Sunday, November 21, 2010

Snow, Frog and Toad, and More

This is what we woke up to Sunday morning:
Lots and lots of snow. And yes, I am one of those people. Halloween decorations are STILL up. And now covered in snow.

Isn't it gorgeous?


Winter! Yay!
Other than snow, life has been pretty busy lately. I've been working, and busy just being a mommy. And making quilts. And dresses.
Friday night Adam took Taylor on a daddy/daughter date. They went to a youth theater production of Frog and Toad. Taylor loved it; they've been reading the books at school, and we've been reading them at home. She even got all dresses up, it was really cute. Then they went out to dinner together, and surprised me with a Boba (yumm!). I enjoyed a relaxing evening at home, and Jonny got some good mom time, since Asher slept the whole time they were gone.
I finished all of my Christmas shopping today! Costco and Target, and I'm done. Yay! No black Friday craziness! Oh, and Asher is ready to start crawling any day now, I can't believe it. He isn't even 7 months old! And he's a heart baby, he's supposed to be delayed. He is such a strong boy!
In other news....WE ARE PREGNANT!
We just found out tonight. It is unexpected, but we are very excited!
The due date should be July 14th.
When I found out, I came downstairs to tell Adam. He was saying bedtime prayers with Taylor. I sat beside him, and he looked up at me. He noticed the strange expression on my face, so I showed him the test. We started hugging, and talking quietly. Taylor was still saying her prayer, and then prayed "Please bless that my mom and dad will be reverent during prayer and stop talking and messing around!". So, Adam said "In the name of Jesus Christ, Amen." Then we told Taylor. As I was tucking her in, she said, "Mommy, didn't you like it better when it was just me, and you only had one kid to take care of, instead of 2 million?" Certainly one was easier, but we are thrilled with our family, and can't wait to meet this new little one.



Thursday, November 18, 2010

Oops!

Yes, that is a charred, melted bottle nipple. How on earth did that happen, you might ask? Too close to the stove? No. Reckless child with matches? No. Super human baby with fire hot mouth? No.
My dishwasher.
I have two kitchens in my house. For the past 5 years I have exclusively used the one upstairs. However, lately we have been spending more time in the basement, so that kitchen has seen some (minor) use. I think I have used the dishwasher down there maybe half a dozen times. My dishwasher upstairs is pretty fancy; stainless, pullout drawers, super quiet. (One of the perks of a husband that sells appliances and electronics- you should see our tv's!). The one in the basement isn't terrible, but it isn't nearly so nice. Most dishwashers (I think!?) have an exposed heating element in the bottom. You know, that metal ring? Well, my fancy pants upstairs one doesn't, so I've never had to worry about it. Big mistake!
Today I ran a load of dishes downstairs. I just plunked the bottle nipples on the little tines, like always. Ran the load, with heat dry, like always. Came home from the library and smelled burning. Uh Oh! After searching the home for the source (fire in the attic? overused outlet? space heater get left on?), I opened the downstairs dishwasher, which was in its drying cycle. And found a sad, melted bottle nipple in the bottom. Oops. So that's why they make those little enclosed baskets for those things? Hmmm- might need to invest in one.
Now my house smells like someone ran a drag race through it. Burnt rubber- what a lovely scent!

Friday, November 12, 2010

Fall Days

Been a busy week; started doing some appraisals again. Haven't had much time to post!

Asher is doing great; growing, eating, etc. He is (kind of) sleeping through the night. He doesn't wake up at 3 am anymore, just midnight(ish) and then 6 am. So, I usually get 6 hours of uninterrupted sleep. Yay! He is still ultra congested from his cold 2 weeks ago; hopefully that can clear up. And does anyone have a magic formula for getting rid of cradle cap? I'd love to hear it, Asher's just won't go away.

We've been working on potty training Jon Jon; I was so convinced he was trained, I even posted it on facebook! And then tonight, he pooped his panties. Sorry, I mean underwear! So, a little more work to go with it, but we are almost there!

Taylor is becoming quite the reader! We had a mother/daughter library date tonight. Adam stayed home with a napping Jon and Ash so I could take her. We got lots of books, but I think her favorite part was the little puppet theater. She put on a couple of cute little shows for me; she is so creative! The other day, she did a dance for me (wish I had recorded it!). It was something like this: She lays on the floor on her back, feet and legs waving in the air, while she sings: "I'm the grass, I'm the grass, blowing in the wind". Then she hops up, waving her arms around "I'm a butterfly, flying through the air". Then she starts spinning "I'm a leaf, blowing in the breeze, falling to the ground". Then she gently lays down on the ground. Can you tell she is in a creative dance class? So cute!

Took some photos of Tay this afternoon. I couldn't help myself, the lighting was just so great, and it wasn't too terribly cold. Here are a few of the ones I've edited so far:
(So far this is my favorite. We'll see how the rest turn out)


Tuesday, November 9, 2010

Dress-ups, Hot Cocoa, and Snow!

We woke up to snow again yesterday! Winter is definitely arriving. So, we decided to stay home (almost) all day. Taylor went off to school, and I went grocery shopping. Then I just stayed home with my hubby (his day off!) and Jon and Asher. We cuddled on the couch, drank hot cocoa, and RELAXED.
Naked Jon Jon drinking cocoa in Daddy's ski cap. Does this boy ever wear clothes?




Jonathan's best silly face. Needs work!

Taylor and her friend Eliza. Eliza came to play after school. They had lots of fun on dress ups! Taylor has quite the stash...

Silly faces from the girls. Tay is a total ham.
After Eliza left, and homework got done, I was going a little stir crazy. Too much time with the kids indoors, apparently! My patience was gone, and I didn't have it in me to make dinner. SO, I called my mother in law to rescue me! I fed and jammied the kids, and dropped them off at her house. Then I went on a DATE with my husband. I got all dolled up and everything! We ate yummy authentic Italian pizza at a restaraunt in Draper, and then he even took me to buy a new pair of jeans (the state that my jeans are in is embarassing. And I only fit, like 2 pair of my old jeans). Of course, by the end of the night Adam was sick and coming down with something nasty. So once we got home, and got kids in bed, I had to take care of a sick husband. But it was so worth a night without my precious little ones. It would be nice to say I missed them, but not so much. Oh, and Asher actually slept through the night! I know! I've been the energizer bunny today!






Saturday, November 6, 2010

Fishing with Grandpa

So, I get a call from my in laws yesterday. They wanted to know if Adam and Taylor would like to go fishing with his Dad that evening. He is in scouts, and wanted to take the boat up to the lake before a scouting event the next morning. So, Adam left work an hour early to go with. When he gets home to pick up Taylor, Jon Jon is throwing a fit because he isn't going, and Taylor is rubbing it in. So, Adam decided to take both of them with.



After lots of delays, they finally got tothe lake at about 6:15 pm. And the boat won't start. And Adam's dad is on the boat with the kids, while Adam is still on shore. Uh Oh. So, Adam texts me and asks me to say a quick prayer. Then the boat starts! (love the power of prayer) So, Adam gets on, and they (unsuccesfully) try to do a little fishing with the kids. By now it's dark out, so they decide to dock the boat. On the way to the dock, Adam takes the boat on a wide turn to dock it. Now, the last time Adam was at this lake was in the summertime, when it was a lot more full. Now the water has lowered, but Adam doesn't realize that, because it is so dark. SO, he does a wide turn, thinking he is well away from the shore. Wrong! The boat slams to a stop, stuck in a mud bank. Fabulous. After trying to unstick the boat, they decide to get out and start walking. Now they are on the opposite side of the lake from where the truck is, it's late, dark, and they have 2 little kids with them. After trudging through the mud, and then a mess of stickers (carrying the kids, no less) Adam carries the kids up a hill to the highway. Yep, they hitch hike on the highway, with the kids! Someone very kindly stops, and drops everyone off at the truck. By the time they got home (I think it was almost 10 pm at this point) the kids are shot, Jon Jon is screaming, and Adam is filthy and worn out. So glad he went fishing, and took and extra kid! At least everyone was safe. And I got a quiet night at home, catching up on my DVR'd shows! Asher slept almost the whole time they were gone. I just keep telling Taylor that she got to go on an adventure!

Wednesday, November 3, 2010

Asher

So, as I was looking through my photos the other day, I realized I have almost no pictures of Asher since surgery. Or even before. Virtually all of the pictures I have of him are from when he has been in the hospital for either birth, or his surgeries. So, Asher and I had a little photo shoot in our backyard yesterday afternoon. He was not exactly cooperative, he wouldn't get his hand out of his mouth (love a teething a baby!). And for some reason he didn't like hanging out with his shirt off in fall weather! I still think I managed to get some good shots, though. Enjoy!














Tuesday, November 2, 2010

Fall!

The snow decided to retreat for the time being, and now we get to enjoy beautiful fall weather here! We spent the afternoon yesterday raking leaves and getting the yard ready for the winter. Of course, I couldn't help myself, and started snapping pictures of the kids instead! (Sorry Adam!) Taylor enjoyed ruining our piles by throwing them up in the air. And we've discovered an ingenious way of getting rid of leaves! Rake them into a layer on the grass, and mow them up with the lawn mower! Saves so much time and backache bagging them.

Taylor mid-throw:

Sweet Jonathan


My little model-in-training


Jon kept shaking his head "no" when I would ask him to smile. Check out that hair!

Daddy and Jon Jon. Adam thinks he's a cowboy when he works in tha yard. He even starts speaking with a twang! All cowboys work with ipods, right?

Thoughtful Adam:

Sophie (neighbor friend), Taylor, and Jon. They think they are monkies sometimes.

Oh yeah, and here is Asher:

Do you see those two teeth on the bottom? My baby is growing up! He is quite the expert roller now, as well. He often winds up in the kitchen when I put him on his playmat in the family room. Silly baby!
Asher saw the pediatrician yesterday; all is well. He 25.25 inches tall, weighs 15 lbs and is in the 30th and 25th percentile, respectively. Not bad for a heart baby! He got his 6 month vaccines, and the flu shot. He won't start his Synagis injections (for RSV) until Primary Childrens declares it RSV season. Then it is a monthly trip to the pediatrician's for it!
Asher was great yesterday, but today he is having a reaction to his shots. Super grumpy, lethargic, fever of 101, and not hungry. Poor guy. I spoke with his pediatrician, and he thinks he will get over it in a day or two. So I'm just giving him tylenol to help out.
Otherwise things are going well in our home. Jon got over his flu, I am almost over my cold, and we are just keeping busy with life. I've noticed since I've been home, I take a lot more time to spend with the kids. It's okay for the dishes to wait, it is more important to build those memories with them. I wasn't great at that in the past, they heard a lot of "sorry I'm busy", or "leave mommy alone, she's working". I try not to do that anymore. I don't want them to remember me always being busy, I want them to remember me playing with them.










Monday, November 1, 2010

Witches, Goblins, and Baby Blessing!

Asher was given a name and a blessing on Sunday. We were a bit unorthodox, and had the blessing at our home, rather than at church. And on Halloween! I wonder how many people can claim Halloween as their blessing day? It seemed like the perfect day for a blessing to us, since we knew all of our families would be in town, and no one in Utah celebrates Halloween on Sunday. We had such a large crowd, and tables were set up all upstairs for dinner, so we headed to the basement family room to bless him.Another benefit of having the blessing at home: I got a picture of everyone gathered to give the blessing! Asher was a bit angry about the whole situation, and cried during almost the entire blessing. Oh well!
Proud Papa!

Two of my three men!

So sweet. I had to scramble on Thursday to find a blessing outfit for Asher, after I realized he was too big for the one that Jonathan wore. Thank goodness for secondhand stores!

Adam, myself, and Asher

Great Grandpa and Grandpa James, Adam, Asher, myself, and Mom and Dad James

Grandma Patty, Dad Atkinson, Adam, Asher, myself, and Mom Atkinson
It was a great day. We ended up having 54 people over for it! There was lots of good food, yummy soups and salads and desserts. Thank you everyone who came and helped out! A wonderful way to spend Halloween.
Now, for our actual Halloween on the 30th. Taylor was the Little Mermaid:
And Jonathan was Buzz Lightyear:
I had grand ideas before Halloween. Jon was adamant for months about wanting to be Buzz, so Taylor was supposed to be Jessie, and Ash was going to be one of the little aliens. Then, Taylor saw her best friends Ariel dress, and HAD to be Ariel. So, before Adam came home from California, we stopped by the disney store and picked up costumes for the kids. It was a great surprise for them! And they were adorable on Halloween, even though they didn't match. I dod match Asher to Taylor, though. He was a shark! I didn't get a picture that day; I'll have to dress him up again and take one.
Adam was pooped when he came home from work on the 30th, so he stayed home with Asher and I took the kids out. In the rain. Not even half way through, Jonathan was done. After he laid down in someone's yard because he was soo tired, I decided to take him home. Then Taylor and I headed out to finish up (the rain had stopped at this point). We walked a couple of streets away, to see a spooky house we had driven past all week. It was quite the payoff! It was creepy, but they took it easy on little Taylor. Once we got to the door, they had 4 buckets of full size candy! Taylor took one, and the woman at the door then told her to go to town and take whatever she wanted. Score! We will be going to that house every year now.
It was a busy, but great weekend. Now it's time to clean up and recover! Ash sees his pediatrician today (6 month check up), and to make sure his cold is just a cold. Cross our fingers for an uneventful appointment!