life right now

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.

The days go quickly

The nights even faster

And my mind is jumbled

All I think about is these three and if they have everything they need, if im enough for them. 

Restless, cuddle up, startle, eat, calm, breathe, breathe heavily, grasp my fingers, slip off. 

Eyes closed, startle awake, then back to sleep. 

I can't multitask, but I can keep calm and do one thing at a time. Be patient. He does everything his own way, all by himself. He loves, imagines, innovates, instructs, learns. I can teach him to do anything, if I allow patience and put everything else down...those things that don't matter. And she is learning and watching every second. Today we changed the batteries to tickle me Elmo, step by step, and poured water into cups, and nursed off and on and off and on and slept at all different times. And watched and cheered as she pushed up and down and rolled and up on her knees then laughed and chewed all the toys. These are my days, these two, these three. 

Outdoors.

Feeding the ducks the other day...and met an old man from the Far East who guess I was Mormon and then told me about his connection to the church for an hour! Phew! What an interesting guy he was. We will see him again. He was surprised at the freedom I gave Frederick to run around the pond and commented that in his culture they are very protective of their young and would never allow something like that...but that maybe if they did they would be more daring and courageous! He told me I'm doing a good job as a mom...which was nice to hear even if he doesn't even know me haha!

Baby ducks!

Playing catch before bed

Fred's little obsession for a couple of days. Hattie joins in too...







And check out the closet curtains mom smith!

Hanging around town and accomplishments!

Heres Freddie going going going on his scooter. We had a great day at the park the other day with lulu and pops. Fred loves Steele Indian school park because there are always so many kids there. "I want to see friends, mommy!" He is soooooo out-going and I always end up meeting awesome families and moms because of him. Everyone loves meeting Hattie and comment on how. It's she is! Hehe, I think she's gorgeous!!! And so smart, hilarious, wonderful, spiritual!!! My children are amazing, unique people who will change the world!!!! A few moms with one child have asked advice on having two...saying they are thinking of having another. I told one that I recently had a breakthrough....and feel like I'm slowly getting a old of things...as long as I am SUPER patient and don't mind taking an extra hour to leave the house and only try to do one thing per day on my own. :) life is good though. I love having a newborn.  Well she's 6 weeks this Thursday....aw man it's crazy and wonderful.

Update in pictures

Lots of photos. Putting them on my blog and cleaning up space for lots of baby pictures coming soon 8)

Uncle Joseph football banquet.

Sometimes your power goes out

Sometimes your power goes out and you have to pack up, get outside, and go on a big long adventure. But then you stop on the corner to eat your sandwich and watch big trucks WORK!!

The weather; the times; the life; the mind

Beautiful day today. Uh oh, it's happening. Every year around this time it starts getting gorgeous and cool and it's Halloween (my favorite holiday), and we drive with the windows open and walk to all the antique shops and love Phoenix and forget how miserable summer is. Well man, it's getting really nice out. This morning was 84 and we went to our favorite park and sat in the grass and watched the airplanes land. Then friends came to join us and Frederick was in heaven with all the kids around. He loves playing and being with "friends."
I love being with other adults! This summer was hard and lonely/depressing at times because we had to stay in doors so much with the heat + pregnancy. Plus everyone was so busy. But with the nice weather will come much more to do.

I'm so excited for this season, getting ready for Christmas and our next baby and Collins family visiting. I feel very happy right now. And with that and some photos, dot and I are going to nap. Fred is down for the count.

More blog posts soon on our trip to St George and Freddie's second birthday!

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.

bath time fun

Bath paints are Fred's favorite right now (thanks Ashley!! :) He dips his paint brush in and gets a HUGE glob and makes big purposeful swooping motions on the tub walls. It's awesome. And he likes to fill the tub WAY TOO FULL for a toddler and he swims and splashes all over like a mad man and gets everything soaked. While it's a bit maddening for me at times, I have to CTHD and just enjoy every moment. He's incredible, this guy. Oh, and in the last 2 months his vocab has exploded. He's speaking in complete sentences. How did this happen? We're loving it. Today he was all about. "It is Sunday. It is Sunday!" "He is happy." "I want _____ (jam, water, game, Fly Guy ETC!) and "I want raining." Me too, Fred. Meeeee too. 

Oh and Fly Guy is his latest obsession. It's this randomly weird book about a boy and his pet fly. Frederick LOVES it to DEATH. He's constantly asking, pleading for it. For him. A friend gave us a bunch of kid board games and one is this "Peanut butter and jelly," one and there is this large plastic fly in it. Fly Guy in the flesh. hahahah so funny. When he sees flys outside he's like, "GASP!!!! IT'S FLY GUY!!!!!!"

And he gets songs stuck in his head!! He goes around singing, "No one, no one, no onnnnnneeeee." [alicia keys] and this song about a cat named Applebee, and the choo choo song Grandpa Money always sings. 

So far this summer...

cutie got my mascara

Our summer staple

At the children's museum

Today today

So packed. Our days are usually borrrrrrrring. We get up, go to the gym, come home, nap, then spend the rest of the afternoon wasting time till daddy gets home. Sometimes we will play outside or do art or read a million books or go to the little nearby park (that sucks cause random people keep taking the swing!! at night.) but today was packed full of good day stuff.

Playin