She's Back!

I have lots of posts to do (holidays and such)but the most urgent news must come first. Our happy, sweet baby is back! She cut that first tooth and has been her content, smiley, tongue-sticking-out self for the past two days. Yeah! She won't let me look, but from what it feels like, I think it is off to the side. Can you get a canine tooth before your front teeth? But really, who cares? She is no longer screeching in pain at random moments. Sweet relief.

Sadly, it has been over a month of Not So Happy Baby and I am certain our family has no idea what a sweetheart she is. Oh well. Asi es la vida.

Con and the Chair

During the previously mentioned Brover/Stister photo shoot, Conrad found this prop chair and Wanted to sit in it. I believe in bribery. Especially for wiggly three year olds. (Actually, Con is quite the little model, we are discovering, but that is another story for another post.) So, the deal was, if he would Listen and Do during the Grace and Con photos, he could have a picture taken in The Chair.

Ta-da!



And this will replace the one on the wall where he has goldfish crumbs all over his face.

I love "free" pictures!

Merry Christmas

If we have your address, you might also get our mailed letter. Actually, if you are one of our grandmas and grandpas, or if my hand didn't fall off before I wrote your address on the envelope, you may get one.

Lesson learned this week: the mall, especially the portrait studio, is a crazy place right before Christmas.

So is Sam's Club and Costco.

And the post office.

With such cute kids, though, any picture is worth it. Just to prove it:

Fun with Friends

We are very into having friends over and one of Con's favorite is little K. She is such a pleasant little gal! This morning, they were playing with balls (which Con was not rough playing) and I was listening in. The game consisted of Con telling lil'K what to do, then they would run and do it. I started to think "Oh, dear, here he is, the bossy kid, taking after his mom," when with an unspoken cue, the roles were reversed, K gave the orders and Con obliged. They switched back and forth all morning, ordering each other around, running, throwing, and had a great time.

I guess its fun when everyone gets a turn being the boss.

Seven Months

Nothing much changed with our little girl, until this last week! Then, in just a matter of days, she has decided that it is time to bust outa this little baby thing. She is rolling. And scooting like a mad banshee, with direction. And pushing herself up on her hands and toes in a dificult, power house strengthening yoga position. Namaste. And getting up on her hands and knees, ready to crawl.

She was babbling when a few months ago, she suddenly stopped and became more observant. Then, bam! Last week she starts, "Blah, blah, blah"-ing. Literally. That and, "Ma-ma-ma."

Maybe not "Mama," but we each hear what we want to hear.

And this has inspired me to teach her "I love you." After all, if a dog can say, "Ra-ruv-roo," why can't my brilliant little girl who is genetically prewired for language say it too? I think she is pretty close. At least her little tongue is shaping for the l-sound.

Grace is playing with Conrad now, not just watching. There is definite interaction, which Con is so fun to go along with--in fact, he enjoys it as much as Grace, if not more. The hard part is still convincing him that she is smaller and that he needs to be soft (and by convince I mean it often ends in time-out, but that is another post for another day). They like to play toys. And band. And football. (See the tackling problem?) And laugh together. I have no idea what the joke is. They just look at each other, Grace reaches out for Con's face, he looks at her, and they both giggle and laugh. Hilarious to watch!

The last new-bie that I can think of for Grace is that she can sit with toys and entertain herself for a good 20-30 minutes. And by toys, I mean anything. Her new favorite is an empty water bottle. I plop her on the floor and get to actually listen to the Relief Society Lesson. Or set her up in the high chair and (almost) make dinner. The possibilities are endless!

While her new bit of independence is a breath of relief, it is also a sad reminder of how fast she is growing. Luckily, she still cuddles and puts her little hand on my face and looks at me with those serious eyes, then crinkles into a smile. She is still my sweet baby, and I'll take every moment I can get!

(Note to Karin who keeps track of these kinds of things: I did write most of this right when Gracie turned 7 months, I just took a week to finish writing it, so pretend you read this a week ago.)

Little Bunny Fu Fu

And because we have a phone video of Grace, here is a cute one of Conrad. Yes, we are eating Macaroni and Tomatoes. Yum! Yes, he is scantily clad. He had just stripped down because he had gotten soup all over and why redress before the meal is over? And, yes, I think his rendition of Little Bunny Fu-Fu is the best ever!

Roll Over

Sooo... for a while now I've been laughing about Gracie's apparent lack of interest in rolling. Sitting? Yes. Lunging? Why not? A little scooting? Sure. But not a bit of rolling. Why should she? I am never far away and quickly respond to her squawk. Con is right there and overly helpful for a rough and tough three year old. Why go to the effort?

Last week, Conrad was being very helpful. I would peek over the half wall and Grace would be watching her brother play from one spot. I would peek over again and she would be somewhere else, about a roll or two away and now on her back, with Con right there. I would tell him NOT to roll his sister over, he would deny it, I would repeat the order of Don't Roll Gracie, and we would both say Okay.

Friday night, Tyler caught this with his phone:



And Tyler said she was just pretending to struggle, that it was quick and effortless until he pulled out the phone.

Sorry, Conrad. I will listen to you more and blame you less. At least, that is my goal.

Do You Understand Con-isms?

I wanted to say it was a new game, but it is not. We've played this game since Con started talking. Still, it is fun. Do you know what he is saying when he says...

beasbelt

nna

lallohween

kasteboard

imaginaken

color cheerios

the Grilled Cheese Store

Clams Club

the Mommy Song

Engineer Con

Conrad got a Train Conductor costume for his birthday (Thanks Fardaneshi) and just loves it. Not only did he get to be a train conductor for Halloween, it has a walkie-talkie that makes train noises when you push the button, but quietly so you can only hear it if it is up at your ear--like you are talking to someone for real. Brilliant! I will replace Those batteries.

And the little whistle sounds just like Thomas the Tank Engine's "peep-peep." Really! And there are tickets he passes out to me and Grace regularly, and tells us where we will be going on the trip (usually to Grandma's). Aaand a pocket watch that works. Well, it would tell the correct time if I ever set it, but that would be too much work for a lil'guy who doesn't tell time without a digital clock.


Hours of imagination. Hours of fun. Thanks again, Ann!

Reading Bed-Time Stories

Con decided to read "Cillerenda" to Grace. She was very content with the attention and loves doing anything with her brother.

Apple Hill

Last week, Ann's kids got out of school early (Yeah Parent Teacher Conferences, especially since I don't have to do them now!!!) so we decided to get in the car and go to Apple Hill. Its like Oak Glen, on a much bigger scale, and the drive is further. We went to just one of maybe thirty apple farms, High Hill, and enjoyed looking at the craft fair, the fish pond (stocked with Big Fish), eating apple donuts, carmaled apples, apple cider, apple shakes, and apples, the ducks and geese, the fall colors and one apple tree in particular.











Next year, we'll go to a farm where you pick your own apples!

Casey Jr

Did you know that the line for Casey Jr in Fantasy Land is very longggg and slow?


Would anyone ever have thought that I (who hates waiting in lines) would wait in that one repeatedly? Just for the joy of three little boys?


Could anyone deny these little boys such a simple joy?


Was the line worth it?



Did I mention how much the boys love Casey Jr and how my nephew knows Every Word of the song?



Sorry, I don't know how to edit these things, but I love Con's glee at the end of this clip. Don't feel you have to watch it...

Imaginary Fwiends

Con has arrived at that stage of Friends, real or imaginary. Everyone and everything is his friend, from his beloved cousins and friends at church, to the kid in the other shopping cart at Costco, to his toy hammer and train, to the people he has just made up. Sometimes he is talking on his cell phone to "Chetty" or going to visit "Chony," but my favorite is when he plays football with "Collin."

We don't know a Chetty, Chony or Collin. I couldn't figure out where he had come up with these names. None of the other nursery kids have names even close. Cartoon characters? Nope. Hmmm.

Tyler figured out the last one. Con was telling him all about the football he had just played and referred to his friend as Collin and Austi, but Con said NOT his cousin, Austi, Collin Austi. Ding! A light of understanding clicked. What we were taking to be "Collin" is really "Collie" as in Austin Collie, #9.


My kid's imaginary friend is one of the legendary receivers of BYU's Offensive Line who has made some great plays, been talked about and cheered on a lot this season, especially from our living room.

Well, when you can play football with whoever you can imagine, why not pick the best?

Six Months Old, Gracie, and You...

...can sit up all by yourself.


...try to give Con kisses and he loves it!


...stick out your little tounge when you are happy or feelin' flirty.


...smile, laugh, coo, chatter, hum and sing.


...don't think you should ever sleep past 6am.


...love splashing in the bath, in a very dainty way.


...have mastered the sitting to tummy move and use it to lunge for toys, plates, cups, anything in your immediate vicinity, especially that Little People Train--it's hilarious to see you go after that, like a cat pouncing.



...are very easy going.


...have learned how to Scream.


...are very alert and easily entertained by toys, Con and your cousins.



...love a good nap snuggled up with your daddy.


...win over my heart every time you reach out for me, put your soft little hand on my cheek or snuggle into my arms. Sigh!

Rock Band

This summer, I promised to post a video of Con's Rock Band/Guitar Hero/Im-mag(as in magazine)-in-ake'n Movers. It took a while, but here it is:

(Yes, that is a pink Barbie guitar with no batteries and a stool for a drum.)



Edie's coreography is suprizingly acurate when compared to the video, and it got more and more complicated with each take. Also, Evan became the drummer as Con and Edie got into dancing.

And what did Gracie do?

The Tool Bench

Con got money for his birthday from Grandma J, Grandma Debbie and Grandma Jean. At first, he wanted to go get rice cream. I kept talking up Legos and/or putting money in his piggy bank. And then we saw the ad for the Toys'R'Us sale.

Con could use ALL his birthday money and buy a tool bench, with tools (severely on sale), but he wouldn't have any left over for rice cream, but HE could buy it, HIMSELF, but it would take ALL his money, so no rice cream. (Actually, he was very excited about the tools, but I didn't want any misunderstanding about the ice cream after the big purchase, so it was emphasized plenty.)


It was a very fun shopping trip, Dean helped build the actual tool bench, and Con has been "fitzing" everything. Non-stop. I didn't realize how much of the house needed work done. (And why hasn't he finished up our year+ kitchen project?)

Thank-you Grandmas!!!

Sleeping Beauty

She did it! Twice, now. She has slept through the night two nights in a row. But don't tell her, cause I don't want her to get all cocky and stop sleeping. It took too much to get to this point!

Last week was bad, Grace-sleep-wise. Tyler was out of town and Grace was quickly back to her wiley ways. (I know, I know, I was allowing it...) I don't even know when she would start waking up, because I would wake up when my arm had fallen asleep, from her HEAD, after I had gotten out of bed, picked her up, sat down in my chair, fed her, and she had fallen back to sleep. Could'a been there for hours. I have no idea. This happened even when I moved her into the "big bed" in the playroom. I would go down the hall, get her, bring her back, feed her and then wake up. Seriously.

Friday night was the worst. Any time I laid her down, it was instant screaming (not even crying, just straight to a full on scream). But I was hesitant for the Big Showdown without Tyler (been there, done that, story for another day).

When Tyler got back, I was exhausted and ready. After sharing a few ideas with Tyler from my research, I fed her and handed her over to her Daddy.

That first night, she had fallen asleep when I was nursing her, but Tyler insisted it was no matter, and I was too exhausted to argue. Who cared if the situation wasn't ideal? Not me. He put her to bed in the playroom and I zonked. Somewhere in there I know I heard her, but I also knew that Tyler was up, that someone was listening to her torture, and he had given her a binki. Tyler also tells me that I refused to nurse her the first time he "woke me up". (I don't remember it at all!) But the "second" time, I gave in. Tyler made me aware that she had been crying since around 12:30, and it was 3:45. That morning, we were all exhausted and felt like failures.

The next night, we were all geared up to have a miserable experience again. This time, though, we weren't going to let her have any excuses. She would figure out this sleep thing when she was completely exhausted, not after she had slept for a few hours. I kept her awake while nursing her, after cereal and a bath, then handed her off to Tyler. Immediately, I was distracting myself from her, and tuned in when Tyler asked how long it had been, because she wasn't crying. 15 minutes, folks! That is all it took! And she likes to have her fingers poking through and holding a soft afghan more than her spit rag. Okay!

I fed her before I went to bed, and she squawked around 3:00, but just one squawk, and I didn't feed her until 6:00!

And the next night, she slept a straight eight hours!

Wa-hoo! Thank-you Tyler! We owe this all to you!



She is a sleeper now. We hope it continues. I am just beginning to realize how sleep deprived I have been, now that the adrenaline from gotta-go-despite-the-exhaustion is wearing down. Whew! And as I am noticing a little more reasoning going on in my brain, I am already changing my thinking on how anyone could ever have more than two kids. I can see how, with sleep, the idea to have another sweet, tiny, itty-bitty might be attractive to some people. Especially when newborns smell so good. I am not announcing anything, just stating that the idea doesn't twist my guts into severe knots.

Dang! That lil'girl is just so cute!!!

The True Meaning of Cereal with Milk

Until recently, cereal and milk consisted of dry cereal and milk in a sippy cup. I don't know where Conrad learned otherwise. Matt. Who would ruin a stay-crunchy, spill-less breakfast system like that? Matt. I am not a morning person and need simplicity. Matt!!!



Luckily, I will get the opportunity to teach Matt's kids all kinds of fun stuff, someday. Yup, payback and I'll be the favorite aunt to boot.

And, for those of you health nuts, I have a weakness for Pops--luv that cereal! Con's first box. Not too bad...

Where We Get Structure

So, my problem with SAHM is the lack of structure. I seem to get less done, everything is a bigger mess and I get less done. And, I was becoming growly all the time. Solution: add a little structure.

I am refining a daily/weekly routine that is still small-baby-flexible, recognizing that sleepless nights are not completely done away with, and Tyler's-calling-in-the-YM-and-travel-flexible as well. As part of putting it all on paper, I am trying to let go of some of the less importants (such as weeds, dust, or hand prints on every mirror in the house) in exchange for two more stories or Little Bunny Foo Foo one more time. Its mental. And a process.

And, for FHE, we had a lesson about rules, consequences (time-out), and rewards. We even made a chart for it all.


When we catch Con keeping a rule, we hoot and hollar and he gets to move Thomas down the track. When Con gets Thomas to the end of the track, he gets a sticker for himself and one for the chart. Very fun.

So far, the results have been a more predictable home, some magic key phrases saving Con from throwing tantrums, a lot of who-hoo-ing and cheering, and an all around happier family.

Next time, though, we'll just have three rules. Maybe four. That "only throw balls" has kept food and books has already proved its worth.

Real Food

Grace is "eating" rice cereal, now. What a fun game! We mix up a runny mush and all stand there with our mouths open until she opens her grin and scrape a tiny bit into her mouth. Then she gags a bit until she copies our chewing motions and "yum-yums." She'll even swallow a little for Tyler, before she drools the rest out. And then we repeat.

Pure entertainment!

Word to the wise: if you stray from "yum-yum," which she really does say, she mimics with spit bubbles, which will get spitty-mush right in your face and hair. The girl doesn't get points for direction, but she gets the gold for distance.

Fer'dlil'ized

Yesterday, I was hurrying to pay bills before preparing a yummy spinach quiche. I glanced at the clock and saw that I needed to get started on dinner. I ran down to witness the last crack of the last of 14 eggs that had been sitting in the fridge only a half hour earlier.


Con had pulled out the carton, gotten a chair and thrown each egg into the sink.

I asked him why in the world he had done that and he responded with how he was "looking for the chicks."

It was all I could do to keep from laughing!

Of course, we had a discussion about how eggs can only grow chicks if they are fertilized and that we can't open the eggs looking for chicks even in those eggs--that it would hurt any chicks. And that discussion was repeated this afternoon as we bought more eggs.

Really!

The even brighter side: he cracked the eggs into the sink, not on the floor or even the counter top. Quick clean up, rice'roni for dinner, and quiche tomorrow.

And Conrad's pronunciation of fertilized is priceless!

Halloween and a Sleep Update

For FHE, we carved a pumpkin, pulled out the Halloween decorations and ate burnt pumpkin seeds for the treat. Con loves the Jack o'lantern and the dancing skeleton, but does NOT like pumpkin seeds. They were nasty.



The week before, we had gone trunk-or-treating at Uncle Pi's ward party (and crashed another ward's, too, accidentally). So, for Halloween, we thought, keep it simple; just dress them up, take a few photos, and trick-or-treat at the neighbors. Ya know, show off the kids and let Con enjoy the magic only a little guy appreciates (and his parents).

Come to find out, not a lot of trick-or-treaters in our neighborhood, so handfuls of treats at each door. Tyler took the kids to 5 houses and came home with Con's pumpkin filled. And our door was only rung 4 times, so you know it was a fistful to each kid that came--even teenagers, and that is saying a lot for me to give to the kids who I think are way too old and should have a job anyway. But I digress.


Con loved being a train conductor. The only thing better than his "trick-or-treat" was explaining what he was dressed up as. And Grace was an absolutely adorable butterfly, who kept hooking herself as she tried to eat her own wings. I guess the age 3+ warning was valid this time. Oops.




Con the Conductor tells us "All Aboard!"

And, Tyler did take Grace at night this weekend. He put Con in the small pack'n'play and I slept in Con's bed. Tyler woke up with Grace, every half hour the first night. She was not too happy, he reported.

The next night, she started to catch on and only got up three times. Progress! Grace and her Daddy have been BFFs ever since.

Unfortunately, my little cold was in full swing, so I had a hard time falling asleep. Still, a 4.5 hour chunk is more than I've had in months and I'd be turning cartwheels if it weren't for my sinuses. Fortunately, it has been all rainy - perfect for cuddling and lazing around. And - the bestest - cold and all, I have felt rested and reasonable. Who-hoo!

Gracie, are we going to make this stick?