Thursday, July 31, 2008

Hannah is 14 months

Hannah's first lollipop

She wasn't posing very well for me but note the barrette in her hair!


Just hanging out in happy baby's pose
Hannah turned 14 months yesterday! She is such a delight. She is not walking, but loves to push things around the house and walk while holding someone's hand. She is sleeping from 7pm till about 6am and is still taking 2 regular naps. She is nursing morning and night and is showing no signs of giving it up on her own. She loves to nurse, BUT... she will not nurse without her "fringe". When she began to be really active and distracted while nursing, I tossed her the blanket on the couch to play with. She loved the fringe and now just looks at me if it's not there for her when she lays down on her nursing pillow. She loves to explore and get into things. She can give me a kiss when I ask her. And she is officially throwing fits when she does not get what she wants and she knows what she wants!

Miss Hannah

Hannah's signature smile!

Isn't she gorgeous!

Ellie, Rowan, Hannah, Annie


Just a few cute pictures of Hannah and a picture of Hannah with her cousins Annie and Ellie and her second cousin (my cousin's daughter) Rowan. These pictures were snapped by my cousin Rachel (Rowan's mom) who is a very creative, talented photographer. She is living in Farmington, NM (four corners area) right now, but is soon to move to Southern CA. If you'd like to learn more about her and her photographs, check out her website at http://www.rachelclarephoto.com/.


Monday, July 28, 2008

Our week (July 21st-27th)

  • Monday began with Chuck leaving bright and early (even before my run) to work in CA. It also began following a full nights sleep! Cameron had a friend over, whom he enjoyed bossing around. And when it was time for his friend to go home, yep, you guessed it, tears. But we had good naps. C is still napping and I've had great luck getting him and H to nap at the same time. The kids were really good this day.
  • Tuesday again started following a full nights sleep and I'm starting to feel like a normal person. I didn't get to run, but did get to work out a little at the YMCA, so I survived. We had swim lessons, good naps and we went out for ice cream after dinner. The kids were really good again this day.
  • Wednesday again started out with a full nights sleep. Could it be? Are my kids finally both sleeping thru the night? Yet, another day without my morning run. I'm no longer okay. I'm deperate, desperate enough to run on the treadmill. Again, we had good naps and I got to go to a yoga class while Charity stayed with the kids. Another day where the kids were really good.
  • Thursday did not start with a full nights sleep. So no, I guess my kids are not sleeping thru the night. C got up once during the night and H was ready to go at 5am. We went to Einstein's for bagels and met up with Tim (this is Chuck's tradition). We had swim lessons again, good naps and we played long and hard at the library with C's good friend Morgan in the afternoon. The kids were a little grumpy today. Do they miss their dad? Or am I the grumpy one? I haven't really run in 5 days.
  • Friday once again did not start with a full nights sleep. C was up once during the night. We had swim lessons again today which messed up my workout plans, but I was able to work out later in the day and once again I ran on the treadmill out of desperation. Lily and Emma (and Olivia) came over late this afternoon and entertained the kids. They also made chocolate swirl cookies - the best cookies ever!. And the best part of this day was when Chuck came home! When not being entertained, the kids again were a little grumpy this day.
  • Saturday did not start out with a full nights sleep, but did start out with a run! But my running partner had to cancel, so Chuck and the kids came along. The rest of the day was taken up by grocery shopping, yard work etc. And the best part of the day other than our run...Pibb Xtra with crushed ice!
  • Sunday did not start with a full nights sleep. I guess it was too good to be true. But we had a good day anyway which included naps. We had our good friends the Brady's over for dinner as well as Charity, Kwan and Emily.
  • Overall it was a fun, event filled week!

Sunday, July 20, 2008

Families are Forever


Although, this is an adorable picture, it was taken during a major battle to get him to bed
Can't believe this pic turned out so good.


Sleeping beauty (minus the pacifier)

I am amazed at how much I adore my children! Yes, they try my patience and drive me nuts, but at the end of the day I often go to bed telling Chuck all the funny, cute things they did that day. And I often go to bed beating myself up because I had lost my temper with them (most likely C) at one point or another. When I look at my children (especially when they are sleeping), I think what would it be like to not be able to be with them. Chuck and I went to the temple yesterday and there was another couple there that had just lost a baby at 4 months old. I can't even imagine the pain! And although it would be hard, I don't think I would question my faith. In fact, it's our faith that would help us get through something like that. Because we know that families are forever. We can be with our spouses and are children for all eternity through the ordinances performed in the temple. I can't imagine my life without my children or my husband and I don't have to. I am so thankful that I have the most amazing husband and two of the most beautiful children in the world!


Where are you Hump?

Cameron has always been attached to one animal or another (sometimes more than one at a time). Over Christmas, he became attached to the camel from the nativity scene (it's a stuffed camel). I think he was drawn to the camel because we would read to him from the book "Everyone Poops", which says, "A one hump camel makes a one hump poop and a two hump camel makes a two hump poop....only kidding". Anyway, tonight we went to dinner at a friends house. We got home after bed time, Chuck has to leave very early in the morning for CA but first needed to go rent a van tonight so he could drive all his equipment over (and he really needs a hair cut). Hannah is losing it because she wants to be nursed and in bed at 7pm and it's after 8pm. Cameron won't let Chuck get him out of the tub (see post below) and I can't because I'm nursing Hannah. So, I tell Chuck just to get him out because I was sick of him yelling at me. Well, if I thought that was yelling.... Chuck getting him out led to a total meltdown. So, Hannah got some of it in her ear and the neighbors also got some. Finally, H is in bed and C is calm. But...we need Hump to go to bed. And Hump is no where to be found. This happens often by the way. We looked everywhere! I didn't remember him taking him to our friends and he said he didn't and he usually knows. So, I didn't even call. We just kept looking. Finally we gave up and I convinced him to sleep with the other animals he used to be so attached to. Then I decide to call our friends and you guess it, Hump is spending the night there.

Mommy Do It!

The screen saver on my computer has said "Mommy Do It" for over a year now. Chuck set it up to say that, because he was hearing that a lot from Cameron. And over a year later, he/we are still hearing it A LOT! Mommy has to do everything: get him out of the bath, get his juice, put him in his car seat, read him stories, etc. etc. We are sick of it! Everyone says he'll grow out of it, but it's been 3 years! When is he going to grow out of it? And even though, I think it's completely normal and to no fault of Chuck's, I know it makes Chuck feel rejected. And after the pain inflicted over the last 2 years, he needs anything but to feel rejected!

Thursday, July 10, 2008

Backpacking the Vallecito Creek Trail

Darien and Cameron
Darien, Jonathan, Cameron, Chuck
Are those not the two cutest boys you've ever seen?
Passed out! notice C's camel

Happy Campers!
While we were in Farmington, Chuck, Cameron (age 3), Jonathan and Darien (age 4) went to Colorado to do some backpacking. They were gone 3 days and 2 nights. The all seemed to have a good time and no one was hurt or killed.

Grady Williams Freedom Days Triathlon






We recently spent a week in Farmington, NM. Other than visiting family, our purpose in going was so I could compete in the Freedom Days Triathlon. This is an olympic distance tri (1.5K swim, 10K run, 40K bike) and is VERY challenging. It starts with an open water swim in Farmington lake. I'm usually very anxious in open water, but I borrowed a wet suit and went out the day before to get a feel for the water, so on race day, I was ready to go! I even beat my sister, Camera, out of the water, something I've never done before. The run is a trail run mostly in sand/dirt and is quite hilly. The bike course is VERY hilly, thank goodness for the granny gear! I was a little traumatized by the last 1/2 of the bike course, I didn't win or even set a PR, but other than that, it was a good time.

Wednesday, July 2, 2008

Just go to bed Cameron! Part 2

Well, I got a visit last night from Cameron about 1:30am, then again at 4:45am. He was just up for the day after that one. Meanwhile, Hannah slept all the way till 5am. After the bedtime song and dance last night, I didn't have it in me to force a nap today (plus I'm still hoping if he doesn't nap he'll sleep better at night), but he did have a short one after falling asleep in the car and not waking up when I brought him in. I didn't let him sleep for too long before I woke him up. And now... it is 8:15 and he is still not asleep. Chuck is doing the song and dance tonight, but it's still hard to watch. I hate for him to go to bed so upset and I'm really worried sometimes he is going to hurt himself. He bites himself and bangs his head when he is angry. The good thing is Hannah will sleep right thru the screaming even though it's right next door.

Tuesday, July 1, 2008

Just go to bed Cameron!

It's 8:30pm. I finally got Cameron to bed after 12 attempts and a lot of singing and dancing (as we like to call it). I was up at 1:15am last night to take him back to bed. After 4 times, I refused to do it anymore and let his dad take over, which means screaming. By then I was so awake and mad, I never really went back to sleep. I've been up since 4:45am, when Hannah started making noise. She frequently gets up at 4:45am. Her noise also woke Cameron up. Fortunately, he did go back to bed. I did not force Cameron to take a nap today. He always takes one, but most days it is a fight (more singing and dancing), and I'm sick of it. Plus, I wanted to experiment to see if he would sleep all night thru and go to bed earlier and easier if he did not have a nap. He was so exhausted that I thought there was no way he'd get out of bed like he normally does 3 times or so. But as we have always said about Cameron, there is no predicting him! 12 times tonight! Can't say it's a record, but close to it. Chuck is at a movie with Lily and Emma or else I would have just walked away and let him deal with Cameron. Towards the end, Cameron was asking for daddy. I don't really like to lie to my kids, but I told him I'd have daddy come check on him when he got home. That's not going to happen. I don't even want daddy to check on me when he gets home. I just want to sleep! I hope Chuck thinks to park the car in the driveway, because at the sound of the garage door opening, everyone will probably wake up. I think kids are proof positive that there must be opposition in all things.