Two months ago

So my little Miriam is already sleeping eight hours at night and smiling for her favorite people, but I just got these pictures that my dad shot at the hospital, so I HAD to put some up.

Bekah holding Miriam for the first time while Seth closely supervises and Analee waits for her turn.

Seth helping Analee hold Miriam. Good thing he was there because Ana's more interested in the bow that the nurses put on her sister's head than supporting her sister's head.

Sweet Miriam being held by Grandma Scott.

Seth, Ana and Bekah watching over Miriam while I sit in my hospital bed. The epidural hadn't quite worn off yet (my left leg was still completely numb), so I wasn't up and about at this point.

Miriam sleeping in her hospital-issue Tupperware bed.

To see more, click here.

Analee is 3!

Monday we celebrated Analee's third birthday with a little family gathering. She received presents from her parents, her sister (Bekah has been wrapping various candy from our candy bowl for the past month in preparation for the big day), her grandparents on both sides, and her aunt.

Ana opening one of her present from Bekah. Inside one of these scrap papers was a single green jelly bean. She promptly ate it. You can see the birthday wrap carnage all over the living room floor.

Bekah and Ana playing with Ana's new Tinkerbell jewelry box/play set. Ana's also wearing the necklace that came with it. She tried on the earrings, but quickly took them off. Apparently the clip-ons clip too tightly.

Then, of course, we sang "Happy Birthday" and ate cake.

The castle cake Ana chose for her birthday. Something I learned while making this cake: chocolate frosting made by different manufacturers comes in different colors. You'd think there would be a standard "chocolate" color, but it's just not so. I used frosting from three different brands on this cake, hence the three different browns. Oh, well. And I lost another bracket from my braces eating one of the leftover Dots from the cake. Sigh ...

Andrea videotaping the song/candle blowout while Seth cheers Ana's successful candle snuffing. It took her a few tries (she's quite the dainty blower), but she finally got 'em all. (Obviously, I didn't shoot these pictures. Thanks, Dad, for documenting the event and getting us a copy of the photos.)

Ana demonstrating how old she is by counting on her fingers.

Miriam napped during the presents and cake, but she joined in for the family visit that followed.

Grandma Scott reading one of Ana's new books to Bekah while Andrea feeds Miriam and Aunt Jessica looks on stoically.

Miriam's adorable smile. I've tried getting smiley pictures of her, but they haven't turned out nearly this well. It helps when you have two grandmas trying to elicit such a sweet expression while one grandpa mans the camera.

Another sweet picture of Miriam. Such a doll!

Miriam (in jammies after she dirtied her diaper and clothes) getting attention from Grandma Susan and Grandpa Dennis.

IN HER OWN WORDS
Analee's favorite color: pink and purple and silver and golden
Favorite food: strawberries
Favorite book: my new Elmo singing book
Favorite show: Up
Favorite toy: Dora ball
Favorite song: the rainbow one ("Rainbow Connection")
Favorite thing to do outside: bounce on the trampoline
Favorite animal: butterfly
Best thing about being three years old: my threeth (third) birthday
Best friend: Bekah

Gotta love 'em

My kids are weird ... but cute.

Rebekah at four years and 49 weeks old.

Analee at three years. It's her birthday today! That, of course, warrants its own blog post. Stay tuned.

Miriam at eight weeks old.

technical difficulties

We experienced some technical difficulties with where the background images for our blog were stored. We've decided to do a redesign anyway. In the meantime, I'll select some default generic template. But do not fear: we'll be back to looking awesome soon.

Copy cats

Now that Miriam is 8 weeks old, the "big girls" have got all the baby procedures figured out. Case in point:

Both girls feeding their dolls. My nursing pillow was shut up in Miri's room during her nap, so Bekah and Ana had to improvise with the pillows from our bed.

Then Bekah had to burp her baby. Analee followed suit once her baby's tummy was full.

Then both girls propped their babies up on their legs to talk to her. "Hi! Such a pretty baby!"

I looked out the window, and what did I see?

Despite the raking, mowing, watering and whatnot that having an almost-two-acre lot and 200+ trees requires, I LOVE our yard and foliage. Especially during this time of year. This is what I see every morning when I open the shade in our bedroom:


Beautiful white and pink blossoms. Of course, this leads to lots of apples and crab apples that I have to rake off the lawn in the fall, but I can enjoy the beauty while it lasts, right?

fontanelle

This evening as I was driving to the hardware store with the girls...

Ana: Daddy! Daddy!
Me: What, Ana?
Ana: I feel something soft in my head!
Me: Um.....
Ana: It's the Holy Ghost! It's the Holy Ghost!
Me: Oh! What is the Holy Ghost telling you?
Ana: pauses
Ana: It's telling me... that I love my mommy! And I need to give her a hug! And a kiss! And my baby sister Miriam!
Me: That's good, Ana! That is something the Holy Ghost will tell you!
Bekah: (rolls her eyes) Ana, it's not something soft in your head, it's something warm in your heart.
Me: Bekah, the Holy Ghost talks to different people in different ways.
Ana: Yeah, Bekah. It's in my head.

family

I'm such a lucky guy to have these four beautiful ladies in my life.

Sunday comic

This was attached to my weekly baby update e-mail, and since it's true in our situation, I HAD to post it.

Ana-ism #8

Ana: Mama, can you tell me the story of when I got stung?
Andrea: Sure, hon. Well, one time when we were on a trip to Utah ...
Ana: Me-tah?

Bekahism #29

Bekah: Guess what I learned in primary today?
Seth and Andrea: What?
Bekah (forcefully): Get thee in hands, Satan!
Seth and Andrea: Uh, say that again?
Bekah (more forcefully): Get thee in hands, Satan! It means "go away, Satan."
Seth: Do you mean "Get thee hence, Satan!"
Bekah (nodding): Yeah. Get thee in hands.

Anaism #7

Andrea driving the girls around in the van...

Ana: Everybody, be quiet! I'm trying to concentrate!
Andrea: Um... okay. On what, Ana?
Ana: Driving.

Bekahism #28

This morning, picking out her clothes to wear for the day...

Bekah: What do you guys think of this shirt? I don't know, I think it might look too "hunting camp"-ish.

Bekahism #27

While discussing the possibility of Bekah playing t-ball this summer.

Bekah: I want to play all the sports you played, Ma.
Andrea: Great, Bekah!
Bekah: I want to play volleyball and softball and t-ball and basketball. Because I already know how to headbutt.
Andrea: Uh ... you're thinking soccer, Bekah.

Yeah ... we never watch sports at our house. And if your kid is on the opposing team and my daughter randomly headbutts him/her, my deepest apologies.

Sleepy smiles

I absolutely LOVE it when newborns grin in their sleep.

Miriam at 24 days old.

So precious.