What else is new?

Well, since it has been so long since we have posted, there has obviously been a lot going on. The mountain of things to tell you have almost kept us from writing!

In big news, Emma Madison was born January 10, 2007! She is a beautiful addition to Justin and Brittny's family. Even Ashley is starting to like her, calling her Emmy. She looks a lot like Ashley with Justin's nose and really long feet. She is very petite, though she eats like she means it and burps like a grown up.

At the beginning if January Joseph was very sick. For a short period of about 5 days, he would only sleep in our arms. This happened to coincide with when Aaron started his new position at Carter High School. So we were concerned with him getting enough sleep to feel prepared for work. Julie stuck out a few hard nights on her own with a very sad and sick little boy. Luckily, he recovered quickly. During that time he did not eat very much at all, which led to his loss of weight at his six month appointment. He weighed in at 20 lbs. 4 oz. and measured 28 3/4 inches. He only gained 12 ounces in 2 months! But since he has regained his appetite, we are pretty confident he has passed the 22 lb. mark, maybe even 23! Oh, and did we mention he now has 3 teeth! They're all on the bottom and he loves using them!

On February 6, Julie's nephew Brayden turned 1 and had one serious cowboy birthday party! It was tons of fun and Joseph was the cutest cowboy...of course not as cute as the birthday boy! It was a ton of fun. He even had a pinata and a bounce house! Eat your heart out! (Which Brayden did and was sick later that day.)
Joseph has been growing up so much lately. He's now an experienced sitter, with only the occasional tumble. Just last week, he started to say ba-ba and ... ma-ma! Although he doesn't know Julie is mama (we don't think) she still likes to hear him say it. Joseph acts like he wants to crawl really bad, but he hasn't figured it out yet. We borrowed a four-legged bouncer from Justin and Brittny and Joseph absolutely loves it. So now when he sits, he rocks back and forth, which is helping him on his quest to crawl. We figure in the next month he'll have it down.

In other news, Aaron's job (for those who don't know) is helping High School Juniors and Seniors pass the English portion of the High School exit exam. It hasn't turned out to be what he expected, in that he has a very small class size and a majority of his students do not need to pass the exam because they are considered Special Education students. Nonetheless, Aaron is making the best of this opportunity and when he has good days, he finds he is learning about the teaching profession and all the goes along with it.

We have had a new addition to our family in the last month. It is a white 2004 Nissan Altima. Julie has named him Moby, because he's the biggest car they've ever had and reminds her of the whale. Despite the added monthly payment, this has been a great blessing for Julie. Now she is free to move about with Joseph, make appointments, run errands, or just get out of the house.

Julie has just received a new calling in the ward. She is now the Primary Chorister! At first she was pretty scared, but is quickly getting the hang of it and actually enjoying it a lot. She has a lot of ideas to help the kids learn all the old goodies we learned as kids that they don't sing anymore. It's a good activity to keep her busy during the week, although it means Aaron has to take care of Joseph for the last two blocks of church. It's good bonding time for them!

Since this blog has taken so much time, another special event has passed by. Julie has turned 23! She enjoyed a wonderful birthday and appreciated all of the thoughts and well-wishes. The family went out to dinner and had a wonderful time! Julie also received an extra-special gift from her mother - a replacement baby blanket that is just like the one she lost a few years ago. She was so attached to it as a child and was devastated when it went lost. So now she has a new one and promises not to lose it! Aaron took Julie out to a very fancy restaurant. Aaron's dinner was so pretty we had to take a picture of it. Oh, and as you can see from the photo, Aaron had (not anymore) a goatie, which grew in pretty red and Julie cut her hair.

In other news, Julie has learned how to add videos to our blog! She attaches them through another website called blip.tv and then links them to the blog. There are a lot of videos already uploaded that are older. We'll put the link there so you can see them all and then from now on we'll just put the videos directly on the blog. The link will be on the left side with the others. Now, here are some of Joseph's latest videos! This first one is Joseph showing some amazing brain skills playing with his gumball machine. It has toy "gumballs" that you can put in the top.

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This next video is Joseph and Julie playing. It catches him doing a signature playtime thing...We guess no one taught him not to talk when his mouth is full.

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This next one Julie likes to call funny kisses.

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This last one shows what Joseph does when he's excited. He flails his arms and legs at the same time. You can't see his legs, but you can hear them hitting his tray.

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Well, we hope you enjoy all of our updates. We'll try and keep them coming regularly, so maybe there won't have to be so much in the next one. We miss you all and hope you're all doing well!

Happy Holidays/Birthday!

Although we were only able to visit with Aaron's family through a web-cam conference, we had a great holiday season visiting with Julie's family in California. As for the changes since our last posting, there haven't been too many. Joseph continues to grow at an amazing rate. Julie thinks he looks as big as he feels in this picture. He is pretty much exclusively in 12 month clothes now. All of the clothes he received at Christmas fit perfectly! We are so glad he got them too, because he was starting to run out of things that fit! Joseph definitely had a fabulous Christmas. There was a total of 22 people (adults and children) at Julie's parent's house. It was chaos, but so much fun. Joseph was very interested with the shiny wrapping paper and showed interest in some of his toys right away. It was a lot of fun and Aaron took a lot of pictures to remember Joseph's first Christmas and to share it with others. In other Joseph news, he has started eating real solids now. So far he has enjoyed everything except peas. Aaron and Julie are also helping him learn how to sleep through the night. It's only been two nights now, but he is already learning and our quality of sleep has improved drastically! Joseph is becoming so much more interactive now. He laughs, babbles, smiles at everyone, loves to chew on his hands, play with his pacifier, and grab his feet. In the Burnham tradition, Julie's mom made Joseph a stocking. It took us a while to figure out what we wanted to be on it, but eventually came up with an elephant, and we love how it came out. Joseph really likes it too! Even though he can't enjoy most of it, he still got a full stocking anyhow. Aaron really enjoyed Christmas in California. Thoughts of snow in Montana were far away as he wore shorts, sandals and a t-shirt on Christmas Eve. He had to rub it in for his family just a little bit. Overall, this month was lots of fun. Julie was able to see a lot of friends she hasn't seen in a few years. Joseph met his grandma's coworkers at Pueblo Elementary School, Aaron's coworkers at Sears, and many other of Julie's friends. She loves to show him off because he's such a cutie! Aaron doesn't mind because now Joseph gets dragged around instead of him.

Well, as most of you know, on December 30th Aaron turned the big 25! He's officially a quarter of a century old. He's taking it like a trooper. And for the special occasion we went to an old haunt of Julie's - Mongolian BBQ. Joseph enjoyed Mongolian as well, even if he doesn't show it in the photo.

With the new year coming on, we are definitely looking forward. There are some opportunities on the horizon, but we don't know where they might lead us, or which ones we will take. But as changes come, we will let everyone know. For now, Aaron is working, Julie is taking care of Joseph and we're just trying to do our best to enjoy this time in our lives.

As for news outside our small family, Heidi has found out that she and Ryan are expecting a baby boy! As far as we know, his name will be Athen Wilson Davies. If that changes, we'll let you know! Brittny, Justin, and Ashlee are eager to welcome baby Emma into their family. January 10th is coming on fast, though probably not fast enough for Brittny!

We have appreciated all of the help we received from everyone this last while. The gifts for us and Joseph were so generous and are most appreciated. We hope to continue to keep in touch with you all as best we can. We hope you had a wonderful Christmas season and have a wonderful new year!

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!