Eli

Has it been two months already?! Sheesh! Eli is one of the most cheerful babies ever. He has already laughed several times making a lopsided grin and staring into my eyes. What a loveit! His blessing day was a great day. Thanks to all the family and friends that came and supported us! Jason did a beautiful job and the spirit was strong.
Eli was diagnosed with RSV on Friday and it has been difficult. We feel so blessed, however, because of the priesthood in our home. Dad and Jason gave him a blessing and he was promised that Heavenly Father would be close by to watch and protect him and that He would send his angels to do the same. It said that his body would be comforted and that he had this disease so that his body could build up the immunities that he would need in later life. It also said that it was the power of the priesthood that would protect him. It has been hard watching him go through it but we have had several beautiful moments with him. Sometimes he looks off into space and does a huge grin and laughs. I feel so blessed to have the help of the priesthood and the gospel to aid me in motherhood. I don't know how people survive without them! There are so many nights when I go to bed wondering how on Earth we made it through the day without a trip to the hospital. I'm also grateful because it makes it easier to sleep when I know he is being well looked after!

Happy Freakin Birthday

Happy birthday to my little sister! We had lots of fun growing up and playing together.
My favorite things to do with Amy:

We invented all kinds of games to play at night "to help us fall asleep" but really to keep ourselves awake. We would use the ceiling tiles to find shapes and pictures and challenge each other to find them using a grid for reference. "I see a duck in A-4". We would listen to the We Sing Silly Songs, Bright Tapes, and The Safety Kids tapes over and over, taking turns conducting.

If I could talk her into it, we spent many a Sunday playing card games. I still remember her trying to keep her cards in PRISTINE condition. No shuffling. Just put them on the ground and mix them up so they don't get bent.

Playing with the Schumanns. We would hide in the back of their car when they went home so we could play together longer.

Playing "maid" with Kristen too. We would sit on the couch and order Kristen to bring us food and do chores for us. Kristen liked to be Cinderella and we liked to be in charge.

Anything that involved creativity, Amy always came up with good ideas for make believe.

Amy was always good for a laugh too. She comes up with wild things, like the bobos and other such nonsense.

I think one of my top memories is standing on the Nielson's front sidewalk and her showing us how to do the running man to Paula Abdul's "Opposites Attract".

Happy Birthday Sner, I hope you get you DOLE HOWSE!

The video below is the Bobos. I wasn't there when this was performed but my jaw still hurts after I watch it from laughing so hard.

i UNDERSTAND wheRE ShE IS comINg FRoM

To all my neighbors within a one mile radius: I can explain the screaming. And the shouting. Take 6 children that involve the following lovely combos: 3 (at least) who have ADHD and no meds today, 2 who can't make their pee find the toilet, 1 who saved up until he created a poopy blow out that went all the way up to his neck, one who lost her diaper (also poopy) on the carpet, and no sleep- it gets interesting here in the morning. NOW, let's add-oh....say...husband is at work. Now it gets a little hairy. NOWWWW, let's add the home inspector is coming at 11:00 and it gets crazy. Not only is the home inspector coming, but he's bringing the buyers with him. It would also be fun to factor in the fact that some kids forgot to wear pull-ups last night and triple our laundry for the morning. And WHILE we are on the subject of pee, let's just say that the angel baby boy peed on the recently laundered sheets on my newly made bed. Let's just say. Pretend. OR, we could LIVE it! Yeah, that would be fun. But let's not call social services. I swear I didn't spank anyone! Except, actually I only spanked two little twinlets who were running through the house NAKED, screaming, and giggling for 20 minutes before I lost it. (But really, the spanks were wimpy spanks that just made them laugh harder.) There's nothing wrong here!! Move along about your business.
On the positive side of things, the reason the home inspector came is because after 5 days on the market, we sold our condo!! We are now looking for somewhere to go. ..... anywhere.

Grooming-Not for the queasy stomach

I am what my friend calls a mother gorilla. I like to groom my children. If it's gross, it has to go. I find joy in picking goop out of ears, boogers out of noses, and-if I could-pealing sunburned skin. For the last couple of days, Eli has had major boogerage in his right nostril. Oooooh. I have wanted to get it but didn't risk it because I knew I couldn't get up there without hurting him. Then yesterday, I noticed....(insert trumpets here) a little bit poking out his nose. Using great skill and dexterity, I maneuvered the offensive substance from his nasal passages. Ahhhhh! Release! And now he can breath again.

Liam is doing very well recovering from his tonsillectomy. He didn't have any weird reactions to the anesthetic and has enjoyed watching "Little Einsteins" over and over while eating his fill of popsicles. He heard the Dr. tell me to "give him whatever he wanted" which meant to not limit his diet to liquids. He has told everyone the doctor SAID he could have whatever he wants! And believe me, he's had it all. With Grandma around, he has had all that his highness could ever want. I wished I had my camera to take a picture of him in the little hospital gown and net cap over his hair. Ah well. It was cute, and it really hasn't been too bad.

Ramblings, One month, and Catch up

I'm sitting next to Natalie who has managed to get blueberry muffin in her hair, eyes, ears, and pretty much anything else you can think of. She has grown up so much since Elijah came. She is finally starting to talk. She says: yeah yeah!, banana, nom (that means she's hungry), dada, and if we're really lucky, mama. She can climb anything and is fearless when doing it. I'm in a constant state of panic trying to keep her out of things, off of things, and off of the baby. She eats out of a bowl and uses a spoon, sort of. My favorite new trick is that she kneels and folds her chubby dimpled arms for family prayer.

The big new news is that Jason got a job this week. He will be working for a local company called Prosper doing sales. It's commission based so we're a little nervous but grateful for the opportunity to work and get back into a normal schedule. Other big news is that we put our condo up for sale. I thought it would be fun to add having to have a continually spotless house to my list of stuff to worry about. ;) We hope it sells quickly and we are looking forward to finding something with more space.

Elijah, shockingly has no quirky nickname. This is unprecedented in our family of Benny Penny, Bill, Barlaney, Joe John, and Monster. He was Kermit for a few days but it didn't stick. My dad calls him "Lige". We'll see. It's been our task this month to get Eli as fat as possible. I think we've succeeded. He's "very healthy". He is generally a very content little guy who rarely cries "for reals". He loves to cuddle and he loves to be warm. He's most happy when he can bask in some sunlight or take a warm bath. He HATES to be swaddled and keeps stretching until he gets out of it. My favorite thing about having more than one child is watching them interact. Ben and Liam spend hours playing with cars and airplanes. Natalie has been crawling in bed with Lizzy. The other day I caught the twins standing on the kitchen counter "making a concert". They were singing Jingle Bells over and over, each chorus got jazzier and jazzier.

Ben made us all proud by earning his Bobcat. He has had a lot of fun with scouting and likes to get his book out and request to learn something in it. He's such a good example!!





This last picture shows the reason that I have been able to practice the piano more in the last month than in the previous 12 months.




P.S. This is my threatening note to Amy: You know what will happen if you don't post. 4 weeks? For SHAME!