Quick update

Here are all of my siblings together. This is the first time we've all been together for 8 1/2 years.

This was funny because JW flipped out because a bee flew in his face right as we were taking the picture. Okay, he didn't flip out, I would have done that, but it was funny.

And I couldn't resist adding a picture of my chubby baby. I just want to squeeze him he's so cute!

What fun times we are having, and we're not done yet. So, this is just a quick post, and I'll have to give more updates later. This has been the month of family get-togethers. Nate's parents flew in yesterday to be here for Ryan's blessing this Sunday. We're excited to have them here for a whole week!

And congratulations Julie & Phil on your new baby! He is precious!

Baby Weight

Hannah at 4 months -- 13 lbs 2.5 oz

Nikki at 3 months -- 13 lbs 6 oz

Ryan at 2 months -- 13 lbs 3.5 oz

I think a fourth child might weigh enough to bend the rods in my back.

Crib time

This picture is to help me remember that Ryan can sleep in his crib, and he should be sleeping in his crib. He had his 2-month checkup today, and the doctor was breezing through several no-brainer questions. He's in a rear-facing carseat? He's never left alone with pets? He sleeps in his crib? ...... Umm, I admit that I didn't stop him when he passed over this question, which kind of makes me dishonest. Ryan actually sleeps in his car seat. Yeah, all the time. He wouldn't sleep in his crib as a newborn, and now I think it was because of his reflux. I just haven't wanted to mess with his sleeping arrangements when he has been doing so well. But there have been a couple of times when I went to get him in the morning and he had slid himself down into a really uncomfortable position. He's going to slide out of it one day if I don't just bite the bullet and make him deal with the crib. So, right now he is crying himself back to sleep in his crib because of course he didn't stay asleep very long when I put him in there. Oh, if he only knew how much more it hurts me than him.

Fun picture

I just love this smile!

Build-a-Bunny?

Hannah needed a little special attention this past week, so we went on a mommy/daughter date to Build-a-Bear. She loved it! Neither of us had ever been there before, and I thought it was a lot of fun, too. I was afraid she was going to pick out the hideous pink-and-white-heart bear and then was relieved when she settled on the cute bunny. Yes, I was living the experience through her. I wanted the scruffy puppy. We had a great time.

Smiles!

My baby does like me!

I was starting to think he was going to have such a serious personality.

And then he smiled.

So big! Lots of times!

But of course not for the camera yet -- just for Mom.

Babywise

My friend Amy asked how I got Ryan to sleep so well, and this is my secret. I didn't get him drunk. :) I've been thinking about writing about this anyway. I hadn't heard of this book when I had Hannah, and I think I will feel guilty until the day I die about the awful job I did nursing her. By the time she was two months old she had only gained a pound and a little bit over her birth weight. I might cry just thinking about it. I had no idea how to take care of her, and I didn't ask anyone for help. I had read some breastfeeding books and the material you get from the hospital and pediatrician, but all of that was based on demand-feeding principles and I knew I didn't want to do that. But then I didn't know what to do.

The thing I like so much about this book is that it's not extreme. It's doesn't advise demand feeding or going strictly by the clock. It's a middle of the road approach focused on having a predictable schedule but allowing for flexibility when needed. To me, the fact that this encourages good nighttime sleep is just a bonus. I really needed it just to understand when and how much an infant needs to eat.

I think one of the hardest parts of parenting is being consistent. During the first year of life, babies are learning whether they can trust you to meet their needs. I always worried that if sometimes I picked them up right when they cried but sometimes I just let them cry it out to sleep, then I wasn't being consistent and would be causing emotional trauma to my poor baby. Now I think I was just causing myself the trauma. With a predictable schedule I can generally know that he's not hungry right now, so in order to meet his needs in the best way he needs to cry himself to sleep. Or, I can tell that he's probably hungry and I don't mind feeding him even if it's not exactly when I predicted he would eat again. That's a huge difference in my mindset from Hannah. I wouldn't believe she could be hungry yet and would get so frustrated that nothing else would settle her down but nursing. Oh, I can't even talk about her without getting upset with myself.

So, Nate and I can't decide if Ryan is just a really good baby, or if we just have relaxed and learned a lot since our girls were babies. It's probably both. I read this book before I had Nikki, and it helped tons, but I think I have been even better at applying the principles this time around. I highly recommend this one.

7 Hours!!

That's how long Ryan slept last night! Can you hear me singing? What a fabulous baby! Now, if I could have everything I wished for, he would have slept from 11pm - 6 am, but he went from 8 pm - 3 am and I'm not going to complain about it. I'm ready for bed by 8:30 anyway. Last week I kept trying to wake him up for that last feeding of the night, and he just wouldn't do it so I've given up. I woke up around 2 am and thought, "Is he okay? Should I go check on him? ... no, he'll let me know when he's ready." And he did. And I feel so good this morning! Maybe I'll be able to do something productive today ... maybe.

Nikki

Nikki is back to her normal self again. The whining and stubbornness have returned, but so has her cute little giggle. I think I have focused too much lately on the low end of her mood swings, and I need to remember more often the fun and sweetness she brings to our family. She is the one who usually gets us together to play games. She loves board games, and she loves uno. She thinks it is so much fun to lay a draw four on someone, and surprisingly enough she handles it pretty well when someone gives her a draw four. She is such a snuggler. If Nate or I take a break on the couch, within just a few minutes she'll be cuddled right up with us. She loves make-believe games, and the whole family is always included. Usually she's the kitty and I'm the mommy kitty. It has been so fun to watch how much she is learning in kindergarten. She is so proud of the work she does. She is learning to write sentences by writing down the sounds she hears, and I think she does a great job. She is very proud of her good behavior at school. Her teacher has a frog theme throughout the classroom, and they get a green, yellow, or red lily pad to take home every day to show how their behavior was at school. Green means she didn't get in trouble, and I think if she ever got a yellow it would devastate her. This morning she was really cute when she saw that she is in charge of the treat for family night tonight. She got this really cute thinking face on, and said, " Umm, I want milkshakes" and then gave a huge grin. She has a sweet tooth to rival Aunt Kellee's! She has said a couple of cute things in the past couple of days that I have wanted to write down.

• "I wish I was a baby. Then I would always be cozy, and someone would feed me, and I wouldn't have to get dressed by myself."


• "I'm boring." This was said during General Conference when she was getting bored.

Oh, I know there was more. I'll have to come back and add them if I remember. I am so grateful to have Nikki in our family. Now, if we could only get these mood swings under control before the teenage years hit.:)

A Sad State of Affairs

Three doctors visits in one week. Okay, the third was my 6-week checkup that I just threw in to make it sound worse. I'm fine but two of our little ones aren't feeling quite up to par.

First, Ryan is showing some signs of reflux, so the doctor prescribed some medicine for him. Is it working? I don't know. Sometimes I think so, but then the next thing I know he'll be really uncomfortable again. And why was he awake for two hours last night? That's just not what he's been doing. I took his temperature last night to make sure he's not getting what Nikki's got. I think he's okay so far. Oh yeah, he weighed in at a hefty 11 lbs 5 oz. I knew he was eating well, but good grief. Poor Nikki has had a fever since Monday night. For a while it was hanging around 103.2 and Motrin wasn't doing much to bring it down. She had some spots on her tonsils, so I took her in to the doctor, but it's not strep. Could have saved that copay, but with the baby around I just wanted to know for sure. Interestingly enough, she has been nice to have around this week. No screaming, whining, begging, or demanding. I'm a terrible mother to say that, but it has been calmer around here. I do feel sorry for her because I can tell she feels just awful. Today she has acted like she is feeling a little better. She even broke out a princess dress. Hopefully she really is on the mend. Don't her eyes just look sick in this picture?

It all just makes me even more grateful to be a stay-at-home mom. In the parking lot at the pediatrician's office (at one of our trips there) I saw a mother saying good-bye to her toddler. The dad was taking him to a sitter, and I just thought that was the saddest thing. It would break my heart to have to go to work when my little one was sick. I know it's necessary for some families, and I am so very grateful that we are not in that situation. And I'm even more grateful that I'm not working when I don't have to.