Happy Half Birthday to Zach!!

6 months old!

5 months

4 months

3 months

2 months

1 tiny month!

Can anyone believe it's been 6 months already? We have grown to love our little Zachary beyond our ability to comprehend. He has the sweetest personality. He is full of energy and strength. We are so grateful he is part of our family.

Announcing the next Dr. Wilhelmsen...

A long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away, Corey decided he wanted to go to graduate school. However, his wife jumped the gun on him, and applied first, so off they were to Ohio. Corey got his Ph.T. (Put her Through) at OSU, but most places didn't give that a second look on his resume. So, he forged onward, graduating from UVU with his biology degree, still wondering what heathcare field to pursue. Fast forward a few years, and he has at last decided!

Can you tell he's excited?

So I made him put on a happier face!

I am proudly announcing Corey's acceptance into chiropractic school for the fall of 2009!!! I am so elated that he will be able to continue his education and earn his doctoral degree in an exciting field of healthcare. (Plus, how perfect is it for a dentist to have her own personal chiropractor at home, waiting to adjust her aching back? Genius!) He has patiently waited many years, encouraging me in my educational and career pursuits, and now it is finally his turn at bat. I am so grateful for his support throughout my schooling, and now I hope I can be equally supportive while he begins his journey. I love him so much and am so proud of him, not only for his many accomlishments, but of the amazing, caring, kind, wonderful husband and father he is.

Now for the big decision: where to go?

He has been accepted in Portland and Dallas, and we are seriously considering applying to schools in Port orange, FL (near Daytona Beach), and Hayward or LA in California. It will, of course, break our hearts to leave our beautful home and communtiy here in PG. But onward we must press. We probably wouldn't have stayed here for life, anyway-- too crowded.

There are a lot of important things to consider, and we'd appreciate input from everyone. Of course we'll pray about it and let inspiriation be our main guide, and we will also "study it out in [our minds] ." Since the programs are very similar in price and reputation, we are focusing on the following categories, and are still unsure of what factors are most impotant to us: (All categories have been researched on Sperling's Best Places website)

Proximity to family- OR and CA are obviously closest, but still a good 10-14 hour drive. Not too expensive or long for flights. TX and FL would be an expensive, all day flight. Also good to live where people enjoy visiting- CA, FL, OR.

Cost of living-TX=dirt cheap, could easily own a house & have less debt on graduation. FL=next, OR=after FL (maybe less if we live across the river in WA w/no income tax), then CA is exhorbitant, of course.

Weather/Scenery- my opinions: love sun, outdoors, beach, mountains; dislike clouds/rain/snow/cold; humidity not great, leaving CA #1, FL#2, TX= OR

Crime-FL=safest, OR, TX, and CA are about equal close to the schools. There are suburbs of course, but we are not too familiar with them.

Possiblity of staying there permanently-Hmmmm. We'd honestly love to reside in Hawaii. Depends on all the previously mentioned factors. TX not likely.

Ease/cost of dental licensure- FL by far the hardest/most expesive, then CA, then OR. TX=cheap and easy. hmmm.

WE WOULD HONESTLY LOVE ADVICE ON THESE PLACES/ISSUES. IF YOU HAVE SOME, EVEN IF WE DON'T EVEN KNOW YOU, PLEASE LEAVE US COMMENTS!!

Daily Dose of ProZach!

When I'm glum, all I have to do is look at this Little Angel and my spirits are immediately boosted. I hope this little dose of "ProZach" will have the same effect on you!

What's up Homey G?

Once again, what's up?

I decided I could do just about as well as Kiddie Kandids- without the hassle!
So what if I cut his feet off in the pic- he's smiling, right?

The lighting was kind of weird on this one, but I love how his eyes match his sweater.

The little treefrog on his Jumparoo creeps Zach out a little. He often has stare-downs with it. Last week he stared at its bug eyes for a straight 15 minutes and then just conked out for a nap!

Zach is ready to crawl. He rolls and scoots all over the room now. He also puts everything to his mouth for a quick taste-test. Time to get a better vacuum.

He really is "Super Strong." He can do a full-on sit up from lying down if we hold his legs down.

He recently discovered his ear.

We thought he had an earache because he kept touching it and was fussy. I think he's just teething.

He also discovered his thumb a couple of months ago.

Handsome Little Sharp Dressed Man

Snuggly Angel

Future Missionary- Just like Dad!

And Future President

So Cool

Look at those gorgeous blue eyes and sweet, little face!

Zach is starting to sit on his own. He just can't hold still for very long. He's a mover and a shaker!

His new tricks of sccoting around and making funny noises.

Hope you're feeling better now. Tune in next month for his Half Birthday Bash.

I know, I can't believe it either!

What Happens in Vegas...

The girls in the Wilhelmsen family all got together for a fun-filled weekend in Las Vegas a couple of weekends ago. It was Cheryl, Rachelle, Melanie, Cherlyn & Michael, and Me & Zach. We painted the town, staying over night at Marriott's Residence Inn (Thanks again, Cheryl- that was awesome!), eating at both Cafe Rio and the Cheesecake Factory (Fatory?!), and shopping 'til we dropped at the outlet malls.

I accidentally shoplifted some baby sunglasses, but since I'm confessing the sin on this blog, I already feel better about it. I just can't make it back to the mall to return them right now. But next time I go, I'll give them $2.50.

We played a fun game where I gave our husbands a questionnaire to fill out beforehand, then the wives filled out the same questionnaire with their own answers, and we saw how well they matched up. It was hilarious. Especially when it came to the boys guessing the girls' sizes. Apparently, James thinks Rachelle is a size 25. Or 28. Whatever. Womens or mens, James? Time to take your wife shopping!
Needless to say, we were in tears at times!

Michael and Zachary got some one-on-one bonding time that weekend also. They seemed to be on the same page emotionally. For instance:

They were happy at the same time.

They got tired at the same time.

They got bug-eyed at the same time.

They gave Nana crusties at the same time.

(I don't know what she said to them, but apparently, it didn't go over well!)

Then there was the whole hand holding/hugging drama...

Zach: I have an idea. Let's hold hands.

Michael: This is okay, but...

Michael: Cousins don't hold hands. Cousins gotta hug! Bring it in!

Zach: Whoa, dude! I don't know about that! Let's bring it down a notch.

Michael: Yeah, let's just hold hands.

Sweet Dreams!

March Birthdays- Hyrum, Mike, Mom

March is full of birthdays in the Alexander family!

While Natalie and Ryan were in town, we celebrated at the Cheesecake Factory the day before Mike's 23rd birthday. Natalie and Ryan had a special announcement...
Mike and his beautiful bride-to-be, Erica.

We are so happy to have Michael in our family. From the days of his infancy, he has always been fun-loving and charismatic. He is often the center of attention in whatever setting he is in. When he was just 5, he was the star of the Skyline Fashion Show as he dazzled the audience with his sweet moves and heartbreaking smiles. As a 10 year old at a high school DECA conference, he again had throngs of teenage students cheering him on as he discoed and breakdanced in a huge crowd at a dance at Sea World. He was Student Body President at Sunnyside Elementary, and then served as Idaho State President of DECA (or Head DECA, as we like to sometimes call it!). He has always been a leader, which will hopefully guide him to a long and successful life. He has triumphed over great difficulties over these last few years, and we are all grateful he has come out conqueror. We love you so much, Michael.

Hyrum is our precious sweetheart. He is starting to repeat anything you say in his sweet, angelic little voice. He has that gorgeous, innocent, dimpled smile that melts your heart in an instant. Following in Nicky's footsteps, Hyrum is all boy, weilding swords and quoting superheroes. Our family wouldn't be the same without his entertaining, creative spirit.

Then there is Mom, the true Angel among us. Everyone who has ever really gotten to know Mom can only adore and admire her. She is both spunky and funky, always eager to entertain with a song, dance or other fun activity. Who else can recite numerous Dr. Seuss books, as well as all the Mary Poppins lyrics, by heart? What a Supermom!

For standing only 5 feet even, she is a spiritual giant. She lives the Gospel of Jesus Christ by example in both word and deed. She is not ashamed of her faith- she shares it openly and willingly with others, and has been instrumental in bringing many into the fold by reminding them that they are children of a loving Heavenly Father. She has a magical way of making you feel like you are the most important person in the world. Selfless and sweet are two words that describe her personality. We all have always felt so blessed to have her as our mother, and now the next generation is just as lucky to have her as a grandmother.

Jumparooing

One of Zach's favorite things lately is to bounce around in his Jumparoo. It's so sweet to see his tiny feet dancing while his toes barely touch the floor! His arms are so little that they sometimes get caught at his side, and he gets kind of mad.

He also like when we sing the ABC song, Head, Shoulders, Knees and Toes, and Pat-a-Cake. He is the sweetest thing ever!

I think these "naked" photos I took turned out beter than the ones we waited 4 hours for at Kiddie Kandids! Isn't he gorgeous with his silky skin and smiling eyes?

This weekend, I was asked to give a presentation on women in dentistry at UVU's annual Expanding Your Horizons conference, where young women have the opportunity to explore careers in science and technology. At last year's conference, I had 10-20 enthusiastic girls in each of my three workshops. This year, there were only 2-4 in each session. I think the overall attendance must have been much lower this year. It was still fun, but I hate being away from Zach on my days off!

Corey insisted on taking Zach on his first outing to Home Depot last week for a testosterone boost. Do you love the discerning look on Zach's face as he checks out the hardware?

Corey also proudly toted his "Cub Scout" at the recent Scout banquet. He loves his son!