Happy Barf-day to me!

Yesterday was my birthday. :) To celebrate, I wanted us to go to the GA Aquarium (the world's largest aquarium!) for the day. Despite the fact that Jakey and I had not been well Sunday morning, I thought we could still manage this day trip. So Rob took the day off of work and that is what we did. We had a great time there. It really is an impressive place. We enjoyed the dolphin show, the HUGE ocean tank with 4 whale sharks, finding Nemo in the coral reef exhibit, watching the albino alligator in the African exhibit (he seemed to be dreaming about chasing something,) singing to the Beluga Whales, petting sharks, and laughing at the otters and penguins.

Toby watches a whale shark swim by.

Rob, Toby, and Charlotte watch the fish in the "big tank."

Charlotte told me that she felt like she was in a dream. She loved the aquarium.

This picture Rob took just before we left. You'll notice Toby is on the stroller.

An hour or so earlier Toby had started to complain about feeling sick, and being tired. Rob and I, ever the sensitive and in-tune parents, told him to "suck it up." Five minutes later, in the parking deck, Toby vomited all over the place. (I am so thankful this happened in the parking deck and not in the Aquarium.) I apologized to Toby for not believing he was sick and cleaned him up and changed his clothes. And we headed home. Well, 30 minutes later, Charlotte started whimpering. I passed her a cup, and sure enough, she needed it. Then it was Toby's turn again. And then Charlotte's turn again. By this point I was feeling pretty green myself. Rob and I just looked at each other and laughed... because really, if you can't laugh in these moments you're just going to cry.

The Barf-mobile FINALLY made it home and I just barely made it to the bathroom. Which is where I spent most of last night. Poor Rob, the last man standing, bathed the kiddos and put them to bed. He checked on me throughout the night and helped me by bringing Jakey in for feedings and checking on the kids when they cried. Yeah, it was a brutal night. So, today we are staying home. Probably tomorrow as well. Maybe by the weekend I'll be able to stomach the idea of birthday cake. Maybe. For now we are all subsisting on water and saltines, watching many movies, and sleeping.

The Aquarium was awesome though... if you're ever in Atlanta, you should check it out. :)

6 months- do the inchworm

Jakey turned 6 months old recently. Half a year gone by already!!! "Sunrise, sunset. Sunrise, sunset." Ahem. Okay, I'm back. Our baby man now weighs 21 lbs. 2 oz. and is 28 1/4 inches long. (That's 90th percentile- for the record. I use these blog posts to compile the kiddos' baby books when they get to about 18 months old.)

He is eating baby food at lunch and dinner now. And once this week he even slept 5 HOURS in a row. It was amazing. He can sit up on his own and he even gets up on his hands and knees and rocks... but he seems to have developed his own system to get around the house. I call it "The Inchworm." Observe...

Here, Jakey is showing you the correct hands and knees pre-crawling posture. Just because he can.

But if he really wants to get somewhere...

Step 1. Roll half way to the side and plant toes in the carpet.

Step 2. Push up into a full plank.

(Beginners may want to start on their knees and work up to the full plank as strength increases.)

Step 3. Propel weight forward by pushing simultaneously with both feet and hands.

Repeat.

I find this endlessly amusing. And I certainly can't do it myself, so I'm impressed as well. It's not terribly effective though- half the time he ends up going backwards. But before we know it, he is going to be off and running with the big kids. Sigh. Babies don't stay little for very long. ;)

love/hate relationships

You ever notice how things that we love often come side-by-side with things that we hate? I was reminded of this today as my beautiful boy threw a massive tantrum while sitting in time out for another misdemeanor. Here are a few illustrations:

LOVE:

This girl. Her laugh. The way she mothers her baby brother (and all of her stuffed animals.) Watching her dance like nobody is watching. Reading books together on the couch. Having her home with me all day.

HATE:

Growing out bangs. The way she abuses her most beloved polar bear (I gave him his 4th 'rhinoplasty' last night and a 'reverse liposuction.' The way she tortures her little brother. Being asked to read Diego Saves the Sea Turtles... again.

LOVE:

This boy. Those brown eyes. Cuddling on the couch and goodnight kisses. The way he adores his daddy. The beginning of the joke telling phase. His monotone, baritone singing voice. The amazing towers he builds out of blocks.

HATE:

3 year old tantrums. Poop- anywhere but in the toilet. The way he antagonizes his big sister. His want for me to do things for him that he is completely capable of doing for himself. Did I mention the poop? I really, really can't overstate how much I hate the poop.

LOVE:

This baby. Baby giggles. Chubby little feet. Happy babbling noises. Kisses. Peek-a-boo.

HATE:

Drool. Teething. Sleepless nights. This 'complaining' sort of crying sound he makes now.

But... here's the thing. My love of my 3 sweet babies cannot be laid out like pros/cons or love/hate. I ADORE my children. It's easier when they are behaving- or asleep- but even when they are being holy terrors I am still madly in love with them. I never knew what that would feel like. It fills me with gratitude. And I love being their mommy.

10 things

I am having trouble remembering to take photos and finding time to post to the blog lately, but I thought I'd give a quick family update tonight-- top 10 style.

#10. Rob and I are off soda for the month of February. We don't have a daily soda habit- but close- and I can personally say that the headaches that hit me on the 2nd and 3rd have me seriously considering never drinking the stuff again. (We'll see how I feel about that by day 15 or so.)

#9. I took Charlotte and Toby to a drop-in playgroup at a gymnastics school. They (Toby especially) had so much fun bouncing, balancing, tumbling, and dancing. It was so cute. We'll be back to that again for sure.

#8. I made acorn squash soup last week. Rob loved it. The kids hated it. I thought it was so-so.

#7. According to our bathroom scale, Jacob weighs 21 lbs. He is as mellow and cuddly and delicious as ever.

#6. Charlotte and Toby taught Jacob to growl. Have I already mentioned this? Am I repeating myself? Am I repeating myself?

#5. I love the storytime librarian an Thursdays. She is animated and friendly and kind. I do not like the storytime librarian on Wednesdays, she is the opposite of everything I just said about the other librarian.

#4. We planted tomatoes, bell peppers, cilantro, and basil today. It was 75 degrees out. Before you tell me it may still frost, let me tell you that they are in pots so we can bring them in at night if needed.

#3. Rob is going on a solo camping trip soon. I hope he has a great time out hiking on the AT. :)

#2. My birthday is later this month. We're going to take the kiddos to the GA Aquarium to celebrate. I can't wait for them to see that whale shark. Awesome.

#1. We're going to UTAH! We bought tickets tonight!!! :D

Goals update

First, I have lost 5 lbs. It's not much, but the numbers are moving in the right direction, so I'm pleased.

Second, to report on my $250 budget for groceries, eating out, and household necessities. I did not meet this goal y'all. In fact, I went about $100 OVER. There were several contributing factors to my overage... I had the chance to buy meat from Zaycon- $1.69/lb for chicken breasts and $2.99 for 93% lean ground beef. I split 40 lb cases of each with a friend, but still, I hadn't anticipated spending so much on meat. Also, several Food Lion grocery stores are going out of business in the neighborhood so I stocked up on baby food and items I rarely see on sale (like yeast and cocoa powder) at a 25-50% discount. Also, we did our Bountiful Basket almost every week- I think this is the best value for fresh fruits & veggies I could get, and I need those on hand if I'm going to lose weight.

So anyway, I'm calling January a success because we still significantly reduced our spending in these areas, and despite some unexpected car repair costs, we did not have to pull money from our savings. And the items I spent money on were carefully considered and I knew they would reduce our spending over several months... so I put the long term benefit ahead of the short term goal. That is actually progress for me. :)

As for not buying anything new- I did it! And I had some fun experiments in January! I made homemade yogurt in the crockpot! I baked bread. I froze veggies. I packed 95% of Rob's lunches (we did miss a few.) We packed picnics instead of eating out. We had date nights at home after the kids went to bed (DVD, board game, ice cream.) We read more books from the library and used more library services (storytime, birdfeeder making activity.) We visited the temple in Columbia, SC. I didn't feel like we "missed out" on having fun in any way. I bought myself a "new" outfit at Goodwill, just to test the waters, and I was really pleased. I couldn't believe how many designer label items were there- some with tags still on. So I got a pair of brown cords (Coldwater Creek,) a white dress shirt, and awesome red shoes for $15. I was worried when we were invited to a little kid's birthday party that I'd have to make an exception, but then I decided we'd give a gift card to one of those bouncy places instead. Fun experience gift + I did not buy any plastic junk made in China that will end up in a landfill = happy me.

And finally, my goal to speak my mind more freely. I'm working on it. To do something proactive in this area, I made a profile on Mormon.org and posted it to Facebook. I'm not in the habit of openly sharing my beliefs... in fact, talking about anything close to my heart inevitably leads to waterworks. So I'm taking babysteps and starting out by sharing more in writing.

Now on to February! I'm not sure... I want to continue along these same lines, but with Valentine's Day and my birthday, we do have some plans this month. Also, I realized a few things that I'd like to purchase that will save us money in the long run (hair clippers for one.) So... I'm going to continue with my weight loss goal. And I think set a $400 budget for groceries, eating out, etc. $100/wk! Yay!! That should be an easy goal to meet after this past month. :) Any suggestions?

Is it Jacob, or is it Memorex?

If you get that reference, congratulations! You are at least as old as me. :)

We comment a lot on how much Jacob and Toby look alike, and I remembered this one picture of Toby at 5 months old that I just LOVE, so I decided to replicate it with Jacob at 5 months old and do a little comparison. No doubt they are brothers, but I can definitely tell them apart and see their unique features. Can you? Check out these two photos, make your guess, and check the comments for the answer.

Baby #1 (or is it?!?)

Baby #2 (hmmmm)

Weird that I mirror-imaged the photo set-up without meaning to. Now, no fair scrolling down for more photo help before you've made your guess, but here is an update on Jakey at 5 months old.

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Jacob is my Lovey Bear. That's what I call him, because he wants to be with me ALL. THE. TIME. If I'm not actually holding him, he wants to be sitting in the high chair while I cook, or catching my eye from across the room. This boy loves his mama.

He has started eating solid foods and now has some baby food at dinner time with us every night. Sadly, it's not making him sleep longer. *sigh*

He drools SO. MUCH. Maybe he is teething? Maybe that's why I don't get to sleep more than 2-3 hours at a shot? I dunno.

He loves to giggle and babble. He now says da-da-da-da, blows raspberries, and squeeeeeals- with joy or annoyance as the occasion requires.

He's discovered his feet and thinks they are really, really cool. He doesn't like when I cover them up with socks. (It leads to those squeals of annoyance I just mentioned.)

He is SO. FAT. He has that buttery, soft, squishable chub over the entire surface of his body. I just kiss him all day long and tell him that I'm going to eat him up I love him so! (Anyone catch that reference?) By the way, why do we resort to cannibalism when expressing love to our babies? I have no idea- but it just feels right. :)

PS- This last photo is from a picnic we took in the park recently. On a 70 degree day in January we can go on picnics in the park!!! I am not tired of GA yet.

New Year, new goals

As 2012 approaches, I've been giving a lot of thought to what I would like to accomplish in the coming year.

Obviously, I want to lose 25 lbs. (If you know me at all, you know this is pretty much a standing resolution when I am not pregnant.)

But mostly I have been feeling inspired by a friend's recent "spending fast" (buying nothing for one month) that was in turn inspired by another blogger's 2011 goal to purchase nothing NEW (used items from thrift stores were acceptable, but of course there were still groceries and household necessities to buy.) I like both of these ideas, but a year is a long time to commit to, and I know I do better when faced with bite-size projects. So I've decided to take this idea a month at a time for as long as it is interesting. I LOVE that my sweet husband listens to my ideas (even if it is with an amused look on his face) and is willing to participate in my hare-brained plans! :) So for January, I am not going to buy anything NEW, and I am limiting our month's grocery/household items/eating out budget to $250.

Do I hear you asking, "why?" "What in the world is the point of this bizarre exercise anyway?" There are a lot of points actually, and maybe I will be better at expressing them as time goes on, but it has to do with watching our savings account shrink... with watching our children's rooms fill up with toys (I would like to blame Santa, but I must take full responsibility)... with seeing our children argue MORE as they have more STUFF to fight over... with the undeniable craving I have to go to Target and Kohl's and Chik-Fil-A... with the culture of consumerism! I don't know. It's just time to try things a different way.

And finally, I am going to try to speak my mind more freely. This is soooo hard for me to do. I am a people pleaser, a peacemaker, I want everyone to be happy... and I don't really think there is anything wrong with that, per se. However, I feel like I have missed opportunities to have more meaningful conversations at times, because I didn't want to ruffle anyone's feathers. So watch out y'all! lol Just kidding. But seriously, I am going to try harder to say how I feel and not be so worried about the response it gets. And if you are on the receiving end of this, please know that it is in an effort to deepen our friendship, and not the opposite. :)

I wish you all a happy new beginning in 2012!

first foods, first Christmas

Just before Christmas Jacob had his 4 month check-up. He was 18 lbs. 14 oz. (100th %) and 27 inches (98th %). Jakey is the 1%! (Sorry, I couldn't resist.) So, ya know, he could be a Sumo wrestler or linebacker or something. ;) He is adorable and very healthy. He smiles at everyone and is particularly attentive to Rob and Toby... I think those are great choices of people for him to look up to. Anyway, the doctor agreed that we ought to start some solid foods, and there was much rejoicing.

He was very happy to have a spoon just like everyone else.

Cereal, however, was not a hit.

I am looking forward to a little bit more independence and to sharing the feeding responsibilities, but I'm glad we're not ready to stop nursing yet. I love the quiet, cuddly feeding time with my baby.

On Christmas Eve, Charlotte and Toby were so excited they couldn't contain it! Jacob was a little overwhelmed by the noise and energy, but it was fun to see them all playing together and having such a great time.

These kiddos are best buds.

They loved their gifts from family and Santa, but they couldn't wait to give Jacob the stuffed animal that they had picked out for him and wrapped.

It's okay Jakey, you'll get used to it.

Lights of the South

We've been passing two different bugs around our house for several weeks now, but we have been trying to get out when we can anyway, and last Monday night we went to Lights of the South for family home evening.

The kiddos LOVED this! We took a hay ride through some pretty elaborate light displays (a depiction of Christ's life, followed by many, many familiar movie characters, and Santa's workshop, etc.) This castle they are in is near the end of the hayride.

This is a photo of it from outside.

Rob and I are curious about their electric bill.

We also visited with Santa. Jakey was very awake and alert at this place. So much to look at!

Charlotte and Toby were all business.

Toby told Santa he wants a football and a skateboard for Christmas. (The skateboard is a new addition, and doesn't seem like a good idea for a 3 year old to me.) And Charlotte asked for a Barbie. (She does already have some Barbies, but she would like a new one.)

We also ate popcorn, and played on the playground, and a lonely old man followed me around for awhile telling me about his dogs, which made me think of my mom (who talked to EVERYONE,) so I listened to him with a smile and wished him a Merry Christmas.

We also decorated our tree. It was fun to do all of the ornaments again this year. (This is Charlotte with Rhett Butler- I have several book character ornaments that my family gave me when I started library school.) Last year we only put on homemade and unbreakable ones since Toby was just 2. The kids were so much fun to watch hanging them all so carefully-- but only up to 3 feet high. I rearranged things a bit after they went to bed. ;)

I don't know this kid. LOL

Sooooo serious.

(Have I ever mentioned how Rob and I both were told that all the time when we were kids?)

And last but not least... Jacob is turning 4 months old in a few days. He is ginormous. We'll have the official weigh-in just before Christmas, but our scale puts him at 18 and 1/2 lbs.

I love these boys. :)

Charlotte will always be my girl and I love her and am thankful for her every day, but I gotta say, I love these cuddly, sweet, gentle boys sooooo much.

an attitude of gratitude

Next week we will have been back in the US for 6 months already! In some ways it has been super easy to transition back to normal life- Target, Walmart, 2 cars, 24 hour pharmacies. And in some ways it has been really difficult- tighter budget, more time commitments, trying to make new friends.

But this past month we decided to try and focus on our blessings and to try to do more for others. There are a lot of people (in the US, and throughout the world) that are struggling far more than we are, and we are truly, truly thankful for our material, spiritual, and all of the other blessings in our lives. :)

I forgot to put this photo on the last post- Spanish Moss. :)

We are thankful for the beautifully diverse world we have to live in.

We are thankful for 3 healthy, happy children.

Jacob has learned to hold things and now everything goes into his mouth as quickly as he can get it there. We find it's a challenge to teach our children about gratitude. We want to give them what they need, and many of their wants... but we also want them to understand that there are so many who have to go without and to have compassion and charity. I know little kids are pretty naturally egocentric, but we're still discussing ways to help them understand this. Any suggestions?

This is our "Thankful Tree."

Throughout November we talked about things we were thankful for at dinner time and put them on our tree. Some of my favorites: Halloween, 'snowmans' & Father in Heaven (from Toby,) my brothers, cheese, & Ariel (from Charlotte,) a singing voice, the mountains, & Julie (from Rob,) and Robert, Chinese take-out, & prayer (from yours truly.)

Oh look, it's the Savannah river again. (My organizational skills could use a tune-up.)

Fall photos from the CSRA

That's the Central Savannah River Area ya'll.

We heard about this place not far from us where you can walk or bike along the Savannah River and canal, so one Sunday afternoon when the leaves were prettiest, we took the kiddos for a stroll...

Pensive Charlotte- see it does happen sometimes.

This face! I love it.

I am really loving this Fall weather in Georgia.

Summer was brutal, but if the other 9 months of the year are this lovely, then I'll take it!

Halloween happenings

Hello again.

Three children certainly eat up more of my time than two did! I've also upped the ante by joining the YMCA gym and trying to exercise there 3-4 times a week. So, along with ballet, library storytime, and playgroups, our days have become quite busy. I will do my best to not let the blog go too long without posting.

The Halloween festivities this year seemed to go on and on and on.

Two weeks before Halloween we went to Kackleberry Farm.

This was the gentlest, sweetest, most lovely donkey I have ever seen. He actually wanted to be pet by children-- even when they clearly had no food to offer. I want one. ;)

We did the first stage of the corn maze.

(By all reports stage 2 was much more challenging and time consuming, so we opted out. Maybe when our kids are a bit older.)

We had our family photo taken on a giant rocking chair!

We did some other fun stuff too. The kids did a zip line, rode slides, watched singing rooster puppets, and fed the goats, sheep, and other animals. And we also picked out 2 pumpkins from the pumpkin patch. It may have been a real pumpkin patch, but it was not very sincere, and with the addition of the fire ant hills throughout... well, next year we may just pick them out at Walmart.

A week later we carved our pumpkins into Jack-o-lanterns. (Actually, I carved pumpkins to Toby and Charlotte's specifications - because it was too "cold and smooshy" for them to be involved with- while Rob held the baby on the porch swing. Sometimes I wonder why I am the only one who cares about these traditions in our house.)

Toby is ready to fight bad guys... as long as they're not too scary.

Charlotte's pumpkin is a witch stirring her brew from one of those pattern dealios. Charlotte is attempting to look sweet and innocent like Snow White.

Charlotte's ballet class encouraged the kiddos to wear their costumes to class. This was also the day the parents were allowed to come in and observe. I took several short videos, but Charlotte was often behind another little girl and out of sight. I like this one though. I'm glad she is enjoying it and engaged in what the class is doing and listening to her teacher. :)

We also wore costumes to storytime at the library.

Then we attended our church Halloween party and trunk or treat.

Snow White, Casper, and Spiderman.

And THEN it was finally the big day.

REAL door to door trick or treating! Rob took Charlotte and Toby around the block while Jakey and I handed out candy. The kids were back after an hour and fully satisfied with their booty. They helped hand out candy for the next hour and had so much fun with that, that Charlotte wanted to hand out the candy she had collected as well! (Weird kid.) Rob and I however were quite done with Halloween at this point so we vetoed that plan, blew out our pumpkins, and outened the lights.

The kids had a blast. Which I think is the point of Halloween for us. It is the one holiday that is just about being silly and having fun and eating treats. And that is ok. :) Before bed that night Charlotte told me that some people had given her "whole handfuls of candy! I don't know why! I'm just a little kid, I can't eat that much candy you know!"

Happy belated Halloween.

belly laughs

I can barely get a little laugh out of Jacob. He smiles at me all the time and is cuddly and adorable. I figured he just wasn't a big laughter kinda guy. Then yesterday, I saw this....

Clearly, Rob knows something I don't.

I'm so glad he is our kids' daddy and my sweet husband. :)

Charlotte is 5!

Our baby girl turned five last week and we took a family trip to the ZOO in Columbia, SC to celebrate. We were really impressed with this zoo. It was small-ish, but had some enormous exhibits and lots of space for the animals. And no animals escaped. While we were there. At least, that we know of. ;)

Our very own 3 little monkeys.

I loved this family of giraffes. They were so beautiful.

Our visit wouldn't be complete without a ride on the carousel.

And a long time spent watching these amazing creatures.

Back at home, we enjoyed Charlotte's birthday cake that I made to her very exact instructions. (Chocolate cake, strawberries, pink frosting, chocolate hearts- NOT frosting, but real chocolate, and so on. She even made me a drawing to look at... but I improvised anyway: 2 tiers, not 3. I'm a rebel like that.)

Happy birthday Bubba!

Charlotte has her own flair for drama and love of life. She loves to laugh and dance and adds so much energy to our home. She is a great sister to her brothers and looks out for them when we are with other kids or in unfamiliar situations. She is my mini-me... and yet she is completely her own person. We love you Charlotte. :)

Charlotte's birthday interview:

What's your favorite color? Pink

What's your favorite movie? Rapunzel (Tangled)

What's your favorite song? Hmm, that's hard. My favorite song is Sunbeams. (Jesus wants me for a Sunbeam.)

What's your favorite food? Macaroni shells and popcorn and strawberries and treats. I love treats.

What's your favorite thing to do with Toby? Play with him in my dollhouse and my kitchen.

What's your favorite thing to do with Jacob? Talk to him.

What's your favorite thing to do with mommy? Fold laundry. (LOL)

What's your favorite thing to do with daddy? Play 'big ball' with him.

What do you want to be when you grow up? I want to be a cooker.

What makes you feel happy? Sunshine makes me happy! (laughs- she has a shirt that says that.) I laugh when Jacob moves around his hands and does silly things. I like that.