Friday, July 5, 2013

Happy 4th of July!!

We had a great 4th of July.  Parker is finally old enough to question what this holiday is for and we were so happy to tell him about our great country.  

    We went to some neighbors homes for a BBQ and fireworks.  It was great.    The company was fun and the kids loved the fireworks.  Besides sparklers and pop it my kids have not seen real fireworks before.  They are always in bed.  It doesn't get dark enough until after 10.   Bella kept screaming, mom don't this think it is beautiful!!  And this is the best night ever!!
   I on the other hand was terrified.  Balloons popping really startle me.  I kept gasping and screaming almost every time they Popped. I found myself holding my breath and sweating while they went off.  Maybe fireworks aren't my thing.  I think I prefer to watch from a far.   But the  look of excitement on my kids face was priceless!








Wednesday, May 8, 2013

Catch up on Autumn

ok lets pretend like it hasn't been a year since I posted. I have a few drafts.... some that I think I wrote intending to publish but then realized they may be better just as journal postings and my feelings about my father passing away in October and when when I got my new calling and then just life... anyways I wanted to write a bit about Autumn. She is now 20 months old and such a stinker. that is what Bella and I call her...one because I swear she always has a dirty diaper and because she loves to get into trouble...
 
         Christmas

 January in California
 visiting papa

 my valentine

 getting parker from the bus stop
 playing with cousin Hannah opening Christmas presents


  She is still a great sleeper,  I lay her down around 7:30 and she gets up about 7:30 in the morning.  we have recently realized she does not go right to sleep she is usually walking around her crib with her favorite blankie on her head talking to her self or reading books.  she has to have books in bed with her she loves them. I swear I probably read her at least 49 books today. All day long she brings me books and pulls me to the floor so she can climb in my lap.   And who can saw no to that?  She loves them!
with her blankie
    She is the worst eater of all my children.   Don't get me wrong she loves to eat, but only what she wants and she is sooo picky.  I have truly been blessed with the best eaters they will eat anything I put in front of them and do it happily almost all the time....  She will only eat chicken nuggets and hot dogs....   I am far to healthy of a person for this to be ok....  come on.    she despises most other foods beside fruits and some veggies she loves them and would eat them all day too.   Every single day she eats oatmeal with blueberries in it for breakfast then either chicken nuggets or hot dogs...nasty.   she has gotten worst she used to eat sliced turkey for sandwiches and a few other things like pasta.  Now the second she sees anything else she drops to the floor rolls around and screams....   it is awesome!!  Then she will continually smack her head on the back of the chair....  she insists on sitting in a real chair no booster, just like the big kids.  everything has to be just like them.
this was taken before her abhorrence to booster seats and pasta.
She loves to be chased and tickled and loves to brush her teeth herself.    she will follow parker or bella anywhere and thinks they are the best.  Now that it is warmer she loves to be outside.  especially to see the neighbors dogs or jump on the tramp.  she loves that too.  I try and keep the kids from bouncing her too hard, but she just laughs and laughs.  It will be a fun summer.  I am sure it will be many walks and swimming and lots of time riding her scooter or the trike.
  My favorite thing about her is how happy she is to see us after she wakes up or how she loves to give kisses and how much she loves her daddy.  She will go to anyone in our house but the second we are at someones home or at church and I leave her she freaks out.  That means she hates nursery.  She has gotten a tiny bit better and will only scream for 20 minutes or so.   They assure us they do not want us to stay and they can handle it but it is so sad to see her sad and to leave them with a screaming baby.  

Friday, June 22, 2012

baby comparison

I always get questions about my kids when they see Autumn and they say "who does she look like?" so I went back and found a few pictures of them each at 9-10 months
parker


                                                                            Bella
Autumn


What do you think???

I think she is a mix of both, but them some of her own too.


Thursday, June 21, 2012

Autumn 10 months old

so big!!
     Oh I feel terrible for not doing updates on her sooner. I think about it every time a month milestone comes along and I let the opportunity pass.  Autumn is truly a joy.  She loves people and gets so excited to see anyone walk in the room and loves to smile even at strangers which none of my other kids ever have so it is fun.  I get stopped in stores all the time for people to smile at her and then they say oh is she 5 or 6 months old... I have to reply no she is almost 10 months, she is just petite.  ( I like to say petite instead of small)  All my babies are small..  but she still has chubby legs and I love to squish them so that makes it all better.  
     Last month Autumn got sick with a  high fever and had 5 teeth all come though in a few days and she was miserable. She slept all day and all night, but when she was awake she would never let us put her down.  She feels better now, but has not seemed to kick that bad habit.  So she gets carried around most the day.  At least she is petite, right?  
    She is crawling all over she started crawling about 1 1/2 months ago.  It has been so fun to watch her grow. She doesn't talk much yet but she likes to jabber and says Mom and momma, but nothing resembling dadda so far.
   Autumn is a great eater.  In the last month she has weaned herself from nursing mainly because I didn't have any milk left. She doesn't take a bottle or a sippy cup very well, but she eats so much food.  at least 4 bowls of food a day plus finger foods. She is addicted to puffs, I swear they are baby crack. she sees them and all is right in the world and she shoves them in her mouth like it is cake....   I make most of her baby food but if she is eating prepared food she will eat two large jars or containers mixed with baby oatmeal and coconut milk.  it is a ton... not sure where she puts it.  
   She does seem to have many of the same allergies as Parker.  She is extremely sensitive to dairy, nuts and strawberries.  That is all I have noticed so far.  She is so sensitive that if i touch  the string cheese I open for Bella and then pick up Autumn she gets hives where ever I tough her....  it is crazy.  Not sure I want to go through so many allergies again it has been difficult with parker, but manageable and now he has outgrown so many of his.  I would rather I have this problem than someone else since I already am experienced with it. When she gets a bit older we will take her to the allergist and do a prick test to see what all she is allergic to.
   She is an excellent sleeper.  She always has been but starting at about 4 months she started sleeping 10-12 hours straight at night.  Now for the past few months she NEVER wakes up in the middle of the night I lay her down around 7 at night and she wakes up around 7:30 in the morning then will be awake for a few hours then lay back down for a good 3 hour block then another nap around 2-4ish every day.  I am so thankful she loves to sleep.  She is as of recently no longer swaddled she just wants her soft pink and brown blanket and suck her tongue...
fun with daddy

tickles

playing with her baby



   She loves to hold on to toys she has this pink ring rattle that she held onto for days. I could hardly get it out of her hand to dress her she just screams I am sure she does let go of it while she sleeps but she falls asleep with it in her hand and when I go in her room to get her she has it again, It must be a comfort item.
   I really just adore her.  We are for sure each others biggest fans and I just cant get enough of her smile and laugh. She adores Parker and Bella she sees them and just starts to laugh.  Every time we walk by dans office she knows that is where he usually is and looks for him and if he is not in there I see her start to look around. I love the way when I hold her that she smiles at others then coy like buries her head in my shoulder and then peaks out again.  She is really a doll!  
   she is 27 inches tall and almost 17 lbs at age 9 months 3 weeks.

Sunday, May 13, 2012

Mothers day 2012

I am so grateful for the mothers in my life I have an amazing mom, mother in law, grandmothers and other woman who are like mothers to me and friends who are wonderful mother and I learn so much from them. I feel truly blessed to have these women in my life
my mom and I in January of this year.

I love that I have been given the privilege to be a mother what a  great responsibility it is to teach and nurture these children in this life.  I am humbled by it every day.  it is the best job in the world and everyday my heart is over flowing with love for these kids.  Yes many days we have hard moments, but the joy I feel is surpassed by the hard times.  I love being out shopping mid day with my kids and older people come up to me so often  and just look at the kids and remark about how it goes so fast and to cherish these days.  I really try and take this to heart. it is already going so fast I can not believe I will have a kindergartner this year, but we have had so much fun.  They make me laugh everyday.  Bella and her dancing and signing and mannerisms crack me up.  Parker and how is such a mini Dan and how he will do anything to make his sisters laugh.  Autumn how her face lights up when I come in the room like I am her favorite person in the world... (ok I might be her favorite person right now, but I helps I supply the milk) But she is just the sweetest baby!
 my cute girls this morning in matching jammies
 How is it the baby smiles best for me....
 I asked Bella she assured me she is not in pain here.... this is her happy face... she is a joy in front of the camera
The best we got of the family after church in the backyard....

A "Belle" birthday party!

all I've heard about since Parker had his birthday at the end of January was that Bella wanted a Belle birthday party. Normally for a three year old it would just be family but she thinks she should do everything Parker does and he had friend party this year and so would she.  So we invited a few girls over for a princess party. 

The invite..... she loved them.  
a bunch of princesses.


Just finished reading princess and the pea about to play a game
The cake this was what I heard the most about she needed a Belle princess cake... So i came up with this.I took the legs off her doll poured a cake batter in a bowl and baked it then made her skirt out of frosting it was quick and easy and she was tickled every time she walked by it she would say look mom a belle cake!!!!

it was a very fun day.  Cant believe my princess is 3!!

easter 2012

We had a wonderful Easter this year, here are a few pictures from our Easter egg hunt with our neighbors (the kids best friends)









 love these pictures of the girls digging through their baskets...

Tuesday, April 3, 2012

safety training

Last week for family night we decided to teach our kids some of our safety plans like where to go if there was a fire, reteach them (though they never remember) not to ever open the door and what to do if there is an emergency and mom or dad cannot call 911.  We did tell them it was only to be done in an emergency.  The next day while I was feeding Autumn some cereal Parker comes saying, "call 611 in an emergency." I corrected him and said no 911. As we were talking the home phone rang, I didn't think much of it Dan always gets the phone, but he was not here.  Then it rang again I asked Parker to bring me the phone, but I missed the call so I called back the number and they answered, "emergency dispatch" I was shocked. I said I just got a call from here and he said, only in response to a 911 call we received from you.  My eyes immediately shot to Parker and I assured them it was an accident and we were fine and apologized for the inconvenience......
   I sat Parker down and asked him if he called the police, he told me up and down no..... finally he admitted it and then iIasked him WHY?!?! he said it wanted to see what happened.   I told him the police would come and if there was not an emergency he would be in trouble, but not to worry this time because I told them were were fine.  We spent the next few minutes discussing this and then he went off to play. 15 minutes later someone knocks on the door.  I can see through  the glass it is the police.  I looked at Parker and said Parker the police are here!!!  He looked so terrified.  He hide behind the door. I assured the officer we were fine, but that I have a curious five year old who was testing  what he was taught the night before.  I had Parker come out and apologize. The police man said, "I am here to help, but only call me if you really need it."  Parker was so scared that he was in so much trouble.  I am glad the police man was so nice to him, but also glad he came so he knows the police will come if you call.  But I feel bad we wasted his time.
  I thought he got the concept you only call for emergencies if mom and Dan cannot call we repeated it daily.  But the next week while in California and visiting my grandmother he was playing in the back room and a phone was sitting there and I guess it was too tempting and HE DID IT AGAIN.  The phone rang and my aunt had enough scene to say no we are fine it was a child sorry.  When questioned what in the world he was thinking and asking if there was a fire?  did anyone die?  He finally said I just wanted to see if it worked in California too!!!  Such a  smart and curious little boy!  It gave us all a big laugh (when he did not see).  What am I  going to do with this little boy.

  

california visit march 2012

For spring break we all drove out to Roseville to visit my family and a few friends. we had a great trip visiting. My dad felt pretty well for the most part while we were there so that was really nice. My brother and his wife Bre were also able to join us for the weekend too. We didn't do much while we were there besides the zoo, mini golf and parks and visiting with different family and friends, but it was great. The kids were all great the whole time. Autumn is such a happy baby it was nice for her to be able to give lots of smiles to everyone there.
Autumn at 7 months
smiling at her Papa! 
my 3 sweet kids. I can not get enough of them!
my family of 5. I am so blessed!
all together before dinner.
me and my sweetheart!