i know him

Luke is three months old now and I'm amazed. Amazed it's already been three months and amazed that I haven't had him longer than that. What's even more amazing is how much I know about him. I just know him... everything about him.

-I know he likes his baths, mostly because I'm sitting there watching him.
-I know that he loves to slurp on his hands.
-I know exactly when he's fed and exhausted that he wants to be put in his swing, with his soother and a blaknet and he'll sleep there for three hours.
-I know he loves to be on my hip facing out... so he can see everything.
-I know that after he sneezes he's going to let out the most adorable sigh.
-I know when Chris is holding him at dinnertime he is watching me just waiting for me to make eye contact.
-I know after he wakes up and eats he likes to lay under his baby einstein toy and kick with his feet and grab his toys for 20 minutes.
-I know when he's fussy in his carseat he wants his soother in and his super soft blanket snuggled all the way up around his cheeks.
-I know he likes to grab onto my hand or his dog or blankets and hold them tight.
-I know he likes to hold his hands in little fists.
-I know he loves to have his pants changed and will immediately stop crying when I start.
-I know he always falls asleep to the sound of the bathtub filling up or the blowdryer on.
-I know when I'm driving and he's sad he likes me to reach my hand back and stroke his cheek.
-I know he likes to sit in the front of the stroller so he can see what's going on.
-I know he'll grab a fist-full of hair if I hold him close to me... his way of telling me he doesn't want to be put down.
-I know sometimes he's too tired to eat and just wants me to snuggle him close to me.
-I know he loves it when I smile at him and when we have long 'cooing' conversations.
-I know he knows who I am... and that's amazing.

A few of my favorite pictures this month...Luke in Florida Watching the kids play at the playground and smiling at Ryan.
Before bed one night excited and playing with his dog.
A walk downtown Columbus waiting for the Ballet girls

making the cut

Emily and Megan helped me reorganize Megan's toy closet this morning. Well, actually they played with everything they forgot they had, while I tried to sneak stuff into the garbage or Goodwill piles. It's no secret I like to organize and get rid of stuff. Every couple months I go through their closets, put everything back into the right container, make new categories, label new containers and throw things away that they don't play with anymore. Lots of things went...

but Tigger gets to stay. That's because Tigger was the very first toy I bought for Ryan. Before every other toy in our toy-filled house, we had Tigger.

When Ryan was 3 months old, (Luke's exact age right now) I went to our Maryland mall with Amy Carlson who had a little boy exactly Ryan's age. We went into the disney store and I fell in love with Tigger. I remember paying the $5.95 and feeling like it was definitely a splurge. We didn't spent much money on extras... in fact, we didn't spend much money at all during those years in Med school. I have such great memories of this little stuffed animal. I look at it, and it takes me right back to Maryland, when I had another little baby boy. What great times. In the next couple of months I bought piglet, pooh bear and eyeore... each on a different trip to the mall. (Oh, that's another thing about me... I like collections.) I just don't think I'll ever be able to get rid of these little stuffed animals. Other toys may come and go, but Tigger will always stay.

Do you remember the first toy you bought for your kids? ...or your own first toy?
Mom, what did you get for me? Shelley, what did you get for Chris?

sunday afternoon

I just had to post a picture of my guys on Sunday afternoon. After church Ryan and I went through his scout book and made a list of everything he needs to do to complete his BEAR year. He has until he turns 10 in June and he's actually pretty close. When Chris heard the list he was anxious to help. They completed
1. set up a savings account
2. discuss family finances with a parent
3. discuss the kinds of energy your family uses and
4. find out more about your family's use of electricity.
...and all from the comfort of the couch -- with the help of the internet and our Quicken program -- and while taking care of Luke.

Definitely some great male bonding time.

the windy boardwalk

Right in front of our hotel was a boardwalk that led to a restaurant (closed for the season) and a little 'island' to explore. Boy was it windy. On the way back I asked Katie to push the stroller while I helped Megan with her shoes. Uh-oh... all of a sudden the wind pushed the stroller to the edge and the front wheels went over. I screamed. Luckily the little tiny white rope held the stroller from going over, and luckily Luke was buckled in, and luckily the water was only a foot deep. Yikes, can you imagine Chris dropping his crutches and diving off the side. Amy said she was trying to get to her camera as fast as she could but couldn't quite get the picture. Too bad. Otherwise we had fun on the boardwalk.



After exploring around Panama City we headed over to Destin and Fort Walton Beach. I think next time we go we'll stay there. Lots of fun shopping and more beautiful beaches. We made a quick stop at the outlet mall, took our sunset family picture on Fort Walton Beach, and grabbed take out from PF Changs to eat on our drive home. Our 24 hours on the Florida coast was a lot of fun.

ocean magic

On Sunday after church we packed up and drove the 3 hours and 45 mintues to the Gulf of Mexico. We stayed at the Bay Point Marriot in Panama City, Florida and spent the night playing game after game of Carcassonne and listening to the thunder and pouring rain.

The next day was sunny, but a little cool... especially by the ocean. I decided against bathing suits. Just too cold. How could I let my little kids freeze in the water? Well, bathing suits or not they managed to get wet. They took their shoes off, rolled their pant legs up and headed straight for the waves. It wasn't long before Ryan and Katie were jumping and splashing and almost completely soaked. Emily and Megan were a little more careful. Megan liked throwing sand in the water and Emily liked playing in the sand and enjoyed the water from a safe distance.

It was fun to just watch my kids play. There is something wonderful about the ocean... my kids weren't fighting, they weren't bored, they weren't asking for snacks, they weren't asking to leave, in fact, they barely knew I was there. They were digging holes, throwing sand in the water, burying their feet, making sand castles with Amy, climbing up sanddunes, jumping over waves and laughing the whole time.

Just pure ocean magic.

little grand canyon

One of the fun things about living in a new place is being able to explore the area. We just love discovering new places... especially with visitors. Amy came for the weekend and our first outing was 30 miles south of us to Providence Canyon State Park... also called Georgia's "Little Grand Canyon." We enjoyed walking on the trail around the Canyon's rim and taking pictures every couple steps. It really was beautiful.

Even with such amazing views, the kids were more enthralled with running on the paths, twisting through the trees, picking up sticks and getting so dirty. Megan thought the red dirt was the perfect thing to play in. What a rascal.

the aftermath

- the house is a disaster
- the laundry is piled high
- there is sand in Luke's carseat
- I've forgotten how to cook
- only the coffee jelly bellies are left
- the van is out of gas
- Chris' hips are sore
- we're a little sleep deprived (ok, a lot)
- there are 437 pictures to go through...

All signs of a great weekend with Amy.
More pictures and details to come!

my husband

What is his name? Honey, Hon, Babe, Mr., Dad, Christopher and Chris
How long have you been together? Married for 13 years!
How long did you date? Met in January 95... started dating in Feb.... more steadily in March... engaged September 30th... married December 30th so I guess it was about 7 months of dating and then a 3 month engagement.
How old is he? 34... and much too young to be having hip problems!
Who eats more? Well, unfortunately I think we eat the same right now.
Who said I love you first? He did... but I was ready and waiting. Then I didn't want to say it because he said it? (anybody else do that?) I probably said it about a week later.
Who is taller? Chris is of course. Whenever we walk downstairs he stops at the bottom and turns around while I'm on the first step. Then we're the perfect height for kissing!
Who can sing better? Me
Who is smarter? Chris is, definitely! (But sometimes my kids think I'm smarter 'because I was a teacher'!)
Who does the laundry? Mostly me but he helps fold if he can see it piling up... which it usually does.
Who pays the bills? He does most of the financial stuff and is really good at it, but we usually sit together and I do some bills and the filing while he does some on-line stuff and then we review everthing. I like doing it together!
Who sleeps on the right side of the bed? Me.
Who mows the lawn? We haven't done lawn care for our one acre lot since we moved here. Yeah for a Lawn care company!!!!! In Washington he did the mowing but I'd trim the edges at the same time while the kids rode their bikes.
Who cooks dinner? Me or Sam's Club.
Who drives? Chris. I don't like driving with Chris in the passenger seat... because all I want to do is talk to him and he thinks I get distracted. He's right.
Who is more stubborn? Me
Who kissed who first? This one we fight about. It was definitely him!!!
Who asked who out first? We had been 'hanging out' for awhile with his apartment and my apartment... but he officially asked me out first... a weekend in St. George. (See, we started out vacationing!!! -- wasn't that a blast Marilee?)
Who proposed? Chris did. We had been ring shopping that week and I found one I loved the day before but he convinced me that we needed to keep looking (a tactic I am very familiar with now)... The next night we dressed up and he took me to a lookout in Salt Lake where we could see the Salt Lake Temple. He gave me roses, a perfect card, and a precious moments figurine of a boy proposing to a girl. The ring I anted was tied to the boys arm. I started to cry... so did he as he knelt down and officially proposed. The whole night was perfect!!!!!
Who has more friends? The same! We always find really great couple friends!
Who is more sensitive? Of course me. I can't help a good cry!
Who has more siblings? Me, there are 6 in my family and 4 in his.
Who wears the pants? Depends what it is about. Chris will bend over backwards for me to have or do whatever I want... but I try to do that for him too. I think we know what is important to each other and let them have there way about it. Anything to do with the house, or decisions about the kids, or clothes... actually now that I think about it... just about everything I wear the pants. If it has to do with BYU sports -- then he wears the pants.

That was fun... thanks Staci. ok, now I tag whoever wants to do it!

a happy valentines day

Right after the kids went to school and Dad left for work Emily, Megan and I started working on our Valentine surprise for Dad. We got a basket of yummy candy and cards, cut out red and pink hearts and headed down to the hospital. The girls were so excited. They practiced tip toeing down the hallways and were unusually quiet except when anyone passed and smiled, and then Megan would say, "We have a Valentines secret for my dad." in a rather loud voice. They would smile and then we'd go back to tip-toeing. The girls put up hearts while Chris said, "come in" a couple times with no response from us. A minute later he came out to see what was going on. "Happy Valentines Day!" Very fun for the girls. We visited with lots of the Radiology department before heading out for lunch with Dad. Chris said the whole afternoon everyone that passed by had to come in and comment on the hearts.

two ballerinas

I have always wanted little ballerinas. In fact, I always wanted to be a ballerina myself. I think that's because one of my favorite books growing up was about cute little girls in leotards and tutus. My mom still has it, and even though it is ripped and falling apart it is one of my girls favorites too.

Katie started ballet a month ago at the University of Columbus Ballet Conservatory. Already I am very impressed with the program. The dance rooms are beautiful, the teacher is fantastic and they have a strict dress code, which I love. The fist time Katie put on her leotard and slippers she said "I just feel beautiful."

Last week Katie's teacher asked if anyone wanted to move to Fridays so they could include new little girls who were interested. No one volunteered but I approached her alone and told her I would be happy to move to Fridays if Emily (only 5) could join the 6-7 year old class. She happily agreed. So now I have two ballerinas. Two very cute, very happy ballerinas. Yep, I'm one happy mom.

outside again

We're learning that you don't know what to expect from a Georgia winter from week to week. We had three weeks of 'no jumping weather'. Highs in the 30's and 40's. But the last five days have been wonderful -- every afternoon in the 70's. When the kids got home from school on Monday I said, "jumping time!" and the girls squealed and ran outside. Megan said, "I need a coat and socks!" Not today, Megan... bare feet are just fine. How confusing for a little two year old!

Chris put up our swing set in October and the kids played on it for two months straight. We got our trampoline just after Christmas with some money G and G Johnson gave us. Chris hurried to put it up the day before his surgery. The kids have had so much fun on it already.

Last night was beautiful... this morning we're having a severe thunder storm. Good thing we enjoyed it while it lasted.

2 month appointment

Weight: 13 pounds 8 ounces - 90th percentile
Length: 23 1/2 inches - 75th percentile
Head circumference: 15 3/4 inches - 50th percentile

Luke's two month appointment was yesterday. He was happy on the scales... he's proud of his 13 pounds. He didn't mind being poked and stretched and examined but he did scream and turn completely red when he got his shots. With a little convincing I got the nurses to give him some tylenol, wrapped him up and he slept for practically the rest of the day. We went and visited the radiology department, got lunch for Dad and went grocery shopping and he didn't even move. oh... and he did good last night too. He slept 8 hours and only woke up once! Maybe we should drug him more often.

pinewood derby

We enjoyed Ryan's first pinewood derby last night. He had fun designing the look of his car and painting it. Ryan took 4th place out of 14 boys. It was a lot of fun... especially to see the boys be excited for each other with high fives, lots of cheering and big smiles. It is great to be nine. What a fun night. Check out Ryan's blog to see his car and a few more pictures.

thank you president hinckley

Our family home evening tonight was about President Hinckley. We talked about some of the things he did in his life and then wrote letters and drew pictures. I loved Katie's picture so much I thought I'd post it. We will miss you President Hinckley.

crazy hair

When I was making dinner yesterday Emily and Katie were up at the bar coloring. All of a sudden Emily says, "Mom, Megan's drawing... and she's doing a good job!" I come running over to take a peek and I'm shocked. It's totally a person. I said 'MEGAN!' (She couldn't quite tell what my shocked tone of voice meant so she looked at me afraid she was going to get in trouble.) Then I said, "That's beautiful" and her face broke into a big smile and she continued doing the hair and said, "This is my Daddy. He has crazy hair." (The round circles outside of his little face are cheeks!) Since then she has been drawing everyone in the family non-stop. Oh, what fun to have another little artist in the family.

something to smile about

Little Luke and I have had very different opinions on how our nights should be spent. Easily he is the worst of my little newborn sleepers... wanting to wake up and eat every hour and a half to 2 hours. My other little babies gave me a 5, 6 or 7 hour chunk right from the hospital. The first month was pretty rough and I was so tired in the morning that when Chris would ask how he did I couldn't even remember. But all that is changing now... for the past week he has been going to bed a little earlier (10:30 or 11:00) and sleeping for 4 or 5 hours and then another 3. This is good... very good. Definitely something to smile about.

cleaning games

Yesterday I had the kids do a cleaning train with me. They lined up behind me and followed me around the house. As I pointed to things the first behind me stepped out of line, picked it up, ran to put it away and then joined the back of the line again. We sped around the house for almost fifteen minutes and I pointed at things so fast that often there were no kids behind me.

Yep, I make up cleaning games. I guess I think it makes cleaning more fun... for me and the kids. Our favorites are 'don't touch my laundry piles' (where I fold as fast as I can and the kids sneak up and grab piles without getting caught -- then I say 'who took my piles?' as they run giggling to put them away)... 'family movie night pause' (where every time I pause the movie everyone has to get off the couch and pick up and put away ten things as fast as they can before we start the movie again)... '10 piece countdown' (where they have to put 10 things away, then run up and touch the fireplace, then 9 things away, then touch the fireplace, then 8... First person to 1 is the winner. Of course I play too!)...

Sometimes we have races, sometimes we put the timer on, sometimes we 'surprise Dad', sometimes (usually on Saturday mornings) I have lists of 3 or 4 jobs for each kid, sometimes I turn the vacuum on and threaten to get them while they are cleaning or vacuum up everything in sight, sometimes we pick jobs out of a jar...

My siblings are cringing just reading this... You see, they will agree I've always had this interesting talent, and I'm sure they are trying to suppress the awful memories. When we were young and mom was gone I would solicit their help cleaning the kitchen by turning the timer on and seeing if we could get it PERFECTLY clean before the kitchen exploded. If there were still minutes or seconds left on the timer we'd stand at the edge of the kitchen and think of what things we could risk our lives doing. The chair is crooked, the cupboard is open... one of us would run it and slide or somersault out just like a James Bond movie. I know, it doesn't really make sense, a clean room to explode but it worked and it was fun. 'There's a bomb in the kitchen' is another of our favorites. The kids love it when they make it out but I do not and fall dramatically to the floor.

Last night when we lined up for the cleaning train, Ryan said, 'oh, man'. Ryan, don't you like my cleaning games? Well, he thought. Cleaning games are better than just cleaning... but no cleaning is the best. Yes, I agree. No cleaning is the best... but since a clean house isn't going to happen by itself... I think I'll stick to my cleaning games.

2 months old

Luke is two months old today and still a big boy... right around 14 pounds. Luke started smiling around 5 weeks old and now smiles all the time. As soon as he hears our 'high happy Luke voice' he breaks out into a huge open mouth smile. He randomly smiles when he sees the kids or Dad or hears my voice... usually in the mornings. Our favorite thing is when he coos... like he's letting out a big sigh. He almost always does it after he sneezes and it's adorable. He likes lying in a warm bath, loves to be sitting up so he can see what's going on, loves to have his pants changed, loves cuddling up in his swings, loves his soother, likes to be attached to Mom's hip, loves to sleep in his car seat, is starting to slurp on his hands, likes to spend lots of quality time with Dad at night, likes to go to bed late and wants to say Hi to Mom lots in the night. He is a sweet sweet boy. We love you Lukey.

Happy Morning

Our little guy's only Christmas present from us was a Baby Einstein floor mat with hanging toys. It's in the family room and ever since Christmas we've been putting him down on it for a minute here and there. Usually when I lay him down the kids come running over to shake toys in front of his face and change the music from song to song. This morning, though, he had his little 'underwater floor mat' all to himself and for 45 minutes, yep that's right, 45 minutes he lay there awake, smiling at the blinking lights and listening to the upbeat classical music. It was precious. I don't know what it is about flashing lights but today they made him very happy... and me too.