Monday, March 31, 2014

March Instagram

 Row 1: Reading with Grandma, maiden voyage with "Big Blue", cute girl in a cute hat
Row 2: Zion Ridge, More red rock at Snow Canyon, St. George temple
Row 3: My little leprechaun, someone turned 6 months, hopscotch
Row 4: check-up, Logan's portrait of Norah, Max and Mommy (photo also by Logan)

We also made homemade playdoh out of jello. Logan said, "It smells like popsicles!"

Nice weather calls for a park visit!

Some St. George fun and yummy food!

Green eggs and pancakes for St. Patrick's Day!

 Ended the month with all 3 kiddos being sick. Not so fun.

Friday, March 28, 2014

The Kids at 6 Months

I thought it would be fun to do a little side-by-side comparison of the kids at 6 months:

They definitely have their own look, although I can see similarities too, like the boys' noses and mouths and Norah and Max's eyebrows. All completely adorable, don't you agree?

Tuesday, March 25, 2014

Max at 6 Months

 This little babe of mine is 6 months old!

I LOVE this stage and Max being the angel baby he is makes it even more enjoyable. Here are a few things  about Max right now.
-He's eating "real" food and has tried sweet potatoes, bananas, squash, and pears. So far he likes everything. He eats twice a day.
-He's taking 2-3 naps a day and seems to be getting more on a schedule. Poor kid usually has his morning nap strapped in his car seat. He generally sleeps at night from 8:30 to 6 or 7.
-LOVES to grab at things and is super fast at getting them too. It is no longer safe to eat my meal if I'm holding him in my lap. Grabbing hair is another favorite.
-He is starting to love books and tries to grab at the pictures.
-Loves when we sing to him, especially songs with actions. 
-He's ticklish, especially in his neck. He has a cute, squeaky laugh.
  -He's been practicing sitting up but doesn't quite have it yet. However he is a pro at rolling over, rotating on his tummy, and scooting backwards. Changing his diaper is practically impossible now.
-He's getting up on his knees and rocking back and forth. Crawling may be coming very, very soon.
-He recognizes his name and gives a big grin to anyone talking to him.
 -He doesn't fall asleep in my arms anymore (unless nursing), making it harder to enjoy my church meetings. 
-His 6 month clothes are getting too small and he's wearing some 9 month clothing.
-He loves to pull his socks off and chew on them.
 -He had a great 6 month check-up and is now 17 lbs 13 oz (60%) and 28 1/2 inches (100%). 
-Loves being outside and has swung on the swings with Mommy. 
-Is still the favorite of his big sis but is voicing his opinion more when she's gets too out of hand.
 I really can't believe Max is 6 months already. He is such a sweetheart and reminds me to slow down and enjoy being a mother. He is everything good.

Thursday, March 13, 2014

St. George

 We had a fun and busy mini vacation to St. George last week. Benj took off Thursday and Friday, we hopped into our new minivan (more on that later), and made our way south. We were FIVE hours behind schedule. I guess that's what happens when you have 3 young kids, an improptu sit-down lunch to Zupas, a hungry baby, and a couple pit stops along the way. Plus we left the house 2 hours later than I planned. Wishful thinking on my part for sure. Ha!

We rolled in around 9:00pm. Logan and Norah got a second wind (they were excited about their shared room with 2 twin beds) and kept each other awake giggling until 11:00. I thought they would sleep in, but they were by our bedsides by 7:00 the next morning, ready to start the day.

We had a yummy pancake breakfast (I love having full-kitchens at the resort) and decided to head over to Zion National Park. Here's a delightful Norah with awesome bedhead.

Max slept in a pack 'n play inside our bedroom closet. It worked out really well and he was a great sleeper.

Before we left for our trip, I told Logan we were going to have "lots of fun" and go hiking all over pretty red-rock mountains. It was a 45 minute drive to Zions and the kid was itching to get out of the car. There were only a few hikes that were stroller-friendly, so we started with the Riverwalk.

Logan and Dad taking a little break along the way.

My husband rocks by the way. He pushed the stroller in and out of the hike. I got tired just watching him. He let me play around with my camera and enjoy the scenery. Such a good man. 

We left Logan's jacket at Zupas so I bought him one plus this hat before we got to the park. He loved the hat and wore it the whole trip.

I got Norah a hat too, to make things fair (knowing she would throw a fit if she didn't have one too). She has such fair skin that I'm glad she had it for the hike. Although sunny, there was a chilly breeze once in a while, hence the layers.



The kids loved throwing little rocks into the river. When asked what his favorite part of the trip was on our ride home, Logan said, "throwing rocks in the water". 

Max got sick of his car seat and enjoyed cuddling by Daddy along the river. He did so good along the hike, even though he was due for the feeding.


Ah, he melts me.
 Well, we ended up only doing ONE hike. That was a first for me in Zions. After the hike we had lunch, Norah fell asleep and we decided to call it a day. I guess that's what happens with kids. The last time we were in Zions was when I was barely pregnant with Logan.

I got a craving for a steak dinner that evening so we filled our appetites with Texas Roadhouse. Man, it hit the spot!

On Saturday we made our way to the mouth of Snow Canyon where there was a little farmer's market at the Tuacahn.

Picture is in the parking lot, but everyone is smiling and looking at the camera.


It wasn't really what we expected (we wanted more food!) but it was a nice little outing and we enjoyed the beautiful scenery. And these photo props. I think Norah was the most delighted to be a mermaid.

After the market we went to Swig, an awesome soda/cookie hut that I had heard about online. Benj and I ordered 32oz drinks while the older kids got slushies. Plus we couldn't say no to their sugar cookies. I took photos on my phone that I'll post later. SO GOOD!

We grabbed some KFC/AW and had a picnic at a nearby park where the kids had a ball and wore themselves out. If that wasn't enough, we went to the pool later in the afternoon and enjoyed the water. It was Max's first time swimming and I'm kicking myself for not taking a picture!

On Sunday we said goodbye to our resort and made a stop at the St. George temple before hitting the road. 
 These two really are such good friends.

It made my heart so happy to see blossoms on the trees!


Overall a super fun trip that we wish would've lasted longer. Hopefully we'll make it back next year!


Saturday, March 1, 2014

Brothers

 These two boys of mine hold a very special place in my heart.

Its been fun to see their little relationship unfold. Logan is a gentle, loving big brother. Max watches Logan like a hawk and I'm sure when he gets old enough will be following him everywhere.

 Logan was a willing subject while I played with my camera some more.

 Isn't he handsome?

I look forward to seeing these two grow up together. I think they'll be best friends.