Monday, May 30, 2011

Camping 101

We took our first camping trip with the whole family this Memorial Day weekend. We rented a tent trailer and left the dogs at home, with my sister in law. We hit the road on Thursday and headed down south. Our destination was Torrey, UT. I had never been there before but the hubby has some extended family down there and it worked out great. We were able to have hookups for the trailer the whole time, which meant heat for one.
The weather was actually pretty good considering that it always rains and snows on Memorial day weekend,it was nice in Torrey just really really windy. Which made us realize that if and when we do ever purchase some kind of trailer, it will be some kind of motorhome. The wind blew that tent trailer a lot and that was the worst part of the trip. It was about 70 degrees everyday except this morning.
We got to go off roading and look at some beautiful countryside, we also got to go swimming in a pool and Grace and Aaron both loved that!
The kids did pretty well with the camping and sleeping outside and such... considering it was the first time and all. We did discover that Grace is a bit claustrophobic...although it didn't occur to us until our last night camping. She did wake up a lot during our trip. But on the last day she woke up about 9pmish just screaming for me and couldn't be consoled. She would just work herself up over and over again. Finally it occurred to me that she is such an active sleeper (and the night before had fallen off the bed) that she might be waking up scared in the confining sleeping bag. I personally don't like having my legs trapped and I know my grandmother is claustrophobic, so maybe its a bit genetic? But once I settled her down and let her lay on top of her bag she was quiet. (We were worried though that she would get cold, but apparently she was fine). Oh and by the way it was an adult sleeping bag that she was using. We bought a new 2 person sleeping bag back when I was pregnant with Grace with a gift card, and so she was using hubby's old one from when he was 15. That night was frustrating because when Grace woke up, then she woke Aaron up and then we got him back asleep, but then she woke him up again. Finally they were both asleep about 10pm. I came to the conclusion that for the future reference that Aaron probably won't wake Grace up, but she probably will wake him up. So I think they will continue sleeping in separate rooms for a while longer.
Aaron is still not sleeping through the night. He is waking up one or sometimes 2 times during the night. I just nurse him and put him back down since we weren't at home to really try anything else. Poor kid on the way back home today (it was only about 3-4 hr drive) he started crying and we noticed his voice is hoarse. So both kids have humidifiers running in their rooms now, and got Aquaphor on the little dry faces and inside their noses.
However, Grace had a blast! The girl loves camping and being outside. I have some pictures and will try to get those uploaded tomorrow while I do laundry. I will tell you all about where we stayed and such.
Sorry I haven't had time to get any new pictures up, I will try to do that soon! Glad to be home!

Wednesday, May 25, 2011

New pics I think

So I wasn't sure it I had already posted this picture of Grace, but bought her this outfit on clearance at Target. She looks so big here, no longer a baby, but growing into a little girl! Here she is watching her "show" on our way to SD!


My sweet little boy just the other day wearing the new 12 month pj's that his Memaw got him! They fit perfectly when I put them on him, and he is only 7 months (however after wearing them now for a couple days they will have room for him to grow). (So serious my little observing Aaron is)


Today in the stroller we all went for a walk to the elementary school around the corner, they have a nice playground and I wore the kids out!





Ok to be honest..I couldn't be bothered to find the camera cord. (So I uploaded these from my phone tonight) I still haven't unpacked from our trip to San Diego..which happens to be good as we decided to go camping tomorrow. So I am sure the camera cord is somewhere and I will find it and get the pics uploaded..just not tonight. But I do plan on taking a lot when we go camping. I am excited to go camping. I researched and looked into tent trailers and we have one rented. So we will have heat at night and it's supposed to be nice (in the mid 70's-80's) during the day. We may or may not take the dogs with us. Although I am leaning to leaving them right now...but I do know they missed us last week and what dog doesn't like to go camping??? We just can't have them in the trailer and I worry about how they would do sleeping outside. Tomorrow we pick up the trailer at 11am and I have groceries to get and lists to write!

Time to get to bed!

Nite!

Tuesday, May 24, 2011

Quick Update

Hey all,
I just wanted to drop a line and say I haven't forgotten about my blog! We have been so busy with Mother's Day, then trying to plant our garden before our trip to SD, then getting ready for our trip to SD, then going to SD and getting back. Hubby had to go to Idaho before our trip and he is back there again tonight and he probably will have to go to CO next week. We got back from SD late Sunday night and then I really only have the mornings to get stuff done before I have to tend kids in the afternoons now. Then we had our small group BBQ and got home late from that. Also Aaron hasn't been back to sleeping through the night yet, (in SD he woke up twice a night, he had an ear infection) and then last night I was sick. Weird I thought I was getting the flu because I was totally aching and had chills and I think I sweat ed enough water to make a person, but woke up feeling better, so that was good. So we are still trying to get acclimated to being back home. We also have our first family camping trip planned for a long Memorial Day weekend, assuming the weather works out for us. We are planning on renting a tent trailer, but not sure how warm that will keep us (the kiddos) at night, so we may scrap the trip too, it just depends...
Anyways, don't have the energy to get my vacation pics uploaded now, but will tomorrow hopefully, along with more details of what we have been up too! Love and Hugs!

Saturday, May 7, 2011

Mother's Day

It's almost Mother's Day and I wanted to post some pictures of the mom's in my family who have helped shape me into the mom I am. This is my Nana, my mom's mom, and Grace in November when we visited SD last. Here she is holding Aaron. My Nana and I share the same birthday. I was her first grandchild born on her birthday and we have a special relationship that I enjoy so much. My Nana is an amazing woman of God, she has a tender heart that I love and respect immensely. She is beautiful and sweet and gracious to everyone. She helped raise 3 children the first of which is my mother.

This is my mom. She helped raise 4 children of which I am the first. Here she is with Grace and Aaron in October after he was born. My mom is strong and independent, loving and generous. She is so beautiful. She is always there for me when I need her and someone I can talk to about all things. My mom is great and helped me to be a great mom.


These are my awesome children. My youngest almost 7 month old Aaron. Such a tender hearted little boy. His smile melts my heart, because it's like a light in the darkness. He can be so solemn in his observing that when he flashes his baby blues and gummy grin, I melt away.



He is becoming more and more active reaching for stuff and trying to support himself. Trying to pull himself up when he is in the pack n play. He can sit perfectly well 99% of time and only seems to fall when he is really reaching for a toy out of his reach on his blanket. He sleeps through the night all the time now and gets awesome naps during the day (well except for today when his wailing woke Grace up...). He gets me up early every morning between 6-7am, which I am fine with because the sun is up since we are approaching summer, and since he naps well now. He still nurses good and eats his baby food like a champ. He will take a paci now during the day when he is not about to go to sleep, but he only takes the Soothie Paci's and doesn't like the Nuk ones. We will have to try those again now that he is more into the Paci's. He is talking lots now with lots of grunts and exclamations, very important things he is saying I am sure. He is wearing 9 month clothes and has the sweetest blond hair coming in.

I love my "Air Bear"...



Oh and he looks like his daddy. :)


This is my daughter Grace, my firstborn, sweet precious little 2 year old girl. She is fiercely independent, a tomboy who loves rocks and sticks and dirt. She loves being outside and helping her dad or me. But yet she loves her necklaces, her babies, her dollhouse. She loves her purse and her phones (yes she has many)(and she comes from a long line of woman who like to talk). She also loves to read and be the center of attention. Just last night we went out to dinner at Buca Di Beppo and were part of a large party. Grace made a beeline for some grandparents and stayed with them the whole night while we ate at the other end of the table. (It was great, like having free babysitting) She gets along with everybody and is every one's best friend if you'll have her.


I was trying to take a picture of her curly hair here. I put her hair in buns and it's curly of course after I take them out.


Grace is so sweet and loves her brother. She is a wonderful big sister who loves helping me with Aaron or other children whether in her playgroup or the kids I tend in the afternoons. She is a daddy's girl too, and loves playing with daddy and feeding him something from her kitchen or playing dress up with her magnetic dress up doll.


She is so smart, she already knows so many colors and can count to five. She knows a lot of letters too and recognizes her "A-B's" when she sees letters on shirts or when I write with the sidewalk chalk. Grace loves to sing and her favorite songs right now are the Wheels on the bus or Happy Birthday which she sings, "Happy to yooouuu, Happy to yooouuu"




I was thinking the other day, about Mother's Day. I was thinking that right now at this moment in my life, I love being a mom. I really do. I love changing diapers, (well that's because I have really cool cloth diapers.. hee hee) I love making snacks and going to the park. I love getting up and making breakfast. I love hearing, "Whatcha doin mom?" 500 times a day. (Really I probably do hear that, that often) I absolutely love listening to my children babble. I love hearing them cry because I am their mom and I know what they need. I love tiny little zip up sneakers. I love pig tails. I love bath time. I love going to the grocery store. I love kissing fake owies better. I love getting the mail and sitting on the floor and building leggos. I love throwing the bouncy ball, and playing hide and seek. I love doing a ton of kid laundry that they outgrow so fast. I love munching on ticklish baby ribs. I love nursing in my bed. I love climbers climbing into my bed and then jumping on it. I love my husband who helped me make these perfect children and who works so hard so I can be home to enjoy them everyday! (Thanks Babe!) I love everything about being a mom right now! I love my mom! And I love that I get to sleep in tomorrow and have breakfast in bed!

Happy Mother's Day...isn't it just the best???

Tuesday, May 3, 2011

Sunday Afternoon

Since last weekend Aaron has been sleeping through the night consistently and he has also been getting up earlier. So on Sunday we made it to early service (yay!) and then decided since it was so pretty out to grab some lunch and the stroller and head to a park and a trail. It was more windy than we thought but we still had a good time. We let Grace play at the park first and at the time the lil swing was taken so she used a big kid swing.

We just took Kayla with us (and later wished we had taken both or left both because Briggs got out of his crate with the bar dropped down, and opened the laundry door and then came upstairs and got into the trash) and she was a great girl. Here she is laying down while all the kids ran around. All the kids wanted to pet the "wolf"..ha ha she was such a good dog.

Playing and playing and playing.




Eating our snack on our walk.




Such a cutie pie, eating peanut brittle.


Being "shy" when I asked to take her picture.



Sweet boy.






So yesterday I started babysitting a friend of ours kids in the afternoons. She works a job where you have to bid for your shift every 6 months, and they are trying to buy a house as well. So they really needed someone for a couple of months while they look for a house, to watch the kids from like 1:30-6:30 MTW and maybe F's. She drops them off and then her hubby picks them up. So far it is working good! I know today is only the second day but we had a great day! Of course Aaron slept through the night but he woke up at 6:30am so we were up. I was able to get an awesome workout in (4 miles and 550 calories)while Aaron slept for 2 hours (again) for his morning nap. Got the bedrooms vacuumed and the shower cleaned. Prepped for dinner at lunchtime and got ready for the kids to nap and the kids to come over. Grace and Aaron go down at 1:30 and slept great and Aaron slept for another 2 hour nap!! It was great! I am watching a 4 1/2 year old, 2 1/2 year old and 3 month old. We are still trying to get T (the 2 1/2 year old) to come in and try to nap at 1:30, but its only day 2. Grace LOVES playing with the kids, she could play with them all day. Anyway Aaron played on the floor (he sits up so good now) and baby V slept in the papasan chair while the big kids played outside. They have so much fun.

On a side note I am going to stop giving Aaron his meds, this morning I nursed him and then gave him his meds and about 25 minutes later he spit up what seemed like everything! Then that happened again tonight I gave him his meds and then nursed him and put him to bed awake. He fussed a little bit later and I went in to soothe him and there was a huge spit up spot, that I had to clean up. So I concluded that his meds aren't helping anymore.

I can't believe how big he is getting. Oh and he is so interested in the baby. I was holding both of them yesterday and he kept reaching for the baby. He is the big boy now compared to little V. Anyway it is supposed to be nice tomorrow and we are going to go to the park with playgroup and then Thursday it is supposed to be like 70 degrees! Yay!

Also we purchased a dual screen portable DVD player for the car ride to SD and it came today. I let Grace listen to the radio on her new headphones today! Oh my goodness her face was priceless she is so cute!

Well that is all I can think about for now! We are watching Tron and I should be wrapping up!

LOVE YOU!!!