February Family Happenings

Well onto another month of happenings for around here.  It was a fun months of firsts for John and we did a lot of things.  Probably more than I should have but that is okay.  Keeping ones self busy is good.

 

I finally got all three of the boys quilts sewn together.  I don't like how the print is crocked on the one but that isn't my fault!  I have to keep telling myself that and I also tell myself it gives the quilt a kind of movement to it too.  I just need to find a way to make it a little wider so it will fit the standard size of a twin.  Not sure how to do that yet and still make it look good too.

One morning daddy made a smoothie and the kids decided they needed it too.  For some reason they all got straws instead of the clean cups I had ready for them.  Oh well, fun moment.

Who wants a milk mustache when you could have a butter one?  I even goes great with her bandana too.

Sometimes I really wish I could look this cute and good when I'm a mess in the morning.

 

Well I couldn't stand not being able to go to church any longer so I dressed up Mr. Man for his first Sunday there.  It was even more special because this was the first time that he wore shoes too.

THIS is the boys room special project.  My husband is making a bunk bed.  That way in the baby is moved into the boys bed we can move his brother James out of the crib and onto the bottom bunk.  We are going to have Seth sleep up top. 

This is the ladder for him to climb.  When it wasn't attached we let him do a little test climb and he can go up just fine.  The spacing was perfect.

My mother wanted some cute updated pictures of the kids and so I decided to try and do a little photo session.  I was doing each kid by themselves and with another sibling and what not.  I had them all matching as close as possible.  Seth, of course, just had to hold "his" baby and give him kisses.

John started to get fussy so Seth tried really hard to calm him down.  James was like whatever.  Sarah on the other hand was so grumpy that I only got one picture of her where she isn't screaming.  I couldn't figure out what was up with her until later that night when she threw up.

All of the kids looking festive for Valentine's Day.  I just love dressing them up and they did AWESOME with letting me get a group picture too.

 In our family we have a tradition of heart attaching the kids doors.  Each day they get a new heart that tells them something we love about them.  This was John's first year so I had to get a picture. 

 

 James was pretty happy with the loving words on his door too. 

 

I finally got Sarah to smile for a picture and that took a long time.  Good thing those hearts are up there so I can remember what I love about her.

 

I just love how excited Seth was every morning to see a new heart and have me read it to him.

 

 Another special tradition that we have is that I like to make a little plaque with their footprints on it for their first Valentine's Day.  It didn't take me too long to know what I wanted to do for him.

For your first Valentine's Day you also get a book.  Each kid has a book series that is just theirs and 'Duck and Goose' is Johns.

 

Even with still recovering I like to get out for some fresh air.  It is nice to even just do a little slow walking.  I was thinking that now with four kids only the younger two would be able to ride in/with the cart.  Well not at Wal-Mart or at least since they got this kind of cart.  The thing is huge but it works great.

I like how I can see them all but the only thing I hate is how far the baby is away from me.  I also don't like that the older three kids can kick each other easily.

This month is also Hope's birthday.  Yeah!  She is such a great and wonderful dog and I know life for her has change a lot and quickly too but she has born it all well.  I am so thankful that she is a part of our family, even when she drives me crazy sometimes.

Still loving wearing grandma's hats.  They like to pretend to be that animal too.

 

 Sometimes Seth just amazes me with how he thinks and how patient he is.  I had to leave the room for a little while and when I came back he had made this masterpiece.  What is so amazing is that the table is not level so the fact that he was even able to do this is pretty grand.

 

He is so getting into trains and starting to pretend really well.  I always have fun listening to the stories that he comes up with.

 

A big new thing for James is that he now is sleeping with a pillow.....well at least we gave him a pillow now.

 At nap time he likes to use it.  (Although now a days he can't sleep unless it is totally covering him.

 

 With another month gone by for John it was time to get out the growing buddy and show how much he has changed.......yeah, I know it really isn't that much.

 At least with snoopy he looks bigger.

 

 This big boy now gets to be forward facing since he is so BIG! 

 

Just for fun our family went into a Ranch and Home store to look at the baby animals they had just gotten in.  The kids loving seeing the chicks, ducks, and baby turkey's.

Another must/traditional picture is when you get to go on your first walk.  I like to get a group shot to remember how we went on the walk.  Thankfully daddy came this time and we weren't going far because the older two had a hard time.

Since you couldn't see him so great in the group picture he got his own photo. 

Joys of Boys

This is the last of what happened in January that I wanted to share with all of you.  It is all special to me (thus why I'm sharing it) but I know it looks like just ordinary life too (which it is for us).

 

With all of the birthday's and Christmas finally over we now have a completely set of Paw Patrol plush puppies and Rider too.  Seth knew right away that they needed to ride in their cool car he got from his grandparents.

A simple blanket fort and nothing else sure can make this kid happy.

 

Although he loves to play with every toy and finds ways that make it different and interesting too.  Not how I like the books to be used but to him this had a very particular order.

With it being a new year and him old enough he is now able to go to Primary in our church.  YES!  I wasn't able to go to church yet but daddy was sure to take a picture for me to show me how good he was about sitting in his chair.

Since James is no longer the baby in the family it means time to learn how to do some chores to help around the house.  Daddy thought vacuuming would be a good place to start.

He just turned one and already he can reach the door handle!  I am so screwed!!!

 

Even though I can't lift him that doesn't mean he can't climb up into my lap/arms and be held.  I don't think he has slept so well since before I went into the hospital to have John.

Sadly his little prison for the next several weeks.  He was happy when I took this picture because he didn't know what it meant.  With all my family help gone I had to trap him in here so he wouldn't get into something that he shouldn't and I'm sure it would be something that I couldn't lift him for.  I was suppose to have someone in our ward once a day come over and help but that didn't happen as much as I needed it so he ate lunch in here and took naps in here too.  I couldn't step over the thing so we made sure it had a gate I could go in and out of to change his diaper.  It was really tuff for both him and I to deal with for so long but we managed somehow.

A free baby with every box of diapers.  That is how it goes right?

 

John meeting buddy of his.  I can't wait to see them grow up together.  I can just imagine all of the trouble they will get into too.  (At this point we were still waiting for the third musketeer to be born).

I just laugh when I see this picture because the binky looks huge.

 

Our loving mother/big sister dog keeping baby safe while he was doing tummy time on the floor.  She always tries to act tuff and like she doesn't care or like the kids but we know that she really adores them.

This is the life, a baby's life.

 

 First time outside in the backyard.  Oh the fun we are going to have there this summer.

 

It is his first boutonniere and it looks as big as his head almost. 

 

Okay, I shared a picture of all of the kids with their hats that grandma made but I just love John's so much because of how perfect it is that I had to share it again.  Our mighty lion!  Look at that cute roar.

Here he is with his growing buddy.  Still a very little guy but it won't be long before he passes him.

 

YEP! A second growing buddy.  Kind of crazy I know and there is a story behind why too.  My oldest sister saw the cross-stitch that I had made for him and told me that we needed to get a snoopy for him that we should use as his growing buddy.  Well we found one and are using it just for her.  I think it is pretty interesting to see the perspective on how different he looks in size when you compare the two buddies.

Party Girl Two

I just love how much my little girl is growing up.  It was fun to have her as a baby but I love seeing her cute little toddler face now.  She is so beautiful and everyone we meet tells us that too.  We have even had strangers come up to us and tell us how beautiful she is.

 

 With getting older it mean you get you now once a year picture with your growing buddy.  As you can see she really loves hers.

 They have several wonderful conversations together that I wish I could understand just so I could write them down.

 Again, I AM CRAZY!  I had John two-ish weeks ago and here I am making a cake for our daughters birthday.  She had been asking for a kitty-cat-cake and I didn't want to disappoint her so this is what she got.  It isn't perfect but I think it turned out great for my skill level.  My husband was thrilled to eat the left over candy that's for sure.

 She even liked the cake too.

 

 Oh I love so many things about her.  One is how she wants to help with the baby.  NO, that isn't John being used as a pillow but her baby doll.  I tell her to take care of her baby while I take care of mine.

Thankfully for now it works and we are good.  She does really well making sure her baby sleeps and gets it's binky when sad and crying.

 

 Like me she loves dogs, especially our dog Faith.  Those two have a very special friendship that will last forever I know.

 I like her sense of adventure (most of the time) and how she really enjoys the same things that I did as a kid too.

She also LOVES her uncle very much.  Anytime we see him she tries to keep him all to herself with sitting on him or holding his hand and not letting go.  She is a true wonder to enjoy.