Busy spring stuff

So....life!!!!! It has been busy and wonderful.

Harriet has a strong personality and presence in our family. She seems like she's teething...shows hunger cues and eats until refusal and then wants everything in her mouth! She rolled over on Wednesday April 9th for the first time at 3 and a half months. 

Freddie finished up sports class and he loved it! I did too. Swim lessons started Monday. I'm super excited. It's a small class size for him (3 kids to 1 instructor) and I've heard amazing things. I have to get Fred swimming for real because we plan to be in the pool constantly this summer and there's way to much stress for me in holding a newborn and a toddler w never-ending energy. Hattie and I take the newborn class. Super excited for that too. :)

Frederick has been increasing in his independence and confidence lately. I've relaxed a bit on stressing about the amount of food he consumes and since then he has been eating so much better. He has gotten so gentle w Harriet!!! It's an incredible difference from when she was first born and he is even becoming a better helper (only refuses to "please please please hand me that burp cloth/wipe/diaper/water right next to you!!" Part of the time ;) and comforter to her but most of all he loves to play with and make his baby sister laugh. It's the best. And she laughs!!!!! She has a hearty laugh! She giggles, grins, stares, makes silly faces...and Fred and Collin and I crack up and she cracks up harder. It's awesome. 

Collin and I have tried hard at working together on parenting and budgeting and house keeping and we butt heads but we are learning to compromise and even give in. 

Cutie in her swim suit from Lulu.

It's so summer

It's still technically spring but late spring in phx is 107, and schools are mostly out everywhere so that's what we call it. We are working on summer fun lists over here, and filling our calendar up with library group, national geographic, Barnes and Nobel story time, and lots more summer fun. My plan is still to get outside to play at least a half hour everyday because I feel it's important, but mostly just to get out of the house and take advantage of the many fun things going on around the valley...indoors. In a/c! Hattie and Freddie are so much fun right now. And I'm coming out of my post partum worries and enjoying the now!! Life is good. We are so blessed. I'm in love w Collin.

I wanna see this film...

Children's museum!

Found her shadow.

One more.

After I published that last post I took this gem. I felt it deserved a post of it own. 

Monte the neurotic 'fraidy cat SMILIN a big happy cat face Saturday mornin smile. Maybe he's just happy Fred isn't here to torment him. F has been doing this bit where he chases the cats growling like a monster lion till they hide under the couch and then squats down and teases them some more. Poor dudes. Haha I love this crazy cute bed sharing family of mine. 

Can't wait to pick Fred up in a couple if hours. :)

Easter 2014

Holidays are fun with a toddler. It's funny to explain to him what it is and why it's a special day. He's often like...another holiday??? Haha and you know we love to celebrate anything and everything. It's interesting as Freddie gets older to figure out which traditions we will focus on and which we will ignore as a family! We also aren't tied down to any specific things though. If we don't get to something...who cares! The most important thing for us on Easter was to consistently talk about the resurrection of Jesus Christ and what it means to us individually and as a family.

This year we went to the Easter pageant at the Mesa Temple, dyed eggs, and attended church together Sunday morning. That morning the kids got Easter outfits (that was fun for me!!) and got cards and little gifts from grandparents. And I made some delicious Easter cookies. Recipe here: http://cookiesandcups.com/cookie-sticks/#_a5y_p=1312222

After church we had a 3 hour family nap (we were OUT. I haven't slept that well in a while!!!) and then had our favorite meal, Chicken Tikka Massala by Mrs Harding cooks, here: http://mrshardingcooks.blogspot.com/2010/05/chicken-tikka-masala.html?m=1

I was REALLY wanting to be around family or friends that evening. My family was out of town and we were missing them and Collins fam like crazy. So we went over to a friends house with a few other families and had dessert. We got there and only had an hour before everyone was leaving but we had a great time talking with other adults. We are grateful for good and welcoming friends in our ward family. Heavenly Father really takes care of his children. It was a beautiful special family day. Love my so husband and children and kittens so very much. So thankful for the Atonement  and Resurrection of the Savior and for my sweet Mia Maid class. They have strong testimonies and teach me so much. 

I'm SO OBSESSED with these pictures and this happy boy!!!!!!!! He loves life!!!

Very lovely

Harriet Jillian. I love her so much!

Christmas Eve 2013

It's been a week since the birth of our little Hattie girl. We fall more in love w her every day. Freddie loves loves loves "baby Hattie," and gets super hyper around her. He's learning to be gentle. He wants to hold her all the time. He comforts her. Freddie asks me to sing him the Baby Mine song all the time. Yesterday we were driving in the car and Hattie had started crying a little. Out of nowhere he held her hand and sang, "Baby mine don't you cry; lay your heart close to my heart, never a tear, baby a mine." Um. Collin and I definitely got all teared up. And then Fred tried to poke her eyeballs: "THEY're ON!!"

The jealousy has been minimal. It's crazy how much my love has grown for Fred too. He melts my heart. 

What a week! We were in the hospital for 3 days! It was exhausting!!!!!!! We were so so happy to get back home and be in our own comfy bed, with the kitties and Frederick. Collin has been taking great care of us. 

Anyway, Christmas Eve!!!! It was an interesting one this year. We were behind on Christmas stuff of course, so Collin and Freddie were out shopping all day. Hattie and I stayed home in bed, and I was a little bummed to be missing out, but it was good to rest up and spend alone time with my new little honey. 

We opened some gifts from a friend!

Update!!

Thursday I'm 36 weeks and I've been feeling all the normal cramping, practice surges, total exhaustion that comes with this point in pregnancy.

I feel good. I had an appointment today and it was very positive. 

I've been having little headaches; I need to drink more water. I've been having crazy vivid nightmarish dreams every night; I need to write down 5 positive affirmations for each of the dreams. 

In my last two dreams, the babe was a girl. Either way, he/she moves like crazy, non-stop!!

The big one too:::Nichelle described him perfectly today: a brilliant energizer bunny!! I love him. So so much. 

In every prayer he says "thank you for the fair," about 5 times and today he added, "thank you for the bus." He is really freaking sweet with my belly. He rubs gently in a circle while he's nursing. 

Today when we heard the heartbeat, Fred lit up!!! He definitely knows what's going on. He knows there is a baby in my belly and that it's going to come out and be in our family. Now, I doubt he can comprehend having a sibling, but then again, I can't comprehend having another child. Today we watched births of kitties, a cow, and 2 humans. Fred thought they were very interesting. 

Big brother

Fred asks multiple times a day to see the baby and I have to pull up my shirt and everything so he can rub, hug, talk to, listen to my tummy, play w my belly button etc. it just makes me want to burst open w love and excitement. We talk about when the baby comes and what it might be like. 

The last week has been hard because I've decided to be strict on nursing just once a day--for the mid-day nap. I love nursing, so so much, but now it's painful and uncomfortable and I don't want to do it. So we had our first ever family meeting and all agreed that it would be just the once a day.

Although Fred made his verbal agreement, there have been a lot of tears, talking, reminding, tantrums, frustrations, etc. 

Tonight while Fred was falling asleep we had the sweetest time together that made up for the hard times in the past few days. He loves me. He loves the baby. We just sat together and he grew tired, and had his arm across my belly. I just stared at him and thought about him as a big brother and didn't want it to go so fast. He said, "milky is sleeping," as if he was saying he would love to have some, but knows it's not possible right now. I said, "yes, and also remember we agreed to just have it once a day, "to which he answered, "once a day." This is so emotional to me. 

Part of me realizes that in the future I will look back on this time and ache to be able to nurse my little boy again...and here I am, ending it. But what makes it ok in my brain and heart is that I know he's growing up and learning to deal with his emotions in other ways and that's important. 

Then just now talking to Collin about it all, verbalizing it all, and again typing it, thinking about it, my eyes well up with tears. He really is growing up and there's nothing I can do about it. This change is huge. And more giant changes I can't even comprehend are coming. 

I'm a giant knotted up ball of emotional hormones right now!!!

Okay so now a bunch of photos of all my darlings:

October is great!!

It's so nice out; people will now hang out w us!! We go on lots of play dates to the park. This park is our favorite: East lake park. In the 1800s there was a lake in this spot and one time the salt river flooded and two gators ended up here for a while!!

We go on lots of walks. I try to keep up. 

Kitties in the complex 

Hey kitties, don't run! Fred just wants to hold you and squeeze you and love you forever. 

Looking for airplanes

When did you get so grown up?

Library toddler time. He loves this beanbag song. "Put it on your head and walk around the room."

Naps, everyday.

Playtime. 

We love baths!!!!

My buddy. 

I volunteered at a little consignment sale do I could shop at the Presale. It was fun and I got some good stuff. Reminds me of the gigantic sale we went to in DC, Natalie!!! 

Crazy guy!!!!!!!!!!!

Cute pirate

Back in feb 08. Dating long distance. Who are these funny skinny people?????

Happy TENTH anniversary to Jayna and Matt Hedges!!!!

Happy birthday, Morgan!!!!

30 weeks

Here is me at 30 weeks pregnant yesterday. I feel pretty much awesome. (thanks E.H.!) I can't believe its going so fast, just like Fred growing up. And getting older. There are so many incredible things coming up soon. Freddie and I were taking about them at the park today. First of all, it's been such nice weather that we stayed at the park for like two hours today instead of 30 minutes. Also there's general conference, Halloween, pumpkin patches, the state fair, Thanksgiving, having the baby!!!, Christmas, new years 2014!??!, Lulu and pops coming to visit!! We are going to make a super awesome timeline with these and more exiting things to look forward to.
My brother, AJ, was visiting for the past couple weeks and on his last night here, we all went to the movie Austenland. It was so silly and funny; we had a great time. Fred was asleep when we went and we were hoping he would just stay asleep like the good old days, but he woke up at the first preview and was awake and alert and interested for the entire movie. Oh boy.
And check out this guy who cut Freds hair the other day. He was like...ok I don't get along with kids. Haha. We were like ummmm....ok. But it all worked out. This kids has had about 5 hair cuts in the last year; his hair grows so fast.
Lastly, I like to take baths and practice hypnobirthing while Freddie naps and my Kitties love to keep me company. Life is good.

up to? up to?

So Freddie got a big nasty bump on his head a week ago. Last Monday was really nice in the evening so we went for a little family walk. We were chilling on a bench and Fred went to get down by just jumping off (instead of turning around and climbing down) and SMACK went his knees, hands and then big smack---forehead on the cement. He was screaming and crying instantly, and when I turned him over to look I was actually startled at how bad it looked. But Collin and I stayed calm, hugged and kissed, asked him to count the trees and he was slowly but not too difficultly distracted. We knew he would be ok. He thought it was cool that he got an ice pack (and now regularly asks for "ice,") and by dinner time, he was regular ol' giggly happy Frederick again.

Happy fourth!!

I was like...SO excited for the 4th of July this year. I always love holidays and I love America but year I felt especially festive and grateful for the country we live in and the many freedoms I enjoy personally.

We had a great time singing, eating, watching the crazies stuff their faces in the Nathan's hot dog eating contest, spending time w friends and family, and later that day we went to the movie, World War Z. We loved it. 

Freddie and Collin were super patriotic, too. That Fred loves to wave a flag around. God Bless America!!

More summer

It's gotten to the point where we can't really go outside anymore besides swimming. Yesterday was 118 and some meters read 121. Photos are from the last couple of weeks.

Yes, pregnancy is hard. I forgot how hard! Or maybe this one is just a little more challenging having another child. But reading Ina May's Guide to Childbirth and all the positive (though many challenging) birth stories and thinking about my own birth with Freddie, and thinking about how "wow, I'm pregnant now!" And thinking of possible future pregnancies and births...just them alone without all the other hard stuff that comes w them...I love pregnancy and love birth! Call me crazy, but i's a miracle. It's amazing. I feel very blessed. I don't want to complain. At yoga today I learned modifications to help me be more gentle on my ever-changing body (I'm in a regular class-not prenatal so I can't do everything they do anymore.) And during one part we had to look up at our cupped arm over our heads and we were told that whatever thoughts we were thinking are reflected back to us so to make sure we are thinking positively and kindly. I usually do think negative things about myself; it sucks. but I was feeling so good that all of a sudden I found myself thinking all these awesome things. It was very empowering and gave me confidence and peace. I'm awesome. I feel good about my body. I make it to the gym 3-4 rimes a week. I love the little bean growing in there. My husband is awesome and funny and loves me so much!! My son is adorable. He tries my patience 100 times a day these days, but he is soooo funny and cute and he's teaching me to teach him and so much more. I love cats! And I have two of the cutest, sweetest, cuddliest, and most independent ever. 

Today I'm 16 weeks and ill have more patience, more fun, more gratitude as I wait and prepare for December. 

Photos and stories from the past couple weeks

Eating pretzels by the pool. (We've been swimming almost every day. Collin says its way too cold, but Fred and I call it refreshing. It's cools my bones and then we don't have to turn in the a/c. Yeah we turn on the a/c. We hate being hot! And although its insane nice outside, it gets stuffy and hot in our place. we've done it two ways: we've not turned on the a/c unless necessary and scrimped and kept it at a very conservative temp and we've also done it where we blast it as low as we need when we need--and it's seriously a difference of $10-20. We have a tiny apartment!! So we will be comfortable.)

Baby and me yoga at midwives rising! We love it. Fred does poses. He's awesome.

Blasts from the past.

Holding hands w a kitty.

Chalk at the park on another gorgeous day.

Fred at a birthday party with friends.

Frederick riding on his uncles back. Seconds after this photo was taken he fell off and hit his head on the tile fireplace.
:( :( :(

Sleeping beauties.

Pictures and stuff vs 1

There's this stray cat that comes to our window and freaks my cats out. At first I wanna hate him but then I think of how he's homeless, food less, love less. It's so sad.

We will not go quietly into the night! We will not give up without a fight! We're going to succeed; we're going to live on. Today we celebrate out Independence Day!!

Well said Bill Pullman.