Family Photos

Our family photos have been posted! Thanks Eva!!!

My favorite stage? It's here. FINALLY! As most everybody knows, I absolutely love kids. I spent most of my youth coveting motherhood. Is it as great as I thought it would be, yes and no. I don't think anybody can prepare you for how hard it is, but it really does have all the benefits that I dreamed of. My favorite stage is the terrible two's. This is totally different from the terrible toddlerhood where they get into everything. No, this is the stage where they finally figure out that they are their very own person. That they can say "yes" or "no," and boy howdy do they like the word "no." They love the word "no," no matter how much you try to avoid using it in earlier stages. I still believe it is very beneficial to use it carefully and wisely in earlier stages. But I don't think any child avoids this stage. Why do they go through it? Well, I believe it's because they finally figure out that they CAN choose.

So why in the world would this be my favorite stage? Because I LOVE watching them make choices, and discovering the consequences. I think it's absolutely hilarious to see a little kid so thrilled with his ability to say "no," that he says "no" to all kinds of things he loves (see the video of Ace at the airport). I think it's great to see, once they get over that thrill, to watch what they choose. They are discovering themselves, what they like and dislike, in a way they couldn't before....when Dad and Mom made many of the choices. Agency is finally being found, and they want to test every one of it's limits.

I know full well that there will be moments, days, and maybe even weeks where I am very annoyed at this stage.....but for right now I'm going to relish it.

Okay, so on to our week. We had Aunt Ace here, what more can we say? We had a blast, went to Boston, the Beach, Palmyra, and got family photos taken.

We pondered the blessing of freedom and our efforts to keep it, relished the sun and fresh air, contemplated the beautiful blessing of modern revelation, and basked in the love of relatives. Somehow we didn't get any pictures with my cousins ER and SS and their families, although we had some fabulous meals and good times with them. We also didn't get in pictures WITH my pseudo-cousin ET, although she took FANTASTIC pictures of us (which will be posted when we get them)! Ace flew out today, and I can't tell you how sad we were to see her go. Cpc nearly cried. She helped out so much, and gave me some good adult company during the day with the kids. She also provided Pmc and I with a much-needed kid-free walk/talk around our neighborhood. I would be content to go on that date every week!

Just Enjoying Boston

The Freedom Trail.

Walden Pond

The temple, and the view into the Sacred Grove.

Best buddies, and my future lacrosse player. Too bad I'm terrified to let my boys play, I'm much more comfortable with the idea of my girls playing lacrosse.

My sweet cuddler, who has now mastered the art of smiling.

Now, life goes back to normal (at least until we con someone else into coming to visit. Wait, we already did! We look forward to a new adventure in July when Grams and Papa come!). Which I'm perfectly content with, since I have two BEAUTIFUL children to take care of, and one HANDSOME loving husband to take care of me.

A Few Plugs

Dear Readers...

I only have a few moments because I'm trying to pack and Pmc is picking up Aunt Ace from the airport, and we're headed to Boston first thing in the morning. However, I've been meaning for a while to do a quick post about some things that are very dear to my heart. I'm really not an advertiser, and I'm very choosy about the things we put on our blog.

If you scroll down our blog you'll notice three little buttons, each for something very special. I would like to call your attention to them, and explain the story behind each.

The "March for Babies" button is in honor of our sweet niece Smc. Smc was born at 27 weeks gestation and spent 100 days in the NICU before she was finally able to go home with her parents. Smc is just older than Cpc, and a total sweetheart. We are so grateful for the "March for Babies" which in large part contributed to Smc's ability to survive. Smc's family participate in the March every year to help other families like themselves. They are trying to raise $1500 this year and would love all the help they can get. If you click on the button, it will take you to the website where you can donate to help.

The "I Love Lucy" button is in honor of my sweet first cousin once-removed....Lucy. Lucy has Bardet-Biedl syndrome, a very rare syndrome which has and will cause all sorts of developmental delays, blindness, obesity and a myriad of other things. If you would like to read about Lucy you can follow her mother's blog: Life. You can also read about the things their family is doing to help others like Lucy. You will be impressed by their family's ability not only to face this trial, but to reach out and help others because of it.

The "Power of Moms" button is for my cousin's new website just for Moms. This website is FANTASTIC, and super helpful to mom's in EVERY stage of motherhood. There are lots of articles, and ideas on parenting, as well as opportunities to create avenues for growth for moms and their families. Please check it out and use the resources they have put together. It's free, and my cousin and her friend that put it together are certainly not making money off it. They just know how much the resource is needed.

So, happy browsing!!!!!

Sunshine

Wow it's gorgeous outside. Tomorrow is supposed to be 70º outside. Here, in Syracuse NY. In March. That's crazy. Of course, it's supposed to snow again next week, but hey....this is so similar to weather in Utah I can't complain. I'm used to it.

So we had a crazy fun week really. We finally got to attend a Syracuse Lacrosse game. It took us a few times to figure out exactly who in the family could get into a Men's game for free, unfortunately only Pmc gets in free. But one is better than none right? So we ended up going to a women's game first, because we all get in free. And we're only going to go to one Men's game, since it's a little more costly. Even though I was sure this was going to be an intense game (Syracuse against Towson, both top 10), it wasn't. Syracuse wasted Towson, and we left in the middle of the second half. But it sure was fun to see such skilled players live. It was fun to explain some of the different women's rules to Pmc. And believe it or not, we didn't fight over a single thing the whole time. Oh, and the Carrier Dome? It's quite the place. I would always prefer sports to be held outside if it's warm enough....but for a place where the weather is unpredictable, I think it's pretty cool that they can have a stadium like this.


The kids and I finally got on a pretty good schedule, which for me means that there are some basic nap times, but that things are flexible. Oh, and both kids are pretty much sleeping through the night right now. Cdc is doing about 9-5, and Cpc is doing 8-7. Oh and did I mention that Cpc has been taking a 3-hour nap everyday? I am so happy to be getting plenty of sleep at night, and to be getting some time to get things done during the day. I am so much less distracted while Cpc's awake now, and we have been having a lot of fun. Cpc is probably just in a growth spurt, but I can hope it lasts right?

Well, here are some of our fun moments the past couple weeks:

Practicing sitting and holding his head up.

The brothers....and a little of Cdc's smiles.

Cpc digs play dough. I love how he figured out how to make the dough into balls like I showed him, and lined them all up.

Can you see those super-long-blond eyelashes? We love those!

We have been LOVING playing outside. We went to playgroup at the park today. Cpc loves the swings, and is pretty confident on the playground. We love that they actually have metal slides here (unlike the no-fun plastic ones at the playgrounds back in Utah). Oh and we attempted flying a kite this week, but we ended up returning it because it was poorly designed. I guess we'll have to make one.

Sunshine is good for the soul.

Gratitude

I'm grateful for a baby who is healthy and tender-hearted. I'm grateful that he's learned to smile at me and pmc. I'm grateful he's figured out how to imitate playing with his tongue. I'm grateful that he loves having people around to look at. I'm grateful that he startles at every little noise, and the fact that I know that studies show this is a sign of shyness. I'm grateful that he has his very own personality, and that I can help him to thrive as an individual. I'm grateful that he death-grips my shirt collar. I'm grateful that I get to be a stay-at-home mom so I can be there for the few hours he's awake during the day to see his smiles, see him startle, and play with his tongue. I'm grateful that we have the means to wash all the clothes he and I go through in a day due to his spitting-up and pooping habits. I'm grateful that my first-born didn't have said spitting-up and pooping habits. I'm grateful for a sister-in-law who is generous enough to give us all her boy's clothes so that we can clothe our boys. I'm grateful that said sister-in-law is also generous enough to buy higher quality clothes for her boys so that they will last through my boys too. I'm grateful for in-laws who go way out of their way to make me feel loved and welcomed as part of the family. I'm grateful to be getting a new sister-in-law this summer so that we have an excuse to go home to Utah again. I'm grateful for the wicked awesome tax refund we got this year, even if I don't like our tax system. I'm grateful to live in a free country. I'm grateful that I have the power to vote to try to maintain those freedoms. I'm grateful for a son who is super reverent at church. I'm grateful that he is obedient, and really tries to do what his parents tell him. I'm grateful that he is so excited right now to do everything mom and dad do. I'm grateful that he does little things like try to spit in the sink when he brushes his teeth, to remind us just how much he wants to be like us. I'm grateful that he loves doing his chores. I'm grateful that I have confidence in my mothering skills most of the time. I'm grateful that when I lose confidence in my mothering skills, I have a husband who helps me see that it's not about perfection, but rather about improving and repenting. I'm grateful for the organization of the church which makes it possible to move across the country without being afraid of being alone. I'm grateful for people in the church who see a need and fill it. I'm grateful for the man who gave us the symphony tickets that he couldn't use, even though he could have just exchanged them. I'm grateful that we've been able to go out on two childless dates this month to the symphony. I'm grateful for the sweet people who watched our kids while at the symphony. I'm grateful that we have deep appreciation for music in our home. I'm grateful to have a piano in our home to fill our home with music. I'm grateful for a mother who taught me to love music. I'm grateful for a mother-in-law who taught my husband to love music. I'm grateful that I was privileged to play my Grandfather-in-law's music all over Europe before I even became a part of this family. I'm grateful for the patriarchal structure of the church. I'm grateful for the power of the priesthood. I'm grateful that my husband is home from his priesthood meeting so that I can cuddle with him.

Weird Neighbors

Have we mentioned our weird neighbors yet? Don't get me wrong, they're really nice. The day we brought Cdc home from the hospital and they saw him, they went straight to the store and brought back a bunch of baby clothes for him. They're always really friendly, and we enjoy chatting with them. They let Pmc borrow tools when he needs to, and they helped us pull a huge bush out of our front yard with their truck. They're fantastic neighbors. But they are also strange.

The first thing we noticed was B's short-term-memory. Cpc loves dogs, and they have a dog, but it's not friendly. We know this because EVERY SINGLE TIME we walk outside and she's outside with her dog, she reminds me not to let Cpc not to get very close to him, because he's not friendly. She says it each time as though it's the first time she's ever told me this. This makes for great entertainment for me.

Well, at first that was it, and we just figured poor T, being married to a woman who repeats herself so much.

But it turns out that T has some weirdness as well. Another way they are fantastic neighbors is that T snow-blows our sidewalk and driveway whenever it snows. Which was FANTASTIC this past weekend when we got around 14 inches of heavy wet snow. But then it didn't stop with driveways and sidewalks.

THIS is his front yard now:

THIS is our front yard now:

Yes, he snow-blowed his front yard! I guess he just really likes his snowblower, was enjoying using it too much, and just couldn't put it away after he had done the entire street's driveways and sidewalks!

Recording Memories

Throughout the week I often think "I should write about that/this on the blog this week." Usually when I finally sit down to write, more than half of it is gone. I'm not sure if that's due to the fact that my brain is still recovering from pregnancy, or if my brain just can't hold very much in general. But I hate that there are so many memories that have come and gone without being recorded. I know everything doesn't need to be recorded....but I love the feeling of reliving special moments. It brings me such joy, and reminds me how wonderful life is now. So I guess I just need to be content to balance between living now, reliving the past, and recording the now for future reference. I learned one important lesson about that this week.

We finally got one of these big "NorEaster's" everyone has been so hyped up about. Yes, we've been missing out on them until now. I didn't realize how big the storm had been until the day after when we finally got to go out and play in the snow. We got Cdc down for a nap just after Cpc's nap, so we had some time for Pmc and I to go outside together with Cpc. I thought we were going to build a snowman, but Pmc had much greater plans. Snowmen just aren't that much fun once they're built. So he built a slide. I think Cpc could have stayed outside on that slide until dark if his coat hadn't soaked through. So what was my important lesson about memories? I don't always have to interrupt special moments the second I realize that it is one to grab the camera. I can enjoy it first! Yes, that means that sometimes I'll miss some good pictures, but that's okay....because pictures don't do memories justice anyway. Sometimes it's perfectly okay to just record it in my memory and enjoy it without interruption.

So, after we enjoyed the snow-slide for a little while, we finally went and got the camera to do a little video!

Our big disappointment this week is that my mom didn't make it out to visit because of the storm, and Delta Airlines. After she got to Cincinnati, her flight to Syracuse got canceled due to the storm. Well, they kindly rescheduled her. However, they made a mistake on the rescheduling....and she just ended up having to go back home. Then, they told her they weren't sure if they were going to be able to refund her money. Delta and I are NOT friends right now.

So now we are anxiously awaiting the arrival of Aunt Ace in a couple weeks. We really love visitors, and even though I'm mostly recovered, I really would love a little extra help! We're also really excited to go to the temple again, it has been too long.

Pmc has been so diligent with school-work lately that he's been much more relaxed at home! He's even been getting up in the mornings with Cpc for a little while to let me get some extra sleep. He's also finally gotten to some fun projects he's been wanting to do....like putting together the crib, putting up our curtains on the front window, and putting a lacrosse ball on our stick shift in the car. Speaking of lacrosse, we're SO excited for the season. He gets into games free, and Cpc and I might also be able to! We're so excited to introduce Cpc to our favorite sport LIVE IN ACTION!!! For those who don't follow lacrosse, Syracuse won the National Championship last year, so this is a big deal for us lacrosse fans! Pmc also just bought him his first stick, but I think he's saving it for his birthday.

I (Atec) have really made progress on my projects. I've finished some sheets for Cpc, and hope to have the rest finished by the end of the week (I'm making 4 full sets). Then I can start on the bumpers, quilts, and bed-skirts. I also finally finished my mission photo album and am going to make a quick slideshow of my mission next. Last but certainly not least, I finished our taxes last night. I think one of the best parts of not teaching violin lessons anymore, is not having to figure out Self-Employment tax. Those forms are SO CONFUSING!!!!

Cpc is really starting to GET language. Before now he's understood a lot, and even been able say/sign many words. But he's finally starting to use those words on his own initiative. This morning Pmc opened the cupboard and he said and signed "cracker," pointed to the crackers, said/signed "please" and went to climb in his highchair, fully expecting to get some. We are so excited about this big step, and to see the connection between using a word and getting exactly what he wants. Furthermore I realized today that he know MANY more words than I thought. I started signing different words to him, and he would then sign and say the word back to me. I hate that I'm not more fluent in ASL because then he would actually know a different language, rather than just a bunch of words in another language. Maybe it will motivate me a bit to practice a little more!

Cdc is certainly not a newborn any more. He has a totally chubby face, and he is so aware, and awake so much more! He is following things with his eyes really well, and holding his head up like a champ. He slept 8 hours straight last night, and has been doing 6 hours pretty regularly too. He has finally reached the point where I don't have to do middle-of-the-night diaper changes. He will sleep just fine in his cradle if he's swaddled, but the most surefire way to wake him up is to put him in the swing. He's mostly in sync with the family schedule, which is making things run much smoother. The best news though is that he still likes to nuzzle his head into the crook of my neck, so I'm feeling confident that it's a personality thing and not just a newborn thing for him. Since Cpc is my "little monkey," Cdc has been termed my "little bear." The two names definitely express their differences. We think Cdc looks most like me so far, but we haven't pulled out any baby pictures yet (although organizing our pictures/albums from growing up is one of my next projects).

And that's the family news!