I'm In Looooove!

Miss B.'s room is finally finished and I couldn't be more pleased with the way it turned out.  From the bedding to the paint colors, I think it is perfect.  I loooooove this room!

This is a view from the hallway door.  This is what I see every time I walk past her room...PINK!! I love the dark blue ceiling, suede blue walls, and the black doors and trim.  Many friends have teased me for painting my baby girls room blue, especially since it has been every shade of blue and tan with the 3 boys who have slept in this room before her. We actually painted the room pink before this and hated it!  I love her new curtains that tie the whole room together! The butterfly mirrors are from Pottery Barn Kids and the black armour I found at a boutique.  It holds important things such as a glass piggy bank in the shape of a purse that reads, "shopping fund." See the horse on the side of the crib?  You weren't supposed to see that in this picture but Ledger was playing on it right before and I forgot to hide it back behind the crib! I guess I forgot to pick up that Fancy Nancy book that Ledger was trying to read too!  

Some of you may remember that this crib used to be a greenish tan color when my boys slept in it.  Jeremy took it to his painter and had it refinished along with the dresser.  I think the black is stunning with the hot pink, blue and white bedding. The black shelf and wall sconces came from a boutique. Jeremy sent his electricians over one day to run wiring through the attic so they would turn on from the wall switch.  We would have never done such a thing with our boys. The best part about this new crib, bedding and wall decorations?  That yummy bundle of pinkness peeking over the side at me!

This is what I look at each night before Miss B drifts off into dream land. The rocking chair faces this wall and is the perfect thing for me to stare at before I lay her down.  The reason? First off, look at that darling metal pink star.  My Dad's birthday was the 4th of July so whenever I see stars, they remind me of him.  I thought I loved red stars until I came across this.  It doesn't get any better then a pink star!  Second, look at that adorable jewelry sitting on top of her shelf.  As if a jewelry isn't awesome enough, I can tell you who gave me each little bracelet and necklace.  I have the best friends and family, what a blessing! Finally, do you see the hot pink tutu on the bottom of her lamp?  She wore that home from the hospital.  It looks so small now, but when she wore it home, it was huge and fluffy on her! Love it!!  

How cute are her painted name letters?  Each one was hand painted by my friend Karen from In Design.  And are you ready for this?  That adorable hot pink minky covered square is actually an old window from the farm on Greenfield. My mom took all the windows and doors out of the house before she sold the land and they tore down the house. You can see how old and worn out the paint is on it.  I love this board.  Another reminder of my Dad!

So you all know I have a small obsession with tutu's right? When I found this, I just couldn't resist buying it for my little lady.  I didn't make the tutu on it, but I love how it fits into the room.  I want to add a cute pink boa around the neck of it but keep forgetting to do it.  

So this is a little peek at Miss B's finally finished bedroom.  I am absolutely in loooove with it all!  Although the colors are bright and vibrant, I think it has a calm, pretty look to it.  

Am I REALLY old enough to be doing this?

Today, this lovely machine squeezed my boobies in a way I never knew possible.  That's right ladies, today I had my first mammogram.  My OB recommended it last week at my yearly checkup because I am 35 years old ya know!  Along with the mammogram, she kindly suggested a calcium supplement for my aging bones and a vitamin D blood test to see if I am low, which would be an indicator of cancer.  Can I just say, "GETTING OLD IS THE PITTS!" Seriously...a mammogram?!  I am not old enough for mammograms yet!  I know breast cancer doesn't care how old a person is, but boy do I feel old!  For those "young" friends of mine, let me explain a little something to you about how this is done.  First, you go into the screening room where the technician kindly tells you to take your clothes off from the waist up.  She DOESN'T leave the room so if you are like me, you start peeling off the layers as fast as possible for fear she may see something.  I don't exactly know what I'm afraid of her seeing cause it's obvious she's about to see it all in a minute! Next, she slaps 2 stickers with a metal pin on top of my nipples to mark where the nipple is when she squishes my boob.  Then the fun begins.  She grabs my boob, not gently, not soft.  I'm talking GRABS it! She then squishes it onto this flat surface of the machine, continues to move my boob around until it is in just the right spot, and then pushes a button on the machine that brings the top part of the x-ray machine down to my boob so that it can be squished as flat as a pancake.  She then goes to her computer to make sure my boob is the perfect flatness and takes the picture.  The machine then releases my boob and she does the next one.  It is the weirdest thing ever!  How would you like the job of the mammogram technician?  While talking to her today, she told me that she used to think of herself as a "breast contortionist."  Now she has realized that she is "An artist"  After all, she has to get each breast perfectly shaped before taking the picture. WHAT??  What has happened here. How could I be old enough to be doing this and how on earth does this woman get my boobs this flat and squished?  I wouldn't say that having my boobs squished to the thickness of card stock hurt, but it was, "uncomfortable." When all 8 pictures were taken, the technician tells me I can put my clothes back on but again, she DOESN'T leave the room.  I start piling on the layers as fast as possible while she is talking to me about what to expect. I thank her as best I know how in this situation and get the heck out of there! It was just weird! I am so happy that I survived my first mammogram, I didn't even cry folks!! Now off to Walgreens to get me some Calcium Supplements!

A Cold Weekend

On Friday night, Jeremy and I took the boys to Pine for the ward camp out.  Miss B. stayed with Sugar which was a good thing cause it was FREEZING COLD!! When we arrived at Camp Lomia it was rainy and cold.  By night time, it was beyond cold!  We pitched our awesome tent, ate our El Charro burros and enjoyed a night of entertainment from the ward.  The boys were exhausted so we settled in early which was fine by me! Of course there was no sleeping involved because I was so worried about the boys all night long.  Worried that they were freezing.  Worried that they were being suffocated in their sleeping bags. Worried that Ledger's moaning and groaning all night was keeping the others awake. On Saturday morning we woke up to ice on our tent which explains why were were all so cold.  All in all it was a fun, fast overnighter with the ward. I'm happy I got to go with the men I love! 

Ledger and Case drinking a Sprite.  

They thought it was great that I let them drink so much soda on the camp out.

Ledger's hands are "Freezing freezing cold."

Nothing like El Charro bean burros, chips and salsa when you're camping! Don't worry, I kept them nice and warm for my spoiled little campers by warming 2 bricks in my oven and placing them in a heat sack.

My super cute camper man!

Dad and Ledger trying to stay warm!

Donettes and orange juice in the morning are a real treat!

It looks like a Father's and Sons camp out but it wasn't!  Where are all the girls? 

 Oh wait...there's Katlyn in the back!

Joseph, Daniel, Michael, Brody, Kaden, Katlyn, Ethan, McKay and Clark.

This Is Only A Test!!

Why does this two year old cutie continue to test my patience each day?  It's as if he doesn't know the rules and boundaries of the house.  It's as if he is given no freedom in the daily decision making and he is frustrated and mad ALL THE TIME!! What is wrong with two year olds?  They are crazy, moody, up and down, a little bipolar at times.  It's making me tired, frustrated, angry, tired some more!! This kid will protest just about anything just to make a point.  He cannot be calmed down or talked out of the situation like my other two could.  He is head strong and determined to make everyone around him miserable.  He has no problem voicing his opinion in a LOUD LOUD screaming way.  He is driving us all crazy.  We're ready to ship him off to boot camp or boarding school for preschoolers.  Yesterday we loaded up in the car like we do pretty much every Monday morning to take Case to preschool (on Country Club and University by the way!).  Ledger was fine as we pulled out of our driveway and out of our street.  Then, out of no where, like a bolt of lightening, he decided he didn't want to go to preschool.  He started complaining that he didn't want to go with us.  "Sorry Ledger, I can't leave you at home by yourself." I calmly explained over and over.  We picked up Jefferson and by time we left his street Ledger was in a full screaming, crying fit.  He yelled in that horrible voice of his, "I DON'T WANNA GO TO PRESCHOOL!" I swear he must have said this 900 times!! I kept telling him very calmly to stop screaming.  Telling him that if he didn't he was going to get soap in his mouth.  Do you think he cared?  NOOOOOOOOOO.  He proceeded to scream and cry for a full 20 minutes.  All the while my blood pressure is rising and I am getting a very strong death grip on that steering wheel of mine.  By time we pulled up to the preschool I had heard enough.  By now I was crazy and mad!!  I yanked that screaming 2 year old out of his car seat and threw him over my shoulder.  He continued screaming which was a bit alarming and disruptive to those cute preschool kids (Sorry Miss Jody!) I dragged him into that cute ducky bathroom, slammed the door, and the crazy Mom in me came out... along with the soap.  I won't go into the gory details, but let's just say it was not pretty.  I was MAD!! After a few squirts of ducky soap in that loud mouth of his, he was done.  Just like that.  DONE.  No more crying, no more fussing...DONE!  We calmly jumped back in the car, ran some errands and made it back home at 12:00.  The rest of the day he was fine.  Perfect in fact!  Adorable and charming.  I'm telling ya...2 year olds are CRAZY!! He did this very same thing a couple of weeks ago at Miss Carolyns.  It's weird and confusing.  Is it something he is eating?  Is he not getting enough sleep? Am I not spending enough quality time with him? Is it just time to call the psychologist?  What is this?  I know...this is a test!  A test to see if I can survive the terrible two's.  Well guess what Ledger man?  I will pass this test and I will pass it with flying colors.  I will ace this test and you will grow up to be a happy, kind, nice 3 year old. Go ahead...show me what you've got cause I'm not giving up and I will win!  I am MOM...hear me ROAR!!! ROOOOOOOOOOAR!!

7 months already!

It seriously freaks me out that my Little Lady is 7 months old today.  Where is the time going?  Oh I know to baseball, swim team practice, swim lessons and music class.  Miss B. has had a very productive and busy month 6 if I do say so myself!  As a six month old she has:  learned to sit up on her own, started crawling (1 or 2 inches), grown her two bottom teeth, learned to clap, started eating solids (applesauce, pears, peaches, bananas, apricots, carrots, peas, oatmeal and rice cereal), and  she has learned that if I'm not in the room where she can see me or if I'm not lugging her around on my hip, she should SCREAM and CRY until I pick her up! Her little personality is in full bloom and I'm afraid it is a feisty one!  She has no problem protesting when she is unhappy or doesn't want something.  She LOVES attention from he big brothers. They are really good about playing with her and talking to her when she is fussing. Miss B. loves her Dad. When he walks through the door at night, her face lights up!  Her smile is enormous and makes all of us happy.  We are crazy about this Little Lady and can't wait to see what happens during her 7th month. 

This is a typical look from Miss B. right now.  

She can't quite figure out what is growing in her mouth! She is constantly feeling her 2 new teeth with her tongue.  How do you like the little ouchy under her nose? She fell flat on her face while she was sitting up the other day.

Here is an example of what a typical day is like for Miss B:

6:30-7:00 Rise and Shine!

7:00 Breakfast in the Bumbo in the sink. (Oatmeal and a fruit).  Hang out there until the rest of the gang is dressed, brushed and spiked! Protest a little cause you want out but I'm too busy getting the boys ready that I don't have time to pay attention to you... cry away little Miss!

7:30 Pick out the most girlie pink outfit I can find and decide which flower is the biggest and most obnoxious looking in your hair.  Do you have a cute bracelet or necklace to match that darling outfit?  You betcha! Laugh and giggle at you in the mirror cause I can't believe that pink outfit and flower are staring back at me.  It's beautiful!

8:30 Bottle and down for a nap. (unless we have to take Case to preschool and then it's eat and sleep in the car! We also run errands for 2 hours until we have to pick your brother up!) Sorry!

10:30 Up and ready to play!  You love your saucer, Bumbo, vibrating chair and sitting on the carpet.  As long as I am within seeing distance, your good to go!   You also love to have something in your chubby little hands to play with and suck on.  

11:30 Are you really hungry again?  Time for a 6 ounce bottle.  If we have to pick up Case from preschool, you are drinking that yummy bottle in the car (thank goodness you can hold your own bottle now!) (Three days out of the week we are off to swim lessons at this time which means you get to hang out in the beautiful weather and watch the boys swim.)

1:00  I've held you off long enough for another nap, but I really want you sleeping at the same time as Case and Ledger.  You are out cold the minute your little head hits your plush crib!  Good night little lady!

4:00  Sorry to do this to you, but, " wake up," we have to take your brothers to swim team practice! (Drink another 6 ounce bottle on the way there or when we get there.)

8:00  We are back home after swim team practice and a baseball game.  Since we haven't been home most the day, we had to get dinner after the game which means we are all exhausted by now...especially YOU!  Dad gives you a shower with the boys and I quickly put your warm, soft Jammie's on you and give you a bottle. This is my favorite time of night cause I get to hold you, all clean and warm, in that gorgeous room of yours and watch you fall asleep. I usually fall asleep with you which I love! I didn't have time to feed you rice cereal, peas and a fruit, but you don't seem to mind.  You are out like a rock! Good night sweet girl!!

As you can see, we are very busy right now. The other night we were at a swim meet and a friend politely (hmmmmm...) said to Berkley, "Your mama is gonna wear you out.  You should be home, not out with all these people." This is also the same woman who has nanny for her kids, who are now 17!!  This sweet lady doesn't take her kids anywhere until they are about 5 years old. She thinks kids should be at home, they have no business being out with the rat race!  While a nanny would be wonderful and great for our hectic schedule, it's not realistic for us.  The obvious reason is that we can't afford one, and the next being that we choose to do these activities.  I can't stay home with my new babies until they are 5 and have my older kids miss out on their activities.  It just wouldn't work.  When Brody was the only child, I thought Mom's like myself were out of control, ridiculous, and didn't care about the health and well being of their kids.  After all, how could they drag their kids around like they do and expect them to be happy and well behaved when they haven't had a nap all day or play time with Mom at home.  I've come to realize that while those things are important, so is having a kid who can adjust and adapt in different situations under different circumstances.  I'm not trying to justify our busy life.  I'm overwhelmed and exhausted too.  At night when I FINALLY get into bed I ask myself, "Why am I doing this?" Then I remember that this time will pass.  This craziness only lasts for 6 weeks and then it's over.  The problem is that all our activities are coming to an end or just starting.  They are all overlapping right now.  In another 4 weeks we will be back to normal (yea right!), I can do this!  My baby will be fine.  We will be fine. After all, "It may be a crazy life, but it's our life!"

Getting that crawling thing down!

Getting Ready!

Now that Case is 5 he is ready and wanting to go to Kindergarten.  Everyday since his birthday he has asked how many more days till school starts.  It's like he turned 5 and thought he was going to kindergarten the day after his birthday.  It's cute.  So Tuesday he went to his 5 year check up with Dr. James.  I remember this appointment with Brody because it was pure torture, for me and him (him and I...whatever!) I was dreading this appointment especially since my sitter cancelled on me a half hour before I had to leave!  Just as expected, Case had his head, shoulders, knees, toes, eyes, ears, mouth and nose checked!  We talked about the horrible case of Molluscum Contagiousum he has going on under his left arm pit. (I will be torturing him next Thursday when he visits the dermatologist to start removing them!) We discussed the recent trip to the allergy doctor (we will hold off on twice a week allergy shots!) and we discussed how important car seats, bike helmets and sunscreen are (all of which we don't use!! SWEET!) Then came the most horrible part of the whole appointment...SHOTS!  Not just A shot, noooooo....6 shots.  You heard me right folks, 6 painful shots.  2 in each leg (that equals 4) one on his finger tip, and that one where they make a bubble under the skin with the needle.  Can I just say I have a super strong, loud screaming 5 year old.  With every poke of the needle Case would yell, "No more, stop hurting me, don't do it again, NOOOOOOOO!" It was horrible to say the least.  He was kicking, squirming, and that scream...oh it was not pretty! It took me a good 10 minutes to calm him down when it was done.  All the while I have a rowdy 2 year old running all over the office and a super tired fussy 6 month old screaming because her big brother is screaming, and Case who is hysterical!  I seriously couldn't wait to get the heck out of that place!  By time it was done I had the biggest headache and thought to myself, "I know why Mom's drink!!" This appointment was disastrous!  My boys were so naughty while we were there that they all lost DS and WII privileges for the rest of their lives (well not really but a whole week!!)  I am sooooo happy this appointment is over!!

Hearing is perfect (I sometimes wonder!)

Case weighs 39 pounds and is 42 inches tall.  

He is in the 37th percentile for his weight and 31st percentile for his height.

Vision is perfect!

It's Not Even Warm Enough To Be Swimming...But We Are!!

Yep...we are completely crazy right now.  Along with baseball, Let's Play Music, and swimming lessons with Miss Carolyn, we have started swim team!  The boys got to go to 30 minutes of practice on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday before competing in their first swim meet last night at PVCC.  They were a little rusty in the water and for a minute there, I was worried that I was gonna have to jump in after 1 of them to save them from drowning.  All in all they had a blast swimming in the frigid water and eating a pretzel with cheese between races. 

Brody and his awesome backstroke.

Case barely made it across the pool doing the backstroke! 

Brody doing breast stroke.

Case and his funny jump/dive.

Katlyn, Brody and Case between races.  They may not be the best swimmers in the bunch, but they are certainly the cutest!

My Spoiled Little Campers!

Last Friday night, after Case's BounceU birthday party, Jeremy pitched our 6 man tent in the backyard and had a camp out with the boys.  I had to sleep inside with the Misses which was fine with me.  I was a little jealous though that they were all eating popcorn and watching movies on my laptop while laying on their warm cots.  They loved sleeping in the backyard and waking up with the sun to play cards in their camping chairs outside the tent.  Can't wait to take these boys camping in a few weeks for the ward camp out.

Snugly, warm boys watching Dad set up the lantern.  

Playing cards after a good nights sleep!

A Golden Birthday!

Today is April 5th.  It is also Case's 5th birthday.  I can't believe he is already 5.  He is growing up so fast and it can just stop anytime now!  It's hard to believe this little dude will be in Kindergarten next year.  Last Friday night, we celebrated his 5th birthday with a small party at BounceU in Gilbert.  He wanted to go there so bad and let me tell you...it was AWESOME!  We literally showed up, jumped, partied and then left.  No set up, party favors, clean up, it was great.  Actually, it was a little weird.  I am so used to the big party at my house that I felt a little guilty all day.  However at 7:00 Friday night when we left BounceU, I was happy and so was the birthday boy!! 

Case the birthday boy!

A little air hockey is always fun!

Miss B., Sugar, Kunkle and Presley.

Bouncing is sooo fun!!

RyRy and Ella 

Shootin some hoops at BounceU.

Case has the greatest personality.  He is super kind, happy and concerned about others feelings.  He is really in tune with how different situations make people feel.  He loves to share and help.  Case adores his Dad and big brother Brody.  He tells me often that he loves Dad more then me which really hurts my feelings but makes me happy that he thinks Jeremy is so cool!  He is super cute with Miss B. and will go out of his way to make her smile and laugh.  Case is into this funny way of talking lately.  It's kinda a suave, cool man talk.  It makes me laugh.  Case loves to dance.  Somewhere he has learned to break dance.  You should see this kid do the worm.  It's hilarious!  Case is the kid that you think isn't paying attention or really getting what is going on, and then out of know where he will surprise you with what he knows.  He is super funny and very into teasing and joking.  You can ask this kid a serious question and he will answer it withe some ludicrous answer (ex:  The doctor last week asked Case how old he was.  His answer:  "I'm 100."  Another question from that same doctor.  "Case do you like to play ball?"  Answer:  "No, I like to take naps!") He is a comedian! Case is super athletic.  He swims like a fish, can hit a ball like no other, and shoot a basket like the pros.  He is good at anything he tries.  This birthday boy makes all of us happy.  I love him so much and hope his golden birthday is the best birthday ever!  Here are some things about our little 5 year old that you may not know.

"Favorite color?" "Blue."

"Favorite food?" "Sandwiches."

"Favorite Drink?" "Lemonade."

"Favorite dessert?" " Ice cream...orange sherbet."

"Best Friend?"  "B...Jefferson." (I think he was going to say Brody but changed his mind!)

Jefferson and Case!

"Favorite thing to do at home?" "Watch T.V." "Case you don't watch T.V."  "Go in the tent!"

"Favorite thing about going to Pre-Kindergarten?" "Playing motorcycles."

"Favorite toy to play with?"  "My DS."

"Why are you excited to go to kindergarten?" "Cause I want to see all the new stuff!"

"What is your favorite thing to do with Dad?" "Go in his truck!"

"What is your favorite thing to do with Mom?" "Nothing!" "Oh Case...really?" "I'm sure!"

"What do you want to be when you grow up?" "Ummm...just a teenager."  "A dentist."  

"Why do you want to be a dentist?" "Cause I wanna see all the teeth!"

No birthday would be complete without breakfast in bed, lunch at Serranos and dinner at Cheesecake Factory!  Happy 5th birthday CaseMan!

These Little Peeps...

...want to say "HAPPY EASTER!"  

Hope you are all enjoying a wonderful spring day with your family.  We went to Sugar's house first thing this morning for breakfast and a very competitive adult egg hunt.  You think I'm kidding but I'm not.  See this is how it works.  Sugar hides hundreds of eggs for Jeremy and I, Ash and Ryan,  and H and Nicole to find.  The problem?  These eggs have money in them!  Not the typical quarters, dimes, nickels and pennies.  Nooooo!  We're talking, one, five, ten and twenty dollar bills in them.  Oh it is ugly!  Seriously! We are all so poor right now that we all want to get the most eggs and therefore end up with the most money.  Let's just say there is a lot of trash talking, pushing, yelling and arguing during the adult egg hunt.  We are not very good examples to our kids who are watching in dismay, but we do laugh when it's all over!    Jeremy was the big winner this year and I did pretty good myself! 

The kids egg hunt is much more calm.  

The kids loved finding eggs with candy and quarters in them.  

Ledger, Case, Brody, Miss B. Ella, Presley and Brooklyn.  

Cousins are the best! 

Brody found sooo many eggs today!  He is a great egg hunter!

Did the Easter Bunny really hide eggs on the swing set?

Ledger was happy finding eggs today!

Miss B. loved playingin the grass while the boys found their eggs.  Next year this girl will be running with the boys!

After Sugar's house, we came home and did our family egg hunt which took about 5 minutes this year!  The kids loved it but mostly loved their Easter baskets from the Easter Bunny!  Around 3:00 we headed over to GG and GPa's house for another egg hunt and G-Pa's famous burgers.  He also has an egg hunt which is super fun for us all! I love Easter for the very reason that it is simple.  The weather is usually perfect, the food and desserts are wonderful, and I get to spend it all with those I love the most!  Happy Easter to you all!

Miss Berkley's face says it all.  We are CRAZY after today!

Wild Animals!

Yesterday my Mom took my wild animals to the zoo with Ash, Nicole and their kids.  Yes, I bailed out, but only cause I needed to make sure the Easter Bunny was going to be ready for Sunday!  They had a great time with all their cousins and of course Sugar.  

This is what it looks like at the zoo with 5 adults and 6 kids under 7!

Auntie Nicole' s wagon was a hit!  Unfortunately not everyone could ride in it at one time!! Ledger, Ella and Case enjoyed the ride!

Feeding the giraffes was sooo fun!  Ledger doesn't look one bit afraid of that long, thick, black tongue coming toward him!.  I'll have to ask Sugar about that one!!

Case enjoying a merry-go-round ride!