Tuesday, March 31, 2009

March News

As I reflect on March nothing new really comes to mind. The weather is starting to become a bit more mild, but we still have cold, windy, rainy days. I know there have been things that have happened and I've thought, "I need to remember to write about that," but now I sit here and can't remember.

Nora, our youngest little member, continues to grow and grow. Everyone always comments that she looks just like a doll. I sure think she is a doll. We're still working on improving her sleep. She has had a couple of good stretches where she's gone days and only awakened once to eat, and then we're back to waking up three times. Sometimes I just want to pick her up and cuddle and rock her, but I fight the urge because it's more important to me that she learns to sleep well. I just make sure we get plenty of cuddle time otherwise. She has developed quite the lovely bald spot right in the back of her head. It looks pretty funny so I can't wait for it to grow back. She is really starting to enjoy the family. She seems to recognize each of us. It sure does seem that she already knows Zane and how siblings interact. She's always grabbing him, grabbing his things, grabbing his toes. He thinks it's pretty funny (most of the time). She is beginning to laugh quite a bit. It is really cute to watch them start "playing" together. She sure does recognize Zane and she either flinches or lights up when she sees him, depending on how fast he's coming at her. She's pretty good-natured, but she definitely only wants her momma if she is tired or hungry.

Zane has enjoyed going to the community center pool. He likes to go in as deep as he can, on his tip-toes until he has to raise his chin to keep it out of the water. He also likes to go down the slide. He is always "talking" on the phone. Whenever I ask him who he is talking to it's either Papa (Grandpa) or Daddy. He has become quite fixated on Grandpa Pickup and the cows. He asks about them almost every day. He will say "Papa?!" like he wants to go see or call him and I'll say, "You want to go see Papa?" and he'll nod and say "Moooo!" One of his favorite things to do is to watch home movies of himself on the computer. He just lights up when he gets to watch the fun things he does. One of his favorites is the Play-Doh war with Grandpa Tolman. Of course, he still loves cars, well any sort of transportation. He thought it was pretty great when we got to ride the "choo-choo" downtown to Saturday Market. Can you believe we live two blocks from the MAX and that's the first time since Zane was an infant that we've ridden with him? Pathetic. He also continues to love to read. His favorite books this month were Ten Apples up on Top, Elmo's Ducky Day, The Wheels on the Bus and Slowly, Slowly, Slowly Said the Sloth. He can identify the following animals from that book: anaconda, armadillo, puma, caiman, bat, poison-dart frog, cock-of-the-rock, yellow-spotted river turtle, and double-crested basilisk. He could probably identify more, but I can't prounounce them so I haven't asked him. He is happy that the weather is improving and we can be outside more.

Kevin just keeps busy with work and Scouts and family. He has really been busy at work lately and has been working late a lot, but has been diligent about trying to carve out family time as well. On their campout this month, they were supposed to go to the Lewis River Trail, but the road was blocked by snow, so they spent the next seven hours driving around looking for a camp spot and pulling the other car out of the snow. They finally ended up camping in Ray and Lynnette's backyard. Sadly, that will be Kevin's last campout as Scoutmaster of Troop 719, for now at least. He was sustained as Elder's Quorum President on Sunday. This is a job he had in our old ward as well. Anyone who knows Kevin, knows that he could happily spend the rest of his life in Scouts, and never in Elder's quorum, but he willingly and gladly serves wherever he is asked. He will do a great job! He's always trying to be aware of others needs and serving them, almost to a fault sometimes. I know that some of his scouts think he has been pretty tough on them, but I know when they reflect back they will be so thankful for the high expectations that Kevin had for them, and they will also realize that they had A LOT of fun.

As for me, I just keep mothering. I have found that I really need a schedule and one that starts early in the morning. If I can get up, exercise and read my scripture before my kids get up, then I seem to have twice as much time in the day. If I don't get up until the kids get up, well, then it's noon before I have everyone else and myself dressed and ready for the day and I don't even get scriptures and exercise in. Unfortunately, that means getting up between 5:30 and 6:00. I remember when that use to seem normal to me. I was appalled at women who slept until 8:00 every morning. Well, I have become that woman. (Well, usually it's between 7:00 - 7:30, but sometimes the kids give me a gift and it's 8:00). No more, though. I am just happier if I keep to my early morning schedule. I've always been a morning person. Also, if I get up early and get all those things done and I'm tired at nap time, then I feel that it's okay if I take a short nap. Now, I just need to get to bed at a decent hour. I've been pretty inconsistent with my training, but I only have a couple of months now, so it's time to get serious. I'm really thankful for Kevin's good job and that even though we have to sacrifice some of life's luxuries (and that's really all things like cable, cell phones, eating out are), I'm able to stay home with my kids and be a mom. Oh, and I am getting a new calling too. I'm excited and scared, but you'll have to wait a couple of weeks to find out about that one.

Wednesday, March 25, 2009

A sun. . . BEAM!

Zane LOVES going to nursery at church. It's nice to hear from the leaders that he is well behaved and delightful to have in there. I hope it continues. I can tell he is learning. I always ask him about what he learned and I know I've hit on something they talked about or did if his eyes light up and he raised his eyebrows and lifts his chin just a little. One thing I know he's learned is how to sing "Jesus Want Me For a Sunbeam" the right way. (Sunbeams are the class of three- to-four-year-olds at our church).

Tuesday, March 24, 2009

Four Months Old!

Wow! Can it really be four months? Nora is getting more and more enjoyable every day. On Saturday she rolled over and Grandpa and Grandma's house. She continues to roll over, but gets mad because her arm gets stuck underneath her and then she can't remember how to roll from her belly to her back. She likes to grab things and examine them. She especially like to grab material, like shirts, blankets, burp rags, etc. She sucks, rather chews, on her pointer finger and her thumb simultaneously.

I finally had enough of her getting up three times every night even though I only feed her once, especially since she has gone for nine hours without waking several times about six weeks ago. I decided I was going to bite the bullet and begin "sleep training" even though I was afraid she would hate it and go nuts. Instead of picking her up, reswaddling her, rocking and bouncing her until she was dead asleep, I just sat by her bed and patted her and shushed her and gave her her "lovey" which is a 12x12 very soft blanket with a little bunny sewn in a pocket. The first night it took her about 1 1/2 hours to go to sleep, but she wasn't screaming her head off, just fussing a bit and crying off and on. Each night has been a little better and now she practically goes right to sleep once I lay her down with her pacifier and lovey. When she does wake up she puts herself back to sleep quickly and last night she slept from 7:30 until 5:30. I fed her then she went back to sleep until 8:00. Wow! Let's hope this continues!!!!!

She is starting to make more cute little sounds and she thinks it's funny when I copy her. One of her more common sounds is that she will blow between her lips and trumpet like you might if you were making a trumpet or trombone sound. So cute! So, she has discovered her hands, her voice and she even has discovered her toes, which she like to play with in the tub.

She's moved into 6 - 9 month clothes. Some are too big, some are too small. Why is that? It seems all of Zane's clothes fit him pretty true-to-size. Here she is FINALLY wearing one of the dresses Grandma and Grandpa Tolman gave her for Christmas.
I LOVE this girl.


We have her four month appointment this afternoon. I'm thinking she's a little over 15 pounds. She's really not that chunky. Mostly all cheeks. I'll let you know when we get back.

Okay, I was waaayy off. She is only 13 pounds 14 ounces--about the 50th percentile. I was just guessing going off her two month weight and the fact that most babies gain about 1 ounce per day. What a scrawny little thing. You'd never believe she was "average" looking at those cheeks, huh?

Zane van Gogh or Zane the Builder

Zane continues to have fun at The Children's Museum almost every week. We're skipping this week because of Oregon Spring Break and maybe next week because of Washington Spring Break. I'm afraid it will be packed! He really enjoys the temporary Bob the Builder exhibit that is there until June. I think he thinks he's like Daddy in the garage.


Today I was making the grocery list and Zane wanted to use a pen and paper too, so I let him. Of course, like most toddlers, he managed to get some on himself. He suddenly started excitedly saying "Baby, baby!" and pointing at his hand, so I paused to take a look, thinking perhaps she had scratched him or something. Here's what I saw: Can you see the baby? I thought it was so funny and interesting.

Quality Daddy Time

With Kevin being so busy with work and church lately, we've been a little short on quality Daddy time. He's worked really hard the last few days to make sure he's given lots of time to the kids and they LOVE it. What a great Daddy!

Wednesday, March 18, 2009

Gabby Nora (sort of)

Nora would not take a nap this afternoon. She seemed pretty content, though so I thought if I just laid down next to her she might fall asleep. I woke up 15 minutes later and she was still wide awake. I guess she just wasn't sleepy. I decided to fold the laundry (blech!) and she was just talking up a storm. Of course as soon as I get the camera she decides to stop talking and that she is ready for a nap. Isn't that just the way it goes?

Monday, March 16, 2009

Sibling Love

As we now know, Zane likes to climb in Nora's crib. It's really pretty cute to find them both in there looking at the mobile. It's not so cute when he's lovingly mauling her.

Zane's having a really hard time waiting for Nora to be big enough to play. I laid her on her back and he rolled her over on her tummy and started "reading" a book to her, also laying on his tummy. I ran out to get the camera and came back to this:
I had to snap the picture before rescuing the screaming Nora. What a good mother, huh?

More cuteness

Here's just a quick one of Nora hanging out with me after one of our jogs.

Zane got a new toothbrush. He LOVES to brush his teeth. This toothbrush has Elmo on it. We have probably had Sesame Street on at our house fewer than five times ever, so don't ask me how he knows who Elmo is or why he is so excited every time he grabs his toothbrush and sees "Em-mo!" Sometimes I have to pry the toothbrush away from him.

Silliness

Zane is pretty interested in Nora's toys and generally just into making mischief. I finally got around to raising the matress in Nora's crib only to find out that Zane easily can climb in now.

He's always finding a new way to be silly, like playing a song on the piano with his bottom.

Open Gym at the Community Center

Last week we went to the "Open Gym" time at the community center. I thought Zane would just run around like crazy, but he seemed content just to sit in this fire engine and watch the other kids. It didn't even go anywhere because the front wheel was broken. He does LOVE fire trucks.
Eventually he would try another toy, like this race car or the slide, but he always went back to that broken fire engine.

Bed Head

Sometimes Nora wakes up looking like this:
Not quite sure what to do with her hair yet, but I still think she's a cutie. Can you believe how big she's getting. We have her four-month appointment next Tuesday.

Working at Grandpa and Grandma's

A couple of weekends ago we went up to help G&G Pickup get some things done around the house. We didn't have a lot of time as Jennifer had a b-ball game that afternoon. I thought Zane would really love being outside and helping, but he didn't last long. He was not too fond of the lawn mower and trailer and I think it was too cold for him. I did get a couple of good shots of him helping to pick up branches from the apple trees.

Friday, March 13, 2009

Big Love on HBO

Are you interested in the series Big Love on HBO? Although this show is not about members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints or "Mormons," it is often depicted that way or confused to be so. Do you have more questions about Mormons or temples? Hopefully this video can help answer some of your questions.



Still curious? Visit http://www.lds.org/ or http://www.mormon.org/.

Tuesday, March 3, 2009

Just Because

Here are some pictures I've taken over the last week that I'm posting just because I think they're cute.

Zane has this bucket that he keeps his wooden blocks in. Lately he has been wearing it as a hat or sometimes he just walks around the house with it on his face like a face mask.


Zane saw I was about to take his picture so he started doing a little dance. What a little show-off.

Zane has become pretty good about coming home and taking his shoes off. He likes to also take his socks off and put them in his shoes. I couldn't resist taking a picture after I saw this little sight that made me giggle: Zane's socks in Kevin's slippers.
One of Zane's favorite things to do while I'm nursing or rocking Nora is to play on our bed. He loves to hide in the pillows, throw himself all over the bed, read Dad's Book of Mormon, and hide blocks and cars in the bed for us.
What can I say? I just think they're cute. Zane LOVES his sister and I swear when she looks at him she looks like she knows and loves him, too. She also tolerates a lot of his love, which can be a little overbearing at times. It seems at times like neither of them can wait until they can really start playing together.
Doesn't her shirt say it all? Miss Nora is a lot of fun. She's happiest after she wakes up from a nap and then gets something to eat. That is when she smiles and talks, and talks, and talks. She only lasts for about 1 1/2 to 2 hours between naps though, and then watch-out for little Miss Cranky-pants.