At 10 Weeks

She's:
-smiling
-cooing
-gurgling
-spitting up like nobody's business
-doing cute lizard moves with her tongue
-gaining weight at warp speed like her sister
-taking frustrating 45 minute naps but...
-usually sleeping 8 hours at night
-kicking when she's excited
-making the Arsenio Hall "whoo whoo" hand motion.
...And lots more beautiful 10 week old baby things.

Our Dear Prophet

Our beloved Prophet, Gordon B. Hinckley, passed away last night in his home. He was 97 years old and his wife had already past, so it shouldn't come as a huge surprise or tragedy. But having served as the President of the church for 13 years, and having been the voice of earlier prophets not well enough to speak, he has been SUCH an influence to so many for what feels like my whole lifetime. I feel like he's my prophet. As my sister, Lacy said, he's the first prophet we really listened to. The one that we really gained our testimony of the gospel through. Not to mention he is the sweetest, most endearing man I've "known". He will be so missed.

My sister also said she recalled President Hinckley saying in an interview once, when asked what he thought he'd be remembered for when he died, that he would be the prophet that "nobody listened to." It makes me want to go back and read every word he ever said.

A Cool Day at the Park

"Brrrrr mommy... it told!", she says.

So my Fresh and Easy excitement has not faded. In fact it just keeps getting better now that we've discovered the snack box. A good morning: a walk/jog (still working on that whole moving thing again-- a true run might take a little while) around the neighborhood and to the market, a few great items purchased, usual staples: berries, bananas, maybe some bread, and a snack box. That way we can hit the park on the way home for a little picnic of apple juice (a park treat), carrots, cheese, crackers, and fruit. And of course with the help of this, Mila gets a snack too... and everyone's happy.

Then we just try to riiiiiiiiiide it out 'till nap time.

The Celebration....

So seeing as he was turning 30, and last year I disappointed him on his birthday by getting him nothing, (he was supposed to buy a blackberry and didn't for several months,) and I didn't take him to dinner (since I'd taken him to lunch and I thought we decided against it)... I had to have a little surprise for Ross this year. Thanks to exceptional friends, it actually worked. I emailed Sean and Matt, two of his all-time best friends he's known since Jr. High (Elementary?? Ross?) to see if by ANY crazy chance they could pull off a last minute trip to the desert the weekend after Ross' birthday. Sean's in PA school about an hour away from us, and studies around the clock, so I wasn't sure he'd have the time. Matt's in Vegas which isn't exactly around the corner, and Nevada's caucus was that morning... but they made it happen! I tried to discreetly clean my house and put on something other than sweats (I'm surprised Ross didn't know something was up because of that) and Saturday afternoon, the doorbell rang and seriously made Ross' 30th.

(Lindsey and Sean brought their adorable Ethan and Mahlia... Mahlia's picture is at the top because I like to see a cute picture when I first click on my blog and she is DANG cute.)




Sean and Lindsey.

Matt and Lyndi.

And one of all of us at CPK. Kids at home with a sitter :):):):) They ended up ALL sleeping over and squishing in our little house that night- it was the BEST. Felt like a sleepover when you were a kid, with all of your cousins or something. Busy, cluttered house in the morning, everyone with bed-head 'till like noon, waffles, eggs... the best.

50 cute toes

Exactly what I'd hoped for... Sophia's cute friends over with something fun to do thanks to the trampoline.

How did I get them all to sit and look one way?

Thanks Kodi! What a cool mom.

Happy Birthday to Ross.

Dear Daddy,

Mom said you turn 30 today. You're old. It's a good thing you have a lot to show for your life:
I hear you were such a dream-son, your family called you 72 and sunny...always in a good mood, mom says you still are. That she's lucky you put up with her more Utah-like temperatures, some definite highs and lows, some possible showers, maybe a RAGING snow storm here and there. Don't really know what she means by all of that.

I hear you've taken a couple of trips to Europe, lived in Brazil for two years teaching people about the gospel, studied and graduated from BYU, and made anyone who met you there, love you. Mom told me you had way more friends than her and still do. I hear you sort of had a little landscaping business when you were young, it's ok that you had to hire someone to keep our grass green now, mom says it's really hard in the desert. :) And is it true you were Homecoming King in Highschool? You're cool. You'll have to tell me that when I'm in Highschool and maybe it will make up for your "dad-jokes", mom says you've already started those.

And mom. You met mom and swept her off her feet. That's somethin'. I hear there were a couple of glitches, perhaps she had to be swept twice to know you were the one. But from what she says, even with all the "crazy-wife moments" she has, you have made her whole world. Taking her to the temple, starting a whole new grown-up life with her, with a couch, a bed, and dishes and all of that (even though mom says the couch was hideous and covered in a red t-shirt-sheet and the bed was on the living room floor so you could watch Friend's reruns at midnight every night)... a sort of grown-up life nonetheless. That's somethin'. You took that job at Merrill and bought a real-live house and worked your tail off to meet your goals so you could be one of the few that actually stay at Merrill. You made it possible for Mom to stay home so Mila and I don't have to spend our days with someone else. And even though you work hard, you come home every night happy, and ready to BE with us. To chase me around the house and let me wear your suit coat and read me stories and give me my bath and sing silly songs and DANCE. Mom says your dancing should be contained to the house but I think you dance like a superstar.

What do you have to show for being 30? Us! You have us, two beautiful girls who kiss you goodbye each morning, miss you all day, and wait anxiously for you to return at night. (Mila can't show it yet but it's true, she told me.) You're a good dad-- just check out the pictures below. You've already built mountains of memories with me, and there are so many years for more! I'm glad you're 30. Makes you sound more dad-like, more professional, more grown-up. Mom said she thinks it's hot. Whatever that means.

Just a few magic moments:

Thanks for loving me, even when I'm a little devil.













You are superman to us.

Thanks for doing "1,2,3 swing! with mommy...I still love that...



Thanks for throwing me...
And chasing me...

sliding with me...

and rowing me...

Sledding with me...



But carrying me when I'm over it.


Mila says she really likes your broad chest and the sound of your heartbeat. She loves how you keep your cool even when she's crying... mom says maybe you just don't hear her over the Football game. ;) She loves being held by you...




I like that too...

You're the best, dad. We all think so. Three girls are madly in love with you... and I think that's a lot, for someone who's only 30.

Love,
Sophia

(Mila wanted to write but she's still too sleepy, and too little.)

I love her little expression...

Thank you? Fisher Price...

(Mila in her swing... a common occurrence.)


I remember when my friend Lizzie had her ADORABLE little girl Kate, she mentioned once that she felt bad that Kate spent so much time in the swing so Lizzie could tend her much more demanding (also adorable) two-year old, Tanner. I also remember our friend Rachelle saying in response to Lizzie's concern, "It's the lot of the second child."

So I guess mostly I'm just hoping someone will reaffirm that this might be true. Unfortunate, but true? And maybe without lasting damage? Because I'm pretty sure that when Sophia was happy and content I was still holding her, and talking to her, and reading to her, and counting her toes, and waiting anxiously for any potential smile, and doing 'there was an old bumblebee'......

But when Mila's happy and content, well there's laundry to fold, and Sophia's food to clean up, and dishes to do, and possibly some very unforeseen mess that happened while Mila was NOT happy and content and I was too busy with her to come and see what Sophia was doing as she repeatedly hollered, "uh oh , a mess", and then of course there's just those precious moments I have to make sure and still have with Sophia.

So my sweet, 8 week old, when she's feeling the sweetest, is usually smiling and cooing at the birds and butterflies making circles above her head, rather than her mommy's excited face. I'm sad about that, and just hoping that she still feels as insanely loved and adored as Sophia did. Ope-- she's awake.

A Visit from "Nannie and Papa"

Just in case anyone forgot how gorgeous she is...

Mila and Papa celebrating a Chargers' victory!

And just in case anyone was worried that I wasn't feeding her enough...

So my Mom and Kirk came out this weekend... just to visit and see how much Mila has changed. We went to dinner at our brand new Panera last night, went to Stake Conference today, and watched the Charger game after church while enjoying chips and guacamole, homemade pizza and salad, and chocolate chip cookies... did I mention it's free day? Did I mention we're doing Body For Life? Am I going to regret mentioning that? I'm a little bit afraid of commitment. So maybe don't mention that I mentioned it.

Oh and one more thing, my sister Lacy did a half marathon this weekend at Disney. She's AWESOME.

It's Here!

So I haven't posted about the jogger in while. Thought I was set on that Phil and Ted's until I got all of your comments about it on here. I hadn't realized it wasn't actually a jogger! I still think it sounds like a GREAT stroller, and no I'm not like a Missy runner or anything, but I do jog, and wanted a jogger. So I took a lot of advice and got the double BOB!!! It arrived last night and I'm just waiting for Sophia to finish her breakfast to load the kids in and go for our first jog! I'm sure we'll stop at Fresh and Easy on the way home to pick up some goods. And Mila slept 'till 7 this morning. It's going to be a good day.

Still perfect.

(7 weeks old)

She's had a couple of nights in a row of going from about 10:30 to 6:30! Woohoo!!! I'm sure it's a phase... but cross your fingers for me. I can't tell you how happy I am when I:

a. wake up before her, or

b. wake up to her sweet noises and the sun. There's nothing like a full night's sleep. Sigh.

Did I mention we went skiing?

So I've been feeling pretty UNphysical since the c-section. (And by a little unphysical I mean I've done nothing that resembles exercise since a week or so before Mila was born.) So when Ross proposed that I come skiing with him, I thought it was sweet, but a little intimidating. Figured he'd just laugh at me the whole time anyway-- it must just be a gesture. I thought a little hesitance would be enough to deter him, since maybe he was just asking to be polite anyway. He'd ask me, I'd say "no because I have to feed Mila", he'd say "oh yeah, bummer, I'll miss you" and that way I couldn't resent him for leaving me. :) (Not that I'm that wife or anything.... or at least not since I set my 2008 resolutions....)

But it didn't work out that way. He was pretty convinced that it actually would be more fun with me there (sweet huh?) So after making all the arrangements with his parents to make sure the timing would work out with Sophia's nap and Mila's eating schedule, he convinced me to go.

What he also convinced me to do was go to the TOP of the mountain (blue square or something... whatever's a little harder than what I should be doing... seeing as I've ski'id like twice, both times as a pre-teen I think.) He (and Taylor- thanks Taylor) were certain that it wasn't actually any harder, but that we'd avoid the long lift line this way. Well, we made it to the top (barely, as I was sure at points that I would die of FROZEN EAR syndrome on the longest and coldest lift-ride of my life.) But since we only had two hours of twilight skiing between baby feedings, and I had to inch my way down the mountain at what had to be a record slow pace, taking breaks in between to rest my grossly out of shape quads, we only got one ride down. Sorry Ross. But your theory that it wasn't actually going to be any harder was horribly wrong. Luckily there was a good 15 minutes or so when it wasn't so steep, and I must say it was SUPER fun, and I get it, how people can get so addicted to a sport. I craved it the next day.

So I thought about just posting the picture and leaving some of you to think that perhaps I'm one of those cool wives, the kind that can keep up with her husband on the slopes, one that doesn't complain that her toes are most certainly going to fall off and that she might throw up from the pain, the kind that doesn't fall and wait for her husband to hike back up the mountain to put her rejected ski back on, or beg him, like a small child, to hold her hand on the scary lift-dismount. The kind that doesn't make her husband stuff her pony tail inside her jacket to get the neck warmer thing up over her ears, and then scream in pain as he pulls her baby hairs. I thought about it, just posting the picture, but decided to come clean. I'm totally that wife, and am just coming to terms with it.

TOYS

I've NEVER felt like I had enough for Sophia to play with. When she was little, I didn't really get the whole toy thing, since a granola bar wrapper from my purse or the earring I was wearing proved to be PLENTY of entertainment. But as she got older, I felt like I was missing the boat on the toy thing, forcing my toddler to still find joy in spatulas and dirt. Don't get me wrong, I think it's great when they're forced to use their imaginations with unlikely objects... but you can only expect a little girl to stack canned goods and empty a tupperware cupboard so many times. And reorganizing your kitchen gets a little old.

But something has happened in the last few months. Well two somethings: her 2nd birthday and Christmas. Combine those with a mom desperate for toddler distractions, and two sets of doting grandparents, and you get lots of great toys. I'm in heaven right now as she practices her drawing skills on her new easel and magnadoodle, plays lovely tunes on her xylophone, and drains loads of energy jumping on the trampoline. Nothing is a cure-all... she still screams hysterically when I'm busy and can't play with her (this need for company came with Mila), and I hate to say, (often) demands a show, just to constantly humble me and instill that horrible FEAR of raising a couch potato. But all in all, it has been so fun to feel like I have real kid's toys in my house... like perhaps she doesn't resent our home each time we return from a well stocked friend's. Thank you Nanas, Grandpa, and Papa!

6 1/2 weeks

Christmas in Utah

(This first picture just makes me happy... had to slip it in.)

I still haven't actually recorded our Christmas trip in a nutshell. For 11 days we stayed in Ross' parent's gorgeous house:

We ate tons of food, stayed up past 1am every 'night', watched movies, ate more food, played in in the snow, had lots of great help for our little ones, and spent quality time with all of the beautiful people pictured below.

It's always SO hard to leave but so good to be home with some routine and some normal bed times. I've never been quite so excited for the new year-- it feels like it's going to be a good one. I get to watch my BEAUTIFUL new baby girl grow older and cuter every day, listen to Sophia's vocabulary increase by the minute, spend one more year with my handsome husband, all while NOT being pregnant... not even a little bit. Getting in shape? I've got nowhere to go but up, and my jogger is on it's way... feelin' pumped. Hobbies to make me feel fulfilled? ;) I've got a great camera to figure out and go crazy with. Lifestyle? I've got my new neighborhood market that really could not BE any cuter and I get to feel justified shopping there nearly every day as it's a walk away and WAY cheaper than Ralphs, Albertsons, etc. (I went the other night and stocked up on my canned pumpkin for $.44 (they were clearing out holiday stuff), and butterscotch chips for $.36, and on the way out, picked out some free fresh flowers that expired that day. I love this store.)

Anyway... I'm feeling good. The vacation was great, life is back on, and I'm SO looking forward to 2008.