3 Month Milo

Mr. Milo,

You are such a wonderful boy! You are as mellow as they come & I'm not the only one that thinks that... lots of family has commented on your easy-going attitude during our trip. I agree with them & say that if you were any more mellow you would be in a coma. I really enjoy each & every day with you. You spent your 3rd month of life away from home, most of it at Mimaw's in Salt Lake, & the week of Christmas in Hawaii. You were an amazing traveler & adjusted to all the different time zones beautifully! You are at a great age for such an extended vacation. Old enough to have some sort of organized night & day patterns, but not old enough to really be on a schedule.

Over the last month you have started to smile more & more. I even managed to get your first giggle out, & I was thrilled that was me rather than someone else! What a wonderfully sweet sound. You have also grown so much. You are filling out 3-6 month clothes quite nicely, it will be interesting to see at what rate you will continue to grow.

I am so happy that I have been blessed to be your mom & to have your sweet spirit bless & lighten our home on a daily basis. This last month has been so fun watching your little personality try to come out, I am excited to see what new things the next month holds for me.

Love,
Mommy

Ahh, the beauty of the Islands

Well, we're back from Hawaii, and what a wonderful trip. In 2004 we went to the Big Island, but were disappointed because of the multiple days of rain. This trip, despite being over Christmas, was 180 degrees different. We couldn't have been more pleased! The sun shined every day, and the temps were 80-85 degrees . . . SIMPLY MARVELOUS!!!

We had some really fun days including attending a Luau, a whale watching excursion, a day trip to South Point & Black Sand Beach, and relaxing on the beach. We've both decided that pictures can encourage anyone into a diet . . . it's especially easy when you're close to New Years and you looked like a beached whale (like the ones you just viewed 24 hours earlier.)

One of the best (or worst depending on who was watching) experiences was when Jeff got picked from the audience to hula. There certainly hasn't been anything as grotesque for quite some time. As Hannah asked when he came down from the stage, "What were you doing?!"

If anyone is interested in going, our advice is GO! There's nothing more relaxing and enjoyable. Here's a whole bunch of pictures:

*Posted by Jeff*

Mele Kalikimaka!

Mele Kalikimaka is the thing to say

On a bright Hawaiian Christmas Day

That's the island greeting that we send to you

From the land where palm trees sway

Here we know that Christmas will be green and bright

The sun to shine by day and all the stars at night

Mele Kalikimaka is Hawaii's way

To say "Merry Christmas to you."

We wish you all a Merry Christmas, & we will be thinking of you from the warm sunny beaches of Kailua-Kona on the Big Island of Hawaii.

Love at first Laugh

Tonight was a GREAT night! I was able to hear Milo's first coherent giggle! I've heard the sweet little sound when he giggles in his sleep & it's a great sound then, but so much better when you can actually SEE & HEAR it. And it's all the better when you are the one who got the giggle out of him!

Ice Storm 2007

Well, Megan is in Utah, so I'm here alone finishing up finals.

While she's out there dealing with "The Greatest Snow on Earth," there's a huge weather pattern that's affecting the Midwest. Here in Oklahoma we've had about 3/4 of an inch of freezing rain. Our house measured 1 inch, but that's biased.

The fortunate thing is that I salted our drive and walkway, so there's not much ice.

I gotta go out and salt the drive again, so here's some pictures:

Blessing Day

Jeff's parents came to visit, they arrived on Thursday afternoon & are staying through Monday afternoon. It's been fun to be able to show off our kids. Hannah has loved being in the spotlight & having a bigger audience. She did have a hard time when the were giving attention to the baby & couldn't be at her beck & call... but that is the first signs of any kind of jealousy & even then it was more of an overall frustration & not directed at Milo.

They came this weekend to meet our little Milo & to be here for his blessing. Today was blessing day & it was a great day. Our church doesn't begin until 1:30 so we just hung around our house this morning visiting.

Jeff did a beautiful job on the blessing. It was nice of Jeff's parents to be there to share the special occasion with us, I think they enjoyed the opportunity. After church we went out & took a few pictures before heading home.After arriving home we took a few more pictures... it was a great day!

The Day of Thanks

As I prepare for Thanksgiving I can't help but think of how blessed I am, & how grateful I am for my wonderful life. I have been given so many wonderful things in this life & I can't help but feel a little guilty that I don't always appreciate all I have on a daily basis.

I have an amazing husband, he is so hardworking, & does all he can to support our family. He is a fabulous husband & father... anyone that can keep up with Hannah's endless energy & be patient enough to play make believe with her every morning & night (I am not exaggerating) is amazing!!

Then there are my 2 wonderful kids that bring me more joy that I ever thought possible. Hannah is so full of life & keeps us very busy & is always making us laugh. She is such a great big sister to our sweet little Milo. She loves to help out & to give him kisses. I am loving the peace that Milo brings to our home with his sweet innocence, reminding me of where I came from. It helps me try harder each & every day to be the best I can be.

I could go on about our extended families, because both Jeff & I came from amazing parents who do so much for us. I am so grateful for their love & support of our little family. It is so nice to be able to spend a day reflecting on all that I have been given & remembering to give thanks for all of my blessings! I hope that everyone is able to fully enjoy their Thanksgiving while surrounded by those you love, no matter if it is with friends or family, enjoy the day!

He's still at it!

Milo is still at it... if you put him on his tummy he will roll over onto his back. He will do it a few times in a row before he wears himself out. I can't believe how big & strong he is getting, see for yourself.

And for a little family update... We are doing great. I am adjusting to exhaustion quite nicely after my meltdown last weekend. I had to let "pefection" go & accept the way my house looks. That combined with all the added help Jeff is giving has made for a better week!

Hannah is still has entertaining as ever. She keeps us laughing on a daily basis & she LOVES to use her imagination. You never know if she is Hannah, or one of the many characters from all her favorite movies & television shows. Thankfully she has worked through her terrible sleeping habits. We had to ignore her for a couple of mornings, but she managed to stop waking up at 4AM & is now sleeping until 6:15 or 6:30. She is such a great sister to Milo & a help to me. I assumed she would be helpful, but I had no idea she would be this great... what a blessing!!

Jeff is still very busy with work & school. There are only 2 more week of classes, followed by 2 weeks of finals that end on December 15th. After a month off he will start his last semester of law school!! Where has the time gone? We are very anxious & excited to begin that next phase of life.

The 6 Week Peak

We have hit the 6 week mark, which means the 6 week fussy peak, although with Milo it's hardly fair calling it that. If a stranger saw Milo right now they would never consider him fussy, & I don't consider him fussy... but he is a little fuss-IER than usual. Last night I fed him around 6:00 & he did is usual long feeding, but he fell asleep. I usually put him down & he takes a little cat nap & then I go back to feeding him for another long stretch as he stocks up for the night. Well he didn't wake up, & I tried to wake him around 8:00, but no luck. So I put his pajamas on & put him to bed, & had the fear that he would wake up soon. So around 9:00 I crawled into bed myself & sure enough he was up at 10:20. Then again at 2:20 & then at 5:30... yes, I know this isn't that bad for a 6 week old baby, but it was rough on me. He usually goes down between 7:30 & 8:30 & gets up between 1:30 & 2:30, & then again between 5:00 & 6:00. So that combined with a long day yesterday where I may have over done it just a bit, I am feeling drained today.

Milo is doing great, he is so mellow & sweet. He really is such a great baby, I keep saying it over & over, but it's true! He is just really easy going. Hannah loves him & is really good with him. I can't wait until he is a little more social, because she will have so much fun with him. I know they are going to be the best of friends (cue the cheesy music) and it will be so fun to watch them play & interact as he grows up.

The Big Girl Potty

I honestly am not one that wants to push my children to potty train. Sure there are times when I am buying a case of diapers I think how nice it would be to have that money for something else, but not enough to push. I don't look forward to accidents or using ever public restroom we are near... will it be any easier with a boy? Hmm.

Well about a year ago Hannah showed an interest in the potty, & because she was just over 18 months old I bought one of those little potties & we bought come panties. By the time I had all the gear & I was ready for the training to begin, she changed her mind! And she hasn't showed an interest.... Until now!

She has suddenly become more aware of when she has the urge to go. The first of this new phase was last week when she pooped in the bathtub & then flung it out of the tub. We told her that if she needed to go that we would get her out of the bath & put her on the potty. A few days later she was grunting in the tub so I put her on the potty, but no luck. I decided that I will start talking about it more, but still I don't want to push her, when she's ready it will happen. During the week there was a couple of times she said she had to go, but they were false alarms, or her being silly... who knows!

This morning she decided she needed to go, so Jeff put her on the potty & sure enough she actually went! I was a bit shocked after having heard those words before, but not having results. I still am not sure if it is the start of the process & if so how long it will drag out, but it does give me hope that I won't have 2 in diapers for very long.

October with Hannah

Hannah is such a character... there is never a dull moment when she is around. Here are a few recent Hannah stories:

I was very curious to see how she would adjust to having the baby around & having to share Jeff & I, but she is shocked us & done remarkably well with the change. I was also very interested to see her reaction to the whole nursing process, but again she surprised me.... she didn't take much interest at all. But one day she did ask about it, & it sounded like this: "What is Baby Milo doing to your elbows." I got a good laugh out of that.

Hannah has had some sleeping issues lately. My poor mom had to deal with them for the whole 17 days she was visiting. She was really fighting us on going to bed. After going through the whole bedtime routine, once she was alone in her room she would scream this terrible scream & yell for me to come in.. It didn't matter if we extended the whole bedtime routine or made it shorter, the screaming still took place. And if I gave in & went in her room it didn't seem to matter much either, & sometimes made it that much worse! My mom sure found a lot of enjoyment out of the screaming & yelling. It took me awhile to realize it was because of the lack of sleep. But once we started putting her to bed earlier the screaming session got shorter & then was a thing of the past.

On Sunday October 21st, she was in the bath & Jeff had left her for a moment to come help me with something. Upon his arrival he saw that she had pooped in the tub & then flung it out on the rug. Jeff asked her why she had pooped in there & she said, "It's okay, I flicked it out!"


On Monday the 22nd she asked if she could feed Milo. I told her that only Mommy can do that, but she can feed her doll. So she grabbed it, lifted her shirt & asked where her elbows were. I showed her where her ELBOWS were & then showed & told her where her nipples were. She then lifted her shirt again & while standing there held her doll in a headlock & pretended to let her nurse for all of 1/2 a second before dropping the doll & moving on to other things.

Halloween

Halloween is one of Hannah's favorites. The poor girl talks about trick-or-treating for most of the year, so it makes for a long year at times. Luckily she was able to fully enjoy her day today.

My sister was here so we got up early & went to Chester's Pumpkin Patch where we enjoyed a pony ride, feeding the animals, a hay ride, the corn maze, a little karaoke, & picking from the sad selection of remaining pumpkins. We had a great time despite the cold windy weather.

That evening we ventured out for a little trick-or-treating. Hannah loved it & was so friendly at every house we went to. She wanted to know every one's name & have some friendly chit chat. After about 45 minutes Jeff headed home to get some homework done & my sister & I continued down one last street with Hannah. She wanted to know where her dad went so I said he left & went home to answer the door to give candy to the other kids. She proceeded to share bits of this information with the residents of every house we visited after that, but of course it was more like "My daddy is gone!" or "My daddy left us for the other kids!" She seemed to get a little extra candy & I got a few sympathetic glances. We got home just in time, because Hannah could no longer carry her bucket.

She was able to enjoy a few pieces of candy before heading off to bed. I have a feeling she is going to be sad at the reality of 364 more days until she gets to do it again!

Milo at One Month

I can't believe it's been a month since I had Milo... he is such a wonderful sweet baby. He is beginning to smile & it's the cutest thing. I also love when he is dozing off to sleep & starts to giggle. He is still going about 3 1/2 hours between feedings & will usually go a longer stretch at night. Hannah loves him & is such a great helper to have around. We are really enjoying our Little Baby Milo.
This morning while I was in the shower Jeff was in the front room with the kiddos, & put Milo on his tummy & he rolled over. So he put him back on his tummy to see if it was for real or a fluke, & sure enough he did it again. He then came in to tell me the news & I told him to get out the camera to record it. Of course Milo had worn himself out at this point, so we'll have to catch it another day! I will point out that Hannah rolled over at 6 weeks old & it was in the presence of Jeff... why do my kids torture me in such a way?!

Our fun weekend

On Thursday my Grandma flew into visit. She brought my aunt & cousin along & it was great to see all of them. The stayed at a hotel with a swimming pool & Hannah loved being able to go swim every day. She also loved my cousin, Wyatt, he is 10 and they had lots of fun together.

Friday morning & early afternoon were spent at the zoo, the weather was beautiful & the company was fabulous. The rest of the weekend was spent visiting & site seeing. Most of the sites were seen from the car, but we did go to the Oklahoma City Memorial (the site from the bombing of the federal building in 1995), and we also went up to see the temple.

Sunday night they caught their flight & headed back home to Southern Utah. It was so fun to have them here, to show off my kids & Oklahoma City... and it was an added bonus that they loved both my kids & the city!! I loved having Wyatt here to entertain her, it was so nice, & we all kept saying what a smart decision that was! I really think I need to get me a 10 year old of my own! Anyone know where I could find one?