Sleeping and Sisters

 I LOVE pictures of sleeping babies! There is something very calming, beautiful, and serene about sleeping babies. I usually don't get too many photos of my babies sleeping because they are in their cribs and I don't want to disturb them. Also, the crib is in a closet (yes, all 3 of my children have slept in a closet for the first part of their lives) and that door does not open and close very quietly. But, February 11 must have been a very sleepy day for Aria. I opened her door and this is what I found:

She just looks so peaceful!

So beautiful!

 She didn't even wake up when I took the pictures! She was just so sleepy and cute.

She did wake up a little while later. I left her in the crib for a minute to go get something from the front room. She started talking (she loves to talk) and when I came back I found this:

Toys are so much fun! 

 I also found the little girl who was responsible for the toy-giving:

Happy Eve

Eve was so excited to give Aria the stuffed animals. She put the entire contents of the drawer into the crib. Thankfully, all the toys were stuffed animals and nothing hard. Eve was so happy when I walked in. She said, "Look mommy! I gave Aria the animals!" She was just so proud of sharing with her little sister. Ahhh.... sisterly love! :)

Eve goes to the ER

January 28th was a fairly normal Saturday for busy season. We all got up, I jogged on the treadmill, then Tyson went to work for the day. I played with the kids and we tried to keep ourselves busy.

In the afternoon, we cleaned most of the house. Reed and Eve helped me with their room and the bathroom. Of course, they helped with the mirrors, toilet, and counter. Eve was helping me with the mirror above the sink, so was sitting on the little counter. When she was done, I picked her up with both hands and put her on the ground (No, I did not drop her). Immediately, she fell to the floor. I went into a semi-panic mode.

She had not fallen. Check. It had been a while since she had eaten, so I put her against the wall and gave her almonds and water. Sitting against the wall she acted normal, so I thought she was fine. However, she refused to walk! She had eaten. Check. She did not have a fever. Check. I moved her to the couch and just waited it out a little bit. She was still acting normal, as long as she was sitting. No visible bruises, swelling. Check.

A while later I made her stand up and she could do it, but fell towards me after a couple of seconds. She went back on the couch. I checked on my pediatrician's website, called Tyson, called my parents, and then called the doctor on-call. She recommended taking her to the emergency room. Unfortunately, it was a Saturday, so we couldn't just go in to the doctor's office. I was pretty nervous since Eve is not prone to injuries and seems to have a high tolerance for pain (she burned her finger and never told me it hurt, she scrapes knees and doesn't complain).

We decided to go to the ER and things went well. Before leaving, my dad had come to watch the other kids. We bribed Eve to walk to Grandpa for some Hershey's kisses. She did it, limping the whole time. So, we went to the ER with some favorite books and Scout (the dog) in tow. Eve was pretty hilarious and very much 2 at the ER. When we got into the room, she would not say a word to the doctor, nurse, or anyone else. She kept her head forward and zoned everyone out. She completely ignored anything going on around her and just stared straight ahead. Eve, who is miss bubbly, funny, and lively little girl was so still and quiet. She did not cry, did not smile, and seemed to be free of any emotion. I know that she must have been scared to act like that. Poor little miss!

The doctor's examined her leg and only one time did she even make the slightest wince of pain. It was on her left side. They got her to walk around and she was still limping, but not as much as before. They even took an x-ray and nothing showed up. So, we were given an inconclusive diagnosis (probably a virus), gave Eve some  ibuprofen, and we were sent home.

In hindsight, we probably could have avoided the whole scene. But, I was just unsure and did not want to regret the decision of not going to the ER. The 'What ifs' would not have stopped. So, I am glad we went, even though it turned out to be 'nothing.'

Carrots and Prunes

Who knew that carrots and prunes could be so messy and look so cute at the same time?! Aria is usually not the messiest eater - just on her chin mostly. February 9th, however, was a different story. She got some food on the back of her hand and before I could wipe it off she rubbed her eye. I am not sure how the bit of carrots got on her ear. She just kept getting messier and messier. But, she did have a fantastic time eating! She was just so proud of herself and all smiles!

Needless to say, a bath followed the enjoyment of the food. In fact, I am pretty sure she enjoyed the bath more than the food! It is her favorite time of day - laying in warm water, kicking to her heart's content, jabbering away, almost rolling over, and not being squished by her loving older siblings. Baths = Aria's safe spot. It was a good evening for her.

I just love that look!

Hey mom!

Trying to grab the camera

The bath post-eating

She always just enjoys being in the water.

Trying to grab a toy fish. 

More February 1st Videos

Eve being Eve and the ABCs 

Reed giving us fun information :)

February 1st

 Nothing about February 1st was out of the ordinary or extraordinary really. The only thing that made it great was being with the 3 cutest kids in the world! I just love these little bugs!! Yes, my life is much more busy and complicated in a way that I did not fully understand before becoming a mother. That being said, I would not trade it for anything in the world. Being a mom is such a precious gift that I have been given. I know quite a few people who struggle with infertility and are just heartbroken. Honestly, I can say that I would be heartbroken as well. There is something about being a mom that is irreplaceable - maybe it's their smiles, the way they hug, the way they love and trust you, watching them grow up, or perhaps, the joy that I feel when we have fun together. I hope I take enough time to tell my children how much I love them! They are such special people and have made me a better person. I love you Reed, Eve, and Aria!

Aria loves chewing her fingers.

Hi! What are you doing?

A little blurry, but Reed is just so cute in this picture.

Eve would not look at me, but this picture turned out cool.

Aria and Lightning McQueen 

Painting

 I keep meaning to do more painting activities with Reed and Eve, but it always seems like I am out-of-time. I need to be better about planning our daily fun activities - then we could all the fun and inventive things that are floating around in my head. Well, January 30th, I finally succeeded in doing a little painting project with them!

I had remembered doing marble art at the school I played at (I say played because that's what we did with the kids - play! It was a school for kids with autism. Amazing place!) and thought I would try it with my kids. I knew they would like it, but there were a few glitches that I did not think about. First was the place to put the paper and marbles. We needed a bigger place to put the paper - I guess I should have pulled out some of the pans I have (next time)! Next little glitch is the thickness of the paint. We used the crayola kids paint and it ended up being too think - you had to really bounce the ball instead of roll it around the paper. Next time I would have to either thin the paint or make sure to use something else.

The kids still enjoyed the paint, but like I mentioned before, the containers were just too small. So, we turned to our new easel and did some painting on there. Despite the minor glitches, it was a fun time! The kids got nice and dirty and we all had a good time! I need to do more little projects like this - I just need to make sure that I plan ahead.

Reed loved the marbles as much as he loved the paint! 

Eve loved choosing every single color. Her first two choices: pink and purple

Aria just had a good time watching what was happening.

She was just being a cute girl!

Painting after the marble idea sort of failed.

Eve is so messy! This is a constant thing with her. I should have just taken all her clothes off!

She couldn't get it open with her hands, so decided her teeth might work. Hmmm, better work on the hand -opening thing.

Reed telling me something about the paint.

Little poser

Brother and sister love :) 

New Beginnings

For just over a year, I have been in charge of Personal Progress for the girls in my ward. I am also in charge of New Beginnings and Young Women in Excellence. I have forgotten to take pictures of last year's New Beginnings and Young Women in Excellence. I was determined to remember to take pictures this time. Well, on the morning of the set-up (January 24th), I did remember my camera! Success! The only thing I failed to check was the battery. Ugh! I did manage to get 2 photos of some of the things we set up.

The theme this year is Arise and Shine Forth. Going along with that theme, I had a table for candles from each of the girls. It was supposed to represent their light - how each candle (girl) can be so different and all so beautiful and shine light. I think it all turned out pretty well.

I introduced the theme and coupled the theme with Matthew 5:14-16. That is the first thing that popped into my head as I heard what the theme was going to be for the year. The YW sang, "Celebrating the Light" which I remember from when my mom was in Young Women's. Each of the girls chose a value to speak about and how they can shine their light through one of the personal progress experiences/projects.

One of my favorite moments of the evening was when one young woman who is mentally/developmentally challenged got up to speak with her mother. Her words just touched my heart. She chose to talk about knowledge because she is working on speaking and writing. Her mom had written out what she was saying on a card for everyone to read while the young woman spoke. It was just beautiful!

We spotlighted the 2 new young women who are entering Beehives this year, along with the young women who had moved here in the past year. We have a pretty large young women's group - close to 30 girls. I love how all the girls work together and lift each other up. They really are an amazing group! I learn so much from them every week!

Here are the pictures of the some of the decorations. Not pictured are our YW flags (which are completely amazing!), the YW theme, our table for refreshments that had Christmas balls in almost all the YW value colors and our table at the entrance with the programs and my cross stitching of the YW values (from when I was in YW).

The table with the candles on it. It was filled with candles that night.

This is what you saw when you walked in the room. I think it turned out awesome!

Reed and Eve Fun

Like I have already mentioned many times , Reed and Eve have so much fun together. Reed comes up with many ideas, but is definitely a creature of habit. He loves to do the same things in the same ways. He has expanded the things he will do, but still loves doing what he knows first and then branches out.

Eve is little miss creative. She comes up with things (it seems) out of thin air. She has such an amazing imagination and fun personality. She just loves to laugh, have a good time, and joke while Reed is definitely the more practical and serious of the two (though he still loves having a good time and jokes a lot). Here are some of the fun things this dynamic duo did in January:

January 16, 2012

Playing with mommy's shoes 

Reed has expanded to playing with my boots.

January 17, 2012

Eve decided to put ALL her hats on her head! Like I said, she is inventive. :)

Reed chose his cowboy hat that day. Definitely veering from his normal choice of Lightning McQueen

January 18, 2012

We got a couple of boxes that day, so they decided to get in the small ones to eat their oranges!

Being hams :)

I just love these two! I am so glad that they are close in age and such good friends! I hope they are always this close and have this much fun.

Look who's eating?!

 Aria officially started solid foods on January 12, 2012. I was hoping to wait a little longer than that, but it ended up being the right time to start. She had been sleeping from 11 pm - 8 am for a couple weeks, but then started waking up at 4:30 am. So, I would feed her and go back to bed. Then, I would have to wake her up at 8 and she refused to eat until around 10 or 11. So, this was definitely not a good cycle. I would try and force her to nurse at 8. She would eat for about a minute and then refuse to eat anymore. So, I knew it was time to start solid food with her.

The first day she tried rice cereal and just kind of got a weird look on her face. Mostly, she just did not know how to get the food down her throat and just about all of it came back out of her mouth. Normal :) She was being super cute when she was doing it, so it just made me smile. After a few days she got the hang of it and started loving food! We thought she would love actual food. She has tried the following foods:

*Rice cereal
* Pears
* Parsnips
* Apples
*Carrots
* Prunes
* Butternut Squash
* Sweet Potatoes
* Oatmeal

She has mostly liked everything that I have given her, except the butternut squash. The first time she tried it, she didn't eat very much. The second time she just cried the whole time. Point taken. We are not trying butternut squash again for a while. She LOVED parsnips from the very beginning - even more than pears! That was a bit of a shocker. But, I guess the other two really liked parsnips as well. We are going to be trying some other fun foods in the next little bit. It's always so fun to see the first reaction to a new food.

I have been able to make all her food aside from the rice, oatmeal, and prunes. I love my baby food maker and the storage jars that I recently got - mostly because I can stack them so easily and they have the ounces on the outside of the jar. Here are some really cute pictures of Aria trying food and just playing around!

Since starting food, Aria has consistently slept from 10:45 pm to around 8 am. There were days when she didn't wake up until 9 am! So, she is on her way to sleeping a full 12 hours! Yahoo - I am so much happier when I get more sleep. My kids are happier because I am a better mom. Thus, life is all around better when I get more sleep! So, yes, starting Aria on solid foods was an excellent choice for me and her.

January 12, 2012

Hmmmm...I like sitting in this chair

The food - on the bib and chin instead of the belly

Hi mom! Don't I have pretty eyes, even when I am  all messy?!

Aria is really getting much more active and loves to move! She rolls a ton and loves to swing herself back and forth in the jumperoo. She loves putting things in her mouth and spinning toys that spin!

 January 16, 2012

She usually enjoys the jumperoo. 

Ah, so sweet!

So, who do you think she looks like? I just love this picture!

I don't remember Reed doing this, but both Aria and Eve love to cross their ankles! I remember Eve doing it as a baby and Aria is the same way (I think she does it even more than Eve did). She loves to cross her ankles. It must be a comfortable position because she does it a lot.

Eve still does it. When I get her out of her car seat, she is often time crossing her ankles. Apparently, I have 2 little ladies in my home - so prim and proper, some of the time. I just thought it was an interesting coincidence and just looks so cute!

January 17, 2012

Aria crossing her ankles

Yep, still crossed 

Let it Snow!

 January 9th we finally for some snow - but not too much (thank goodness). I have pleasantly surprised with this winter. We finally bought a shovel and have yet to use it! But, I would rather have it that way than not have a shovel and really need it. Anyways, here are some pictures of our snow adventures!

The kids were so excited to play in the snow! It was quite enough to make a snow man or snow balls, but it was still a lot of fun. I would walk and they followed my track on the grass. Apparently, this is super hilarious. They loved catching snow flakes on their tongues and eating bits of newly fallen and clean (relatively) snow! Aria was just amazed the whole time. She kept looking around and when the snow hit her face, it was a bit of a shock since it was so cold, but she didn't cry. We stayed outside until I was cold and the kids still didn't really want to come inside, but did because they were actually cold. Fun times :)

Snow starting to fall

Reed and Eve loved it!

They would have stayed outside forever.

This is about how much snow we ended up getting. Maybe a little more.

Walking in the snow and (of course) eating some it.

Aria catching a glimpse at the snow.

You can't tell from this shot, but snow is still falling.

4 Months, Best Friends, National Zoo

I love those days when Reed and Eve just play together so well all day! Well, January 3rd was one of those days! Reed was Superman the whole day and Eve was flying around the house with him. They both had such fun ideas when they were playing! Eve would come up with something to do and Reed went along with it. Reed would come up with something to do and Eve went along with it. It was a great day!

Brother and sister love :)

January 4th we took Aria in for her 4 month check-up. Here are the stats:

Weight: 11 lbs. 14 oz. - 10%

Height: 25 in. - 75%

Head Circumference: 15 7/8 in. - 40%

Yes, skinny and long - sounds like her daddy. She is such a funny little miss. As soon as the doctor walked in, she started screaming (he had not even tried to touch her yet). She was ok with the first nurse, but the nurse that came in to give her the shots did not get a warm welcome at all. Aria just screamed. Stranger anxiety already. She is pretty attached to me. I think it's because I am often rescuing her from the good intentions of her siblings that often cause some sort of pain. Hopefully she will get over it someday. 

I am still getting used to this long and skinny thing. My other two got too fat for clothes for the first bit. Aria never outgrows clothes because she is too fat - only too long. It's interesting because clothes are still a little baggy on her even when I can no longer button them! 

Happy Aria - January 9th

January 6th my brother, Ryan, and his wife, Barbara, and their daughter, Lillie, came into town. Ryan was speaking at a conference and the rest of the family came along to visit old friends and family. We met up with them at the zoo and had a blast!

The weather was GORGEOUS! I did not even have to wear my jacket and neither did the kids. I am not complaining at all that at the beginning of January (winter), it is nice enough to go without a jacket. It was just fabulous!

It was nice to be able to chat with them again. They also got a first glimpse at Aria. She was born about 3 weeks after they moved to Atlanta and 6 days after my little sister's wedding. So, everyone just barely missed little Aria being born. Here we are at the zoo.

Reed refused to be in the picture

Notice Aria sleeping in the baby carrier :)

The panda was actually out and about - this is a rarity!

The kids love pandas, as do I!