Snowsick

It's been 4 years since I graduated from Snow and I totally plan on doing an elaborate 5 year anniversary post next year (I bet you're looking forward to that, huh, huh?) so that's not what this is. This is just because 4 years, a husband and 2 kids later - the back-to-college commercials still make me Snowsick.

So for now this is just me remembering a few of my favorite things from those first few months back at school each year.

- Like how lucky I am that Kasidee and Marianne met our best Snow guy friends, Dan and Zeb, like the first week we were there (I was introduced to them later obviously).

- And how much anticipation there was every year when Kasidee and I would show up at our new apartment and set up our rooms while we discussed what we thought our new roommates were going to be like. And sometimes we were dead wrong.

- And how simple life used to be. I was so excited and lucky to get a 10-15 hour a week job that paid $6.25/hr. That was more than minimum wage people! And it was absolutely all I needed to live on. In fact, I felt quite rich.

This is the Noyes building, and I totally worked here - up there in the top even. For the Provost. And President Benson even smiled at me here once.

-And how thankful I am that my dad talked me into going here. I think there must be something pretty magical about Snow because I think it was magical for him too and he wanted me to experience it. I'm glad he did and I'm glad I did.

Yep. I'm feeling a little Snowsick but I'm happy where I am. Sitting with a crying, stinky baby on my lap as I finish this while my chocolate covered 2 year old watches Horton Hears a Who for the 246th time. I'm content and veryhappy where I am now, but I hope I never stop getting a little Snowsick every August.

P.S. To all the Snow roommates out there that have pictures and stories - please please send them to me when you get a chance. Kiki -I lost my CD of pictures from you. If you make me a new one I'll make you something fabulous in return. I just don't know what...

Please pass the annoying parent award

I don't know what I'm more impressed with - the fact he sang it pretty much 100% or the fact that he can sing, color and watch tv at the same time.

26 Months - I'm Coloring!

This month we've kind of settled in to being home all three of us together. Your dad was gone for the first two weeks of your 26th month and I was nervous about trying to deal with both of you while he was away but I think that's what helped us - knowing it was pretty much just the three of us for the majority of that two weeks. We did good! We spent a lot of time hanging out outside while Tessa slept and a lot more time playing blocks and coloring inside. I even finally got brave and took you and Tess to church by myself one week when dad was gone. You talked the WHOLE TIME. I kept trying to get you to whisper but it wasn't happening. I asked again very nicely if you could please whisper and you looked at me and said. "No. I can't. I'm coloring." Well, I guess you told me didn't you?

We were super excited to have dad home when he finally did come home. You were super excited because on one of his days off he mowed the lawn and you always get to hang out with him while he does it. I don't think he minds...

We also kind of started potty training this month. You've been showing an interest so I thought I'd buy you some underwear and just see how things went. They didn't go so hot the first 3 days. I ended up changing soggy underwear instead of soggy diapers so by day 4 I decided you weren't ready and I was going back to diapers. Turns out you weren't having any of that and insisted you wear your underwear and didn't have an accident for 2 days! You've had a few setbacks since then. I think this has something to do with a fear of peeing in gas station bathrooms (who but Britney Spears can blame you? - hmm...you probably don't even know who she is...), but we will keep it up as long as the two of us can handle it and see how it works out.

Your cute underwear butt.

Your peeing on the potty stance. I'm glad you like the toilet now because for a few days there you were actually peeing OVER your potty chair and on to the wall behind it because you refused to sit down and pee. You wanted to pee like a big boy and stand up.

I like that we've settled in and as we get more and more of a routine down I hope to be able to start teaching you some things. You can pretty much say your ABC's with only a few minor "revisions" here and there. A B C B D is your version of the first few letters - it is pretty cute. You can also count to ten which is pretty impressive. Sometimes you even throw in numbers like 45 or 18.

You've said your usual funny stuff this month too. One night you were sitting by Tess and I said, "Awww, Baby Tess and Baby Logan." and you responded right back with "Baby Momma!" Me and your dad laughed pretty hard. And just today we were on our way back from Hurricane and we were making fun of some of the noises Tess was making by making the same noises back and forth to each other. I decided to moo like a cow to see what you would do. Instead of mooing back at me you said "No, don't do that. That sounds like Dusty." I don't know what Uncle Dusty would say about that but I laughed pretty hard.

As always you keep us laughing, guessing, and pulling our hair out. And I love being able to see it all day every day.

Love you bug,

Mom

I haven't forgotten

My oldest child is still loved, it's just been a hectic week so his letter will be up as soon as I get a chance. Trust me, it is partly his fault.

Hello Tessa

Sorry it is sideways, apparently I can't figure out my phone.

Months 1 & 2 - Brown Eyed Girl

Two months already - holy cow. You've been a pretty easy child so far so I'm basking in that for now because I know all too well what the future will most likely hold for us.

You aren't on a schedule but that is most likely my fault. Your brother was not ever going to be one of those "strict schedule" babies so I guess that's what I'm used to. I think if I gave it some effort you would be, but at this point I'm not too worried about it. You eat, you burp, you stay up and smile and/or cry for a bit, then you sleep. That's a good enough schedule for me and I don't need that all to happen at certain hours on the hour. You wake up only twice at night which is fabulous - around 2-3 am and then again between 5-6 and then you sleep until 9. Some nights you skip the 2-3 am waking which is even better!

You gave your first giant smile to your dad on your six week birthday. He was getting ready for work and said something to you that you liked and you gave him this big open mouth toothless grin for a second. I was ticked! Ok not really, but why do babies always do that? Your moms are the ones who feed you, burp you, walk around the house with you, try EVERYTHING they can to get the gas out of you and then you smile at your DAD? It's ok though cause I've totally found the secret to making you smile and I do it all the time. All I have to do is say "Hey, pretty girl!" and you grin and grin. Hopefully that doesn't work for the boys in a few years.

You are growing like a weed. At your 1 month checkup you were already 9 pounds 5 ounces (I made a bet with your Grandma H. and totally hit it spot on, does a mom know or what?). I think you are just coming off the end of another growth spurt too - the other day you slept until quarter after 12 in the afternoon and I finally had to wake you up to feed you before church!
You have pretty pretty skin and dark brown eyes already. When I took you for your 1 month checkup and my checkup with my doctor every nurse, doctor, and random person that saw you commented on your pretty skin and dark eyes.

Logan is enjoying you too I think. He sometimes gets teary-eyed and tells me to put you in your bouncy chair when you are screaming or eating so I can go color with him but I think for the most part he doesn't mind having you around. He sees me saying my magic words to make you smile and he comes over and says them too and blows raspberries on your stomach. I always tell him to be gentle and soft but that doesn't always stop him. He seems to like to poke you in the eyes and "moosh" you. This morning I left you on our bed with him while I grabbed the wipes out of the front room and when I came back in he had this look on his face and said "I mooshed her." Apparently not too bad because you weren't fussing but I still had a flashback from when you were about a week old and I left the room only to come running back in because you were screaming to see him holding you straight up under your arms. I'm surprised he didn't drop you in surprise when I shrieked "NOOOO!!!" at him and snatched you away. It's all good though, everyone I talked to has a story where the older kid picks up and/or drops the little one - and they all survived...

Being a mom is so much easier this time around and I love it. I love being able to enjoy this stage instead of constantly being worried people think I am not doing things the right way. I've already got a 2-year old which gives me a little credibility so I think people are less apt to give me advice. The nice thing is, if they do give advice I don't think feels right for me, I can just tell pass it over without a second thought because I have confidence in what I'm doing. It's a fabulous feeling.

Your dad has been gone for a couple weeks and I'm sure he will think you are completely different when he gets home. When you woke up from your long afternoon nap yesterday I swear I could tell you had grown. I finally put you in your 3-6 month onesies the other day - I was kind of hanging on to those teeny-tiny 0-3 month ones for a while now. Whenever I looked at the bigger ones I would think nope, those are waaay too big... until I finally broke down and tried one on you. I fully expected it to drown you - only to put it on and have it look only slightly baggy. Hmm... that's ok, it means you can fit into all those fun dresses that everyone bought for you.

Love you sis - I can't wait to see what you accomplish in the next month!
Mom

See, your brother loves you!

I took this picture with my phone to see if you had fallen asleep on my shoulder. Apparently you didn't but I ended up thinking this picture was really cute!

You were out! You'd been sleeping on my lap while I worked on my MT course and didn't even move when I put you down.

The smile!