Our new normal

Those of you who know me well know that I don't like change. Even when change comes from something really good- like having a new baby. I have had longer than normal adjustment periods after each baby has come getting used to all the changes. With Collin's arrival it seems to be taking longer because our family dynamic has changed so much going from 2 to 3 and also having two babies 15 months apart. I came upon a great blog called Baby Bunching that is all about having 2 babies under 2. (And if anyone else has 2 under 2 I recommend visiting this blog. I have learned lots of good tips and can read about how things will get easier someday!) Since joining the baby bunching crowd our life has been busy. Just having 2 under 2 is hard enough but then add on our wonderful, but...hmm...I'll say "high maintenance" preschooler, and we rarely have a moments rest! There is always somebody wanting or needing something that keeps us running. We have found that a sense of humor is the saving grace as we adjust. There have been numerous times when both babies are crying and Scotty is talking non-stop that Miles and I have looked at each other, laughed and said "Can you believe that this is our life now?" We have lots of moments when we just stop and laugh because it's better than crying! Things are getting easier, especially now that Collin is getting out of the newborn stage and his sleep is starting to become a little more predictable. I feel like I can venture out to select places by myself with all 3 kids. And taking all 3 places with Miles around is no big deal anymore. I'm still waiting for the day for Collin to start sleeping through the night and then I'm sure I'll feel like a new woman and will be able to tackle so much more! So even though our house is filled with chaos, noise, toys, diapers, sleep deprivation, spit up, fighting and crying, it's also filled with laughter and plenty of love to go around. And I've come to the conclusion that some change is good!

Fun in the Arizona sun

Collin and I were able to go visit Aimee and family in Arizona for a weekend and we had so much fun. Collin loved everyone and he was smiling all the time. He was held the whole time so he hardly cried and was content being snuggled in everyone's arms! Aimee and I got to go to a movie together while John and the kids babysat Collin. We went swimming, except I forgot my bathing suit so Aimee and I watched the others swim while enjoying the coolness of the evening 99˚ temps! I got to hear Kaisha give a talk in Sacrament Meeting and she did a fantastic job. Then I got to help Aimee teach Kennedi's primary class which was an adventure with some energetic 7yr old triplet boys in the class! I gave Kaisha and Keri french braiding lessons, Kenners shoe tying lessons, had a great pillow fight with Kam, played some Speed and Slap Jack and then ruled the roost as President in a game of Scum for quite awhile before falling all the way down to Scum! And, of course, made a stop at In-N-Out for a delicious burger and fries. It's always so good to visit the York family. They make me feel right at home. Kaisha and Keri are both taller than me now and it's pretty crazy! Kam and Kenners aren't too far behind. Thanks York family for a great weekend!!

Kaisha

Kerianne

Kameron

Kennedi

Aimee and the kids saying good bye.

Slip slidin' summer fun!

Scotty got a Slip N Slide for his birthday and we finally had a nice day yesterday to use it. They had so much fun and it was really fun to watch them. I didn't get pictures when Urban was here playing and I wish I had. Scotty and Urban were slipping and falling down and it was so funny! They couldn't figure out the official sliding part but they had fun running down and jumping into the little pool. Grant was really hesitant at first but when he accidentally got wet he liked it and went crazy splashing all over. We love summer!

This is Scotty cleaning the slide!

I think Grant is singing into the sprayer!

Scotty getting a good splashdown into the pool.

Showing me how he gets his hair wet!

Grant loves to splash! We lent Grant's bathing suit to Urban- thank goodness for swim diapers. When I went to take the swim diaper off I found that he had pooped in it and it was a disgusting mess!! I got the hose and sprayed him off- it was the only way to deal with a mess like that!!!!

Early Father's Day

Miles is lucky that Scotty is in his summer preschool class and gets a fun Father's Day gift! Scotty came home on Monday and was excited to get a wrapped present out of his backpack. He takes it to Miles and says "Happy Mother's Day Daddy!" Hee hee! He had colored a frisbee for him and was excited to use it. Then he had a paper that he finished the sentences for Dad.

My Dad is special because: he cleans up my room for me. He does special things like gives me hugs.

I like it when my Dad: helps me draw my name.

My Dad can do many things! I think he's best at: helping me work on boats and helps me with my paper work.

My Dad has a great smile! I like to make him smile by: giving him hugs and kisses and I give him special treats.

My Dad is as handsome as a: Cocoa Pebbles cereal.

My Dad is smart! He even knows: how to eat crackers!

We laughed so hard!! This stuff is priceless. How nice to help Scotty with his paper work- you know how that paper work can pile up!! Handsome as Cocoa Pebbles cereal?? Funny stuff!

Miles really is a great Dad and I've said so many times before how lucky our boys are to have him as their Dad.

Brotherly love

Aren't brothers great?

Clubhouse rebuild

Remember when we had a huge windstorm and our clubhouse came out of it looking like this?

Well, Miles and his brother Nate spent all day Saturday a week ago working on it.  They were able to recreate all the pieces that were busted and did it very economically!  Scotty and Urban were great "helpers" too!

Now it looks like this:

The boys have been having so much fun with it.  They love the swings, go up and down the slide and love to play inside the tunnel.  Grant really loves to swing and he's starting to enjoy the slide too.  Thanks Miles and Nate!

9 great years!

Today is our 9th anniversary!  This time has gone by really fast and has been wonderful.  Miles is an awesome husband and I'm very lucky to have him.  We have had such fun times together over the years and we love to spend all our time together.  We met at work and worked together for the first three years of our marriage, so we were never apart.  We loved it and we were very sad when Miles took another job and we had to be apart from each other during the day.   We have become even closer as we have become parents together and have thoroughly enjoyed having children join our family.  Miles is the best dad.  We love family time with the boys and we really love couple time after they go to bed!  

Miles made me steak tonight for dinner and it was delicious!  We took turns eating while the other walked and bounced a crying Collin!  Not very romantic but we will be going out another night and leaving the boys with Grandma.  Can't wait for that!

Thank you Miles for making me so happy.  I can't imagine living life with anyone else.

Here we are at Old Faithful on our Honeymoon.  We had a great time doing nothing besides spending one day at Yellowstone!

We took a driving trip up the Oregon coast for our 4th anniversary.  It was beautiful and so much fun.

Rafting down the Snake river- our favorite summer past time!  This was in 2004 and we were up there rafting most weekends of the summer.  Some of the later trips of summer I was pregnant with Scotty- hopefully he'll love the river as much as we do!

On a recent trip up to Wyoming.

Still very much in love!

Our first vacation with Scotty.  We are just starting the path of parenthood and we're loving it.

We were so excited to have Grant join us.  He has added so much joy and laughter to our family.  

Here we are with the newest addition, Collin.  We are all working together to be a close family and we are so proud of Scotty and Grant and how they are loving and tender with Collin.  We look forward to the fun times we will have!

Growing boy

We took Collin in for his two month appointment yesterday.  I was very surprised to see that he weighs 9lb 3oz!  He was 6lb 9oz at his two week appointment.  I thought that gaining 2 and a half pounds was amazing....until I looked at Scotty and Grant's two month appointment weight and saw that Grant gained 5 pounds from 2 weeks to 2 months!  He was 12lb at 2 months- a big boy for sure!  Collin is at the bottom of the charts in the 5-10 percentile for weight, height and head but he is proportionate and growing steadily.  We discussed his spitting up problem.  He spits up all the time.  All day long.  Right after a feeding.  A long time after a feeding- it doesn't matter, he just spits up all the time.  She told me to cut out dairy from my diet to see if that helps him with the spitting up, runny poo and tons of gas.  Normally that would be no problem for me since I'm not a big dairy fan.  But, of course, I have been digging ham and cheese sandwiches lately and Miles just bought me a big box of Drumstick ice cream cones for Mother's Day!  That's my luck.  But if it helps him to stop spitting up all day long I will be very happy to watch everyone else eat all my Drumsticks!

Early Mother's Day

Scotty came home from preschool today with a couple things for me for Mother's Day.  I was excited because his preschool stuff is so cute!  He had a picture of him with a frame and puzzle pieces and it says "Mom I love you to pieces!"  Cute!!  Then he had a little questionnaire that he had answered about me.  Here are his answers:

My Mom is special because: she loves me!

I like it when my Mom: takes me to the kids store

My Mom can do many things!  I think she's best at: giving me loves!

My Mom has a pretty smile!  I like to make her smile by: buying her a new blow dryer!

My Mom is as pretty as a: dress!

My Mom is smart!  She even knows: how to unload the dishwasher!

Is that cute, or what??  You can tell that he was very excited about the new blow dryer he gave me for Christmas.  And I'm sure that you all wish you were as smart as I am and could unload your dishwasher!  But I am special because I get to love Scotty and be his Mommy.

Funny

Scotty just came upstairs and said that he needed to get a drink because his lips are all fish cracker crumbed up.  I hate it when that happens!!

Collin's blessing day

Yesterday was Collin's blessing.  Miles gave him a really nice blessing and he was supported by lots of family and friends.  We are thankful for our family members that came.  We had a fun time afterwards getting together to visit.  Collin slept peacefully all morning being snuggled in lots of different arms!  We love him so much.  He has been such a great addition to our family.  Scotty and Grant both love him and are great big brothers.  We're so thankful and blessed that he is healthy and we are able to love him.

We had belgium waffles with strawberry syrup, fresh strawberries and whipped cream- it was delicious!

Aunt Lissa snuggling Collin.

Brady, Aunt Morgan, Uncle Drew, Scotty & Grandpa Steve enjoying their breakfast.

This is Miles' Grandma Elnora Williams.

After tantrums, crying and taking a break we got a nice family picture!

Our cute boys.

Collin looked very handsome in his little tuxedo.

He even had tails!  So sweet!