Christmas present

Broke it in with a batch of brown rice. Pretty cool!

White elephant

We are ready for the annual family gift exchange.

Old gym

Miracle happened this week. I went to the gym for the first time in over a year. And this is what i found. I cried. The memories! All gone! It was like an old friend had died and i missed the funeral. Sadly, i had been the first to leave so i shouldn't have been so heart broken. I had neglected the relationship. I couldn't expect it to wait around forever for me. The next morning i found myself awake at 4:45. So i got up. I got dressed. And i went to brickyard. I saw a handful of the old gang. Not like they know or care about me, but their faces were warm and made me feel at home. They are the ones who never missed. I doubt i will ever see some of my favorites, though, like the old man with the cane and the old woman who looked like mrs. claus. Guess i can't have everything the same. I am secretly happy that they have massage tables, though. Water pressure massage. Loved it. And my 60 bucks a year qualifies me to use them for free. I am VIP, unlike the 10 a month people. Here is hoping i make it back again before another year goes by.

Ready for bed

They are in each other's pajamas. I blame Bret, and he blames me. She used to wear the blue ones when  Ward was smaller and she was low on ones that fit. Now they fit him and she has more options. Bret is used to seeing them on her, though, so when he went to get her ready for bed he just grabbed them off the desk, making it so my only option for Ward were her owl pajamas.

Slide

It looks like he is going down, but that is just the wind. He climbed up the bottom end and played while the wind blew his downy hair.

Shoes

This week she scooted around the kitchen with bowls as shoes. Lately, when i ask her to smile for a picture, she closes her eyes.

Big sister

As my brothers can attest, there is nothing like having a big sister to play with your hair. Lucky boy.

Ocra

She was eating a pineapple smoothie and rejected the last few bits. Then she inhaled a bowl full of ocra. Last week she opted for ocra instead of a banana.

LDS Conference

Ward is the only one watching.

Dentist

She had her first exam. She screamed as needed. He gave her a toy as a prize. I gave her a bottle. She enjoyed exploring the waiting room best. Now to get her to smile for the camera!

Dust

At first i couldn't figure out what she was staring at and pointing to and then clapping about. I finally realized she could see the dust particles in the air.

Go girl

Check out my baby! We went to Jordan Park for a ward BBQ and all the kids played on the equipment. Joyce,  of course joined them and next thing i knew she figured out how to climb the slide! She made it to the top and then slid down on her belly. She was not happy when it was time to eat. Then she would not eat well, all the while looking back at the slide. When we left for home she cried. That could also have been because she was so tired.

Gilgal gardens

This is the prefect spot to take the kids. Small, quiet, empty, shady, safe,  interesting, beautiful.

Trouble

you know when it's too quiet and you start to worry. Well this is what I found. Love that girl.

Picnic

Took kids to the park today. We had a picnic. Short but soooooo nice. Great weather and for a last minute activity it was surprisingly easy to do. Easier than the time I set up a wading pool in the back yard. That was a nightmare. Ward got bit by ants, though and Joyce wanted to chase all the dogs. Neither would stay on the blanket. 

DIY grout cleaner

Pour soy milk on it and let it sit for six hours. Then just wipe up with water. Who knew?!
Sorry, I lost the photo that proves it, but you have to believe me. 

Quite a day

This is from yesterday. Today was not photo worthy. Today the three of us were snot faucets. Ward had two blowouts - one in his car seat and the other on my lap. We survived by taking a trip to sams for bread, strolling down the shadier streets, playing in the blow up pool (icy water and grassy bums), and generally rolling around on the floor feeling like death warmed over. Yesterday Joyce was the only one really sick and she was extra grumpy. She would only eat peas. In some ways yesterday was worse. Twice, the kids had simultaneous meltdowns where they just cried harder the more the other one cried. Both needed to be held at the same time. Then last night Joyce was up for two hours. Finally, after eating a piece of bread she went to sleep. from 10 to 11, just as I got one settled and quiet and put myself to bed, just barely relaxing, as if on cue the other (or eventually just Joyce) would start to fuss. It was like my bed had an alarm tied to them. I eventually got to sleep for four hours straight on the couch. I couldn't trust my bed, plus it kept disturbing Bret I figured. Truth is, though, it was also hard to tune out the snoring. Maybe tonight will be better but I am headed to bed now. 7 pm

Bday flowers

 (sorry, photo is lost- but they were pretty)

I decided I deserved fresh flowers for my birthday. They were only a buck at the discount store so how could I resist? With a sick and teething baby on my hands and another that wakes every two hours to practice crawling I needed some extra pampering.

The project

Bret designed and built this at the cost of his back and much sleep over the last year. I can't believe it is finished. I had to stain it and I did a terrible job. But we both figure for our first, and likely last time ever, building furniture, it will do. My mother always said handmade us more valuable and mistakes show it is handmade. Now to finish loading it and organizing the basement! 

Sucker

This kid never stops sucking. when he loses his toy he sucks on the bumbo. (sorry, original bumbo sucking photo is lost) Fingers, forearms, shoulders whatever he can get his mouth on.

Sleep

This photo is about a month old but I love it. These babies love each other. Joyce does tend to poke him in the eye like she does to her dolls and pull his hair like she does to herself so he lives in a constant state of flinching. But when they see each other they smile and get excited. In some ways I am convinced they really are like twins. I have begun to notice they wake up at the same time. Ward can sleep through all kinds of noise but it seems when he hears his sister he wakes. At 5 this morning she began to fuss. Good husband was snoring like an engine and then I heard Ward babbling to himself. I took care of her first, then fed him, and then gave up on sleep since there is no stopping the snoring easily. One night I tried plugging his nose (like dad used to do to wake us up) poked him in the side, drummed his belly, whatever! Finally, moving his arm to make him wave at himself did arouse him enough that he chuckled and took a break from the noise. 

HD bathroom

We were in the home depot this morning when I had a nursing emergency. I left home without a pacifier and Ward would not be content sucking on the burp rag I did have so I resorted to nursing him in the bathroom. A nice employee even pulled in a chair for me to be comfortable. Joyce passed the the eating Cheerios and making faces at herself in the mirror. 

My babies

sometimes this is how I spend my mornings. Feed them at the same time or just relax with them at the same time.

3 months

I want to take a more formal picture, but today is his real birthday so I snapped this for the blog. He spent the day in his pjs. We even spent an hour at the park. It was a good day for all. The scratch in his head is probably from me protecting him from Joyce. Poor kid.

Family!

This was one of our attempts at a family photo. Joyce was the x factor. She has become the ultimate wiggle worm.

Happy!

You may not be able to tell, but I was getting lots of smiles this morning. This is mid yawn. I too am smiling because I tried on my old Jeans this morning and they fit! Possibly not as loose as before but they are comfortable enough to wear today. 

Progress

John (aka ward) is growing. He looks chubby around the middle now. I had my 6 week check up and found out I am only 4 pounds from my first check up weight. Hooray! The inches haven't dropped, though. In fact the doctor said my uterus is bigger than it should be. I guess I shouldn't be surprised since they persuaded me to get a csection by saying I had a tired uterus and it would have trouble shrinking. I get to see the Dr again in a month. 

Tired

Not surprised he is yawning. We only slept about 3 hours last night. Bret says he has my mouth. 

Back seat

Just getting cozy in the back seat with my babies. Joyce refused to nap on schedule. John, however, napped extra long. He only woke when he had to get naked at the doctor's. He is up past his birth weight - now at 9'5". Height is up to 22" and head is 38 cm. 

Sibling love

Joyce just can't get enough of her new brother. Last night they even coordinated their middle of the night wakings. Only once did they overlap so much that I needed Bret's help. That was because John was not going back to sleep easily. Instead he decided to fill two diapers right in a row. 

Rest

My new baby is sleeping. Which means I can sleep now. He is officially a week old. Nine o'clock last Wednesday night he "sprang from my womb." As I like to describe the 24 hour labor resulting in a c-section.

spitting

Joyce's latest talent (and I guess mine since I've never uploaded a video before). I should admit, though, that I didn't take the video - my sister Laurie did. I'm not quite that talented yet. Baby steps.

Pre-spring

we took advantage of the spring like weather and visited the park this morning. We were on our way home from getting a flu shot and it seemed like a good reward for enduring the shot. She only shed one tear and her cry lasted less than ten seconds. We both loved the park though. This was her first time on a swing. I loved hearing her laugh. 

Woobey

Joyce got a new toy from her friend Maggie (Plewe's daughter). She loves it. So does Bret for that matter.

Soy yogurt

(photo lost, sorry)

I finally made soy yogurt! I also made coconut yogurt. That one does not taste or look as good, though. I am happy to have yogurt back in my life!

Guayaberas

(sorry, photo lost. they are green and tan)

Today at play group my friend kiirsten gave me two guayaberas for baby #2 who should be here in a month. I was especially touched because my dad used to wear them and today is his birthday.

New room

(sorry, photo lost. it is gray.)

We finally put in flooring and are able to set up Joyce's new room before number 2 comes. Not sure when she will move in but she will have a bed.

WWWW tour

This is the only photo I took of our annual girls' weekend. The truth is it was rather low key. We stayed in Kristin's dead grandma's old apartment and took turns in the fancy chair. I have to say it sure helped getting up. My belly is getting bigger each day and bending over gets harder each day. 

Kitchen fun

I recently discovered this prefect solution for keeping Joyce occupied and happy while I work in the kitchen. Soon I hope to get her to wash dishes while she is there.