New things

Exciting things!!

Crew is ROLLING OVER!!! yay!! poor kid hates tummy time so he doesn't get it much...especially with Cooper around. The second he starts crying Cooper goes a little crazy too. SO when he kept rolling over from his tummy to back we were a little shocked! The kid does the same moves and tries hard to get his arms in the perfect spot. But he's a pro! I have a video of course but it takes forever to up load (I need to figure out how to do it differently).

Cooper seems to be advancing with everything. More specifically he recognizes the shape of a star, knows the letter M and S. And when I ask where the letter U is he points to himself :) Super cute! It only took 2 full days to teach him to stay out of the tree! He's LOVING baths more (how is that possible??!) when he's in it he says it's "ni aka nice over and over. He would sit and splash forever if we let him.

I am loving my job and start NICU in January. I am super nervous but will learn a LOT about babies. It's a different world with babies and I am excited to start that journey. But I do love working on the pediatric unit for now. It's AMAZING!! I miss my boys when I am at work but in all honesty...I need a little adult time and they need that play time/structured learning time. Crew isn't afraid of anybody and Cooper absolutely loves to play with other children. He's a much happier child since we started back at day care. He gets so bored playing with mom! They only go 2 days a week and I'm happy with that.

Brady is doing awesome at work as always. They are in the process of hiring a new receptionist, which is good experience for him. He had his ankle looked at and we are considering doing corrective surgery on it at some point but the recovery time is ridiculous so we're going to wait a year or two (his ligaments are completely detached from his ankle so there is not much support except a little muscle).

So that's us recently. A lot of changes going on. We are always crazy busy but we are trying to enjoy our little boys as much as we can!!

Blessings

cuddling with daddy

 movie night with mom and dad!! he watched the ENTIRE movie Polar Express.

 he cracks up at my "funny" faces

 our newest blessing! he melts everyone's heart with his huge smile.

I am the luckiest mama to have 4 wonderful boys in my life!

We will always be short one little boy in our family pictures but he's always in our hearts.

Memories

I need to be better about writing down cute things our boys do. I have a journal next to my bed that is neglected and I know I need to take more time to write things down.

This morning Cooper did something super cute that I absolutely loved!

He's been VERY good at saying please and thank you for everything. As I was grabbing things to make breakfast Cooper ran into the pantry. Then I hear a little "dank you". I glanced in and he had the biggest smile and a graham cracker!

I though it was super cute that he said thank you to himself :)

Another thing he's been doing is saying sorry to Crew a LOT. He'll touch him even the slightest bit roughly and says "sawee" (sorry) and then immediately says "sof" (soft) and touches him softly.

It's so sweet that he loves his brother so much!

4 months

Crew turned 4 months in November. We had his check up and he weighed in at 11 pounds and 23 inches long. He's still a little guy and I LOVE it!! He had his shots of course and did pretty well. Thankfully it was time to eat so as soon as he was eating he was fine. He's a champ!

The doctor said he's doing really well...just needs more tummy time. :) It's hard to get him on his tummy with super Cooper running around non stop!! I fear for his life even if I'm on the ground protecting him. Cooper is super strong and you never know when he's just going to trip and fall!!

-Crew has rolled over once and has yet to do it since. But he tries and it's super cute.
-He's chewing on his hands ALL the time and is drooling a TON. I think he's starting to teeth because his gums are really red.
-His eyes are slowly turning a dark grey. I miss those blue eyes!
-He loves to cuddle! It's pretty much the best.
-Still sleeps through the night. He doesn't even cry himself to sleep. We swaddle him and he passes out! or he lays awake and then falls asleep. No crying at all :)
-Likes to play with toys. He's mastered the reaching thing and enjoys anything that makes a sound.
-loves the tv. We have to have the tv off constantly when he's awake because he will fight to see the tv.

So that's a little bit of information about our 4 month old! He's super sweet and so so cute!

Real Quick.

We have been super busy with me working and cuddling our two wild boys! Everyone is happy and working towards being healthy (silly head colds). But here are a few pictures to look at...

Crew and I cuddling before bed. He loves his little giraffe that rattles.

Crew and Mommy again.

surprise!

He finally dared to get in :(

Thanksgiving dinner! We are pretty sure he is a lefty. he eats, writes, kicks, and throws with his left side.

roller-coaster

Each year as the holiday's approach I seem to jump on the "emotional roller-coaster".  It wasn't until the other night that I understood why.

I miss our little boy.

He'd actually be a big boy now. He'd be 4 1/2 years old.

What he'd look like?
How smart he would be?
Would he like football, soccer, baseball, tennis??
What would be on his Christmas list?
What would be his favorite meal?
Would he love mashed potatoes as much as I do?
Would his dark hair be curly or straight? 
I would really love to see his face light up Christmas morning.
I'd love to see him sing in the Primary Program at church.
I'd love to see him kiss and hug on his little brothers.
I'd love to hear him giggle with his Daddy.
I would absolutely love to snuggle with him and kiss his chubby cheeks (I imagine they'd be chubby).

It's not easy. It breaks my heart every year. As time goes on it's getting easier. But it's also harder in many ways.

I really miss him. Even though I carried him for 26 weeks and only held him once - I miss him very much.

Busy as usual

Lately: I started my new job and love it so far Kids started day care, which started the lovely sickness in our home Cooper and I are sick Crew is happy as ever, growing fast, and sleeping 10+ hours at night straight Brady has a head cold but manages to work, take care of us, and the house! That's all for now. Maybe once things slow down I will take some pictures!

Happy Halloween!

Birthday

Another year has gone by and once again I've worked on my birthday :( Grr! but as always my boys spoiled me!

Friday night Brady arranged for a friend to watch the boys so we could go out for dinner. We went to Outback Steakhouse and had a nice quiet meal just the two of us. Then we went to Target and bought the new Fast Five to watch when we got home.

Then on Saturday my friend who worked Sunday morning asked if I'd be willing to trade her shifts. Of course I said yes because then I would be home Sunday night (my actual birthday). So on Sunday I went to my LAST day of work and came home to presents and dinner made by my hubby! I showered and jumped into my pj's for the evening! It the perfect ending to my crazy birthday.

my presents!! two Cricut card things and Photoshop!!

 enjoying some time with crazy coop!

 making faces at Daddy! Cooper is being silly as always

I had a great birthday! Staff at work sang to me over the intercom, a few phone calls, and a couple cards came my way!! I am blessed with so many people that love and care about me.

Job and Parenthood.

It's difficult to balance between being a parent and a job. I go back and forth. a LOT. I want to be a stay at home mom but yet I want to work as well. When I'm at work I want to be home, when I'm home with crazy kids I want to work (just a little). It's confusing to me and very frustrating. Why can't I decide.

So for now I still need to work for our growing family. It solves part of the problem. But I miss my kids when I'm gone. I miss being there for every single minute of their short time as babies. Grr...

BUT good news came our/my way. I GOT A NEW JOB!!! It's perfect. Perfect for me. Perfect for the kids. Perfect for Brady.

It's at St. Luke's hospital here in town and I will be working NOC shift in the NICU!!! It's part time - meaning 2 nights a week. The kids are enrolled in day care and will be going 2 days a week just so I can get some sleep. I think it's great because Cooper could REALLY use some activities with other children (he's being a stinker lately with other kids). And as Crew gets older it will be good for him to have the same experience. And then the other days I can be home with them!

Overall, I am nervous and excited! It should be a good change and great experience for me as a RN. I will miss my children very much but I hope that I can help other children grow strong so they can go home with their loving parents!

Our growing boys!

Here's another picture overload!

Crew has the most kissable cheeks right now! I do it all.the.time.

 I really do love my little boys!

 Crew absolutely adores Cooper! It makes me a little nervous to see what Crew learns from his big brother.

 Crew is a very very happy baby! He cries for good reasons and is a good natured little boy. So much more relaxed than Cooper was as a baby. I kind of like it!

 Cooper got a new coat and snow pants for this winter! He loved wearing his new stuff.

 Here's the typical me...hair up, no make up, and looking tired. It's a good thing Brady loves me for me because I can be pretty scary! And this is a good picture to show you how small Crew still is!

 this is a silly picture but it shows his hair growing back in and that he LOVES his hands. his hands always smell like spit because he constantly has them in his mouth. It's pretty gross.

 we made halloween cookies with Alisha, Makenna and Peyton. Cooper enjoyed the frosting. a LOT.

 he ended up dumping it on the table and adding water to it - making a huge sticky mess. But he had fun!

 haha. sucking off the sticky mess.

 here's a preview of coop's costume :) Isn't he the most innocent pirate you've ever seen?!

 we went and visited Grandma and Grandpa Ellis in Rexburg. I didn't get very many pictures but he sure does love them!

 the joy of an empty storage tub! he liked to have the lid on (with him in the tub) while Brady pulled him around the room.

 we went outside and played in the crisp fall air.

 crew is getting a little stronger each day. as you can see I had to prop him up with blankets so that he wouldn't slouch to either side! he is 3 months old in this picture.

mommy moment kind of day...

when I think of a "mommy moment" it's not just something cute. I also think of something that I'd want to remember. so here's my day up to this point:

I wake up at 8:15 hearing Crew crying hysterically. I feel AWFUL because I have no idea how long he's been crying. I was exhausted.

Cooper wakes up all happy. GREAT way to start the day! Then he turns into this tasmanian devil that's running, jumping, throwing, climbing, twirling EVERYWHERE! Where the extra energy came from I do not know.

After getting ready we headed to a doctor's appointment for Cooper. While I was getting myself ready Crew was in the bouncer smiling the whole time and Cooper was running wild getting into things he knows he's not supposed to and laughing while doing it. Then he throws a fit because we are not leaving fast enough. He even tried to pick up the car seat with crew in it! He continues to throw a fit as I'm shoving him in the car. Yes, SHOVED him in the car (we were already late). He calmed down with his football and book.

As we rush inside to the doctor's office and sit down some random kid (looked like he was 8 or 9) started to play with Cooper. Sorry to all the mom's out there who let their kids do this but I do NOT let Cooper play in a doctor's office. All the germs and sick children around...I think not! Cooper thought it was cool to throw his football for the other kid to play with and I had to ask the kid several times to get it back. Then Coop was mad and threw a HUGE fit. Thrashing, screaming, crying. Oh the looks that came my way were ridiculous...let me tell you. Once in the room Cooper continues to be that tasmanian devil tearing up the paper, running around, yelling, and giving me a work out. The doc comes in and takes a look at everything and comments how strong Cooper is and just smiles. haha the doc just smiled at the ENERGY Cooper has and that he can climb onto anything he thinks he can. He was very impressed with his ball throwing skills and literally jumping and climbing on every single thing possible. Then to run off some of his energy we ran to the van...literally. We ran all the way across a parking lot with him holding my hand and me with a stroller. And to add to it all he thought it would be funny to knock on someone's car door...with someone in it. He was a nice man and just laughed and said "it's fine!" :)

The ride home was nice and quiet. Then we get inside and he's running around taking his shoes and coat off. I sit him down for lunch and he shovels it in his mouth and says "all done." And the running around continues. Like crazy running around. Brady gets home and asks "what's up with Cooper? He's wild!" Running into walls on purpose because he thinks it's funny.

Then I find Crew pooping his diaper (thank goodness he sleeps like a rock). I pick him up and start to change him. It was one of those explosive diapers when poo is down the legs. It wouldn't be a big deal if he wasn't so stinkin' excited and kicking his feet as if he's running a marathon! So as I'm slowly undressing him trying to clean off the poo on his legs I hear a BIG BANG!! And I mean BIG!! I turn around and Cooper has tipped over in the laundry basket and smacked his head on the vent cover. I run over and swoop him up to see the damage. It's a massive line across his forehead and it looks like it's going to bleed. i run and get a cold wash cloth to press on his forehead, gave him some tylenol and snuggled him for a minute. He wanted up to look in the mirror so we looked at his "owe" and move on. Seriously, tough kid. Then he continues to climb on things in the living room. This time I see him trying to climb over the back side of the couch!!! So I stopped changing Crew (who is without a diaper at this moment) to teach Cooper we do not climb on the couch like that. ugh. so I go back to Crew and get him cleaned up and put in pajamas because it's just easier.

By now it's nap time. Thank goodness both boys were as exhausted as I am because they went down without a single peep! This is the kind of day that both boys were extremely happy and Cooper went WILD! It's the kind of day I want to look back on and laugh because I am sure there won't be another day quite like this one :)

P.S. as I'm finishing this up both boys are starting to cry. It's only been 32 min. to be exact.

so that's my mommy moment kind of day!

Sleeping Babies

In just about every conversation I have with an adult about Crew they seem to always ask about the long sleepless nights. Every single one has been completely shocked that I reply with "he sleeps through the night." But no one says "well, how did you do that?" it's always..."wow you're lucky!" or "not every baby will do that!" But I'm here to tell you that I'm not just lucky. We worked hard for BOTH children to sleep through the night. Cooper did at 7 weeks and Crew did around 8 weeks. Coincidence?

We HIGHLY recommend this book.

When I was talking with several friends and family about their baby's sleep schedule each one of the parents (who's baby was sleeping through the night) recommended this book. Brady and I both have read it and think it's AWESOME! There are things that we don't "go by the book" but we adjust to our family needs and they still sleep through the night. I mean Crew is sleeping 10-12 hours straight and he's not even 3 months old.

So here it is. Our favorite "magic" book! And I thank EVERY single mother who recommended this book (especially Chelsea for helping us at first with Cooper). It got me through nursing school :)

just for giggles

We took these pictures when Crew was less than a week old. I wasn't going to show them to you because...well, it's Cooper in a bra! haha but my friend recently posted a picture of her 2 year old daughter wearing her bra and I mentioned that we have pictures like that of Cooper. So these are specifically for my friend and for you to giggle at...and maybe even embarrass Cooper some day!

it's beginning to look like fall!

I am pretty sure fall is my favorite season. I love the change in colors, cooler temperatures and thinner air (not that Idaho has heavier air than good ole Michigan). Even the food tastes better - soups, casseroles, and cookies! Everything is FALL to me. Here are a few things we have done so far...

Made cookies! Brady hurt his big toe REALLY bad and had a friend from the ward take a look at it. He's a PA and we wanted to make sure it wasn't broken. So the cookies were a thank you for taking a look at his foot on his own personal time.

 Long sleeve shirts and football! Here's a cute picture of cooper sharing pretzel sticks with daddy.

 these two are the best! cooper is asking to watch football now so they have fun sitting and staring. this last saturday we were invited to watch our friends sons play in their first flag football game. cooper LOVED LOVED LOVED to watch them play and kept yelling at them from the sideline. I joke with Brady that Cooper just might end up being a hard core football player instead of soccer. :)

 here he is at the pumpkin patch! we met up with Travis, Alisha and their kids to pick some out. The kids just ran around picking out their favorite pumpkin to take home. This year we picked out 3 for the boys and 1 for us.

 Brady in his Michigan game gear.

 Cooper really enjoyed picking up all the "ball" and throwing them.

 kenna and peyton. peyton is about 2 months younger the crew and is MUCH bigger! he is so sweet!!

 our family. it's hard to imagine Kegan in the picture. he'd be 4 1/2!

 crew was super happy about being back in the car!

 Here's Cooper when he's tired. the blanket is up by his nose!

 peyton is passed out on the floor :) i think he should give crew some of that hair!

 kenna and cooper played really well together. they are starting to be great friends. lots of hugs, kisses, and high fives for these two little (big) ones.

 cooper is starting to be REALLY interested in what I'm doing in the kitchen. he knows that things are "hot" and believes every thing near the stove is hot. i'm okay with that! but lately i've let him stand on a chair and "help" me with things. this picture is of him "cleaning dishes". i poured some soap into a clean bowl and gave him some clean silverware to "wash". he thought it was pretty great!

A few other things we have done: made home made beef stew, turned the heat on in our home, pulled out winter jackets, bought Crew's halloween costume and threw away the summer pool.

More things to come: halloween, my birthday!, a new nephew, and hopefully family pictures.