Sunday, May 29, 2011

Picture Catch-Up

Conrad, 2 weeks old


Beautiful Bella. They don't come more precious than that...

Easter!! We had an awesome party the day before hosted by Becca and her cousin. The kids had a blast and they LOVED the easter egg hunt!






Easter Morning...


Conrad, One month Old on Easter Morn

Easter Sunday, all dressed up and ready to go! (B-rax is still learning how to hold Conrad...)

I have a very sweet and dear friend who decided to spoil my children and give them gifts. Brax and Bella both were given these totally awesome lounge chairs. They seriously sit in these anytime they are in the livingroom, watching tv, reading books, playing with toys, whatever. They are so in love with them! I could not have chosen a better gift for them myself. Thank you Nettie!! You are wonderful!! (They were actually saying "thank you" when I snapped the picture... :) )

My chillins, being posers for the camera. They are some good lookin' kids, if I do say so myself! :) Conrad - 2 month!

Here is a better picture of Conrad. 2 mo, and already trying to be just like his big brother! :)

These kids are growing like weeds!! Braxton starts swim lessons this Tuesday with Sis Rogers and will take them all of June. It will be so nice to have him swimming and not have to worry about him around the pool anymore. He already does pretty well with just his floaties, but you know there is always that worry about when he doesn't have them on, or if they snuck in the pool somehow, at least I know he is safe. Bella will be in them next year hopefully. Then he starts PRESCHOOL in Sept!! Wahoo! I am so excited for him to have something else other than me to stimulate his brain and social skills, but at the same time I am so sad. I can't believe my little baby boy is already about to start preschool. Then its kindergarten...and I cant even think about that yet. I start to hiperventilate just thinking about it! Bella is turning 2 in another month, and I swear she has grown at least 2 inches just in the past month. She is getting thinner and her hair is getting longer and she is turning into a little girl...no longer a toddler! She is all girl, loving the shoes and hair stuff and clothes and purses and dollies and make-up...I am already looking forward to the time when she and I can go on shopping dates and just have mommy-daughter time together!! :) She is so precious. Her answer to anything that I ask her right now is "cause I want to!" Bella, why did you take off your diaper? "Cuz I want to!" Bella, why did you take your shoes off? "Cuz I want to!" Bella, why did you drop your sippy? "Cuz I want to!" Bella, why did you leave your purse over there? "Cuz I want to!" As I said, ALL girl. :) I love her to pieces. Conrad is getting chunkier by the day and I love it! He is such a sweet angel baby. He had a few fussy weeks where he just cried and cried in the afternoons and evenings, and it was horrible. i thought it might be the dairy or chocolate I was eating so I cut both out of my diet....and let me tell ya... Nothing but the love of a mother for her child would make me give up dairy (frozen yogurt, cheese, milk, yogurt!!) and chocolate! It was one of the hardest things I have ever had to do, and I was so depressed that I might have to do it until I was done nursing. YIKES! Thankfully though it turned out it wasn't that, he was just having a few hard weeks, so I was able to eat my favortite foods again. I think I ate Fro Yo like 2x a day for two or three days straight right after I started eating dairy again. :) I'm addicted. So anyways, he is doing so much better and is just a wonderfully wonderful baby. I love love love him and adore smooching his fluffy cheeks and listening to him coo and flirt with me!!!

Hope everyone has a happy Memorial Day! Thank you to all those who have served our country so we can enjoy the freedoms we have today. Your sacrifice will never be forgotten!

Sunday, May 15, 2011

Help!! And other random sentimental ramblings

So I need some help/advise from all you mommies out there.


Bella has learned how to climb out of her crib. She comes into our room multiple times each night and climbs into bed with Justin and I, and no amount of bribery or coaxing will get her back into her own bed. I have to wait until she falls back asleep (which sometimes is hours) and then take her back to her bed, praying she doesn't wake back up on the way. I wouldn't mind so much if I didn't have an infant that I was already waking up with multiple times a night, but if I now have to deal with Bella too I will be a walking zombie. I've done that before. Its no fun. Braxton was older when he started climbing out of his crib and was sleeping better at night than Bella is, so this is new territory for me. Plus I was able to go into his room to lay next to him to help him fall back asleep. I can't do that with Bella anymore...Conrad needs me more. (And because I am TIRED of being TIRED and not getting any sleep!) I am frustrated. We were FINALLY at a good place with her being able to put herself back to sleep after minimal crying each night, and the second she learned she could escape her little cage, that all went out the window! SO...what do I do?!?!

On a more nostolgic note, I sat at stared at the new toddler bed we got for her for a long time after putting it in her room and had to hold back the tears. I can't believe my baby girl is already almost 2, and out of her little baby crib. I'm not ready for her to be in a "big girl" bed yet! And Conrad is almost outgrowing his bassinet and will need that crib here soon. Why do they have to grow so fast? I try to cherish every precious moment I have with them, and still my sweet babies are slipping through my fingers and growing into children. Next thing I know they will be going on missions or off to college or getting married and LEAVING ME! While I watched Braxton fall asleep the other night I thought about what it will be like when he leaves on a mission, and I felt such panic already. My little boy is going to someday leave me to go into the world, and I won't be there to hold him or kiss his owies or wipe away his tears or tickle him or see his beautiful smiles and hear his bubbly laughter. And then he is going to come home and get married and ya know, for a moment while I stared at my little boy I suddenly understood why some mothers strongly dislike their daughter-in-laws! That boy is MINE! :) I have been here and cared for him, and will be here to care for him through every moment of his life, an to think that there will someday be another woman in his life that will be his world....it makes my heart hurt. I sometimes get impatient and can't wait for these babies to grow up so I can sleep a full night through again, or go shopping without having a meltdown, or pee without having kids screaming at the door, or have a clean house for an entire day...but then I have to remind myself that there will come a time when I long for these insane days, and I force myself to again cherish these moments, no matter how crazy they make me now. I am grateful to be the mother of these precious children. I just hope I can be the mother they deserve. I know I have a long way to go...

Monday, May 9, 2011

Thanks to my awesome friend Stacy for snapping a few shots of my new little man. She got some really cute ones...




How i love these goobers!


Yup...he's a keeper. And he's all mine. :) (And Justin's, of course!)