Kid pictures

My very talented sister in law April took some pictures of the kids last week. There are up on her blog http://www.photosbyaprilwilliams.blogspot.com/  So go check them out. I love them April! Thanks so much for taking them! You are awesome!

Mother's Day and Motherly Stuff

It was a great Mother's Day. I got to sleep in utnil 9 thanks to my sweet hubby, only to be woken by a hungry baby. Then there was breakfast made for me and cards from the girls. After chruch we went to Eric's parents home for a dinner taken care of by the guys as well as child watching! It turned out to be a great day! Thanks Eric for making it a relaxing day for me. I really loved it. I think it should be once a month instead of once a year!

Tried to get a picture with my kids for Mother's Day but outside the minivan in the church parking lot is not the perfect backdrop! Anyway, here's us. I can't believe I have three kids. Crazy. Amazing. Wonderful. Tiring. I just love being their mom and getting to be the one who knows these three little people like no one else will. So blessed to be a mom, their mom.

Sure missed my mom on Mother's Day. She is the best mom I know and I can only hope to keep getting more like her. She is such a support for me and a voice of encouragement. I'm so happy to have a great relationship with her that keeps growing closer and stronger over the years. I love you Mom!

A few days before Mother's Day I was feeling worn down and not like a great mom at all. I realized that I was being too hard on the girls. They are only three. I need to remember that. They are supposed to be messy, push boundaries, experiment, try things, be independent and many other things that cause more cleaning, work and headaches for me most of the time. But also that brings so much joy and happiness to them and believe it or not to me too! Getting mad at your kid (a still training kid) for peeing on the floor is absurd when you think about it. It was just so frustrating though. I hate getting mad or upset at them. It makes me feel horrible after. And I'm sure it doesn't make them feel loved and happy. So then and there I resolved to speak kinder to them, let more roll off my back and just enjoy this time we have together. I hope they can forgive me and forget, and I can continue to make them feel loved, safe, and happy. I really love them more than anything and more than I could ever express. I am so happy that I get to be with them everyday. Even the days that are challenging. And I am so happy to be their mom and get to experience this relationship we share and the perfect and unconditional love that we have for each other. My friend Tisha came put this poem on her blog that I just loved and was perfect timing for this whole thing. 

A Plea

LaVerne P. Larson

Be kind to me for I am young

And make mistakes, I know…

But in my heart, you’ll find this true,

I always love you so.

Be patient, too, and do not scold

But help me find my way,

That I may walk a happy path,

By kindly words you say.

Teach me the meaning of a prayer,

The value of a song,

Help me to understand all things

And know the right from wrong.

Give me some hours by your side

That we may dream and smile,

And share sweet joys together

For youth lasts just a while.

But most of all, love me please

As only you can do,

For God placed me within your care

And my whole world is you. 

I love it. Rachel, Olivia, and Colt I love you more than I can ever tell you. I love your excitement for life, your sweet spirits, your eager minds, your entertaining thoughts, your funny comments, your wonderful imaginations, and your never ending need and love for mommy! I hope to always be able to make your life exciting and meaningful, and to make sure you know of our love for you, and raise you to be the amazing people our Father in Heaven sent you here to be. I promise to speak kinder and cherish this time that I know won't last forever.

(Livy had fell up in Austin and scraped up her nose)

I love the way you love me:

1. At the lake Rachel found an old key ring. She put it on my finger and very seriously said "I would be pleased for you to wedding me." Then jumping up and down she started shouting "We're getting wedding!" Then Livy wanted to "wedding" me too but Rachel said she had to wait her turn, and daddy had to wait his turn too.

2. After seeing a wedding on tv, Rachel asked me to tell her about weddings. So I started to explain that about when your older, finding some one, go to the temple, live with them, etc.  She wanted nothing to do with it. She said "I don't want to get big, I want to stay with you and daddy forever." Oh, if only it were that simple Rachel!

Livy responded with "I want to go to the temple with you mommy!"

3. And nothing is better than "You're the best mommy ever!"

Boat Ride

These are old pictures that I just found on my camera. It was our boat ride to Carlos n' Charlies. The girls loved it and it was Colt's first ride one day before he was 4 months old!

Our Anniversary

6 years! We made it! Happy Anniversary Eric! I love you so much and I'm so glad we are in this together forever!! You are a wonderful husband, father, and son and I am so grateful to have you!

We got to enjoy a nice dinner out a Perry's. It was delicious and we stuffed our selves! One of our favorite past times! We tried to catch a movie too but it was sold out. It was a great night out just the two of us. Something we haven't done in a long time!

Oh, the things you'll do....

Colt. 4 1/2 months old.
Sleeping like a newborn the past week.
The schedule: my bed time 10, his wake up times 12, 2, 4, 6, 8.
Mommy tired.
Tuesday morning I need more sleep.
Rachel in bed with me asking for the tv on at 5 am.
No, go back to sleep.
6:30 am. Livy awake now too.
Need more sleep.
We want cookies.
No. How about fruit snacks?
They have some fruit at least.
Note to self, put healthier snacks within their reach for times such as this.
Get 45 minutes of more sleep....
Not so good, two three year olds in your bed and cartoons on sleep.
But sleep.
Out of bed at 7:15.
Uh-oh. Sore boob.
Start off with a pee accident in play room.
Get moving. Great day.
Girls spend Tuesday with Grandma.
I get some things checked off my to do list.
Boob still sore. Getting worse.
Pick up girls.
Colt has an hour crying fit. I mean screaming fit.
Never done that before.
Pebbles pooped in Colt's room while gone.
Great.
Colt finally sleeps. Wakes up happy.
Some fighting over toys due to no nap.
Eric has terrible allergies. Worst at night after his shower.
Bed time. Feeding Colt.
Blistered nipple. Hard, sore, painful boob.
Every one of Eric's cleared throats and sneezes makes Colt clamp down and pull away as he is startled awake.
Inflicts multiple short bursts of intense pain.
Eric stops the noises for a bit for me.
Thanks honey.
At least Colt doesn't have teeth yet.
Feel worse and worse.
9:45. Lay in bed.
Whole body aches and can't move.
Breast infection is coming, I know it.
11 pm. Still awake. Can't sleep.
Envy Eric's deep sleep due to NyQuil.
This is ridiculous. I'm extremely tired.
Fever starts.
Feel too crappy to get out of bed.
11:30. Colt awakes.
Gives me the strength to get up.
Take temperature, 101.
Take motrin.
Move couch to retrieve antibiotic I dropped under there during last breast infection.
Was too lazy to move it last time.
Saving it for next time.
Question myself on whether I should take it.
Take it.
Hope to end this one quickly with my early self medicating.
One of those sweet tender mercies.
Colt goes back to sleep while I finish the couch.
Fall asleep at 1 am. Finally.
4 1/2 months old. 3rd breast infection.
But they are worth it.
Glad they sleep better when they get older.
Unbelievably grateful to have them all.
Note to self. Give kids and extra kiss and I love you tomorrow.
I know we all do things we don't expect or don't want to.
But we would do anything for them.
That is what makes us good moms.
Way to go ladies.
Wishing you a good night sleep.


Update.
Self medicating worked well.
Don't feel as bad as I thought I would today.
No kids in my bed until 6:30.
It's a record of us in 2010.
Happy kids today.
And it's looking like I will get a nap today.
It's a great day.

4 Months Old

Colt is 4 months old already!!! I really can't believe it but I'm loving it!

25 inches long-50%

16 lbs. 7 oz.-75-90%

41 3/4 cm-25-50% (head)

3-number of rolls on thighs!

He's getting big quickly and I can't imagine how big he'd be if he didn't spit up everything he ate!

This was the mat I measured him on two months ago. Missed a month in between.

Looking at his book.

Our first attempt at baby food. He does not like it. We gave it a few days and tried again. We have even tried apples and bananas and he still looks at me like I am poisoning him.

Some smiles from our little guy. He's getting big and old. I can't believe he is 4 1/2 months already! He is such a good boy and I love him to pieces.

What I'm like: I love to watch my sisters. I am always trying to see them and smile at them as soon as I do. I love chewing on burb cloths, bibs, and my fingers but not on toys. I am still pretty camera shy. I love being bounced ant rolled. I can roll pretty good from my front to back and I love to talk and screech. I love my mommy so much I need to see her at least two times a night still! I am a happy boy!

Big boy hanging out on the couch with Rae.

Rachel didn't want her picture taken.

Livy pretending not to want her picture taken!

We are at that age when naps are no longer a given. They go upstairs every day but some days they keep coming down and no nap gets taken. This is becoming a familiar scene at our house around 4:30. This day I only left them for a few minutes to take a shower, yes at 4:30. And these were kids who never did this, who never napped in random places, only in bed. I couldn't even get them to nap on me at church after they were a few months old. The other day Rachel fell asleep and Livy stayed up with me. Livy went and got a blanket to put on Rachel and gave her a kiss. She's such a sweetie.

Olivia trying to write her name. Not bad for a barely three year old. I told her which letters to write and she did it by herself. She is eager to do it while Rachel has no interest in writing letters yet. Things here are going great. I definately have rough days but things are good. Hope things are good by you too!

A Little More

Here's a little more from the lake. This was from last weekend when we went up with Grandpa Williams. We brought the boat with us this time and the kids had fun taking a ride on it. We all enjoyed the a boat ride to  dinner to Carlos and Charlies which is right on the lake.

Pebbles enjoyed chasing the ducks every time the showed up! They even walked all the way up the lawn to the porch on Sunday and got a snack from the girls.

Alan and Eric figuring things out.

Livy's new favorite past time, throwing rocks into the lake. Every chance she had she was down there throwing them into the lake.

Happy boy!

At last....joy!! Eric loves being on the boat so much. He is so happy there! It is great to watch him love it.

The Keatings were in Austin visiting family so they stopped over for a while to visit. It was fun to have friends there and watch all the kids run around and play in the nice weather.

Steaks on Sunday. But we were a little ahead of ourselves. There are only plastic knives so far so he ate like this! We had another fun relaxing weekend. We found a ward to go to up there so now we won't be missing so much church! We were a little late this time because we had the times confused but now we are set for next time and we don't have to feel guilty for going to the lake!