Happy #3 Ava!

Oh, my beautiful Ava! You are truly a girl, loving everything princess and pink but also the freedom of having your hair hanging in your eyes and your clothes a little less than put together. You're as tough as the boys and happy to wrestle and fight but playing dress up is your favorite. You go through at least 4 outfits a day though none lasts very long as you simply prefer to wear nothing but your underwear. You are as sweet as an angel but at the same time feisty and stubborn. Sometimes I wonder what lies in store when you decide to go head to head with me (we already know who will win if you pick a fight with your dad) :). You are one of my favorite conversationalists as your grasp on the English language is rivaled by few at your age. You use wonderful words like fantastic and awesome when describing something you find especially pleasing. You love to sing and to quote all your favorite movies like "Finding Nemo" and "Cinderella" or as you say..."Cindabrella". When you want to be nice and sweet, you are the best at making those around you feel wonderful about themselves, especially your dad and your brother. You are a great little mother taking care of your "baby Andrew" (a doll) as well as your baby brother. You have a great appetite and are willing (most of the time) to try just about anything. Salad is something you rather enjoy which we are constantly surprised about. Of course, as with many at this age, you are a great mimic, always repeating what everyone around you says...especially Ethan (this really makes him crazy which somehow I think is your ultimate goal)! You refuse to sleep with anything other than your favorite blanket knitted with love by your wonderful grandmother. Ava, you are smart. You learn so much from your brother. Your ABC's, days of the week, months of the year, even how to spell certain color words like yellow (all of these through song). I guess it will really pay off that you love to sing. You are a joy and a wonder and we are so grateful to have you here as a part of our family! Happy Birthday my little princess!

Andrew is 5 Months Old!

Oh what a cute baby...if I don't say so myself! I am so smitten with this darling little boy! A few noteworthy things have happened this month:

-He finally started sleeping through the night...not quite all the time, but we are close. We are talking sleep from 8:30pm until 6:30am! And his nap schedule is starting to come together. Honestly, I never thought we'd get there.

-Andrew tried his first solid food, rice cereal. We have discovered that he hates formula (maybe that's why he won't take a bottle) as he won't eat the rice cereal if it is mixed with formula but has no problem with the water version. He isn't eating solids regularly yet as I feel like it's too early and well, I'm really just too lazy!

-He is really getting around these days though not crawling perfectly in the traditional sense. He regularly uses the "commando", "forward thrust" and "steamroller". I find him daily pulling ornaments off the Christmas tree and trying to unwrap presents. It's getting harder and harder to keep him away!

-He really has the best and biggest smile and loves his mom best of all! ---yes, I LOVE that!

-His brother and sister love him to death and especially love to pick him up and carry him around... sometimes this causes a bit of heart failure for me.

-We got Andrew a "Bumbo" chair and he promptly forced his way out of it throwing himself onto the table. Oh well. I really thought he'd like hanging out sitting up. I guess the necessity of moving got to him.

-He also received his first haircut. Ok - it wasn't much of one but by the time I was done trimming the mullet and cutting the 10 long hairs he still had on top of his head, he looked as though he had been given a buzz. I guess I didn't even realize that he'd lost all his newborn baby hair until I saw that he had a whole crop of new and none of it was long. At least he never went bald!

-Andrew can sit up by himself, unassisted, for a few seconds...probably 20 at the most. Then he usually takes a tumble right on his face.

Andrew, you really are growing up too fast and I will truly miss the time cuddling and kissing you through your laughter and giggles. I will miss the way you talk, the small high pitch, song-like squeal, and your gigantic smiles for everyone (hopefully these never go away). Happy 5 months!

Gratitude #4 - A Good Night's Sleep!

What more can I say?? It's been about 6 months since I was able to sleep soundly through the night without interruption. Last night was magic! Sure, I didn't go to bed terribly early but Andrew was asleep at 9. He did not wake up until 6am! Oh happy day!! I was even able to get on the treadmill, shower, and be completely ready before walking Ethan to school. Wow! It may be all I accomplish... but today I am deeply grateful for good sleep.

Gratitude #3 - Good Health

Yesterday when I got out of bed, I was thinking how nice it is to live relatively pain-free. I guess I occasionally have a headache and maybe my knees might feel it a bit after running too hard but really, everything just works all of the time. It's something I take for granted. Health is something you just don't think much about until it has changed or until it is gone. Really, aside from having the blessing of family and friends, it is probably the #2 greatest gift. Lately the news of good friends with some life altering health issues got me thinking about my life and whether I'm doing all I can to preserve my health. There is much more I could do but in reality, no matter how diligent you are, good health is a blessing. It can and does absolutely change no matter who you are or what you do. So today, I feel a deep and abiding gratitude for the the blessing of having a wonderful and strong body and for the health and strength needed to accomplish my mission here on earth...whatever it may be.

Gratitude #2 - Problem Solvers

Today I am grateful for a husband that not only listens to what goes on in my day, but responds by trying to solve the problems I encounter. As an example, today I was unusually frustrated and couldn't seem to find anything... or just two things I needed at the time. I am not one to misplace things very often (at least prior to 3 children) and it was really making me crazy looking for them. I am also not one who enjoys receiving help and so, never asks for it. Todd came home and quietly went about searching for the seemingly unfindable. Of course, he found one (so far) in a place it should have been found easily (ouch! this will be just another reason to mock me for being so absent minded!) and I'm sure he'll come across the other, probably before I can even get back to looking. It's hard for me to accept the help but in reality, I am truly grateful. Problems do get solved much faster when you have a second person on the job.

Gratitude #1 - TIME

I have been wanting to begin writing about something more than just what my kids do on a daily basis...maybe write something that PROVES I am MORE than JUST their mom and that I have an identity aside from that motherly existence. As it stands, I am having a hard time coming up with anything. So sad, but I think maybe I need to prove this to myself! What were my ambitions prior to being a mom...my dreams? Did I have any?

On another note, I have been thinking a lot about GRATITUDE lately and would like to work on being more gratious. One way is to be able to recognize the things you are grateful for on a more constant basis. I mean really, there are so many things I could so easily feel gratitude for...where to begin? As a way to kill two birds with one stone (so to speak) I am going to try writing something I am grateful for each day through Christmas... ok.... let's say, at least a few time a week (I can't commit to a daily blog!). Here's my first entry!

Today I am grateful for TIME. I know some days feel as though they fly by in the blink of an eye and then there are some that drag on, each moment focused on enduring until the next. Today was neither. I have realized with my recent addition in responsibility, that TIME is typically my enemy. There are never enough hours in a day to do all that needs to be done. I am a completely task driven person who seems to rely on her ability to accomplish as a means of self esteem. This works well when you are only in charge of you but when faced with the challenge of raising children and the monotony of being at home... I rarely feel the satisfaction of a job well done... and a job, well, a job completed. I love to make task lists but those lists tend to look the same from day to day.... partially because I have yet to complete the task and partially because once completed, it needs to be done yet again. Well, today started earlier than usual (could this be a clue... getting up early could help???) and I was able to fit in much more than my typical day. This does not mean I have much to show for the hours spent, but I feel better than on other typical days. I am GRATEFUL for the TIME I spent today READING with Ava and Andrew, HELPING Ethan with his homework, and cooking a really tasty Chicken Pesto Pannini in my George Foreman grill for dinner. I do not feel as though I accomplished much, and yet, strangely satisfied with the way my day was spent. Funny how if you prioritize your day working first on the things that really matter but can't be completed, you find a strange sense of satisfaction you can't get from a checked off list.

While I'm thinking about it....

There are so many strange word pronunciations that Ethan uses or has used in his short life. I am always forgetting to document them...so here are a few:
"Vacuum" = gacuum
"Yogurt" = milgret
"Bedroom" = bejroom (this one became very obvious when he tried to use it in a paper written at school. He spelled it exactly as it sounded to him (bejrom) and then I knew I needed to help him pronounce things a bit more accurately)
"Feathers" = feders (or fedrs as he spelled it)
Really, almost anthing with the "th" sound
"Transformers, more than meets the eye"= transformers, more than zens the skies (...what?)
"Crayons" = crowns
The best part is he rarely believes us when we tell him he is saying it wrong. I guess I'll just have to wait until his teacher backs me - what she says goes:)

Andrew is 4 months old!

Ok - so he turned 4 months on the 12th. (I really can't seem to get this done on time!) What can I say about this one except that he keeps me on my toes...already. No, he is not quite crawling in the traditional sense of the word but he gets around! He gets up on all fours, scoots here and there, rolls over a few times for good measure, and somehow manages to be somewhere other than where I laid him down. I know it is just a matter of days until he really is crawling and then I'm really in trouble. He is sleeping better at night...at least most of the time. The sleep training is difficult as he cries and scoots and then cries some more because he has scooted himself right into the corner of the crib with no way out. It's almost sad...in fact, I think I could feel bad for him if it wasn't the 10th time in a night I had to rescue him! But, the kid has the BEST smile! It melts me and I am putty in his hands. He is such a mamma's boy, which normally I'm not excited about, but again with the smile. He sees me and it's all grins and giggles and his eyes never stray. It's kind of fun to be adored this way - even if it's because I am the milk truck. Funniest thing about him...his LONG tongue! You have already seen this per my previous post, but really, it's long. He's really into licking everything so we see it a lot at this point in his life. He is my biggest child so far (though the differences between the 3 are almost miniscule) at 26" long and 12lbs. 12oz. he is tall for his age (75th percentile) and petite for his weight (10th). I bet he would gain a little weight if he would sit still occasionally!

Hmmm....Who does this remind you of?

Could it be?

Flushed Away....

Many, many interesting things are overheard outside the bathroom when my small children are busy doing their thing. My favorite to date, however, comes from my sweet almost 3 year old, Ava. As she flushes the toilet, she quite regularly calls out, "flushed away....." and you can see her peering into the toilet as the water swirls around. Then just like that, she's done and it's back to business!

Friends

The most common thing you will hear around my house is..."Mom, can we play with Ethan and Kylie?" This is heard every day at least 10 times....no matter what we are doing or what is going on. Who is Ethan and Kylie you ask? Only their best friends and neighbors down the street. Fortunately for me, I like them too!

The Halloween Post

I know, I'm late but better late than never. Halloween was fun this year. We had the ward Trunk or Treat on Saturday and then the neighborhood Trick or Treat on Wednesday. Ethan was a Transformer in a nice polyester jumpsuit and mask he was not willing to wear. On the Saturday event, we spray painted his hair white and painted his face blue but he thought he would wear his voice changer helmet on Halloween so we didn't mess with the makeup. I think the helmet lasted for 2 houses and ended up in the stroller. Ava was Cinderella (of course). She really made a beautiful Cinderella and got a blister to prove that she was, in fact, wearing the glass slippers! I am truly a slacker as I did not dress Andrew up. He spent the whole night wrapped in a blanket cat-napping in the stroller anyway so it really didn't matter. I suppose the downside is the lack of any pictures of "baby's first Halloween". Oh well. There will be many others.

Shortly after Halloween, the candy fairy came to visit and replaced the kids candy with a Transformer and a Disney Princess doll. Ethan was amazed and grateful that the fairy was so smart and knew there was a boy and a girl here in this house and that he really wanted a new Transformer. Yes, pretty smart!

The Primary Program and my 5 year old

Today was the primary program for our ward. Ethan participated happily and without any conflict or distress. It was wonderful! I always look forward to the occassions that I get to see my little ones shine but unfortunately Ethan is usually a bit too shy or embarrassed. Today, he walked right up on stage and plopped down in the seat right between the bishop and the visiting high council member. For a day, Ethan looked as though he belonged in the bishopric! The bishop asked him why he had more hair than his dad to which Ethan replied, "Because Jesus made me and my dad like that." The kids did a wonderful job. Ethan sang a little, gave his talk perfectly: "When I serve others, I show my love for Jesus Christ," and chewed his tongue almost continually. I guess we all have our nervous ticks....his is tongue chewing. Maybe we should have given him a piece of gum!

Hoot Hoot!

The other night while coming home a bit late, I saw a great big owl perched on the street sign right across from my house. This was such a cool thing to me and I couldn't help but look around hoping to see Harry or Ron....or maybe McGonagall as a black cat. Silly, I know. But living where I do, you don't get to see too much wildlife and I think reading (and loving) all the Harry Potter books has rather romanticized the owl for me!

From the mouth of Ava...

"Mommy, I'm hungry."

"You just had dinner."

"Well, I ate the food and it went into my tummy but it did not go all the way up to my head and so I'm still hungry!"

(She later elaborated that the food did not fill her feet, arms and legs either)

Andrew is 3 months old!

Oh how he's grown! Funny how you really don't remember how fast the first year goes by! Andrew now rolls over onto his back, stands very strong on his feet (with support of course), he laughs out loud when tickled or when you make a funny face, he has the biggest smile, scoots around whether on his back or his stomach, sits and plays in the exersaucer even though his feet barely hit the bottom, he LOVES attention (this can be difficult since he is the 3rd child....) and is really such a joy to have around. Though I still don't get the sleep I need, I just can't help but smile when I see him smiling so HUGELY back at me. Happy 3 months Andrew!

Happy 5th Birthday Ethan!

Ethan's top 5: (not in any particular order)

1. Transformers & Bionicles

2. Tortillas & Cheese (yes, this is really called a quesadilla)

3. Playing with friends & his sister

4. Candy

5. Drawing & Coloring

Ethan you are my first born and as such, you are full of surprises. I marvel at how much you have grown and accomplished in the short time you have been on this earth. Yet, I marvel even more at how much I learn from you each day. You have a wonderful desire to please others and to make them happy. You love rules (maybe not always for yourself however) and are very good at following directions. You love friends and playing with them more than anything else. Even with this strong desire to play with others, you always find a way to include your little sister and have become a great big brother (sometimes bossy - but what oldest sibling isn't?). You are amazingly creative and spend much of your day drawing, coloring, cutting or gluing something. Your ability to put things together (a product of following instructions no doubt) is quite evident as you play with your favorite toys....bionicles, kin'ex, legos. It's really amazing how good you are with them. You are a perfectionist and worry that someone will be disappointed if you do not get it all right. This makes you so good at everything you do but I do worry that you will expect too much of yourself and miss out on just having fun. Performing in front of others scares you especially if you feel as though you are not fully prepared. But at home, in your element, you are anything but shy. You are an excellent swimmer, (a talent you got from your dad) and an excellent climber. Thankfully you have always had the good sense to know when you are unable to do something silly like flying or jumping off the tallest swingset as a toddler but as you have grown you have surprised me with your balance and ability to climb on top of our swingset and jump chainlink fences, etc. You love to read about the prophets and their stories and you absorb pretty much whatever we throw at you. I'm so grateful to have been given the responsibility to be your mother and to have such a sweet and caring son. Happy Birthday Ethan, my great big 5 year old!

Learning to sew.

Ok - those who know me, know that I am not a crafty, sewing, knitting kind of person. I don't really know how to do much and have never embraced any of it. But I will admit, every now and again, something looks really interesting and fun to do and I'm never opposed to trying. So, one day while scanning through many many blogs, I happened upon a pattern to make cloth baby shoes (just like Robeez) and it looked simple enough so I decided to give it a shot. Now 4 pairs later, I'm really enjoying myself and I think I just might want a sewing machine for Christmas. I'm hoping these could be cute baby shower gifts as Andrew is really not much of a shoe horse!

Ethan's 1st Award for Achievement

Friday was Ethan's first school assembly. We were all invited to attend as Ethan received the achievement award for penmanship. He was pretty excited to get his pencil and sticker though I'm not quite sure he understood why. He loves school and is doing really well. It amazes me how fast he learns and how hard he trys. I was so concerned about this year but am so grateful for a teacher that really cares and understands what motivates him. I think he is ready for school...I'm glad we didn't wait to send him(wonder if I'll change my mind in a future year??).

Wiggle, wiggle, wiggle!

Andrew is growing by leaps and bounds and accomplishing new things everyday. Most of the time, I would be really excited but with each new accomplishment, he is becoming less and less of a baby. Ok - maybe not less of a baby, but less of a newborn. I will miss these days... enough of the nostalgia... Last week Andrew managed to roll himself over from his stomach to his back. Then yesterday when he woke up from his nap (on the floor:)) he started to scoot around. Not in a happy way, but while crying and complaining he was scooting forward on his belly. When I went to pick him up, I found him about 3 feet from his starting position (the blanket) banging his head against the armoire. I laughed - I suppose it shouldn't have but it was a bit shocking to see my 2 1/2 month old so mobile. I was a bit caught off guard. What fun! It looks like I'm going to have another early crawler!

Why can't the weather be cold enough here?

Some days I really wish the weather got cold here...you know, cold enough to wear big fluffy coats and flannel pajamas. Today I really wish it was cold enough for Andrew to wear this adorable little beanie - at least for longer than 10 minutes!!

Thank you to my wonderful friend Laura and her skill with crochet hooks! We love it!

Ava's New Haircut

It was finally time...Ava's hair had gotten unkempt enough for Todd to allow me to have her hair cut (or maybe he just got sick of me asking:). Tracy came over to do the job and Ava stood as still as a statue. In the end, I think it turned out rather cute.

Happy Birthday Traci!

Last week was Aunt Traci's birthday! We had a great dinner at Javier's and spent the rest of the evening playing. Thanks for having a birthday and a reason to celebrate- we love you!

Andrew is 2 months old!

On the 12th, Andrew turned 2 ... 2 months that is! He is such a wonderful child and I fall in love with him more and more each day. It is amazing to me how we are blessed with the capacity to love each of our children so individually and yet so fully no matter how many we have. I am so grateful to have little Andrew in our lives and couldn't see our family without him!
He has learned a lot in the 30 some odd days he has been with us. He has been smiling since his early NICU days though, I will admit, I really shouldn't count them...at least not until more recently. He now smiles, coos, and occassionally giggles in response to whomever is giving him undivided attention. He was born with the ability to lift his head but he can now hold it relatively steady and can even handle little baby push ups. His legs are strong and he loves to hold his weight on one leg and do a little tap dance with the other. He seems to enjoy showers and just plain loves attention. At his doctors appointment the other day he weighed in at 11 lbs. 1.5 oz and was 23 1/2 inches long. Healthy and above average.
Andrew has one little birthmark/stork bite on the right side of his nose (almost looks like a scratch), this will fade, and his hair is red...no blond....no brown. Well, it just depends on the light so it's anyone's guess what it will eventually be! He looks just like Ethan did at this age without the ears and the baby acne and he smells just like his daddy! At this point he sleeps well, at least a 6-8 hour stretch at night. I would call this sleeping through the night except for the fact that it usually begins around 7:30pm so I'm still getting up around 3am and then again at 5 or 6am (too bad I can't seem to get to bed before 11 or 12!!!).
This one is growing up too fast! I will miss this baby phase when it passes. It's really a sweet experience to have such a perfect little being in your care.....

Game Day(s)!

This last week was definitely a sports week for us. First Todd took Ethan to the Angel game on Wednesday. Then we all (yes, all 5 of us including the baby) went to the Angel game on Thursday night. As if that wasn't enough, we all went to the BYU vs. UCLA football game on Saturday. Even with the chaos of having so many children to corral and a newborn to tote around, it was a lot of fun! Someday it will be even more fun when the kids actually care more that someone is doing something down on the field versus what we brought to eat:)!

1st two weeks of school...

Most of you who know me, know that I have been stressing about whether or not to send Ethan to school this year or have him start next year since he is a young kindergartner. I am pleased to report that so far, things have been great! In fact, his teacher has described him as a "gem" in class and one of only 3 students that are on track to pass the penmanship test (well, I guess it's an early evaluation but the district gets all the results). He really enjoys school and works very hard to please his teacher and to follow the rules...this is the most important thing for him. Sometimes I fear he is going to kill himself with his intense desire to do everything right and with perfection. He is definitely his father's son! Anyway...Thanks for allowing me a moment to brag about my wonderful child. If you knew the amount of trepidation I've had for this year, you would understand how immensely pleased I am right now. I really have a great kid!

Ava really can't wait to head to school herself. She walks with us everyday, backpack ready, and tells me that she is 6 and can go to class. One of these days she might convince me!

Labor Day Bowling

This Labor Day we took the kids bowling to beat the heat. It was their first experience and who would've thought they would like it so much! We had a hard time bowling our own games without their oh-so-helpful assistance. Actually, I think they may have slightly improved my score on one of the games!!!

Mmm...Candy good!

The other night the kids were dancing around the house eating red vines (yes, in their underwear) and I look over and what do I see???

Not only is Andrew getting his first taste of sugar, oh wonderful sugar,

but Todd has literally painted his face with the wet end of his vine!

Yet another product perfect for face painting!

Temper...Temper...

Sometimes I feel like I can catch glimpses of the personality my little Andrew will have as he grows up. I hesitate to think too much about this as I fear that my observations and assumptions may become a reality, some kind of self-fulfilling prophecy. For instance, on some occassions when Andrew needs to burp and he is forced to take a break from eating...Wow does he get mad! He cries so intensely that I could swear he is actually yelling at me, the infant form of a temper tantrum. I find these moments really funny, at least at this age... but I don't look forward to the toddler tantrum or even worse, the teenage rant! But 99% of the time he in nothing but a sweet, smiling boy I can't get enough of!