Birthday Pictures and Cowboy Football

As promised, here are some pictures from the party:

David and Carissa filling the pinata before the party

David on the trampoline with the sprinkler underneath. This was very popular. When they first set it up they had at least eight kids get on before they could lay down the rules. (Don't worry, that number was cut down right away.)

Jacob watering someone's shoe

Carissa in the pool. Another hit. We had some of the younger kids ignore the pinata for favor of the pool.

Isaiah taking a swing at the pinata

Jacob's car cake

David's dinosaur cake

Carissa's flower cake

And, for those of you who may have noticed, my countdown to cowboy football is gone. The first game is over and...COWBOYS WON!!!!! 21-20. Go Pokes!

A Long Day; A Long, Exciting, Busy Weekend

Well, I think this weekend has been the busiest, longest one I've had in quite some time. And it's not even over yet. It started yesterday morning when I opened up the checking account and, surprise! Aaron had gotten a raise. His company doesn't talk about raises with their employees. It's just there. We didn't even notice the last one for at least a month or two. We were expecting one later this year, around his 2-year anniversary, so this came as quite the pleasant surprise. Then, the kids and I had a whirlwind, all-day shopping trip. We had things to buy for the party and groceries for a couple of weeks. Plus some things for the house. We stopped at several stores and got a lot of reaction, like usual when I go shopping with all five kids. All in all it was a good shopping day.

Then today was the triple birthday party. I spent alot of last night and today preparing. It wasn't quite what I had planned in my head, but I think it was still a success. All of the kids (16 including my oldest 4) had fun at least. And I hope the adults did too. Us moms got the chance to socialize and Aaron had fun supervising the action outside, along with Brother L. He got sunburned, and is dead tired, but I think had fun.

Then, we finalized a possible visit that has been in the works a few days. Aaron's sister, Amber, and her husband and 1-year-old twins live in Baton Rouge. They were considering evacuation and decided they should go ahead and come up today. So, they'll be here at least until the middle of next week. I'm sorry circumstances are a little scary for them, being away from home when a storm may hit, but we're all happy for the visit. It's the first we've seen the twins. They are so sweet! Now hopefully all of the kids will sleep easier in the next few days.

Which leads me to the last day of the weekend...tomorrow. Tomorrow I have to give a talk in sacrament. And teach a lesson...my first in my new calling. And we have a meeting with the bishop after church. I think they're just trying to see how much they can throw at me at one time. :-)

So that's my weekend...oh, wait, I forget it's Labor Day. I have to add Monday to my list and whatever exciting adventures that day will have in store. :-)

PS Sorry for the lack of pictures. I'll post some tomorrow.

A Few New Friends

We've added a few friends to our links.

Gina, Travis, and Amberly are good friends from college. Brent and Suzanne and Erika are friends Aaron had in high school.

A Trampoline, New Teeth, Tortillas

A couple of years ago my parents got the kids a trampoline for their birthday. We finally decided that it was a great time to set it up. The kids have been loving it, going out on it at least once a day for short periods (it's still too hot to stay on it for very long). They love to jump and play super heros on it.

David and Carissa enjoying the trampoline

Even Aaron had a turn

The other night I experienced another first with Joseph...He bit me! He has two little teeth poking through on the bottom. I was fishing something out of his mouth and I guess he was desperate to keep it in. Anyway, I'll be more careful from now on. I'd post a picture of the teeth, but he won't let me get a good one.

Now, I don't make homemade foods like cookies, cakes, or breads very often. However, the other night I decided I'd go ahead and make tortillas. It had been a long time since I had made them last, and was scared they didn't turn out, but the kids (and Aaron) loved them! In fact, they loved them so much that I decided to make some more last night when I couldn't sleep. I didn't make them all up, but sent what I had made up to work with Aaron. Jacob had woken up in the middle of the night and saw them and so the first thing he asked for when he woke up was a tortilla. He didn't believe me when I said I had sent them with Aaron and got upset when he saw for himself I was telling the truth. Luckily he calmed down when I showed him I had more dough. I quickly cooked the rest and was rewarded by his smiles. I think I'll have to make them more often.

My tortillas. I don't have a press so they always turn out lopsided. These actually look halfway decent.

Jacob's happy he got his tortilla

First Day of School

So, today was the first day of school for Texas. Today does not hold any specific significance for me since I homeschool and am not bound by schedules or time restraints. I only make note of the day because today "the first day of school" made me a very grateful person, yet very sad at the same time.

I woke up to see Aaron off as I do about 50% of the time. Within 5-10 minutes of him leaving I saw the bus for the public school kids in our neighborhood drive by. I was grateful for the fact that I did not have to try and have my kids up and ready by then.

I talked to my friend and she told me how sad her younger daughter was to drop off her siblings and how sad it made her to see her kids go out into the world and grow up that much more. I was glad that I get to have my kids at home and see them grow up in front of me, knowing that they can be somewhat protected from all that goes on in our schools these days.

I sat down to "check in" with my online classes and I got sad, realizing how much time I am going to be spending away from them for the next few months. I don't think I've been away from any of my kids that long and it will be hard for me. At least I know I am leaving them with someone who will love and care for them very well. Maybe it will make me appreciate them all the more when I come home.

Another Birthday and a New Calling,

Happy Birthday Aunt Christy!!!!!!
Christy is a great Sister, Aunt, and Sister-in-law. We all love and miss her and hope she has a great day! Maybe it's just me getting old, but I keep wishing I lived closer so that I could seet her up on a blind date. My siblings never let me have any fun in that department. Maybe she would. Hey Christy, would you accept a "blind email" instead? :-)

Anyway, today I officially got a new calling. Primary Board member. They didn't really explain it when they extended it to me, but apparently it isn't just a board or committee member...I actually teach. I am going to have the 7-8 year olds. I was really relieved not to have to teach in Relief Society anymore, but then the more people talked about it and the more I thought about it, the more nervous I got. One of the boys in my class is a bit of a challenge, so I hope I'm up for it. I don't know that I am. I wonder if it is too late to be released...

I don't know how much I'll blog during the week. I am having a triple birthday party for the kids on Saturday and will have to go shopping for it, prepare for it, and set up for it. I hope it will come off ok.

On top of that I have to prepare my lesson for next week AND prepare a talk. Fun stuff. Oh, and classes start tomorrow as well.

Wish me luck, hopefully I'll keep my sanity.

David Aaron

Happy Birthday David!!!

Seven years ago today I became a mom. We had been married about 10 1/2 months and were eager to start our family. It was a long 9 month wait. At least I had school to keep me busy for part of it.

The day I had David I had contractions all day long. I checked into the hospital about 5 or 6, they monitered me for a little while, and then they sent me home. I was devestated! I did not think I could handle being pregnant another day longer. Aaron took me to a fast food place of my choice to try to alleviate the disappointment. Just a few hours later, as I was finally drifting off to sleep, my water broke. How ironic. Back to the hospital we went.

They put me on pitocin the next morning, it hurt like crazy!!! I got a narcotic drug and don't remember a whole lot after that. I wasn't able to get an epidural because it was too late by the time they finished the C-section and were able to get back to me. I jumped from 8 to him crowning in around half an hour. The doctors weren't there yet. The nurses weren't ready. Eventually I was allowed to push and David was born with a full head of red hair.

From the moment he was born, David has captured hearts. Some people thought he would lose the red hair, but it is still commented on today, with no sign of leaving.

David has always been smart, responsible, and more adult then I like to think. When Carissa was born I was scared he would have a hard time since he was only a year old. I shouldn't have worried. He loved her from the moment she was born. He was saying her name the first time we told him and would show her off to anyone he saw. Everytime she cried he would stop what he was doing, look up, say "Oh, issa" (Carissa) and run to her and then come back to me to get me to go to her.

David was doing alot of things at an early age: crawling, walking, and even talking. I think he must have decided he liked talking because it is one of his favorite activities today, it seems. He will talk to anyone he wants to, from the cashier to the people in line at stores behind us, to visitors, to people at church. He loves to talk. He also likes to sing and, in my unbiased opinion, has a very good voice. He also can memorize things well. He is starting to learn how to play the piano.

Some of David's other favorites are legos, Pokemon, soccer, swimming, his siblings, and his friends.

We love this happy, energetic, talkative, sunny little red-headed boy!

Jacob Palmer

Happy birthday Jacob!!!

Jacob was born 3 years ago, today. But it feels like it was just yesterday. He was the first one born here in Palmer less than a year after we moved here. There were several babies born within a month or so of him and more pregnant. It was the last baby boom our ward had before the boom Joseph was a part of. It's nice that he has so many kids his age.

We planned on having Jacob while we were in the hospital having Isaiah. Call it divine inspiration, just a feeling, whatever you want. But we knew. And we knew he would be a boy. David had a hand in giving Jacob his middle name and we like it. I didn't know it at the time, but it happens to be Aaron's Grandma Van Slyke's maiden name.

There wasn't too much interesting about Jacob's delivery, other than we let David come to this one. We have always believed in letting the kids be involved with doctor's visits and such so that they would know what was going on, feel involved, and make a new addition a little easier to accept. So far, I think it's worked. They have also watched just as many episodes of A Baby Story and Special Delivery as Aaron has.

I also did this delivery drug-free. It is a nice feeling to know I am capable of that. But I don't think everyone needs to choose this option to be happy. I'm just lucky I can.

Anyway, Jacob has been a very welcome addition to our family. He is definately a momma's boy, but that's ok by me. He is independent and stubborn like no other. Mischievious and sneaky as well. But he can also be very sweet. For some reason everyone always tells me how much they love him and, while I love him an always will, I wonder if they are just oblivious to some of his not-so-nice traits.

I love the way he is always up for a hug or cuddle time, especially when he is tired. He loves to try and do everything we do and help out when he can. He likes to steal our drinks and eat sweets, especially chocolate. Some of his favorite toys are daddy's tools and cars. He LOVES cars. He has a memory for them and will point them out. For example, whenever we pass a white truck he points and says, "Daddy's truck!" He plays with them for hours and if I want to keep him entertained in a waiting room I just pick up the nearest magazine and let him look for pictures of cars. He also likes to play on the playground, swim, and play sports. Soccer is his favorite.

Jacob might not be the baby of the family anymore, but he will always be "my baby" and we all love him.

Carissa Jean

Well, Carissa's birthday was the other day. I didn't say much about her, so I'd better do it now before all of the birthdays are gone...

Carissa was born in Laramie when we were still on campus. David was less than 6 months old when we found out we were expecting and would be due around his first birthday. It was a little surprising, overwhelming, but exciting all at once.

Aaron worked out of town that summer and was only home on weekends. I rode my bike everywhere with David. It was a pretty easy pregnancy. I even took a summer class that was supposed to end just a couple of weeks before I was due. We didn't take the childbirth class until then and all through the class the instructor kept asking if I was ok. I think she thought I was going to give them all a first-hand account of what labor was like. :-)

The week before I was due I was really tired and did not want Aaron to go back to work. He had to though and so I went to my appointment alone. This was the first time I had driven to an appointment and when I got there and they took my blood pressure it was just as high as all the times I had ridden my bike. Since I was dialated a little and the baby was ready according to the ultrasound they decided to induce me the next morning. Aaron had to come home again that night. I still give him crap about going to work. If he would've stayed like I wanted then I could have been induced right then. :-)

Labor and delivery went smooth. My roommate from college watched David. She's the greatest! My mom was there which was nice. I had no pain killers so I wasn't out of it. I remember there were at least 4 or 5 nurses in there (in addition to the doctor) when she was born and I think there may have been as many as 7. Nothing was wrong. They just wanted to see her. I think it must have been worth it for them because they were so caught up in oohing and ahhing over her that they forgot to do the APGAR testing. She was so perfect and pink and hungry! We were so happy to have a little girl to add to our family. I feel bad because we don't have more than a handful of pictures of Carissa by herself as a newborn. We had just a regular old camera then and such is the life of a second child, I guess. It makes me more grateful for digital photography.

We started classes less than 2 weeks later and it was funny to see people's reactions. I never really started showing until after the spring semester had ended so most people didn't know I was expecting again. They only knew I had a baby. Then the next time they saw me in the fall, I had another new baby. They often had to do a double take.

Now, 6 years and 3 kids later, Carissa is still the only girl in our family and I think she is enjoying it some, although she still says she wants a baby sister. She is the princess in our family and Aaron says I spoil her too much with new clothes, but we both enjoy it and who knows, she may be the only one I get to buy the cute girly clothes for.

Carissa enjoys soccer and running around like crazy with her brothers, but she can be very girly too. She likes to put on makeup, dance, play with her baby dolls, and be a second mommy to Joseph. She likes to be the center of attention and when we were watching the olympics she said she wanted to be a gymnast so that she could be on TV. That's when I remembered, and got to tell her, that she has been on TV. When she was only about a week or two old, the student apartments had a back-to-school picnic and Senator Enzi made an appearance. It was an election year so they were making a commercial. I guess they wanted to portray him as an ordinary person. Anyway, Carissa and I made a very brief, split-second appearance in the commercial. The funny thing is, even though we had no clue about it we would get stopped on campus by people who recognized us from that tiny little clip. Needless to say, she got plenty of attention before she was even aware of it. I believe he won, too, so maybe having her in the commercial worked.

We love our happy little girl who always has a smile and a hug with the words "I love you" for anyone she meets.

Birthdays All Around

You may have noticed the new background I have up. In August-September some people celebrate going back to school. At our house we celebrate birthdays. Carissa's birthday was the 20th, Jacob's is today (the 22nd), David's is the 23rd, and mine is here in a few weeks on September 10th, so for us this background is quite appropriate right now and I'll leave it up until after mine.

Here is Joseph waiting to get the dye-test/x-ray at the hospital. They had him wear a gown and everything.

David did the calendar for the month. He even drew birthday cakes on the kids' birthdays.

Jacob proudly pointing out his cake.

This is what happens when kids get impatient for a piece of cake.

Here is a video of Joseph begging for, and getting, cake. He was really funny. He would take a bite, chew a little, start to beg for more, realize he still had some in his mouth, and then stick his thumb in to try and suck it down better. Then he'd repeat the process.

Facebook

So, I decided to jump on the facebook bandwagon. I can't believe how many people I've found! I think I'm hooked. It's almost as fun as blogging :-)

I probably won't keep up with it. It would take up way too much of my time, but it will be fun to go to for a few minutes each day.

Daily Gem

This one's for you, Amanda!

"We can strengthen one another; we have the capacity to notice the unnoticed. When we have eyes that see, ears that hear, and hearts that know and feel, we can reach out and rescue those for whom we have responsibility."

Thomas S. Monson, "The Call to Serve," Ensign, Nov. 2000, 47

Mommy, Wow....

....I'm a big kid now.

We've been hearing that at our house recently. Thank goodness!!! It's about time. Isaiah has been struggling with potty training off and on for the past 6 + months. I think this time it's finally happened. He's been doing very good for a couple of weeks now and the past 24 hours we've definately had a red-letter day. First, he woke up dry (I've been putting him in pull-ups for bedtime) and went to the bathroom right away. Then, when I was going to put him back in the pull-up since we were going out, he said no that he wanted to wear underwear. So, I let him. He stayed dry all day, even using the toilet at the hospital and not having an accident while shopping. Back into the pull-up for bed, and then he woke up this morning, still dry. Hooray!

Now to get going on Jacob, who is very resistant about the whole thing right now...

It will be nice to have only one in diapers.

An Anniversary, a Birthday, and Hospital Tests

First off, Happy Anniversary to my mom and dad, Gilbert and Cindy. We love you guys.

Next, Happy 6th birthday to my baby girl, Carissa! I guess 6 may be too old to call her my baby girl, but hey, she's my only daughter, the princess of the family, so she'll always be my baby girl. I will post more about her when I finish scanning some pictures, but for now, here she is as a newborn...

And lastly, hospital tests...As you may know if you have been following my blog, back before we left on vacation Joseph had a urinary tract infection. Well, sometimes this can be caused by reflux or other problems and so the doctor wanted to run some tests just to make sure this wasn't the reason. So, this morning we went to the hospital to get the tests done. I won't go into too much detail because it is a day I'd rather forget, but I will say that everything looked normal so hopefully he'll never experience another one.

Show offs...

Tonight we had a member of the Bishopric over for a quick visit and despite all warnings and stating my expectations for how to behave and not behave, the kids quite predictably ignored all such statements the minute the doorbell rang. First, three of them ran for the door and started fighting over who got to open it. Then, before Brother K could even get inside they were all over him giving him hugs and demanding attention. His business with me took all of 5 minutes while the kids' demands took another 15-20. Ah well. I think he enjoyed it and I remember being the same way when I was little. I grew out of it and so will they....eventually.

Me and My Boring Life

So, not alot has happened lately. In fact, it's been rather boring around here lately. For example, the highlight of my day came when Aaron brought home Joseph's formula and the packaging had been changed.

The old packaging...a simple canister

The new canister...a plastic jug-type container. And the best part of all is the scoop is stored in the lid. No more digging through a brand new container, spilling formula everywhere to find it. :-)

And on a more fun note...In the corner of our living room I have a card table set up for my sewing machine. Underneath this table is a chest of drawers and beside that is my exercise stuff. There is just empty space behind the chest of drawers, under the table, and Isaiah decided this is a fun place to play. Here is a picture of him and Jacob playing in their new hideput.

Happy Anniversary!

To Michael & Cinthia Van Slyke (Aaron's parents) We love and miss you and hope you have a great day!

New Babies All Around

Nope, not me.

Congrats to my cousins. Danielle and Johnny had a baby girl on August 8th and Kristy and Chris will be having their baby girl today. Two more girls in the family who will be great friends!

Danielle has a little girl, Adrienne, 3 weeks younger than Carissa. We were actually due the same day in that situation. They have seen each other a few times now and always have fun hanging out. I didn't get any pictures of the two of them this summer, but here is one from when they were together at Christmas a few years ago.

Fallon, Carissa, and Adrienne. Can't you just see the future teenagers in this picture?

The Boo-Boo

Does anyone else have boys who do crazy, wild, dangerous, and wreckless things for no apparent reason? Even when it causes bodily harm? Or are my "terrible two" the only two who act this way?

The first instance I am thinking of is when we first got the bunk beds a couple of years ago. Isaiah was around two, maybe even younger. Anyway, I was chasing him around the room catching him for bed and he climbs up on the top bunk. I climb up after him and he is standing by the edge giving me the most mischievious look. All I can think of and say is, "no!!!" as I reach for him. Does he listen? Nope. Over the edge he jumps. I immediately look over the edge expecting to see him screaming or unconsious or bleeding. What do I get? Him with his eyes and mouth wide open in an "I didn't expect that to happen" look and when he sees me (scared to death) he breaks into a grin and starts giggling! Then he jumps up and runs out of the room.

Then, the other day I go into the kitchen where I am greeted by this:

He really wasn't as scared as he looks in the picture...

Well, I wasn't actually greeted by "that"...I caught a glimpse of "that" as Jacob was running the circle in our house with Isaiah as if nothing was wrong and Carissa and David were both talking at once, trying to tell me that Jacob was bleeding and what they believed happened. I grab him before he can make another lap and start to clean him up. Now I know that no matter how small head wounds are, they bleed like crazy. So, I'm hoping it's something small and remain calm as I try to get an explanation. Now, I'm still not 100% sure what happened, but from what I can gather, Carissa and David were in their room when it happened and only found out about it when Jacob came into their room to play. From what I can get out of Isaiah and Jacob, Jacob decided to head-butt a closed drawer in the kitchen. Don't ask me why...I don't think they understand how to answer a "why" question yet because I can't get anything out of them other than a description of what happened.

Needless to say, my crazy, somewhat accident prone boys, make me grateful for Carissa and are the reason I keep praying that the next child I have is a calm, sweet, girl.

A close up after it is cleaned up...I was right. It was small.

Completely unphased. As if nothing ever happened.

My Little Diva...

So, Carissa and David are meesing around, "putting on an act", and Carissa comes over to me and says that she needs makeup for the act. I told her no and she goes back to David saying, "See, I told you she wouldn't let me. She never lets me wear makeup." If she's that into makeup now, I can't imagine how bad she'll be as a pre-teen and teenager. :-)

Carissa loves wearing her costume in dance for pictures and at the rehearsals because that is when she gets to wear makeup as well.

Gem of the Day

"Life has its oppositions and its conflicts, and the gospel of Jesus Christ has answers and assurances."

Jeffrey R. Holland, "The Peaceable Things of the Kingdom," Ensign, Nov. 1996, 84

Olympic Fever...

So, we've been watching the olympics at our house, mostly the swimming and gymnastics events. David loves to cheer for the American team. Carissa came in and said that she wanted to be a woman gymnist when she grew up. I said, "We'll see." And she says, "No, like on TV." I think that both Carissa and David will be trying gymnastics this fall after this.

Another Sunday, Another First

Well, I made it through the lesson ok, I think. I just hate getting up there in front of everything, afraid I'm going to say something wrong, afraid that I'm going to put everyone to sleep. I am just never sure of myself or how I did or how the lesson went. I worry all week before I give the lesson and then it takes me at least the rest of Sunday to get rid of the "I just want to hide under the covers" feeling. And then I get to do it all over again the following month... No matter how I did, I want to thank those who offered suggestions and to those of you who allowed me to share your blogs. I really appreciate it.

Anyway, as for the first...Joseph is cutting his first tooth. I can feel the little jagged, razor edge of it just barely poking through the gums. Maybe here in a few days I'll have a picture of it to post. He has recently started playing with his tongue as well. He's always liked trying to make noises like when you put your lips together and blow or when you stick out your tongue and blow, so he will stick out his tongue and try to blow on it. It is cute. I don't know if he even realizes he has it out half the time. He's such a doll!

I may not post for a few days. My laptop is being stupid again...the fans have burnt out....again. Anyway, I have to take it up to Dallas to get it fixed. I don't want to drive. It takes up so much of my day. Anyway, I hope you have all had a good weekend!

Future American Idols?

Tonight was the primary talent show. David and Carissa sang a primary song. Well, sort of.

They announced them and Carissa immediately ran up on the stage and grabbed the microphone. David I think got more eager after that. Really, he is the one with the better voice. He has a natural ear and pretty good pitch. He is always singing along with the radio. He will pick up on a song the first time hearing it. He's pretty good, if I do say so myself. But I won't discourage Carissa if she wants to try.

Anyway, so I played the piano. One-handed. I could hear Carissa loud and clear at first. She was doing good. David was doing good too, but he was quieter. Then he got louder. I figured Carissa was at the point where she didn't know the words as well and so she got quiet. Then they both stop and I hear "Carissa...." So I ended the song. It was a good stopping point anyway. I found out later, when people were coming up and telling me how great the kids were, that they were fighting over the microphone and that's why they stopped singing. :-) How great is that? Not that they were fighting, but that they were both so excited to sing. I hope somebody got the moment on camera so I can post it.

I'll post them singing here at the house later today.

Sunday's Lesson

This upcoming Sunday is the 2nd Sunday of the month...Time for me to teach the lesson again. I don't know why these lessons seem so hard most of the time, but they are. This month my lesson is "Words of Hope and Consolation at the Time of Death". (Chapter 14 in the Joseph Smith manual) I mentioned the lesson to Aaron and his response was "You know, when Matthew died, I just wanted people to leave me alone." Great. I was already worried about how to teach this lesson and now I have my fears confirmed...

How in the world do I teach this knowing that a lot of people feel this same way, even if they know we'll see loved ones again? Many of the sisters have lost parents, spouses, siblings, children, and other loved ones. How do I teach about words of comfort, even offer words of comfort when they may not want to hear them?

Any suggestions anyone? Any input I can share? Sometimes I wonder if it wasn't a mistake to extend this calling to me.

Daily Gems

"Seeking the help of the Lord daily through prayer will bring great blessings to your family. Ask yourself: 'Who in my family could benefit from my personal prayers?' 'What could I do to support and encourage family prayer?'"

Mary N. Cook, "Strengthen Home and Family," Ensign, Nov. 2007, 12

A Good Book

Ok, so I think the FLYlady system might work for me, but they didn't take one thing into consideration...a good book. I started reading Breaking Dawn Sunday night and finished it yesterday morning. I couldn't put it down! I liked it best of all the books. It was well written, had a well-thought plot, and she even left it a little bit open for another one. That said, there were a couple of things I thought could have been done better. The first was that she could have carried the different view point through the whole book, maybe alternating chapters. (I will try not to give away anything for those who have not read it.) There were details given in the third part of the book that seemed to be less thourough, just thrown in to round out the story, or skipped altogether. I think it would have been worth it to add the details, make the plot longer, and split it into two books. I also think that there could have been an alternate ending to make the story carry on into another book.

This book was really good, and I almost wish she could write it from the viewpoint of everyone because you would have had a good book from any angle. Who knows, maybe we'll see more from her.

Best Buds

I went out into the living room last night and found this...Isaiah and Jacob watching TV with their arms across each other's shoulders. It was so sweet!

Doctor Appointments and Milestones

Well, we just got back from the doctor's. Isaiah had his 4-year check up and Joseph had his 6-month check up. Both are healthy. Both got shots. Poor babies. It hurts me to have to hurt them, but you've gotta do what you've gotta do. It's even harder to see them hospitalized or have them undergo tests.

Isaiah is now 39 pounds and 41 1/2 inches tall. We are seriously potty-training now and he seems to be doing good. Yesterday he stayed clean and dry in "big-boy underwear" all day. This morning he woke up, went to the bathroom, and then changed into "big-boy" underwear, and he has been clean and dry ever since. Hooray! I know it's probably too early to celebrate, but it seems like great progress to me.

Joseph is now 6 1/2 months old. He 14 pounds, 7 ounces, and 25 1/2 inches long. He is growing and changing so fast; learning new things every day. I thought I'd share some of the things he has picked up on in the past couple of months.

Yes, Joseph is now crawling. He had been moving around a little since mid-May (4 months) or so and then right around the time we left on vacation (almost 5 months) he REALLY started moving around. It started off as an inchworm/lunge type of crawl and now he is starting to alternate arms and legs.

Joseph experiencing grass. He liked it overall, I think. He wasn't sure about it tickling him though.

He's enjoying his new baby quilt from Grandma Van Slyke. For each of her grandchildren she has made a baby quilt. Each one is unique and loved. This one had an all-flannel top. It's so nice and cozy. I think that's one reason Joseph likes it. I like it too. Thank you for sharing your talents with us!

Crawling must be connected to appetite because right around the time Joseph started moving he also developed an interest in solid foods. We have to be careful holding him while we eat or our plate may end up in our lap or on the floor in his attempts to grab a handful.

My dad was holding Joseph in one hand while eating one of those Little Debbie Boston Cream Pies and talking with us. The next thing we knew Joseph had snatched it out of his hand and crammed it in his mouth. He liked his first solid food.

Joseph enjoys squash.

Clean up time! I'm not sure if he was screaming because the food was gone or because he was in the grass or because I was washing him up. Maybe he was just tired.

While Joseph has shown an appreciation for, and interest in, solid foods, he still loves his bottle. He will drink over 8 ounces at one feeding most of the time. He feeds himself and will eagerly grab the bottle and shove it in his mouth. He is not patient at all and waiting for his bottle to be made is one of the few times he screams.

Sometimes he will try to hold the bottle with his feet as well as his hands. Isaiah would do this to. I guess they're just a couple of monkeys.

After Joseph started moving around we started working with him on sitting up. After just a few weeks, he is now straight and tall.

This is when he was just sitting up. He is much straighter now. I think he seems to be bent over so much just because he doesn't hold still and is always trying to go after something in front of him.

I guess crawling and sitting up hasn't been enough for Joseph because after just one time of leaning him against the crib railing he has decided he likes standing and pulls himself up easily in his crib and he will at least try to pull himself up and stand against anything else that allows him to get up off his knees. He is also working on going from a standing position to a sitting position without just falling over. It won't be too long before he is walking.

This was not staged! This was really a "first" caught on film. The picture is right after Aaron stood Joseph up in the crib. I took the picture because he actually stayed that way! The video was taken after he plopped down. Aaron went to reach in to pull him up and out and he stood up before he could actually touch him.

Even though my baby seems to be in a hurry to grow up, he still has at least one "baby" habit. He still sucks his thumb, especially to fall asleep. He is good at using it to calm himself when he is upset as well.

Sweet sleepy baby.

Joseph is getting more and more playful and interactive. He seems to like balls and cars, things that make noise and move. Everything is still going in his mouth and he seems to like chewing on soft stuffed animal types toys. He likes playing peek-a-boo and looking in the mirror. He especially enjoys interacting with the other kids. He'll sit there and laugh and laugh at them. It's really cute. He is generally very happy and always smiles. He's curious and you can see it in his eyes as he tries to figure out what is going on around him and in this strange world. He loves to be the center of attention.

Joseph didn't seem to know what to think of the baby doll. He was fascinated by it, but I don't think he's ready to give up the position of being the baby just yet.

I am so glad to have little Joseph in our lives!

Gem of the Day

"When Jesus gave His disciples a new commandment to 'love one another; as I have loved you,' (John 13:34), He gave to them the grand key to happiness in this life and glory in the next. "Love is the greatest of all the commandments--all others hang upon it. It is our focus as followers of the living Christ. It is the one trait that, if developed, will most improve our lives."

Joseph B. Wirthlin, "The Great Commandment," Ensign, Nov. 2007, 30-31

Breaking Dawn

Hooray! I got a copy of Breaking Dawn by Stephenie Meyer. It's the 4th book in the Twilight series. Aaron was such a doll and after he dropped off the babysitter and we ate dinner, he went down to Wal-Mart to pick it up for me because he knew I wanted it. Unfortunately they were all sold out at Wal-Mart. Target, too. Luckily, Hastings had a few copies left.

I am glad to get the book to read, but I am even more glad and thankful for such a loving, thoughtful, and considerate husband. It makes me feel even worse for the times I havn't listened to him. For instance, the other day he was reading my blog and said, "FLYlady! I can't believe that the system you are using is Flylady! I told you about that 2 years ago and you disregarded the information." We both had a pretty good laugh about it. Aaron, I love you and I love how patient you are. Thank you for how much you care.

Saturday Date

Today Aaron and I actually got out without the kids. We got a babysitter and first dropped off the van to be fixed. Then we went to a yard sale that someone in our ward was having. We got several books and an exersaucer. From there we had a late breakfast at IHOP. Then we went to Six Flags Hurricane Harbor. It was so hot today! It's supposed to be hot for the next several days. And when I say hot, I mean hot! I heard on the radio 107 in the sun, 112 with the heat index. Yuck! The water was nice and cool. It was fun riding the water slides and worth going to once to see what it was like, but I probably wouldn't go there again. The lines were very long, but that's to be expected. The big thing that got to us was the price for what they had and how much they charge for a locker and tube rental. They did have a really fun looking kids area though. The lazy river looked fun too, but it was kind of crowded which takes away some of the fun.

One thing I noticed was the women...When we went to Six Flags the theme park last year I noticed that there were a ton of pregnant women! Maybe it was just because I was pregnant myself, but there were a lot! At Hurricane Harbor there was maybe one or two pregnant women. It seems kind of backwards since the women can at least cool off while swimming but can't enjoy any rides at the theme park. I guess pregnant women just don't like to wear bathing suits in public. :-)

Overall it was a great day. We will have to try to get out, just the two of us, more often.

Stupid, stupid!

So I'm sitting here watching "Mega Builders". They are trying to build the world's biggest skyscraper in Dubai. It will be .466 of a mile high. That's crazy! Haven't these people ever read or heard the story of the Tower of Babel? I don't want to be anywhere near it when it falls, that's for sure. Sometimes I think that technology has gone too far. There is just too much pride and materialism. I wonder if we wouldn't all be better off joining an Amish community.

Gem of the Day

I have had a couple of people say the missed my Gem of the Day. The kids and I had lunch with a very good friend and her children and we were talking about how we couldn't imagine raising our kids without the gospel. So, to restart my posting of the Gems, here is today's thought...

"In the middle of [the] despair [of postwar Germany],my family learned about The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter day Saints and the healing message of the restored gospel of Jesus Christ. This message made all the difference; it lifted us above our daily misery. Life was still thorny and the circumstances still horrible, but the gospel brought light, hope, and joy into our lives. The plain and simple truths of the gospel warmed our hearts and enlightened our minds. They helped us look at ourselves and the world around us with different eyes and from an elevated viewpoint."

Dieter F. Uchtdorf, "Have We Not Reason to Rejoice?" Ensign, Nov. 2007, 19

A Happy Birthday! X 2

It's the twins' 1st birthday! Happy birthday Benjamin! Happy birthday Susan! We love you and hope you have a great time with all the grandparents. Have your mommy and daddy take lots of pictures to share! Maybe they'll start a blog of their own. ;-) Love from all of us!