Sisters are the Best!

My sister, Karin, came to visit for a few days from Arizona. She just couldn't bare not seeing Owen until July when she will come again. We had so much fun together. We played games, visited with our Grandma, added her to the world of blogging. We also did some digital scrapbooking for an anouncement for my nephew's priesthood ordination in a few weeks. And of course we did what sisters do best...lots of talking.

Karin is such a great Aunt, she even let Bailee sleep in the room with her. One night we let Bailee have a little too much sugar before bed time and she kept Karin up until 10:30 or 11:00 p.m. Poor Karin. Bailee sure thinks the world of Karin, when she saw these pictures she said "Oh, its beautiful!" I know Karin won over her heart when she was so willing to play Playdough with her, and even more than once.

I am so lucky to have such great sisters. I wish that we all lived closer to each other so we didn't have to try and cram everything into just a few days. We just don't get to see each other often enough.

Thanks for coming Karin, we all had so much fun! I am so glad that Owen finally got meet one of his Aunts.

Our Beloved Prophet

We were so sad to hear the news about President Hinckley last night. He was such an amazing leader and teacher, I feel so blessed to have lived here while he was our prophet. His sweet spirit, teachings and all of the wonderful work he has done will forever be in my heart. I am grateful that we live in a time that we can easily access his words on the Internet and in the Ensign.

He will be greatly missed, but I am so glad that he can be reunited with his sweetheart. President and Sister Hinckley were a wonderful example to all of us of a eternal marriage.

Our Handsome Little Man

Just some more pictures of my handsome little guy. He seems to change and grow everyday. We just stared giving him a pacifier this week, Matt and I had some pruned fingers from all of the sucking so we gave in. He loves it and gets pretty unhappy when his little arms knock it out of his mouth.

A visit from Maama

Matt's mom ("Maama" as she is called around our house) came for a couple of days this week. She says that she was having withdrawals, but who wouldn't when you have grandkids this cute! It was so nice having her here. Bailee loves to play and go shopping with her. Shopping is a lot more fun when you go with some one who enjoys it. ( I am not the biggest fan... get in and get out as fast as we can is how Matt and I like it)

It was so great, I was able to get out and run some errands without the kiddos. I am still so paranoid about taking Owen out in this nasty weather and around all of the people that are sick. She is such a big help when she comes.

Thanks for coming Mom! Even if you think it was for your own selfish reasons, your visit was appreciated.

Sweetness!

Bailee sure loves Owen. I was able to get these sweet pictures of them when Bailee interrupted a photo shoot of Owen. These pictures really show how she is with him everyday. She loves to talk to him and give him hugs and kisses. She is always worried about where he is and if he is ok. She will even cry if he is cries for more than a few seconds, she doesn't like for him to be in distress. It is amazing how quickly they have bonded.

Does this make me a bad Mom?

Ok, so Bailee was playing by herself so well this morning. I need to do something in the office so I took Owen with me. Bailee was being so quiet, it was so nice. But then she came in and told me that her hands were cold. I looked down and they were red and she had a hat on. Mind you she was also still in her PJ's because she said that she didn't want to wear clothes today, "just jammas". She had gone out in the back yard to play in the snow, she must have been out there for at least 5 minutes because there were tracks all over the yard. I called my neighbor that we share a yard with and she told me that she had seen Bailee out playing on their play structure. Lucky for me, I have a smart little girl and she did put her snow boots on before she went out. She even took them off at the door before she came and told me her hands were cold.

I guess that even though I have smart little girl, I need to keep a little better eye on her when I "THINK" she is playing in her room.

The Ten "Leppas"

All day Bailee has been mimicking most of what Matt says.

Tonight during family scriptures, Matt was flipping through the book and read out loud, but under his breath, "The Ten Lepers". It is the title of one of the stories in our "New Testament Stories" book that we read out of with Bailee. Bailee must have heard what Matt said as "The ten Leppas", because she kept saying it over and over. Then as Matt read, if he said "Lepers" she would correct him with "Leppas". She even interrupted Matt during our family prayer to thank Heavenly Father for "the ten Leppas".

Kids really do say the darnedest things.

Showers

I finally got a shower yesterday around 2 pm. That is what happens when I don't get up before Bailee. Unfortunately, this has been a common occurrence since Owen was born. I am one of those people that just need my sleep. I am at my best when I get 9 or so hours of uninterrupted sleep and a nice hot shower to start my day.
I wish that I was better about getting my day started with or with out a shower, but that rarely happens. Hopefully when I get a few more hours of consecutive sleep I will be better about getting going. I am going to have to be better so I can get up work out so I can get in shape for backpacking this coming summer.

So Relaxed

I of course have to show off my handsome boy some more. He crashed right after a diaper change yesterday. It worked out great, he slept on the changing table while I did some organizing in his room. I just love seeing a sleeping baby, they are so peaceful.

Milk and Onions

Since Bailee first started eating what we eat she has found a strange love for onions, raw or cooked. The other day I had just a small part of and onion left after making dinner, so I just chopped it up and put it in the fridge for a meal later this week. Bailee found the bag of onion in the fridge and decided to sit up to the table with a cup of milk and dig in. She will tell you that the raw onions are hot, but it doesn't stop her from eating them. She sure had some nasty breath last night, but she was happy with her pre-dinner snack. Oh, by the way her hair was done cute at one point during the day, I promise.

Little Mommy

Yesterday morning I found Bailee being a little Mommy to her baby doll, Laney. She had gotten the boppy pillow and was "nursing" Laney. She was so cute. She knew what came next, the burping. So she asked me for a burp cloth and right away sat back down in her rocking chair to rock and burp her. She has been such a good helper with Owen, it was only a matter of time before she mimicked what she has seen Mommy do with Owen. She is getting good practice for her own family someday.

If only we all got this much sleep.

Just wanted to share a new picture of our peacefully sleeping baby boy.

Sunday Afternoon

So with the new year comes an new meeting schedule for Sunday. Our ward has unfortunately been scheduled at 1 pm. This seems to work out great for those with older children, a leisure morning and lunch before church with just enough time after for dinner and a few hours of family time. Sounds great, but with a 2 yr old it is a whole other story. Our new meeting time happens to fall right during Bailee's nap, which means a cranky little girl. This is what happened on Sunday the cranky little girl decided to cuddle and read a book with Daddy and Owen around 5 pm and didn't even make it half way through the book. I think that we will be having some interesting Sunday's for the next few months (hopefully the rumor is true that we will be moving to the beloved 9 am schedule in April when the new building is finished). If anyone has any ideas how to make our Sundays more pleasant, please share.

Snow in Boise!!!

It is amazing how much snow we have gotten this winter. However, we do live in the Treasure Valley so it doesn't stick around long. Just long enough that if you get out before 10 am you have to shovel and there might be enough to play in before it melts off in the afternoon. Bailee has had so much fun this year being pulled around in her sled and new wagon.
Bailee is definitely her Dad's daughter and loves the snow enough to put up with the cold. As for me, I enjoy watching them play from inside our warm house.

A Family of FOUR

On Dec. 27, 2007 our little family had a new addition. Owen Matthew came into the world two weeks early, but was happily and anxiously received.

Bailee loves having her little brother home. She is a great helper, she always wants to hold him and tell him "Hi" and that he is so cute.

Little Boy diaper changes are sure different then little girls. I am learning how to be much faster to avoid the inevitable, the pee fountain.

Matt is a proud Daddy, he is excited to have a little more testosterone in the house. And of course another hiking partner. This summer will be fun with two little explorers.

Owen was born at 10:14 a.m on the 27th. He weighed in at 6 lbs. 10 oz. ans was 18 1/2 in. long. He was just a little guy. He is a really good baby so far, he does all of the eating, sleeping and pooping that he should be. I love this little stage, but I can't wait to sleep for more than two hours at a time again.