First haircut

Well, first real haircut. I have trimmed it a little bit here and there, but Jared used his mad hair cutting skills this weekend and cut his own hair, as well as Briggs' and Anderson's. They were both so good. Briggs used to scream and throw a fit, but he just quietly sits now. Anderson was good, but wanted to see the clippers. Or the scissors. Or the comb. Needless to say, he was a little wiggly.

That time of year

It is cold and windy, then sunny and windy, then snowy and windy... must be East Idaho and BASEBALL season! :)

We signed Emma up for T-ball this year. Believe me, I had LISTS of things I would or would not do with my kids... like never letting them sleep in my bed, or go to the store looking like a homeless child, watch TV to entertain them, etc. I decided long ago that age 3 was WAY too young for pre-school or lessons or teams of any kind.

And yes, I'm eating my words on ALL of those things, and so many more.

Jared and I were trying to come up with something to help build her confidence, something to give her a "separate" thing from Maddie, and ways to allow her to have one on one time with us, especially with Jared. The opportunity presented itself, so we ran with it.

I was struggling deciding what to put her in. Jared said, "Why don't you ask her?" The options we gave her were tumbling, soccer and baseball... there was not even a SECOND of hesitation. "BAS-A-BALL!"

When I signed her up they asked if I would coach. I just laughed. I consider myself capable in nearly every sport, but baseball is just not my thing. Funny, since Jared's family loves it the most. So I signed Jared up to coach. He loves to coach and has coached several times before. Maybe not 3 year olds, though. :)

Anyway, he had his coach's meeting the other night and came home with all of the equipment. The girls couldn't wait to get outside and try it out.



Oh, and THEN I showed her the team shirt! He just hugged it and said, "I love it, Mommy!"


Honestly, I'm really nervous to see how this goes. Attention span is something we don't have a lot of around here! I hope it is a good experience for her and that she has fun.

Yay for a boy!

Whose head we can BUZZ!! I LOVE my girls and I'm even enjoying doing fun hair-dos, but it is also a nice break to not have to do MORE hair. :) This was his first haircut! He was not sure what to think about the clippers.

Emma: Age 3

This is a little questionaire that I plan on doing with my kids every year on their birthday starting when they turn 3.
1. What is your favorite color? Pink
2. What is your favorite toy? Bat (hitting the ball off the "T")
3. What is your favorite fruit? Apples
4. What is your favorite TV show? Super Why
5. What is your favorite thing to eat for lunch? Peanut butter and honey sandwich
6. What is your favorite outift? Butterfly shirt and pink leggings
7. What is your favorite game? Baseball
8. What is your favorite snack? Fruit snakcs
9. What is your favorite animal? Kitty
10. What is your favorite song? Elmo song (Elmo's World)
11. What is your favorite book? Snow White
12. Who is your best friend? Briggs
13. What is your favorite cereal? "Circles!" (Cheerios)
14. What is your favorite thing to do outside? Ride bike
15. What is your favorite drink? Milk
16. What is your favorite holiday? "I like the hearts one" (Valentine's Day)
17. What do you like to take to bed with you at night? Blankie
18. What is your favorite thing to eat for breakfast? Cereal
19. What do you want for dinner on your birthday? Spaghetti
20. What do you want to be when you grow up? A mom.
21. What is your favorite movie? Snow White
22. Favorite movie character? Ariel
23. What is your favorite scripture story? Baby Jesus
24. What is your favorite primary song? "I am Like a Star"
25. Where is your favorite place to go? "Grandma's!"

3 Years Ago

Exactly now... I was holding you in my arms for the first time. It was only for a second, but when our eyes met I really did change. I felt so blessed! I remember thinking you were a little piece of Heaven. That you could see right into my soul. And you loved me anyway.

Now you're 3! You bring me even more joy than you did in that moment, which I didn't think was possible. I love your smiles and giggles, the kisses and hugs you so willingly give me. I love how sweet and gentle you are with Briggs, and how silly and thoughtful you are with Maddie. Your singing, dancing, teasing and the funny things you say brighten my day.

I still feel overwhelmingly blessed when I look at you. I know you were sent to our family straight from Heaven. Thanks for loving me so unconditionally. I hope to be more like you someday.

Happy Birthday, Emma!!

Haircuts

Maddie's first haircut, Emma's bob! Thanks for making us beautiful, Megan!

Our Day & The Good Samaritans

4 years ago, I married my best friend. And today, he really means even more to me than I thought was possible. He always thinks of my needs first, quick to volunteer to cook dinner or take the kids so I can have a break. He is a better dad than I could have imagined he would be. Our girls are incredibly lucky. And even though he has so many other responsibilities, he always makes me feel like I'm the most important part of his life. Jared, I love you!

Our day didn't go as planned. Very little sleep the night before, and sick, grumpy kids all day, lots of other craziness, too. But Jared's brother Kyle came over and watched our girls anyway so we could go on a date. Free baby-sitting for 3 1/2 hours! And we didn't even have to put them to bed. :) We NEVER eat out, like a couple of times a year. But we decided to splurge a little and ate at Canyon Crest.

They seated us right next the the window overlooking the Canyon and we enjoyed a fantastic dinner as the sun began to set. We even splurged and shared a piece of cheesecake for dessert. As we finished, our waiter approched and asked if we needed anything else. We said we were ready for our check, and he replied, "Oh! It has already been paid." We thought he was joking, and he showed us the receipt with the food WE ate and someone else's signature paying for our meal, including a $15 tip. We will never know who did that for us or why, but THANK YOU!!

Wow, THAT was fast!

Our sweet little Madelyn is officially 1!(Well, in about 10 minutes.) We love her contagious smile and little giggle. We love her cuddles, hugs, and kisses. We love how much she loves to dance and her adventurous spirit. She loves being thrown up in the air, tackled, climbing on everything and following her big sister around. She loves baby dolls. She waves, blows kisses, holds up her finger to say she is 1, and folds her arms. Her favorite things to says are Mama, Dada, Yummm, Emmmmma, Cacka(cracker). She can free stand for almost any length of time, but hasn't attempted a step yet. It will probably be soon! I love when she stands at the window with Emma and looks outside and until I feel bad and take them out. We are looking forward to a fun summer and spending lots of time outside!

Madelyn, we can't believe you're already 1! Thanks for bringing so much fun, laughter and love to our house. We love you!

Dainty Madelyn

I have fed Maddie yogurt before, but I decided to let her have a spoon and attempt it herself for the first time. To my surprise, when she got frustrated with the spoon, she didn't resort to her hands or dump it all over herself like Emma when she was learning. Nope, she very carefully drank it.

Candles and Cakes

I really wanted Emma to feel special on her birthday. She really loved the streamers hanging from her doorway and all the other dollar store stuff(hat, blowouts, elmo plates, cups and napkins, elmo book, baby bottle) we scored. But her favorite was the candle. She blew out candles on everything- pancakes, undecorated cupcakes, chicken nuggets, etc. She is a pro now. It was a fun day.

A 2 Year old?!?

Emma,

Today you are 2!! And I can't believe how fast those 2 years have flown by!

You are so sweet. You hate it when your sister cries or when you see people who are "sad" on TV.

You love to make others smile and laugh. Everyday you get me with that big grin and mischievous brown eyes of yours.

You love to tease. The other night you tricked me into getting you out of bed by telling me you were poopy. Once I got you out of bed and into the living room, out of your zip-up footsie pajamas and your diaper, I was confused to find nothing there. I looked at you and with a smile on your face you shouted, "Teasing!" and giggled.

You love to dance. I'm so impressed with your moves, including Raise the Roof and the Sprinkler. Your twirls, jumps, twists and bootie shakes make me laugh.

You would read books all day if you could. I especially love listening to your dad read to you for hours. It's probably the only time you slow down and sit still, and your dad loves the cuddle time with you.

You're so smart. I'm amazed everyday by the things you say and do. Some of the words/things you understand that impress me the most are:
Words- Prophet, Apostle, Temple, Elbow, Chin, "Daddy, where are you?";
Emotions- sad, happy, excited, scared, mad;
Every animal sound under the sun;
All the primary songs with actions- You can do "Head, Shoulders, Knees and Toes in Japanese, Portuguese and English. I also love at bedtime when you sing "I Am a Child of God" with me. The three songs that you start randomly singing on your own when you are playing are "I Am a Child of God", "I Love to See the Temple" and "Jesus Wants Me for a Sunbeam".

I love you so much. Thanks for bringing such joy to our home. Can't wait for the next year and all the adventures we will have!

Day 12- Potty Training 101

We have encouraged Emma to sit on the potty after drinking liquids, after meals and naps, etc. this weekend But today was the beginning of true potty training. 3 1/2 hours in and we have only had 2 accidents, and 5 successes(I was pumping fluids into her so she was going a lot). I love watching the joy and elation on her face when she goes in the potty. You would think she just finished her first marathon. I can tell this will be something we really have to stay focuesed on, but she is a smart girl, so we will get is figured out. Truthfully, so far things are going even better than I had hoped. *knock on wood* Oh, and seeing her in underwear is adorable.

Day 10- A HUGE step

I've been having Emma sit on the toilet several times a day, just to get her comfortable with it and so I would have an idea of how ready she is for potty training. Yesterday I let her pick out her own potty, and I had her sit on it once last night and once this morning. I went to the gym for a Spinning class this morning(CRAZY, by the way!) and when I got back Jared said he put her on it and she went!! So whether it was a fluke or not, we are very proud, and now I have to buckle down and actually do it. Pretty cute potty, huh? I can see why she likes it. ;)

Day 5: Classic Case of Irresponsible Parenting

We didn't put the bedrail up last night, so right before going to bed I thought, "I'll put a kitchen chair next to the bed on the other end to keep her from falling out tonight." After doing that, I decided I would put our laundry basket full of clothes behind it because the chair is so light I worried it would tip over. Oh, and I put the comforter over the top of the chair so it would be soft if she hit it. And remember, this whole set up was next to the stacked rubbermaid bins on the other side of the bed. The whole thing is a little ridiculous. Anyway, this morning when I went in to get her, this is how I found her. She used the comforter as means of pulling herself up onto the stool and then climbed into the laundry basket to play with the laundry(one of her favorite things to do).

Toddler Bed: Day 4

So far Emma hasn't figured out that climbing out the bed is an option. She plays on it and waits for me to come get her when she wakes up in the morning and at nap time. I hope this lasts for a while, but I'll take what I can get!

She apparently moves around when she sleeps. A lot. And she falls out of bed in her sleep. A lot. So I blocked about 1/3 of the length of the bed with Rubbermaid bins and she still manages to roll off. I have a big comforter on the ground next to the bed, so it doesn't normally wake her up when she falls, but it still makes me feel bad. I bought a bedrail today so hopefully that will help keep her in bed.

Last night I was up feeding Madelyn and went to check on Emma. She must have fallen out of bed and not had the energy to climb back in, because she was sleeping standing up and leaning in between the bins and the bed. I wish I had the presence of mind to go find the camera at 3:00 AM, but I'm sure the visual you are forming is pretty good, too. ;)

Unexpected change

Today I set up Emma's toddler bed, just planning on letting it sit in the girls' room for a while so Emma could get used to the idea of it before actually having to use it when Madelyn outgrows her bassinet and needs the crib. As I was putting her down for a nap, on a whim, I just laid her on the toddler bed. Guess who apparently doesn't mind it at all? The problem is now I have to stick to it and I hadn't really prepared myself for that! Growing up way to fast.

3 Years

Jared, after 3 years of marriage, I was thinking of some of the things we have experienced...

3 years at your job
3 years in Twin
3 places we have lived
3 months looking for a house
3 bedrooms in our house
3 races you have run
3 jobs(me)
3 pregnancies
3 week old baby(today!)
3 vehicles
3 hours looking for a new truck
3 computers
3 golf bags
3 callings(you)
3 years of laughter and memories

It has been a fun 3 years... I love you more than ever!

Remember those graham crackers Emma loves?

Wednesday morning Emma was gnawing on a graham cracker and let out a scream. It took me a few minutes to settle her down and I wasn't sure what was wrong with her. I assumed she had just bitten down wrong on her sensitive gums where her bottom two teeth are coming in. I was surprised when I put my finger in her mouth to feel her gums and she bit me with her first tooth! It is the bottom left one, which she has only been working on for about a week. The right one has been coming in for 3 months, but we haven't seen it yet. Who knew that a cracker was all we needed to do the trick?