Philly first impressions

-lush and green
-HUGE trees
-SOOO humid
-bumpy roads (Alex says worse than Utah...I'm not so sure)
-more traffic
-people are nice, unless they're at work
-cheese steaks ARE NOT overrated
-has PANERA!
-people drive fast! Almost without regard to speed limits. Careful, and confident, but fast. It's craziness! Way different than Utah. Much more Californian. Not complaining :)
-when I take Alex to school in the city, people jay walk and cross streets no matter which light is green. Watch out drivers, pedestrians rule the roads here.
-local restaurants are so good! So far we've tried cheese steaks at Delassanro's and calzones at Fiesta Pizza.

One of our many hotel rooms from the 2 week transaition

Dean 3 months

This crazy kid is growing so fast and becoming more and more fun.

-holds his own head up...just a little wobbly
-when he's laying on his back, I'll grab his hands and pull him up into sitting position and he LOVES it. I think he's still anxious to be a big kid
-LOVES the tub, loves to splash
-hard transition...didn't sleep well (awake almost every hour)
-loves sucking on his hands


-grabs monkey toy by himself (we don't have to put it in his hand)
-still likes being held facing out so he can look around
-grown out of ALOT of clothing


-hates car seat
-grabs the bottle or our hand when feeding
-holds on to his burp cloths like they are a blankie or something
-night owl. Bedtime is 10:30.

-talks a lot...I took 2 minutes worth of talking in one sitting

The first video he talks loud and long. The second he talks into the camera. The third is his new trick. Carter family...remember Benja's slug talent???

Whoosh

That's the sound our time makes as it flies by.

We crammed packing, saying goodbyes, and a family reunion into the last 2 weeks of July. If I could do it again I'd give us a month and take more pictures.

Goodbye Bountiful
We had one week to pack our apartment.

Ok.. we technically had more than that, but we didn't think it would take more than a week. So Alex planned his last day of work to be one week before Jackson.

Pack & Ride: a company that lets you pack your stuff in the front of a diesel trailer, charges you by the foot, loads commercial goods in the rest, and sends it wherever you're going. Cost of a Uhaul + gas = same amount as pack and ride. Time and patience saved by driving a car instead of a Uhaul = priceless.

We miss you Utah people and think often about you all. Hope you're well. See again in December. Keep in touch till then!

Jackson Hole
The week before we moved we spent a week with the extended Carter family, the first part of the trip being in Jackson Hole. I didn't get enough pictures, so here are the best of them.

Where Dean spent most of his time...
Grandma's arm(pits).

He does this thing when he's really sleepy-- he buries his face in our armpits. So funny
...and ticklish.

Dean's car-seat-face

Approximately one week before Jackson, Dean realized he hated being in his car seat. I think he feels restricted and can't kick and play in it. We realized early on that there was no way he would last the 34 hour drive across country. It was good that we had the drive to, from, and around Jackson as a trial run. Geesh...I can't imagine the nightmarish trip that would have been if we started blindly to Philly.

Screaming in his car seat did make for some nice shopping in Jackson...

There's a picture of my mom holding me under this arch when I was Dean's size. Funny how much changes. Hopefully I'll find that picture and put it up here some day.

Buds and their rafting Taes

After Jackson we all met back up in Utah where our family packed up the truck, then met up with the rest of the family for a trip to the Salt Lake Temple, family pictures, dinner, talent show, and baby blessing.

Here is the surprise Jack-Johnson-inspired talent by my brother Michael. No one knew about it but Rae. Amazing, funny, tear-jerking (me and Grandma J at least), and full of fun Carter memories and inside jokes.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B53ST-18rb8

Quickly: Crib bedding!

Just a quick note amidst all of our unpacking and med-school-going...To my pregnant friends, or anyone looking for crib bedding...

Check out ebay. I typed in 'dwell studio crib' and there are 3 piece sets for around $35! At target, Dwell Studio bedding goes from $65-75.

Just an idea :)

Oh and...

PS.

Because we are on the move, moving in, settling, and getting Alex started in school..I can only hope that I stay on top of posts. But I'm sensing there might be a little delay...

I DID however finish a crafting post I started a while ago, but because I started it before the "Baby Beckham" post, you have to scroll down a ways to see it.

Enjoy.

Talk to you soon.

Ch-ch-ch-Changes

Sometimes change is good.

The contents of our apartment are loaded and heading out to Philadelphia in a diesel truck. So originally my mom, Dean, and I were going to drive the Jeep while Alex and Andy drove Alex's car....but after our Carter family trip to Jackson Hole last week, we realized there was no way. Apparently Dean has started hating being in his car seat. So now, as Alex, Andy, and my brother Joel head across Nebraska, we are hanging in a hotel in Salt Lake City until our flight to Philly on Tuesday. Score.

Sometimes change is bad.

It has been EXTREMELY hard to say 'see you later' to all our friends and family out here as we head Eastward this week. We will miss Bountiful and our friends there, we'll miss our jobs, our family and friends scattered throughout Utah. Thanks for everything you have all done for us and our little family. We'll think about you often. Please keep in touch!

Sometimes change CAN be good.

I am looking forward to a new apartment with 2 bedrooms and a dishwasher. I am excited to be apart of the East Coast for a while. I have heard that people make some of their best and life-long friends while away at Med School. So, to those other med school families out there in Philadelphia, here we come... excited to meet you, know you, and be best friends!

This experience will be whatever we make it. Let's do this thing.

Baby Beckham

Dean's friend Beckham was born last Friday, and while Alex and I were able to see him in the hospital, Dean wasn't allowed because of hospital policy. So last night they finally met.

Alex met Beckham's dad, Zach, at Weber where they had a few classes together and got through the MCAT together. They introduced their wives who were named Allyson Paige and Alyson Paige, who became fast friends. We were able to go through pregnancy together and keep each other company when both husbands worked night shifts. It's been fun to experience becoming parents together also. We'll miss them terribly when we part ways to head off to different Med schools, Alex to Temple and Zach to Ohio State.

Here are kiddos, destined to be friends.

(Can't believe how much Dean has grown in 10 weeks! Our little chunky brewster)




Now some of our cute boy, because I can't help it.