3 months ago...

My sweet Davy turned three months old last week.  Here are a ton of pictures that I took while we were cooped up in our hotel last week with lots of ear infections, runny noses, fevers, and coughs galore!  It is a glamorous life we are living :)

Davy has been such a great baby so far!  Way better than Katelyn so far...don't tell her!  If you are a new mom, you might not want to read this because you might be jealous of how good of a sleeper he is.  Seriously, I remember reading blogs of friends that had babies around when I had Katelyn and the would mention how they were great sleepers and I would get so sad because I was so exhausted and just wanted to get some uninterrupted sleep like they were getting.

Davy is that kind of sleeper!  For over a month now, he sleeps a solid chunk of the night...like anywhere from 7-10 hours.  I think Katelyn still wakes up more often than he does!  I have no idea why he is such an awesome sleeper other than kids are just different.  I am terrible at sticking to any sort of schedule.  I just feed him every three to four hours and if he starts getting droopy eyed, I lay him down and swaddle him up.  I really don't do anything special or fancy.  Maybe it helps that he takes a pacifier?  Maybe it helps that I am not able to hold him and stare at him all day like I did with Katelyn and she got too attached to want to sleep anywhere other than with us?  I don't know, but I cannot complain.  I am so grateful he sleeps so well and keeps me sane!

As you can see, he eats very well.  He is growing out of clothes so fast and it cracks me up when he nearly busts the snaps open in the belly of some of his clothes.  I love his squishiness and he wears it well!  If only we could all look that cute with rolls on our thighs and pudgy fingers!

I think he is much more of a mix of the two of us than Katelyn is.  She clearly looks more like David.  Davy is a little paler, has my eye shape with David's dark brown eyes, has David's nose, and possibly my mouth.  He has a little dimple on his cheek when he smiles really big that I love and I will do the most silly and obnoxious things to bring out that big smile with the dimple!    As you can see in the next picture...we really are the funniest people!

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He is a smiley baby and will crack a smile as we walk by him knowing that they suck us in.  His smiles make us all smile and we just can't get enough of them!  I often put off doing things I should because I just gotta get those smiles from him.  They are so addicting and satisfying.

Sometimes it is so hard to hold up his own head and it takes a few grunts and toots to keep it in place :)
 

He is a very stiff baby and tries out his strong muscles so often.  He is not a snuggler because of this.  He is still a wobbly bobble head, and he tries so hard to stretch out his legs and stand tall.  It is hard to get him to sit because he won't relax to bend at the hip...like trying to bend a piece of wood in the center.  His hinges seem to be a little stiff :)  

When we hold Davy he likes to push away and look around at everything except for who is holding him.  He also likes to surprise us and see how well we are holding him and he will fling back and use his back muscles to try to back flip out of our arms.  I have to warn people of this because I am afraid he will fling himself out of someone's arms.  There's too much to see to waste time nuzzling in.  The only times he relaxes and snuggles is when he is drunk on milk and getting burped...and he has more manly burps than David :)

I like to dress him up on in plaid shirts and I love that he looks like a little manly man.  David says these shirts remind him of Al Borlin from the show Home Improvement.

Davy likes to talk with his cute little coos and that's what he is doing in this next picture.  Sometimes he tries to flatter me into giving him some milk with his sweet voice and when that doesn't work, he gets angry and sad and cries for it.

These next two pictures are funny and a little creepy only because he was sleeping so peacfully and I rolled him on to his side for the pictures and his hand stayed behind his head and he calmly laid his other hand on his chest. He was just posing for the camera and knew exactly what he was doing because in the next picture he opened his eyes and looked right at me.  It honestly scared me because I was awwing over him sleeping and posing so sweetly and then his big dark brown eyes were just staring!

Look at those little sausage fingers!  And look at that bottom lip...it make a seriously good pouting lip and he know how to work that pout for some kisses.

He likes his pacifiers, but he loves a good hand to suck on if he can get it.  His pacifiers leave indents on his chubby cheeks that try to intrude.  He spends plenty of time gumming my knuckle until it drips with drool and then I have to call it quits.  Sometimes before calls for me when he wakes up I will hear him smacking his lips on his hands and fingers.  This is fine as long as it is his fist, but once he straightens out his fingers he starts gagging on them and doesn't know to pull them out!  His hands are usually in fists and get stinky from his fermenting slobber sealed in his fists...like sourdough smelling and it is so weird!

Katelyn loves loves loves him!  He cracks her up any time he smiles, or tries to tickle her (we convinced her that he is trying to tickle her, not hurt her when he kicks or hits her with his flailing arms or legs) or when he is dancing (flailing arms and legs when music is playing).  She loves bath time with him and thought it was funny when he peed across the tub on her while I was grossed out.  She did agree with me that it was really gross when he pooped in the tub and gagged/nearly threw up.  For some reason she still enjoys taking a bath with him!

She gives him lots of hugs and kisses to the point of almost smothering him daily.  I have to keep an eye on that girl!  She calls him "Baby Butter" as she doesn't really say r's or th's, but it is fitting for our little butterball boy.

   He puts up with her loving on him on a regular basis.  These two take a lot of work, but at least we all still like each other!

David would be proud of this next shot taken by Katelyn...we might have a photographer on our hands!  Let's start a business :)

A Great Mom

Being a mom is tough!  Adding the role of a mom on top of a wife makes things so great, but it takes work and a lot of it.  So very often I think about how my childhood went and the fun memories that made it so good.  I also think often of the craziness that having 10 kids brings.  I have no idea how it all happened with all of us doing multiple sports and activities in and out of the church.  We didn't all stay home all the time and so I wonder how my mom mostly (my dad was at work) kept track of who needed to be where and who wanted to go to a friends house and where we were and what we were doing.  Crazy!

What I, and many others, often wonder about is how...how did she not go crazy?!

She is such a super hero of a mom just for birthing all ten of us...and we were not small babies (12 pound Chris!) but then she and my dad raised all of us and luckily we all turned out great and still like each other!

I was home for a month this summer and a lot was going on.  I was able to witness my mom in action and it was great!  She was making plans for all the family to be home for Matt and Chelsea's wedding and making sure we all had food to eat, places to sleep, and places to be at certain times.  People to be picked up from the airport, family pictures, wedding party brunch, reception, blessing dress and 5 other dresses to be finished, blessing party BBQ, day at the water park, kids flying out/driving home here and there all within 5 days.  She had a lot to think about and keep track of and she never blew up even though she probably got less than 20 hours of sleep those 5 days!  I love how determined she is.

Mom was so calm about it all and she always has been.  She makes her to do lists and has plenty that could throw her for a loop, but she handles it all so much more peacefully than what would be expected.  I love how calm she is!

Once all the wedding and family business slowed down, she and my dad and Luke headed off on a long road trip for the 2nd reception in Wyoming.  It was a lot of driving for a short stay.  When she returned, we had news that Grandma Honey, her mom, wasn't doing so well.  Grandma Honey passed away the next morning and even though we were sort of expecting her death to come sometime soon, we weren't entirely ready.  To see how my mom handled it all was admirable.  She passed the news to family and then in just hours, the house was filling up again with family.  Though she didn't have a break between planning the wedding and then making preparations for her mother's funeral, she was on top of it and went all in.  In fact, she loved that she was able to have space and the ability to host everyone. She was sensitive to everyone's needs and wanted everyone to be happy and comfortable.  I tear up remembering her simply asking Grandpa Bob on a few occasions how he was doing and letting him know what was going on.  She and her siblings kept making sure that he was happy with all the preparations for the funeral.  I love how caring she is.

The day after the funeral, Sunday, she remembered that morning that she was asked to give a talk.  She had meant to tell the bishop to find someone else to replace her, but it didn't happen and she forgot about it until that morning.  She might have panicked a little, but she was fine with it.  We arrived at church and she asked if her name was in the program to speak.  She was and she went and sat up front.  I was nervous for her!  She had been so busy for the past month and she clearly didn't have time to prepare anything because she had a house full of people and she was a big part of preparing the funeral.  When it was her turn to speak, there was such a reverence and respect given.  Some people knew what she was faced with the last week, and most didn't until she told them.  But then she shared three powerful stories of how my dad, Grandma honey, and herself all had different experiences at different times in their lives gaining their testimonies of the Gospel.  It was simple, but so powerful.  I have been able to relate to each of their experiences and have seen similarities in how I am building my own testimony.  She could have backed out at the last minute and she would have had a great excuse not to talk, but I am so glad she did.  I love her diligence and her testimony.

She has mentioned often that if she is feeling down, then the best way to get out of that slump is to serve someone.  She likes to make people happy and she never complains about the time she spends helping people...only that there isn't enough time.  I love how selfless she is.

Katelyn loved "Gigi Mama" and she was the perfect excuse to never go to sleep!

A special treat as part of having a baby is that my mom comes for a bit to help. She arrived a couple days after we got home from the hospital and she got right to work.  She cleaned up and organized so many of our junk piles and even sorted our socks and underwear basket (David had to leave the room it was a little too awkward for my mom to be sorting his underwear and carry on any type of conversation!) We rearranged furniture, and she cooked up a storm. I hate feeling like I am sitting around while people work, especially cleaning and cooking in MY home, but she made me relax and keep the kids entertained while she worked and fed us all.  She loaded our freezer up with so many yummy meals and it was packed so full that I had to use duct tape to keep it sealed shut.  Whenever I wanted a meal, I just had to take the one off the top in front or else it would all come crashing down and I would have to find out how to make it all fit.  There were over a month's worth of meals...chicken noodle soups, beef stews, Italian soup, chicken cordon blue, chicken and mushroom croissant roll ups, lasagnas, meat loafs and lots of meats cooked up to be thrown into meals.  It was so awesome to eat great meals each night that just needed to be warmed up.  I was terrified with Hurricane Sandy coming that we would lose power for too long and that all of the food packed in the freezer (less than a week before) would be wasted but luckily we never lost our power!  I was so bummed when the meals were all eaten up because now I have to make my own food again!  It was so nice being spoiled with my mom's home cooked meals long after she left.  I love her service and generosity.

She made Davy's blessing outfit and it turned out perfectly!  I love her talents.

I admire her love that she has for each and every one of her kids.  She was a cheerleader in high school and has continued to cheer for all of us in our sports and school activities and anything we set ourselves on doing.   She will always tell us her honest opinion and guide us to what is right.  She has always supported and encouraged me in anything that was good.  I have always loved getting her approval.

She is so kind.  I have a little prankster side of me and I know she would absolutely never even think to do any of the tricks I do because she feels that pranks mean spirited.  I haven't figured out how to be so nice like her yet but I am getting better, maybe.  The Dairy Queen refried bean "blizzard" was just too funny not to enjoy getting my dad so good.  I admire how she is always so kind.

I wrote this poem to her one year for Mother's Day when I was younger.  You can tell what was important to me at that time in my life and it makes me laugh.  I want to say that I was in 3rd grade when I wrote this.

If It Weren't For You

If it weren't for you,

I wouldn't brush my teeth 

and I'd eat candy all day 

and have cavities all my life.

If it weren't for you,

I wouldn't clean my room

and I'd swim through my junk 

and I'd live in a pigsty

If it weren't for you,

I wouldn't go to school

and I'd never have an education

and U'd never pass the 1st grade

If it weren't for you,

I wouldn't have to go to bed by 9:00

and I would play with my friends past 5:00

 and I would stay up late and watch TV all night

If it weren't for you,

I wouldn't have to mow the lawn

and we could play hide and go seek in the night

and play it in the tall grass

But if it weren't for you

I wouldn't be here

I love you.

I am happy to let everyone know that my priorities have changed and I am glad that I was kept in line and made me be home by 5.  Now I know that if it weren't for my mom, then I wouldn't be the mother, wife and Latter Day Saint that I am now.  I find myself thinking back often of what she would do in my situation if I am having troubles with my kids.  She is a great example and I admire her strengths.  I know she isn't perfect, but she has so many amazing attributes that I look up to.  I doubt I will have 10 kids or ever be able to match her strengths, but I am so grateful she is my mom.  She just turned 60 and it amazes me how beautiful she is inside and out.  You would think that everything that having/raising 10 kids entails would make 60 years look really worn out and old, but she is rocking this new decade already and my dad knows he's got a hot one!  My dad and us kids are pretty lucky to have her be such a big part of our lives.  I'm glad she's my mom and wish I had her to fill my freezer full of meals and sort my socks and underwear more often but that means I have to have more kids more often!  Love you Mom!

Thanksgiving

Our Thanksgiving was a blast!  We had some of David's family come to us and it was great!  As flights were half as much to fly on Thanksgiving day, everyone flew in that night...Rosie and Peter from Dallas, and Ken from Tucson.  While they were flying during the day, David and I headed out and did some shopping to get some of the good deals.  David enjoys the waiting in line experience...he must be a little crazy...but he really enjoys getting to know the people he is in line with and the craziness of it all!  I am not kidding.  He stood in line to get a laptop for his dad and was the first in line.  I am not supposed to mention that there were about 20 laptops left over once 10:00 came and they were all handed out as it defeats the purpose of waiting in line for it, but that usually doesn't happen.  It just downplays the importance and awesomeness of him being first in line, so don't tell David :)

I went around the store looking for all sorts of good deals I wanted to check out.  I picked up some little things here and there including lots of pillows (we were desperate for new ones and we had company coming), a new big memory card (a puppy got a hold of my last one somehow), other fun stuff for everyone, and some goldfish to keep Katelyn happy through it all!  I am a sucker for some good deals!  The rest of our Christmas shopping was done online and sent right to the lucky people!

Once everyone's flights came in, we chatted and Katelyn fell in love with Rosie and Peter's goofiness!  My high-5's are so boring compared to theirs!  They were her new best friends and she loved "Wosie and Peter and Dampa Ten"

Black Friday was our Thanksgiving day.  We cooked up our favorite parts of the meal and got sad news that my good friend Terryn and her family weren't going to be able to make it since they were all sick.  We had to make our own pies, but I missed out on not being able to catch up with her and spunkiness!  I get to see her this week and they aren't sick so we are all happy campers.  

Rosie and Peter had a turkey delivered to our door a couple days before and it was heavenly.  They ordered it from Greenberg Smoked Turkeys   and it was awesome!  Not only did I not have to prepare and cook a turkey, but it tasted great!  I warmed it up for an hour in the oven and then we cut it up and ate it...delicious! If you don't like the smokey flavor then it isn't for you, but we all loved it and couldn't stop sneaking little nibbles before dinner while the rolls finished cooking!

I didn't mind cooking up the sides and I loved that we ate at our place and we had lots of yummy leftovers!  I also liked that we didn't have to make the dishes that we didn't want...like green bean casserole and sweet potatoes.  I only made the best :)  I missed the fruit salad that my mom always makes, but other than that I think we hit all the stops on our yummy feast!  Tricia made a yummy dirt cake that we all liked more than the pie and the left the extras with me...I mean us, but I might have been the lone lucky eater!  I am fast like that coming from a family of 12.  Odd thing...David asked about that oreo dirt cake like a week ago wondering if it was gone...over a month past silly boy!

After the fun of eating, I made everyone embarrass themselves playing some great Minute To Win It games.  I have a highlight video on its way!  

The next day we were a little slow getting going and Rosie and Peter got right on it and explored the inner harbor in Baltimore.  

That was a great thing about them staying at the hotel and having a car...They didn't have to wait for us slow pokes and were able to see some of the sites in Baltimore and in D.C. while we were just trying to get dressed, ready, fed, just in time for nap time, and then we were ready to get out on the town!  We enjoyed a yummy meal at the Cheesecake Factory and caught a Christmas light show in the harbor.  

Sunday, November 25th (Happy Birthday Chad!) David blessed Davy.  It was sweet and simple and of course he was an angel and didn't even cry or attempt to out-do Katelyn's nasty blow-out on her blessing day.  Thank you Davy!  I want to take some more close up pictures of the blessing outfit and post those.

Monday we set up a fun day.  We traded cars with a friend...Thanks again Tami... and used her minivan for the day.  If fit all of us just right and we drove off to explore D.C. for the day.  We drove down and parked the car for the day and met up with our escorts for the day...DC Trolley Tours.  It was perfect for our group.  We hopped on and off all day at different stops and got a little bit of a history lesson and explanation of the buildings, monuments, and landmarks in D.C.  We brought along a carrier pouch and I carried Davy all day nuzzled in close to me.  We brought an umbrella stroller for Katelyn and Ken didn't get wiped out from walking to see everything so it was great being dropped off at whichever stops we wanted and then jumping back on once we were done taking pictures and seeing what we wanted to see!  I thought about figuring out and creating my own self driven tour where we could park and get out to take pictures, but I didn't have the time and energy and knowledge to put that together and we all loved the trolley ride around town.  I definitely recommend it!  

We spent extra time at the Lincoln Monument.  Ken was very eager to see it and would have been happy if that was all he saw!  Rosie and Peter saw it at night and I want to go tour at night sometime because they said it is really neat to see the monuments lit up at night.  

We also stopped at the Arlington Cemetary and booked it up to the top to see the Changing of the Guard at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier.  It was neat and it is such a peaceful place.  I was so focused on watching the ceremony and then Katelyn yelled out into the silent reverence, "Hi Mommy!"  David was standing with her up above where we were and she spotted me in the down below and let us all hear her excitement :)

We finished the loop of the main tour and were hungry and we had lunch at Qdoba since Rosie and Peter had never been and we all left with happy bellies!  We finished off the day at the National Archives museum and realized that there is so much more there than the original documents of the Bill of Rights, The Constitution, and the Declaration of Independence. (I think there was another one there...maybe the Magna Carta?)  But we walked around and read up on the events of the Cuban Missile Crisis and explored the museum part of that building.  I had to take a break to feed Davy and didn't realize it was closing time.  They were ready to go home or they had some other event they were getting ready for because they wanted us out right that second!  I cut Davy's feeding short and he wasn't happy about that!  Ken was in the bathroom and they rushed him out too!  Sheesh!  There was still two minutes till closing time :)

We all loved all that we could see and headed home.  We ordered pizza in and chilled for the night.  The next morning we cooked up some these yummy crepes and sauce!  I started making these when Julia came to visit in September and can't stop!  They are soooo good and I am a sucker for fresh fruit and the yummy sweet cream cheese sauce...gotta love pinterest!  Peanut butter, Nutella and Bananas is yummy too!  I underestimated how fast they would go and we had to make another batch of the batter...yum!  I also loved having people around that help clean and cook!  Rosie and Peter are the "clean up right away" type and I so wish I was, but I am not!  They clean up and it goes so fast and they were always done with dishes by the time I put the milk away in the fridge.  I am a slow cleaner...but they are fast!  It is so nice having someone that keeps my kitchen clean...and plays with Katelyn and gets her giggling!

I am realizing that so much of this post has to do with food...isn't that part of the awesomeness of Thanksgiving?  I loved eating up the leftovers and then I froze the turkey once the mashed potatoes and stuffing and gravy were gone.  Oh that darn gravy...I wish I knew how to make the really good homemade kind with the drippings from the turkey that was freshly prepared, but the two times I have tried did NOT turn out very edible so we opted for store bought which was fine, but I know what the good stuff tastes like so I have a high standard for my gravy and haven't been able to match it with anything I have made or bought.  

Despite the gravy dilemma, I loved our Thanksgiving weekend!  I love having the business of family and people over.  I always have some withdrawals after it is all over and want to spend more time with everyone.  There just isn't enough time and we all live too far away and have to live responsible grown up lives and not spend all of our money and quit our jobs to hang out with our families all the time.  Shucks!