Bath time= fun for baby, work out for mommy.

This is only part of the reason why bath time is so much fun, yet such a work out for me!  Legend does not hold still, he's constantly trying to pull himself up or splashing or pulling down the plug so the water starts to drain. He is such a curious little guy!!

 So proud of himself... such a stinker!!

chatting, screaming and growling at mom and dad...

and always so curious about everything!

Fashion Sense

So the latest news in the Williams' household is that Legend has to wear a helmet for the next little while.  He has been such a good sport about it even though I'm sure it can't be the most comfortable thing to wear and it makes him all sweaty.  Brian and I couldn't help but decorate it to make it look like a little BYU football helmet. He is so cute no matter what!

Opera is just not for everyone!

Legend has always been SO responsive to music, it amazes me!  From the moment he started discovering his little voice he would sing to the tv, with mommy, and in the car to the radio. We sing in the bathtub and while rocking to sleep and he has his certain songs on daddy's phone that will calm him down in an instant if he is upset. So we couldn't help but crack up when Brian was being goofy one day and saw Legend's reaction...!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-esxnWuJ7DY&context=C37dc7d2ADOEgsToPDskJgfXsVNHFDin8EY-Yyo7A2

I put the video AND the link in case it stops working randomly like the screaming videos...

Legend is 7 months old

Wow, seven months. We are more than half way through with his first year of life; why does time fly so fast?

(how could I choose between these two pictures?)

Legend, this month you...

-Started sitting up in the tub and you think it's the BEST!  Mommy has to watch you carefully though, because sometimes you still slip! You still LOVE bath time and mom is expected to play and sing with you the entire time.

-Are eating squash, sweet potatoes, and apple sauce along with rice and baby oatmeal. You love food!  Afterwards you still want your bottle though. You are such a comfort baby!

-have NOT become shy; you are super social and if you know something is going on you REFUSE to miss out by going to sleep!

-Are rolling like a champion from your tummy to your back, and you HAVE rolled the other way but only once and never since. Probably because you still hate tummy time.

-sitting perfectly well without tipping over!

-Love your new dog Mumford

-"scream" This super high pitched scream all the time; you must be finding your voice more and more.

-said "ma" the very beginning of the month for two days and you haven't said it since.  At the end of this month you started saying "da da" and you babble ALL the time.

-Sing yourself to sleep

-still refuse to hold your own bottle... you are such a suki baba

-Are wearing size four diapers but you still get diaper wedgies because you are just so round!

-talk in the car and sing to certain songs. One of your new favorites is Young Homie What You Trippin On by Chris Renee.  You will stop crying immediately if this song comes on.

-FIGHT going to sleep now and will do anything to keep yourself awake. You arch your back and growl and scream and I have to rock and swing you side to side WHILE standing and holding you super tight. If I sit you get SO mad... my back is killing me.

You are the sweetest little boy and we love you SO much!

Mums the word...

This is Mumford.

He is a Newfoundland puppy, (these pictures are of him at 3 1/2 months old)

So the story goes as such...  Brian and I were looking on KSL for a while for a new puppy after Izzy passed away so unexpectedly.  I'd been having a very hard time filling the void of loneliness and thought another dog, although would never replace Izzy, would help the sadness.  So we had been looking for a while when I saw a female standard poodle that was 4 years old and I though, 'perfect!  I won't need to potty train, she's older, probably calmer, I will have a companion to take on car rides and it will be perfect!"

So I called, and called, and emailed, and texted, and called the owner over and over.  NOTHING.  I was getting SO frustrated.  I thought for sure this is MY dog, how does this lady not know it??

One night Brian came home and said, "Guess what? There is a newfoundland puppy for sale on KSL..." No way.  I have ALWAYS loved and had a fascination with newfies.  I have read up on them more than almost any other breed of dog, done research and even met one at a dog park in DC once... (we were driving past the park when I saw him and insisted that Brian pull over JUST so I could go see him and pet him. He was the nicest dog ever!)

So of course when Brian told me this news it was all I could think about. I even dreamed about it that night.  I contacted the owners the next day just to see if we could come meet him.  I still was unsure about it even though I have always wanted one. The size... the drool... the shedding... all things that I LOVED that Izzy didn't have.  I made a list of pro's and con's to getting this dog and although they were pretty even, maybe even a few more cons that pros, I still found myself daydreaming about it and making a list of cool names we could give a giant dog.  

So the time came to meet him and Brian and I drove clear out past Draper to go to the woman's house.  We went in and Mumford (then known as Moose) was running around the basement with the goofiest personality.  He was running around the couch then he would jump over Brian's legs (he was sitting on the floor) and usually wouldn't quite make it, trip over his own feet and face plant it on the floor.  Then he would come over to me where I was sitting on a chair with Legend and just lean so heavily against my legs and sit on my feet and just rest next to me. Then he'd go back to Brian for more!  He was so gentle around Legend I was amazed, since puppies are typically very nippy and Izzy was always so mouthy even as an adult.  We left the house and told the woman we would talk it over and get back to her.

Afterwards we went out to grab some dinner and talk things over and we just couldn't decide what to do.  The woman was asking way more than we could actually afford and we just weren't sure about the cons list to having this breed of dog.  Overall, though, we did love his personality and the fact that newfoundlands are rated as the TOP dog for families with small children.  We decided we would low ball the lady and offer her a small amount and just see what would happen.  She said "no".  

I felt a little disappointed but all in all felt that maybe that was for the best and perhaps it just was too soon to get another dog anyway.  Maybe I WAS trying to replace Izzy all along.  So we told her thanks anyway and if she changed her mind to let us know as we could provide a great family, just not a great amount of money.

The next day she texted me and said, "ok, we would accept... (a TINY amount less that the original price).  I showed the text to Brian and we kind of had a laugh about it and how she hardly lowered the price at all.  Both of us were a little peeved with the woman, feeling like she cared more about the money than she did about finding a good home for her dog. But at the same time I understood where she was coming from.  They probably paid a lot more for him even than they were asking.

Brian left for work and I went about my day and every now and then I would think about the lady's text and how she had been somewhat willing to negotiate.  In the back of my mind I kept telling myself I should text her back and at least tell her "no thanks" so she wouldn't just be waiting; it would be the nice thing to do.  Once I got Legend down for a nap I picked up my phone and texted her back.  I told her thanks for getting back with me and being willing to lower the price a bit, but unfortunately we still wouldn't be able to do that.  We just didn't have the money at the moment and hadn't expected to love (moose was his name) as much as we did so that was why we didn't have what she was asking.  I said, "the MOST we could possibly come up with is (then gave her a number only slightly higher than our original offer), but understand that you need the money and know that there are others probably willing to pay more".  I thought that was it and that she understood we just COULDN'T afford the dog when she texted me back and said, "OK. We'll take that. I just want him to have a good home".  I was shocked! I didn't know what to say, but being the person I am texted her back and said, "okay great! When can we come get him?" while only slightly panicking in my mind... Brian was gone to work skiing for the day and would be home in about an hour and I hadn't even talked to him about it!  As far as he knew, I was fine with the decision NOT to get the dog, and hadn't even thought about it since!  The woman texted me back and said, "any time this weekend would be fine, or we can meet you half way tonight..." TONIGHT?! AHH! I was so excited and freaking out at the same time.  Luckily I have a VERY loving, understanding and spontaneous husband who knows me all too well because I texted him and said... "call me when you're on your way home.. I need to talk to you!"  He replied, "is it bad? Is everything okay?"  And I said, "I"m not sure! I might have done something that could be good OR bad..." and he said... "Is the keyword, puppy?"  I laughed out loud and said that it might be. He replied.. "Is the keyword, Newfie?"  So I said STOP and call me when you can!

He got home about an hour later and I was just DYING to tell him what happened.  I was in the kitchen doing the dishes and he came in all nonchalantly, told me about his day, then sat at the computer.  I made a bottle for Legend and sat in a chair in the kitchen and finally said, "WELL... aren't you going to ask what I did??"  He said he was listening and I started telling him the story.  When I got to the line, "And she said she'd take it, she just wants him to have a good home!!" I expected him to roll his eyes or say, "hil... I don't know..." but instead he said.. "WHAT? Well let's go get him! When can we pick him up?" I said tonight and he jumped up and said, "let's pack up the car!"  

So we put the crate in the back of the car, packed the diaper bag, then I busted out my "secret savings" of all my extra change and piano lesson money I had been saving for a few months. Now here's the crazy thing.  A few months back I got this feeling that I needed to start saving my money.  I didn't know why but I started cashing my piano checks and putting them in my old puppy fund jar I used in high school and college.  I kept thinking maybe I'd buy a new sewing machine or a Nook or something, but nothing was really sounding perfect.   I kept $20 bucks in my wallet and ended up breaking it at one point to get a couple drinks at work and stuff, so I was worried it wouldn't be enough.  We counted it all and get this.... with what was in my jar, and my wallet, it was EXACTLY enough, with only about $4 to spare. I knew it had to be right!  So we loaded up the car and picked him up!

That weekend we had  a blast showing him off to family and neighbors and starting on his training.  As of today he is still a goof that chases his tail, bites his own ears, growls at his toys and is extremely loving and gently with Legend.  

He can sit, stay (for a pretty long time), come, shake, lay down and wait for his food until he gets the OK. 

We're learning to heal (and he's doing pretty good!), still working on the potty training, still working on the not jumping thing, he's doing pretty good with waiting by the side of the door and not right next to it when someone comes to the house, and working on not picking up binkies and whatever else he finds around the house but ONLY playing with his toys.
I miss having Izzy come in the car with me and go on long walks and sleep on the bed. Izzy and Mumford are COMPLETE opposites in almost every way possible, but in good ways. They are/were both great dogs.
All in all mumford is a good addition to our family.