bit of orange, depending on the sunlight. We can't wait to see how he changes. At first glance, everyone said he looked like Aaron, but upon examining both of our newborn pictures, he actually looked like Julie. But he is changing everyday, and we can't wait to see how he changes and what his personality is like.
As for Joseph's progress, at his last doctor's appointment (which was when he was 3 weeks old) he weighed an even 10 pounds and was 22 3/4 inches long. By now, who knows how much weight he has gained. He has just recently started to flash little smiles at us. We don't have a picture of it yet, but once we do, you will all see it. I'm sure it will just make every single one of you melt, because it is absolutely adorable. Unfortunately, right now his most alert and social time is around 4 in the morning. We're working on that. He sleeps pretty well though, with his first shift lasting up to 7 hours. However, his next shift after that is kind of non-existent right now. We're working on that too. He's starting to be more active and alert, which makes Julie's days more fun. Hopefully as he learns to enjoy being awake during the day, he'll learn to enjoy being asleep at night!
As for other things that have been going on, here is a picture of Aaron with his nephew Riley. On the fourth of July we went to visit Riley's dad Jim at the fire station. We were able to watch the fireworks from there. It was a lot of fun, and Riley enjoyed being around Aaron. This other picture is Aaron infront of the Newport Beach Temple. We were able to go there for a session when Julie's sister Stacie attended the temple for the first time. It was a wonderful time, with wonderful weather and a beautiful temple. Luckily, Joseph was calm during the temple session so Julie wasn't too uncomfortable. Though the temple staff were more than willing to accomodate her if necessary.
This picture is of Aaron beginning the "Sydney Happened" 5K run/walk. He did quite well considering he hasn't been running regularly. It was a really special way to get together and honor Sydney's memory, and donate money to the MMA Research Foundation.
And latest in our news was Joseph's blessing this last weekend. Dick and Diane were able to fly in from Montana and spend the weekend with us, which was wonderful. Almost all of Julie's family was able to drive in for the blessing as well. The day before, everyone went to the beach. It was a great time, thought Joseph won't remember it because he slept the whole time swaddled up in his car seat. On Sunday, Joseph was most well behaved during his blessing and didn't even cry. Julie was very pleased! Then afterwards everyone was able to go to a park for a nice picnic. It was a bit breezy, but overall a beautiful day and it seemed like most had a great time just being together as family. We definitely all missed those of you who weren't able to be there!
Well, hopefully this update has caught everyone up to date on the many things going on with the extension of the Denney family. Hopefully we will be able to keep you all informed on a more regular basis from now on, with tons of pictures of Joseph so you can see as much of his growth as possible. We love you all. Thank you for all of your love and support during the last few months!

Lots to catch up on...

We just recently got an internet connection at our new apartment, so we can keep in touch better again. Since the last posting, Aaron has become an official BYU graduate! He has even received the diploma to prove it. Here is a picture of the proud parents and the happy graduate. We were very blessed to have Aaron's parents, two grandmothers, two brothers, one sister in law, three nieces, and one future sister in law all come to the graduation. Not to mention Julie's parents, sister and brand new nephew. It was a great time to visit with everyone and spend some quality time. The photo of the event was undoubtedly Aaron's niece McKenna, wearing her grandpa's glasses. It was a favorite of everyone there. After all of the festivities, Julie's family helped Aaron and Julie make the long drive with a U-Haul all the way to Ventura, CA.

We are now living in Ventura, CA. After living with Julie's sister Stacie, her husband Jim and their son Riley for about two weeks, we were finally able to find our own place. It was quite the process, but we made it. We are getting comfortable in our apartment and to our new routines. Aaron is able to make a pretty short drive to work everyday, about twenty minutes. At first, he was traveling quite a bit, and not enjoying it either. But now he works from the office and has been training with a nice guy named Justin, whose wife just had a baby boy two weeks ago. Julie is still adjusting to not working or having classes to go to. She definitely enjoys being able to sleep as much as she can for now. As everyone loves to remind her, those days will be long gone once Joseph is born. She does have a small part-time job. She babysits (and Aaron helps) her nephew Riley, who lives only ten minutes away. This is a picture of Riley at his first trip to the pool that is in Julie's apartments. He really enjoyed it. He didn't get really worked up, but he was very relaxed and soaked up the entire thing. It was really fun.

An update from Aaron's family: on June 16th, Aaron's little brother Tim was married to his new bride Anna in the Billings Montana Temple. Though we were not able to attend, we are so excited and happy for them. They are currently on their honeymoon, at Disneyland we believe. Maybe we'll be able to see them since they're in the neighborhood, before they go up to Kalispell for their open house.

And, we can't forget, an update on Julie and Joseph. For those who don't know, his full name is now Joseph Caleb Denney. We had an ultrasound right after we moved here. His estimated fetal weight was just over 4 pounds, which was quite a bit larger than he should have been at the time. So we are looking forward to another ultrasound in about a week so Julie's new doctor, Dr. Gustafson can get a better idea of Joseph's expected size and maybe even if he might come early, or if he might need to come early. But, Julie is measuring just normal and is still quite comfortable. She has just recently experienced the swelling feet and ankles. But as long as it doesn't cause pain, she doesn't mind it so much. On June 10th, Julie had her baby shower. Unfortunately, we don't have any pictures of it. It was really fun, and we were able to get a lot of the things we will need for Joseph, including a stroller and car seat. We are also going to pick up his crib this coming weekend. We have been attending a childbirth preparation class the last five weeks. We have a class tonight, and our last one next week. It has been a great class, and if you ask Aaron, he will tell you he has definitely learned a lot. Though much of it was like a review for Julie, much of it was also good to hear from a nurse, and good to hear with Aaron at the same time, so he can know where she gets all of her information and that it's not just wives tales. We have just begun preparing our hospital bag, making a list of what we think we will need, as well as preparing our mental birth plan. Once Julie's doctor gets back from vacation in two weeks, they plan on discussing that with him.

We have been slacking at taking an updated picture of Julie and Joseph, but we do have one that is from a small get together of Julie's high school friends. For those who remember Jonathan Tigeri, this is him in the picture. Guaranteed, Julie's belly is already bigger than it was in this picture. Now that we're connected to everyone through the internet again, we'll try and be more diligent about taking some pictures of the belly growth before the belly is gone.

Well, hopefully this has been a sufficient update. We really miss all those who are far from us, and enjoy being closer to those we are closer to. We keep you all in our thoughts and prayers. Hopefully we haven't missed out on any big updates since our last post. It has been a while, and you know what they say. Pregnancy can do weird things to your memory.

The Latest and Greatest

It hasn't been too long since our last blog, but more even more has happened. Most of it is news that you are aware of, but we'll share it all anyways. Our biggest news has been the decision to move to California, coupled with Aaron's new job in Ventura, CA with Precision Environmental. It's a small company that is owned by a member of the church. We hope that it will work out to give us a place to be for a few years as we get our financial foundation worked out. We put a new link on the right hand side for his company's website.
In other news, we have chosen a name for our little boy. It is Joseph. We still don't have a middle name worked out, but we're content having a first name for now, and feel like it will suit him well.
The school semester is winding down very fast. We have two more days of classes, two "reading days" with no classes or finals, and then our final exams. We are excited to finish up, though we will be sad to leave as it has been a great experience here at BYU. Aaron's university commencement is on Thursday, April 27. His college graduation is on Friday, April 28. We are very excited to see all those who are able to come and celebrate with us. We plan to have a great time.
As said before, Aaron had a soccer game and Julie worked really hard to get a good picture of him. It's really hard to get a good picture of soccer players! But she eventually got one good one! Sadly, they did not win that game, but Aaron did get a t-shirt that has "Dennesty" on the back. His old roommate was nice enough to pitch in so he could get a team shirt, and remembered that name from when they were roommates.
Though Julie does not quite feel it does her growing belly justice, here is another picture of her, a bit more updated. She is now 26 weeks along. Her due date is still July 24th and Joseph is as active as ever. Though it isn't always very fun for Julie, it is comforting to feel him so often and for Aaron to be able to feel him more and more.
Julie has made a few more creations in her classes she can share with everyone. Her floral design class proved to be great fun and she enjoyed being able to brighten up the apartment with her floral and cake creations. This first picture is an Easter basket of sorts. It's really a hodge podge of flowers, but it was fun to make and a fun addition to the "kitchen table garden." Her last assignment for Floral design was to create something out of silk flowers. So Julie chose to make something that would go well in her bedroom. The flowers aren't an exact match, but it looks great. Aaron isn't very picky about colors matching anyway, so he enjoys it too. Julie also had one more cake that she made, however it didn't quite turn out the way she wanted it to. She had planned how she would decorate it, but her fondant icing just wasn't being very nice that day and her and her teacher had a horrible time with it. Kneeding hard and dry fondant frosting for about half an hour can take away anyone's creative juices. So needless to say, Julie ended up just throwing the cake together and calling it done. It wasn't anything special. The picture looks alright, though the frosting is purple, not blue. But it was far from the picture Julie had in her mind.
We will surely have new pictures in a few weeks from graduation, and moving. However, it might be a while before we get things back and running with the move and all that is involved with it. We hope you are all doing well. You are all in our prayers. We are extremely excited to see all of those who are coming for graduation and thank you for making the trip. We love you all and wish you all the best.