Random Pictures of the Kids

This is one of those blog posts that pretty much only appeal to those who are blood related to my children (and even then, pretty much just their Dad and female relatives).  It's all just adorable pictures from the last week of the kids, doing nothing in particular!  Yay for digital cameras and no longer needing to justify wasting film on random crap!  :-)

PLAYTIME

Pictures from playing in the front room (and with 'Big Bear').  These all just include Isaac, since his sisters are social butterflies, and wouldn't be caught dead inside the house hanging with Mom during the middle of the day when there are half a dozen neighbor houses and backyards to go hang out in!

This is how Isaac likes to watch TV -- don't judge me about the TV thing, I already feel guilty enough :-)

BEDTIME

My sweet sleeping angels look so cute and innocent!  Except Annie.  Who refuses to fall asleep at night now . . . we catch her in bed with books and contraband flashlights at all hours. We sometimes confiscate multiple flashlights in a single night.  I'm convinced she has like 30 stashed under her mattress or something, but nothing keeps this kid from her books!  She so has my family's blood running through her :-)

Zoo Day

Greg's work had their annual party, and this year it was held at Hogle Zoo. From 4:30-9:00 the zoo was open to all Kennecott employees and family, complete with face painting, open concession stands for free food, and unlimited carousel and train rides.  Unfortunately, we never got near the rides, 'cause we stayed so busy and it was REALLY crowded.  But, the kids loved it.  The highlight was the dinosaurs and the dinosaur digging pit.  And the zebra face painting -- the girls LOVED that.

Checkin' out the giraffes -- you can see my baby bump (which was a tad exaggerated in this pose, but isn't entirely inaccurate.)

Isaac eating sand.  Yum.

My cute boys.

Annie in the sand, rocking her brand new Rio Tinto/Kennecott hat.

Ellie VERY enthusiastic about seeing snakes -- there was pretty much an interpretive dance of joy.

Isaac checking out turtles.

Isaac chillin' out in the misters -- 'cause it was FREAKING hot.

Greg (with his new visor) and Isaac with sand and ice cream on his face.

Man, I love this kid!

The kids as Rio Tinto employees.

The girls showing off their zebra faces -- they LOVED them.

At the end of the night, it was late, they were all getting cranky, and when they found out we'd JUST missed the last train, Ellie went into full on freak out mode and screamed the entire walk to the car.  Good times.  :-)  Overall though, it was so awesome -- I'm hoping we get to do it again next year!

Sisterly Love

Ellie to Isaac, "Baby, I love you.  I love you into small pieces."

Kindergarten, Here We Come!

Today Annie went to meet her Kindergarten teacher and see her classroom before she starts school next week.  She is so excited, but was adorably shy and cuddly while we were there.  Fortunately, after a few minutes of introductions and showing me all the papers I need to go through, the teacher was able to take Annie into the classroom for one on one testing with no objection on Annie's part.  Thirty minutes or so later, Annie reemerged and cuddled up on my lap and the teacher declared Annie's testing 'perfect'.  After checking out the Kindergarten doors and where the bus drops off, we headed home.  On the drive, I asked Annie what the test included.  "I don't know . . . I don't remember," she predictably answered.  But then she excitedly remembered, "Oh!  She asked me to count as high as I could . . . so I counted to 100!  Then I stopped, 'cause 100 is like zero all over again, and it just starts all over." 
"Wow," I said.  "What'd your teacher think about your counting?"
"I think she was impressed," Annie said with a smile. 
"Did you read for her?  Does she know you can read?" I asked.
"Oh, I didn't show her I could read!  Wow . . . she's gonna be really impressed when I start school!"
I think she's even more excited to start school now.  :-)

Overthinking

We have the travel Brain Quest books, and Annie loves for us to read her questions from them.  We're working on the First Grade books, and she's really enjoying them most of the time.  (Until she gets frustrated with a question, then she shuts down and starts answering questions crazily.)  But, because some of the questions are a bit tougher, she sometimes overthinks the easier ones and psychs herself out. 

Earlier I asked her one of the weather questions, "What is the name of what blows through the trees?" 

Annie thinks for a split second, then answers enthusiastically, "Air pollution!"

Close, but the answer we were looking for was wind . . . :-)

7 Years

Well as I have not so far hijacked this blog for my own purposes (I have been biding my time for the perfect opportunity to strike) I think that now is the time.

I just want to tell you my wonderful lovely wife that I love you Hilary, and am grateful for seven wonderful years of wedded bliss. 

I didn't know at the time that I would be getting into such a wonderful situation, but I am so happy that we have each other and the joy that we have together with our family.  You mean so much to me and I love you for everything that you do for me and for the kids.  You are wonderful, and you make my life complete. 

Thank you for everything that you do and that you are.  You make me want to be a better person, and I am so glad that I have the priveledge of being your husband.

I love you always and forever.
Greg

Sleepy Time . . .

We were driving home from the grocery store shortly before bedtime.  Ellie, who'd already proven herself super tired by falling asleep on the five minute drive to the grocery store, was starting quietly out her car window when she quietly asked, "Why is the sun going down?" 
"Well," Greg answered, "It's getting ready to go to bed.  Just like how Annie and Ellie and Isaac and Mommy and Daddy are tired and need to sleep when we get home."
"Especially Mommy and Daddy," I added.
It was quiet for a minute as Ellie thought about the tired sun getting ready to go to sleep for the night.  Then Annie suddenly adds from the backseat, all knowingly, "The moon is nocturnal." 

Each Pregnancy is Different

I've been really amazed at how different all four of my pregnancies have been.  With Annie's pregnancy, I thought I'd never feel the baby move.  And I was well past 20 weeks before I was feeling her consistently (despite an ultrasound that showed her doing several somersaults, and every appointment the doctor having a hard time finding the heartbeat 'cause she was so wiggly.)  I remember being a tad bit freaked out by a nearly one pound being inside me, moving nonstop, and me not being able to feel the vast majority of it.  I now think of those 'baby octopus living in a woman's stomach' urban legends in a whole new light.  With Ellie I remember being surprised to feel very subtle, but noticeable movement around 12-13 weeks.  Isaac was the same . . . I felt him first right around 12 weeks.  Once, at 15 weeks, he even bumped me so hard that Greg, who happened to have his hand on my stomach, even felt that kick!  (Although he did not feel another one 'til 25+ weeks.)  So, it's weirded me out, big time, that I don't feel this baby yet.  I think I've felt him/her once, maybe twice, but nothing I can for sure say was the baby.  And I'm past 16 weeks now.  I think normally I'd be pretty freaked out about this, but I've actually been pretty calm about it.  Mainly because I feel like puking so often.  Who knew there'd be a plus side to rampant nausea?  :-)  Hearing my daughters ask their Dad at dinner time last night, "Why did Mom just run out of here?  What's she doing in the bathroom?" while I'm heaving in the toilet, is actually fairly reassuring when my pregnancy doesn't feel exactly like I think it should.  :-)  And this one definitely hasn't felt like I thought it would, including, but not limited to, my morning sickness.  I've had nausea, even a little puking, with all my pregnancies.  But none that have made me feel quite as crappy as this one.  I spent a lot more time nauseous, and I've definitely thrown up more (but I'm really not complaining, it's been so mild compared to some of my friend's pregnancies!)  I don't know if it's just me getting older, me having been pregnant more recently (and still nursing), or if it's just this pregnancy -- but I've just felt sicker and weaker.  (Although I've had less fatigue, which is good!  Nobody around here lets me nap!)  :-)  But the nausea, like I said, has been oddly reassuring.  I remember getting out the maternity pants at like 9 weeks with my last two pregnancies -- this one, I was wearing all my same clothes, and besides looking a bit 'thicker' in the middle, I didn't really look pregnant (not even to myself) until this last week or so.  (I finally had Greg help me get the maternity clothes out of the garage last night.  Now I just need to wash them.  Again, I'm past 16 weeks.)  I'm not sure why my belly took so long to appear this time -- it was another thing that mildly freaked me out.  I'm blaming the 10-15 pounds I hadn't lost since Isaac's birth though -- I think it was acting like camouflage :-)  I have to admit though,  having my belly finally pop out a bit this last week has lessened any mild concern I had floating around the back of my head -- plus, I'm just looking forward to the day when I'm noticeably pregnant, and not just going to be leaving people thinking, "Wow, she's put on some weight," in my wake. 
I have an appointment this week with my midwife.  I'd be lying if I said I wasn't getting super antsy about going in and hearing the heartbeat (this not feeling the baby thing is freaking me out -- I now remember what it was like in my first pregnancy, where you're thinking, "How do you expect me to believe there's an actual human being growing in there if I'm not feeling anything?!")  Plus, this appointment is the one where we make our appointment for the ultrasound.  We're all so excited around here to find out if this is a baby boy or girl, that I don't know how much longer we can wait :-)  The girls talk nonstop about 'Baby O', and there is much debate as to the gender.  Ellie keeps asking for a little sister -- she's never wavered from what she wants when her and I have talked about it.  Annie on the other hand likes to weigh the pros and cons; and while she initially felt this baby needed to be a boy, to even out the gender ratio in our home, she's since realized there are more boy cousins in the family than girls, and another little girl would even things out in the cousins-world of things.  Tough call.  :-)

Big Sister

"Hey Mom!" Annie cried enthusiastically as I came in to check on the girls in the bathtub (I was in the next room, folding clothes, listening to them play.)  "I was thinking . . . if you were sick or something, and the new baby is a girl, and you couldn't do it, I could brush Ellie's and the new baby girls hair for you!"
"Wow, thanks Annie!  You sure are helpful!"
"Yeah, but it could be kinda hard . . . " then she added kinda forcefully, "I'm only five years old, you know!"

Oh, and the other day, she brought Greg and leaf and said in a reverent tone, "It's very valuable, you know.  It's worth ten hundred eighty dollars!"  Greg commented to me, "I wish we had a tree that had that valuable of leaves . . ."

Only a Year or So Late . . .

Look what I finally scanned in and got on my computer!  Annie's dance recital pictures from May 2010! 
Marvel at my efficiency . . . and freakishly cute progeny . . .

Sign of the Times

Did I tell y'all about the time where Isaac was using sign language to try and communicate with me for about a week, and I totally missed it?  I know that sounds super unobservant, but although I occasionally sign a few things to my babies, I'm not very consistent, and he really did just looking like he was clapping (albeit kinda awkwardly), and since he's usually pretty psyched about eating food in his high chair, him enthusiastically clapping while having food shoveled in didn't strike me as that different.  One day though, it clicked, I noticed it wasn't just him 'clapping', but his little finger tips were coming together and it was like a light when on and I called out, "More!"  Got it.  He's signing 'more'.  (Fortunately, both clapping while eating and signing the word 'more' have the same effect -- I keep feeding him.  So, his sign was effective for him even if his Mom was a bit slow.)

Such a big boy now!  Who said he could grow up this fast?!

Since then, we've added just a few signs to his repertoire.  He made up his own sign for 'fan', which is just whirling his arm around in a large circle whenever he comes into a room with a ceiling fan.  (And, interestingly enough, he did the same sign when we were caught outside in a wind storm earlier.)  He also signs 'all done' or 'all gone'.   (I don't know if they're actually interchangeable signs or not, but we use the same sign to mean both things.)  We've also started signing 'food'.  With even just these few little signs though, Isaac's totally started throwing together simple sign sentences and 'conversations'.  Simple stuff, like, 'more food'.  And the other day when we were in Smith's and got cookies from the bakery.  I gave him a small piece of mine, and after finishing it, he looked up at me and signed, "more?"  I said, "Oh, sorry baby, I don't have any more."  He sadly put his head down and slowly sighed a very pathetic looking, 'all gone/done.'  Then the next day we were cuddling on my bed, when he looked up and noticed the fan wasn't going.  He stopped what he was doing, looked at me and signed 'fan', followed by, 'all gone/done'.  Indicating the fan was not on.  (A rarity given the temperature and my bedroom's tendency to heat up like Hades in here!)  Then he smiled and asked for 'more'.  So, I turned the fan on for him.  He was quite pleased.

He's also started shaking his head 'no' when he doesn't want something.  Which was sad today, when I had to take him to KidsCare to get checked out.  We got home from a fun day of boating at East Canyon Reservoir yesterday evening, only to find Isaac had a 102 degree fever.  Sigh.  My first concern was that his ear infection (which we're 9 days into treating with an antibiotic) had reared it's ugly head again, and we needed to get him on another round of antibiotics sooner than later.  So this morning I took him into KidsCare where I paid $20 to hear that fortunately, his ear infection looks a lot better.  Unfortunately, that means he has a new, nasty virus in his body causing these 102 degree fevers that keep coming back as soon as the Tylenol wears off.  And that, as the doctor put it, 'his ears are still filled with some fluid, which is a 'viral breeding ground' . . .'  So, he expects we'll be back in later this week with another full fledged ear infection.  'Cause this kid cannot catch a break.  You could tell this time though, that poor Isaac 'got' where he was.  Just over a week since his well child check up and immunizations, he screamed as soon as we were inside of the exam room (and royally freaked out while they were trying to do his pulse ox, with the little foot thing . . . since that's not something they typically do at doctor's appointments, I can't figure out if he remembered it from his hospital stay with RSV, or if it just freaked him out to have them messing with his feet.)   The poor boy was not a happy camper, and kept emphatically shaking his head 'no' when the doctors or nurses came towards him with thermometers or stethoscopes or that ear-looky thing.  (What is that called? Just a scope?)  Hopefully though, he'll be feeling better soon.  Maybe we'll even avoid that second ear infection (fingers crossed, not holding out hope though since my children seem contractually obligated to get every single ear infection humanely and situationally possible). 

I took a few videos the other day, 'cause it was one of those, 'Holy crap, he's growing up so fast, he's practically a kid now' kinda days.

Here he is participating in one of his favorite activities -- 'driving' his bus.  Then I ask him to dance . . . whenever he hears music, he happily just shakes his head from side to side.  Apparently this kid inherited my lack of rhythm and dance skills.  :-)

Not the best example of his AMAZING walking skills (since he walks everywhere now), since he trips on a ball only 2 seconds into the video . . . but you do get to hear him say 'ball'.

 

Unfortunately, he's not walking towards the camera in this video -- but I do think his adorable toddling in a perfect visual example of where the name 'toddler' comes from.  You can also hear a little of his talkativeness in this video.

This one you get to see him take exception with the manhandling he deals with on a daily basis (Annie does not understand the phrase, "Leave your brother alone!"  Despite hearing it approximately 12 million times a day.)  And then Ellie's sheer cheesiness.

That Sounds Like . . .

I've mentioned before that Isaac is a chatterbox.  I'm talking long rambly conversations that convince you that if you just understood the language he was speaking, it would clearly be complete sentences and thoughts.  Sometimes though, he says something so completely familiar looking, that it causes everyone around him to stop and stare.  I mentioned that our doctor was quite convinced she heard "What's that?" and "Thank you" from Isaac.  And when we were at a wedding reception on Saturday, Isaac kept reaching for women's necklaces and saying a word that sounded a lot like 'necklace'.  Or today when we were on crawling down the stairs (something Isaac hates -- much like Ellie, he believes he should just be carried down all stairs.)  After crawling down a few on his belly, I clapped and he triumphantly squealed, "I-di-it!"  I laughed and clapped, "You did do it!"

The one that blew Greg and I away the other day was when Isaac walked up to where Greg was sitting in the computer chair, lifted his little arms up, and almost as clearly as Ellie would say it, spouted out, "Wannasitonyalap."  Greg and I looked up at each other in shock and both said, "Did you hear that?!"

Of course, he hasn't said 'necklace' since, despite the fact I wore one all Sunday as an enticement to get him to say it again.  As far as his sentence long ramblings, I doubt we'll hear repeats of those any time soon.  It's just so interesting to hear what comes out of a mouth that never stops talking!  (I kind of imagine it to be one of those 'if a million monkeys on a million typewriters' type of things -- he's bound to hit on the right sounds some of the time when he chatters them nonstop!)  :-)

He's also taken off walking.  It went from slow, wobbly steps, to pretty confident cruising around the room in just the last day or so.  He looks so grown up walking!

McShrimp the Third?

I had these two tiny little girls.  Then along came my big ol' 8 lb. baby boy.  Who quickly doubled his birth weight in a matter of just a few months, and topped out at 95th percentile on the charts in weight, and in the 70's in height.  I'd never had a kid above 30-something percent on height before!  But Isaac, he was different.  He was big.  Then, as is often the case with breastfed babies, he stalled out, and his chart has a downward curve.  And at a year old, he's ALMOST 21 lbs. at 19 percent on weight, and just over 29 inches, at 29 percent on height.  The only thing that kept growing was his head :-)  That was at 93rd this time, up from 91 percent at 9 months.  :-)  My boy has slimmed down quite a bit, and he went from 60th percent in height to 29% in less than three months.  My kids are just shrimpy, I guess . . . even when they psych you out for awhile with huge numbers and rapid gains.  He seems to be settling in to where he fits at in the curve, which happens to be smaller than we'd expected.  (Even with all the non-stop, from morning 'til night, eating!) 

Fortunately, we have a pediatrician who isn't hung up on numbers.  Instead, she takes in the whole picture, seeing this active little boy who's happily pointing out everything in the office, and asking, "Mo?"  (Which means, "What is that, Mom?")  At one point he said something that sounded to me like, "Ah at?"  To which the doctor exclaimed happily, "I think he's asking 'What's that?' . . . he's a genius!  He's going to be talking in sentences before you know it!")  She was thrilled at all his pointing and clapping and verbalizing . . . she oohed and ahhhed over his motor skills (both fine and gross) and made me feel like an awesome Mom to an obvious genius child, and didn't even make me feel bad about the double ear infections Isaac was sporting that I didn't know about.  She gushed, and was a tad sad, about his good looks that are reshaping his face from that of a baby to a toddler.  She teased me about my children's GINORMOUS heads, but assured me he looks completely normal and proportionate :-)  Even pointing out what Greg and I had already noticed, that our kids' head size is mainly from the forehead to the back of their heads (i.e., they have deep, not wide heads.)  I like having a pediatrician who acts like a gushing Aunt.  And though I'm sure she's like this with all the kids, she always makes me feel like my kids truly are exceptional.  Which, of course, they are.  :-)

The one dark spot on the day was, of course, those pesky ear infections.  I tried to treat the last ones holistically, which blew up in our faces, and we ended up with an ear infection that resisted TWO whole rounds of antibiotics, and took a third round to knock it out.  I'm a little nervous to see what this one holds for us . . .

Fourth of July

We celebrated Independence Day all day long!  First, it was off to the Gateway, to run through the fountains with my siblings and parents.  Then to the Clark Planetarium to watch a movie and eat more popcorn than any of us needed to eat.  Then to Sampan's to eat lunch with my grandparents and family.  Not that the kids (or Greg and I) were hungry after all the popcorn!  Then we headed out to meet up with Greg's family, where we had a BBQ and hung out and played for the next several hours.  The girls drew with sidewalk chalk while Daddy fixed Aunt Andrea's brakes, and Isaac whined he didn't get to play with Dad's tools.  As it was getting closer to nightfall, we headed over to Murray Park, to meet up with my family to watch the fireworks.  The kids did so great all day -- there were a few meltdowns, but amazingly all three functioned on a lack of sleep with surprising ease.  They all enjoyed the firework show, almost as much as the glow sticks Uncle David brought!

The girls played in the fountains until they were too cold to play anymore!

After the water fountains, we changed the girls into cute, matching Fourth of July dresses -- which I never got a good picture of them in!  The bottom corner picture was one of everyone's favorites of Ellie mid-meltdown.  Fortunately such meltdowns were miraculously few and far between.

Annie showing off a mouth full of Circus Animal Cookies, Ellie being sad, then happy (about three seconds apart), and my Mom pouting 'cause she had the trail mix taken away after being caught (again) fishing out the M&Ms.  Bad Grandma!  :-)

The glow sticks were a hit!  A very excited David and Ellie -- I don't know if there were two people there more excited about the fireworks (and glow sticks!) than these two!  Grandma and Annie showing off their glow stick jewelry.  On the bottom, it's the family (Grandma, Star, Annie, Talina, Ellie, Isaac and David) 'chained down' by a glow stick creation of their own making.

Dang, Isaac could not be any cuter, right?!  Then Grandma showing Annie something.  I don't know what, I was taking pictures, not listening to conversations.  Greg and Isaac getting into the glow stick action.  Star showing off her mad juggling skills :-)

These are my favorites.  These are all of Isaac watching fireworks for the very first time.  Last year, at this time, we watched fireworks at the same location while I was overdue, anxiously awaiting this one's arrival.  This year I have this near-toddler who sat there fascinated by the loud sounds and bright lights, and who would whisper, "Boo, boo" with me as I'd exclaim, "Boom!  Boom!" when the fireworks went off.  He only made it half way through the show though -- then he had his own personal glow stick rave, where he frantically and happily waved glow sticks around, smacking whomever was in his way.  Even fireworks can't compare with that.

Look Who's One!

Wow.  My baby boy turned one today.  I can't even think of what to say beyond that, 'cause it's still sinking in. 
I could not love this little kid any more than I do.  He's growing up right before my eyes, and I'm constantly amazed at what he's doing, learning and how well he navigates the world around him.  I can't imagine my life without this little boy -- and I get a bit emotional at the thought of my baby only being the baby in the family for another six months . . . 

I love you Bugaboo!

Happy Birthday!

Isaac was pretty taken with his GIGANTIC (53 inch) teddy bear that Grandma Karine surprised him with today!

Isaac opening his first wrapped gift (and yes, I know the wrapping paper says 'Noel' . . . my Dad mocked me mercilessly . . . have I mentioned I feel like throwing up the vast majority of the day?  I'm not exactly bringing my 'A' game this year on the birthday party front!  I've had a few people ask me when his birthday party will be . . . to which I respond with a 'deer in the headlights look and an, "awww, man!"  I knew I forgot something this year!)  He ripped that one piece of paper, then we let his sister's rip everything else open, since he had about zero interest.  Then on the bottom, Ellie fell asleep at the dinner table, sitting straight up in her chair.  She was so tired (and grumpy!) today while Isaac was opening gifts!  And lastly, before she melted down and fell asleep, here's Ellie giving Bear a piggy back ride.  Isaac loves the bear -- his sisters love it approximately ONE TRILLION times more.  They've never been so excited about a toy they didn't actually receive!

Isaac's First '1st Birthday Party'

We had a bit of a birthday party for Isaac for his first birthday this weekend (since several family members would be out of town on his actual birthday -- which is tomorrow.)  It took him a minute to warm up to his chocolate cupcake, but then he really dug in.  He also got a new toy Elmo he was quite excited about.  He also thought that Grandma Ruth's front room was the bestest place ever to walk, and he was taking 5 and 6 steps and more every single time he'd stand up. He's getting so big!

We also were happy to spend some more time with Aunt Andrea before she moves away later this week!  Got lots of fun pictures with her and the kids . . .

My In-Laws are the Luckiest People in the World . . .

'Cause they have six of the most ADORABLE grandchildren on earth!

Nathan, Annie holding Isaac, Ellie (happy in this picture, 'cause Grandpa said he'd give her ice cream if she stopped crying (see first picture where she's screaming like a banshee)), and Ian being held by Connor.

(And I don't think I'd really ever noticed this before -- but all of my children have remarkably similar eyes -- look at all those under-eye circles!)  :-)