Christmas 2009

So for Christmas this year, we travelled down to visit my side of the family in Ojai, California. We only had a very few days off of work, and I even had some placements occur in Utah while I was gone that I couldn't be there for, but we had a great time visiting with my family for the time we were there.

Here's a short rundown of our visit.

Wes slept in a drawer. Seriously. It worked wonderfully as a baby bed, and maybe now in the future I'll be a little more lenient when doing homestudies. Because who really needs a crib when you have a dresser in the room?
Adam had a new girlfriend and he and she spent a lot of time together, and a lot of time entertaining my toddler. Works for me! Here they are making gingerbread houses. Carly loved this and still talks about making 'ginnerbread' houses. She also still talks a lot about Morgan. I think she likes Morgan more than Adam...lol.

The finished product:

I got to visit with friends and have a little reunion. More on that to come in its own post!

As for presents, lets just say that my kids are spoiled. Rotten. Wes got more toys than he knows what to do with. Literally. He is happy with staring at his hand, or at most eating the paper. But we are so blessed to have a truckload of baby toys now. And Carly did better opening them this time around than she did at her 2nd birthday. Back in May, Carly got really distracted and essentially done with opening presents very early in the process. We were practically begging and bribing her to open more. Well this time around she had the idea. She loved her red tutu, her crayons, her duplo blocks, and her microphone. She also got tons of cute outfits...but the tutu rarely comes off anymore. My favorite present this year was from Marshall. He actually got my blog bound into a book! It is sooo awesome! I highly recommend this present to those considering gifts for a blogger. My book is a little over 250 pages, and has all of my writing and pictures from Sept 2006 through the beginning of December 2009. What a treat! It's like scrapbooking without all the effort.

And Marshall made it into such the secret. I think everyone in the family knew but me, and he really had me guessing for the last month what this huge project was that he was working on. Great idea, great surprise, and the perfect gift!

And my favorite part of all while visiting California is to get pictures of my cute kids and handsome hubby at the Ventura beach. So please enjoy a late December day at the beach. The most shocking part of these pictures is probably that Marshall allowed Carly out of the house wearing so much red!

The magic bed

I married a pretty awesome guy. Not only is he funny, and handsome, and occasionally sweet to me-- he is just the best father! Picking a guy to marry is a funny process. There are a lot of factors to consider, but one of the ones that will be the most imperative once married- the father gene- isn't always on the forefront of a girl's mind while dating. I mean, it's not like while at BYU there are a million ways to test how a date is going to be with children. You talk about kids, know that he wants kids, hear what he has to say about the kind of dad he wants to be, and you pray about your choice. But if you're like me and married a guy who does not yet have nieces or nephews and who doesn't have younger siblings, ultimately their father gene is like unwrapping a present. You really hope and pray it is awesome, and you trust that it is because you know the gift giver pretty well otherwise. But you just aren't always sure what you are going to get.

Well, that said, I hit the jackpot when I married Marshall. Every day I get to see more and more just what a great dad he is. It's like he was born to be a dad. I'd have to say that his daddy side is his very best side. He does daddy-ing better than he does pretty much everything else.

He is playful, patient, creative, and fun. Carly just adores her daddy. He can do no wrong. Their relationship is so fun to see. They practically have their own language. And he just can't get enough of her. She never annoys him. Never wears him thin. They are like each other's favorite people. When I am at the end of my rope and my patience has been worn completely away, and it's been one of those days where I want to close my eyes really tight and hope when I open them I am alone on my own tropical island, I am just amazed by Marsh because he just doesn't have those days. I lose it sometimes. Lock myself in the bathroom for a breather while Carly whines on the other side of the door. Marshall never does. He has unending patience with her. And he's a super hands-on dad. And it's not like he isn't around her one on one very often. Marshall is the stay-at-home parent 2 days a week while I work. So I've just got to say, he is an impressive father.

One of my favorite things about Marshall as a father is the funny little traditions he starts. The kinds of things that are so random, yet consistent, that you just know they are going to be memories. One in particular that I love is the "magic bed." Marshall loves buying Carly little presents. Toys, books, stuffed animals, cars. And Marshall does his shopping while Carly is sleeping- in the gas station during his night shift, or at the store while picking up milk at 5am on the way home . When he gets home, she is still sleeping, so he sticks it under her bed. I don't know why he decided to do this, or when the first time was. But it has become a tradition, and at least once a week Carly has a present waiting for her under her bed in the morning. Her magic bed. Most days I notice her on her belly at some point, searching the darkness beneath her bed to see if any more magic has happened. These are the kinds of things that make me so grateful to have married a guy who takes such an interest, and such initiative to make his children's eyes light up.

I am a lucky lady.

Family Portraits

While our families were in town, I really wanted to have family pictures taken. So I called up Kristen Spencer, the fabulous photographer who did Wes' newborn pictures. She was so obliging and willing to meet with us for a double session full of a lot of walking, a lot of cold, and a lot of angry babies. (and she prices VERY reasonably too)

Tada!!

Look how big my little brothers have gotten!!The whole big groupAnd I really like this one of our family, even though we don't look exactly thrilled. (this was the end of a very long morning!)

Latenight snack

9:30 I wanted deviled eggs.
11:00 I was eating them.

It's just too bad I don't have any paprika.

5 months

Wes is now 5 months old. In the last month he has gotten a little bigger, a little cuter, and a little more talented.

- Wes can now pass toys shakily from one hand to another.

- He now laughs at funny noises and faces, not just tickling.

- He enjoys sitting up more and more and tries to do mini baby crunches when laying down, though he still can't sit unassisted.

- He tries to use his hands to help hold the bottle, though he can't really do it yet.

- He is about half and half breast fed and formula fed. My supply just keeps going down and down, sadly.

- He actually tries to eat rice cereal, even though his tongue gets in the way and pushes it all out. But at least no more tears!

- He is still the squeal-iest baby of all time. He certainly knows how to express himself.

- I think he'll be army crawling soon. He can push his whole upper body up on his hands, and can push off of things with his feet.

- He is blowing raspberries, which is cute on a baby (not so much on a 2 year old, I'm finding)

- He actually bounces in the bouncer. Boy gets some air! And he loves to try to reach up with both hands to grab the parrot. Such coordination.

Wes was blessed on the 29th of November, when all of our family was in town following Thanksgiving. Marshall did the blessing, and it was wonderful. It was kinda fun to bless a baby so old because Wes was awake and aware throughout the prayer. He knew all of the faces of those who stood in the circle, and was giving smiles. He also spent the majority of the time reaching up and grabbing at Marshall's face- his nose, mouth, and eyes. It was a really sweet moment for our family.

Little monster

Just now I asked Carly if I could put a clip in her wild hair.

She said "no!" and ran away.

I sighed in exasperation and called her a 'little monster.'

Carly stopped, very concerned, and corrected me "No, I Carly, not a wittle monster."

I said "well, Carly would let me put a clip in her hair, and a little monster would run away. Are you Carly, or a little monster?"

"I Carly," she insisted.

"Okay then, come over here so I can put this clip in your hair."

She thought for a moment and then smiled widely, declaring "I a wittle monster" while proudly pointing at herself.

:::sigh:::

Happy Thanksgiving

From our family to yours!
This year our whole family was able to come out to Utah to spend the holiday. On my side, that included my mom and dad, and my 3 little brothers (not so little anymore). On Marshall's side, that included his mom and dad, and his sister Kiernan and our niece Kalen (Russ already lives out here, so he didn't have to travel). It was a really nice visit where we were able to take some family portraits (post to come), see Twilight, the boys went snowboarding, we played a LOT of boardgames, and ate some really great food. And the finale to the weekend was Wes' blessing.

Tyler meeting Wes for the first time

Adam "playing doggies" with Carly

Grandpa A. with all 3 grandkids...Kalen giving Wes a sweet kiss!Hanging out waiting for the big dinner.Carly helping Grandma A. make the rolls. Carly had such a fun time being a helper in the kitchen this year. With these rolls, Carly helped with every step, from mixing the ingredients, to watching the dough rise, to rolling the actual rolls.This is the whole group at Wes' blessing. Thanks everyone for making Thanksgiving 2009 memorable.And yes, this is how we felt when it was all over. Gut included.

4 months

Wes is now 4 months old. Today we had his 4 month appointment, and his stats are as follows:

Weight: 13lbs 6ozs - 19th percentile

Height: 24.9 inches - 49th percentile

Head Circumference: 16.1 inches - 18th percentile

Diapers: Size 1/2, or 2, depending on brand

Clothes: 3-6 months

Wes did well at his appointment, though he didn't enjoy getting his shots. The pediatrician was suprised at how much he liked the oral medication. At this age Carly had a horrible gag reflex, and could not take oral meds without throwing up. Wes sucks them right down.

Carly got the swine flu vaxine while we were at Wes' appointment, so they got to hang out on the exam table together. She was pretty concerned when they started making him cry with those mean needles. Afterwards, though, she wanted some shots too when she saw Wes' cool bandaids. We skipped the shots and just let her have a bandaid.

Wes is still primarily breastfed, though the same thing that happened with Carly is happening again: my supply is struggling. We have had to supplement with formula a few times a week, mostly on the days Daddy is home and has run completely through the freezer stash of pumped milk. But I am determined to keep breastfeeding as much as possible, unlike with Carly, where I gave up and went entirely to formula once I got frustrated and was using half formula anyway. I am really hoping to avoid all of the ear infections/diaper rash/illnesses that Carly had her first winter as soon as she was off my milk. I am hoping that any amount of breastmilk will be helpful. So we shall see.

Wes is so fun. I love this age. This is the age of the epitome of "baby." He is rolly and pudgy and jabbery and smiley and delightful. Every time I come into his line of sight, his face just lights up and with the wide mouth smile. And the squealing! I don't remember Carly being such a squealer. But Wes can hardly smile without high-pitched squeaks coming forth.

Wes' hair is getting long enough that we can start putting it in a little mo-hawk. SO fun. He also has been hanging out a bit in the bouncer. The bouncer was Carly's favorite. She could hang there for hours! But Wes is only luke-warm so far. He'll be interested for maybe 5 minutes before he is crying to be held again. I thought it was that he loves sitting. But even in his bumbo he is counting the minutes until someone picks him up. I think he is just a cuddler. He loves nothing more than to just sit in one of our laps. And that is where he often is, because otherwise he is probably fussing, which is NOT fun to listen to.

As previously blogged, Wes is now getting very mobile. He can roll both ways, but prefers to roll from his back to his tummy. Then he'll hang out on his tummy for a while before demanding that we pick him up. Wes also loves reaching and touching things. Mostly my face. He loves to grab my nose, my mouth, my eyes. So we have to keep his razor sharp claws nice and short.

Wes also thinks Carly is hilarious. Not sure why. She mostly just abuses him. She can't get enough of him and her number one priority in life at the moment is to prevent him from ever sleeping. If he is napping, she will hover over him announcing "I wake Wesley up!" She also likes to 'bonk' him with whatever she is holding. I think this starts with her desire to show him things and share them with him, but she gets so excited she starts hammering him with them. So half of my day is spent telling Carly to not hit her brother. All the while, Wes is just smiling at her. If she is in the room, his eyes are on her.

We have started getting Wes used to rice cereal. Carly wasn't much interested at this age, and Wes hasn't been very enthusiastic either. But some part of me thinks that the rice cereal has got to be better for him than the formula. So today is day5 of those efforts. So far it has been a lot of crying, spitting, and gagging.

Wes is a great sleeper. He has is very consistent, and goes to bed between 10-11 every night. He is then down until early morning, betwee 4-5, when he wakes and nurses for 20 minutes. Then he is back asleep until 9-10 am. I am pretty lucky. If only Carly'd sleep that late in the morning! We have been trying to get Wes moved into the crib in Carly's room, but that has been a horrible failure so far. Remember how Carly does not want him to sleep? Yeah, bad combination. So we start him there and usually before he has woken up on his own to nurse, she has crawled into his crib "to see my Wesley." So we are a little unsure of where to go from here, because they are both so dang noisy and wake each other up. Not to mention that we don't want Carly in his crib.

I just can't believe how big my little guy has gotten. And how cute he has gotten! I am really looking forward to all the milestones in the near future, like the army crawl and those first chompers.

1 month2 months3 months4 months

Envy

Marshall was changing Wes' diaper a couple days ago, and Carly was helping. For the first time she really noticed a *notable difference* in anatomy. Daddy explained the differences between boys and girls to her. He ended by informing her "Daddy and Wes are boys, and Carly and Mommy are girls."

Carly thought about this for a second, got upset, and announced "I want to be a BOY too!"

Sorry Carly.

Horrible. Person.

Go watch this video on Marshall's blog.

Maybe I'm being too harsh. But I really don't think so.

I love to see the temple

Sunday, the lessons at church in our ward were about the temple. Some of it must have stuck with Carly because she told us after church that "we are going to go to the temple!" Marshall and I tossed around the idea of picnicking on the temple grounds, then fell into our after church naps. Carly came and found me after a while and inquired again if we were going to go see the temple. I told her that daddy was sleeping, so I didn't think he wanted to go anymore. She left and walked into the living room. I followed and watched as she climbed up on the couch, on top of sleeping Marshall, and said "Daddy, you wake and go to the temple with me. Please daddy. We go see temple."

Who could say no to that?

So we made some pasta and went to the temple for a picnic.
It was a lot of fun to spread out our blanket on the temple grounds and eat our dinner. It wasn't fancy, but the warm pasta was good on the cold fall afternoon.

Eventually Carly just started playing with the forks.

But Marshall improvised.Carly loved pointing out the pretty temple. After a while she wanted to go get a better look.

She and Daddy played a game of chase around the fountain.

Marshall told her to go knock on the door and say "trick-or-treat" to get some candy. She totally believed him. Guess I'm not the only gullible one in this family.

It was a wonderful afternoon.

The whole way home, Carly sang "I love to see the temple, I love to see the temple" over and over again. Marshall and I actually attended the temple this morning as a couple. When we got home, Carly greeted us at the door saying "okay, now I go to temple too!" What a good little influence we have!